Combining positioning related data

Abstract

A method is disclosed, comprising: sending a request (301) to one or more candidate user equipments, the request being directed to reporting one or more measurements for a similarity of propagation conditions suitable for evaluating the one or more candidate user equipments with a first user equipment; receiving, from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments, one or more reports indicating one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements (302); selecting at least one user equipment from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipment based at least on the one or more reports (303); receiving positioning related data from the at least one user equipment (304), the positioning related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment; and combining the positioning related data with one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment (305).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The following example embodiments relate to wireless communications and positioning. BACKGROUND

[0002] Artificial intelligence or machine learning models can be used to estimate a location of a user equipment. Positioning data samples can be collected from the user equipment for training, updating, and / or monitoring the performance of the artificial intelligence or machine learning models. However, the user equipment can be moving, or in an area with poor coverage, or in an area with severe network congestion, or in some other scenario, which can result in the positioning data samples provided by the user equipment being incomplete. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the process of collecting the positioning data samples so as to cope with the incomplete positioning data samples.

[0003] BRIEF DESCRIPTION The scope of the protection sought is set forth by the independent claims. The example embodiments described in this specification, and the features thereof, that are not within the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments.

[0004] According to an aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: send, to one or more candidate user equipments, a request for reporting one or more measurements of a similarity adapted to assess propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments to a first user equipment; receive, from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments, one or more reports indicative of the one or more measurements or an availability of the one or more measurements; select, based at least on the one or more reports, at least one user equipment from the at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments; receive, from the at least one user equipment, positioning related data complementary to one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment; and combine the positioning related data received from the at least one user equipment with the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment.

[0005] According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for sending a request to one or more candidate user equipments, the request being for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing similarity of propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments to a first user equipment; means for receiving one or more reports from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments indicating the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; means for selecting at least one user equipment from the at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments based at least on the one or more reports; means for receiving positioning related data from the at least one user equipment, the positioning related data being complementary to one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment; and means for combining the positioning related data received from the at least one user equipment with the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment.

[0006] According to another aspect, there is provided a method comprising: sending a request to one or more candidate user equipments, the request being for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing similarity of propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments to a first user equipment; receiving one or more reports from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments indicating the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; selecting at least one user equipment from the at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments based at least on the one or more reports; receiving positioning related data from the at least one user equipment, the positioning related data being complementary to one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment; and combining the positioning related data received from the at least one user equipment with the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment.

[0007] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: sending a request to one or more candidate user equipments, the request being for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing similarity of propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments to a first user equipment; receiving one or more reports from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments indicating the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; selecting at least one user equipment from the at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments based at least on the one or more reports; receiving positioning related data from the at least one user equipment, the positioning related data being complementary to one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment; and combining the positioning related data received from the at least one user equipment with the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment.

[0008] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following: send, to one or more candidate user devices, a request for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess similarity of propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user devices to a first user device; receive, from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user devices, one or more reports indicative of the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; select, based at least on the one or more reports, at least one user device from the at least a subset of the one or more candidate user devices; receive, from the at least one user device, positioning-related data complementary to one or more positioning data samples received from the first user device; and combine the positioning-related data received from the at least one user device with the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user device.

[0009] According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following: send, to one or more candidate user devices, a request for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess similarity of propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user devices to a first user device; receive, from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user devices, one or more reports indicative of the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; select, based at least on the one or more reports, at least one user device from the at least a subset of the one or more candidate user devices; receive, from the at least one user device, positioning-related data complementary to one or more positioning data samples received from the first user device; and combine the positioning-related data received from the at least one user device with the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user device.

[0010] According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive, from a network entity, a request for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess similarity of propagation conditions of the apparatus to a first user device; send, to the network entity, a report indicative of the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; and send, to the network entity, positioning-related data to be combined with one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user device, the positioning-related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user device.

[0011] According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a network entity, a request for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess similarity of propagation conditions of the apparatus and a first user equipment; means for sending, to the network entity, a report indicating the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; and means for sending, to the network entity, positioning related data to be combined with one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment, the positioning related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment.

[0012] According to another aspect, there is provided a method comprising: receiving, from a network entity, a request for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess similarity of propagation conditions of an apparatus and a first user equipment; sending, to the network entity, a report indicating the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; and sending, to the network entity, positioning related data to be combined with one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment, the positioning related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment.

[0013] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving, from a network entity, a request for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess similarity of propagation conditions of the apparatus and a first user equipment; sending, to the network entity, a report indicating the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; and sending, to the network entity, positioning related data to be combined with one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment, the positioning related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment.

[0014] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving, from a network entity, a request for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess similarity of propagation conditions of the apparatus and a first user equipment; sending, to the network entity, a report indicating the one or more measurements or availability of the one or more measurements; and sending, to the network entity, positioning related data to be combined with one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment, the positioning related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment.

[0015] According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer- readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least: receiving, from a network entity, a request for reporting one or more measurements of a similarity adapted to assess a propagation condition of the apparatus with a first user equipment; sending, to the network entity, a report indicating the one or more measurements or an availability of the one or more measurements; and sending, to the network entity, positioning-related data to be combined with one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment, the positioning-related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] In the following, various example embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1A An example of a wireless communication network is shown; Figure 1A An example of a system is shown; Figure 2 A signal flow diagram is shown; Figure 3 A flow chart is shown; Figure 4 A flow chart is shown; Figure 5 A flow chart is shown; Figure 6 A flow chart is shown; Figure 7 An example of an apparatus is shown; and Figure 8 An example of an apparatus is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following embodiments are examples. Although the specification can

[0018] Some example embodiments described herein can be implemented in a wireless communication network comprising a radio access network based on one or more of the following radio access technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or any other second generation radio access technology, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS, 3G) based on Basic Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, Fourth Generation (4G), Fifth Generation (5G), 5G New Radio (NR), Advanced 5G (i.e., 3GPP NR Rel-18 and beyond), or Sixth Generation (6G). Some examples of a radio access network include a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), or a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN). The wireless communication network can also comprise a core network, and some example embodiments can also be applied to network functions of the core network.

[0019] It should be noted that the embodiments are not limited to the wireless communication network given as an example, but a person skilled in the art can apply the solution to other wireless communication networks or systems provided with the necessary characteristics. For example, some example embodiments can also be applied to a communication system based on IEEE 802.11 specifications or a communication system based on IEEE 802.15 specifications.

[0020] Figure 1A An example of a simplified wireless communication network showing some physical and logical entities is depicted. Figure 1A The connections shown in the Figure 1A Figures can be physical or logical connections. As will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, the wireless communication network can also comprise further physical and logical entities than those shown.

[0021] However, the example embodiments described herein are not limited to the wireless communication network given as an example, but a person skilled in the art can apply the embodiments described herein to other wireless communication networks provided with the necessary characteristics.

[0022] Figure 1A The example wireless communication network shown in the

[0023] Figure 1AUser equipment (UE) 100, 102 configured to wirelessly connect with an access node (AN) 104 of an access network on one or more communication channels in a radio cell is shown. The AN 104 can be an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) or a next generation Node B (gNB or gNodeB) providing the radio cell. The wireless connection (e.g., radio link) from the UE to the access node 104 can be referred to as uplink (UL) or reverse link, while the wireless connection (e.g., radio link) from the access node to the UE can be referred to as downlink (DL) or forward link. The UE 100 can also communicate directly with the UE 102 via a wireless connection, often referred to as a sidelink (SL), and vice versa. It should be understood that the access node 104 or its functionality can be implemented by using any entity, host, server or access point, etc. suitable for providing such functionality.

