Device orientation determination

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to device orientation determination for positioning. In one aspect, a network device may determine a plurality of phase differences between reference signals transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas at the network device. The orientation of the terminal device may be determined based on the plurality of phase differences and an antenna configuration of the terminal device for transmitting the reference signal. Therefore, a technical solution for device orientation determination is provided, thereby improving a positioning service for XR applications.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to a terminal device, a network device, a location management device, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for determining device orientation. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of communications, there is an ongoing evolution in order to provide efficient and reliable technical solutions for utilizing wireless communication networks. Each new generation has its own technical challenges to handle different situations and procedures needed for connecting and serving devices connected to wireless networks. In order to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since the deployment of the 4th generation (4G) communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5th generation (5G) or pre-5G communication systems. New communication systems can support various types of service applications for terminal devices.

[0003] Extended Reality (XR) refers to all real and virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology and wearable devices, such as Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR). Evaluation methods for XR include: XR applications, simulation scenarios, business models, KPIs, simulation parameters, etc. One of the NR positioning evolutions in the candidate is to provide positioning services for XR applications. However, it is still desirable to improve the positioning services for XR applications. SUMMARY

[0004] Generally, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a technical solution for determining device orientation, especially in an uplink (UL) positioning framework.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive (404), from a network device (120), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); determine (406) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110) that transmitted the first RS and the second RS; and transmit (408) the UL AoD to the network device (120) or a location management device (130) to determine an orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device at least to determine (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); receive (208, 612), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS; and determine (212, 614) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

[0007] In a third aspect, a network device is provided. The network device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device at least to determine (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); receive (502), from the terminal device (110), an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and determine (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the UL AoD.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a location management device is provided. The location management device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the location management device at least to receive (304, 620), from a network device (120) serving a terminal device (110), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); receive (308, 618), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS; and determine (316, 622) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a location management device is provided. The location management device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the location management device at least to receive (508), from a network device (120), an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA); receive (502), from a terminal device (110) served by the network device (120), an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and determine (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: receiving (404), at a terminal device (110), from a network device (120), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at the network device (120) at one or more antennas of the network device (120); determining (406) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110) that transmitted the first RS and the second RS; and transmitting (408) the UL AoD to the network device (120) or a location management device (130) to determine an orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: determining (202, 610), at a network device (120), a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas of the network device (120); receiving (208, 612), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and determining (212, 614) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: determining (202, 610), at a network device (120), a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas of the network device (120); receiving (502), from the terminal device (110), an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and determining (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the UL AoD.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: receiving (304, 620), at a location management device (130) from a network device (120) serving a terminal device (110), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas of the network device (120); receiving (308, 618), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and determining (316, 622) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: receiving (508), at a location management device (130), an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) from a network device (120); receiving (502), from a terminal device (110) served by the network device (120), an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and determining (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: means for receiving (404), at a terminal device (110), from a network device (120), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at the network device (120) at one or more antennas; means for determining (406) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110) that transmitted the first RS and the second RS; and means for transmitting (408) the UL AoD to the network device (120) or a location management device (130) to determine an orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: means for determining (202, 610), at a network device (120), a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas of the network device (120); means for receiving (208, 612), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and means for determining (212, 614) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: means for determining (202, 610), at a network device (120), a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas of the network device (120); means for receiving (502), from the terminal device (110), an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and means for determining (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the UL AoD.

[0018] In a fourteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: means for receiving (304, 620), at a location management device (130), from a network device (120) serving a terminal device (110), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas of the network device (120); means for receiving (308, 618), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS; and means for determining (316, 622) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

[0019] In a fifteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: means for receiving (508), at a location management device (130), an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) from a network device (120); means for receiving (502) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from a terminal device (110) served by the network device (120); and means for determining (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0020] In a sixteenth aspect, a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to any of the above sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth aspects is provided.

[0021] In a seventeenth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device comprises: receiving circuitry configured to receive (404), from a network device (120), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at one or more antennas of the network device (120); determining circuitry configured to determine (406) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110) used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS; and transmitting circuitry configured to transmit (408) the UL AoD to the network device (120) or a location management device (130) for determining an orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0022] In an eighteenth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device comprises determining circuitry configured to determine (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); receiving circuitry configured to receive (208, 612), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS; and determining circuitry configured to determine (212, 614) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

[0023] In a nineteenth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device comprises determining circuitry configured to determine (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); receiving circuitry configured to receive (502) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from the terminal device (110); and determining circuitry configured to determine (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the UL AoD.

[0024] In a twentieth aspect, a location management device is provided. The location management device comprises receiving circuitry configured to receive (304, 620), from a network device (120) serving a terminal device (110), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); receiving circuitry configured to receive (308, 618), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS; and determining circuitry configured to determine (316, 622) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

[0025] In a twenty-first aspect, a location management device is provided. The location management device comprises receiving circuitry configured to receive (508) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) from a network device (120); receiving circuitry configured to receive (502) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from a terminal device (110) served by the network device (120); and determining circuitry configured to determine (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0026] In a twenty-second aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method according to any of the above sixth to tenth aspects.

[0027] It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features, details, and alternatives of embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 a communication network in which embodiments of the disclosure can be implemented is illustrated;

[0030] Figure 2 a flow diagram illustrating a process for device orientation determination according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0031] Figure 3 a flow diagram illustrating a process for device orientation determination according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0032] Figure 4 a flow diagram illustrating a process for device orientation determination according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0033] Figure 5 a flow diagram illustrating a process for device orientation determination according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0034] Figure 6 a flow diagram illustrating a process for device orientation determination according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0035] Figure 7 a schematic diagram of device angles and orientations according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0036] Figure 8 a schematic diagram of UL AoA estimation according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0037] Figure 9 a schematic diagram of UL AoD estimation according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0038] Figure 10 a schematic diagram of 3D rotation of a device with different antenna pairs according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0039] Figure 11 a flow diagram of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the disclosure is illustrated;

[0040] Figure 12 a flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a network device, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

[0041] Figure 13 a flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a network device, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

[0042] Figure 14 a flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a location management device, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

[0043] Figure 15 a flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a location management device, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure;

[0044] Figure 16 a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0045] Figure 17 a block diagram of an example computer readable medium, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

[0046] In all of the drawings, like or similar reference numerals are used to refer to like or similar elements throughout different one or more figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and do not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways than described below.

