Device capability handling for over-the-top (OTT) network-based services

Abstract

A communication technique is disclosed. In one aspect, a capability server: receives one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; sends a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; and configures a second UE using one or more parameters of the network-based session, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE at least in part based on the first set of capabilities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] All aspects of this disclosure relate to wireless technology. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication systems have evolved through many generations, including first-generation analog radiotelephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital radiotelephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, wireless services with internet capabilities, and fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax). Currently, many different types of wireless communication systems are in use, including cellular systems and Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems. Known examples of cellular systems include cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), as well as digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and others.

[0003] The fifth-generation (5G) wireless standard, known as New Radio (NR), delivers higher data transfer speeds, more connections, better coverage, and other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGC), the 5G standard is designed to provide higher data rates, more accurate positioning (e.g., based on Positioning Reference Signals (RS-P), such as downlink, uplink, or sidelink Positioning Reference Signals (PRS)), and other technological enhancements compared to previous standards. These enhancements, along with the use of higher frequency bands, advancements in the PRS process and technology, and the high-density deployment of 5G, enable high-accuracy positioning based on 5G. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is a simplified summary of the invention relating to one or more aspects disclosed herein. Therefore, this summary should not be considered an exhaustive overview relating to all conceived aspects, nor should it be considered to identify key or decisive elements relating to all conceived aspects or to depict the scope associated with any particular aspect. Thus, the sole purpose of this summary is to present, in a simplified form, certain concepts relating to one or more aspects involving the mechanisms disclosed herein, prior to the detailed description presented below.

[0005] In one aspect, a method of communication performed by a capability server includes: receiving one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; sending a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; configuring a second UE using one or more parameters of the network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE at least in part based on the first set of capabilities.

[0006] In one aspect, a capability server includes: one or more memories; one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors being individually or in combination configured to: receive one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE) via the one or more transceivers, the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; send a response message to the first UE via the one or more transceivers including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; and configure a second UE using one or more parameters of the network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE based at least in part on the first set of capabilities.

[0007] In one aspect, a capability server includes: components for receiving one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; components for sending a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as UEs having the first set of capabilities; and components for configuring a second UE using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE at least in part based on the first set of capabilities.

[0008] In one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a capability server, cause the capability server to: receive one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; send a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; and configure a second UE using one or more parameters of the network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE at least in part based on the first set of capabilities.

[0009] Based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description, other objects and advantages associated with the aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings are provided to help describe various aspects of this disclosure, and are provided for illustrative purposes only and not to limit the aspects.

[0011] Figure 1 Example wireless communication systems according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0012] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C Example wireless network architectures based on various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0013] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C It is a simplified block diagram of several examples of components that can be used in user equipment (UE), base stations and network entities and configured to support communications as taught herein.

[0014] Figure 4 Examples of Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) capability transfer processes, auxiliary data transfer processes, and location information transfer processes between a target device and a location server according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example frame structure according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) configuration according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a graph of example channel energy response (CER) estimates based on various aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 8 An example of an over-the-top (OTT) positioning process using TRS is illustrated according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 9 Example signaling flows for switching device capabilities according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0020] Figure 10 An example signaling flow is illustrated for requesting Base Station Almanac (BSA) information based on the capability indicators of various aspects of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 11 An example signaling flow is illustrated for requesting crowdsourcing activity information based on the capability indicators of various aspects of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 12 Example methods of communication according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Various aspects of this disclosure are provided in the following description and accompanying drawings of various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of this disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of this disclosure.

[0024] The various aspects involve wireless technology as a whole. Some aspects are more specifically related to device capability processing for over-the-top (OTT) network-based sessions (or services). In some examples, a user equipment (UE) sends one or more capability messages to a capability server (OTT server) indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the UE for one or more network-based sessions. In response, the capability server provides the UE with at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities.

[0025] In some examples, the UE may send a request to a network entity to obtain a network-based session provided by the network entity. The request may include a capability indicator. The network entity may send a request to a capability server for the capabilities of the UE associated with the network-based session, wherein the request includes the capability indicator. The capability server may then provide the network entity with a subset of the capabilities applicable to the UE for the network-based session provided by the network entity.

