Effective duration of carrier phase measurements

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for determining, providing, and / or utilizing an effective duration of carrier phase (CP) measurements. The effective duration of carrier phase measurements enables certain carrier phase measurements used in dual differential carrier phase (DD-CP) measurements to be multiplexed, thereby reducing signaling overhead in certain positioning functions of certain systems. The effective duration of CP measurements may be implemented at a terminal device, a reference positioning device, a network node, a location management function, or the like, and may be utilized in downlink and / or uplink transmissions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The example embodiments relate to wireless communication, and more specifically to methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for determining, providing, and / or utilizing the effective duration of carrier phase measurements for locating terminal devices. Background Technology

[0002] Location services and positioning technologies are ubiquitous in many applications of wireless technology. Navigation applications and related technologies, such as user-oriented navigation systems and control systems for autonomous vehicles, have experienced an increasing demand for high-precision positioning. The need for more accurate location services and positioning technologies has risen in densely populated urban areas and indoor spaces that previously suffered from unreliable services. Industrial sites, warehouses, and other related facilities can utilize positioning services to move, track, and control various machines, units, and / or products, but require high-precision positioning technologies to autonomously perform such functions.

[0003] Carrier phase (CP) measurement is an essential part of fifth-generation (5G) technology for locating or determining the position of terminal devices. Carrier phase measurement achieves high-precision positioning of devices by measuring the phase difference between the received and transmitted signals. CP positioning provides accuracy at the meter, decimeter, and centimeter levels, depending on the application, which is critical for many use cases, including but not limited to autonomous vehicle and / or mechanical control, determining the exact location of mobile devices, and many others. Specific applications or use cases may require higher accuracy than others, and therefore may require more frequent CP measurements and associated signaling. Therefore, CP positioning can be used to provide higher accuracy to suit specific applications or use cases, but this may result in increased signaling overhead and increased network resource utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, a method, apparatus, and computer program product for determining, providing, and / or utilizing the effective duration of carrier phase (CP) measurements are disclosed. The effective duration of carrier phase measurements allows for the reuse of certain carrier phase measurements used in dual differential carrier phase (DD-CP) measurements, thereby reducing signaling overhead compared to systems that do not consider the disclosed effective duration.

[0005] An apparatus, such as a terminal device and / or user equipment (UE), is provided, including one or more transceivers and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to enable the terminal device to obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement. The one or more processors are further configured to use the at least one carrier phase measurement within the effective duration of the timestamp to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

[0006] According to some embodiments, obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement includes receiving at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device from a remote device, and / or performing at least one carrier phase measurement by a terminal device.

[0007] At least one dual differential carrier phase measurement is determined using at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device and at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a terminal device within the effective duration of a timestamp. In some embodiments, at least one carrier phase measurement includes a single differential carrier phase measurement.

[0008] Determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement may include using multiple instances of the same carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device and a carrier phase measurement measured by a terminal device to determine the corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement. In some embodiments, the effective duration is determined by a location management function. In some embodiments, the effective duration is determined by a reference positioning device.

[0009] In some embodiments, the effective duration is provided to the terminal device from the reference positioning device via sidelink communication.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the effective duration and timestamp are provided from the reference positioning device to the location management function and forwarded by the location management function to the terminal device.

[0011] Effective duration is defined at least based on the number of time slots, the number of symbols, or absolute time.

[0012] One or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to stop using the carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device after the expiration time, and to receive additional carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device and an updated effective duration, wherein the expiration time is defined by a timestamp plus the effective duration.

[0013] One or more processors are configured to enable the terminal device to receive a list of Transmission and Receive Points (TRPs) and their corresponding effective durations.

[0014] In some embodiments, one or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to receive information indicating that a carrier phase measurement taken by a reference positioning device is no longer valid.

[0015] Another apparatus, such as a reference positioning device and / or network entity, is provided, including, for example, location management functions, and comprising one or more transceivers and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to report to a terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement. At least one of the at least one carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device includes a single differential carrier phase measurement. The effective duration is determined based on measured or estimated oscillator drift. The one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to transmit information indicating that the carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device is no longer valid to the terminal device.

[0016] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a reference positioning device, and one or more processors are configured to cause the reference positioning device to determine an effective duration, wherein carrier phase measurements, timestamps, and the effective duration measured by the reference positioning device are reported to the terminal device by the reference positioning device. In some embodiments, the effective duration is caused to be reported to the terminal device via sidelink communication.

[0017] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a reference positioning device, and one or more processors are configured to cause the reference positioning device to determine an effective duration and to cause a location management function to report at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp, and an effective duration measured by the reference positioning device.

[0018] According to some embodiments, in response to receiving a request from a location management function, at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement are reported to a terminal device. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a location management function, and one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to: receive a carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device and a timestamp from the reference positioning device; determine the effective duration; and report the carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device, the timestamp, and the effective duration to the terminal device.

[0019] One or more processors are configured to enable the device to provide a list of Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs) and their respective effective durations. One or more processors are configured to enable the device to request a reference positioning device to measure and report updated carrier phase measurements when or after the effective duration from the timestamp expires.

[0020] Another apparatus is provided, such as a network entity including location management functionality, the apparatus including one or more transceivers and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to enable the apparatus to obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and a valid duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and to use the at least one carrier phase measurement to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement within the valid duration of the timestamp, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of a terminal device.

[0021] Determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement includes at least one of the following: using at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by a network node and / or using at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement measured by a network node.

[0022] At least one terminal device carrier phase measurement used in dual differential carrier phase measurement is measured within the effective duration of a timestamp. One or more processors are configured to cause the device to request network nodes to periodically provide at least one reference carrier phase measurement based on the effective duration. In some embodiments, determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement includes using multiple instances of the same reference carrier phase measurement and at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement to determine the corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement. According to some embodiments, the effective duration is determined by the device. According to some embodiments, the effective duration is determined by the network node. According to some embodiments, the effective duration is determined based on measured or estimated oscillator drift. According to some embodiments, the device includes location management functionality.

[0023] An apparatus, such as a network node, is provided, including one or more transceivers and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to: determine an effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by the apparatus; and report the effective duration, a timestamp of the at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and the at least one reference carrier phase measurement to a location management function.

[0024] A method, such as one performed by a terminal device and / or a user equipment (UE), is provided, comprising obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and a valid duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement. The method further comprises determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement using the at least one carrier phase measurement within the valid duration of the timestamp, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method further includes: ceasing the use of carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device after an expiration time, and receiving additional carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device and an updated valid duration, wherein the expiration time is defined by a timestamp plus the valid duration. The method may also include receiving a list of transmission and reception points (TRPs) and their respective valid durations. The method further includes receiving information indicating that the carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device are no longer valid.

