Sidelink positioning anchor classification and selection

Abstract

In an aspect, a target sidelink user equipment may obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for positioning a session, wherein the at least one quality classification indicates a synchronization quality based on the SL anchor device, a timing quality of the SL anchor device, a position estimated quality for a position of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof. The target sidelink user equipment may perform the positioning session with one or more SL anchor devices of the plurality of SL anchor devices or perform the positioning session using the one or more SL anchor devices of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

Description

Background Technology 1. Technical Field

[0001] All aspects of this disclosure relate to wireless communications.

[0002] 2. Relevant Technical Descriptions

[0003] Wireless communication systems have evolved through many generations, including first-generation analog radiotelephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital radiotelephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, wireless services with internet capabilities, and fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax). Currently, many different types of wireless communication systems are in use, including cellular systems and Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems. Known examples of cellular systems include cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and others.

[0004] The fifth-generation (5G) wireless standard, known as New Radio (NR), delivers higher data speeds, more connections, better coverage, and other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance, the 5G standard is designed to provide higher data rates, more accurate positioning (e.g., based on positioning reference signals (RS-P), such as downlink, uplink, or sidelink positioning reference signals (PRS)), and other technological enhancements compared to previous standards.

[0005] Furthermore, leveraging 5G's increased data rates and reduced latency, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology is being implemented to support autonomous driving applications, such as wireless communication between vehicles, between vehicles and roadside infrastructure, and between vehicles and pedestrians. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following is a simplified summary of the invention relating to one or more aspects disclosed herein. Therefore, this summary should not be considered an exhaustive overview relating to all conceptual aspects, nor should it be considered to identify key or decisive elements relating to all conceptual aspects or to depict the scope associated with any particular aspect. Thus, the sole purpose of this summary is to present, in a concise form, certain concepts relating to one or more aspects involving the mechanisms disclosed herein, prior to the detailed description presented below.

[0007] In one aspect, a method of wireless communication performed by a target sidelink user equipment (SL-UE) device includes: obtaining at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of a location estimate for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and conducting the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0008] In one aspect, a target sidelink user equipment includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of the location estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and conduct the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0009] In one aspect, a target sidelink user equipment includes: components for obtaining at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of the location estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and components for conducting the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0010] In one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a target sidelink user equipment, cause the target sidelink user equipment to: obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of the location estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and conduct the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0011] Based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description, other objects and advantages associated with the aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings are provided to help describe various aspects of this disclosure, and are provided for illustrative purposes only and not to limit the various aspects.

[0013] Figure 1 Example wireless communication systems according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0014] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C Example wireless network architectures based on various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0015] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C It is a simplified block diagram of several example aspects of components that can be used in user equipment (UE), base stations, and network entities and configured to support communications as taught herein.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example sidelink ranging and positioning process according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a table illustrating one way to classify SL anchor devices based on the synchronization source used by the side link (SL) anchor device, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 An example method of wireless communication performed by a target sidelink user equipment (SL-UE) device according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Various aspects of this disclosure are provided in the following description and accompanying drawings of various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of this disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of this disclosure.

[0020] Various aspects generally relate to SL positioning using sidelink (SL) anchor devices. Some aspects more specifically involve assigning quality classifications to SL anchor devices, which can be used by a target sidelink UE (SL-UE) to select which SL anchor devices to use in a positioning session. In some examples, the quality classification that can be assigned to an SL anchor device may be based on 1) the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device; 2) the timing quality of the SL anchor device; 3) the quality of the location estimate for the location of the SL anchor device; or 4) any combination thereof. In some examples, the target SL-UE obtains the quality classification of the SL anchor device in a transmission from the SL anchor device. In some examples, the target SL-UE obtains the quality classification of the SL anchor device in a transmission from a master SL device (e.g., the SL device responsible for maintaining the quality classification associated with each SL anchor device in the positioning environment). In some examples, the quality classification of the SL anchor device may be inferred from control signaling associated with PRS transmissions from the SL anchor device or from the resource set allocated to the SL anchor device. In some examples, the target SL-UE may selectively include, exclude, combine, or weight the quality classification indication based on the following: the priority-ordered quality classification configuration implemented at the target SL-UE device, the power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device, the positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to locate the session, the frequency at which each SL anchor device in the SL anchor devices transmits a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS), the amount of communication traffic handled by each SL anchor device in the SL anchor devices, or any combination of the foregoing.

[0021] Specific aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, by assigning a quality classification to the SL anchor device and providing the assigned quality classification to the target SL-UE, the described techniques can be used to optimize the selection of the SL anchor device to be used by the target SL-UE for a positioning session. In some scenarios, the accuracy of location estimation for the target SL-UE device will be improved by using only SL anchor devices with certain quality classifications for the positioning session. In some scenarios, the target SL-UE can reduce the number of SL anchor devices used in the positioning session based on the quality classification, thereby reducing the communication overhead required for the positioning session and / or reducing the power consumed by the target SL-UE during the positioning session.

[0022] The terms “exemplary” and / or “example” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” and / or “example” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other aspects. Similarly, the term “aspects of this disclosure” does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed.

[0023] Those skilled in the art will understand that any of a variety of different techniques and methods can be used to represent the information and signals described below. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the following description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, and so on.

[0024] Furthermore, many aspects are described according to a sequence of actions to be performed by elements of, for example, a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein can be performed by a specific circuit (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, the sequence of actions described herein can be considered to be entirely embodied in any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, will cause or command the associated processor of the device to perform the functionality described herein. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be embodied in a variety of different forms, all of which are contemplated within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, for each aspect described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

[0025] As used herein, the terms “user equipment” (UE), “vehicle UE” (V-UE), “pedestrian UE” (P-UE), and “base station” are not intended to be specific to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT) unless otherwise stated. In general, a UE can be any wireless communication device used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network (e.g., vehicle onboard computer, vehicle navigation device, mobile phone, router, tablet computer, laptop computer, asset location device, wearable device (e.g., smartwatch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.). A UE can be mobile or can (e.g., at certain times) be stationary and can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” can be interchangeably referred to as “mobile device,” “access terminal” or “AT,” “client device,” “wireless device,” “subscriber equipment,” “subscriber terminal,” “subscriber station,” “user terminal” or UT,” “mobile terminal,” “mobile station,” or variations thereof.

[0026] V-UE is a type of UE and can be any in-vehicle wireless communication device, such as a navigation system, alarm system, head-up display (HUD), onboard computer, in-vehicle infotainment system, automated driving system (ADS), advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), etc. Alternatively, V-UE can be a portable wireless communication device (e.g., cellular phone, tablet computer, etc.) carried by the driver or occupant of a vehicle. The term "V-UE" can refer to the in-vehicle wireless communication device or the vehicle itself, depending on the context. P-UE is a type of UE and can be a portable wireless communication device carried by a pedestrian (i.e., a user who is not driving or riding in a vehicle). Generally, the UE can communicate with the 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 connecting the UE to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible, such as through wired access networks, wireless local area network (WLAN) networks (e.g., based on IEEE 802.11, etc.).

[0027] A base station can communicate with a UE by operating under one of several RATs based on the network in which it is deployed, and may alternatively be referred to as an Access Point (AP), Network Node, Node B, Evolved Node B (eNB), Next Generation eNB (ng-eNB), New Radio (NR) Node B (also known as gNB or gNodeB), etc. The base station is primarily used to support the UE's radio access, including supporting the UE's data, voice, and / or signaling connections. In some systems, the base station may only provide edge node signaling functions, while in others, it may provide additional control and / or network management functions. The communication link through which the UE can transmit signals to the base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the base station can transmit signals to the UE is called a downlink (DL) or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term Traffic Channel (TCH) may refer to either the UL / reverse or DL / forward traffic channel.

[0028] The term "base station" can refer to a single physical transmit / receive point (TRP) or multiple physical TRPs that may or may not be co-located. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP can be the antenna of a base station corresponding to a cell (or several cell sectors) of the base station. When the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP can be the antenna array of a base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or where the base station employs beamforming). When the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP can be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected via a transmission medium to a common source) or a remote radio headend (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, a non-co-located physical TRP can be the serving base station from which the UE receives measurement reports and a neighboring base station where the UE is measuring its reference radio frequency (RF) signal. Because, as used herein, a TRP is the point by which a base station transmits and receives radio signals, references to transmitting from or receiving at a base station should be understood to refer to a specific TRP of the base station.

[0029] In some specific implementations supporting UE positioning, the base station may not support the UE's radio access (e.g., it may not support the UE's data, voice, and / or signaling connections). Instead, it may send a reference RF signal to the UE for measurement by the UE, and / or receive and measure signals sent by the UE. Such a base station may be referred to as a positioning beacon (e.g., in the case of sending RF signals to the UE) and / or as a positioning measurement unit (e.g., in the case of receiving and measuring RF signals from the UE).

[0030] An “RF signal” refers to an electromagnetic wave of a given frequency that transmits information across the space between a transmitter and a receiver. As used herein, a transmitter may send a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels, a receiver may receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same transmitted RF signal on different paths between the transmitter and receiver may be referred to as a “multipath” RF signal. As used herein, where the context clearly indicates that the term “signal” refers to a wireless signal or RF signal, an RF signal may also be referred to as a “wireless signal” or simply a “signal.”

[0031] Figure 1 An example wireless communication system 100 according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100 (which may also be referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) may include various base stations 102 (labeled "BS") and various UEs 104. Base station 102 may include macro cell base stations (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cell base stations (low-power cellular base stations). In one aspect, macro cell base station 102 may include eNB and / or ng-eNB (where wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an LTE network) or gNB (where wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an NR network) or a combination of both, and small cell base stations may include femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc.

[0032] Base station 102 can collectively form a RAN and interface with core network 170 (e.g., evolved packet core (EPC) or 5G core (5GC)) via backhaul link 122, and interface with one or more location servers 172 (e.g., location management function (LMF) or secure user plane positioning (SUPL) positioning platform (SLP)) via core network 170. Location server 172 can be part of core network 170 or can be located outside core network 170. Location server 172 can be integrated with base station 102. UE 104 can communicate with location server 172 directly or indirectly. For example, UE 104 can communicate with location server 172 via base station 102 currently serving UE 104. UE 104 can also communicate with location server 172 via another path, such as via application server (not shown), via another network, such as via wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) (e.g., AP 150 described below), etc. For signaling purposes, communication between UE 104 and location server 172 may be represented as an indirect connection (e.g., via core network 170, etc.) or a direct connection (e.g., as shown via direct connection 128), wherein intermediate nodes (if present) are omitted from the signaling diagram for clarity.

[0033] In addition to other functions, base station 102 may perform functions associated with one or more of the following: transmitting user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, location, and delivery of warning messages. Base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC / 5GC) on backhaul link 134, which may be wired or wireless.

[0034] Base station 102 can wirelessly communicate with UE 104. Each base station in base station 102 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 110. In one aspect, one or more cells can be supported by base station 102 in each geographic coverage area 110. A “cell” is a logical communication entity used to communicate with a base station (e.g., via a frequency resource, which is referred to as a carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, or frequency band, etc.) and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCI), Enhanced Cell Identifier (ECI), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCI), Cell Global Identifier (CGI), etc.) used to distinguish cells operating via the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cells can be configured according to different protocol types that can provide access for different types of UEs (e.g., Machine Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types). Because a cell is supported by a specific base station, the term “cell” can refer to one or both of the logical communication entity and the base station that supports it, depending on the context. In some cases, the term "cell" may also refer to the geographic coverage area (e.g., sector) of a base station, as long as a carrier frequency can be detected and used for communication within a portion of the geographic coverage area 110.

[0035] While the geographic coverage areas 110 of adjacent macro cell base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in handover areas), some areas within geographic coverage areas 110 may substantially overlap with larger geographic coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell base station 102' (labeled "SC" for "small cell") may have a geographic coverage area 110' that substantially overlaps with the geographic coverage areas 110 of one or more macro cell base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell base stations and macro cell base stations may be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include home eNBs (HeNBs) that can provide service to restricted groups referred to as Closed Subscriber Groups (CSGs).

[0036] The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (also known as reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also known as forward link) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104. The communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna techniques, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may use one or more carrier frequencies. Carrier allocation may be asymmetric for the downlink and uplink (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to the downlink compared to the uplink).

[0037] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a WLAN access point (AP) 150 that communicates with a wireless local area network (WLAN) station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz). When communicating in unlicensed spectrum, the WLAN STA 152 and / or WLAN AP 150 may perform a free channel assessment (CCA) or listen-before-talk (LBT) process before communication to determine whether the channel is available.

