Method and apparatus for establishing priority values associated with sidelink positioning reference signals

Abstract

Techniques are provided for setting priority values for sidelink positioning. For an anchor user equipment, the method includes receiving information about a level of contribution to positioning performance of at least one first user equipment, or determining a number of first user equipment supporting sidelink positioning based on transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals. The method further includes determining a priority value associated with the sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of the positioning performance or the number of the first user equipments. The method further includes causing transmission of at least one sidelink positioning reference signal associated with the priority value. The invention also provides a corresponding method and device for the target user equipment and the location management function, and a computer readable storage medium.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 507147, filed June 9, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The example embodiments generally relate to positioning techniques using lateral link positioning reference signals, and more specifically to techniques for establishing priority values ​​associated with the lateral link positioning reference signals. Background Technology

[0003] Various techniques are used to determine the location of a user equipment (UE) called the target UE. One positioning technique relies on sidelink positioning reference signals transmitted between multiple anchor UEs and the target UE via a sidelink interface (e.g., a PC5 interface). Sidelink positioning can allow the provision of absolute positioning, relative positioning, or ranging information (defining the distance and / or direction between the target UE and anchor UEs) and can support a variety of use cases, including vehicle-to-everything (V2X), public safety, commercial and industrial Internet of Things (IoT), etc. For these and / or other use cases, various key performance indicators (KPIs) for sidelink positioning have been identified, including horizontal and vertical accuracy, positioning service availability, positioning service latency, time to first repair (TTFF), update rate, energy consumption, etc. In this context, vertical accuracy refers to height accuracy and can be used to determine floors for indoor use cases and can be used to distinguish superimposed tracks for highway and rail use cases (such as bridges). Positioning service availability is defined as the percentage of time it takes for the positioning service to deliver the required location-related data within performance requirements, divided by the expected time for the system to deliver the positioning service according to the specifications of the target service area. Location service latency refers to the time elapsed between the determination of location-related data after an event is triggered and the availability of location-related data at the system interface. TTFF is the time elapsed between the determination of location-related data after the first occurrence of an event and the availability of location-related data at the location system interface.

[0004] Positioning service levels have been defined based on various performance requirements for sidelink positioning. For example, in addition to horizontal and vertical accuracy requirements, requirements for positioning service availability and latency have been defined for different positioning service levels. In this regard, Table 7.3.3.3-1 of TS22.261 defines positioning service levels 4 (requiring at least 99.9% availability and latency not exceeding 15ms) and 6 (requiring at least 99.9% availability and latency not exceeding 10ms). Location service levels 4 and 6 can be used for a variety of use cases, including V2X use cases with lane-level positioning requirements, such as vehicle queuing, cooperative lane merging, lane change warnings, emergency braking warnings, intersection mobility assistance, etc.; or with sub-meter positioning measurements, such as high-definition sensor sharing, vulnerable road user collision risk warnings, cooperative maneuvering in emergencies, real-time situational awareness, high-definition maps, etc.; and IoT use cases, including future factory scenarios, including augmented reality in smart factories, mobile control panels with security functions in smart factories, manufacturing inbound logistics, and driving trajectories of indoor autonomous driving systems (if supported by other sensors such as cameras, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), etc.).

[0005] Sidelink positioning is based on the transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals from multiple anchor UEs received by the target UE. The location of the target UE, or the distance from the target UE to the anchor UE, can then be determined based on, for example, the sidelink time difference of arrival (TDOA) method, or the exchange of sidelink positioning reference signals between (multiple) anchors and the target UE, such as in the sidelink (multiple) round-trip time (RTT) method. The location management function (LMF) can coordinate sidelink positioning with the transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals from anchor UEs configured by the LMF. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Various embodiments generally relate to techniques for determining the location of a first (e.g., target) user equipment. Therefore, the methods, apparatus, and computer program products of the example embodiments can improve the efficiency and accuracy of lateral link positioning.

[0007] In one example embodiment, a method is provided that includes performing at least one of the following: receiving information about the contribution level of positioning performance of at least one first (e.g., target) user equipment, or determining the number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning based on the transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal. The method further includes: determining a priority value associated with the sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments. The method further includes: causing at least one sidelink positioning reference signal to be transmitted to at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value.

[0008] A method in one example embodiment may further include: determining a priority value includes: further determining the priority value based on the Quality of Service (QoS) associated with the location session. In one example embodiment, determining the priority value may include: determining the priority value based on predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user equipment with a corresponding priority value. In one example embodiment, the predefined information may include: at least one mapping table that associates a corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user equipment.

[0009] One example embodiment of the method for determining a priority value may include: reporting at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment, and receiving the priority value in response thereto.

[0010] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least one of the following: receiving information about the contribution level of positioning performance of at least one first (e.g., target) user equipment, or determining the number of first user equipments supporting lateral link positioning based on the transmission of a lateral link positioning reference signal. The apparatus is further caused to: determine a priority value associated with the lateral link positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments. The apparatus is further caused to: cause at least one lateral link positioning reference signal to be transmitted to at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one lateral link positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value.

[0011] The apparatus of one example embodiment is further configured to: determine a priority value based on the Quality of Service (QoS) associated with the location session. In one example embodiment, determining the priority value may include: determining the priority value based on predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user equipment with a corresponding priority value. In one example embodiment, the predefined information may include: at least one mapping table that associates a corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user equipment.

[0012] In one example embodiment, determining a priority value may include: reporting at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment, and receiving the priority value in response thereto.

[0013] In another example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the medium including program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions being configured to perform at least one of the following: receiving information about the contribution level of positioning performance of at least one first (e.g., target) user equipment, or determining the number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning based on the transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal. The program instructions are further configured to: determine a priority value associated with the sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments. The instructions are further configured to: cause at least one sidelink positioning reference signal to be transmitted to at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value.

[0014] In one example embodiment, the program instructions are further configured to determine a priority value based on the Quality of Service (QoS) associated with the location session. The program instructions for determining the priority value include: determining the priority value based on predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user devices with a corresponding priority value. In one example embodiment, the predefined information includes at least one mapping table that associates a corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user devices.

[0015] The program instructions for determining the priority value include: causing at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment to be reported, and receiving the priority value in response to thereon.