[0026] Another method is provided, such as one performed by a reference positioning device and / or location management functions, which includes reporting to a terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement. According to some embodiments, the method includes transmitting information indicating that a carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device is no longer valid to the terminal device.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the method is performed by a reference positioning device, and the method further includes determining an effective duration, wherein carrier phase measurements, timestamps, and effective durations measured by the reference positioning device are reported to the terminal device by the reference positioning device.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the method is performed by a reference positioning device, and the method further includes determining an effective duration and causing a location management function to report at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp, and the effective duration measured by the reference positioning device. According to some embodiments, the method is performed by a location management function, and the method further includes receiving a carrier phase measurement and a timestamp measured by the reference positioning device from the reference positioning device, determining an effective duration, and reporting the carrier phase measurement, timestamp, and effective duration measured by the reference positioning device to a terminal device.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the method further includes providing a list of transmission and reception points (TRPs) and their respective effective durations.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the method further includes requesting a reference positioning device to measure and report updated carrier phase measurements after or after the effective duration from the timestamp has expired.

[0031] Another method is provided, such as a method performed by a network entity including location management functions, the method comprising: obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and a valid duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; and within the valid duration of the timestamp, using the at least one carrier phase measurement to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of a terminal device.

[0032] Determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement includes at least one of the following: using at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by a network node, or using at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement measured by a network node.

[0033] The method also includes requesting network nodes to provide at least one reference carrier phase measurement periodically based on the effective duration.

[0034] In some embodiments, the effective duration is determined by the location management function. In some embodiments, the effective duration is determined by the network node.

[0035] Another method is provided, such as a method performed by a network node, which includes determining the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by the network node, and reporting the effective duration, the timestamp of at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and at least one reference carrier phase measurement to a location management function.

[0036] An apparatus, such as a terminal device and / or a UE, is provided, comprising: means for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; and means for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement using the at least one carrier phase measurement within the effective duration of the timestamp, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the apparatus.

[0037] The component for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement includes at least one of the following: a component for receiving at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device from a remote device, and / or a component for performing at least one carrier phase measurement by the device.

[0038] The components for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement include components for determining the corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement using multiple instances of the same carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device and a carrier phase measurement measured by the device.

[0039] The device may further include: components for ceasing the use of carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device after the expiration time, and components for receiving additional carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device and an updated valid duration, wherein the expiration time is defined by a timestamp plus the valid duration.

[0040] The apparatus also includes: components for receiving a list of transmission and reception points (TRPs) and their corresponding effective durations, and components for receiving information indicating that a carrier phase measurement taken by a reference positioning device is no longer valid.

[0041] Another apparatus is provided, such as a reference positioning device and / or network entity including location management functions, the apparatus including components for reporting to a terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured by the reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement.

[0042] The device includes components for inducing the transmission of information indicating that a carrier phase measurement taken by a reference positioning device is no longer valid to the terminal device.

[0043] The apparatus may include a reference positioning device and may further include components for determining the effective duration, wherein carrier phase measurements, timestamps, and effective durations measured by the reference positioning device are reported to the terminal device by the reference positioning device. According to some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for determining the effective duration and causing a reporting to a location management function of at least one carrier phase measurement, timestamp, and effective duration measured by the reference positioning device.

[0044] According to some embodiments, the device includes a location management function and further includes: components for receiving carrier phase measurements and timestamps measured by the reference positioning device; components for determining an effective duration; and components for reporting the carrier phase measurements, timestamps, and effective durations measured by the reference positioning device to a terminal device.

[0045] The apparatus also includes components for providing a list of transmission and reception points (TRPs) and their corresponding effective durations, as well as components for requesting, referencing, measuring, and reporting updated carrier phase measurements when or after the effective duration from the timestamp expires.

[0046] Another apparatus is provided, such as a network entity including location management functionality, the apparatus comprising: components for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; and components for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement using the at least one carrier phase measurement within the effective duration of the timestamp, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of a terminal device.

[0047] The components for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement include at least one of the following: components for using at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by a network node, and / or components for using at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement measured by a network node. The at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement used in the dual differential carrier phase measurement is measured within the valid duration of a timestamp. The apparatus further includes components for requesting the network node to provide at least one reference carrier phase measurement periodically based on the valid duration. The components for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement include components for determining a corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement using multiple instances of the same reference carrier phase measurement and at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement.

[0048] An apparatus, such as a network node, is provided, comprising: components for determining the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by the network node; and components for reporting the effective duration, a timestamp of the at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and the at least one reference carrier phase measurement to a location management function unit.

[0049] A computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions to: obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and a valid duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; and within the valid duration of the timestamp, use the at least one carrier phase measurement to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of a terminal device. Another computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions to: report to a terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and a valid duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement.

[0050] A computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions to: obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and a valid duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; and within the valid duration of the timestamp, use the at least one carrier phase measurement to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of a terminal device.

[0051] Another computer program product is provided, including at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions to: determine the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by the computer program product; and report the effective duration, the timestamp of the at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and the at least one reference carrier phase measurement to a location management function.

[0052] The above overview is provided merely for the purpose of outlining some exemplary embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the above exemplary embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of this disclosure in any way. It should be understood that the scope of this disclosure covers many potential embodiments, some of which will be further described below in addition to those outlined herein. Attached Figure Description

[0053] Now refer to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which: Figure 1 An example of a new radio (NR) (5G) carrier phase positioning (CPP) process is described; Figure 2 A block diagram of an apparatus specifically configured according to certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of operations that can be performed using downlink transmissions according to certain example embodiments; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of operations that can be performed using uplink transmissions according to certain example embodiments; Figure 5 This is a flowchart of operations that can be performed by a terminal device using downlink transmission according to certain example embodiments; Figure 6This is a flowchart of operations that can be performed by means of devices such as a Reference Positioning Device (RPD) and / or a Location Management Function (LMF) using downlink transmissions, according to certain example embodiments; Figure 7 This is a flowchart of operations that can be performed by a device such as a location management function (LMF) using downlink transmissions, according to certain example embodiments; Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating operations that can be performed by means of devices such as Location Management Functions (LMF) and / or network nodes using uplink transmissions, according to certain example embodiments; and Figure 9 This is a flowchart of operations that can be performed by a device such as a network node using uplink transmission, according to certain example embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0054] Some embodiments of this disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some, but not all, of the embodiments. In fact, various embodiments of this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. The same reference numerals throughout refer to the same elements. As used herein, the terms “data,” “content,” “information,” and similar terms are used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received, and / or stored according to embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the use of any such terms should not be construed as limiting the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0055] Additionally, as used herein, the term "circuit system" means (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., an implementation in an analog circuit system and / or a digital circuit system); (b) a combination of a circuit and (multiple) computer program products comprising software and / or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media that work together to enable a device to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) a circuit, such as, for example, (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which requires software or firmware for operation, even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term herein, including in any claim. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also includes an implementation comprising one or more processors and / or portions thereof, along with accompanying software and / or firmware. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also includes, for example, baseband integrated circuits or application processor integrated circuits for mobile phones, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, other network devices (such as core network devices), field-programmable gate arrays, and / or other computing devices. Additionally, as used herein, the term "module" refers to hardware or a combination of hardware and software, wherein the execution of the software directs the operation of the hardware. As another example, the term "circuit system," as used herein, also includes, for example, baseband integrated circuits or application processor integrated circuits for mobile phones, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network equipment, other network equipment (such as core network devices), field-programmable gate arrays, and / or other computing devices.