[0038] Small cell base station 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in unlicensed spectrum, small cell base station 102' can employ LTE or NR technology and use the same 5GHz unlicensed spectrum as WLAN AP 150. Small cell base station 102' employing LTE / 5G in unlicensed spectrum can improve access network coverage and / or increase access network capacity. NR in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as NR-U. LTE in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as LTE-U, Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), or...

[0039] The wireless communication system 100 may further include an mmW base station 180, which can operate in millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies and / or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with the UE 182. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that contains radio frequency (RF). EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz, with wavelengths between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in this band are referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW extends down to frequencies of 3 GHz with wavelengths of 100 mm. Ultra-high frequency (SHF) bands extend between 3 GHz and 30 GHz, and are also referred to as centimeter waves. Communication using mmW / near-mmW radio bands has high path loss and relatively short range. The mmW base station 180 and the UE 182 can utilize beamforming (transmit and / or receive) on the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range. Additionally, it should be understood that in alternative configurations, one or more base stations 102 may also use mmW or near-mmW and beamforming for transmission. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing examples are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the various aspects disclosed herein.

[0040] Transmit beamforming is a technique used to focus RF signals in a specific direction. Traditionally, when a network node (e.g., a base station) broadcasts an RF signal, it broadcasts the signal in all directions (omnidirectionally). Using transmit beamforming, the network node determines where a given target device (e.g., a UE) is located (relative to the transmitting network node) and projects a stronger downlink RF signal in that specific direction, thus providing the receiving device with a faster and stronger RF signal (in terms of data rate). To change the directivity of the RF signal during transmission, the network node can control the phase and relative amplitude of the RF signal at each of one or more transmitters broadcasting the RF signal. For example, the network node can use an array of antennas (called a "phased array" or "antenna array") that forms an RF beam that can be "manipulated" to be pointed in different directions without actually moving the antennas. Specifically, RF currents from the transmitters are fed to individual antennas with the correct phase relationship, such that radio waves from the individual antennas add up in the desired direction to increase radiation, while canceling out in the undesired direction to suppress radiation.

[0041] Transmit beams can be quasi-co-located, meaning they appear to the receiver (e.g., UE) as having the same parameters, regardless of whether the network node's own transmit antennas are physically co-located. In NR, there are four types of quasi-co-located (QCL) relationships. Specifically, a given type of QCL relationship means that certain parameters of a second reference RF signal on a second beam can be derived from information about the source reference RF signal on the source beam. Therefore, if the source reference RF signal is QCL type A, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type B, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and Doppler spread of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type C, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and average delay of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type D, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the spatial reception parameters of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel.

[0042] In receive beamforming, a receiver uses a receive beam to amplify an RF signal detected on a given channel. For example, the receiver may increase the gain setting of an antenna array in a particular direction and / or adjust the phase setting of the antenna array in a particular direction to amplify the RF signal received from that direction (e.g., increase its gain level). Therefore, when a receiver is described as performing beamforming in a certain direction, it means that the beam gain in that direction is high relative to the beam gain along other directions, or that the beam gain in that direction is the highest compared to the beam gain of all other receive beams available to the receiver in that direction. This results in a stronger received signal strength (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), etc.) of the RF signal received from that direction.

[0043] The transmit and receive beams can be spatially correlated. Spatial correlation means that parameters for a second beam (e.g., transmit or receive beam) for a second reference signal can be derived based on information about a first beam (e.g., receive or transmit beam) for a first reference signal. For example, a UE can use a specific receive beam to receive a reference downlink reference signal (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB)) from a base station. The UE can then form a transmit beam for transmitting an uplink reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)) to that base station based on the parameters of the receive beam.

[0044] It is important to note that, depending on the entity forming the "downlink" beam, the beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if the base station is forming a downlink beam to transmit a reference signal to the UE, the downlink beam is a transmit beam. However, if the UE is forming a downlink beam, the downlink beam is a receive beam for receiving the downlink reference signal. Similarly, depending on the entity forming the "uplink" beam, the beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if the base station is forming an uplink beam, the uplink beam is an uplink receive beam, while if the UE is forming an uplink beam, the uplink beam is an uplink transmit beam.

[0045] The electromagnetic spectrum is typically subdivided into various categories, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been designated as frequency ranges FR1 (410MHz-7.125GHz) and FR2 (24.25GHz-52.6GHz). It should be understood that although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6GHz, FR1 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the "sub-6GHz" band in various documents and articles. A similar naming issue sometimes occurs with FR2, which is often (interchangeably) referred to as the "millimeter wave" band in documents and articles, although it differs from the standard terminology used for this purpose. Extremely high frequency (EHF) bands (30 GHz – 300 GHz) are designated as “millimeter wave” bands.

[0046] The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are generally referred to as intermediate frequency (IF) bands. Recent 5G NR studies have identified the operating bands used for these IF bands as the frequency range designation FR3 (7.125 GHz – 24.25 GHz). Bands falling within FR3 can inherit FR1 and / or FR2 characteristics, thus effectively extending the features of FR1 and / or FR2 to IF band frequencies. Furthermore, higher frequency bands are currently being explored to extend 5G NR operation beyond 52.6 GHz. For example, three higher operating frequency bands have been identified as the frequency range designations FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz – 71 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz – 114.25 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz – 300 GHz). Each of these higher frequency bands falls within the EHF band.

[0047] In light of the foregoing, unless otherwise specifically stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "below 6 GHz" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies less than 6 GHz, within FR1, or including intermediate frequency band frequencies. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "millimeter wave" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies that can include intermediate frequency band frequencies, within FR2, FR4, FR4-a or FR4-1 and / or FR5, or within the EHF band.

[0048] In multi-carrier systems such as 5G, one carrier frequency is referred to as the "primary carrier," "anchor carrier," "primary serving cell," or "PCell," and the remaining carrier frequencies are referred to as "secondary carriers," "secondary serving cells," or "SCell." In carrier aggregation, the anchor carrier is the carrier operating on the primary frequency (e.g., FR1) used by UE 104 / 182 and the cell in which UE 104 / 182 performs the initial Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection establishment procedure or initiates the RRC connection re-establishment procedure. The primary carrier carries all common and UE-specific control channels and can be a carrier on a licensed frequency (however, this is not always the case). The secondary carrier is a carrier operating on a second frequency (e.g., FR2) that can be configured and used to provide additional radio resources once an RRC connection is established between UE 104 and the anchor carrier. In some cases, the secondary carrier can be a carrier on an unlicensed frequency. Secondary carriers may contain only the necessary signaling information and signals. For example, since both the primary uplink and primary downlink carriers are typically UE-specific, the UE-specific signaling information and signals may not be present in the secondary carrier. This means that different UEs 104 / 182 within a cell can have different downlink primary carriers. The same applies to the uplink primary carrier. The network can change the primary carrier of any UE 104 / 182 at any time. This is done, for example, to balance the load on different carriers. Since a "serving cell" (whether PCell or SCell) corresponds to the carrier frequency / component carrier through which a base station communicates, the terms "cell," "serving cell," "component carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0049] For example, still refer to Figure 1One of the frequencies used by macro cell base station 102 can be an anchor carrier (or "PCell"), and the other frequencies used by macro cell base station 102 and / or mmW base station 180 can be secondary carriers ("SCell"). Simultaneous transmission and / or reception on multiple carriers allows UE 104 / 182 to significantly increase its data transmission and / or reception rates. For example, compared to the data rate obtained by a single 20MHz carrier, two aggregated 20MHz carriers in a multi-carrier system would theoretically result in a doubling of the data rate (i.e., 40MHz).

[0050] exist Figure 1 In the example, the UE shown (for simplicity, in) Figure 1 Any UE (shown as a single UE 104) may receive signal 124 from one or more Earth-orbiting spacecraft (SV) 112 (e.g., satellites). In one aspect, SV 112 may be part of a satellite positioning system that allows UE 104 to use as an independent source of location information. Satellite positioning systems typically include a system of transmitters (e.g., SV 112) positioned such that a receiver (e.g., UE 104) can determine its location on or above the Earth based at least in part on positioning signals (e.g., signal 124) received from the transmitters. Such transmitters typically transmit signals marked with a set number of repeating pseudo-random noise (PN) codes. While typically located in SV 112, transmitters may sometimes be located at ground-based control stations, base stations 102, and / or other UEs 104. UE 104 may include one or more dedicated receivers specifically designed to receive signal 124 in order to derive geographic location information from SV 112.

[0051] In a satellite positioning system, the use of signal 124 can be enhanced by various satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS), which may be associated with or otherwise made available to one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems. For example, SBAS may include augmentation systems that provide integrity information, differential correction, etc., such as Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), GPS-assisted geographic augmentation navigation, or GPS and geographic augmentation navigation system (GAGAN). Therefore, as used herein, a satellite positioning system may include any combination of one or more global and / or regional navigation satellites associated with such one or more satellite positioning systems.

[0052] On one hand, SV 112 may additionally or alternatively be part of one or more non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). In an NTN, SV 112 connects to an earth station (also referred to as a ground station, NTN gateway, or gateway), which in turn connects to elements in the 5G network, such as a modified base station 102 (without a ground antenna) or a network node in a 5GC. This element, in turn, provides access to other elements in the 5G network and ultimately to entities outside the 5G network, such as internet web servers and other user equipment. Thus, instead of or in addition to communication signals from the ground base station 102, UE 104 may receive communication signals (e.g., signal 124) from SV 112.

[0053] Leveraging the increased data rates and reduced latency of NR (Radio Frequency I / O), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology is being implemented to support Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications, such as wireless communication between vehicles (V2V), between vehicles and roadside infrastructure (V2I), and between vehicles and pedestrians (V2P). The goal is to enable vehicles to sense their surroundings and communicate that information to other vehicles, infrastructure, and personal mobile devices. This type of vehicle communication will achieve safety, mobility, and environmental improvements that current technologies cannot provide. Once fully realized, this technology is expected to reduce undamaged vehicle collisions by 80%.

[0054] Still referencing Figure 1The wireless communication system 100 may include multiple V-UEs 160, which can communicate with the base station 102 on communication link 120 using a Uu interface (i.e., the air interface between the UE and the base station). V-UEs 160 can also communicate directly with each other on a wireless sidelink 162, with a roadside unit (RSU) 164 (roadside access point) on a wireless sidelink 166, or with a sidelink-capable UE 104 on a wireless sidelink 168 using a PC5 interface (i.e., the air interface between UEs with sidelink capability). A wireless sidelink (or simply "sidelink") is an adaptation of a core cellular network (e.g., LTE, NR) standard that allows direct communication between two or more UEs without requiring communication through a base station. Sidelink communication can be unicast or multicast and can be used for device-to-device (D2D) media sharing, V2V communication, V2X communication (e.g., cellular V2X (cV2X) communication, enhanced V2X (eV2X) communication, emergency rescue applications, etc.). One or more V-UEs in a group of V-UEs 160 utilizing sidelink communication may be located within the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 102. Other V-UEs 160 in such a group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 102 or may be unable to receive transmissions from base station 102 for other reasons. In some cases, groups of V-UEs 160 communicating via sidelink communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each V-UE 160 transmits to every other V-UE 160 in the group. In some cases, base station 102 facilitates the scheduling of resources for sidelink communication. In other cases, sidelink communication is performed between V-UEs 160 without involving base station 102.

[0055] On one hand, sidelinks 162, 166, and 168 can operate via a wireless communication medium of interest, which can be shared with other vehicles and / or infrastructure access points and other RATs for other wireless communications. “Medium” can include one or more time, frequency, and / or space communication resources (e.g., covering one or more channels across one or more carriers) associated with wireless communication between one or more transmitter / receiver pairs.

[0056] On one hand, sidelinks 162, 166, and 168 can be cV2X links. First-generation cV2X has been standardized in LTE, and the next generation is expected to be defined in NR. cV2X is a cellular technology that also enables device-to-device communication. In the United States and Europe, cV2X is expected to operate in licensed ITS bands below 6 GHz. Other bands may be allocated in other countries. Thus, as a specific example, the medium of interest utilized by sidelinks 162, 166, and 168 may correspond to at least a portion of licensed ITS bands below 6 GHz. However, this disclosure is not limited to this band or cellular technology.

[0057] On one hand, sidelinks 162, 166, and 168 can be Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) links. DSRC is a one-way or two-way short-to-medium-range wireless communication protocol that uses the Vehicle Environment Wireless Access (WAVE) protocol (also known as IEEE 802.11p) for V2V, V2I, and V2P communications. IEEE 802.11p is an approved modification of the IEEE 802.11 standard and operates in the licensed ITS band of 5.9 GHz (5.85 GHz–5.925 GHz) in the United States. In Europe, IEEE 802.11p operates in the ITS G5A band (5.875 GHz–5.905 MHz). Other bands may be allocated in other countries. The V2V communications described above occur on a secure channel, which in the United States is typically a 10 MHz channel dedicated to security purposes. The remainder of the DSRC band (total bandwidth is 75MHz) is intended for other services of interest to drivers, such as road rules, toll collection, parking automation, etc. Therefore, as a specific example, the media of interest utilized by side links 162, 166, and 168 may correspond to at least a portion of the licensed ITS band at 5.9GHz.