[0048] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0049] In the present disclosure, reference to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “example embodiments” etc. indicates that the embodiment described can include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment can not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with one embodiment, it is submitted within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

[0050] It should be understood that, although the terms“first” and“second” etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term“and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0051] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms“a,”“an” and“the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises,”“comprising,”“includes” and / or“including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements and / or components etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. As used herein,“at least one of ” and“one or more of ” and the like means at least one of any element in the list of two or more elements or, any combination of at least two of the elements, or at least all of the elements in the list.

[0052] As used in this application, the term“circuitry” can refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry) and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (as applicable): (i) combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuit(s) with software / firmware (ii) combinations of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processors) with software software, and memory that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions and (c) combinations of hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof, with software (e.g., firmware) that needs not be present when the hardware is not operating.

[0053] The definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation that is at least partially functional and / or an implementation that is functional but nonetheless includes unused portions. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit for a mobile device or a processor integrated circuit, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device, as applicable to a particular claim element.

[0054] As used herein, the term “communication network” refers to a network that follows any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Further, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocols that are currently known or that will be developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied in various communication systems. In consideration of the rapid development of communication, there will of course also be future types of communication technology and systems that can be used to embody the present disclosure. It should not be seen as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to only the above-described systems.

[0055] As used herein, the term “network device” refers to a node in a communication network via which terminal devices access the network and receive services from the network. Depending on the terminology used, the network device can refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), e.g., a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a New Radio (NR) Next Generation NodeB (also referred to as gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low power node (such as a femto, pico, etc.). A RAN split architecture includes a gNB-CU (centralized unit hosting RRC, SDAP and PDCP) controlling multiple gNB-DUs (distributed units hosting RLC, MAC and PHY).

[0056] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example, and without limitation, a terminal device can also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). A terminal device can include, but is not limited to, a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device, such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and playback appliance, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop-mounted equipment (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer-premises equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable, a head-mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or

[0057] In many scenarios, e.g., positioning and location services for XR immersion and presence for XR (location accuracy, location resolution, latency, tracking), 5G applications and integration of real and virtual coordinate systems in 3DoF vs. 6DoF, high-precision and high-rate spatial tracking, etc., physical location and device orientation are important in positioning services for XR applications.

[0058] Generally, device orientation can be applied to any scenario that requires accurate device position and orientation tracking, e.g., in critical applications in industrial use cases, or the use cases for NR-based XR mentioned above. UE orientation estimation is typically performed at the UE by using antenna array measurements or inertial sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.). When using antenna arrays, the orientation can be directly estimated as part of channel parameter estimation, where the orientation is specifically related to AoA observations. However, to achieve high orientation estimation accuracy, large array sizes are required, which increases implementation costs and potentially introduces training overhead and latency due to additional training signals.

[0059] Inertial measurement sensors can provide accurate UE orientation estimates, but only under certain calibration conditions. For example, accelerometers can measure orientation displacement over time, but ultimately result in a cumulative error that changes over time. Further, the use of fused optical tracking and inertial measurement unit (IMU) data can provide orientation tracking, but camera and IMU-based orientation tracking can result in loss of absolute orientation information, making rendering challenging in the case of new environments, variable lighting conditions, and / or mobility.

[0060] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a technical solution for determining a device orientation for positioning is provided. A network device can determine a plurality of phase differences between at least two of reference signals transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas at the network device. An orientation of the terminal device can be determined based on the plurality of phase differences and an antenna configuration of the terminal device for transmitting the reference signals. In this way, a technical solution for device orientation determination is provided, thereby improving positioning services for XR applications.

[0061] The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0062] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example communication environment 100 in which some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is illustrated. The environment 100, which can be part of a communication network, includes three devices, such as a terminal device 110, a network device 120, and a location management device 130. Communication between the terminal device 110, the network device 120, and the location management device 130 can be direct or indirect. As an example, the terminal device 110, the network device 120, and / or the location management device 130 can communicate with one or more additional devices not shown in FIG. 1. Figure 1

[0063] ​In examples, throughout the description, the location management device 130 can be implemented by a separate device, such as in a core network entity or in a radio access network (RAN), depending on the application. Alternatively, the location management device 130 can be physically integrated with the terminal device 110 or the network device 120, and for example, be implemented as a function or entity that is physically integrated into the terminal device 110 or the network device 120. In this case, the location management device 130 can communicate with the terminal device 110 or the network device 120 through internal wiring. Further, in this case, the terminal device 110 can perform communication with the network device 120 for transmitting data and / or control information. The link from the network device 120 to the terminal device 110 is called downlink (DL), while the link from the terminal device 110 to the network device 120 is called uplink (UL). In some examples, the terminal device 110 can receive a PRS configuration from the network device 120 and can transmit UL PRS(s) to the second device 120.

[0064] While the terminal device 110, the network device 120, and the location management device 130 are described in the communication environment 100, Figure 1 embodiments of the present disclosure can equally apply to any other suitable communication devices that communicate with each other. That is, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Figure 1 the example scenario of

[0065] It should be understood that the specific number of various communication devices and the specific number of various communication links as shown in Figure 1 are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitations. The communication environment 100 can include any suitable number of communication devices and any suitable number of communication links for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, it should be appreciated that there can be various wireless as well as wired communications between all of the communication devices, if needed.

[0066] Communications in the environment 100 can follow any suitable communication standards or protocols, either already existing or to be developed in the future, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) standards, and use any suitable communication techniques, including, for example, Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Machine Type Communication (MTC), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), Carrier Aggregation (CA), Dual Connectivity (DC), and New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) techniques.