[0024] The access network can comprise more than one access node, in which case the access nodes can also be configured to communicate with each other over links, either wired or wireless. These links between access nodes can be used for transmitting and receiving control plane signaling and also for routing data from one access node to another.

[0025] The access node can comprise a computing device configured to control radio resources of the access node. The access node can also be referred to as a base station, a base transceiver station (BTS), an access point, a cell site, a radio access node, or any other type of node capable of wireless connection with a UE (e.g., UE 100, 102). The access node can comprise or be coupled to a transceiver. The connection can be provided from the transceiver of the access node to an antenna unit that establishes a bidirectional radio link to the UE 100, 102. The antenna unit can comprise an antenna or antenna element, or multiple antennas or antenna elements.

[0026] The access node 104 can also be connected to a core network (CN) 110. The core network 110 can comprise an evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or a fifth generation core network (5GC). The EPC can comprise network entities such as a serving gateway (S-GW for routing and forwarding data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW) for providing connectivity to external packet data networks, and a mobility management entity (MME). The 5GC can comprise network functions such as a user plane function (UPF), an access and mobility management function (AMF) 111, and a location management function (LMF) 112.

[0027] With respect to positioning, the core network 110 can include a 5GC with a service-based architecture. The 5GC can include various network functions, including an AMF 111 and a location management function (LMF) 112. The AMF 111 can be configured to provide location information to other network functions in the core network 110, as well as to other entities requesting positioning of UEs, for call processing, mobility policy enforcement, and billing purposes. The AMF 111 can receive and manage location requests from several entities: mobile originating location requests (MO-LRs) received from the UEs 100, 102 and mobile terminating location requests (MT-LRs) to other functions of the core network or access network. The AMF 111 can select an LMF 112 for a given request and use its positioning services to trigger a positioning session. The LMF 112 can then perform positioning when such a request is received from the AMF 111. The LMF 112 can manage resources and timing of positioning activities. The LMF 112 can obtain location information for the UEs 100, 102 by at least one of: sending a Namf_Communication service request to one or more access nodes via an NL1 interface for network-based positioning; or communicating with the UEs 100, 102 over an N1 interface for UE- or UE-assisted positioning. The location information obtained by the LMF 112 can include an estimate of the location of the UE, in addition to which the LMF 112 can also estimate a velocity or accuracy of the location information when requested. In terms of connectivity, the AMF 111 can be between the access node 104 and the LMF 112, and thus closer to the access node 104 than the LMF 112.

[0028] The core network 110 is also capable of communicating with, or utilizing the services of, one or more external networks 113, such as a public switched telephone network or the Internet. For example, in a 5G wireless communication network, a UPF of the core network 110 can be configured to communicate with an external data network via an N6 interface. In an LTE wireless communication network, a P-GW of the core network 110 can be configured to communicate with an external data network.

[0029] The illustrated UEs 100, 102 are devices to which resources on the air interface can be allocated and assigned. A UE 100, 102 can also be referred to as a wireless communication device, a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a terminal device, or a user equipment, among other examples. A UE can be a computing device operating with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of computing devices: a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handset, a computing device including a wireless modem (e.g., an alarm or meter, etc.), a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a game console, a notebook, a multimedia device, a reduced capability (RedCap) device, a wearable device with radio components (e.g., a watch, a headset, or glasses), a sensor including a wireless modem, or any computing device including a wireless modem integrated in a vehicle.

[0030] It is to be understood that a UE can also be an almost exclusively uplink-only device, an example of which can be a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to the network. A UE can also be a device with the capability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario in which objects can be provided with the ability to transfer data through a network without the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. A UE can also leverage the cloud. In some applications, computations can be performed in the cloud or in another UE.

[0031] A wireless communication network can also enable the use of cloud services, for example, at least a portion of core network operations can be performed as a cloud service (this is depicted in Figure 1A by the “cloud” 114). A wireless communication network can also include a central control entity or the like that provides facilities for wireless communication networks of different operators to cooperate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0032] 5G enables the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas in access nodes 104 and / or UEs 100, 102, a much larger number of base stations or access nodes than LTE networks (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in co-operation with smaller stations and employing a variety of radio technologies according to service demands, use cases and / or available spectrum. A 5G wireless communication network can support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of sharing data, and various forms of machine type applications, such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC), including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control.

[0033] In 5G wireless communication networks, access nodes and / or UEs can have multiple radio interfaces, i.e. sub-6 GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and can also be integrated with existing legacy radio access technologies, such as LTE. Integration with LTE can be implemented, for example, as a system where macro coverage can be provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access can come from small cells by aggregating to LTE. In other words, 5G wireless communication networks can support inter-RAT operability, such as LTE-5G, and inter-RI operability, inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6 GHz-cmWave-mmWave. One of the concepts considered to be used in 5G wireless communication networks can be network slicing, where multiple independent and dedicated virtual sub-networks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements on latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.

[0034] In some example embodiments, an access node (e.g. access node 104) can comprise a radio unit (RU) comprising a radio transceiver (TRX), i.e. a transmitter (Tx) and a receiver (Rx), one or more distributed units (DU) 105, which can be used for so-called layer 1 (LI) and real-time layer 2 (L2) processing, and a central unit (CU) 108 (also called a centralized unit), which can be used for non-real-time L2 and layer 3 (L3) processing. The CU 108 can be connected to one or more DUs 105, e.g. via an Fl interface. Such an embodiment of an access node can enable centralization of the CU with respect to the cell site and the DUs, which can be more distributed and can even remain at the cell site. The CU and the DU together can also be called a baseband or baseband unit (BBU). The CU and the DU can also be comprised in a radio access point (RAP).

[0035] The CU 108 can be a logical node hosting the radio resource control (RRC), the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) and / or the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of the NR protocol stack for the access node. The DU 105 can be a logical node hosting the radio link control (RLC), the medium access control (MAC) and / or the physical (PHY) layer of the NR protocol stack for the access node. The operation of the DU can be controlled at least partly by the CU. It should also be understood that the distribution of functions between the DU 105 and the CU 108 can vary depending on implementation. The CU can comprise a control plane (CU-CP), which can be a logical node hosting the control plane part of the RRC and PDCP protocols of the NR protocol stack for the access node. The CU can also comprise a user plane (CU-UP), which can be a logical node hosting the user plane part of the PDCP and SDAP protocols of the CU for the access node.

[0036] A cloud computing system can also be used to provide the CU 108 and / or the DU 105. A CU provided by a cloud computing system can be referred to as a virtualized CU (vCU). In addition to a vCU, there can also be a virtualized DU (vDU) provided by a cloud computing system. Further, there can also be a combination in which a DU can be implemented on a so-called bare-metal solution, e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a customer-specific standard product (CSSP) system on chip (SoC).

[0037] Edge clouds can be introduced into the access network (e.g., RAN) by exploiting network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN). Using edge clouds can mean that access node operations are to be executed at least partly in a computing system operatively coupled to a remote radio head (RRH) or radio unit (RU) of the access node. It can also be possible that access node operations are executed on a distributed computing system located at the access node or a cloud computing system. The application of cloud-RAN architectures enables RAN real-time functions to be executed at the access network (e.g., in the DU 105) and non-real-time functions to be executed in a centralized manner (e.g., in the CU 108).

[0038] It should also be understood that the distribution of functions between core network operations and access node operations can be different or even non-existent in future wireless communication networks compared to LTE or 5G. Some other technology advancements that can be used include big data and all-IP, which can change the way wireless communication networks are constructed and managed. A 5G (or New Radio, NR) wireless communication network can support multiple tiers, where a multi-access edge computing (MEC) server can be placed between the core network 110 and the access node 104. It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to LTE wireless communication networks.