[0058] Alternatively, the medium of interest may correspond to at least a portion of unlicensed frequency bands shared among various RATs. While different licensed frequency bands have been reserved for certain communication systems (e.g., by government entities such as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), these systems (particularly those employing small cell access points) have recently expanded their operations to unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) bands used by wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies, most notably the IEEE 802.11xWLAN technology commonly referred to as “Wi-Fi”). Example systems of this type include various variants of CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), and so on.

[0059] Communication between V-UEs 160 is referred to as V2V communication, communication between V-UE 160 and one or more RSUs 164 is referred to as V2I communication, and communication between V-UE 160 and one or more UEs 104 (where these UEs 104 are P-UEs) is referred to as V2P communication. V2V communication between V-UEs 160 may include information such as the location, speed, acceleration, heading, and other vehicle data of these V-UEs 160. V2I information received at a V-UE 160 from one or more RSUs 164 may include, for example, road rules, parking automation information, etc. V2P communication between V-UE 160 and UE 104 may include information such as the location, speed, acceleration, and heading of V-UE 160, and the location, speed (e.g., in the case where UE 104 is carried by a cyclist) and heading of UE 104.

[0060] It should be noted that, although Figure 1 Only two UEs in the UE list are exemplified as V-UEs (V-UE 160), but any UE in the exemplified UEs (e.g., UE 104, 152, 182, 190) can be V-UEs. Furthermore, although only these V-UEs 160 and a single UE 104 have been exemplified as connected via a sidelink, Figure 1 Any of the illustrated UEs, whether V-UE, P-UE, etc., may be capable of sidelink communication. Furthermore, although only UE 182 is described as capable of beamforming, any of the illustrated UEs (including V-UE 160) may be capable of beamforming. When V-UE 160 is capable of beamforming, it may beamform towards each other (i.e., towards other V-UEs 160), towards RSU 164, towards other UEs (e.g., UEs 104, 152, 182, 190), etc. Therefore, in some cases, V-UE 160 may utilize beamforming on sidelinks 162, 166, and 168.

[0061] The wireless communication system 100 may further include one or more UEs (such as UE 190) indirectly connected to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. Figure 1In one example, UE190 has a D2D P2P link 192 with one of UEs 104 connected to one of the base stations 102 (e.g., UE190 can indirectly obtain cellular connectivity through this D2D P2P link), and a D2D P2P link 194 with a WLANSTA 152 connected to a WLAN AP 150 (UE190 can indirectly obtain WLAN-based Internet connectivity through this D2D P2P link). In one example, D2D P2P links 192 and 194 can use any known D2D RAT (such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), Wi-Fi). (etc.) to support this. As another example, D2D P2P links 192 and 194 can be side links, as described above with reference to side links 162, 166 and 168.

[0062] Figure 2A An example wireless network architecture 200 is illustrated. For instance, the 5GC 210 (also referred to as the Next Generation Core (NGC)) can be functionally viewed as control plane (C-plane) functions 214 (e.g., UE registration, authentication, network access, gateway selection, etc.) and user plane (U-plane) functions 212 (e.g., UE gateway functions, access to data networks, IP routing, etc.), which work together to form the core network. The user plane interface (NG-U) 213 and the control plane interface (NG-C) 215 connect the gNB 222 to the 5GC 210, specifically to user plane functions 212 and control plane functions 214, respectively. In an additional configuration, the ng-eNB 224 can also connect to the 5GC 210 via the NG-C 215 to the control plane function 214 and the NG-U 213 to the user plane function 212. Furthermore, the ng-eNB 224 can communicate directly with the gNB 222 via a backhaul connection 223. In some configurations, the next-generation RAN (NG-RAN) 220 may have one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include one or more of both ng-eNBs 224 and gNBs 222. Either or both of the gNBs 222 or ng-eNBs 224 may communicate with one or more UEs 204 (e.g., any of the UEs described herein).

[0063] Another optional aspect may include a location server 230 that can communicate with the 5GC 210 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The location server 230 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server. The location server 230 may be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204 that can be connected to the location server 230 via the core network, the 5GC 210, and / or via the Internet (not illustrated). Furthermore, the location server 230 may be integrated into a component of the core network, or alternatively, may be located outside the core network (e.g., a third-party server, such as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) server or a service server).

[0064] Figure 2B Another example wireless network architecture 240.5GC 260 is illustrated (which can correspond to...). Figure 2A 5GC 210 can be functionally considered as a control plane function provided by Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 264 and a user plane function provided by User Plane Function (UPF) 262, which work together to form the core network (i.e., 5GC 260). The functions of AMF 264 include registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception, transmission of session management (SM) messages between one or more UEs 204 (e.g., any of the UEs described herein) and Session Management Function (SMF) 266, transparent proxy service for routing SM messages, access authentication and access authorization, transmission of short message service (SMS) messages between UE 204 and Short Message Service Function (SMSF) (not shown), and Security Anchor Functionality (SEAF). AMF 264 also interacts with Authentication Server Function (AUSF) (not shown) and UE 204, and receives an intermediate key established as a result of the UE 204 authentication process. In the case of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) authentication, the AMF 264 retrieves security material from the AUSF. The AMF 264 also includes Security Context Management (SCM). The SCM receives a key from the SEAF and uses this key to derive an access network-specific key. The AMF 264's functionality also includes location service management for regulated services, transmission of location service messages between the UE 204 and the Location Management Function (LMF) 270 (which acts as a location server 230), transmission of location service messages between the NG-RAN 220 and the LMF 270, Evolved Packet System (EPS) bearer identifier allocation for interoperability with EPS, and UE 204 mobility event notification. Furthermore, the AMF 264 also supports non- (Third Generation Partnership Project) Access network functionality.

[0065] The functions of UPF 262 include: acting as an anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (where applicable), acting as an external Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session point interconnecting to a data network (not shown), providing packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy rule enforcement (e.g., gating, redirection, traffic steering), lawful interception (user plane collection), traffic usage reporting, quality of service (QoS) handling for user plane (e.g., uplink / downlink rate enforcement, reflective QoS marking in downlink), uplink traffic verification (Service Data Flow (SDF) to QoS flow mapping), transport-level packet marking in uplink and downlink, downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering, and delivering and forwarding one or more "end markers" to the source RAN node. UPF 262 may also support the delivery of location service messages between UE 204 and a location server (such as SLP 272) on the user plane.

[0066] The functions of SMF 266 include session management, UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of user plane functions, service orientation configuration at UPF 262 for routing services to the correct destination, partial control of policy enforcement and QoS, and downlink data notification. The interface through which SMF 266 communicates with AMF 264 is called the N11 interface.

[0067] Another optional aspect may include an LMF 270, which can communicate with the 5GC 260 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The LMF 270 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server. The LMF 270 may be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which may connect to the LMF 270 via the core network, the 5GC 260, and / or via the Internet (not illustrated). SLP 272 can support similar functions to LMF 270, but LMF 270 can communicate with AMF264, NG-RAN 220 and UE 204 on the control plane (e.g., using interfaces and protocols designed to transmit signaling messages rather than voice or data), while SLP 272 can communicate with UE 204 and external clients (e.g., third-party server 274) on the user plane (e.g., using protocols designed to carry voice and / or data, such as Transmit Control Protocol (TCP) and / or IP).

[0068] Another optional aspect may include a third-party server 274 that can communicate with LMF 270, SLP 272, 5GC 260 (e.g., via AMF 264 and / or UPF 262), NG-RAN 220, and / or UE 204 to obtain location information (e.g., location estimation) of UE 204. Therefore, in some cases, the third-party server 274 may be referred to as a Location Services (LCS) client or an external client. The third-party server 274 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server.

[0069] User plane interface 263 and control plane interface 265 connect 5GC 260, and specifically connect UPF 262 and AMF 264 to one or more gNB 222 and / or ng-eNB 224 in NG-RAN 220. The interface between gNB 222 and / or ng-eNB 224 and AMF 264 is referred to as the "N2" interface, while the interface between gNB 222 and / or ng-eNB 224 and UPF 262 is referred to as the "N3" interface. The gNB 222 and / or ng-eNB 224 of NG-RAN 220 can communicate directly with each other via backhaul connection 223, referred to as the "Xn-C" interface. One or more of gNB 222 and / or ng-eNB 224 can communicate with one or more UEs 204 via a radio interface referred to as the "Uu" interface.

[0070] The functionality of the gNB 222 is divided among the gNB Central Unit (gNB-CU) 226, one or more gNB Distributed Units (gNB-DU) 228, and one or more gNB Radio Units (gNB-RU) 229. The gNB-CU 226 is a logical node that includes base station functions beyond those specifically allocated to the gNB-DU 228, including user data delivery, mobility control, radio access network sharing, location, session management, etc. More specifically, the gNB-CU 226 typically hosts the Radio Resource Control (RRC), Serving Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) protocols of the gNB 222. The gNB-DU 228 is a logical node that typically hosts the Radio Link Control (RLC) and Media Access Control (MAC) layers of the gNB 222. Its operation is controlled by the gNB-CU 226. One gNB-DU 228 can support one or more cells, and a cell is supported by only one gNB-DU 228. The interface 232 between gNB-CU 226 and one or more gNB-DU 228 is referred to as the "F1" interface. The physical (PHY) layer functionality of gNB 222 is typically managed by one or more independent gNB-RU 229s, which perform functions such as power amplification and signal transmission / reception. The interface between gNB-DU 228 and gNB-RU 229 is referred to as the "Fx" interface. Therefore, UE 204 communicates with gNB-CU 226 via the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers, with gNB-DU 228 via the RLC and MAC layers, and with gNB-RU 229 via the PHY layer.

[0071] Communication systems (such as 5G NR systems) can be deployed in various ways with a variety of components or parts. In a 5G NR system or network, network nodes, network entities, network mobility elements, RAN nodes, core network nodes, network elements, or network equipment (such as base stations or one or more units (or components) that perform base station functions) can be implemented in aggregated or decomposed architectures. For example, base stations (such as Node B (NB), evolved NB (eNB), NR base stations, 5GNB, access points (APs), transmit / receive points (TRPs), or cells, etc.) can be implemented as aggregated base stations (also known as self-contained base stations or monolithic base stations) or decomposed base stations.

[0072] Aggregated base stations can be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. Decentralized base stations can be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed across two or more units, such as one or more central or centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs). In some aspects, the CU may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs may co-located with the CU, or alternatively, may be geographically or virtually distributed across one or more other RAN nodes. DUs may be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CUs, DUs, and RUs may also be implemented as a virtual unit, namely a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU).

[0073] Base station type operation or network design can take into account the aggregation characteristics of base station functionality. For example, decomposed base stations can be used in Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) networks, Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN) (such as those built by O-RAN) This can be utilized in proposed network configurations or virtualized radio access networks (vRAN, also known as cloud radio access networks (C-RAN)). Decomposition can include distributing functionality across two or more units in various physical locations, as well as virtually distributing the functionality of at least one unit, which enables flexibility in network design. Various units in a decomposed base station or decomposed RAN architecture can be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit.

[0074] Figure 2C An example disaggregated base station architecture 250 according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. The disaggregated base station architecture 250 may include one or more central units (CUs) 280 (e.g., gNB-CU 226) that can communicate directly with the core network 267 (e.g., 5GC 210, 5GC 260) via a backhaul link, or indirectly with the core network 267 via one or more disaggregated base station units (such as a near real-time (near RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) 259 via an E2 link or a non-real-time (non-RT) RIC 257 associated with a Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework 255, or both). CUs 280 may communicate with one or more duplex units (DUs) 285 (e.g., gNB-DU 228) via a corresponding midhaul link (such as an F1 interface). DUs 285 may communicate with one or more radio units (RUs) 287 (e.g., gNB-RU 229) via a corresponding fronthaul link. RU 287 can communicate with the corresponding UE 204 via one or more radio frequency (RF) access links. In some implementations, UE 204 can be served by multiple RU 287s simultaneously.