[0067] Further details of some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Reference will now be made to Figures 2 to 6 Further details of some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Reference will now be made to Figure 2 which shows a signaling diagram illustrating a procedure 200 for device orientation determination according to various embodiments. For the purpose of discussion only, reference will be made to Figure 1 The procedure 200 will be described. The procedure 200 can involve a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 in Figure 1 It should be appreciated that any graphical elements, numerical values, and descriptive words in these figures are for the purpose of illustration only, and do not imply any limitation.

[0068] In the procedure 200, the network device 120 determines (202) a plurality of phase differences between reference signals transmitted by the terminal device 110 and received at one or more antennas of the network device 120. In some embodiments, before determining the plurality of phase differences, the network device 120 can transmit an indication to the terminal device 110 to transmit at least two reference signals using different antennas of the terminal device 110. Alternatively or additionally, before transmitting the indication, the network device 120 can receive a request from a location management device (e.g., the location management device 130) for determining an orientation of the terminal device 110.

[0069] On the terminal device 110 side, upon receiving the indication from the network device 120, the terminal device 110 can transmit corresponding reference signals to the network device 120 using respective antennas. For example, as explained below with reference to Figure 9 The terminal device 110 can transmit an uplink reference signal (UL RS) to the network device 120 using the antenna 111-1, and the terminal device 110 can transmit another UL RS to the network device 120 using the antenna 111-2. Further, the terminal device 110 can transmit the UL RSs within a predetermined time interval, respectively.

[0070] On the other side of the communication, the network device 120 can receive the corresponding reference signal(s) using the corresponding antenna(s). In an example, the network device 120 can use the antennas 121-1 and 121-2 to receive the reference signal SRS#1, as shown in Figure 8 In another example, the network device 120 can use the antenna 121-1 to receive the reference signals SRS#1 and SRS#2, as shown in Figure 9 Then, the network device 120 can calculate a plurality of phase differences between the received reference signal(s) in order to determine an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) and an UL angle of departure (AoD), as explained below.

[0071] In some embodiments, the network device 120 can estimate (204) the UL AoA based on the received RS. For example, the estimation of the UL AoA can be based on a phase difference measured at two or more antennas of the network device 120 from the received RS. It should be appreciated that the UL AoA can be estimated in other ways, for example, by using a linear antenna array and a MUSIC algorithm.

[0072] Further, the network device 120 receives (208) an antenna configuration of the terminal device 110 for transmitting the UL RS. In an example, on the other side of the communication, the terminal device 110 can transmit (306) the antenna configuration to the network device 120 upon receiving the orientation request from the location management device 130. In some embodiments, the antenna configuration can comprise a distance between the antennas for transmitting the UL RS. Alternatively or additionally, the antenna configuration can comprise an overall antenna configuration of the plurality of antennas of the terminal device 110 and an indication of the antennas used for transmitting the UL RS.

[0073] Next, the network device 120 can determine (212) the orientation of the terminal device 110 based on the plurality of phase differences as determined above and the received antenna configuration. More specifically, the network device 120 can estimate (210) the UL AoD based on the other phase difference measured at one of the antennas at the network device 120 and the antenna configuration. In an example, the same antenna of the network device 120 (e.g., the antenna 121-1) is used to measure the phase difference for estimating the UL AoD. Then, the network device 120 can calculate the orientation of the terminal device 110 based on the estimated UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD. Alternatively or additionally, the network device 120 can report the determined orientation of the terminal device 110 to the location management device.

[0074] Reference is now made to Figure 3which shows a signaling diagram illustrating a process 300 for device orientation determination according to various embodiments. For purposes of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1 The process 300 is described. The process 300 can involve the terminal device 110, the network device 120, and the location management device 130 in Figure 1 For brevity, only the differences between the processes 200 and 300 will be described here, and identical or similar details will not be repeated, and can be referred to each other.

[0075] In the process 300, the location management device 130 receives (304) from the network device 120 serving the terminal device 110 a phase difference between reference signals transmitted by the terminal device 110 and received at one or more antennas at the network device 120. In some embodiments, prior to receiving the phase difference from the network device 120, the location management device 130 can send a request to the network device 120 for determining the orientation of the terminal device 110. Alternatively or additionally, the location management device 130 can send a request to the terminal device 110. Accordingly, on the other side of the communication, the network device 120 sends (302) the phase difference to the location management device 130.

[0076] Further, the location management device 130 receives (308) an antenna configuration of the terminal device 110 for transmitting the reference signals. In an example, on the other side of the communication, upon receiving the orientation request from the location management device 130, the terminal device 110 can send (306) the antenna configuration to the location management device 130. It should be appreciated that the implementation of the phase difference determination and the antenna configuration can refer to the process 200 described above, and will not be repeated here. Then, the location management device 130 can determine (316) the orientation of the terminal device 110 based on the received phase difference and antenna configuration.

[0077] More specifically, the location management device 130 can estimate (310) a UL AoD based on the received phase difference and antenna configuration. The phase difference can be measured at one of the antennas at the network device 120. Further, the location management device 130 can receive (314) a UL AoA. The UL AoA can be estimated by the network device 120 based on the reference signals transmitted from the terminal device 110 to the network device 120, and sent (312) from the network device 120 to the location management device 130. The estimation of the UL AoA can refer to the process 200 described above, and will not be repeated here. Next, the location management device 130 can calculate the orientation of the terminal device 110 based on the received UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD.

[0078] Reference is now made to Figure 4 and Figure 5 . Figure 4A signaling diagram illustrating a process 400 for device orientation determination according to various embodiments is shown. Figure 5 A signaling diagram illustrating a process 500 for device orientation determination according to various embodiments is shown. For purposes of discussion only, reference will be made to Figure 1 Processes 400 and 500 are described. It should be noted that for brevity only the differences between processes 400 and 500, processes 200 and processes 300 are described herein, and identical or similar details will not be repeated and can be referred to each other.

[0079] As explained in Figure 4 In process 400, terminal device 110 receives (404) phase differences between reference signals transmitted from terminal device 110 to network device 120. As described above, the reference signals can be transmitted at predetermined time intervals via different antennas of terminal device 110 and received at one or more antennas at network device 120. As explained in process 200, the phase differences can be determined by network device 120 and transmitted (402) from network device 120 to terminal device 110.