[0039] A 5G wireless communication network (“5G network”) can also include non-terrestrial communication networks, such as satellite communication networks, to enhance or complement the coverage of the 5G radio access network. For example, satellite communication can support data transmission between the 5G radio access network and the core network, thereby enabling more widespread network coverage. Possible use cases can be to provide service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on board vehicles, or to ensure service availability for critical communications, as well as future railway / maritime / airborne communications. Satellite communication can utilize geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, but also low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, in particular mega-constellations (systems in which several hundred (nano)satellites are deployed). A given satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover several network entities of the support satellites that create a terrestrial cell. The terrestrial cell can be accessed through a terrestrial relay access node or created by an access node 104 located on the ground or in a satellite.

[0040] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, Figure 1A The access nodes 104 depicted in the figure are merely examples of a part of an access network (e.g., a radio access network), and in practice, the access network can comprise multiple access nodes, the UEs 100, 102 can access multiple radio cells, and the access network can further comprise other apparatuses, such as physical layer relay access nodes or other entities. At least one of the access nodes can be a Home eNodeB or a Home gNodeB. A Home gNodeB or a Home eNodeB is one kind of access node that can be used to provide indoor coverage within a home, office, or other indoor environment.

[0041] In addition, in the geographical area of an access network (e.g., a radio access network), multiple different kinds of radio cells can be provided, and multiple radio cells can be provided. A radio cell can be a macro cell (or umbrella cell), which can be a large cell with a diameter of up to several tens of kilometers, or a small cell, such as a micro cell, a femto cell, or a pico cell. Figure 1A The access node(s) can provide any kind of these cells. A cellular radio network can be implemented as a multi-tiered access network comprising several kinds of radio cells. In a multi-tiered access network, one access node can provide one or more kinds of radio cells, and thus multiple access nodes can be needed to provide such a multi-tiered access network.

[0042] To meet the demand for increased access network performance, the concept of a “plug and play” access node can be introduced. In addition to a Home eNodeB or a Home gNodeB, an access network capable of using “plug and play” access nodes can also comprise a Home NodeB gateway or HNB-GW (not shown in the figure). The HNB-GW, which can be installed within an operator’s access network, can aggregate traffic from a large number of Home eNodeBs or Home gNodeBs back to the operator’s core network. Figure 1A

[0043] Positioning is a procedure that can be used to estimate a location (e.g., a geographical position) of a UE 100, 102. Here, the UE to be positioned is referred to as a target UE. For example, the positioning techniques used in 5G NR can be based on at least one of the following: time difference of arrival (TDoA), time of arrival (TOA), time of departure (TOD), round-trip time (RTT), angle of departure (AoD), angle of arrival (AoA), and / or carrier phase.

[0044] The position of the target UE can be estimated in an absolute manner (in case of absolute positioning) or in a relative manner (in case of relative positioning).

[0045] Absolute positioning refers to estimating a position of a target UE in two- or three-dimensional geographical coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and / or altitude) within a coordinate system.​

[0046] Relative positioning refers to estimating a position of a target UE relative to one or more network nodes or relative to one or more other UEs.

[0047] In Uu positioning (UL and / or DL positioning), multiple transmission-reception points (TRPs) in known locations can transmit one or more positioning reference signals (PRS) to a target UE and / or receive and measure one or more PRS from the target UE. In uplink, sounding reference signals (SRS) can be used as PRS. For example, multi-lateration techniques can then be used to localize (i.e., position) the target UE relative to the TRPs. At least one of these TRPs can be used as a positioning anchor, and a difference in TDoA can be computed relative to this positioning anchor. The positioning anchor can also be referred to as an anchor, anchor node, multilateration anchor, or reference point.

[0048] In network-based positioning, a position of a target UE is determined or computed by a network entity (e.g., gNB or LMF). For network-based positioning, the target UE can report information to the network entity to enable determination of the position of the target UE.

[0049] In UE-based positioning, a position of a target UE is determined or computed by the target UE or another UE.

[0050] Sidelink (SL) positioning refers to a positioning method in which a target UE localizes itself in an absolute manner (in case of absolute positioning) or in a relative manner (in case of relative positioning) utilizing sidelink (i.e., direct device-to-device link). SL positioning can be beneficial in, for example, (but not limited to) the following use cases: public safety, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and industrial internet of things (IIoT).

[0051] SL positioning can be based on transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals (SL-PRS) by multiple anchor UEs (e.g., at least three anchor UEs), where the SL-PRS are received and measured by the target UE to enable positioning of the target UE (e.g., using SL TDoA techniques) within certain latency and accuracy requirements of a corresponding SL positioning session. Alternatively or additionally, the target UE can transmit SL-PRS to be received and measured by anchor UEs. The exchange of SL-PRS between the target UE and anchor UEs can be used in, for example, SL RTT-based positioning techniques.

[0052] Furthermore, a positioning reference unit (PRU) can be used in a positioning session to increase the positioning accuracy for positioning a target UE. A PRU is a reference device at a known location that makes measurements for generating correction data that can be used to refine a target UE's position estimate in an area, thereby improving the positioning accuracy for positioning the target UE. For example, a UE with a known location can be used as a PRU.

[0053] In other words, a PRU at a known location can act as a reference target UE, such that its computed position can be compared to its known position. The comparison of the known position and the estimated position can yield correction data that can be used in the position estimation process for other target UEs in the vicinity, assuming that the same or similar accuracy determining effects apply to both the PRU's position and the other target UEs' positions. The correction data can then be used to fine-tune the target UEs' position estimates, thereby improving the positioning accuracy.

[0054] Artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) models can be used to enhance UE positioning. In AI or ML positioning, AI or ML models can be trained and / or adapted or updated or fine-tuned using training data samples collected from UEs in the field. Furthermore, AI or ML models can be monitored as a continuous task to assess their performance in the field. To make these tasks possible, it can be necessary to collect training or evaluation data samples (e.g., positioning data samples) in the deployment environment.

[0055] Such training or evaluation data samples (positioning data samples) can include a set of input features associated with a label. The set of input features can include, for example, at least one of: strongest channel tap gain and its delay, power delay profile of a radio channel, received signal sample, etc.

[0056] The associated label can include, for example, at least one of: UE position (e.g., two- or three-dimensional position), line-of-sight indicator, time of arrival (TOA), angle of departure (AoD), etc.

[0057] It can be necessary for a UE selected by the network to provide a complete training data sample within a given time period and at a given collection rate, i.e., to collect all input features and label them with the appropriate label. In practice, however, a UE can struggle to meet this requirement for the following reasons: - The UE can experience interference or be in poor noise conditions, in which case the input features can not be well extracted or be partially or completely missing.

[0058] - UE capabilities can affect the quality of the data collected from the mentioned input features.

[0059] - The positioning signals can not have sufficient resolution or bandwidth for the UE to extract sufficiently accurate input features.

[0060] - The UE can not have the means to label each input feature with a corresponding label, e.g. because label computation can be delayed. For example, in case the labels are provided by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, the receiver can not be synchronized with the feature extraction, so that the timestamp of a label originating from GNSS can not match the timestamp of the feature extraction. Alternatively or additionally, the labels can be inaccurate or completely missing. For example, for some training data samples, the UE can not be able to obtain its own position estimate (e.g. GNSS accuracy can be low indoors, or the position estimate can be poor in non-line-of-sight conditions, etc.).

[0061] In the above cases, the UE can only be able to provide partial training data, i.e. a training dataset where some data samples are unreliable or incomplete (e.g. due to incompleteness of input features and / or labels). However, the training data samples, although incomplete, can still be valuable for model training or updating or fine-tuning or monitoring, and therefore the incomplete training data samples should not be discarded. Discarding incomplete data samples can make the training dataset sparse, unbalanced, and can result in a model that does not generalize well. However, replacing the current UE by another peer UE can also not be a desirable solution, as it cannot be guaranteed that the peer UE will not end up collecting incomplete training data samples as well.