[0075] Each of these units (i.e., CU 280, DU 285, RU 287, and near-RT RIC 259, non-RT RIC 257, and SMO frame 255) may include or be coupled to one or more interfaces configured to receive or transmit signals, data, or information (collectively, signals) via wired or wireless transmission media. Each unit, or an associated processor or controller providing instructions to the communication interfaces of these units, may be configured to communicate with one or more other units via transmission media. For example, these units may include wired interfaces configured to receive or transmit signals to one or more other units via wired transmission media. Additionally, these units may include wireless interfaces that may include receivers, transmitters, or transceivers (such as RF transceivers) configured to receive or transmit signals to one or more other units, or both, via wireless transmission media.

[0076] In some aspects, the CU 280 can host one or more higher-level control functions. Such control functions may include RRC, PDCP, Serving Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), etc. Each control function can be implemented using an interface configured to signal to other control functions hosted by the CU 280. The CU 280 can be configured to handle user plane functionality (i.e., Central Unit-User Plane (CU-UP)), control plane functionality (i.e., Central Unit-Control Plane (CU-CP)), or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the CU 280 can be logically divided into one or more CU-UP units and one or more CU-CP units. When implemented in an O-RAN configuration, the CU-UP units can communicate bidirectionally with the CU-CP units via an interface (such as an E1 interface). The CU 280 can be implemented to communicate with the DU 285 for network control and signaling transmission as needed.

[0077] DU 285 may correspond to a logic unit that includes one or more base station functions for controlling the operation of one or more RU 287s. In some aspects, DU 285 may be at least partially divided according to function (such as by the 3G Partner Program). The DU 285 is configured to host one or more of the following functional partitions: the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and one or more high-PHY layers (such as modules for forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation). In some aspects, the DU 285 may further host one or more low-PHY layers. Each layer (or module) may be implemented using an interface configured to communicate signals with other layers (and modules) hosted by the DU 285 or with control functions hosted by the CU 280.

[0078] Lower-layer functionality can be implemented by one or more RU 287s. In some deployments, an RU287 controlled by a DU 285 may correspond to a logical node that hosts RF processing functions or low-PHY layer functions (such as performing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse FFT (iFFT), digital beamforming, Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering, or both, based at least in part on functional decomposition (such as lower-layer functional decomposition). In such architectures, the RU 287 may be implemented to handle over-the-air (OTA) communications with one or more UE 204s. In some specific implementations, the real-time and non-real-time aspects of control plane and user plane communications with the RU 287 may be controlled by the corresponding DU 285. In some scenarios, this configuration enables the DU 285 and CU280 to be implemented in cloud-based RAN architectures (such as vRAN architectures).

[0079] SMO framework 255 can be configured to support RAN deployment and provisioning of both non-virtualized and virtualized network elements. For non-virtualized network elements, SMO framework 255 can be configured to support the deployment of dedicated physical resources for RAN coverage requirements, which can be managed via operation and maintenance interfaces such as the O1 interface. For virtualized network elements, SMO framework 255 can be configured to interact with a cloud computing platform such as Open Cloud (O-Cloud) 269 to perform network element lifecycle management (such as instantiating virtualized network elements) via a cloud computing platform interface such as the O2 interface. Such virtualized network elements may include, but are not limited to, CU 280, DU 285, RU 287, and near-RT RIC 259. In some implementations, SMO framework 255 can communicate with the hardware aspects of the 4G RAN (such as Open eNB (O-eNB) 261) via the O1 interface. Additionally, in some implementations, SMO framework 255 can communicate directly with one or more RU 287s via the O1 interface. SMO framework 255 may also include a non-RT RIC 257 configured to support the functionality of SMO framework 255.

[0080] The non-RT RIC 257 can be configured to include logical functions enabling non-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources, including artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) workflows for model training and updates, or policy-based guidance for applications / features in the near-RT RIC 259. The non-RT RIC 257 can be coupled to or communicate with the near-RT RIC 259 (e.g., via an A1 interface). The near-RT RIC 259 can be configured to include logical functions enabling near real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources via an interface (e.g., via an E2 interface) through data collection and action, connecting one or more CU 280s, one or more DU 285s, or both, and O-eNBs to the near-RT RIC 259.

[0081] In some implementations, to generate AI / ML models to be deployed in the near-RT RIC 259, the non-RT RIC 257 may receive parameters or external enrichment information from an external server. This information can be utilized by the near-RT RIC 259 and may be received from non-network data sources or network functions at the SMO framework 255 or the non-RT RIC 257. In some examples, the non-RT RIC 257 or the near-RT RIC 259 may be configured to tune RAN behavior or performance. For example, the non-RT RIC 257 may monitor long-term trends and patterns in performance and employ AI / ML models to perform corrective actions via the SMO framework 255 (such as reconfiguration via O1) or by creating RAN management policies (such as A1 policies).

[0082] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C Examples are shown that can be incorporated into UE 302 (which may correspond to any UE described herein), base station 304 (which may correspond to any base station described herein), and network entity 306 (which may correspond to or embody any network function described herein, including location server 230 and LMF 270, or alternatively may be independent of...). Figure 2A and Figure 2BSeveral example components (represented by corresponding boxes) in the NG-RAN 220 and / or 5GC 210 / 260 infrastructure (such as private networks) depicted herein support the operation as described herein. It should be understood that these components may be implemented in different specific implementations in different types of devices (e.g., in ASICs, in System-on-Chip (SoCs), etc.). The illustrated components may also be incorporated into other devices in a communication system. For example, other devices in the system may include components similar to those described as providing similar functionality. Furthermore, a given device may contain one or more of these components. For example, a device may include multiple transceiver components that enable the device to operate on multiple carriers and / or communicate via different technologies.

[0083] UE 302 and base station 304 each include one or more Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) transceivers 310 and 350, which provide components (e.g., components for transmitting, components for receiving, components for measuring, components for tuning, and / or components for blocking transmission, etc.) for communicating via one or more wireless communication networks (not shown), such as NR networks, LTE networks, GSM networks, etc. WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 may each be connected to one or more antennas 316 and 356 for communicating with other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations (e.g., eNB, gNB), etc.) via at least one designated RAT (e.g., NR, LTE, GSM, etc.) through a wireless communication medium of interest (e.g., a time / frequency resource set in a specific spectrum). WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 can be configured in different ways to transmit and encode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a specified RAT, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.). Specifically, WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 each include one or more transmitters 314 and 354 for transmitting and encoding signals 318 and 358, respectively, and one or more receivers 312 and 352 for receiving and decoding signals 318 and 358, respectively.

[0084] In at least some cases, UE 302 and base station 304 each further include one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360, respectively. The short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be connected to one or more antennas 326 and 366, respectively, and provide the capability to communicate over a wireless communication medium of interest via at least one designated RAT (e.g., Wi-Fi, LTE Direct, etc.). Components (e.g., components for transmitting, components for receiving, components for measuring, components for tuning, components for blocking transmission, etc.) for communication between PC5, Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), Wireless Access for Vehicle Environments (WAVE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Ultra Wideband (UWB), etc.) and other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations, etc.). Short-range transceivers 320 and 360 can be configured in different ways to transmit and encode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a specified RAT, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.). Specifically, short-range transceivers 320 and 360 each include one or more transmitters 324 and 364 for transmitting and encoding signals 328 and 368, respectively, and one or more receivers 322 and 362 for receiving and decoding signals 328 and 368, respectively. As specific examples, the short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 can be Wi-Fi transceivers, transceiver and / or Transceivers, NFC transceivers, UWB transceivers, or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) transceivers.

[0085] In at least some cases, UE 302 and base station 304 also include satellite signal receivers 330 and 370. Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 can be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, and are provided with components for receiving and / or measuring satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. Where satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 are satellite positioning system receivers, the satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 can be Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, etc. Signals include Galileo signals, BeiDou signals, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), etc. When satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 are non-terrestrial network (NTN) receivers, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 can be communication signals originating from a 5G network (e.g., carrying control and / or user data). Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 can include any suitable hardware and / or software, respectively, for receiving and processing satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378. Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 may request information and operations from other systems as needed, and in at least some cases, use measurements obtained by any suitable satellite positioning system algorithm to perform calculations to determine the locations of UE 302 and base station 304, respectively.

[0086] Base station 304 and network entity 306 each include one or more network transceivers 380 and 390, which provide components (e.g., transmitting components, receiving components, etc.) for communicating with other network entities (e.g., other base station 304, other network entity 306). For example, base station 304 may use one or more network transceivers 380 to communicate with other base station 304 or network entity 306 via one or more wired or wireless backhaul links. As another example, network entity 306 may use one or more network transceivers 390 to communicate with one or more base stations 304 via one or more wired or wireless backhaul links, or to communicate with other network entities 306 via one or more wired or wireless core network interfaces.

[0087] The transceiver can be configured to communicate via a wired or wireless link. The transceiver (whether wired or wireless) includes transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitter 314, transmitter 324, transmitter 354, transmitter 364) and receiver circuitry (e.g., receiver 312, receiver 322, receiver 352, receiver 362). In some embodiments, the transceiver may be an integrated device (e.g., implementing transmitter and receiver circuitry in a single device); in some embodiments, the transceiver may include separate transmitter and receiver circuitry; or in other embodiments, the transceiver may be implemented in other ways. The transmitter and receiver circuitry of a wired transceiver (e.g., in some embodiments, network transceivers 380 and 390) may be coupled to one or more wired network interface ports. Wireless transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as antenna arrays, which permit corresponding devices (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform transmit "beamforming," as described herein. Similarly, wireless receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as antenna arrays, which permit corresponding devices (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In one aspect, transmitter and receiver circuitry may share the same multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such that corresponding devices may perform only receive or only transmit at a given time, rather than both receive and transmit simultaneously. Wireless transceivers (e.g., WWAN transceivers 310 and 350, short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360) may also include network listening modules (NLMs) for performing various measurements.

[0088] As used herein, various wireless transceivers (e.g., transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360 in some embodiments, and network transceivers 380 and 390) and wired transceivers (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390 in some embodiments) may generally be described as "transceiver," "at least one transceiver," or "one or more transceivers." Therefore, whether a particular transceiver is a wired or wireless transceiver can be inferred from the type of communication performed. For example, backhaul communication between network devices or servers typically involves signaling via a wired transceiver, while wireless communication between a UE (e.g., UE 302) and a base station (e.g., base station 304) will typically involve signaling via a wireless transceiver.

[0089] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 also include other components that can be used in conjunction with the operations disclosed herein. UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 each include one or more processors 332, 384, and 394 for providing functionality related to, for example, wireless communication, and for providing other processing functionality. Thus, processors 332, 384, and 394 may provide components for processing, such as components for determining, components for calculating, components for receiving, components for transmitting, components for indicating, etc. In one aspect, processors 332, 384, and 394 may include, for example, one or more general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, central processing units (CPUs), ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable logic devices or processing circuits, or various combinations thereof.

[0090] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 each include memory circuitry implementing memories 340, 386, and 396 (e.g., each including a memory device) for maintaining information (e.g., information indicating reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, etc.). Therefore, memories 340, 386, and 396 can provide components for storage, retrieval, maintenance, etc. In some cases, UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 may each include positioning components 342, 388, and 398. Positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be hardware circuitry that is part of or coupled to processors 332, 384, and 394, respectively, which, when executed, cause UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. In other respects, positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be external to processors 332, 384, and 394 (e.g., part of a modem processing system, integrated with another processing system, etc.). Alternatively, positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be memory modules stored in memories 340, 386, and 396, respectively, which, when executed by processors 332, 384, and 394 (or a modem processing system, another processing system, etc.), enable UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. Figure 3A Possible locations for the positioning component 342 are illustrated. The positioning component may be part of, for example, one or more WWAN transceivers 310, memory 340, one or more processors 332, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component. Figure 3B Possible locations for the positioning component 388 are illustrated. The positioning component may be part of, for example, one or more WWAN transceivers 350, memory 386, one or more processors 384, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component. Figure 3C Possible locations for the positioning component 398 are illustrated. The positioning component may be part of, for example, one or more network transceivers 390, memory 396, one or more processors 394, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component.

[0091] UE 302 may include one or more sensors 344 coupled to one or more processors 332 to provide components for sensing or detecting motion and / or orientation information independent of motion data derived from signals received by one or more WWAN transceivers 310, one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, and / or satellite signal receivers 330. By way of example, sensor 344 may include accelerometers (e.g., microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices), gyroscopes, geomagnetic sensors (e.g., compasses), altimeters (e.g., barometric altimeters), and / or any other type of motion detection sensor. Furthermore, sensor 344 may include multiple different types of devices and combine their outputs to provide motion information. For example, sensor 344 may use a combination of multi-axis accelerometers and orientation sensors to provide the ability to calculate positioning in two-dimensional (2D) and / or three-dimensional (3D) coordinate systems.