[0080] In some embodiments, prior to receiving the phase differences, terminal device 110 can receive an indication from network device 120 to transmit reference signals to network device 120 using different antennas of terminal device 110. Alternatively or additionally, prior to receiving the indication from network device 120, terminal device 110 can receive 604 a request from a location management device (e.g., location management device 130) for determining an orientation of terminal device 110.

[0081] Further, terminal device 110 determines (406) UL AoD based on the received phase differences and the antenna configuration of terminal device that transmitted the reference signals. And terminal device 110 transmits (408) the UL AoD to network device 120 for determining an orientation of terminal device 110.

[0082] In process 400, on the network device 120 side, network device 120 receives (410) the UL AoD from terminal device 110 and determines (412) an orientation of terminal device 110 based on the UL AoD. More specifically, network device 120 can also estimate (204) UL AoA based on the received reference signals, as explained in process 200. Then, network device 120 can calculate the orientation of terminal device 110 based on the estimated UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0083] In process 500, on the location management device 130 side, the location management device 130 receives (502) a UL AoD from the terminal device 110. Additionally, the location management device 130 receives (508) a UL AoA for (a plurality of) reference signals. Similarly, the UL AoA can be estimated by the network device 120, as explained in process 200, and transmitted (506) from the network device 120 to the location management device 130. Next, the location management device 130 can determine (510) the orientation of the terminal device 110 based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0084] In some embodiments, before receiving the UL AoA from the network device 120, the location management device 130 may send a request to the network device 120 to determine the orientation of the terminal device 110. Alternatively or additionally, before receiving the UL AoD from the terminal device 110, the location management device 130 may send a request to the terminal device 110.

[0085] For the purpose of clearer understanding, reference will now be made below. Figures 6-9 Some embodiments disclosed herein will be described in further detail.

[0086] Figure 6 An example of a process 600 for device orientation according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For clarity, it can be... Figure 6 The service in gNB is regarded as Figure 1 Network device 120 in the middle can Figure 6 The device in the middle is regarded as Figure 1 Terminal device 110 in the middle, and can be Figure 6 LMF in the context is considered as Figure 1 Location management device 130.

[0087] exist Figure 6 This paper proposes a new process for identifying device angles and orientations based on the existing NR UL positioning framework. The core idea is to use antenna switching operations and phase difference estimation of different antennas to obtain both AoA and AoD estimates, which can be used to ultimately determine the device orientation.

[0088] The entire concept includes the following key operations. The device uses a first antenna (e.g., Figures 7-9 The device antenna 111-1 in the middle is used to transmit UL PRS#1 (e.g., Figure 8 and Figure 9 SRS#1 in the table). gNB / TRP estimates θa (ULAoA) based on UL PRS#1. For discussion purposes, in Figure 8 The example of UL AoA estimation in the figure shows two angles, such as θ.a1 and θ a2 . Assuming that the communication environment 100 belongs to a far-field scenario, the UL AoA can be approximately equal to θ a1 or θ a2 . The estimation operation for the UL AoA can be done through the phase difference between at least two gNB / TRP antennas (e.g., antennas 121-1 and 121-2 in Figures 7-9 . Alternatively, the estimation operation can also be done through other AoA estimation algorithms (e.g., MUSIC).

[0089] Then, the device uses another antenna (e.g., device antenna 111-2 in Figures 7-9 ) to transmit UL PRS#2 (e.g., SRS#2 in Figure 9 ). The gNB / TRP estimates θc(UL AoD) based on UL PRS#1 and UL PRS#2. For the purpose of discussion, two angles are shown in the example of UL AoD estimation in Figure 9 , e.g., θ c1 and θ c2 . Assuming that the communication environment 100 belongs to a far-field scenario, the UL AoD can be approximately equal to θ c1 or θ c2 .

[0090] More specifically, the estimation operation for the UL AoD can be done in the following way. For example, the gNB / TRP uses one antenna (e.g., TRP antenna 121-1) to measure the phase difference between UL PRS#1 and UL PRS#2. With the known device antenna configuration (distance between device antenna 111-1 and device antenna 111-2) and the estimated phase difference, θc can be obtained through θc=arccos((2π d) / (Δ λ)), where d is the distance between device antenna 111-1 and device antenna 111-2, Δ is the phase difference between UL PRS#1 and UL PRS#2, and λ is the wavelength. Alternatively, the estimation operation for the UL AoD can be done at the location server (i.e., LMF). The gNB / TRP can report the measured phase difference to the LMF via the NRPPa protocol. The device can provide its antenna configuration (e.g., d) to the LMF via the LPP protocol, so the antenna configuration is not exposed to the RAN.

[0091] Next, as Figure 7As shown, the device orientation (i.e., θb) is derived from θa and θc via θb = θc - θa in the gNB / TRP or LMF. It should be noted that the two UL PRS transmissions should be as close as possible in the time domain to ensure high estimation accuracy. This idea can be extended to multiple gNB / TRPs for even more accurate estimations. Multiple device antennas (more than two) are needed to identify the device's 3D rotation. Figure 10 As illustrated, three different antenna pairs (such as antenna pairs 1011, 1012, and 1013) should be used to identify different dimensions. For example, antenna pair 1012 can be used to obtain orientation in the horizontal plane. However, antenna pair 1011 can be used to obtain orientation in the vertical plane. By combining them, 3D rotational orientation can be obtained. Furthermore, by deploying more antennas in the device, dimensional information can be obtained to calculate more accurate 3D orientation.

[0092] In detail, to implement the ideas presented in this disclosure, the following process may be required. For example... Figure 6 As shown, LMF activation is used for the proposed operation of device orientation determination. The LMF sends an activation instruction (602 or 604) (or, in the form of a “request”) to the serving gNB and / or neighboring gNB / TRP and / or the device. Upon receiving the device orientation request, the serving gNB configures the resources for ULPRS#1 and UL PRS#2. The serving gNB also notifies (606) the device to transmit UL PRS#1 and UL PRS#2 with different antennas. Therefore, the device transmits (608) both PRS. And the serving gNB measures (610) the phase difference between UL PRS#1 and UL PRS#2. The orientation estimation operation can then be performed in the following technical scheme.