[0062] Therefore, in order to enable model training and adaptation using training data samples obtained from UEs in the field, it is desirable to provide a solution to cope with incomplete training data samples.

[0063] Some example embodiments can provide a method for collecting positioning training data that overcomes the problem of incomplete training data sample reporting. In some example embodiments, if a UE is not able to generate a complete data sample, the target UE can be triggered to collect and report the field data sample, but the UE is allowed to report incomplete data samples.

[0064] For example, if the data sample is a training data sample, the data sample can be considered incomplete when at least one of the (expected) input features and / or at least one of the (expected) labels is missing.

[0065] If the data sample is not a training data sample, the data sample can be considered incomplete when at least one of the (expected) input features is missing.

[0066] As an example, a UE can be requested to report N data samples, where a given data sample includes a set of input features (e.g., reference signal received power and delay for each path of a plurality of paths) and a label (e.g., a location of the UE in X, Y, or X, Y, Z coordinates). In this case, an incomplete data sample means that some of these expected entries (features and / or labels) are missing from the data sample. Herein, the term “path” refers to a signal propagation path from the UE and a network node.

[0067] For example, an incomplete data sample can include reference signal received power (RSRP) and delay for a subset of the plurality of paths, but RSRP and delay for some paths can be missing from the data sample. Alternatively or additionally, a label or a part of a label can be missing from the incomplete data sample. For example, a label can include only an X coordinate, but not a Y or Z coordinate.

[0068] However, some example embodiments are described below using principles and terminology of 5G radio access technology without limiting the example embodiments to 5G radio access technology.

[0069] Figure 1A An example of a system to which some example embodiments can be applied is shown. Figure 1B may be understood to depict Figure 1B of a wireless communication network. In this example, the system includes a target UE 100, one or more candidate donor UEs 102, 102B, and a location management entity such as LMF 112. Herein, the term “donor UE” refers to a UE that can provide missing entries in an incomplete data sample provided by the target UE 100.

[0070] In example embodiments, the following steps can be performed in order to cope with an incomplete data sample of the target UE 100: finding at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B that can provide some or all of the missing entries in the incomplete data sample provided by the target UE 100; testing the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B for donor suitability with respect to the target UE 100; activating the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B for data sample donor role; and combining data from the at least one donor UE 102, 102B and the target UE 100 in order to fill in the missing entries in the incomplete data sample of the target UE 100.

[0071] For example, the suitability testing of the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B can mean that the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B measures one or more signals related to the target UE 100, such as a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), SL-PRS, or SRS transmitted from the target UE 100.

[0072] As an example, the measurements can comprise at least one of: a cross-link interference (CLI) reference signal received power (RSRP) of the target UE 100, a CLI reference signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the target UE 100, and / or one or more sidelink measurements associated with the target UE 100.

[0073] If there is a sidelink connection between the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B and the target UE 100, the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B can measure the SL-PRS or any other sidelink reference signal transmitted from the target UE 100. If there is no sidelink connection, the network (e.g. the serving gNB or the LMF) can configure the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B for CLI measurements and indicate which resources to measure and what to measure on those resources. The network (e.g. the serving gNB or the LMF) can provide the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B with information that the at least one candidate donor UE 102, 102B needs to decode the reference signal on those resources and measure e.g. the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the reference signal.

[0074] The at least one candidate donor UE 102 can then report these measurements to the LMF 112 so that the LMF 112 can evaluate e.g. their proximity to each other and subsequently select the appropriate donor UE.

[0075] Figure 1A A signal flow diagram is shown in accordance with example embodiments. Although Figure 2 Two candidate UEs (candidate UE1 and candidate UE2) are shown in Figure 2 The signaling procedure shown in

[0076] At 201, a network entity, such as the LMF 112, transmits an indication to the target UE 100 for triggering data collection at the target UE 100. The data collection can be for training or updating or monitoring a machine learning model, for example. In this document, the target UE 100 can also be referred to as a first user equipment. Although the LMF 112 is used as an example in Figure 2 It is noted that the network entity can alternatively be for example another type of location server, or a location management component (LMC), or a radio access network node (e.g. gNB), or a user equipment.

[0077] At 202, the LMF 112 receives a data set from the target UE 100 in response to triggering data collection.

[0078] At 203, the LMF 112 determines the integrity of the data set by determining whether one or more positioning data samples in the data set are incomplete. For example, the LMF 112 can determine whether a fraction of complete positioning data samples in the data set is below a threshold. The integrity of the data set can be determined during data cleaning, during which missing values can be identified and unbalanced analysis can be performed.

[0079] For example, one or more data samples can be determined to be incomplete by determining that at least one of the following is unreliable or missing in the one or more positioning data samples: at least one expected input feature or at least one expected label. Some examples of input features and labels are described above.

[0080] At 204, based on determining that one or more positioning data samples are incomplete (e.g., if the fraction of complete positioning data samples is below a threshold), the LMF 112 determines one or more candidate user devices 102, 102B (candidate donor UEs) for providing one or more entries (e.g., input features or labels) that are deemed unreliable or missing in the one or more positioning data samples that are determined to be incomplete. The one or more candidate user devices 102, 102B can include, for example, one or more UEs in proximity to the target UE 100 and / or one or more positioning reference units (PRUs).

[0081] For example, the one or more candidate user devices can be determined based on at least one of: a similarity of a statistical distribution of the data set of the target UE to data sets of the one or more candidate user devices (i.e., similar data set statistical distributions with respect to available features and / or from past sessions), a range (distance) between the target UE and the one or more candidate user devices (e.g., based on past sidelink communications between the UEs), or a common serving beam associated with the target UE and the one or more candidate user devices.

[0082] At 205, the LMF 112 sends a request (or trigger) to the one or more candidate user devices (e.g., the first candidate UE 102 and the second candidate UE 102B) for performing one or more measurements that are suitable for evaluating a similarity of propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user devices 102, 102B and the target UE 100.

[0083] Propagation conditions of a UE refer to characteristics of the radio environment and signal transmission between the UE and a network node (e.g., a gNB in a 5G NR network) or another UE when radio waves travel through the air. These conditions can affect the quality and performance of a wireless communication link.

[0084] For example, the propagation conditions can depend on the distance between the UE and the network node or another UE. Signal strength decreases with increasing distance, which results in higher path loss. Thus, the proximity of the one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B to the target UE 100 is one way of determining the similarity of the propagation conditions. In other words, UEs that are close to each other can experience similar propagation conditions.

[0085] As another example, the propagation conditions can depend on the terrain and environment. The presence of buildings, trees, mountains, and other obstacles can cause signal reflection, diffraction, and scattering, resulting in multipath propagation, fading, and shadowing effects. For example, UEs on an open field do not have to be close to each other to potentially experience similar propagation conditions (e.g., both in line-of-sight conditions).

[0086] In other words, the LMF requests the one or more candidate user equipment to perform the above-mentioned donor suitability test. The one or more candidate user equipment receive the request.

[0087] As the name suggests, the suitability test is performed in order to select the best UE(s) that can act as a donor for the target UE. In other words, the suitability test can be initiated by the LMF in order to select a sufficient number of donors to complete the missing entries in the incomplete positioning sample provided by the target UE. The suitability test request (or trigger message) can be implemented as a set of information elements in, for example, an “LPP ProvideAssistanceData” message. LPP is an abbreviation for LTE Positioning Protocol.

[0088] The request (or trigger message) can indicate at least one of: an indicator (e.g., a binary flag) indicating that one or more measurements are to be performed, the type of one or more measurements (e.g., CLI RSRP and / or CLI RSSI), and one or more radio resources on which the one or more measurements are to be performed. For example, the one or more radio resources can be indicated as a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) pattern of the target UE 100.