[0092] In addition, UE 302 includes a user interface 346 that provides components for providing instructions to a user (e.g., audible and / or visual instructions) and / or for receiving user input (e.g., when the user actuates a sensing device (such as a keypad, touchscreen, microphone, etc.)). Although not shown, base station 304 and network entity 306 may also include user interfaces.

[0093] Referring more specifically to one or more processors 384, in the downlink, IP packets from network entity 306 can be provided to processor 384. One or more processors 384 can implement functionality for the RRC layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer. One or more processors 384 may provide: RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with the delivery of upper-layer PDUs, error correction via Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC Service Data Units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction, priority handling, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0094] Transmitter 354 and receiver 352 implement Layer 1 (L1) functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) decoding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. Transmitter 354 processes the mapping to the signal constellation based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The decoded and modulated symbols can then be divided into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., pilot) in the time and / or frequency domains, and then combined using inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time-domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM symbol stream is spatially pre-decoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from the channel estimator are used to determine the decoding and modulation schemes, as well as for spatial processing. The channel estimates can be derived from reference signals and / or channel condition feedback transmitted by UE 302. Each spatial stream can then be provided to one or more different antennas 356. The transmitter 354 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate an RF carrier for transmission.

[0095] At UE 302, receiver 312 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 316. Receiver 312 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to one or more processors 332. Transmitter 314 and receiver 312 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Receiver 312 can perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial streams destined for UE 302. If multiple spatial streams are destined for UE 302, they can be combined by receiver 312 into a single OFDM symbol stream. Receiver 312 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to transform the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal includes a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, along with the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most probable signal constellation points transmitted by base station 304. These soft decisions can be based on channel estimates calculated by a channel estimator. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted by base station 304 on the physical channel. Then, data and control signals are provided to one or more processors 332, which implement layer 3 (L3) and layer 2 (L2) functionality.

[0096] In the downlink, one or more processors 332 provide demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from the core network. One or more processors 332 are also responsible for error detection.

[0097] Similar to the functionality described in conjunction with downlink transmissions performed by base station 304, one or more processors 332 provide: RRC layer functionality associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connectivity, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functionality associated with upper-layer PDU delivery, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ), priority handling, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0098] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator from the reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 304 can be used by the transmitter 314 to select an appropriate decoding and modulation scheme, and facilitates spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the transmitter 314 can be provided to different antennas 316. The transmitter 314 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate the RF carrier for transmission.

[0099] Uplink transmissions are processed at base station 304 in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with the receiver function at UE 302. Receiver 352 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 356. Receiver 352 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to one or more processors 384.

[0100] In the uplink, one or more processors 384 provide demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport channel and the logical channel to recover IP packets from UE 302. IP packets from one or more processors 384 can be provided to the core network. One or more processors 384 are also responsible for error detection.

[0101] For convenience, UE 302, base station 304 and / or network entity 306 are in Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3CThe example shown herein includes various components that can be configured according to the various examples described herein. However, it should be understood that the illustrated components may have different functionalities in different designs. In particular, Figures 3A to 3C Various components are optional in alternative configurations, and various aspects include configurations that can vary due to design choices, cost, equipment usage, or other considerations. For example, in Figure 3A In certain cases, specific implementations of UE 302 may omit WWAN transceiver 310 (e.g., wearable devices, tablets, personal computers (PCs), or laptops may have Wi-Fi and / or (Without cellular capability), or the short-range wireless transceiver 320 can be omitted (e.g., cellular only), or the satellite signal receiver 330 can be omitted, or the sensor 344 can be omitted, etc. In another example, in Figure 3B In certain cases, specific implementations of base station 304 may omit WWAN transceiver 350 (e.g., a Wi-Fi "hotspot" access point without cellular capabilities), or short-range wireless transceiver 360 (e.g., cellular only), or satellite signal receiver 370, etc. For the sake of brevity, examples of various alternative configurations are not provided herein, but will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0102] Various components of UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 can be communicatively coupled to each other via data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392, respectively. In one aspect, data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392 can form or be part of the communication interfaces of UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306, respectively. For example, in cases where different logical entities are embodied in the same device (e.g., gNB and location server functionality integrated into the same base station 304), data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392 can provide communication between the different logical entities.

[0103] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C The components can be implemented in various ways. In some specific implementations, Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3CThe components may be implemented in one or more circuits, such as, for example, one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors). Here, each circuit may use and / or incorporate at least one memory component for storing information or executable code used by the circuit to provide that functionality. For example, some or all of the functionalities represented by boxes 310 to 346 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of UE 302 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriately configuring the processor components). Similarly, some or all of the functionalities represented by boxes 350 to 388 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of base station 304 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriately configuring the processor components). Furthermore, some or all of the functionalities represented by boxes 390 to 398 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of network entity 306 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriately configuring the processor components). For simplicity, various operations, actions, and / or functions are described herein as being performed "by the UE," "by the base station," "by the network entity," etc. However, as will be understood, such operations, actions and / or functions may actually be performed by specific components or combinations of components of the UE 302, base station 304, network entity 306, etc. (such as processors 332, 384, 394, transceivers 310, 320, 350 and 360, memories 340, 386 and 396, positioning components 342, 388 and 398, etc.).

[0104] In some designs, network entity 306 may be implemented as a core network component. In other designs, network entity 306 may operate differently from the network operator or cellular network infrastructure (e.g., NG RAN 220 and / or 5GC 210 / 260). For example, network entity 306 may be a component of a private network that may be configured to communicate with UE 302 via base station 304 or independently of base station 304 (e.g., via a non-cellular communication link such as Wi-Fi).

[0105] NR supports various cellular network-based positioning technologies, including downlink-based positioning methods, uplink-based positioning methods, and downlink-and-uplink-based positioning methods. Downlink-based positioning methods include Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) in LTE, Downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL-TDOA) in NR, and Downlink Angle of Departure (DL-AoD) in NR. During OTDOA or DL-TDOA positioning, the UE measures the difference between the times of arrival (ToA) of reference signals (e.g., positioning reference signals (PRS)) received from paired base stations (referred to as Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) or Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) measurements) and reports these differences to the positioning entity. More specifically, the UE receives identifiers (IDs) of a reference base station (e.g., a serving base station) and multiple non-reference base stations in auxiliary data. The UE then measures the RSTD between the reference base station and each non-reference base station. Based on the known locations of the base stations involved and the RSTD measurements, the positioning entity (e.g., a UE for UE-based positioning or a location server for UE-assisted positioning) can estimate the UE's location.

[0106] For DL-AoD positioning, the positioning entity uses measurement reports from the UE regarding the received signal strength of multiple downlink transmitted beams to determine the angle between the UE and the transmitting base station. The positioning entity can then estimate the UE's location based on the determined angle and the known location of the transmitting base station.

[0107] Uplink-based positioning methods include uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) and uplink angle of arrival (UL-AoA). UL-TDOA is similar to DL-TDOA, but is based on uplink reference signals (e.g., sounding reference signals (SRS)) transmitted by the UE to multiple base stations. Specifically, the UE transmits one or more uplink reference signals, which are measured by a reference base station and multiple non-reference base stations. Each base station then reports the reception time of the reference signal (referred to as relative time of arrival (RTOA)) to a positioning entity (e.g., a location server) that knows the location and relative timing of the base stations involved. Based on the received-receive (Rx-Rx) time difference between the reported RTOA of the reference base station and the reported RTOA of each non-reference base station, the known location of the base stations, and their known timing offsets, the positioning entity can use the TDOA to estimate the UE's location.

[0108] For UL-AoA positioning, one or more base stations measure the received signal strength of one or more uplink reference signals (e.g., SRS) received from the UE on one or more uplink receive beams. The positioning entity uses the signal strength measurements and the angle of the receive beams to determine the angle between the UE and the base stations. Based on the determined angle and the known location of the base stations, the positioning entity can then estimate the location of the UE.

[0109] Downlink and uplink-based positioning methods include Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) positioning and Multiple Round-Trip Time (RTT) positioning (also known as "Multi-Cell RTT" and "Multi-RTT"). During RTT, a first entity (e.g., a base station or a UE) sends a first RTT-related signal (e.g., PRS or SRS) to a second entity (e.g., a UE or a base station), which then sends a second RTT-related signal (e.g., SRS or PRS) back to the first entity. Each entity measures the time difference between the time of arrival (ToA) of the received RTT-related signal and the time of transmission of the transmitted RTT-related signal. This time difference is called the receive-to-transmit (Rx-Tx) time difference. The Rx-Tx time difference measurement can be performed or adjusted to include only the time difference between the nearest time slot boundary of the received and transmitted signals. The two entities can then transmit their Rx-Tx time difference measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 270), which calculates the round-trip time (RTT) between the two entities based on these two Rx-Tx time difference measurements (e.g., calculated as the sum of the two Rx-Tx time difference measurements). Alternatively, one entity can transmit its Rx-Tx time difference measurement to another entity, which then calculates the RTT. The distance between the two entities can be determined based on the RTT and a known signal speed (e.g., the speed of light). For multi-RTT positioning, a first entity (e.g., a UE or base station) performs an RTT positioning process with multiple second entities (e.g., multiple base stations or UEs) such that the location of the first entity can be determined based on the distance to the second entities and the known location of the second entities (e.g., using multipoint positioning). RTT and multi-RTT methods can be combined with other positioning technologies (such as UL-AoA and DL-AoD) to improve location accuracy.

[0110] The E-CID positioning method is based on Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements. In E-CID, the UE reports the serving cell ID, timing advance (TA), identifiers of detected neighboring base stations, estimated timing, and signal strength. The UE's location is then estimated based on this information and the known locations of the base stations.

[0111] To assist in positioning operations, a location server (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270, SLP 272) may provide auxiliary data to the UE. For example, auxiliary data may include the identifier of the base station (or the cell / TRP of the base station) from which the reference signal is measured, reference signal configuration parameters (e.g., including the number of consecutive time slots of the PRS, the periodicity of consecutive time slots of the PRS, silence sequences, frequency hopping sequences, reference signal identifier, reference signal bandwidth, etc.), and / or other parameters applicable to a particular positioning method. Alternatively, auxiliary data may be derived directly from the base station itself (e.g., in periodically broadcast overhead messages, etc.). In some cases, the UE may be able to detect neighboring network nodes without using auxiliary data.

[0112] In the case of OTDOA or DL-TDOA positioning procedures, auxiliary data may further include the expected RSTD value and the associated uncertainty or search window around the expected RSTD. In some cases, the expected RSTD value may range from + / - 500 microseconds (μs). In some cases, when any of the resources used for positioning measurements is in FR1, the uncertainty of the expected RSTD may range from + / - 32 μs. In other cases, when all resources used for positioning measurements are in FR2, the uncertainty of the expected RSTD may range from + / - 8 μs.

[0113] Location estimates can be referred to by other names, such as location estimation, location, positioning, fixed location, or fixed location. A location estimate can be geodesic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possible elevation), or it can be municipal and include street addresses, postal addresses, or some other verbal description of the location. A location estimate can be further defined relative to another known location or in absolute terms (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possible elevation). A location estimate can include expected errors or uncertainties (e.g., by including the area or volume that the location is expected to include with a specified or default confidence level).

[0114] NR supports various sidelink ranging and positioning techniques. Sidelink-based ranging enables the determination of relative distances between UEs and optionally their absolute positions, where the absolute position of at least one of the involved UEs is known. This technique is valuable in situations where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning is degraded or unavailable (e.g., tunnels, urban canyons, etc.) and can also enhance ranging and positioning accuracy when GNSS is available. Sidelink-based ranging is achieved using a three-way handshake for session establishment, followed by the exchange of Positioning Reference Signals (PRS), and finally, the exchange of measurements through message passing based on the PRS and receiving from the peer UE.

[0115] Sidelink ranging is based on calculating the inter-UE round-trip time (RTT) measurement, as determined by the transmission and reception times of the PRS (wideband positioning signal defined in LTE and NR). Each UE reports its RTT measurement along with its location (if known) to all other participating UEs. For UEs that do not know their location at all or do not know it accurately, the RTT procedure generates the inter-UE distance between the involved UEs. For UEs that know their location accurately, this distance generates the absolute location. UE participation, PRS transmission, and subsequent RTT calculation are coordinated by the initial three-way message handshake (PRS request, PRS response, and PRS acknowledgment) and the subsequent message exchange after PRS transmission (post-PRS message) for sharing measurements after receiving the PRS from the peer UE.