[0093] In Option 1, orientation estimation is performed at the serving gNB. More specifically, the device reports the antenna distance to the serving gNB. Alternatively, the device reports (612) its antenna configuration and which antennas are being used to the serving gNB. The serving gNB calculates (614) the device orientation. The serving gNB indicates (616) the device orientation to the LMF using, for example, the NRPPa protocol (New Information Element).

[0094] In Option 2, orientation estimation is performed at the LMF. More specifically, the device reports (618) the antenna distance to the LMF. Alternatively, the device reports its antenna configuration and which antennas are used to the LMF. The serving gNB reports (620) the estimated phase difference to the LMF. The LMF then calculates (622) the device orientation.

[0095] In alternative 3, the orientation estimation is implemented at the serving gNB or LMF without transmitting the antenna configuration of the terminal device 110. In this embodiment, the UL AoD calculation is performed at the device. Unlike the previous embodiments, another potential way is to let the device acquire the UL AoD. This option can avoid disclosing the detailed device antenna configuration to the network, but has the disadvantage of larger latency.

[0096] More specifically, the device uses a first antenna (e.g., device antenna 111-1) to transmit UL PRS#1 (e.g., SRS#1). The gNB / TRP estimates θa(UL AoA) based on the UL PRS#1. The device uses another antenna (e.g., device antenna 111-2) to transmit UL PRS#2 (e.g., SRS#2). The gNB / TRP uses one antenna (e.g., TRP antenna #1) to measure the phase difference between UL PRS#1 and UL PRS#2. The gNB / TRP indicates the measured phase difference to the device. The device calculates the UL AoD based on the indicated phase difference from the gNB / TRP and its own antenna configuration. The device feeds back the UL AoD information to the gNB / TRP or LMF for device orientation computation.

[0097] The present disclosure focuses on how to acquire the device orientation through the 3GPP network, more specifically without any support of third party sensors. The technical solutions described in any of the above embodiments can achieve at least one of the following advantages. Compared with estimating carrier phase measurements that need to solve integer ambiguity solutions, less complex device orientation tracking is provided. The uplink technical solution can provide very low latency and direction tracking, as the measurements are acquired at the network (in uplink), which eliminates the need for orientation reporting by the UE. The orientation computation can be done next to the location server. This option requires opening the device antenna details on an open interface. The proposed method enables various new use cases, especially regarding industrial robots, vehicles (precise steering), and critical task aspects in user or device pose and orientation estimation and tracking related to XR services. The method described herein allows for improved mobility for XR type services, as normal TRPs can be used for simultaneous device positioning and orientation detection, e.g., without the need for limited area deployments with cable connections to the device, and without the need for dedicated beacons or reference points.

[0098] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating an example method 1100 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to the system 1000 of Figure 10. Figure 1 The method 1100 is described from the perspective of the terminal device 110.

[0099] At block 1110, the terminal device 110 receives (404), from the network device (120), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at the network device (120) at one or more antennas at the network device (120). At block 1120, the terminal device 110 determines (406) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110) that transmitted the first RS and the second RS. At block 1130, the terminal device 110 transmits (408) the UL AoD to the network device (120) or the location management device (130) to determine an orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0100] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device (110), respectively, within a predetermined time interval.

[0101] In some embodiments, prior to receiving the phase difference, the terminal device 110 can receive (606), from the network device (120), an indication to transmit the first RS and the second RS to the network device (120) using different antennas of the terminal device (110).

[0102] In some embodiments, prior to receiving the indication from the network device, the terminal device 110 can receive (604), from the location management device (130), a request to determine an orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0103] In some embodiments, upon receiving the orientation request from the location management device, the terminal device 110 can transmit (612, 618) the antenna configuration to the location management device (130) or the network device (120).

[0104] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating an example method 1200 implemented at a network device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For purposes of discussion, the method 1200 will be described with reference to the network device 120 and the terminal device 110. Figure 1 The method 1200 is described from the perspective of the network device 120.

[0105] At block 1210, the network device 120 determines (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at the network device (120) at one or more antennas. At block 1220, the network device 120 receives (208, 612), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS. At block 1230, the network device 120 determines (212, 614) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

[0106] In some embodiments, to determine the orientation of the terminal device, the network device 120 can estimate (204) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) based on the received first RS. Further, the network device 120 can estimate (210) an UL angle of departure (AoD) based on a second phase difference measured at one of the at least two antennas of the network device (120) and an antenna configuration. Further, the network device 120 can compute (212) the orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the estimated UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD.

[0107] In some embodiments, the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on a first phase difference measured at two or more antennas of the network device (120) from the received first RS.

[0108] In some embodiments, to determine the phase difference, the network device 120 can use a same antenna of the multiple antennas of the network device (120) to measure the second phase difference.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device (110) within a predetermined time interval, respectively.

[0110] In some embodiments, the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of the multiple antennas of the terminal device (110) and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

[0111] In some embodiments, prior to determining the multiple phase differences, the network device 120 can transmit (606) an indication to the terminal device (110) to transmit the first RS and the second RS using different antennas of the terminal device (110).

[0112] In some embodiments, prior to transmitting the indication, the network device 120 can receive (602) a request from the location management device (130) to determine the orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0113] In some embodiments, the network device 120 can report (616) the determined orientation of the terminal device (110) to the location management device (130).

[0114] Figure 13 A flowchart of an example method 1300 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For purposes of discussion, reference will be made to the system 100 of FIG. 1. Figure 1 The method 1300 is described from the perspective of the network device 120.

[0115] At block 1310, the network device 120 determines (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120). At block 1320, the network device 120 receives (502) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from the terminal device (110). At block 1330, the network device 120 determines (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the UL AoD.

[0116] In some embodiments, to determine the orientation of the terminal device, the network device 120 can estimate (204) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) based on the received first RS. Further, the network device 120 can compute (510) the orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the estimated UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0117] In some embodiments, the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on a first phase difference measured from the received first RS at two or more antennas of the network device (120).