[0016] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for performing at least one of the following: receiving information about the contribution level of positioning performance of at least one first (e.g., target) user equipment, or determining the number of first user equipments supporting lateral link positioning based on the transmission of a lateral link positioning reference signal. The apparatus further comprises components for determining a priority value associated with the lateral link positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments. The apparatus further comprises components for causing at least one lateral link positioning reference signal to be transmitted to at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one lateral link positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value.

[0017] The apparatus may further include components for determining a priority value based on the Quality of Service (QoS) associated with the location session. The components for determining the priority value include: determining the priority value based on predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user equipment with a corresponding priority value. In one example embodiment, the predefined information includes at least one mapping table that associates a corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of location performance or different numbers of first user equipment.

[0018] The component for determining the priority value includes: reporting at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment, and receiving the priority value in response thereto.

[0019] In one example embodiment, a method is provided that includes: determining a contribution level of at least one second (e.g., anchor) user equipment to positioning performance. The method further includes: providing at least one indication of the contribution level. The method also includes: receiving at least one lateral link positioning reference signal from at least one second user equipment, based at least in part on the indication of the contribution level, by a first (e.g., target) user equipment.

[0020] In one example embodiment, the contribution level of positioning performance is determined based on at least one of the positioning performance gains when at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received. In this example embodiment, the contribution level of positioning performance is determined based on predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with either the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipment. In this example embodiment, the predefined information includes at least one mapping table that associates the contribution level based on the predefined information with at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance, where the at least one contribution level has either the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipment.

[0021] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause an apparatus associated with a first (e.g., target) user equipment to at least: determine a contribution level of at least one second (e.g., anchor) user equipment to positioning performance. The apparatus is further caused to: provide at least one indication of the contribution level. The apparatus is also caused to: receive at least one lateral link positioning reference signal from the at least one second user equipment, at least in part based on the indication of the contribution level.

[0022] In one example embodiment, the contribution level of positioning performance is determined based on at least one of the positioning performance gains when at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received. In this example embodiment, the contribution level of positioning performance is determined based on predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with either the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipment. In this example embodiment, the predefined information includes at least one mapping table that associates the contribution level based on the predefined information with at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance, where the at least one contribution level has either the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipment.

[0023] In another example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program instructions stored thereon for: determining a contribution level of at least one second (e.g., anchor) user equipment to positioning performance. The program instructions are also configured to: provide at least one indication of the contribution level. The program instructions are further configured to: receive at least one lateral link positioning reference signal from at least one second user equipment, at least in part based on the indication of the contribution level, from a first (e.g., target) user equipment.

[0024] In one example embodiment, determining the contribution level of positioning performance includes: determining the positioning contribution level based on at least one of the positioning performance gains when at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received. In this example embodiment, determining the positioning performance contribution level is based on predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of positioning performance contribution levels with the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments. In this example embodiment, the predefined information includes at least one mapping table that associates contribution levels based on the predefined information, wherein the at least one contribution level has at least one of a plurality of positioning performance contribution levels with the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

[0025] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising: components for determining a contribution level of at least one second (e.g., anchor) user equipment to positioning performance. The apparatus further comprises: components for providing at least one indication of the contribution level. The apparatus further comprises: components for receiving at least one lateral link positioning reference signal from at least one second user equipment by a first (e.g., target) user equipment, at least in part based on the indication of the contribution level.

[0026] The component for determining the contribution level of positioning performance is based at least on at least one of the positioning performance gains when at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received. In this example embodiment, the component for determining the contribution level of positioning performance includes: determining the contribution level based on predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments. In this example embodiment, the predefined information includes at least one mapping table that associates contribution levels based on the predefined information, wherein the at least one contribution level has at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

[0027] In one example embodiment, a method is provided that includes providing at least one of the following: predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or a different number of first (e.g., target) user equipment supporting lateral link positioning with a corresponding priority value; predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second (e.g., anchor) user equipment that can be used to support lateral link positioning; or a priority value associated with the transmission of a lateral link positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution levels of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment supporting lateral link positioning.

[0028] According to a method of an example embodiment, providing predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment supporting side-link positioning with corresponding priority values ​​includes: providing at least one mapping table that associates the corresponding priority values ​​with at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment.

[0029] One example embodiment of the method provides predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments that can be used to support sidelink positioning. This includes providing at least one mapping table that associates contribution levels based on the predefined information, wherein the at least one contribution level has at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

[0030] According to the method of the example embodiment, providing a priority value associated with the transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning includes: receiving at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments, and causing the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

[0031] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide at least one of the following: predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or a different number of first (e.g., target) user equipment supporting lateral link positioning with a corresponding priority value; predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second (e.g., anchor) user equipment available to support lateral link positioning; or a priority value associated with the transmission of a lateral link positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution levels of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment supporting lateral link positioning.

[0032] In one example embodiment, providing predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment supporting side-link positioning with a corresponding priority value includes providing at least one mapping table that associates the corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment.

[0033] In one example embodiment, providing predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments that can be used to support sidelink positioning includes providing at least one mapping table that associates contribution levels based on the predefined information, wherein the at least one contribution level has at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

[0034] In one example embodiment, providing a priority value associated with the transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning includes: receiving at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments, and causing the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

[0035] In another example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the medium including program instructions stored thereon for providing at least one of the following: predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or a different number of first (e.g., target) user equipment supporting lateral link positioning with a corresponding priority value; predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second (e.g., anchor) user equipment that can be used to support lateral link positioning; or a priority value associated with the transmission of a lateral link positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution levels of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment supporting lateral link positioning.

[0036] In one example embodiment, providing predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment supporting side-link positioning with a corresponding priority value includes providing at least one mapping table that associates the corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment.

[0037] In one example embodiment, providing predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments that can be used to support sidelink positioning includes providing at least one mapping table that associates contribution levels based on the predefined information, wherein the at least one contribution level has at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

[0038] In one example embodiment, providing a priority value associated with the transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning includes: receiving at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments, and causing the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

[0039] In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising: components for providing at least one of the following: predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or a different number of first (e.g., target) user equipment supporting lateral link positioning with a corresponding priority value; predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second (e.g., anchor) user equipment that can be used to support lateral link positioning; or a priority value associated with the transmission of a lateral link positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution levels of positioning performance or the number of first user equipment supporting lateral link positioning.