[0056] As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" refers to non-transitory storage hardware, non-transitory storage device, or non-transitory computer system memory that can be accessed by a controller, microcontroller, computing system, or module of a computing system to encode computer-executable instructions or software programs thereon. A non-transitory computer-readable medium can be accessed by a computing system or module of a computing system to retrieve and / or execute computer-executable instructions or software programs encoded on the medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, one or more types of hardware memory, non-transitory tangible media (e.g., one or more magnetic disks, one or more optical disks, one or more USB flash drives), computer system memory, or random access memory (such as DRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM), etc.

[0057] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), reference positioning device (RPD), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and recycle bins, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices, industrial equipment, consumer electronics devices, and devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks.

[0058] The evolution of communication technologies such as fifth-generation (5G) and sixth-generation (6G) has improved upon existing technologies such as second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and Long Term Evolution (LTE) technologies, resulting in improved network connectivity and a greater reliance on location services and positioning technologies. To accommodate these improved location services and positioning technologies, networks (such as 5G NR networks) utilize Location Management Functions (LMFs) to direct location-related messages between various network components, such as, but not limited to, base station nodes and terminal devices. Positioning services (such as positioning services enabled by LMFs) enable the location of terminal devices (such as those by the terminal device itself) using downlink transmissions. In uplink transmissions, remote devices such as LMFs or network nodes locate the terminal device.

[0059] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has proposed extended and improved NR positioning, as outlined in Request for Proposal RP-223549, “New WID on Expended and Improved NR Positioning.” One of the main themes is support for carrier phase (CP) positioning. The proposal for improved NR positioning aims to specify physical layer measurements and signaling to support NR downlink and uplink CP positioning for UE-based, UE-assisted, and NG-RAN node-assisted positioning. Some objectives may include, but are not limited to: Existing downlink positioning reference signals (PRS) and uplink sounding reference signals (SRS) for NR carrier phase measurements are used for location. Measurements are specified to be limited to a single carrier / PFL. Corresponding new core requirements are specified, along with identification and specification of the impact on existing specifications, including RRM measurements in connected and inactive modes (including PRS measurement periods / reports) and without measurement gaps during the process. CPP is a high-accuracy method for NR applications that can determine location within millimeters of accuracy. In uplink-based (UL) carrier phase (CP), this technique involves one or more terminal devices transmitting one or more SRS and one or more transmit and receive points (TRPs) phase measurements via uplink transmission. The data within this transmission can be used to estimate the location of one or more terminal devices. For from the first... k The SRS sent by the terminal device, the first i The phase measurement at each TRP can be expressed by the following equation: (1) in Phase measurements can be expressed in terms of period to avoid The reuse of variables. Additionally, variables... , , and Used to represent the first k The terminal device and the first i TRP ( The geographical distance between them, in radians ( (unit) k The internal phase reference deviation at each terminal device and in radians ( (unit) i Internal phase reference deviation and propagation wavelength at each TRP ( The integer ambiguity of ). This can be targeted at another TRP (e.g., the first). j Each TRP derives the same equation. An example is shown below for reference: (2) Differential operations can include two types of operations. Single-differential (SD) operation can eliminate phase bias from the terminal device side, while double-differential (DD) operation allows the use of measurements from the RPD to eliminate phase errors between TRPs. Furthermore, two TRPs (e.g., the first...) can be used to eliminate phase errors between TRPs. i The first TRP and the first j The single difference or single difference measurement between TRPs can be expressed by the following equation: (3) In the above equation, the following representation is used: (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) The above equation represents a single differential operation. This operation eliminates the phase deviation from the terminal device side during the positioning process. The above single differential operation is similar to the reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurement in the DL time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) process. Although the phase error remains as described above ( However, it can be eliminated by using a double-difference operation on the measurement from the RPD.

[0060] As an example, suppose the first K The terminal device is RPD. For SRS sent from RPD, the first... i The first TRP and the first j The single difference measurement between TRPs can be expressed by the following equation: (4) Then, by using a single differential measurement (3) between two TRPs and a single differential measurement (4) of RPD, a double differential or double differential carrier phase measurement can be expressed.

[0061] (5) In the above equation, the following representation is used: (i) (ii) and (iii) After the above operation (5), the phase error between TRPs is eliminated. In the aforementioned operation, the phase deviation between the terminal device and the TRP has been taken into account. These are the main errors in single-differential and double-differential methods for carrier phase measurement.

[0062] Figure 1 Some embodiments of a network 50 capable of performing a new radio (NR) (5G) carrier phase positioning (CPP) process are depicted.

[0063] Figure 1 This includes a network 50 with several base stations (e.g., gNBs), including gNB 51, gNB 54, and gNB 57. Although Figure 2 Three gNBs are depicted, but any number of gNBs may exist. Additionally, one or more terminal devices (such as terminal device 53) may be connected to network 50. Network 50 may also include network entities for supporting location management, such as location management functions (LMFs), such as LMF 58.

[0064] The NR CPP can utilize a reference positioning device (RPD) 55, also known as a positioning reference unit (PRU). Therefore, RPD 55 can be considered as another terminal device (in addition to terminal device 53) for carrier phase measurement, and thus enables DD-CP measurements for positioning terminal device 53.

[0065] According to some embodiments, RPD 55 can transmit SD-CP measurements 56 determined by RPD 55 via gNB 57. The SD-CP measurements can be transmitted to terminal device 53 or LMF 58 via network 50 using one or more gNBs, including at least gNB 57. Terminal device 53 can also be configured to determine its own SD-CP measurements. Figure 2 In this context, gNB 51 serves terminal device 53.

[0066] According to some embodiments, RPD 55 can send its SD-CP measurement to LMF 58, and terminal device 53 can also send its SD-CP measurement to LMF 58. Therefore, LMF 58 can determine the DD-CP measurement based on the SD-CP measurement of terminal device 53 and the SD-CP measurement of RPD 55.

[0067] According to some embodiments, RPD 55 may send its SD-CP measurements to terminal device 53. In this embodiment, terminal device 53 may be configured to determine DD-CP measurements based on one or more of its own SD-CP measurements and the SD-CP measurements of RPD 55. Regardless of whether determined by terminal device 53 or LMF 58, the determined DD-CP measurements can be used to estimate the location of terminal device 53.

[0068] according to Figure 1 In some example embodiments not shown, RPD 55 can transmit CP measurements directly to terminal device 53 via sidelink communication. The sidelink allows terminal device 53 and RPD 55 to communicate directly with each other without needing to relay data through the radio access network (RAN).