[0118] In some embodiments, the network device 120 can transmit (402) a second phase difference measured at one of the at least two antennas of the network device (120) to the terminal device (110). The UL AoD is determined by the terminal device (110) based on the second phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110).

[0119] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device (110), respectively, within a predetermined time interval.

[0120] In some embodiments, the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of a plurality of antennas of the terminal device (110) and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

[0121] In some embodiments, prior to determining the plurality of phase differences, the network device 120 can transmit (606) an indication to the terminal device (110) to transmit the first RS and the second RS to the network device (120) using different antennas of the terminal device (110).

[0122] In some embodiments, prior to transmitting the indication, the network device 120 can receive (602) a request from the location management device (130) to determine the orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0123] In some embodiments, the network device 120 can report (616) the determined orientation of the terminal device (110) to the location management device (130).

[0124] Figure 14 A flowchart illustrating an example method 1400 implemented at a location management device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to the system 100 of FIG. 1. Figure 1 The method 1400 is described from the perspective of the location management device 130.

[0125] At block 1410, the location management device 130 receives (304, 620) from a network device (120) serving a terminal device (110), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120). At block 1420, the location management device 130 receives (308, 618) from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS. At block 1430, the location management device 130 determines (316, 622) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

[0126] In some embodiments, to determine the orientation of the terminal device, the location management device 130 can receive (314) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) from the network device (120). The UL AoA is estimated by the network device (120) based on the received first RS. Further, the location management device 130 can estimate (310) a UL AoD based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration, where the phase difference is measured at one of the at least two antennas of the network device (120). Further, the location management device 130 can compute (316) the orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD.

[0127] In some embodiments, the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on another phase difference measured from the received first RS at two or more antennas of the network device (120).

[0128] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) by a first antenna and a second antenna, respectively, of the terminal device (110) within a predetermined time interval.

[0129] In some embodiments, the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of a plurality of antennas of the terminal device (110), and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

[0130] In some embodiments, the location management device 130 can send (602) a request to the network device (120) for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) prior to receiving the phase difference from the network device. In some embodiments, the location management device 130 can send (604) a request to the terminal device (110) prior to receiving the UL AoD from the terminal device.

[0131] Figure 15 A flowchart illustrating an example method 1500 implemented at a location management device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to the system 100 of FIG. 1. Figure 1 The method 1500 is described from the perspective of the location management device 130.

[0132] At block 1510, the location management device 130 receives (508) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) from the network device (120). At block 1520, the location management device 130 receives (502) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from the terminal device (110) served by the network device (120). At block 1530, the location management device 130 determines (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0133] In some embodiments, the location management device 130 can send (602) a request to the network device (120) for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) prior to receiving the UL AoA from the network device. In some embodiments, the location management device 130 can send (604) a request to the terminal device (110) prior to receiving the UL AoD from the terminal device.

[0134] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the terminal device 110) capable of performing the method 1100 can include means for performing the various steps of the method 1100. This means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, this means can be implemented in circuitry or a software module.

[0135] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving (404), at the terminal device (110), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at one or more antennas at the network device (120) from the network device (120); means for determining (406) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110) that transmitted the first RS and the second RS; and means for sending (408) the UL AoD to the network device (120) or the location management device (130) for determining an orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0136] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device (110) within a predetermined time interval, respectively.

[0137] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving (606), from the network device (120) and prior to receiving the phase differences, an indication to transmit the first RS and the second RS to the network device (120) using different antennas of the terminal device (110).

[0138] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving (604), from the location management device (130) and prior to receiving the indication from the network device (120), a request for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0139] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting (612, 618) the antenna configuration to the location management device (130) or the network device (120) when the orientation request is received from the location management device (130).

[0140] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of the method 1100. In some embodiments, the means comprise at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform the steps.

[0141] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the network device 120) capable of performing the method 1200 can include means for performing each of the steps of the method 1200. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means can be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

[0142] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas of a network device (120), means for receiving (208, 612) an antenna configuration for transmitting the first RS and the second RS from the terminal device (110), and means for determining (212, 614) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

[0143] In some embodiments, the means for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) comprises: means for estimating (204) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) based on the received first RS; means for estimating (210) an UL angle of departure (AoD) based on a second phase difference measured at one of the at least two antennas of the network device (120) and an antenna configuration; and means for calculating (212) the orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the estimated UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD.

[0144] In some embodiments, the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on a first phase difference measured at two or more antennas of the network device (120) from the received first RS.

[0145] In some embodiments, the means for determining the phase difference comprises: means for measuring the second phase difference using the same antenna of the plurality of antennas of the network device (120).

[0146] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) within a predetermined time interval by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device (110), respectively.

[0147] In some embodiments, the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of the plurality of antennas of the terminal device (110) and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

[0148] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for transmitting (606), to the terminal device (110) and prior to determining the plurality of phase differences, an indication to transmit the first RS and the second RS using different antennas of the terminal device (110).

[0149] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for receiving (602), from the location management device (130) and prior to transmitting the indication, a request for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110).

[0150] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for reporting (616) the determined orientation of the terminal device (110) to the location management device (130).

[0151] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps in some embodiments of the method 1200. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0152] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing, for example, method 1300, can comprise means for performing each of the steps of the method 1300. These means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, they can be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

[0153] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining (202, 610) a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network equipment (120); means for receiving (502) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from the terminal device (110); and means for determining (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the UL AoD.

[0154] In some embodiments, the means for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) comprises means for estimating (204) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) based on the received first RS; and means for calculating (510) the orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the estimated UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0155] In some embodiments, the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on a first phase difference measured from the received first RS at two or more antennas of the network equipment (120).

[0156] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for sending (402) a second phase difference measured at one antenna of at least two antennas of the network equipment (120) to the terminal device (110). The UL AoD is determined by the terminal device (110) based on the second phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device (110).

[0157] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device (110) within a predetermined time interval, respectively.

[0158] In some embodiments, the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of a plurality of antennas of the terminal device (110), and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

[0159] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for sending (606), to the terminal device (110) prior to determining the plurality of phase differences, an indication to transmit the first RS and the second RS to the network equipment (120) using different antennas of the terminal device (110).