[0116] Figure 4 An example sidelink ranging and positioning procedure 400 according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. The sidelink ranging and positioning procedure 400 may also be referred to as a sidelink RTT positioning procedure. Sidelink ranging is based on calculating inter-UE RTT measurements, such as those determined according to the transmission and reception times of the PRS (a broadband reference signal defined for positioning in LTE and NR). Each UE reports its RTT measurement along with its location (if known) to all other participating UEs. For UEs that do not know their location at all or do not know it accurately, the RTT procedure generates an inter-UE distance between the involved UEs. For UEs that know their location accurately, the ranging generates an absolute location. UE participation, PRS transmission, and subsequent RTT calculation are coordinated by an initial three-way message handshake (PRS request, PRS response, and PRS acknowledgment) and a message exchange following PRS transmission (post-PRS message) for sharing measurements after receiving a PRS from a peer UE.

[0117] The sidelink ranging and positioning process 400 (or session) begins at stage 405 with capability information broadcast by the involved peer UE. For example... Figure 4As shown, one of the peer UEs (UE 204-1 (e.g., any of the sidelink-capable UEs described herein)) is capable of acting as an anchor UE for the sidelink ranging and positioning process 400. This means that the UE supports the positioning of the target UE (e.g., by sending and / or receiving PRS for positioning via the sidelink interface, providing positioning-related information, etc.). Therefore, anchor UE 204-1 includes an indication in its capability message that it is capable of acting as an anchor UE for the sidelink ranging and positioning process 400. The other UE (UE 204-2 (e.g., any other sidelink-capable UE described herein)) is the target UE, meaning that the location of this UE is unknown or inaccurate and that the UE is attempting to locate its own position. Based on the capability information received from anchor UE 204-1 indicating that anchor UE 204-1 is the anchor UE, target UE 204-2 knows that it will be able to determine its own position by performing the sidelink ranging and positioning process 400 with anchor UE 204-1.

[0118] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the capability message may include a variety of information. In one aspect, the capability message may provide an indication of the location (e.g., a known location or location estimate) of anchor UE 204-1 (although the known location or location estimate associated with anchor UE 204-1 may also be obtained by target UE 204-2 in other ways). According to certain aspects of this disclosure, the capability message may include an anchor classification associated with anchor UE 204-1, as described in further detail herein. However, also as described herein, target UE 204-2 may otherwise obtain an indication of the anchor classification of anchor UE 204-1.

[0119] After the initial capability exchange, the involved UE 204 can perform a three-way message handshake. At phase 410, anchor UE 204-1 sends a PRS request (marked "PRSrequest") to target UE 204-2. At phase 415, target UE 204-2 sends a PRS response (marked "PRSresponse") to anchor UE 204-1. At phase 420, anchor UE 204-1 sends a PRS acknowledgment to target UE 204-2. At this point, the three-way message handshake is complete. It should be noted that although... Figure 4 The example illustrates a three-way message handshake initiated by anchor UE 204-1, but it can be initiated by target UE 204-2 instead.

[0120] At stages 425 and 430, the involved peer UEs 204 send PRS to each other. The resources for sending PRS can be configured / allocated by the network (e.g., the serving base station of one of these UEs 204) or negotiated by these UEs 204 during the three-way message handshake. Anchor UE 204-1 measures the transmit-to-receive (Tx-Rx) time difference between the PRS transmission time at stage 425 and the PRS reception time at stage 430. Target UE 204-2 measures the receive-to-transmit (Rx-Tx) time difference between the PRS reception time at stage 425 and the PRS transmission time at stage 430. It should be noted that although... Figure 4 The example shows that anchor UE 204-1 sends the PRS first, but target UE 204-2 may instead send the PRS first.

[0121] At stages 435 and 440, peer UE 204 exchanges their respective time difference measurements in a postPRS message (labeled "postPRS"). If anchor UE 204-1 has not yet provided its location to target UE 204-2, it does so at this time. Each UE 204 is then able to determine the RTT between each UE 204 based on the Tx-Rx and Rx-Tx time difference measurements (specifically, the difference between the Tx-Rx and Rx-Tx time difference measurements). Based on the RTT measurements and the speed of light, each UE 204 can then estimate the distance (or range) between the two UEs 204 (specifically, the RTT measurement multiplied by half the speed of light). Since target UE 204-2 also has the absolute location (e.g., geographic coordinates) of anchor UE 204-1, target UE 204-2 can use that location and the distance to anchor UE 204-1 to determine its absolute location.

[0122] It should be noted that, although Figure 4 Two UEs 204 are illustrated, but a target UE (e.g., target UE 204-2) can perform or attempt to perform a sidelink ranging and localization procedure 400 with multiple anchor UEs. Additionally, although the example sidelink ranging and localization procedure 400 is based on a multi-RTT localization scenario, the teachings disclosed herein apply to other scenarios as well. Figure 4 Positioning technologies other than multi-RTT technology (e.g., departure time (TOD), arrival time (TOA), departure angle (AoD), arrival angle (AoA), etc.).

[0123] Some aspects of this disclosure are achieved with the understanding that the anchor UE selected by the target UE for the positioning session may affect the accuracy of positioning determination. For example, different anchor UEs may synchronize to different synchronization sources, have different timing accuracies, and different accuracies associated with their known locations.

[0124] Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure relate to criteria for selecting a side link (SL) anchor device for positioning by a target UE and to a process applicable to the selection of such SL anchor devices. In one aspect, the target UE may obtain one or more quality classification indicators from a side link (SL) anchor device available to the target UE in the positioning environment. In another aspect, the quality classification indicator may be based on 1) the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device; 2) the timing quality of the SL anchor device; 3) the quality of the location estimate for the location of the SL anchor device; or 4) any combination thereof.

[0125] The target UE can select which SL anchor devices it will use for the positioning session based on the quality classification indication associated with the SL anchor device. SL anchor devices may include: 1) one or more Transmit / Receive Points (TRPs); 2) one or more fixed-location anchor SL-UEs; 3) one or more mobile anchor SL-UEs, etc. In some scenarios, the positioning environment may include a mixture of any of the aforementioned SL anchor device types.

[0126] Once the target UE has selected an SL anchor device for the location session, the target UE can enable that SL anchor device to participate in the location session, for example, to determine a location estimate for the target UE.

[0127] On one hand, the classification associated with an SL anchor device can correspond to the classification associated with the synchronization source to which the SL anchor device is synchronized. For example, an SL anchor device synchronized to a high-accuracy synchronization source has higher synchronization quality than one synchronized to a lower-accuracy synchronization source. An SL anchor device synchronized to a high-accuracy synchronization source may provide more precise timing information, for example, in RTT positioning, compared to one synchronized to a lower-accuracy synchronization source. On the other hand, a target UE may prefer to select an SL anchor device with higher synchronization quality rather than one with lower synchronization quality.

[0128] Some classifications (such as synchronization quality classification) may have multiple subclasses, each with its own priority level. Figure 5Table 500 illustrates one method for classifying SL anchor devices based on the synchronization source used by the SL anchor device, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Here, priority levels range from P0 to P5, where priority level P0 is associated with the highest synchronization quality classification. In this example, SL anchor devices directly synchronized with GNSS have been assigned the highest priority level P0. SL anchor devices indirectly synchronized with GNSS have been assigned priority level P1. SL anchor devices directly synchronized with a base station have been assigned priority level P2, while SL anchor devices indirectly synchronized with a base station have been assigned priority level P3. In some scenarios, SL anchor devices may synchronize with another synchronization source independent of GNSS or a base station (e.g., the SL anchor device uses its own independent synchronization source, the SL anchor device uses another device with an independent synchronization source, etc.). In Table 500, SL anchor devices synchronized to their own independent synchronization source (e.g., the SL anchor device has an internal synchronization source) are assigned priority level P4. SL anchor devices that are indirectly synchronized to any other independent synchronization source (e.g., SL anchors synchronize to another link device, which in turn synchronizes to another independent synchronization source) are assigned priority level P5. Based on the teachings of this disclosure, it will be appreciated that the synchronization quality classification priority ordering scheme illustrated in Table 500 is merely exemplary, and other classification priority schemes based on different synchronization sources or combinations of synchronization sources may also be used.

[0129] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, synchronization quality classification can be based on the number of "hops" between the synchronization source and the SL anchor device. A set of such synchronization quality classification indicators can be based on clock synchronization categories implemented in the Network Time Protocol (NTP). NTP is a networking protocol used for clock synchronization between computer systems over a packet-switched, variable-delay data network. Nevertheless, the basic concepts behind its clock synchronization categories can be extended to the SL anchor devices used in positioning. The NTP protocol implements an NTP hierarchy model representing a hierarchical structure of time servers in an NTP network, where the hierarchy level (0-15) indicates the distance of the device to a reference clock (e.g., a synchronization reference source). Higher hierarchy numbers result in greater decreases in timing accuracy and stability. Therefore, SL anchor devices associated with higher hierarchy numbers can be associated with higher synchronization quality classifications.

[0130] When assigning a timing quality classification to an SL anchor device, various methods can be used to evaluate the timing quality of the SL anchor device. According to certain aspects of this disclosure, the timing quality of the SL anchor device may be based on 1) clock jitter associated with the clock of the SL anchor device; 2) clock drift associated with the clock of the SL anchor device; or 3) any combination of such clock metrics. SL anchor devices associated with higher clock stability, lower clock jitter, etc., may be associated with a higher timing quality classification.

[0131] When assigning a location quality classification to an SL anchor device, various methods can be used to evaluate the location quality of the SL anchor device. In one aspect, the location quality classification can be based on whether the SL anchor device is moving or located in a fixed position. An SL anchor device located in a fixed position may have a higher location quality classification than a moving SL anchor device. Additionally or alternatively, the location quality classification of the SL anchor device can be based on its motion relative to a target UE, wherein an SL anchor device with less motion relative to the target UE is more likely to have a higher location quality classification than a device with more significant motion relative to the target UE. Additionally or alternatively, the location quality classification of the SL anchor device can be based on the uncertainty associated with the location estimate provided for the location of the SL anchor device. An SL anchor device with less uncertainty associated with the location estimate of the SL anchor device may have a higher location quality classification compared to an SL anchor device with greater uncertainty associated with the location estimate of the SL anchor device.

[0132] The quality classification associated with an SL anchor device can be obtained by the target UE in various ways. In some scenarios, each SL anchor device can send one or more quality classifications associated with it. A default quality classification or a default set of quality classifications can be assigned to SL anchor devices that do not provide quality classification indications.

[0133] The target UE can receive the quality classification associated with each SL anchor device in various types of transmissions. According to various aspects of this disclosure, the quality classification indication can be provided via: 1) communication occurring during SL discovery operations between the target SL device and each of one or more SL anchor devices; 2) broadcast transmission from the primary side link device for providing quality classification for all SL anchor devices in a given positioning environment; 3) broadcast transmission from each SL anchor device indicating its associated quality classification indication; 4) multicast transmission including the quality classification indication associated with the SL anchor device; 5) unicast transmission from the SL anchor device including the quality classification indication associated with the SL anchor device; or 6) any combination of the foregoing. In some aspects, the quality classification indication can be provided by the SL anchor device during capability exchange with the target UE (e.g., capability exchange at the start of a positioning session).

[0134] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, the quality classification associated with an SL anchor device can be inferred by the target UE. In one aspect, a quality classification indication can be implied from control signaling associated with the PRS (Personal Support System) and the SL anchor device. Additionally or alternatively, a quality classification indication can be implied from the resource set allocated to the SL anchor device. For example, different resource sets can be allocated to different SL anchor devices based on different quality classifications associated with different SL anchor devices. In such scenarios, the quality classification associated with the SL anchor device can be implied from the resource set used by the SL anchor device. Based on the teachings of this disclosure, it will be appreciated that other criteria can be used to implied the quality classification of the SL anchor device (e.g., the type of device used as the SL anchor device, etc.).

[0135] According to various aspects of this disclosure, a target UE may select an SL anchor device for a positioning session based on a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) measurement associated with the SL anchor device, as determined at the target SL-UE. In one aspect, the RSRP may be used as a standalone quality classification or combined with other criteria to modify the SL anchor device quality classification at the target UE. The RSRP measurement may be based on measurements of: 1) a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the SL anchor device; 2) a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with a Physical Shared Sidelink Channel (PSSCH) received from the SL anchor device; 3) a DMRS associated with a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSSCH) received from the SL anchor device; 4) a DMRS associated with a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH) received from the SL anchor device; 5) a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more Transmit Receive Points (TRPs) also acting as SL anchor devices; 6) a Download Positioning Reference Signal (DL-PRS) received from one or more TRPs also acting as SL anchor devices; or 7) any combination of the foregoing.