[0069] According to certain NR CPP procedures, whenever DD-CP is employed, relatively high overhead can be introduced by utilizing new SD-CP measurements with RPD 55. In some systems, signaling is required between RPD 55 and LMF 58, and subsequently between LMF 58 and terminal device 53. Even if RPD 55 reports measurements directly to terminal device 53 (e.g., via a side link), there are still irrelevant overheads that can be reduced, as described further in detail herein and according to certain example embodiments. For high-precision positioning, the location of terminal device 53 may be needed very frequently (e.g., a specific number of milliseconds or seconds), which would require frequent CP measurements and reporting of CP measurements from RPD 55 to terminal device 53. Certain example embodiments described further in detail herein reduce the measurement and signaling overhead that may arise as described above, such as by introducing an effective duration for carrier phase measurements and making it possible to multiplex carrier phase measurements in DD-CP measurements.

[0070] When comparisons are performed without a valid duration, such as Figure 1 When using a system with a valid duration, the example embodiments described herein can reduce overhead and improve resource utilization efficiency. According to some embodiments, the SD-CP measurement of RPD 55 is multiplexed for multiple DD-CP measurements until the valid duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement has elapsed or expired, such as at or after the time when the valid duration is calculated as a timestamp for the measurement. This can reduce the number of measurements required during the NR CPP process, and / or the amount of communication required between LMF 58, terminal device 53, and RPD 55.

[0071] Figure 2 The apparatus 100 is one example of an apparatus configured according to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein for determining, providing, and / or utilizing the effective duration of carrier phase measurements, such as for NRCPP. Therefore, the apparatus 100 can be configured to function as a network entity, such as a terminal device (e.g., a UE), a network node or cell (such as, but not limited to, a next-generation Node B (gNB)), an LMF, an RPD, and / or other apparatus, devices, and / or entities described herein.

[0072] This device can be embodied in various ways, including as any of a variety of computing devices, such as a server, personal computer, computer workstation, etc. Regardless of how the device is embodied, the device in the example embodiment... Figure 2The device 100 is shown and includes a processing circuitry system 102, a communication interface 104, and a memory 106, which are associated with or communicate with the processing circuitry system 102, the communication interface 104, and the memory 106. The processing circuitry 102 may communicate with the memory 106 via a bus for transferring information between components of the device 100. The memory 106 may be non-transitory and may include, for example, one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example, the memory 106 may be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium) that includes gates configured to store data (e.g., bits) that can be retrieved by a machine (e.g., a computing device such as the processing circuitry system). The memory 106 may be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, etc., to enable the device to perform various functions according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the memory 106 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processing circuitry system 102. Additionally or alternatively, the memory device 106 may be configured to store instructions for execution by the processing circuitry system 102.

[0073] In some embodiments, device 100 may be embodied in various computing devices as described above. However, in some embodiments, the device may be embodied as a chip or chipset. In other words, the device may include one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) that include materials, components, and / or wires on structural components (e.g., substrates). Structural components may provide physical strength, dimensional protection, and / or electrical interaction limitations for the component circuitry included thereon. Thus, in some cases, device 100 may be configured to implement embodiments of this disclosure on a single chip or as a single “system-on-a-chip.” Thus, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute components for performing one or more operations to provide the functions described herein.

[0074] The processing circuitry system 102 can be embodied in a variety of different ways. For example, the processing circuitry system 102 can be embodied as one or more of various hardware processing components, such as a coprocessor, microprocessor, controller, digital signal processor (DSP), processing element with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other circuitry systems, including integrated circuits, such as, for example, ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), microcontroller units (MCUs), hardware accelerators, dedicated computer chips, etc. Thus, in some embodiments, the processing circuitry system 102 may include one or more processing cores configured to execute independently. A multi-core processing circuitry system can implement multiple processing within a single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, the processing circuitry system 102 may include one or more processors configured in series via a bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelines, and / or multiple threads.

[0075] In an example embodiment, the processing circuitry 102 may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 106 or otherwise accessible by the processing circuitry 102. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry 102 may be configured to perform hard-coded functions. Thus, whether configured by hardware or software methods or a combination thereof, the processing circuitry 102 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in a circuitry) capable of performing operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure when appropriately configured. Therefore, for example, when the processing circuitry 102 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA, etc., the processing circuitry may be hardware specifically configured to perform the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when the processing circuitry 102 is embodied as an executor of instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processing circuitry to perform the algorithms and / or operations described herein when the instructions are executed. However, in some cases, the processing circuitry 102 may be a processor of a particular device (e.g., an audio processing system) configured to further configure the processing circuitry to employ embodiments of the present disclosure by instructions for performing the algorithms and / or operations described herein. The processing circuit system 102 may include, in particular, a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and logic gates configured to support the operation of the processing circuit system.

[0076] Communication interface 104 can be any component, such as a device or circuit embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to receive and / or transmit media content, including audio data and the like. In this regard, communication interface 104 may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and / or software for enabling communication with a wireless communication network. Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface may include circuitry for interacting with the antenna(s) to transmit signals via the antenna(s) or for processing signals received via the antenna(s). In some environments, the communication interface may alternatively or also support wired communication. Thus, for example, the communication interface may include a communication modem and / or other hardware / software for supporting communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), universal serial bus (USB), or other mechanisms.

[0077] Now refer to Figure 3 Describing some example implementations, Figure 3 The procedure for NRDD-CPP (also known as UE-based positioning) based on the terminal device is described. Once the NRDD-CPP based on the terminal device is initiated at 300, at 301, one or more gNBs 209 can send a PRS to RPD 55 and terminal device 53. This PRS signal can be referred to as DL-PRS and can be any reference signal used for positioning. One or more gNBs 209 can include Figure 1The gNB 51 (i.e., the gNB of the serving terminal device 53) and / or gNB 57 are depicted in the text.

[0078] At 302, RPD 55 measures SD-CP based on DL PRS from one or more gNBs 209. Such a measurement may be referred to as an RPD SD-CP measurement and / or a reference carrier phase measurement. Similarly, at 303, the terminal device measures SD-CP based on DL PRS from one or more gNBs 209. The SD-CP measured at terminal device 53 may be referred to herein as a terminal device SD-CP measurement or a terminal device carrier phase measurement. According to some embodiments, at 304, RPD 55 determines the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement associated with the RPD SD-CP measurement. According to some embodiments, the determination of the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement may be based on prior knowledge of the oscillator drift of one or more gNBs 209 (e.g., due to prior signaling from the LMF). According to some embodiments, the determination of the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement may be based on measurements performed at RPD 55 over time (e.g., RPD self-estimation of the oscillator drift of one or more gNBs 209). The effective duration can be determined based on the number of time slots, the number of symbols, or absolute time (e.g., the length of time in milliseconds or seconds).

[0079] At 305, RPD 55 reports the RPD SD-CP measurement, along with the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement and the timestamp associated with the RPD SD-CP measurement, to LMF 58. At 306, LMF 58 reports the RPD SD-CP measurement to terminal device 53. According to some embodiments, LMF 58 may also send the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement and the timestamp associated with the RPD SD-CP measurement to terminal device 53. At 307, terminal device 53 is configured to calculate DD-CP measurement based on one or more instances of the RPD SD-CP measurement and its own SD-CP measurement (i.e., the terminal device SD-CP measurement performed at 303). The DD-CP measurement can be used to locate and / or estimate the location of terminal device 53. In this respect, terminal device 53 uses the measurement to perform UE-based positioning.