[0026] Specific aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, by using capability indicators to represent a set of UE capabilities, the described techniques can be used to reduce the signaling overhead originally required for exchanging UE capabilities for network-based sessions.

[0027] The terms “exemplary” and / or “example” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” and / or “example” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other aspects. Similarly, the term “aspects of this disclosure” does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed.

[0028] Those skilled in the art will understand that any of the various techniques and skills available can be used to represent the information and signals described below. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the following description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, and so on.

[0029] Furthermore, many aspects are described according to a sequence of actions to be performed by elements of, for example, a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuitry (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, the sequence of actions described herein can be considered to be entirely embodied in any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, will cause or command the associated processor of the device to perform the functionality described herein. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be embodied in a variety of different forms, all of which are contemplated within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, for each aspect described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect can be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

[0030] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the terms “User Equipment” (UE) and “Base Station” are not intended to be specific or otherwise limited to any particular Radio Access Technology (RAT). Generally, a UE can be any wireless communication device used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network (e.g., mobile phone, router, tablet computer, laptop computer, consumer asset positioning device, wearable device (e.g., smartwatch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.). A UE can be mobile or can (e.g., at certain times) be stationary and can communicate with a Radio Access Network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” can be interchangeably referred to as “Access Terminal” or “AT,” “Client Equipment,” “Wireless Equipment,” “Subscriber Equipment,” “Subscriber Terminal,” “Subscriber Station,” “User Terminal” or “UT,” “Mobile Equipment,” “Mobile Terminal,” “Mobile Station,” or variations thereof. Generally, a UE can communicate with a core network via the RAN, and through the core network, a UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and to other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible for the UE, such as through wired access networks, wireless local area network (WLAN) networks (e.g., based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, etc.).

[0031] A base station may operate according to one of several RATs to communicate with the UE, depending on the network in which it is deployed, and may alternatively be referred to as an Access Point (AP), Network Node, NodeB, Evolved NodeB (eNB), Next Generation eNB (ng-eNB), New Radio (NR) NodeB (also referred to as gNB or gNodeB), etc. The base station may primarily be used to support the UE's radio access, including supporting data, voice, and / or signaling connections for the supported UE. In some systems, the base station may only provide edge node signaling functions, while in others, it may provide additional control and / or network management functions. The communication link through which the UE can transmit signals to the base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the base station can transmit signals to the UE is called a downlink (DL) or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term "traffic channel (TCH)" may refer to an uplink / reverse traffic channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0032] The term "base station" can refer to a single physical transmit / receive point (TRP) or multiple physical TRPs that may or may not be co-located. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP can be the antenna of a base station corresponding to a cell (or several cell sectors) of the base station. When the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP can be the antenna array of the base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or where the base station employs beamforming). When the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical TRPs, the physical TRP can be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected via a transmission medium to a common source) or a remote radio headend (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, a non-co-located physical TRP can be the serving base station from which the UE receives measurement reports and a neighboring base station where the UE is measuring its reference radio frequency (RF) signal. Because, as used herein, a TRP is the point by which a base station transmits and receives radio signals, references to transmitting from or receiving at a base station should be understood to refer to a specific TRP of the base station.

[0033] In some specific implementations supporting UE positioning, the base station may not support the UE's radio access (e.g., it may not support data, voice, and / or signaling connections for the UE), but may instead transmit reference signals to the UE for measurement and / or receive and measure signals transmitted by the UE. Such a base station may be referred to as a positioning beacon (e.g., in the case of transmitting signals to the UE) and / or as a location measurement unit (e.g., in the case of receiving and measuring signals from the UE).

[0034] An “RF signal” refers to an electromagnetic wave of a given frequency that transmits information across the space between a transmitter and a receiver. As used herein, a transmitter may send a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels, a receiver may receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same transmitted RF signal on different paths between the transmitter and receiver may be referred to as a “multipath” RF signal. As used herein, an RF signal may also be referred to as a “wireless signal” or simply a “signal” where the context clearly indicates that the term “signal” refers to a wireless signal or an RF signal.

[0035] Figure 1An example wireless communication system 100 according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100 (which may also be referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) may include various base stations 102 (labeled "BS") and various UEs 104. Base station 102 may include macro cell base stations (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cell base stations (low-power cellular base stations). In one aspect, the macro cell base station may include an eNB and / or an ng-eNB (wherein the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an LTE network), or a gNB (wherein the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an NR network), or a combination of both, and the small cell base station may include femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc.