[0136] The target UE can use quality classification in various ways during the selection process. Depending on the positioning scenario, some quality classification types may be more important than others when selecting an SL anchor device for a positioning session. In one example, a positioning session using RTT positioning technology that relies on accurate time measurements may assign higher importance to the synchronization quality and / or timing quality classification of the SL anchor device compared to other quality classification types. In another example, a positioning session based on angular position measurements (e.g., AoA, AoD, etc.) does not require assigning similar importance to the synchronization quality and / or timing quality classification of the SL anchor device. In such scenarios, the quality of location estimation may be more relevant to the positioning session.

[0137] Based on the teachings of this disclosure, it will be recognized that there are various ways in which quality classification can be used in the process of selecting an SL anchor device for a positioning session. According to certain aspects of this disclosure, a target UE may selectively include, exclude, combine, or weight the quality classification indication associated with an SL anchor device based on: 1) the priority-ordered quality classification configuration implemented at the SL target device; 2) the power consumption requirements of the target SL target device; 3) the positioning method used by the SL target device for positioning the session; 4) the frequency at which each SL anchor device transmits an SL-PRS; 5) the communication traffic handled by each SL anchor device; or 6) any combination of the foregoing.

[0138] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, a target UE may send a measurement report for a positioning session. In one aspect, the target UE may include anchor SL device quality metrics in the report. The quality metrics may include information such as the quality classification of the SL anchor device used in the positioning session. Additionally or alternatively, the quality metrics may include an SL anchor device quality factor for the positioning session, which is based on a calculation involving the quality classification of the SL anchor device. Based on the teachings of this disclosure, it will be appreciated that other types of anchor SL device quality metrics based on SL anchor device quality classification may be provided as part of the measurement report.

[0139] Figure 6 An example method 600 for wireless communication performed by a targeted sidelink user equipment (SL-UE) device according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. At operation 602, the targeted SL-UE device obtains at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices used for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of the location estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof. In one aspect, operation 602 may be performed by one or more WWAN transceivers 310, one or more processors 332, a memory 340, and / or a positioning component 342, any or all of which may be considered as components for performing the operation.

[0140] At operation 604, the target SL-UE device conducts the positioning session with one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, or conducts the positioning session using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices. In one aspect, operation 604 may be performed by one or more WWAN transceivers 310, one or more processors 332, memory 340, and / or positioning components 342, any or all of which may be considered as components for performing the operation.

[0141] In some aspects, method 600 includes: determining a position estimate for the target SL-UE based on a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0142] In some aspects of method 600, the plurality of SL anchor devices include: at least one transmit / receive point (TRP); at least one fixed-location anchor SL-UE; at least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or any combination thereof.

[0143] In some aspects of method 600, the at least one quality classification indication is based on a quality classification having multiple subclasses; each of the multiple subclasses is associated with a priority level; and the one or more SL anchor devices are selected at least in part based on the priority level of the subclass associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0144] In some aspects of method 600, the selection of the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session is further based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, as determined at the target SL-UE.

[0145] In some aspects of method 600, the RSRP measurement is based on measurements of the following: a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with a physical shared sidelink channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink control channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) of the one or more SL anchor devices, a download positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) received from the one or more TRPs of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0146] In some aspects of method 600, the synchronization quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on a classification of the synchronization sources used by the given SL anchor device, the classification of which is based on direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the GNSS, direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a base station, indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the base station, synchronization of the given SL anchor device with other synchronization sources, or any combination thereof.

[0147] In some aspects of method 600, the timing quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on clock jitter associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, clock drift associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0148] In some aspects of method 600, the quality of the position of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the mobility classification of the given SL anchor device, the motion of the given SL anchor device relative to the target SL-UE, the uncertainty associated with the position estimate for the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0149] In some aspects, method 600 includes: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes: receiving an indication of the at least one quality classification indication from each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0150] In some aspects, method 600 includes: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes: receiving the at least one quality classification indication in the following ways: SL discovery operation between the target SL device and each of the one or more SL anchor devices, broadcast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, multicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, unicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0151] In some aspects, method 600 includes: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device by: inferring the at least one quality classification indication based on: control signaling associated with positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission performed by the one or more SL anchor devices; a resource set allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices, wherein the resource set is allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices based on the quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; or any combination thereof.

[0152] In some aspects, method 600 includes selectively including, excluding, combining, or weighting the at least one quality classification indication for each of the plurality of side-link (SL) anchor devices to select the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session based on: a priority-ordered quality classification configuration implemented at the target SL-UE device, the power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device, the positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to determine the location estimate of the target SL-UE device during the positioning session, the frequency at which each of the one or more SL anchor devices transmits SL-PRS, the amount of communication traffic handled by each of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0153] As will be understood, the technical advantage of method 600 is that it allows for the classification of SL anchor devices using various quality classification indicators, which the target SL-UE device can use to optimize the selection of the SL anchor device for the positioning session. Optimal selection of the SL anchor device ensures consistent positioning and ranging quality across the SL-UE.

[0154] As can be seen in the detailed description above, different features are grouped together in the examples. This manner of disclosure should not be construed as an intention to include more features in the example clauses than are expressly mentioned in each clause. Rather, the various aspects of this disclosure may include fewer features than those in the individual example clauses disclosed. Therefore, the following clauses should be regarded accordingly as incorporated into the description, where each clause may serve as a separate example. Although each dependent clause may refer in the clause to a specific combination with one of the other clauses, the aspect of that dependent clause is not limited to that specific combination. It should be understood that other example clauses may also include combinations of aspects of a dependent clause with the subject matter of any other dependent or independent clause, or combinations of any feature with other dependent and independent clauses. The various aspects disclosed herein expressly include these combinations unless expressly stated or readily inferred that a particular combination is not intended for use (e.g., contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor). Furthermore, it is contemplated that aspects of a clause may be included in any other independent clause, even if that clause does not directly depend on the independent clause.

[0155] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0156] Clause 1. A method of wireless communication performed by a target sidelink user equipment (SL-UE) device, the method comprising: obtaining at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of a location estimate for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and conducting the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0157] Clause 2. The method according to Clause 1, the method further comprising: determining a position estimate for the target SL-UE based on a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0158] Clause 3. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 2, wherein the plurality of SL anchor devices comprises: at least one Transmit / Receive Point (TRP); at least one fixed-location anchor SL-UE; at least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or any combination thereof.

[0159] Clause 4. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein: the at least one quality classification indication is based on a quality classification having multiple subclasses; each of the multiple subclasses is associated with a priority level; and the one or more SL anchor devices are selected at least in part based on the priority level of the subclass associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0160] Clause 5. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4, wherein: the selection of the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session is further based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, as determined at the target SL-UE.

[0161] Clause 6. The method according to Clause 5, wherein: the RSRP measurement is based on measurements of: a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with a physical shared sidelink channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink control channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) of the one or more SL anchor devices, a download positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) received from the one or more TRPs of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0162] Clause 7. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein: the synchronization quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the classification of the synchronization source used by the given SL anchor device, the classification of the synchronization source being based on direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the GNSS, direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a base station, indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the base station, synchronization of the given SL anchor device with other synchronization sources, or any combination thereof.

[0163] Clause 8. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein: the timing quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on clock jitter associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, clock drift associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0164] Clause 9. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein: the quality of the position of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the mobility classification of the given SL anchor device, the motion of the given SL anchor device relative to the target SL-UE, the uncertainty associated with the position estimate for the position of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0165] Clause 10. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device comprises: receiving an indication for the at least one quality classification indication from each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0166] Clause 11. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 10, wherein: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device comprises: receiving the at least one quality classification indication in one of the following: an SL discovery operation between the target SL device and each of the one or more SL anchor devices, a broadcast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, a multicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, a unicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0167] Clause 12. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 11, wherein: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device comprises: inferring the at least one quality classification indication based on: control signaling associated with positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission performed by the one or more SL anchor devices; a resource set allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices, wherein the resource set is allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices based on the quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; or any combination thereof.

[0168] Clause 13. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, the method further comprising: selectively including, excluding, combining, or weighting the at least one quality classification indication for each of the plurality of side-link (SL) anchor devices to select the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session based on: a priority-ordered quality classification configuration implemented at the target SL-UE device, the power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device, the positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to determine the location estimate of the target SL-UE device during the positioning session, the frequency at which each of the one or more SL anchor devices transmits SL-PRS, the amount of communication traffic handled by each of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0169] Clause 14. A target sidelink user equipment, the target sidelink user equipment comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor, the at least one processor being communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of a location estimate for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and to conduct the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0170] Clause 15. The target sidelink user equipment as described in Clause 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: determine a location estimate for the target SL-UE based on a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0171] Clause 16. The target sidelink user equipment as described in any one of Clauses 14 to 15, wherein the plurality of SL anchor devices comprises: at least one transmit / receive point (TRP); at least one fixed-location anchor SL-UE; at least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or any combination thereof.

[0172] Clause 17. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 14 to 16, wherein: the at least one quality classification indication is based on a quality classification having multiple subclasses; each of the multiple subclasses is associated with a priority level; and the one or more SL anchor devices are selected at least in part based on the priority level of the subclass associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0173] Clause 18. The target sidelink user equipment as described in any one of Clauses 14 to 17, wherein: the selection of the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session is further based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, as determined at the target SL-UE.

[0174] Clause 19. The target sidelink user equipment as described in Clause 18, wherein: the RSRP measurement is based on measurements of: a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with a physical shared sidelink channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink control channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) of the one or more SL anchor devices, a download positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) received from the one or more TRPs of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0175] Clause 20. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 14 to 19, wherein: the synchronization quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the classification of the synchronization source used by the given SL anchor device, the classification of the synchronization source being based on direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the GNSS, direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a base station, indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the base station, synchronization of the given SL anchor device with other synchronization sources, or any combination thereof.

[0176] Clause 21. The target sidelink user equipment as described in any one of Clauses 14 to 20, wherein: the timing quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on clock jitter associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, clock drift associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0177] Clause 22. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 14 to 21, wherein: the quality of the location of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the mobility classification of the given SL anchor device, the motion of the given SL anchor device relative to the target SL-UE, the uncertainty associated with the location estimate for the location of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0178] Clause 23. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 14 to 22, wherein: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes: receiving an indication for the at least one quality classification indication from each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0179] Clause 24. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 14 to 23, wherein: the at least one processor is configured to obtain the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device by: the at least one processor being configured to receive the at least one quality classification indication via the at least one transceiver in one of the following: an SL discovery operation between the target SL device and each of the one or more SL anchor devices, a broadcast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, a multicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, a unicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0180] Clause 25. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 14 to 24, wherein: the at least one processor is configured to obtain the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device by: the at least one processor being configured to infer the at least one quality classification indication based on: control signaling associated with positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission performed by the one or more SL anchor devices; a resource set allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices, wherein the resource set is allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices based on the quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; or any combination thereof.

[0181] Clause 26. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 14 to 25, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively include, exclude, combine, or weight the at least one quality classification indication for each of the plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices to select the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session based on: a priority-ordered quality classification configuration implemented at the target SL-UE device, the power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device, the positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to determine the location estimate of the target SL-UE device during the positioning session, the frequency at which each of the one or more SL anchor devices transmits SL-PRS, the amount of communication traffic handled by each of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0182] Clause 27. A target sidelink user equipment, the target sidelink user equipment comprising: components for obtaining at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of a location estimate for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and components for conducting the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0183] Clause 28. The target side link user equipment as described in Clause 27, the target side link user equipment further comprising: a component for determining a position estimate for the target SL-UE based on a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0184] Clause 29. The target sidelink user equipment as described in any one of Clauses 27 to 28, wherein the plurality of SL anchor devices comprises: at least one Transmit / Receive Point (TRP); at least one fixed-location anchor SL-UE; at least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or any combination thereof.

[0185] Clause 30. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 27 to 29, wherein: the at least one quality classification indication is based on a quality classification having multiple subclasses; each of the multiple subclasses is associated with a priority level; and the one or more SL anchor devices are selected at least in part based on the priority level of the subclass associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0186] Clause 31. The target sidelink user equipment as described in any one of Clauses 27 to 30, wherein: the selection of the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session is further based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, as determined at the target SL-UE.

[0187] Clause 32. The target sidelink user equipment as described in Clause 31, wherein: the RSRP measurement is based on measurements of: a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with a physical shared sidelink channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink control channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) of the one or more SL anchor devices, a download positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) received from the one or more TRPs of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0188] Clause 33. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 27 to 32, wherein: the synchronization quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the classification of the synchronization source used by the given SL anchor device, the classification of the synchronization source being based on direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the GNSS, direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a base station, indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the base station, synchronization of the given SL anchor device with other synchronization sources, or any combination thereof.