[0089] At 206, if the target UE 100 does not have an ongoing transmission, the LMF 112 can send an indication to the target UE 100 to trigger the target UE 100 to send a reference signal configured by the network (e.g., the target UE’s serving gNB) so that the one or more measurements can be collected. The target UE 100 can start sending the reference signal based on receiving the indication.

[0090] At 207, the first candidate UE 102 determines whether to accept the request and sends a response to the LMF 112 indicating acceptance or rejection of the request for providing one or more measurements based on the determination. Thus, the first candidate UE implicitly accepts or rejects acting as a donor for the target UE. In this example, the first candidate UE can determine to accept the request, in which case the response indicates acceptance of the request.

[0091] The response message can be carried, for example, by an LPP reply. The response message can comprise at least one of: an acknowledgement (ACK) or negative acknowledgement (NACK) of the request, and / or a duration during which one or more measurements can be provided (i.e. a duration for which the UE can accept to be a donor).

[0092] At 208, the second candidate UE 102B determines whether to accept the request and sends a response to the LMF 112 indicating acceptance or rejection of the request for providing one or more measurements based on the determination. Thus, the second candidate UE implicitly accepts or rejects acting as a donor for the target UE. In this example, the second candidate UE can determine to accept the request, in which case the response indicates acceptance of the request.

[0093] The response message can be carried, for example, by an LPP reply. The response message can comprise at least one of: an acknowledgement (ACK) or negative acknowledgement (NACK) of the request, and / or a duration during which one or more measurements can be provided (i.e. a duration for which the UE can accept to be a donor).

[0094] At 209, the first candidate UE 102 can perform or obtain one or more measurements (if it accepted the request). Alternatively, if the first candidate UE 102 has previously obtained one or more measurements as part of a different procedure, the first candidate UE 102 can skip performing one or more measurements. For example, the one or more measurements can comprise one or more cross-link interference measurements (e.g. CLI RSRP and / or CLI RSSI) or one or more sidelink measurements associated with the target UE 100 by the first candidate UE 102.

[0095] For example, the first candidate UE 102 can perform one or more sidelink measurements by measuring a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) or any other sidelink reference signal transmitted from the target UE 100. Alternatively, the first candidate UE 102 can perform one or more cross-link interference measurements by measuring a reference signal (e.g. DMRS or any other reference signal) transmitted from the target UE 100.

[0096] At 210, the second candidate UE 102B can perform or obtain one or more measurements (if it accepts the request). Alternatively, if the second candidate UE 102B already obtained one or more measurements as part of a different procedure, the second candidate UE 102B can skip performing one or more measurements. For example, the one or more measurements can include one or more cross-link interference measurements (e.g., CLI RSRP and / or CLI RSSI) or one or more sidelink measurements associated with the target UE 100 by the second candidate UE 102B.

[0097] At 211, the first candidate UE 102 sends a report to the LMF 112 indicating one or more measurements performed at the first candidate UE or availability of one or more measurements. The LMF receives the report.

[0098] For example, the first candidate UE 102 can estimate a range (distance) between the first candidate UE 102 and the target UE 100 based on the one or more measurements, in which case the first candidate UE 102 can report the estimated range (distance) to the LMF 112. Alternatively, the first candidate UE 102 can report the one or more measurements to the LMF 112, whereby the LMF 112 can estimate the range (distance) between the first candidate UE 102 and the target UE 100.

[0099] At 212, the second candidate UE 102B sends a report to the LMF 112 indicating one or more measurements performed at the second candidate UE or availability of one or more measurements. The LMF receives the report.

[0100] At 213, the LMF 112 selects at least one user equipment from the candidate user equipments 102, 102B based on at least the reports. The selection can also be based on serving gNB information, such as serving beams, etc. In other words, the LMF can select at least one UE which it considers as the best donor, e.g., in the neighborhood of the target UE 100.

[0101] The neighborhood size can be defined, e.g., in relation to a given CLI RSRP threshold. In this case, the at least one user equipment can be selected based on that the CLI RSRP measurement reported from the at least one user equipment is above the threshold. In other words, some or all candidate UEs reporting a CLI RSRP greater than the threshold can be selected as donors. However, it should be noted that other selection criteria can also be applied.

[0102] At 214, the LMF 112 can determine whether the data set received from the target UE at 202 is irrelevant. Irrelevance here can mean, e.g., that the data set is too old or too noisy.

[0103] At 215, if the LMF 112 determines that the data set received from the target UE is irrelevant, the LMF can send an indication to the target UE 100 to provide a new data set.

[0104] At 216, if the LMF 112 sends an indication to provide a new data set, the LMF 112 can receive a new data set from the target UE 100.

[0105] At 217, the LMF 112 sends an indication or request to the selected at least one user equipment (e.g., the first candidate UE 102 selected as a donor) for providing one or more entries considered as unreliable or missing in the one or more positioning data samples received from the target UE at 202 or 216. In other words, the LMF triggers or activates the donor UE to collect the entries considered as missing or unreliable in the recent data set reported from the target UE. The selected at least one user equipment receives the indication or request.

[0106] The indication or request can be implemented as, for example, a new set of information elements in an “LPP RequestLocationlnformation” message. The indication or request can indicate, for example, at least one of: a time window during which the one or more entries should be provided (i.e., the duration of the donor role activity), and a list of the one or more entries to be provided.

[0107] For example, the time window can be expressed as a start time (e.g., in units of subframes) and a total duration (e.g., also in units of subframes) with respect to the reception of this message.

[0108] For example, if the positioning data samples in the recent data set reported from the target UE are missing input features A and B and label X, the selected donor(s) can be requested to measure and report input features A and B and label X.

[0109] As a more specific example, if the positioning data samples in the recent data set reported from the target UE are missing the angle of departure (AoD) for one or more TRPs, the selected donor(s) can be requested to measure, timestamp, and report the AoD for the one or more TRPs. Here, the AoD is an example of a missing label.

[0110] At 218, based on the indication or request received at 216, the selected at least one user equipment (e.g., the first candidate UE 102) sends to the LMF 112 positioning related data complementary to the one or more positioning data samples received from the target UE at 202 or 216. The LMF receives the positioning related data from the selected at least one user equipment.

[0111] The positioning-related data that is complementary can include some or all of the one or more entries that are deemed unreliable or missing in the one or more positioning data samples received from the target UE at 202 or 216.

[0112] The one or more entries can include at least one of the following: at least one expected input feature or at least one expected label that is determined to be unreliable or missing in the one or more positioning data samples received from the target UE.

[0113] At 219, the LMF 112 combines the positioning-related data received from the selected at least one user equipment 102 with the one or more positioning data samples received from the target UE 100 at 202 or 216. In other words, the LMF collects data from the selected donors and combines it with the training data samples received from the target UE according to the selected strategy.

[0114] In case the LMF determines that the dataset received at 202 is irrelevant (e.g., too old or too noisy), the positioning-related data received from the selected at least one user equipment can be combined with one or more positioning data samples in a new dataset received from the target UE at 216.

[0115] In case the LMF determines that the dataset received at 202 is not irrelevant, the positioning-related data received from the selected at least one user equipment can be combined with one or more positioning data samples in the dataset received from the target UE at 202.

[0116] At 220, the LMF 112 can provide the one or more positioning data samples combined with the positioning-related data received from the selected at least one user equipment as training data for training or updating a machine learning model for positioning.

[0117] At 221, the LMF 112 can estimate the position of the target UE 100 or one or more other user equipment by using the trained machine learning model. For example, the machine learning model can be region-specific, such that any UE reaching the same region can utilize the machine learning model derived from the one or more positioning data samples of the target UE for positioning.

[0118] In this document, the terms “first user equipment”, “first candidate UE”, and “second candidate UE” are used to distinguish between UEs, which do not necessarily represent a specific order or a specific identifier of the UEs.