[0080] Terminal device 53 can continue to calculate DD-CP measurements based on RPD SD-CP measurements until the validity period has expired. For example, if the timestamp is expressed as X And the effective duration is expressed as V Then RPD SD-CP measurements can be used until equal to X+V The time.

[0081] In some embodiments, once terminal device 53 has received another DL-PRS from one or more gNBs 209, such as at 308, terminal device 53 can determine whether the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement has expired based on the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement and the timestamp associated with the RPD SD-CP measurement. If the RPD SD-CP measurement has expired, LMF 58 can request an updated RPD SD-CP measurement from RPD 55. Once an updated RPD SD-CP measurement, an updated effective duration of the updated RPD SD-CP measurement, and an updated timestamp associated with the updated RPD SD-CP measurement have been received at terminal device 53, terminal device 53 can continue at 310 to determine additional DD-CP measurements based on the updated RPD SD-CP measurement and one or more instances of its own SD-CP measurement performed at 309.

[0082] If the RPD SD-CP measurement has not yet expired, the terminal device 53 can continue to determine additional DD-CP measurements based on one or more instances of the RPD SD-CP measurement and its own SD-CP measurement. The additional DD-CP measurements can be used to estimate the update position of the terminal device 53.

[0083] According to some embodiments, the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement can be determined by the LMF 58. Therefore, the RPD SD-CP measurement is sent from the RPD 55 to the LMF 58. The LMF 58 can then be configured to determine the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement. In one embodiment, the determination of the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement can be based on prior knowledge of the oscillator drift of one or more gNBs 209 (e.g., due to prior signaling from the gNB to the LMF). Additionally or alternatively, the determination of the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement can be based on a measurement received at the LMF from the PRU (e.g., based on the gNB oscillator drift calculated by the LMF itself). Once the effective duration has been determined, the LMF 58 can continue to send the RPD SD-CP measurement, the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement, and the timestamp associated with the RPD SD-CP measurement to the terminal device 53, similar to... Figure 3 The process described in the text.

[0084] According to some embodiments, the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement is determined by RPD 55. Although Figure 3Not shown, but RPD55 can report the RPDSD-CP measurement, the effective duration of the RPDSD-CP measurement, and the timestamp associated with the RPDSD-CP measurement directly to the terminal device 53, for example, via sidelink communication. The terminal device 53 can then calculate the DD-CP measurement based on one or more instances of the RPDSD-CP measurement and its own SD-CP measurement, as described herein.

[0085] Although Figure 3 It involves the DL CPP process, but includes information about Figure 3 Certain embodiments of certain aspects described are also applicable to the UL CPP process, wherein one or more gNB 209s are configured to determine UL CP measurements based on the terminal device 53 and the RPD 55 SRS for location message transmission. Reference will now be made to... Figure 4 An example embodiment describing the UL CPP process.

[0086] Once an uplink (UL) CPP based on the terminal device is initiated at 410, at 411 and 412, RPD 403 and terminal device 404 can respectively transmit or send an SRS to one or more gNBs 402 via uplink transmission. This transmission can be referred to as UL-SRS. Then, one or more gNBs 402 can determine the RPD SD-CP measurement based on the UL-SRS from RPD 403 and the terminal device SD-CP measurement based on the UL-SRS from terminal device 404 at 413 and 414, respectively.

[0087] At 415, one or more gNBs 402 can be configured to determine the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurement. At 416, the RPD SD-CP measurement, along with the terminal device SD-CP measurement, the RPD SD-CP measurement itself, and the timestamp associated with the RPD SD-CP measurement, is reported to the LMF 401. It should be understood that, although... Figure 4 Not shown, but in some embodiments, RPD SD-CP measurements and terminal device SD-CP measurements can be sent to LMF 401, and LMF 401 can be configured to determine the effective duration of the RPD SD-CP measurements.

[0088] At 417, LMF 401 can be configured to calculate DD-CP measurements based on RPD SD-CP measurements and terminal device SD-CP measurements. DD-CP measurements can be used to locate or estimate the position of terminal device 404.

[0089] LMF 401 can continue to use RPD SD-CP measurements until the validity period of the RPD SD-CP measurements has expired. RPD SD-CP measurements can be used multiple times to provide updated estimated locations for terminal device 404. Once the validity period of the RPD SD-CP measurements has expired, LMF 401 can be configured to request updated RPD SD-CP measurements from RPD 403.

[0090] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of the operation that can be performed by the device 100, which is embodied by a terminal device such as terminal device 53. Figure 5 The operation can be performed via downlink transmission, in which the terminal device determines dual differential carrier phase (DD-CP) measurements to determine its location and / or positioning, as described in further detail herein.

[0091] As shown in operation 500, the apparatus 100 embodied by a terminal device (such as terminal device 53) includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement. According to some embodiments, obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement includes at least one of the following: receiving at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device from a remote device (e.g., RPD 55 and / or LMF 58), and / or performing at least one carrier phase measurement by terminal device 53. In some embodiments where the carrier phase measurement is received by terminal device 53 from LMF 58, RPD 55 performs the carrier phase measurement and reports it to LMF 58 along with a timestamp (and optionally, an effective duration as described herein), and LMF 58 forwards the carrier phase measurement to terminal device 53. In some embodiments, RPD 55 reports the carrier phase measurement, timestamp, and effective duration to terminal device 53, such as via sidelink communication, and may optionally be instructed to do so by LMF 58. In some embodiments, RPD 55 reports carrier phase measurements and timestamps to LMF 58, LMF 58 determines the effective duration, and reports the carrier phase measurements, timestamps, and effective duration to terminal device 53.

[0092] As shown in operation 502, the apparatus 100 embodied by a terminal device (such as terminal device 53) includes components such as processing circuitry 102, memory 104, etc., for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement using at least one carrier phase measurement within the valid duration of a timestamp, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device. In some embodiments, at least one dual differential carrier phase (DD-CP) measurement is determined using at least one carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55 and at least one carrier phase measurement measured by the terminal device within the valid duration of the timestamp. In this regard, the DD-CP measurement and / or carrier phase measurement measured by terminal device 53 is determined and / or measured before the carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55 expires, and the expiration date is defined as the timestamp (of the carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55) plus the valid duration (of the carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55).