[0036] Base station 102 can collectively form a RAN and interface with core network 170 (e.g., evolved packet core (EPC) or 5G core (5GC)) via backhaul link 122, and interface with one or more location servers 172 (e.g., location management function (LMF) or secure user plane location (SUPL) location platform (SLP)) via core network 170. Location server 172 can be part of core network 170 or can be external to core network 170. Location server 172 can be integrated with base station 102. UE 104 can communicate with location server 172 directly or indirectly. For example, UE 104 can communicate with location server 172 via base station 102 currently serving UE 104. UE 104 can also communicate with location server 172 via another path, such as via application server (not shown), via another network, such as via wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) (e.g., AP 150 described below), etc. For signaling purposes, communication between UE 104 and location server 172 can be represented as an indirect connection (e.g., via core network 170, etc.) or a direct connection (e.g., as shown via direct connection 128), wherein intermediate nodes (if present) are omitted from the signaling diagram for clarity.

[0037] In addition to other functions, base station 102 may perform functions associated with one or more of the following: transmitting user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, location, and delivery of warning messages. Base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC / 5GC) on backhaul link 134, which may be wired or wireless.

[0038] Base station 102 can wirelessly communicate with UE 104. Each base station in base station 102 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 110. In one aspect, one or more cells can be supported by base station 102 in each geographic coverage area 110. A “cell” is a logical communication entity used to communicate with a base station (e.g., via a frequency resource, which is referred to as a carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, frequency band, etc.) and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCI), Enhanced Cell Identifier (ECI), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCI), Cell Global Identifier (CGI), etc.) used to distinguish cells operating via the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cells can be configured according to different protocol types that can provide access for different types of UEs (e.g., Machine Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or other protocol types). Because a cell is supported by a specific base station, the term “cell” can refer to either or both of the logical communication entity and the base station supporting the logical communication entity, depending on the context. Additionally, since the TRP is typically the physical transmission point of a cell, the terms "cell" and "TRP" can be used interchangeably. In some cases, the term "cell" can also refer to the geographical coverage area of ​​a base station (e.g., a sector), as long as the carrier frequency can be detected and used for communication within a portion of the geographical coverage area 110.

[0039] While the geographic coverage areas 110 of adjacent macro cell base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in handover areas), some areas within geographic coverage areas 110 may substantially overlap with larger geographic coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell base station 102' (labeled "SC" for "small cell") may have a geographic coverage area 110' that substantially overlaps with the geographic coverage areas 110 of one or more macro cell base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell base stations and macro cell base stations can be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include a home eNB (HeNB) that can provide service to a restricted group referred to as a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG).

[0040] The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (also known as reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also known as forward link) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104. The communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna techniques, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may use one or more carrier frequencies. Carrier allocation may be asymmetric for the downlink and uplink (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to the downlink compared to the uplink).

[0041] The wireless communication system 100 may also include a WLAN access point (AP) 150 that communicates with a wireless local area network (WLAN) station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz). When communicating in unlicensed spectrum, the WLAN STA 152 and / or WLAN AP 150 may perform a free channel assessment (CCA) or listen-before-talk (LBT) process before communication to determine whether the channel is available.

[0042] Small cell base station 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in unlicensed spectrum, small cell base station 102' can employ LTE or NR technology and use the same 5GHz unlicensed spectrum as WLAN AP 150. Small cell base station 102' employing LTE / 5G in unlicensed spectrum can improve the coverage and / or increase the capacity of the access network. NR in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as NR-U. LTE in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as LTE-U, Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), or MULTEFIRE. ® .

[0043] The wireless communication system 100 may also include a millimeter-wave (mmW) base station 180, which can operate at mmW and / or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with the UE 182. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that contains radio frequency (RF). EHF has a range from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, with wavelengths between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in this band can be referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW extends down to 3 GHz with wavelengths of 100 mm. Ultra-high frequency (SHF) bands extend between 3 GHz and 30 GHz, and are also referred to as centimeter waves. Communication using mmW / near-mmW radio bands has high path loss and relatively short range. The mmW base station 180 and the UE 182 can utilize beamforming (transmit and / or receive) on the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range. Furthermore, it should be understood that in alternative configurations, one or more base stations 102 may also use mmW or near-mmW and beamforming for transmission. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing examples are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the various aspects disclosed herein.