[0040] In one example embodiment, providing predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment supporting side-link positioning with a corresponding priority value includes providing at least one mapping table that associates the corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment.

[0041] In one example embodiment, providing predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments that can be used to support sidelink positioning includes providing at least one mapping table that associates contribution levels based on the predefined information, wherein the at least one contribution level has at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

[0042] In one example embodiment, providing a priority value associated with the transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning includes: receiving at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments, and causing the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

[0043] The above description of the invention is provided only to summarize some exemplary embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of this disclosure in any way. It should be understood that, in addition to those summarized herein, the scope of this disclosure includes many potential embodiments, some of which will be further described below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0044] After a general description of certain exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in the drawings:

[0045] Figure 1 The illustration shows an example of a communication system that can support side-link positioning according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 2 The illustration shows a block diagram of an apparatus that can be configured according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a signal diagram for establishing a priority value according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a signal diagram for establishing a priority value according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating operations implemented by at least one anchor UE according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; and

[0050] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating operations implemented by at least one target UE according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Some embodiments of this disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some, but not all, of the embodiments. In fact, various embodiments of this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the content of this disclosure meets applicable legal requirements. The same reference numerals consistently refer to the same elements. As used herein, the terms “data,” “content,” “information,” and similar terms are used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received, and / or stored according to embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the use of any such terms should not be construed as limiting the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0052] Furthermore, as used herein, the term "circuit system" means (a) a purely hardware circuit implementation (e.g., an implementation in an analog circuit system and / or a digital circuit system); (b) a combination of circuitry and (multiple) computer program products, including software and / or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media, which cooperate to cause a device to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) a circuitry, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which requires the software or firmware to function even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term herein, including in any claim. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also includes an implementation comprising one or more processors and / or portions thereof, along with accompanying software and / or firmware. As yet another example, for instance, the term "circuit system" as used herein also includes baseband integrated circuits or application processor integrated circuits for mobile phones, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, other network devices (such as core network devices), field-programmable gate arrays, and / or other computing devices.

[0053] The term “comprising” means including but not limited to, and should be interpreted in the manner in which it is typically used in the patent context. The use of broader terms such as “comprising,” “including,” and “having” should be understood to support narrower terms such as “consisting of,” “substantially consisting of,” and “substantially consisting of.” Furthermore, where the terms “comprising” and “including” and variations thereof are used in the detailed description or claims, these terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to that of the term “comprising.”

[0054] The phrases “in one embodiment,” “according to one embodiment,” “in some embodiments,” “in various embodiments,” etc., generally refer to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, but not necessarily in all embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, a specific feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in more than one embodiment of this disclosure, such that these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0055] As used herein, the terms “example,” “exemplary,” etc., are used to mean “served as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation, aspect, or design described herein as an “example” or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to other implementations, aspects, or designs. Rather, the use of the terms “example,” “exemplary,” etc., is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0056] If the specification specifies that a component or feature "may," "can," "may," "should," "will," "preferably," "possibly," "usually," "optionally," "for example," "often," or "will" (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, then that particular component or feature does not need to be included or does not need to have that characteristic. Such a component or feature may be optionally included in some embodiments or excluded.

[0057] As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" refers to non-transitory storage hardware, non-transitory storage device, or non-transitory computer system memory that can be accessed by a controller, microcontroller, computing system, or module of a computing system to encode computer-executable instructions or software programs thereon. A computing system or module of a computing system can access a non-transitory "computer-readable medium" to retrieve and / or execute computer-executable instructions or software programs encoded on the medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, one or more types of hardware memory, non-transitory tangible media (e.g., one or more magnetic disks, one or more optical disks, one or more USB flash drives), computer system memory, or random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, etc.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, according to various embodiments of this disclosure, a communication system 100 capable of supporting lateral link positioning is provided. In some embodiments, the communication system may include one or more target UEs 110 (e.g., a first UE) capable of communicating with each other, at least one anchor UE 120 (e.g., a second UE), and at least one location management function (LMF) or other server 130 in some embodiments. Although in Figure 1 The server 130 is depicted as separate from the target UE(s) 110 and anchor UE(s), but in some cases, the server 130 may be embodied by one or more UEs. The anchor and target UEs can be configured to communicate via a radio link (e.g., a direct radio link), such as via a sidelink, e.g., a PC5 interface, to transmit positioning reference signals to support sidelink positioning. As described below, the apparatus, method, and computer program product of the example embodiments are configured to set priority values ​​for sidelink positioning reference signals for at least one target user equipment to improve sidelink positioning accuracy and quality.

[0059] For example, communication system 100 can be deployed within a radio access architecture based on Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A, i.e., LTE-A) and / or New Radio (NR, 5G). However, the system can be deployed within other network architectures, including other communication networks, such as other communication networks developed in the future (e.g., sixth-generation (6G) networks), and any of many existing networks, including Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or e-UTRAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or Wi-Fi), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), Bluetooth®, Personal Communication Services (PCS), ZigBee®, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0060] The target UE 110 and / or one or more additional anchor UEs 120 can be any type of user terminal, terminal equipment, etc., to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned. For example, the target UE can be a portable computing device, such as a wireless mobile communication device, including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile station (mobile phone), smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, device using a wireless modem (alarm or measuring device, etc.), laptop and / or touch screen computer, tablet computer, game console, laptop, and multimedia device. User equipment can also be referred to as subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to name just a few.

[0061] At least one Location Management Function (LMF) or server 130 can be a network element and can be embodied by any of a variety of network nodes or functions, including, for example, a server, repository, storage device, etc. As described above, in one example embodiment, the server can be embodied by one or more UEs, such as target UE 110 or anchor UE 120. For purposes of explanation, but not limitation, LMF or server 130 will hereinafter be referred to as LMF.

[0062] According to various embodiments of this disclosure Figure 1The communication system can be configured to support a sidelink positioning session for at least one target UE 110. In this regard, the target UE 110 can be configured to receive one or more sidelink positioning reference signals (SL PRS) from one or more anchor UEs 120. The target UE 110 can be configured to determine its location or its distance from the anchor UE 120 based on the SL PRS, utilizing any of various techniques, such as time difference of arrival (TDOA) based on the SL PRS or the RTT based on the SL PRS exchanged between the target UE 110 and one or more anchor UEs 120. In various embodiments, the LMF 130 can coordinate the sidelink positioning session, such as by configuring at least one anchor UE 120 for transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals to the target UE(s) 110.