[0093] In some embodiments, determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement includes receiving a list of Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs) / gNB pairs identified by TRP identifiers (e.g., integer values), cell identifiers (e.g., integer values), Physical Cell Identifiers (PCIs), or any combination thereof, the corresponding carrier phase measurements, and the corresponding effective duration. The terminal device may measure a preferred list of TRPs with higher priority and / or use carrier phase measurements from that list. The terminal device may optionally discard carrier phase measurements not in the priority list. In some embodiments, terminal device 53 selects a preferred TRP based on, for example, a Lost Signal (LoS) and / or Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) path. Terminal device 53 may select a TRP that exhibits a strong LoS path between the target UE and the TRP. In some embodiments, terminal device 53 may receive information indicating that a carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55 is no longer valid. This may include scenarios where the effective duration has not necessarily passed, but RPD 55 determines that the carrier phase measurement is no longer valid due to an error condition, etc., causing terminal device 53 to continue without using the carrier phase measurement.

[0094] In some embodiments, such as determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement with respect to operation 502, involves using multiple instances of the same carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55 and carrier phase measurements measured by the terminal device to determine the corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement. In this regard, the terminal device 53 may multiplex the phase measurement measured by RPD 55 with multiple different carrier phase measurements measured by the terminal device 53, thus reducing signaling overhead compared to systems implemented without the advantages of certain embodiments disclosed herein, and instead reporting and / or utilizing the phase measurement measured by RPD 55 more frequently.

[0095] For example, other systems (such as those implemented without the advantages of the disclosed embodiments) may introduce irrelevant signaling overhead between the RPD and / or LMF and from the LMF to the terminal device. Even if the RPD reports measurements directly to the terminal device (e.g., via a side link), additional overhead still exists in systems that do not utilize the example embodiments disclosed herein. For high-accuracy positioning of the terminal device (e.g., determining location), it may be necessary to measure and report carrier phase measurements from the RPD to the terminal device (and optionally via the LMF) very frequently (e.g., every ms). As provided according to the example embodiments, some or all of such overhead can be reduced, avoided, and / or limited by utilizing the disclosed effective duration of the carrier phase measurement measured at RPD 55 to achieve the reuse of associated carrier phase measurements. Thus, the effective duration defines the duration of the timestamp for which the carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55 can be reused. In other words, the terminal device 53 (such as utilizing processing circuitry system 102) determines the expiration of the carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55 as a timestamp plus the effective duration.

[0096] Therefore, in some embodiments, the apparatus 100 embodied by terminal device 53 includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for ceasing the use of carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device after an expiration time, and for receiving additional carrier phase measurements measured by the reference positioning device and an updated effective duration to estimate the updated position. In some embodiments, terminal device 53 requests a new carrier phase measurement measured by RPD 55, and / or RPD 55 and / or LMF 58 may provide it based on the most recently measured effective duration.

[0097] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of the operation that can be performed by a device 100 represented by an RPD such as RPD 55. Figure 6 The operation can be performed via downlink transmission, whereby certain embodiments provide information for the terminal device to determine its location and / or positioning, as described in further detail herein. In this regard, Figure 6 The operation can be used for UE-based positioning.

[0098] According to some embodiments, as shown in operation 600, the apparatus 100 embodied by the RPD (such as RPD 55) includes components for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement and its timestamp, such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc. Data can be obtained from the gNB (such as...) at the RPD 55. Figure 2 gNB 57 and / or depicted in Figure 3The gNB 209 described in the figure measures carrier phase.

[0099] In some embodiments, such as operation 602, the device 100 embodied by the RPD (such as RPD 55) may include components for determining the effective duration of at least one carrier phase measurement, such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc. The device 100, such as having processing circuitry 102, can determine the effective duration by measuring or estimating oscillator drift and calculating when the drift will result in an error greater than a threshold. The threshold may be a fixed value, such as stored in memory 106 or configured by LMF 58, which may be transmitted to RPD 55 for use in some embodiments where the processing circuitry 102 of RPD 55 determines the effective duration. For example, if the oscillator drift is 0.1 ppm, then in 1 millisecond (ms), the drift is 0.1 nanosecond (ns), which corresponds to a distance of approximately 3 centimeters (cm), approximately one-third of the wavelength at 3.5 GHz. According to some embodiments, RPD 55 determines the effective duration based on previously received data related to oscillator drift (e.g., previous signaling from the LMF). In some embodiments, RPD 55 determines the effective duration based on measurements taken at RPD 55 over time (e.g., the PRU itself estimates the gNB oscillator drift). In this regard, in some embodiments, operation 602 may occur prior to operation 600.

[0100] According to some embodiments, as shown in operation 604, the apparatus 100 embodied as an RPD (such as RPD 55) includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for reporting to a terminal device (such as terminal device 53) at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement. RPD 55 may report information to terminal device 53 in various ways, such as directly to terminal device 53 (e.g., via sidelink communication) and / or to an LMF 58 that can forward information to terminal device 53.

[0101] In some embodiments, reporting at least one carrier phase measurement includes providing a list of TRPs to terminal device 53, which shows a relatively long effective time from the perspective of initial phase coherence. In this regard, RPD 55 recommends to terminal device 53 (and optionally via LMF 58), so terminal device 53 can consider preferred TRPs. For example, the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) may provide the list from RPD 55 to LMF 58, and subsequently from LMF 58 to terminal device 53. As another example, the list may be provided via sidelink communication from RPD 55 to terminal device 53.

[0102] In some embodiments, when a carrier phase measurement from a particular gNB / TRP pair is invalid, the RPD 55 (optionally via the LMF 58) signals to the terminal device 53, and may do so for the valid duration of the previously signaled notification. For example, in the error case where a phase transition occurs at one or more points in the gNB / TRP (such as, but not limited to, due to a change in the local oscillator (LO)) and the RPD 55 detects this, it may signal to the terminal device 53 (optionally via the LMF 58) that it should no longer use the corresponding measurement for dual differential carrier phase measurement.

[0103] As described above, according to certain example embodiments, operations 600, 602, and / or 604 may be implemented by RPD 55. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, operations 600, 602, and / or 604 may be implemented by LMF (e.g., LMF 58), as described in more detail below.

[0104] In this regard, in some embodiments, and as shown in operation 600, the apparatus 100 embodied as an LMF (such as LMF 58) includes components for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement and its timestamp (such as a carrier phase measurement and corresponding timestamp received from RPD 55), such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc. The carrier phase measurement may be measured at RPD 55 and, optionally, transmitted to LMF 58 via LMF 58.

[0105] In some embodiments, as illustrated in operation 602, the apparatus 100, embodied as an LMF (such as LMF 58), includes components for determining the effective duration of at least one carrier phase measurement, such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc. The effective duration can be determined by LMF 58 similarly, as can be determined by RPD 55 as described herein. For example, the effective duration can be determined by acquiring an estimated oscillator drift and calculating when the drift will result in an error greater than a threshold. In some embodiments, LMF 58 determines the effective duration based on previously received data related to gNB oscillator drift (e.g., prior signaling from the gNB to LMF 58). In some embodiments, the determination is based on measurements received at LMF 58 by RPD 55 (e.g., based on calculations of gNB oscillator drift performed by LMF 58). Therefore, according to some embodiments, operation 602 can occur prior to operation 600.

[0106] As shown in operation 604, the apparatus 100, embodied as an LMF (such as LMF 58), includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for reporting to a terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement.