[0119] Figure 2A flow diagram illustrating example embodiments in accordance with a method performed by an apparatus 800 is shown. For example, the apparatus 800 can comprise a location management entity, such as the location management function 112 or a location server, or another network entity, such as a radio access network node (e.g., gNB) or a user equipment.

[0120] Reference is made to Figure 3 In block 301, the apparatus sends a request to one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B, the request for reporting one or more measurements of a similarity of propagation conditions suitable for evaluating the one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B to the first user equipment 100.

[0121] For example, a proximity of the one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B to the target UE 100 is one way of determining the similarity of the propagation conditions. The proximity can be evaluated at the apparatus or at the one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B.

[0122] The request can indicate at least a type of the one or more measurements and one or more radio resources on which the one or more measurements are to be performed. For example, the one or more measurements can comprise one or more cross-link interference measurements or one or more sidelink measurements associated with the first device.

[0123] The apparatus can receive a response from the one or more candidate user equipment, the response indicating an acceptance or a rejection of the request for providing the one or more measurements. The response can further indicate a duration during which the one or more measurements can be provided.

[0124] In block 302, the apparatus receives one or more reports from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B (e.g., from the candidate UEs that accepted the request), the one or more reports indicating the one or more measurements or an availability of the one or more measurements.

[0125] In block 303, the apparatus selects at least one user equipment 102 from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B based on at least the one or more reports.

[0126] For example, the at least one user equipment can be selected by evaluating a proximity of at least the subset of the one or more candidate user equipment to the first user equipment based on the one or more reports, the proximity indicating the similarity of the propagation conditions. In other words, the selected at least one user equipment is close to the first user equipment (e.g., within a predefined distance from the first user equipment).

[0127] In block 304, the apparatus receives positioning related data from the at least one user equipment 102, the positioning related data being complementary to one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment 100.

[0128] For example, location-related data received from at least one user device may include one or more entries that are considered unreliable or missing in one or more location data samples received from the first user device.

[0129] In block 305, the device combines location-related data received from at least one user equipment 102 with one or more location data samples received from the first user equipment 100.

[0130] The device can provide one or more location data samples combined with location-related data received from at least one user equipment as training data for training a machine learning model for positioning; and estimate the location of a first user equipment or one or more other user equipment by using the trained machine learning model.

[0131] The device can determine whether a dataset received from a first user equipment is irrelevant. Based on the determination that the dataset received from the first user equipment is irrelevant, the device can send an instruction to the first user equipment to provide a new dataset; and receive the new dataset from the first user equipment. In this case, location-related data received from at least one user equipment can be combined with one or more location data samples from the new dataset received from the first user equipment.

[0132] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an example embodiment of a method performed by device 800 is shown. For example, device 800 may include a location management entity (such as location management function 112 or a location server) or another network entity (such as a radio access network node (e.g., a gNB) or user equipment).

[0133] refer to Figure 4 In box 401, the device receives a dataset from the first user equipment 100.

[0134] In box 402, the device determines whether one or more location data samples in the dataset are incomplete.

[0135] For example, one or more location data samples can be determined to be incomplete by identifying that at least one of the expected input features or at least one expected label is unreliable or missing in one or more location data samples.

[0136] In block 403, based on the determination that one or more location data samples are incomplete, the device determines one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B, which are used to provide one or more entries that are considered unreliable or missing in the one or more location data samples that are determined to be incomplete.

[0137] For example, the one or more candidate user equipments can be determined based on at least one of: a similarity of a statistical distribution of the dataset of the first user equipment to a dataset of the one or more candidate user equipments, a range between the first user equipment and the one or more candidate user equipments, or a common serving beam associated with the first user equipment and the one or more candidate user equipments.

[0138] In block 404, the apparatus sends a request to the one or more candidate user equipments 102, 102B for reporting one or more measurements adapted to assess a similarity of propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments 102, 102B to the first user equipment 100.

[0139] For example, a proximity of the one or more candidate user equipments 102, 102B to the target UE 100 is one way of determining the similarity of the propagation conditions. The proximity can be assessed at the apparatus or at the one or more candidate user equipments 102, 102B.

[0140] The request can indicate at least: a type of the one or more measurements, and one or more radio resources on which the one or more measurements are to be performed. For example, the one or more measurements can comprise one or more cross-link interference measurements or one or more sidelink measurements associated with the first device.

[0141] The apparatus can receive a response from the one or more candidate user equipments indicating an acceptance or a rejection of the request for providing the one or more measurements. The response can further indicate a duration during which the one or more measurements can be provided.

[0142] In block 405, the apparatus receives one or more reports from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments 102, 102B (e.g., from the candidate UEs that accepted the request) indicating the one or more measurements.

[0143] In block 406, the apparatus selects at least one user equipment 102 from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments 102, 102B based on at least the one or more reports.

[0144] For example, the at least one user equipment can be selected by assessing a proximity of at least the subset of the one or more candidate user equipments to the first user equipment based on the one or more reports, the proximity being indicative of the similarity of the propagation conditions. In other words, the selected at least one user equipment can be close to the first user equipment (e.g., within a predefined distance from the first user equipment).

[0145] In block 407, the apparatus sends an indication to the at least one user equipment 102 for providing one or more items deemed to be unreliable or missing.

[0146] For example, the indication can indicate a time window during which the one or more items should be provided, and a list of one or more items to be provided.

[0147] In block 408, the apparatus receives the one or more items from the at least one user equipment 102.

[0148] The one or more items received from the at least one user equipment can comprise at least one of: at least one expected input feature or at least one expected label determined to be unreliable or missing in the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment.

[0149] In block 409, the apparatus combines the one or more items received from the at least one user equipment 102 with the one or more positioning data samples received from the first user equipment 100.

[0150] The apparatus can provide the one or more positioning data samples combined with the positioning related data received from the at least one user equipment as training data for training a machine learning model for positioning; and estimate the position of the first user equipment or one or more other user equipment by using the trained machine learning model.

[0151] The apparatus can determine whether the data set received from the first user equipment is irrelevant. Based on determining that the data set received from the first user equipment is irrelevant, the apparatus can send an indication to the first user equipment to provide a new data set; and receive the new data set from the first user equipment. In this case, the positioning related data received from the at least one user equipment can be combined with the one or more positioning data samples in the new data set received from the first user equipment.

[0152] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an example embodiment of a method according to the apparatus 700 is shown. For example, the apparatus can be, or include, or be included in, a user equipment 102, 102B.

[0153] Reference is made to Figure 5 In block 501, the apparatus receives a request from a network entity (e.g., LMF 112) for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing a similarity of propagation conditions of the apparatus and a first user equipment 100.

[0154] For example, a proximity of one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B to the target UE 100 is one way of determining a similarity of propagation conditions. The proximity can be assessed at the apparatus or at the network entity.

[0155] The request can indicate at least: a type of one or more measurements, and one or more radio resources on which the one or more measurements are to be performed. For example, the one or more measurements can comprise one or more cross-link interference measurements or one or more sidelink measurements associated with the first device.

[0156] The apparatus can determine whether to accept the request; and based on determining to accept the request, send a response to the network entity indicating acceptance of the request for reporting the one or more measurements.

[0157] At block 502, the apparatus sends, to the network entity 112, a report indicating one or more measurements or availability of one or more measurements.

[0158] At block 503, the apparatus sends, to the network entity 112, positioning related data to be combined with one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment 100, the positioning related data being complementary to the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment 100.

[0159] For example, the positioning related data can comprise one or more entries considered as unreliable or missing in the one or more positioning data samples provided from the first user equipment 100.

[0160] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example embodiment of a method according to the method performed by the apparatus 700 is shown. For example, the apparatus can be, or comprise, or be comprised in, the user equipment 102, 102B.