[0063] In one example embodiment, SL PRS is associated with a priority value. While various ranges or priority values ​​can be specified, one embodiment uses a priority value range of 1 to 8 (inclusive), where priority value 1 represents the highest priority and priority value 8 represents the lowest priority. Priority values ​​can allow for differentiated treatment of SL PRS transmissions in resource allocation, congestion control, and / or power control, with SL PRS having higher priority values ​​taking precedence over SL PRS having lower priority values. For example, resource preemption can be based on relative priority values, such as forcing the first UE to relinquish its reserved resource if a resource held by a first UE with a low priority value is subsequently selected and reserved by a second UE with a higher priority value. Similarly, resource re-evaluation can be based on relative priority values ​​in a similar manner to resource preemption, but in cases where a resource has been selected by a first UE but not yet reserved.

[0064] As described below, the priority value can be based on one or both of the contribution level of the target UE 110's positioning performance provided by the anchor UE 120 from the anchor UE 120 or the number of target UEs that the anchor UE can use to support sidelink positioning. In some embodiments, the priority value can also be based on the Quality of Service (QoS) associated with the positioning session between the target UE 110 and the anchor UE 120. While relying on QoS in combination with the contribution level of positioning performance and / or the number of target UEs supporting sidelink positioning can be beneficial, relying on QoS alone may not be sufficient. In this regard, relying solely on QoS may lead to a degraded sidelink positioning accuracy performance. In this respect, the positioning accuracy of sidelink positioning depends on various factors related to the quality of the SL PRS measurement at the receiving (Rx) UE (e.g., the target UE) and the relative position of the Rx UE to the transmitting (Tx) UE (e.g., the anchor UE). Since not all SL PRS are measured at Rx UEs with the same strength and / or quality, the impact of two Tx UEs on the positioning accuracy of the Rx UE is not the same. Therefore, discarding a Tx UE that transmits SL PRS with higher strength and / or quality will have a greater adverse impact on positioning accuracy than discarding a Tx UE that transmits SL PRS with lower strength and / or quality.

[0065] Furthermore, due to geometric dilution of precision (GDOP), the geographic location of the anchor UE relative to the target UE affects the positioning accuracy of the target UE. Therefore, anchor UEs located in areas with only a few (or no) other anchor UEs are more important for the accuracy of the target UE than anchor UEs located in areas with many other anchor UEs nearby.

[0066] Therefore, certain anchor UEs (among all anchor UEs) can contribute more to the positioning accuracy of the target UE, and the reliability of SL PRS transmissions for these anchor UEs can be more meaningful than for other anchor UEs. However, by only considering static QoS related to the priority value that defines SL PRS, it is impossible to capture the relative importance of an anchor UE to the positioning of the target UE relative to (or more) other anchor UEs, and thus SL positioning accuracy performance may be degraded.

[0067] Furthermore, relying solely on static QoS to determine the priority value of SL PRS can increase inter-UE coordination (IUC) signaling overhead and potentially reduce channel utilization. In this regard, the anchor UE may be serving multiple target UEs, for example, by sending SL PRS to multiple target UEs. In this scenario, resource selection for SL PRS transmission can involve IUC with the target UEs to find suitable multicast SL PRS transmission resources. Therefore, resource (re)selection at the anchor UE due to IUC with the target UEs can introduce signaling overhead. In this case, if any higher-priority transmission exists, and if only static QoS is considered when defining the priority value, the anchor UE may have to release resources it has selected and / or reserved due to resource re-evaluation or preemption. Therefore, in this case, the anchor UE will need to perform resource selection again, which will introduce further IUC signaling overhead. This issue is particularly significant when the anchor UE is serving multiple target UEs.

[0068] Now for reference Figure 2 An example device 200 is provided. Device 200 may be embodied by a target UE 110, an anchor UE 120, or an LMF 130. Device 200 may include a processor 202, a memory 204, and a network interface 206. Device 200 may be configured to perform the operations described herein. While these components are described with respect to the performance of various functions, it should be understood that a particular implementation necessarily involves the use of particular hardware. It should also be understood that some of these components may include similar or general-purpose hardware. For example, two circuit system assemblies may utilize the same processor, network interface, storage medium, etc., to perform their related functions, thus eliminating the need to provide duplicate hardware for each circuit system assembly.

[0069] In some embodiments, processor 202 (and / or coprocessor, any other processing circuitry assisting the processor, or any other processing circuitry otherwise associated with the processor) may communicate with memory 204 via a bus to transfer information between components of the device. Memory 204 is non-transitory and may include, for example, one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. In other words, memory 204 may be, for example, an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium). Memory 204 may be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, etc., enabling the device to perform various functions according to the example embodiments disclosed herein.

[0070] Processor 202 can be embodied in a variety of different ways and may include, for example, one or more processing devices configured to execute independently. In some non-limiting embodiments, processor 202 may include one or more processors configured in series via a bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelined and / or multithreaded. The term "processor" can be understood to include a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, multiple processors within the device, and / or a remote or "cloud" processor.

[0071] In some embodiments, processor 202 may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 204 and / or in a circuit system otherwise accessible to processor 202. In some embodiments, processor 202 may be configured to perform hard-coded functions. Thus, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, processor 202 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in a circuit system) capable of performing operations according to embodiments disclosed herein when configured accordingly. Alternatively, as another example, when processor 202 embodies an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure processor 202 to perform the algorithms and / or operations described herein when the instructions are executed.

[0072] In some embodiments, device 200 may optionally include an input / output circuitry system that can communicate with processor 202 to provide output to a user and / or other entities, and in some implementations, receive input indications. The input / output circuitry system may include a user interface and may include a display, and may include a network user interface, mobile application, query-initiating computing device, kiosk, etc. In some embodiments, the input / output circuitry system may also include a keyboard, mouse, joystick, touchscreen, touch area, softkeys, microphone, speaker, or other input / output mechanisms. The processor and / or the user interface circuitry system including the processor may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more user interface elements via computer program instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored in processor-accessible memory (e.g., memory 204, etc.).