[0107] According to some embodiments, although Figure 6 Not shown, but when device 100 is embodied by an LMF (such as LMF 58), reporting at least one carrier phase measurement may include providing a list of Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs) and their respective validity durations. In some embodiments, LMF 58 may provide an indication that a carrier phase measurement is no longer valid. In some embodiments, upon or after the expiration of a timestamp, LMF 58 requests a reference positioning device to measure an updated carrier phase measurement and reports the updated carrier phase measurement, the corresponding timestamp, and the corresponding validity duration to terminal device 53. Therefore, signaling overhead can be reduced compared to a system that reports carrier phase measurements more frequently from RPD 55 to LMF 58 and then to terminal device 53.

[0108] Figure 7 It is a flowchart of the operation that can be performed by the device 100, which can be embodied by an LMF such as LMF 58. Figure 7 The operation can be performed via downlink transmission, wherein some embodiments provide information for the terminal device to determine its location and / or positioning, as described in further detail herein.

[0109] In some embodiments, and as illustrated in operation 700, the apparatus 100, embodied as an LMF (such as LMF 58), includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for receiving, for example, at least one carrier phase measurement, timestamp, and effective duration measured by a reference positioning device (e.g., RPD 55) from an RPD 55. In this regard, the RPD 55 may determine at least one carrier phase measurement and effective duration as described herein and provide them, along with the timestamp, to the LMF 58.

[0110] In operation 702, the apparatus 100 embodying the LMF (such as LMF 58) includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for reporting to terminal device 53 at least one carrier phase measurement measured by a reference positioning device (e.g., RPD 55), a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement. In this respect, LMF 58 forwards data received from RPD 55 to terminal device 53. LMF 58, such as having processing circuitry 102 and / or communication interface 104, can instruct RPD 55 to provide (multiple) updated measurements, (multiple) timestamps, and (multiple) effective durations when or after the effective duration from the timestamp expires, and forward the updated information to terminal device 53. In this respect, signaling overhead can be reduced compared to a system that reports more frequent carrier phase measurements from RPD 55 to LMF 58 and then to terminal device 53.

[0111] According to certain embodiments, in Figure 6 and / or Figure 7 After the operation, terminal device 53 can use the reported data to perform... Figure 5 The operation includes determining DD-CP measurements for locating terminal device 53 (e.g., determining its location).

[0112] Figure 8 It is a flowchart of the operation that can be performed by the device 100 embodied by an LMF such as LMF 401. Figure 8 The operation can be performed via uplink transmission, wherein some embodiments provide information to LMF 401 for determining the location and / or positioning of terminal devices (such as terminal device 404), as described further in detail herein and as per [reference to...]. Figure 4 At least partially described and depicted.

[0113] As illustrated in operation 800, the apparatus 100, embodied as an LMF (such as LMF 401), includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement. In this regard, LMF 401 receives, for example, a carrier phase measurement performed at a network node such as gNB 402 via communication interface 104. The network node (e.g., gNB 402) determines the measurement based on signals such as sounding reference signals (SRS) from RDP 403 and terminal device 404. In this regard, a measurement based on the signal from RDP 403 may be referred to as a reference carrier phase measurement, and a measurement based on the signal from terminal device 404 may be referred to as a terminal device carrier phase measurement. The timestamp indicates the time at which the carrier phase measurement was performed at the network node (e.g., gNB 402). The effective duration of the reference carrier phase measurement may be determined by LMF 401, as similarly described herein with respect to operation 602. Alternatively or additionally, network nodes (such as gNB402) may determine the effective duration. In either case, as described herein, the effective duration is determined based on measured or estimated oscillator drift. If the effective duration is determined by a network node (such as gNB 402), it is provided to LMF 401 along with the corresponding reference carrier phase measurement.

[0114] As shown in operation 802, the apparatus 100 embodied by the LMF (such as LMF 401) includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase (DD-CP) measurement using at least one carrier phase measurement within the valid duration of the timestamp, wherein the DD-CP measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device. In this regard, LMF 401 can determine the DD-CP using a reference carrier phase measurement and a terminal device carrier phase measurement taken within the valid duration of the timestamp of the reference carrier phase measurement. Therefore, LMF 401 can instruct network nodes (e.g., gNB 402) to periodically provide at least one reference carrier phase measurement, such as an updated reference carrier phase measurement, based on the valid duration. For example, LMF 401 can request an updated measurement after a previously provided measurement has expired. According to some embodiments, LMF 401 can request a measurement valid within a specific time or time window from RPD 403.

[0115] Therefore, and as similarly described herein, determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement by LMF 401 involves determining the corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement using multiple instances of the same reference carrier phase measurement and at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement, and can reduce signaling overhead compared to systems that report and / or utilize new or updated reference carrier phase measurements more frequently.

[0116] Figure 9 It is a flowchart of the operations that can be performed by the device 100, which can be represented by a network node such as gNB 402. Figure 9 The operation can be performed via uplink transmission, wherein some embodiments provide information to the LMF for determining the location and / or positioning of a terminal device (such as terminal device 404), as described further in detail herein and as referenced. Figure 4 At least partially described and depicted.

[0117] As shown in operation 900, the device 100, embodied as a network node (such as gNB 402), includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for determining the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by the device.

[0118] As described herein, gNB 402 performs carrier phase measurements based on signals such as sounding reference signals (SRS) from RDP 403 and terminal device 404. In this respect, the measurement based on the signal from RDP 403 can be referred to as a reference carrier phase measurement, and the measurement based on the signal from terminal device 404 can be referred to as a terminal device carrier phase measurement.

[0119] As described herein, gNB 402 can determine the effective duration of a reference carrier phase measurement taken at gNB 402. As described herein, gNB 402 determines the effective duration based on the measured or estimated oscillator drift.

[0120] As shown in operation 902, the apparatus 100 embodying a network node (such as gNB 402) includes components such as processing circuitry 102, communication interface 104, memory 106, etc., for reporting the effective duration, a timestamp of at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and at least one reference carrier phase measurement to a location management function (such as LMF 401). Therefore, according to the example embodiment, LMF 401 can use the information reported to it to perform operation 802, and the gNB can be enabled to transmit fewer carrier phase measurements based on the effective duration than a system that does not utilize the effective duration.

[0121] Therefore, the boxes in a flowchart support combinations of components used to perform a specified function, as well as combinations of operations used to perform the specified function. It will also be understood that one or more boxes in a flowchart, and combinations of boxes in a flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified function.

[0122] Those skilled in the art, benefiting from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, will conceive of numerous modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure set forth herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

[0123] Furthermore, although the foregoing description and associated drawings depict exemplary embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, combinations of elements and / or functions different from those explicitly described above may also be contemplated, as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

[0124] While some variations have been described in detail above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, further features and / or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are applicable to various combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and sub-combinations of several other features disclosed above. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0125] If necessary, the different functions discussed herein may be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. Furthermore, if necessary, one or more of the above functions may be optional or may be combined. Although various aspects of some embodiments are set forth in the independent claims, other aspects of some embodiments include other combinations of features from the described embodiments and / or dependent claims with features of the independent claims, not just those expressly set forth in the claims. It should also be noted herein that while exemplary embodiments have been described above, these descriptions should not be considered limiting. Rather, several variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of some embodiments as defined in the appended claims. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. The term “based on” includes “at least based on”. Unless otherwise stated, the phrase “for example” is used to mean “such as, for example”.