[0044] Transmit beamforming is a technique used to focus RF signals in a specific direction. Traditionally, when a network node (e.g., a base station) broadcasts an RF signal, it broadcasts the signal in all directions (omnidirectionally). Using transmit beamforming, the network node determines where a given target device (e.g., a UE) is located (relative to the transmitting network node) and projects a stronger downlink RF signal in that specific direction, thus providing the receiving device with a faster and stronger RF signal (in terms of data rate). To change the directivity of the RF signal during transmission, the network node can control the phase and relative amplitude of the RF signal at each of one or more transmitters broadcasting the RF signal. For example, the network node can use an array of antennas (called a "phased array" or "antenna array") that forms an RF beam that can be "manipulated" to be pointed in different directions without actually moving the antennas. Specifically, RF currents from the transmitters are fed to individual antennas with the correct phase relationship, such that radio waves from the individual antennas add up in the desired direction to increase radiation, while canceling out in the undesired direction to suppress radiation.

[0045] Transmit beams can be quasi-co-located, meaning they appear to the receiver (e.g., the UE) as having the same parameters regardless of whether the network node's own transmit antennas are physically co-located. In NR, there are four types of quasi-co-located (QCL) relationships. Specifically, a given type of QCL relationship means that certain parameters of a second reference RF signal on a second beam can be derived based on information about the source reference RF signal on the source beam. Therefore, if the source reference RF signal is QCL type A, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type B, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and Doppler spread of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL type C, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and average delay of the second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is of type QCL D, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the spatial reception parameters of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel.

[0046] In receive beamforming, a receiver uses a receive beam to amplify an RF signal detected on a given channel. For example, the receiver may increase the gain setting of an antenna array in a particular direction and / or adjust the phase setting of the antenna array in a particular direction to amplify the RF signal received from that direction (e.g., increase its gain level). Therefore, when a receiver is described as performing beamforming in a certain direction, it means that the beam gain in that direction is high relative to the beam gain along other directions, or that the beam gain in that direction is the highest compared to the beam gain of all other receive beams available to the receiver in that direction. This results in a stronger received signal strength (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), etc.) of the RF signal received from that direction.

[0047] The transmit and receive beams can be spatially correlated. Spatial correlation means that parameters for a second beam (e.g., transmit or receive beam) for a second reference signal can be derived based on information about a first beam (e.g., receive or transmit beam) for a first reference signal. For example, a UE can use a specific receive beam to receive a reference downlink reference signal (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB)) from a base station. The UE can then form a transmit beam for transmitting an uplink reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)) to that base station based on the parameters of the receive beam.

[0048] It is important to note that, depending on the entity forming the "downlink" beam, the beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if the base station is forming a downlink beam to transmit a reference signal to the UE, the downlink beam is a transmit beam. However, if the UE is forming a downlink beam, the downlink beam is a receive beam for receiving the downlink reference signal. Similarly, depending on the entity forming the "uplink" beam, the beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam. For example, if the base station is forming an uplink beam, the uplink beam is an uplink receive beam, while if the UE is forming an uplink beam, the uplink beam is an uplink transmit beam.

[0049] The electromagnetic spectrum is typically subdivided into various categories, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been designated as frequency ranges FR1 (410MHz to 7.125GHz) and FR2 (24.25GHz to 52.6GHz). It should be understood that although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6GHz, in various documents and articles, FR1 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the "sub-6GHz" band. A similar naming issue sometimes occurs with FR2, which is often (interchangeably) referred to as the "millimeter wave" band in documents and articles, although this differs from the designation used by the International Telecommunication Union.® Extremely high frequency (EHF) bands (30 GHz to 300 GHz) are designated as “millimeter wave” bands.