[0161] Reference is made to Figure 6 At block 601, the apparatus receives, from a network entity (e.g., LMF 112), a request for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing a similarity of propagation conditions of the apparatus to a first user equipment 100.

[0162] For example, a proximity of the one or more candidate user equipment 102, 102B to the target UE 100 is one way of determining the similarity of the propagation conditions. The proximity can be assessed at the apparatus or at the network entity.

[0163] The request can indicate at least: a type of one or more measurements, and one or more radio resources on which the one or more measurements are to be performed. For example, the one or more measurements can comprise one or more cross-link interference measurements or one or more sidelink measurements associated with the first device.

[0164] The apparatus can determine whether to accept the request; and based on determining to accept the request, send a response to the network entity indicating acceptance of the request for reporting the one or more measurements.

[0165] In block 602, the device may perform one or more measurements. Alternatively, if the device has previously obtained one or more measurements as part of a different process, the device may skip performing one or more measurements.

[0166] In box 603, the device sends a report to network entity 112 indicating one or more measurements.

[0167] In block 604, the device receives an indication from network entity 112 based on a transmission report, the indication being directed to providing one or more entries deemed unreliable or missing in one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment 100.

[0168] For example, the instruction could specify a time window during which one or more entries should be provided, and a list of one or more entries to be provided.

[0169] In block 605, the device obtains one or more entries based on an instruction.

[0170] In block 606, the device sends one or more entries to network entity 112 to be combined with one or more location data samples provided from first user equipment 100.

[0171] The above passed Figure 6 The described boxes, related functions, and information exchanges (messages) are not in absolute chronological order, and some of them may be executed simultaneously or in a different order than described. Other functions may also be executed between or within them, and other information and / or other rules may be sent. Some boxes or parts of boxes or one or more messages may also be omitted or replaced with the corresponding boxes or parts of boxes or one or more messages.

[0172] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, wherein a list of two or more elements, combined with “and” or “or”, means at least one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0173] Figures 3 to 6 An example of an apparatus 700 including components for performing one or more of the example embodiments described above is shown. For example, apparatus 700 may be, for example, an apparatus included in, or incorporated into a user equipment. User equipment may also be referred to as a wireless communication device, subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, terminal equipment, or user equipment (UE). User equipment may correspond to... Figure 7 One of UE 100 and 102.

[0174] The apparatus 700 can comprise circuitry or a chipset adapted to implement one or more of the example embodiments described above. For example, the apparatus 700 can comprise at least one processor 710. The at least one processor 710 interprets and processes instructions (e.g., computer program instructions). The at least one processor 710 can comprise one or more programmable processors. The at least one processor 710 can comprise programmable hardware with embedded firmware, and alternatively or additionally one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0175] The at least one processor 710 is coupled to at least one memory 720. The at least one processor is configured to read data from and write data to the at least one memory 720. The at least one memory 720 can comprise one or more memory units. The memory units can be volatile or non-volatile. It should be noted that there can be one or more non-volatile memory units and one or more volatile memory units, or alternatively one or more non-volatile memory units, or alternatively one or more volatile memory units. Volatile memory can be, for example, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). Non-volatile memory can be, for example, read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, optical storage, or magnetic storage. Generally, the memory can be referred to as a non-transitory computer readable medium. As used herein, the term non-transitory is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, as opposed to a signal) and not a limitation of data storage persistence (e.g., RAM versus ROM). The at least one memory 720 stores computer-readable instructions for execution by the at least one processor 710 to implement one or more of the example embodiments described above. For example, the non-volatile memory stores the computer-readable instructions, and the at least one processor 710 uses the volatile memory to execute the instructions to temporarily store data and / or instructions. The computer-readable instructions can refer to computer program code.

[0176] The computer-readable instructions can be pre-stored to the at least one memory 720, or alternatively or additionally, they can be received by the apparatus via an electromagnetic carrier wave signal and / or can be copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. Execution of the computer-readable instructions by the at least one processor 710 causes the apparatus 700 to perform one or more of the example embodiments described above. That is, the at least one processor and the at least one memory storing instructions can provide means for providing or causing performance of any of the methods and / or blocks described above.

[0177] In the context of this document, a "memory" or "computer-readable medium" or "computer-readable media" can be any non-transitory medium or means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport the instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is limiting to the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) and not limiting to the data storage durability (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0178] The apparatus 700 can also include or be connected to an input unit 730. The input unit 730 can include one or more interfaces for receiving input. The one or more interfaces can include, for example, one or more temperature, motion and / or orientation sensors, one or more cameras, one or more accelerometers, one or more microphones, one or more buttons, and / or one or more touch detection units. In addition, the input unit 730 can include an interface to which an external device can connect.

[0179] The apparatus 700 can also include an output unit 740. The output unit can include or be connected to one or more displays capable of presenting visual content, such as light emitting diode (LED) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCD), and / or liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) displays. The output unit 740 can also include one or more audio outputs. The one or more audio outputs can be, for example, speakers.

[0180] The apparatus 700 also includes a connection unit 750. The connection unit 750 enables wireless connections to one or more external devices. The connection unit 750 includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver that can be integrated to the apparatus 700 or to which the apparatus 700 can connect. The at least one transmitter includes at least one transmitting antenna, and the at least one receiver includes at least one receiving antenna. The connection unit 750 can include an integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits that provide the apparatus 700 with wireless communication capabilities. Alternatively, the wireless connections can be hard-wired application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The connection unit 750 can also provide means for performing at least some of the blocks or functions of one or more example embodiments described above. The connection unit 750 can include one or more components controlled by a corresponding control unit, such as: power amplifiers, digital front-ends (DFEs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), frequency converters, (de-)modulators, and / or encoder / decoder circuits.

[0181] It should be noted that the apparatus 700 can also include various components not shown in FIG. 7. The various components can be hardware components and / or software components. Figure 1A The apparatus 700 can also include various components not shown in FIG. 7. The various components can be hardware components and / or software components.

[0182] Figure 7An example of an apparatus 800 comprising means for performing one or more of the above-described example embodiments is shown. For example, the means can be a location management function 112 of a core network 110, or a location server, or another network entity such as a radio access network node (e.g., gNB) or a user equipment, or the means can be a network function virtualization infrastructure.

[0183] The apparatus 800 can comprise, for example, circuitry or a chipset adapted to implement one or more of the above-described example embodiments. The apparatus 800 can be an electronic device or computing system comprising one or more electronic circuits. The apparatus 800 can comprise a control circuit 810 such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 820 storing instructions 822 that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus 800 to perform one or more of the above-described example embodiments. The instructions 822 can comprise instructions of an AMF. Such instructions 822 may, for example, comprise computer program code (software). The at least one processor and the at least one memory storing instructions can provide means for providing or causing execution of any of the above-described methods and / or blocks.

[0184] The processor is coupled to the memory 820. The processor is configured to read data from and write data to the memory 820. The memory 820 can include one or more memory units. The memory units can be volatile or non-volatile. It should be noted that there can be one or more non-volatile memory units and one or more volatile memory units, or alternatively one or more non-volatile memory units, or alternatively one or more volatile memory units. Volatile memory can be, for example, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). Non-volatile memory can be, for example, read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, optical storage, or magnetic storage. Generally, the memory can be referred to as a non-transitory computer readable medium. As used herein, the term non-transitory is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, as opposed to signals), and not a limitation of data storage persistence (e.g., RAM versus ROM). The memory 820 stores computer-readable instructions executed by the processor. For example, the non-volatile memory stores the computer-readable instructions, and the processor executes the instructions using the volatile memory to temporarily store data and / or instructions.

[0185] The computer readable instructions can be pre-stored to the memory 820, or alternatively or additionally, they can be received by the apparatus via an electromagnetic carrier signal and / or can be copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. Execution of the computer readable instructions causes the apparatus 800 to perform one or more of the above described functions.