[0160] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving (602), from the location management device (130), a request for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) prior to transmitting the indication. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for reporting (616) the determined orientation of the terminal device (110) to the location management device (130).

[0161] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of the method 1300. In some embodiments, the means comprise at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0162] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the location management device 130) capable of performing the method 1400 can comprise means for performing each of the steps of the method 1400. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means can be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

[0163] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for receiving (304, 620), from a network device (120) serving the terminal device (110), a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device (110) and received at one or more antennas at the network device (120); means for receiving (308, 618), from the terminal device (110), an antenna configuration used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS; and means for determining (316, 622) the orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

[0164] In some embodiments, the means for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) comprises means for receiving (314), from the network device (120), an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA), wherein the UL AoA is estimated by the network device (120) based on the received first RS; means for estimating (310) a UL angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration, wherein the phase difference is measured at one of the at least two antennas of the network device (120); and means for calculating (316) the orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD.

[0165] In some embodiments, the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on another phase difference measured from the received first RS at two or more antennas of the network device (120).

[0166] In some embodiments, the first RS and the second RS are transmitted (608) by the first antenna and the second antenna of the terminal device (110) within a predetermined time interval, respectively.

[0167] In some embodiments, the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of a plurality of antennas of the terminal device (110), and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used for transmitting the first RS and the second RS.

[0168] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting (602), to the network device (120), a request for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) prior to receiving the phase difference from the network device. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting (604) the request to the terminal device (110).

[0169] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of the method 1400. In some embodiments, the means comprise at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0170] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the location management device 130) capable of performing the method 1500 can include means for performing each of the steps of the method 1500. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means can be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

[0171] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for receiving (508) an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) from the network device (120); means for receiving (502) an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from a terminal device (110) served by the network device (120); and means for determining (510) an orientation of the terminal device (110) based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

[0172] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting (602), to the network device (120), a request for determining the orientation of the terminal device (110) prior to receiving the UL AoA from the network device (120).

[0173] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting (604), to the terminal device (110), a request prior to receiving the UL AoD from the terminal device (110).

[0174] In some embodiments, the apparatus also includes means for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 1500. In some embodiments, the means includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0175] Figure 16 is a simplified block diagram of a device 1600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 1600 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as a terminal device 110, a network device 120, or a location management device 130 as shown in Figure 1 FIG. 1. As shown, the device 1600 includes one or more processors 1610, one or more memories 1620 coupled to the processor(s) 1610, and one or more communication modules 1640 coupled to the processor(s) 1610.

[0176] The communication module 1640 is for bidirectional communication. The communication module 1640 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface needed to communicate with other network elements.

[0177] The processor(s) 1610 can be of any type suitable to the local technical network and can include one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) and processors based on multi-core processor architectures, as non-limiting examples. The device 1600 can have multiple processors such as a dedicated integrated circuit chip that is time-slaved to a clock that is synchronized with a master processor.

[0178] The memory 1620 can include one or more non-transitory memories and one or more transitory memories. Examples of non-transitory memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 1624, electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of transitory memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 1622 and other volatile memories that do not persist in the absence of power.

[0179] The computer program 1630 includes computer executable instructions executed by the associated processor(s) 1610. The program 1630 can be stored in the ROM 1624. The processor(s) 1610 can perform any suitable action and processing by loading the program 1630 into the RAM 1622.

[0180] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by the program 1630 so that the device 1600 can perform the steps described with reference to Figures 2 to 6Any of the processes of the present disclosure discussed. Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be implemented by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0181] In some embodiments, the program 1630 can be tangibly embodied in a computer- readable medium, which can be included in the device 1600 (such as in the memory 1620) or in other storage devices accessible by the device 1600. The device 1600 can load the program 1630 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 1622 for execution. The computer-readable medium can include any type of tangible non-transitory memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, and the like. Figure 17 An example of a computer-readable medium 1700 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer-readable medium has the program 1630 stored thereon.

[0182] In general, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented using hardware or special-purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented using hardware, while other aspects can be implemented using software or firmware that is executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device. Although the various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, special- purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0183] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product having a tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a device (such as a real or virtual processor) cause the device to execute methods described above Figures 2-6 The program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as desired. Machine executable instructions for a program module can be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program modules can be located in both local and remote storage devices.

[0184] Program code for carrying out methods of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, causes the functions / operations specified in the flow charts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code can be entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0185] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or related data can be embodied by or in any suitable carrier, including a signal, a computer readable medium, etc.

[0186] A computer readable medium can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of a computer readable storage medium would include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is limiting to the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) and not to the data storage durability (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0187] Moreover, while operations can be described as following a specific sequence, this should not be understood as requiring such a specific sequence unless explicitly stated. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Likewise, while a number of specific implementation details have been included for the purpose of providing a thorough description of various embodiments, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure, but rather as being descriptive. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination with each other. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0188] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific implementations thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims shall cover all such variations and modifications that come within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A terminal device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device at least to: receive, from a network device, a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at one or more antennas at the network device; determine, based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device that transmitted the first RS and the second RS, an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and transmit, to the network device or a location management device, the UL AoD to determine an orientation of the terminal device.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the first RS and the second RS are transmitted by a first antenna and a second antenna, respectively, of the terminal device within a predetermined time interval.

3. The terminal device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal device is further caused to: receive, from the network device prior to receiving the phase difference, an indication to transmit the first RS and the second RS to the network device using different antennas of the terminal device.

4. The terminal device of claim 3, wherein the terminal device is further caused to: receive, from a location management device prior to receiving the indication from the network device, a request to determine the orientation of the terminal device.

5. The terminal device of claim 4, wherein the terminal device is further caused to: transmit, to the location management device or the network device, the antenna configuration upon receiving the orientation request from the location management device.

6. A network device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device at least to: determine a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas at the network device; receive, from the terminal device, an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and determine, based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration, an orientation of the terminal device.