[0073] Network interface 206 may be any component configured to receive and / or transmit data from / to a network (e.g., one or more gNBs, location management functions, and / or any other network device) and / or from / to a user equipment (e.g., one or more anchor UEs 120A, 120B) and / or to communicate with device 200, such as devices or circuit systems embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. In this regard, network interface 206 may include, for example, a network interface for enabling communication with wired or wireless communication networks. For example, network interface 206 may include one or more network interface cards, antennas, buses, switches, routers, modems, and supporting hardware and / or software, or any other devices suitable for communication via a network. Additionally or alternatively, network interface 206 may include circuit systems for interacting with one or more antennas to enable signal transmission via one or more antennas or to process the reception of signals received via one or more antennas.

[0074] Figure 3 and Figure 4 An example implementation of a signal flow according to an example embodiment is illustrated, wherein at least one anchor user equipment (UE) 120 may be configured to communicate with at least one target UE 110A, at least one additional target UE 110B, and / or at least one location management function (LMF) 130 (e.g., a server, etc.) to determine and utilize priority values ​​associated with its side-link positioning reference signal (SL PRS) transmission to at least one target UE 110, in order to improve the SL positioning performance of at least one target UE 110. According to one example embodiment, the determination of the priority value for at least one target UE 110A can be improved in various ways, such as by receiving information from target UE 110A and / or one or more additional target UEs 110B, wherein the information may include information about the level of contribution to the positioning performance of the UE. The determined priority value may be based at least in part on a mapping table and / or information provided to at least one anchor UE 120.

[0075] refer to Figure 3This describes the signaling flow for determining SL PRS transmission priority according to an example embodiment. In operation 1, target UE 110A, at least one anchor UE 120, and / or at least one additional target UE 110B can be configured to establish a sidelink (SL) positioning session, such as, but not limited to, an SL time difference of arrival (TDOA) positioning session. Target UE 110A and / or one or more additional target UEs 110B can be configured to determine the contribution level of the positioning performance of the respective target UE provided by at least one anchor UE 120. Then, as shown in operations 2a and 2b, information regarding the contribution level of positioning performance can be provided to the anchor UE 120.

[0076] The contribution level of positioning performance can be determined by the target UE 110A in various ways and represents the importance of the SL PRS from the anchor UE 120 to the accuracy of the subsequent location determination for the target UE, for example, by representing the expected positioning performance gain when using the SL PRS transmitted by the anchor UE. For example, the target UE 110A can be configured to determine the contribution level of positioning performance based on one or more parameters, including but not limited to: the proximity of the anchor UE 120, whether the anchor UE has line-of-sight with the target UE, the time of arrival (ToA) of the SL PRS from the anchor UE, the bandwidth allocated by the anchor UE for the SL PRS, the power level of the SL PRS provided by the anchor UE (e.g., Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)), the number of anchor UEs available to the target UE for positioning purposes, etc. When considering multiple parameters to determine the contribution level of positioning performance, these parameters can be weighted differently to have different effects on the contribution level of positioning performance. However, in one embodiment, the contribution level of positioning performance is defined as varying directly with the line-of-sight probability and / or RSRP relative to the anchor UE 120, thereby defining a higher level of positioning performance contribution for anchor UEs with a greater line-of-sight probability and / or RSRP.

[0077] However, in one example embodiment, the target UE 110A may receive, store, or access predetermined information that associates the contribution level of positioning performance with a predefined combination of the aforementioned parameters, such as with the expected positioning performance gain or the number of other anchor UEs available to the target UE. For example, a mapping table may be provided that includes predetermined information associating the contribution level of positioning performance with a predefined combination of the aforementioned parameters.

[0078] The resulting contribution level of positioning performance can be represented in various ways. For example, the contribution level of positioning performance can be defined as a discrete value ranging from a value representing a high contribution level to another value representing a low contribution level; for example, the descriptive value can range from 1, representing a high level, to 4, representing a low level. Alternatively, multiple anchor UE candidates can be ranked according to their relative contribution levels of positioning performance.

[0079] Although the illustrated embodiment depicts the level of contribution of the target UE 110A to the anchor UE 120 in terms of positioning performance, the LMF 130 can also know the level of contribution of positioning performance and therefore can provide this information to the anchor UE. Furthermore, in embodiments where the number of anchor UEs 120 available to the target UE 110A is a parameter considered when determining the level of contribution of positioning performance, either the target UE can provide this information to the anchor UE, or the LMF 130 can provide this information to the anchor UE.

[0080] exist Figure 3 In operation 3, anchor UE 120 determines the priority value for transmitting the Side Link Positioning Reference Signal (SLPRS) to target UE 110A. In the illustrated embodiment, the priority value is at least partially based on the contribution level of positioning performance, wherein the priority value changes directly with the contribution level of positioning performance. Therefore, anchor UEs with a higher contribution level of positioning performance will have a larger priority value associated with SL PRS. In the illustrated embodiment, the priority value is also based on the number of target UEs served by the anchor UE for side link positioning purposes. The priority value changes directly with the number of target UEs served by the anchor UE for side link positioning purposes. Therefore, anchor UEs serving a larger number of target UEs for positioning purposes will have a larger priority value associated with SL PRS. The priority value can also be based on one or more QoS parameters, such as static QoS parameters of the positioning session. The priority value can also change directly with the static QoS of the positioning session, assigning a larger priority value to positioning sessions with higher static QoS. The anchor UE 120 of this embodiment can be configured to combine the contribution level of positioning performance, the number of target UEs served by the anchor UE for positioning purposes, and the contribution of static QoS of the positioning session to the priority value in various ways, but in one embodiment, it is configured to sum the contribution of each of these factors.

[0081] In one example embodiment, the anchor UE 120 may receive, store, or access predetermined information that associates priority values ​​with different combinations of the level of contribution to positioning performance, the number of target UEs served by the anchor UE for positioning purposes, and the static QoS of the positioning session. For example, a mapping table may be provided that includes predetermined information associating priority values ​​with predefined combinations of the aforementioned factors.

[0082] exist Figure 3 In operation 4, anchor UE 120 is also configured to send at least one side link positioning reference signal (SL PRS) to at least one target UE 110A and / or at least one additional target UE 110B in association with a determined priority value.

[0083] Figure 4 The illustration shows an example implementation of the signal flow according to an alternative embodiment, wherein the LMF 130 knows the contribution level of the positioning performance of the target UE 110A, and in some embodiments, also knows the contribution level of the positioning performance of one or more additional target UEs 110B. At operation 1, a sidelink (SL) positioning session, such as an SL time difference of arrival (TDOA) positioning session, is established between the LMF 130, the anchor UE 120, and one or more target UEs 110 to begin establishing priority values.