[0186] The memory 820 can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and / or removable memory.

[0187] The apparatus 800 can also comprise or be connected to a communication interface 830 comprising hardware and / or software for realizing communication connections according to one or more communication protocols. The communication interface 830 can comprise at least one transmitter (Tx) and at least one receiver (Rx) which can be integrated to the apparatus 800 or to which the apparatus 800 can be connected. The communication interface 830 can provide means for performing some of the blocks of one or more of the example embodiments described above. The communication interface 830 can comprise one or more components controlled by a corresponding control unit, such as: power amplifiers, digital front-ends (DFEs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), frequency converters, (de-)modulators, and / or encoder / decoder circuits.

[0188] The communication interface 830 provides the apparatus with communication capabilities to communicate in a wireless communication network. The communication interface 830 can for example provide a radio, cable or optical fiber interface to one or more network nodes of a radio access network.

[0189] It should be noted that the apparatus 800 can also comprise various components not shown in the figure. The various components can be hardware components and / or software components. Figure 8 Figure 8

[0190] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" can refer to one or more or all of the following: a) solely hardware circuit implementations (e.g., analog circuit implementations); b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (as applicable): i) combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware; ii) combinations of hardware circuits with analog and / or digital software / firmware; and iii) combinations of hardware circuits solely (without software, e.g., if controller / processor is implemented in hardware). In some embodiments, the circuitry can include, in whole or in part, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In some embodiments, the circuitry can include, in whole or in part, one or more field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0191] ​Such definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application (including any claims). As another example, as used in this application, the term “circuitry” also covers an implementation that is at least partially firmware and / or software and / or combinations of hardware, firmware and / or software that

[0192] The techniques and methods described herein can be implemented by various means. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or combinations thereof. For a hardware implementation, the apparatus of an example embodiment can be implemented within one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, the implementation can be carried out through modules of at least one chipset (e.g., processes, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. The software codes can be stored in memory units and executed by processors. The memory unit can be implemented within the processor or external to the processor, in which case it can be communicatively coupled to the processor via various means as is known in the art. Further, the components of the systems described herein can be rearranged and / or complemented by additional components in order to facilitate the achievements of the various aspects, etc., described with regard thereto, and they are not limited to the precise configurations set forth in the given figures, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art.

[0193] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, with the advance of technology, this inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The embodiments are not limited to the above-described example embodiments, but can vary within the scope of the claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly and they are intended to illustrate, not to limit, the embodiments.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Send a request to one or more candidate user equipments, the request being directed to one or more measurements that are suitable for assessing the similarity of the propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments to those of the first user equipment; Receive one or more reports indicating the availability of the one or more measurements from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user devices; Based at least on the one or more reports, at least one user equipment is selected from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments; Location-related data is received from the at least one user equipment, the location-related data being complementary to one or more location data samples received from the first user equipment; as well as The location-related data received from the at least one user device is combined with one or more location data samples received from the first user device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one user equipment is selected by: evaluating the proximity of at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments to the first user equipment based on the one or more reports, the proximity indicating the similarity of the propagation conditions.

3. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the location-related data received from the at least one user equipment includes one or more entries that are considered unreliable or missing in the one or more location data samples received from the first user equipment.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 is further configured such that: Receive the dataset from the first user equipment; Determine whether one or more location data samples in the dataset are incomplete; Based on the determination that the one or more location data samples are incomplete, the one or more candidate user equipments are determined, and the one or more candidate user equipments are used to provide the one or more entries that are considered unreliable or missing in the one or more location data samples that are determined to be incomplete; as well as Send an instruction to the at least one user equipment to provide one or more entries that are considered unreliable or missing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more location data samples are determined to be incomplete by determining that at least one of the expected input features or at least one expected label is unreliable or missing in the one or more location data samples. The one or more entries received from the at least one user equipment include at least one of the following: at least one expected input feature or at least one expected tag that is determined to be unreliable or missing in the one or more location data samples received from the first user equipment.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the one or more candidate user equipments are determined based on at least one of the following: The similarity between the statistical distribution of the dataset of the first user equipment and the datasets of the one or more candidate user equipments. The range between the first user equipment and the one or more candidate user equipments, or Public service beams associated with the first user equipment and the one or more candidate user equipments.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the indication is used to indicate: During the period, the time window in which one or more of the aforementioned entries should be provided, and A list of the one or more entries to be provided.

8. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims is further configured such that: Receive a response from the one or more candidate user equipments, the response indicating acceptance or rejection of the request to provide the one or more measurements.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the response further indicates the duration during which the one or more measurements can be provided.

10. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the request at least indicates: The type of the one or more measurements, and One or more radio resources on which the one or more measurements will be performed.

11. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more measurements include one or more cross-link interference measurements or one or more side-link measurements associated with the first device.

12. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one user equipment is selected from the at least subset of the one or more candidate user equipments based on a cross-link interference reference signal received power measurement reported from the at least one user equipment being higher than a threshold.

13. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims is further configured such that: Determine whether the dataset received from the first user equipment is irrelevant; Based on the determination that the dataset received from the first user equipment is irrelevant, an instruction to provide a new dataset is sent to the first user equipment; as well as Receive the new dataset from the first user equipment. The location-related data received from the at least one user equipment is combined with one or more location data samples from the new dataset received from the first user equipment.

14. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims is further configured such that: Provide one or more location data samples, combined with location-related data received from the at least one user device, as training data for training a machine learning model for location; and The location of the first user device or one or more other user devices is estimated by using the trained machine learning model.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Receive a request from a network entity for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing the similarity of the device to the propagation conditions of a first user equipment; Send a report to the network entity indicating the availability of the one or more measurements; as well as The network entity sends location-related data to be combined with one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment, the location-related data being complementary to the one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: Based on sending the report, an instruction for providing the location-related data is received from the network entity. The location-related data includes one or more entries that are considered unreliable or missing in the one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 16, further comprising: Determine whether to accept the request; and Based on the determination to accept the request, a response is sent to the network entity, the response indicating acceptance of the request to report the one or more measurements.

18. A method comprising: Send a request to one or more candidate user equipments, the request being directed to one or more measurements that are suitable for assessing the similarity of the propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments to those of the first user equipment; Receive one or more reports indicating the availability of the one or more measurements from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user devices; Based at least on the one or more reports, at least one user equipment is selected from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments; Location-related data is received from the at least one user equipment, the location-related data being complementary to one or more location data samples received from the first user equipment; as well as The location-related data received from the at least one user device is combined with one or more location data samples received from the first user device.

19. A method comprising: The device receives a request from a network entity for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing the similarity of the propagation conditions between the device and a first user equipment. The device sends a report to the network entity indicating the availability of one or more measurements; as well as The device sends location-related data to the network entity to be combined with one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment, the location-related data being complementary to the one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: Send a request to one or more candidate user equipments, the request being directed to one or more measurements that are suitable for assessing the similarity of the propagation conditions of the one or more candidate user equipments to those of the first user equipment; Receive one or more reports indicating the availability of the one or more measurements from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user devices; Based at least on the one or more reports, at least one user equipment is selected from at least a subset of the one or more candidate user equipments; Location-related data is received from the at least one user equipment, the location-related data being complementary to one or more location data samples received from the first user equipment; as well as The location-related data received from the at least one user device is combined with one or more location data samples received from the first user device.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: Receive a request from a network entity for reporting one or more measurements suitable for assessing the similarity of the device to the propagation conditions of a first user equipment; Send a report to the network entity indicating the availability of the one or more measurements; as well as The network entity sends location-related data to be combined with one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment, the location-related data being complementary to the one or more location data samples provided from the first user equipment.

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