[0126] Therefore, it should be emphasized again that the various embodiments described herein are presented by way of illustrative example only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. For example, alternative embodiments may utilize different communication system configurations, user equipment configurations, base station configurations, identity request procedures, messaging protocols, and message formats than those described above in the context of the illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily understand these and many other alternative embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: One or more transceivers; as well as One or more processors, communicatively coupled to one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to enable the terminal device to: Obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; as well as During the effective duration of the timestamp, at least one carrier phase measurement is used to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the at least one carrier phase measurement includes at least one of the following: Receive at least one carrier phase measurement from a remote device, measured at the reference positioning device; or At least one carrier phase measurement is performed at the terminal device.

3. The terminal device of claim 2, wherein the at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement is determined using the at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device and the at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the terminal device during the effective duration of the timestamp.

4. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the at least one carrier phase measurement includes single differential carrier phase measurement.

5. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein determining the at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement comprises: The corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement is determined using multiple instances of the same carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device and the carrier phase measurement measured at the terminal device.

6. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the effective duration is determined at the location management function.

7. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the effective duration is determined at the reference positioning device.

8. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein the effective duration is provided to the terminal device via sidelink communication from the reference positioning device.

9. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the effective duration and the timestamp are provided from the reference positioning device to the location management function and forwarded from the location management function to the terminal device.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the effective duration is defined at least according to the number of time slots, the number of symbols, or absolute time.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to: After the expiration time, the carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device is discontinued, and additional carrier phase measurements measured at the reference positioning device and an updated effective duration are received, wherein the expiration time is defined by the timestamp plus the effective duration.

12. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to: List of receive transmission and receive point TRPs and their corresponding valid durations.

13. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the terminal device to: Receive information indicating that the carrier phase measurement taken at the reference positioning device is no longer valid.

14. An apparatus comprising: One or more transceivers; as well as One or more processors, communicatively coupled to one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the device to: Report to the terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device, the timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device includes a single differential carrier phase measurement.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein the effective duration is determined based on measured or estimated oscillator drift.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to: This triggers the transmission of information to the terminal device indicating that the carrier phase measurement taken at the reference positioning device is no longer valid.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the apparatus includes the reference positioning device, and the one or more processors are configured to cause the reference positioning device to: The effective duration is determined, wherein the carrier phase measurement, the timestamp, and the effective duration measured at the reference positioning device are reported from the reference positioning device to the terminal device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the effective duration is such that it is reported to the terminal device via sidelink communication.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the apparatus includes the reference positioning device, and the one or more processors are configured to cause the reference positioning device to: The effective duration is determined, and the location management function is reported to the location management function of the at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device, the timestamp, and the effective duration.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein in response to receiving a request from the location management function, the at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device, the timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement are reported to the terminal device.

22. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the apparatus includes a location management function, and the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to: Receive the carrier phase measurement and the timestamp measured at the reference positioning device from the reference positioning device; Determine the effective duration; and The terminal device reports the carrier phase measurement, the timestamp, and the effective duration measured at the reference positioning device.

23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to: Provide a list of Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs) and their corresponding valid durations.

24. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to: When or after the effective duration from the timestamp expires, the reference positioning device is requested to measure and report updated carrier phase measurements.

25. The apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 24, wherein the effective duration is defined at least according to the number of time slots, the number of symbols, or absolute time.

26. An apparatus comprising: One or more transceivers; as well as One or more processors, communicatively coupled to one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the device to: Obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; as well as During the effective duration of the timestamp, at least one carrier phase measurement is used to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein determining the at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement comprises at least one of the following: Use at least one reference carrier phase measurement taken at the network node; or Carrier phase measurement is performed using at least one terminal device measured at the network node.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement used in the dual differential carrier phase measurement is measured within the effective duration of the timestamp.

29. The apparatus according to any one of claims 27 to 28, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to: The network node is requested to provide the at least one reference carrier phase measurement periodically based on the effective duration.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 29, wherein determining the at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement comprises: The corresponding dual differential carrier phase measurement is determined by using multiple instances of the same reference carrier phase measurement and at least one terminal device carrier phase measurement.

31. The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein the effective duration is determined by the apparatus.

32. The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein the effective duration is determined at the network node.

33. The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein the effective duration is determined based on measured or estimated oscillator drift.

34. The apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 33, wherein the apparatus includes a location management function.

35. An apparatus comprising: One or more transceivers; as well as One or more processors, communicatively coupled to one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the device to: Determine the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement measured by the device; as well as The effective duration, the timestamp of the at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and the at least one reference carrier phase measurement are reported to the location management function.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the effective duration is determined based on measured or estimated oscillator drift.

37. The apparatus according to any one of claims 35 to 36, wherein the apparatus comprises a network node.

38. A method comprising: Obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; as well as During the effective duration of the timestamp, at least one carrier phase measurement is used to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

39. A method comprising: Report to the terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device, the timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement.

40. A method comprising: Obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; as well as During the effective duration of the timestamp, at least one carrier phase measurement is used to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

41. A method comprising: Determine the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement taken at a network node; as well as The effective duration, the timestamp of the at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and the at least one reference carrier phase measurement are reported to the location management function.

42. An apparatus comprising: Components for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; as well as A component for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement using the at least one carrier phase measurement within the effective duration of the timestamp, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the position of the device.

43. An apparatus comprising: A component for reporting to a terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured at a reference positioning device, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement.

44. An apparatus comprising: Components for obtaining at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; as well as A component for determining at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement using the at least one carrier phase measurement within the effective duration of the timestamp, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

45. An apparatus comprising: A component for determining the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement taken at a network node; as well as A component for reporting the effective duration, the timestamp of the at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and the at least one reference carrier phase measurement to the location management function.

46. ​​A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions to: Obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; and During the effective duration of the timestamp, at least one carrier phase measurement is used to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

47. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions to: Report to the terminal device at least one carrier phase measurement measured at the reference positioning device, the timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and the effective duration of the at least one carrier phase measurement.

48. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions to: Obtain at least one carrier phase measurement, a timestamp associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement, and an effective duration associated with the at least one carrier phase measurement; and During the effective duration of the timestamp, at least one carrier phase measurement is used to determine at least one dual differential carrier phase measurement, wherein the dual differential carrier phase measurement is used to estimate the location of the terminal device.

49. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions to: Determine the effective duration of at least one reference carrier phase measurement by the computer program product; and The effective duration, the timestamp of the at least one reference carrier phase measurement, and the at least one reference carrier phase measurement are reported to the location management function.

Images