[0189] Clause 34. The target sidelink user equipment as described in any one of Clauses 27 to 33, wherein: the timing quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on clock jitter associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, clock drift associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0190] Clause 35. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 27 to 34, wherein: the quality of the location of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the mobility classification of the given SL anchor device, the motion of the given SL anchor device relative to the target SL-UE, the uncertainty associated with the location estimate for the location of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0191] Clause 36. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 27 to 35, wherein: the component for obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes: receiving an indication for the at least one quality classification indication from each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0192] Clause 37. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 27 to 36, wherein: the component for obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes: receiving the at least one quality classification indication in the following: an SL discovery operation between the target SL device and each of the one or more SL anchor devices, a broadcast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, a multicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, a unicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0193] Clause 38. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 27 to 37, wherein: the component for obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes: a component for inferring the at least one quality classification indication based on: control signaling associated with positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission performed by the one or more SL anchor devices; a resource set allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices, wherein the resource set is allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices based on the quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; or any combination thereof.

[0194] Clause 39. The target sidelink user equipment according to any one of Clauses 27 to 38, the target sidelink user equipment further comprising: a component for selectively including, excluding, combining, or weighting the at least one quality classification indication for each of the plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices to select the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session based on: a priority-ordered quality classification configuration implemented at the target SL-UE device, the power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device, the positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to determine the location estimate of the target SL-UE device during the positioning session, the frequency at which each of the one or more SL anchor devices transmits SL-PRS, the amount of communication traffic handled by each of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0195] Clause 40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a target sidelink user equipment, cause the target sidelink user equipment to: obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on the synchronization quality of the SL anchor device, the timing quality of the SL anchor device, the quality of the location estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or any combination thereof; and conduct the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on the at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0196] Clause 41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to Clause 40, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the target sidelink user equipment, cause the target sidelink user equipment to: determine a position estimate for the target SL-UE based on a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0197] Clause 42. The nontransitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 41, wherein the plurality of SL anchor devices comprises: at least one transmit / receive point (TRP); at least one fixed-location anchor SL-UE; at least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or any combination thereof.

[0198] Clause 43. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 42, wherein: the at least one quality classification indication is based on a quality classification having a plurality of subclasses; each of the plurality of subclasses is associated with a priority level; and the one or more SL anchor devices are selected at least in part based on the priority level of the subclass associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0199] Clause 44. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 43, wherein: the selection of the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session is further based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, as determined at the target SL-UE.

[0200] Clause 45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in Clause 44, wherein: the RSRP measurement is based on measurements of: a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with a physical shared sidelink channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink control channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a DMRS associated with a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) of the one or more SL anchor devices, a download positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) received from the one or more TRPs of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0201] Clause 46. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 45, wherein: the synchronization quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on a classification of synchronization sources used by the given SL anchor device, the classification of which is based on direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the GNSS, direct synchronization of the given SL anchor device with a base station, indirect synchronization of the given SL anchor device with the base station, synchronization of the given SL anchor device with other synchronization sources, or any combination thereof.

[0202] Clause 47. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 46, wherein: the timing quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on clock jitter associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, clock drift associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0203] Clause 48. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 47, wherein: the quality of the position of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the mobility classification of the given SL anchor device, the motion of the given SL anchor device relative to the target SL-UE, the uncertainty associated with the position estimate for the position of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

[0204] Clause 49. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 48, wherein: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device comprises: receiving an indication of the at least one quality classification indication from each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

[0205] Clause 50. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 49, wherein: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device comprises: receiving the at least one quality classification indication in one of the following: an SL discovery operation between the target SL device and each of the one or more SL anchor devices; a broadcast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; a multicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; a unicast transmission including the at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; or any combination thereof.

[0206] Clause 51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 50, wherein: obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device comprises: inferring the at least one quality classification indication based on: control signaling associated with positioning reference signal (PRS) transmission performed by the one or more SL anchor devices; a resource set allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices, wherein the resource set is allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices based on the quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices; or any combination thereof.

[0207] Clause 52. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 40 to 51, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the target sidelink user equipment, cause the target sidelink user equipment to selectively include, exclude, combine, or weight the at least one quality classification indication for each of the plurality of sidelink (SL) anchor devices to select the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session based on: a priority-ordered quality classification configuration implemented at the target SL-UE device, the power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device, the positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to determine the location estimate of the target SL-UE device during the positioning session, the frequency at which each of the one or more SL anchor devices transmits SL-PRS, the amount of communication traffic handled by each of the one or more SL anchor devices, or any combination thereof.

[0208] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0209] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above in general terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such specific implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0210] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternative embodiments, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0211] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Example storage media are coupled to a processor such that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integral with the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., a UE). Alternatively, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0212] In one or more examples, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, which includes any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer. Furthermore, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included within the definition of a medium. As used herein, disks and optical discs include: compact optical discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0213] While the foregoing disclosure illustrates exemplary aspects of this disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, the functions, steps, and / or actions of the method claims according to the aspects of this disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Additionally, although elements of this disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural form may also be considered unless expressly stated as limited to the singular.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication performed by a target sidelink user equipment (SL-UE) device, the method comprising: Obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of the multiple side link (SL) anchor devices used for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on The synchronization quality of the SL anchor equipment The timing quality of the SL anchor device The quality of the position estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or Any combination thereof; and conducting the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The position estimate for the target SL-UE is determined based on the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of SL anchor devices comprises: At least one Transmitter-Receiver Point (TRP); At least one fixed-position anchor SL-UE; At least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or Any combination of them.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one quality classification indication is based on a quality classification with multiple subclasses; Each of the multiple subcategories is associated with a priority level; and The one or more SL anchor devices are selected at least in part based on the priority level of the subclass associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The selection of the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session is further based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, as determined at the target SL-UE.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The RSRP measurement is based on measurements of the following: Side link positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, The demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with the Physical Shared Side Link Channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices. DMRS associated with the Physical Side Link Control Channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices. DMRS associated with the Physical Side Link Broadcast Channel (PSBCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices. The synchronization signal block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) of the one or more SL anchor devices. Download Positioning Reference Signal (DL-PRS) received from the one or more TRPs of the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The synchronization quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the classification of the synchronization source used by the given SL anchor device, the classification of the synchronization source being based on The given SL anchor device is directly synchronized with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Indirect synchronization between the given SL anchor device and the GNSS. The given SL anchor device is directly synchronized with the base station. The indirect synchronization between the given SL anchor device and the base station The synchronization of the given SL anchor device with other synchronization sources, or Any combination of them.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The timing quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is at least based on Clock jitter associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, Clock drift associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The quality of the position of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is at least based on The mobility classification of the given SL anchor equipment The motion of the given SL anchor device relative to the target SL-UE The uncertainty associated with the location estimation for the given SL anchor device, or Any combination of them.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes: receiving an indication for the at least one quality classification indication from each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Obtaining the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device includes receiving the at least one quality classification indication in the following: SL discovery operations between the target SL device and each of the one or more SL anchor devices. This includes the broadcast transmission of at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices. This includes multicast transmission of at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices. This includes unicast transmission of at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Obtaining the at least one quality classification indicator for each SL anchor device includes inferring the at least one quality classification indicator based on the following: Control signaling associated with the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmission performed by the one or more SL anchor devices, A resource set allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices, wherein the resource set is allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices based on a quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: To select the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session, the at least one quality classification indication for each of the plurality of side link (SL) anchor devices may be selectively included, excluded, combined, or weighted based on the following: The quality classification configuration with priority ordering implemented at the target SL-UE device. The power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device The positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to determine the location estimate of the target SL-UE device during the positioning session. The frequency at which each of the one or more SL anchor devices transmits SL-PRS. The communication traffic handled by each of the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

14. A target-side link user equipment, the target-side link user equipment comprising: Memory; At least one transceiver; and At least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: Obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of the multiple side link (SL) anchor devices used for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on The synchronization quality of the SL anchor equipment The timing quality of the SL anchor device The quality of the position estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or Any combination thereof; and The positioning session is conducted with one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the positioning session is conducted using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

15. The target sidelink user equipment according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: The position estimate for the target SL-UE is determined based on the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

16. The target side link user equipment of claim 14, wherein the plurality of SL anchor devices comprises: At least one Transmitter-Receiver Point (TRP); At least one fixed-position anchor SL-UE; At least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or Any combination of them.

17. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one quality classification indication is based on a quality classification with multiple subclasses; Each of the multiple subcategories is associated with a priority level; and The one or more SL anchor devices are selected at least in part based on the priority level of the subclass associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

18. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The selection of the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session is further based on a reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, as determined at the target SL-UE.

19. The target side link user equipment according to claim 18, wherein: The RSRP measurement is based on measurements of the following: Side link positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) received from the one or more SL anchor devices, The demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with the Physical Shared Side Link Channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices. DMRS associated with the Physical Side Link Control Channel (PSSCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices. DMRS associated with the Physical Side Link Broadcast Channel (PSBCH) received from the one or more SL anchor devices. The synchronization signal block (SSB) of the PSBCH received from one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) of the one or more SL anchor devices. Download Positioning Reference Signal (DL-PRS) received from the one or more TRPs of the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

20. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The synchronization quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is based at least on the classification of the synchronization source used by the given SL anchor device, the classification of the synchronization source being based on The given SL anchor device is directly synchronized with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Indirect synchronization between the given SL anchor device and the GNSS. The given SL anchor device is directly synchronized with the base station. The indirect synchronization between the given SL anchor device and the base station The synchronization of the given SL anchor device with other synchronization sources, or Any combination of them.

21. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The timing quality of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is at least based on Clock jitter associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, Clock drift associated with the clock of the given SL anchor device, or any combination thereof.

22. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The quality of the position of a given SL anchor device among the plurality of SL anchor devices is at least based on The mobility classification of the given SL anchor equipment The motion of the given SL anchor device relative to the target SL-UE The uncertainty associated with the location estimation for the given SL anchor device, or Any combination of them.

23. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to obtain the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device, including: the at least one processor is configured to receive an indication of the at least one quality classification indication from each of the one or more SL anchor devices via the at least one transceiver.

24. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to obtain the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device, including: the at least one processor is configured to receive the at least one quality classification indication via the at least one transceiver in the following: SL discovery operations between the target SL device and each of the one or more SL anchor devices. This includes the broadcast transmission of at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices. This includes multicast transmission of at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices. This includes unicast transmission of at least one quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

25. The target side link user equipment according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to obtain the at least one quality classification indication for each SL anchor device, including: the at least one processor is configured to infer the at least one quality classification indication based on the following: Control signaling associated with the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmission performed by the one or more SL anchor devices, A resource set allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices, wherein the resource set is allocated to the one or more SL anchor devices based on a quality classification indication associated with the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

26. The target sidelink user equipment of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: To select the one or more SL anchor devices for the positioning session, the at least one quality classification indication for each of the plurality of side link (SL) anchor devices may be selectively included, excluded, combined, or weighted based on the following: The quality classification configuration with priority ordering implemented at the target SL-UE device. The power consumption requirements of the target SL-UE device The positioning method used by the target SL-UE device to determine the location estimate of the target SL-UE device during the positioning session. The frequency at which each of the one or more SL anchor devices transmits SL-PRS. The communication traffic handled by each of the one or more SL anchor devices, or Any combination of them.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a target sidelink user equipment, cause the target sidelink user equipment to: Obtain at least one quality classification indication for each of the multiple side link (SL) anchor devices used for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on The synchronization quality of the SL anchor equipment The timing quality of the SL anchor device The quality of the position estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or Any combination thereof; and conducting the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

28. A target sidelink user equipment, the target sidelink user equipment comprising: Components for obtaining at least one quality classification indication for each of a plurality of side link (SL) anchor devices used for a positioning session, wherein the at least one quality classification indication is based on The synchronization quality of the SL anchor equipment The timing quality of the SL anchor device The quality of the position estimation for the location of the SL anchor device, or Any combination thereof; and components for conducting the positioning session with or using one or more of the plurality of SL anchor devices, wherein the one or more SL anchor devices are selected for the positioning session based on at least one quality classification indication associated with each of the one or more SL anchor devices.

29. The target side link user equipment according to claim 28, wherein the target side link user equipment further comprises: A component for determining a position estimate for the target SL-UE based on a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) transmitted by the one or more SL anchor devices.

30. The target side link user equipment of claim 28, wherein the plurality of SL anchor devices comprises: At least one Transmitter-Receiver Point (TRP); At least one fixed-position anchor SL-UE; At least one mobile anchor SL-UE; or Any combination of them.

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