[0084] exist Figure 4 At operations 2a and 2b, the target UE 110A and one or more optional additional target UEs provide information about the contribution level of the positioning performance of the respective target UE provided by the anchor UE 120 via SL PRS. The contribution level of positioning performance can be determined in various ways, including those described above. Figure 3 The manner described in the embodiments.

[0085] exist Figure 4 In operation 3, LMF 130 is configured to: determine the priority value of the SL PRS subsequently sent by anchor UE 120 for lateral link positioning purposes. The priority value may be determined based on the level of contribution to positioning performance and / or the number of target UEs 110 served by anchor UE 120 for positioning purposes, and optionally in conjunction with the static QoS of the positioning session with the target UEs. The priority value may be determined by LMF 130 in various ways, including as described above. Figure 3 The embodiments described herein may involve mapping, for example, a reference priority value to the level of contribution to positioning performance, the number of target UEs 110 served by anchor UE 120 for positioning purposes, and / or different combinations of static QoS of the positioning session with the target UE.

[0086] exist Figure 4 At operation 4, LMF 130 is configured to send a determined priority to anchor UE 120. In this respect, the priority is associated with an SLPRS subsequently sent by anchor UE 120 to one or more target UEs 110. Therefore, as shown in operation 5, anchor UE 120 then sends an SLPRS associated with the determined priority value to one or more target UEs 110.

[0087] Now for reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 It provides a device (such as Figure 2 An example flowchart of the operations performed by the device, which is composed of Figure 5 Anchor UE 120 and Figure 6 The target UE 110 is reflected in this. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates method 500, which can be performed by apparatus 200 embodied by anchor UE 120. This apparatus includes components such as processor 202, memory 204, network interface 206, etc., for performing at least one of the following: receiving information regarding the contribution level of the positioning performance of at least one target UE 110, and / or determining the number of target UEs supporting lateral link positioning based on the anchor UE's transmission of lateral link positioning reference signals. See block 502. Therefore, the apparatus may include components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for receiving information regarding the contribution level of the positioning performance of at least one target UE 110. This information may be received from the target UE 110 or from LMF 130. The apparatus may additionally or alternatively include components such as processor 202, memory 204, network interface 206, etc., for determining the number of target UEs supporting lateral link positioning based on the anchor UE's transmission of lateral link positioning reference signals. In one embodiment, the number of target UEs supporting SL positioning may be determined by the anchor UE based on the establishment of a connection with the target UE.

[0088] The apparatus 200 of this example embodiment further includes components, such as processor 202, for determining a priority value associated with a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance and / or the number of target user equipments. See block 504. In one embodiment, apparatus 200 (e.g., processor 202) is configured to determine the priority value based on predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance and / or different numbers of target user equipments with a corresponding priority value. In various embodiments, the predefined information may include configuration and / or pre-configuration information. For example, the apparatus embodied by anchor UE 120 may be configured with a mapping table, such as the mapping table provided by LMF 130, which includes predefined information for determining the priority value of sidelink positioning reference signal (SL PRS) transmission. In this respect, the predefined information may associate at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance and / or different numbers of target user equipments with a corresponding priority value. In another embodiment, the apparatus 200 embodied by the anchor UE 120 may be configured to determine a priority value by causing at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance and / or the number of target user equipments to be reported, such as to the LMF 130, and then, in response to this, such as by receiving a priority value from the LMF. In this embodiment, the LMF may maintain predefined information, such as a mapping table, that associates multiple contribution levels of positioning performance and / or different numbers of target user equipments with corresponding priority values, and then provide the final priority value to the anchor UE upon request and upon receiving reports of the contribution level of positioning performance and / or the number of target UEs supported by the anchor UE for positioning purposes.

[0089] The apparatus 200 further includes components such as a processor 202 and a network interface 206 for transmitting at least one sidelink positioning reference signal to at least one target UE 110. The at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is transmitted in association with a priority value.

[0090] In one example embodiment, apparatus 200 (such as processor 202) is configured to determine a priority value based not only on one or both of the anchor UE's contribution level to positioning and / or the number of target UEs supported by the anchor UE for positioning purposes, but also on the static QoS of the positioning session. Therefore, apparatus 200 of this example embodiment also includes components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for determining the static QoS associated with a positioning session of at least one target UE 110. Apparatus 200 (such as processor 202) for anchor UE 120 of this example embodiment is also configured to determine the priority value by further determining the priority value based on the static QoS associated with the positioning session, such as the sum of the contributions to the priority value provided by the positioning performance contribution level, the number of target UEs supporting the positioning purpose, and the static QoS of the positioning session, for example, by means of the LMF and / or the mapping table as described above.

[0091] Now for reference Figure 6 The example flowchart illustrates the operations performed, such as those by... Figure 2 The operation is shown and embodied in the device 200 embodied by the target UE 110. In this regard, the device 200 embodied by the target UE 110 includes components such as a processor 202, a memory 204, a network interface 206, etc., for determining the contribution level of at least one anchor UE 120 to the positioning performance. See block 602. The contribution level provided by the anchor UE 120 in the positioning of the target UE 110 can be determined in various ways as described above. In one embodiment, the device 200 (such as the processor 202) is configured to determine the contribution level of the positioning provided by the anchor UE 120 based at least in part on at least one of the following: (i) the positioning performance gain in the case of receiving at least one lateral crosslink positioning reference signal from the anchor UE, and / or (ii) the number of other anchor UEs from which at least one lateral crosslink positioning reference signal will be received. In this regard, the contribution level can vary directly with the positioning performance gain, so a larger positioning performance gain will result in a larger contribution level. However, the contribution level may vary indirectly with the number of other anchor UEs that will receive SL PRS from it, such that if the target UE receives SL PRS from only a few (if any) other anchor UEs, the contribution level of the anchor UE will increase.

[0092] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 (such as processor 202) embodied by the target UE 110 is configured to: determine a contribution level of positioning performance based on predefined information, which associates at least one of a plurality of positioning contribution levels with a positioning performance gain and / or the number of anchor UEs sending SL PRS to the target UE. In various embodiments, the predefined information may include configuration and / or pre-configuration information. The predefined information may include at least one mapping table, such as one provided by LMF 130 and stored in the memory 204 of the target UE 110, which associates the contribution level with at least one of a plurality of positioning performance contribution levels with a positioning performance gain and / or the number of anchor UEs sending SL PRS to the target UE.