7. The network device of claim 6, wherein the network device is caused to determine the orientation of the terminal device by: estimating an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) based on the received first RS; estimating an UL angle of departure (AoD) based on a second phase difference measured at one of the at least two antennas of the network device and the antenna configuration; and calculating the orientation of the terminal device based on the estimated UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on a first phase difference measured at two or more antennas of the network device from the received first RS. ​ 9. The network device of claim 7 or 8, wherein the network device is caused to determine the phase difference by: measuring the second phase difference using a same antenna of a plurality of antennas of the network device.

10. The network device of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the first RS and the second RS are transmitted by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device, respectively, within a predetermined time interval.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of a plurality of antennas of the terminal device, and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

12. The network device of any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the network device is further caused to: prior to determining the plurality of phase differences, transmit, to the terminal device, an indication to transmit the first RS and the second RS using different antennas of the terminal device.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the network device is further caused to: prior to transmitting the indication, receive, from a location management device, a request to determine the orientation of the terminal device.

14. The network device of any one of claims 6 to 13, wherein the network device is further caused to: report, to a location management device, the determined orientation of the terminal device.

15. A network device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device at least to: determine a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; receive, from the terminal device, an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and determine an orientation of the terminal device based on the UL AoD.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein the network device is caused to determine the orientation of the terminal device by: estimating an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) based on the received first RS; and calculating the orientation of the terminal device based on the estimated UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

17. The network device of claim 16, wherein the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on a first phase difference measured from the received first RS at two or more antennas of the network device.

18. The network device of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the network device is further caused to: transmit, to the terminal device, a second phase difference measured at one antenna of the at least two antennas of the network device, and wherein the UL AOD is determined by the terminal device based on the second phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device. ​ 19. The network device of claims 15-18, wherein the first RS and the second RS are transmitted by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device, respectively, within a predetermined time interval.

20. The network device of claim 19, wherein the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of a plurality of antennas of the terminal device, and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

21. The network device of any of claims 15-20, wherein the network device is further caused to: transmit, to the terminal device, an indication to transmit the first RS and the second RS to the network device using different antennas of the terminal device, prior to determining the plurality of phase differences.

22. The network device of claim 21, wherein the network device is further caused to: receive, from a location management device, a request to determine the orientation of the terminal device, prior to transmitting the indication.

23. The network device of any of claims 15-22, wherein the network device is further caused to: report the determined orientation of the terminal device to a location management device.

24. A location management device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the location management device to at least: receive, from a network device serving a terminal device, a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; receive, from the terminal device, an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and determine an orientation of the terminal device based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

25. The location management device of claim 24, wherein the location management device is caused to determine the orientation of the terminal device by: receiving an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) from the network device, wherein the UL AoA is estimated by the network device based on the received first RS; estimating a UL AoD based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration, wherein the phase difference is measured at one of the at least two antennas of the network device; and calculating the orientation of the terminal device based on the received UL AoA and the estimated UL AoD.

26. The network device of claim 25, wherein the estimation of the uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA) is based on another phase difference measured from the received first RS at two or more antennas of the network device.

27. The location management device of any of claims 24-26, wherein the first RS and the second RS are transmitted by a first antenna and a second antenna of the terminal device, respectively, within a predetermined time interval. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 28. The position management device of claim 27, wherein the antenna configuration comprises at least one of: a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; or an overall antenna configuration of a plurality of antennas of the terminal device, and an indication of the first antenna and the second antenna used to transmit the first RS and the second RS.

29. The position management device of any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the position management device is further caused to: transmit, to the network device, a request for determining the orientation of the terminal device prior to receiving the phase difference from the network device.

30. The position management device of claim 29, wherein the position management device is further caused to: transmit the request to the terminal device.

31. A position management device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the position management device to at least: receive, from a network device, an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA); receive, from a terminal device served by the network device, an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and determine an orientation of the terminal device based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

32. The position management device of claim 31, wherein the position management device is further caused to: transmit, to the network device, a request for determining the orientation of the terminal device prior to receiving the UL AoA from the network device.

33. The position management device of claim 31, wherein the position management device is further caused to: transmit, to the terminal device, the request prior to receiving the UL AoD from the terminal device.

34. A method comprising: receiving, at a terminal device, a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at one or more antennas of a network device; determining an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device that transmitted the first RS and the second RS; and transmitting, to the network device or a position management device, the UL AoD to determine an orientation of the terminal device.

35. A method comprising: determining, at a network device, a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; receiving, from the terminal device, an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and determining an orientation of the terminal device based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

36. A method comprising: determining, at a network device, a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; receiving, from the terminal device, an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and ​ ​ determine an orientation of the terminal device based on the UL AoD.

37. A method comprising: receiving, at a location management device, from a network device serving a terminal device, a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; receiving, from the terminal device, an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and determining an orientation of the terminal device based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

38. A method comprising: receiving, at a location management device, from a network device, an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA); receiving, from a terminal device served by the network device, an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and determining an orientation of the terminal device based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

39. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a terminal device, from a network device, a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS received at one or more antennas of the network device; means for determining an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) based on the phase difference and an antenna configuration of the terminal device used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and means for transmitting the UL AoD to the network device or a location management device to determine an orientation of the terminal device.

40. An apparatus comprising: means for determining, at a network device, a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; means for receiving, from the terminal device, an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and means for determining an orientation of the terminal device based on the plurality of phase differences and the antenna configuration.

41. An apparatus comprising: means for determining, at a network device, a plurality of phase differences between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by a terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; means for receiving, from the terminal device, an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD); and means for determining an orientation of the terminal device based on the UL AoD.

42. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a location management device, from a network device serving a terminal device, a phase difference between a first reference signal (RS) and a second RS transmitted by the terminal device and received at one or more antennas of the network device; means for receiving, from the terminal device, an antenna configuration used to transmit the first RS and the second RS; and means for determining an orientation of the terminal device based on the phase difference and the antenna configuration.

43. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a location management device, from a network device, an uplink (UL) angle of arrival (AoA); means for receiving an uplink (UL) angle of departure (AoD) from a terminal device served by the network device; and means for determining an orientation of the terminal device based on the received UL AoA and the received UL AoD.

44. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method of any one of claims 34 to 38.

Images