[0093] The apparatus 200 further includes components such as a processor 202, a network interface 206, etc., for providing at least one indication of the contribution level. See box 604. At least one target UE 110 may send at least one indication of the contribution level to at least one anchor UE 120 and / or at least one LMF 130.

[0094] The apparatus 200 further includes components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for subsequently receiving at least one sideline location reference signal from at least one anchor UE 120 based at least in part on an indication of contribution level. See block 606. In this respect, as described above, the received sideline location reference signal may be based at least in part on a priority already determined by the anchor UE 120 according to the contribution level provided by the target UE 110.

[0095] The apparatus 200 may further include components, such as processor 202, for determining location based on at least one sidelink positioning reference signal. The determined location of the target UE 110 may be based at least in part on the relative locations of one or more anchor UEs. In some embodiments, the determined location of the target UE 110 may be based at least in part on configuring / controlling the positioning session and / or performing location estimation calculations (LMF). While the location of the target UE 110 may be determined based on the sidelink positioning reference signal in various ways, as described above, the apparatus 200 (such as processor 202 in the example embodiment) is configured to determine location based on TDOA or RTT.

[0096] On the other hand, the apparatus 200 embodied by LMF 130 may optionally be provided to facilitate the establishment of priority values ​​for SL PRS transmitted from anchor UE 120 to target UE 110. In this embodiment, the apparatus 200 embodied by LMF 130 includes components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for providing at least one of the following: (i) predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance and / or a different number of target UEs(a)110 supporting lateral link positioning (e.g., anchor UE 120) with corresponding priority values; (ii) predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance with positioning performance gain and / or the number of anchor UEs 120 that can be used to support lateral link positioning; or (iii) a priority value associated with the transmission of a lateral link positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution levels of positioning performance and / or the number of target UEs 110 supporting lateral link positioning (e.g., anchor UE 120). In various embodiments, the predefined information may include configuration and / or pre-configuration information.

[0097] For example, regarding providing predefined information that associates at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance and / or a different number of target user equipments supporting sidelink positioning with a corresponding priority value, the apparatus 200 embodied by LMF 130 may include components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for providing at least one mapping table that associates a corresponding priority value with at least one of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance and / or a different number of target user equipment information. Similarly, regarding providing predefined information that associates at least one contribution level of multiple contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or the number of anchor user equipments that can be used to support sidelink positioning, the apparatus 200 embodied by LMF 130 may include components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for providing at least one mapping table that associates a contribution level based on predefined information with a positioning performance gain or the number of anchor user equipments.

[0098] Furthermore, in one example embodiment, the apparatus 200 embodied by LMF 130 may be configured to: provide a priority value associated with the transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance and / or the number of target user equipments supporting positioning purposes by the anchor UE 120. For example, apparatus 200 may include components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for receiving at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance and / or the number of target user equipments supporting positioning purposes by the anchor UE 120, for example, received from the anchor UE 120. The apparatus 200 of this example embodiment further includes components such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc., for providing priority values ​​in response thereto, such as to anchor UE 120, for example after the LMF determines the priority value, for example by referring to a mapping table or other predefined information that associates the contribution level of positioning performance with / or the number of target UEs supported by the anchor UE for positioning purposes, and in some embodiments, associating the static QoS of the positioning session with the corresponding priority value.

[0099] As described above, the method, apparatus, and computer program product of the example embodiments establish priority values ​​for SL PRS sent by one or more anchor UEs 120 to target UE 110. By defining the priority of SL PRS more accurately, improvements can be provided in resource allocation, congestion control, and power control.

[0100] Furthermore, implementations of the various techniques described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Implementations can be implemented as computer program products, such as computer programs tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for example, in a machine-readable storage device or in a transmitted signal, for execution or control of their operation by a data processing apparatus (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers). Implementations can also be provided on a computer-readable medium or a computer-readable storage medium, which may be a non-transitory medium. Implementations of the various techniques can also include implementations provided via transient signals or media, and / or program and / or software implementations that can be downloaded via the Internet or (multiple) other networks (wired and / or wireless networks).

[0101] Computer programs can be in the form of source code, object code, or some intermediate form, and can be stored on some kind of carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium. These media can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Examples of such carriers include recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, photoelectric and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, computer programs can be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed across multiple computers.

[0102] Computer programs (such as the computer programs described herein) can be written in any programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as standalone programs or as modules, components, subroutines, or other units or parts adapted to a computing environment. Computer programs can be deployed to execute on one or more computers, which may be located at a single site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected via a communication network.

[0103] The operation of this method can be executed by one or more programmable processors that execute a computer program or portions thereof to perform a function by manipulating input data and generating output. The operation of this method can also be executed by a dedicated logic circuit system, and the device can be implemented as a dedicated logic circuit system, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0104] It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and combinations of blocks in the flowchart can be implemented in various ways, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuit systems, and / or other communication devices associated with the execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more processes in the above-described process can be implemented by computer program instructions. In this regard, computer program instructions embodying the processes described herein can be stored, for example, by memory 204 of device 200 and executed by processor 202. As will be understood, any such computer program instructions can be loaded into a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine that enables the resulting computer or other programmable device to perform the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can instruct the computer or other programmable device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of art whose execution implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions can also be loaded into a computer or other programmable device to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable device, thereby producing a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executing on the computer or other programmable device provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

[0105] Therefore, flowchart blocks support combinations of components for performing specified functions and combinations of operations for performing specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of a flowchart, as well as combinations of blocks in a flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions to perform the specified functions.

[0106] Many modifications and other embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

Claims

1. A method comprising: performing at least one of: receiving information on a contribution level of positioning performance of at least one first user equipment; or determining a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning based on transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals; determining a priority value associated with a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments; and causing transmission of at least one sidelink positioning reference signal to the at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value. determining the priority value also based on a quality of service, QoS, associated with a positioning session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the priority value based on predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments with respective priority values.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the priority value comprises: at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pre-defined information comprises: causing reporting of at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments and receiving the priority value in response thereto.

5. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the priority value comprises:

6. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: perform at least one of: receiving information on a contribution level of positioning performance of at least one first user equipment; or determining a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning based on transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals; determining a priority value associated with a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments; and causing transmission of at least one sidelink positioning reference signal to the at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: determine the priority value also based on a quality of service, QoS, associated with a positioning session. determine the priority value based on predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments with respective priority values.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein determining the priority value comprises: at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the pre-defined information comprises: cause reporting of at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments and receiving the priority value in response thereto.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein determining the priority value comprises:

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon configured to perform at least: performing at least one of: receiving information on a contribution level of positioning performance of at least one first user equipment; or determining a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning based on transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals; determining, based on transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals, a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning; determining, based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments, a priority value associated with a sidelink positioning reference signal; and causing transmission of at least one sidelink positioning reference signal to the at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further configured to determine the priority value further based on a quality of service, QoS, associated with a positioning session.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 or 12, wherein determining the priority value comprises: determining the priority value based on predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments with respective priority values.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the pre-defined information comprises: at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments information.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 or 12, wherein determining the priority value comprises: causing at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments to be reported, and receiving the priority value in response thereto.

16. An apparatus comprising: means for performing at least one of: receiving information on a contribution level of positioning performance for at least one first user equipment; or determining, based on transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals, a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning; means for determining, based on at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments, a priority value associated with a sidelink positioning reference signal; and means for causing transmission of at least one sidelink positioning reference signal to the at least one first user equipment, wherein the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is caused to be transmitted in association with the priority value.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: means for determining the priority value further based on a quality of service, QoS, associated with a positioning session.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 or 17, wherein determining the priority value comprises: determining the priority value based on predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments with respective priority values.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pre-defined information comprises: at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments information.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 or 17, wherein determining the priority value comprises: causing at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments to be reported, and receiving the priority value in response thereto.

21. A method comprising: determining a contribution level of positioning performance by at least one second user equipment; causing at least one indication of the contribution level to be provided; and receiving, by a first user equipment, at least one sidelink positioning reference signal from the at least one second user equipment based at least in part on the indication of the contribution level.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance is based at least on a positioning performance gain in case the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance is based on predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance with the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the predefined information comprises at least one mapping table associating the level of contribution based on predefined information with at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

25. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus associated with a first user equipment to perform at least: determining a level of contribution to positioning performance by at least one second user equipment; causing at least one indication of the level of contribution to be provided; and receiving at least one sidelink positioning reference signal from the at least one second user equipment based at least in part on the indication of the level of contribution.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance is based on a positioning performance gain in case the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance is based on predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance with the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the predefined information comprises at least one mapping table associating the level of contribution based on predefined information with at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon configured to perform at least: determining a level of contribution to positioning performance by at least one second user equipment; causing at least one indication of the level of contribution to be provided; and receiving, by a first user equipment, at least one sidelink positioning reference signal from the at least one second user equipment based at least in part on the indication of the level of contribution.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance is based at least on a positioning performance gain in case the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received. ​ 31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance is based on predefined information associating at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance with the positioning performance gain or the number of second user devices.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the predefined information comprises at least one mapping table associating the level of contribution based on predefined information with at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user devices.

33. An apparatus comprising: means for determining a level of contribution to positioning performance by at least one second user device; means for causing at least one indication of the level of contribution to be provided; and means for receiving, by an apparatus associated with a first user device, at least one sidelink positioning reference signal from the at least one second user device based at least in part on the indication of the level of contribution.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance is based at least on a positioning performance gain in a case where the at least one sidelink positioning reference signal is received.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein determining the level of contribution to positioning performance comprises determining the level of contribution based on predefined information associating at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance with the positioning performance gain or the number of second user devices.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the predefined information comprises at least one mapping table associating the level of contribution based on predefined information with at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user devices.

37. A method comprising: providing at least one of: predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance or different numbers of first user devices supporting sidelink positioning with respective priority values, predefined information associating at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second user devices available to support sidelink positioning, or a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of a level of contribution to positioning performance or a number of first user devices supporting sidelink positioning.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein providing pre-defined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning with respective priority values comprises: providing at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance or the different numbers of first user devices information.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein providing predefined information that associates at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of the second user equipment that can be used to support sidelink positioning comprises: providing at least one mapping table associating the contribution level based on the predefined information with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein providing a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level based on positioning performance or a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning comprises: receiving at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments and causing the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

41. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: providing at least one of: predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning with respective priority values, predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second user equipments available to support sidelink positioning, or a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of a contribution level of positioning performance or a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein providing predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments that support sidelink positioning with respective priority values comprises: providing at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or the different number of first user equipment information.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein providing predefined information that associates at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of the second user devices available to support sidelink positioning comprises: providing at least one mapping table associating the contribution level based on the predefined information with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein providing a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level based on positioning performance or a number of first user equipments that support sidelink positioning comprises: receiving at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments and causing the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon configured to cause at least to perform: providing at least one of: predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning with respective priority values, predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second user equipments available to support sidelink positioning, or a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of a contribution level of positioning performance or a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein providing the predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance or a different number of first user equipments that support sidelink positioning with respective priority values comprises: providing at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or the different number of first user equipment information.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein providing predefined information that associates at least one of the plurality of levels of contribution to positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of the second user equipments available to support sidelink positioning comprises: providing at least one mapping table associating the contribution level based on the predefined information with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein providing a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the level of contribution to positioning performance or a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning comprises: to receive at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments and to cause the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

49. An apparatus comprising: means for providing at least one of predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning with respective priority values, predefined information associating at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of second user equipments available to support sidelink positioning, or a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of a contribution level of positioning performance or a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein providing predefined information that associates at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipments that support sidelink positioning with respective priority values comprises: to provide at least one mapping table associating the respective priority values with at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance or different numbers of first user equipment information.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein providing predefined information that associates at least one of the plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance with a positioning performance gain or a number of the second user devices available to support sidelink positioning comprises: to provide at least one mapping table associating the contribution level based on predefined information with at least one of a plurality of contribution levels of positioning performance, the at least one contribution level having the positioning performance gain or the number of second user equipments.

52. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein providing a priority value associated with transmission of a sidelink positioning reference signal based on at least one of the contribution level based on positioning performance or a number of first user equipments supporting sidelink positioning comprises: to receive at least one of the contribution level of positioning performance or the number of first user equipments and to cause the priority value to be provided in response thereto.

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