[0050] The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are generally referred to as mid-band frequencies. Recent 5G NR studies have identified the operating bands used for these mid-band frequencies as the frequency range designation FR3 (7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz). Bands falling within FR3 can inherit FR1 and / or FR2 characteristics, thus effectively extending the features of FR1 and / or FR2 to mid-band frequencies. Furthermore, higher frequency bands are currently being explored to extend 5G NR operation beyond 52.6 GHz. For example, three higher operating frequency bands have been identified as the frequency range designations FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz to 71 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz to 300 GHz). Each of these higher frequency bands falls within the EHF band.

[0051] In light of the foregoing, unless otherwise specifically stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "below 6 GHz" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies less than 6 GHz, within FR1, or including intermediate frequency band frequencies. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "millimeter wave" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies that can include intermediate frequency band frequencies, within FR2, FR4, FR4-a or FR4-1 and / or FR5, or within the EHF band.

[0052] In multi-carrier systems such as 5G, one of the carrier frequencies is referred to as the "primary carrier," "anchor carrier," "primary serving cell," or "PCell," and the remaining carrier frequencies are referred to as "secondary carriers," "secondary serving cells," or "SCell." In carrier aggregation, the anchor carrier is the carrier operating on the primary frequency (e.g., FR1) used by UE 104 / 182 and the cell, where UE 104 / 182 performs an initial Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection establishment procedure or initiates an RRC connection re-establishment procedure. The primary carrier carries all common and UE-specific control channels and can be a carrier on a licensed frequency (however, this is not always the case). The secondary carrier is a carrier operating on a second frequency (e.g., FR2) that can be configured and used to provide additional radio resources once an RRC connection is established between UE 104 and the anchor carrier. In some cases, the secondary carrier can be a carrier on an unlicensed frequency. Secondary carriers may contain only the necessary signaling information and signals. For example, since the primary uplink and primary downlink carriers are typically UE-specific, the UE-specific signaling information and signals may not be present in the secondary carrier. This means that different UEs 104 / 182 within a cell can have different downlink primary carriers. The same applies to the uplink primary carrier. The network can change the primary carrier of any UE 104 / 182 at any time. This is done, for example, to balance the load on different carriers. Since a "serving cell" (whether PCell or SCell) corresponds to the carrier frequency / component carrier through which a base station communicates, the terms "cell," "serving cell," "component carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0053] For example, still refer to Figure 1 One of the frequencies used by macro cell base station 102 can be an anchor carrier (or "PCell"), and the other frequencies used by macro cell base station 102 and / or mmW base station 180 can be secondary carriers ("SCell"). Simultaneous transmission and / or reception on multiple carriers allows UE 104 / 182 to significantly increase its data transmission and / or reception rates. For example, compared to the data rate obtained by a single 20MHz carrier, two aggregated 20MHz carriers in a multi-carrier system would theoretically result in a doubling of the data rate (i.e., 40MHz).

[0054] The wireless communication system 100 may also include a UE 164, which can communicate with the macro cell base station 102 via communication link 120 and / or with the mmW base station 180 via mmW communication link 184. For example, the macro cell base station 102 may support PCells and one or more SCells for the UE 164, and the mmW base station 180 may support one or more SCells for the UE 164.

[0055] In some cases, UE 164 and UE 182 may be able to communicate via sidelink. A sidelink-capable UE (SL-UE) can communicate with base station 102 via communication link 120 using the Uu interface (i.e., the air interface between the UE and the base station). SL-UEs (e.g., UE 164, UE 182) can also communicate directly with each other via radio sidelink 160 using the PC5 interface (i.e., the air interface between sidelink-capable UEs). Radio sidelink (or simply "sidelink") is an adaptation of core cellular network (e.g., LTE, NR) standards that allows direct communication between two or more UEs without the need for communication through a base station. Sidelink communication can be unicast or multicast and can be used for device-to-device (D2D) media sharing, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication (e.g., cellular V2X (cV2X) communication, enhanced V2X (eV2X) communication, emergency rescue applications, etc. One or more SL-UEs in a group of SL-UEs utilizing sidelink communication may be located within the geographical coverage area 110 of base station 102. Other SL-UEs in this group may be outside the geographical coverage area 110 of base station 102, or may be unable to receive transmissions from base station 102 for other reasons. In some cases, the groups of SL-UEs communicating via sidelink communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each SL-UE transmits to every other SL-UE in the group. In some cases, base station 102 facilitates the scheduling of resources used for sidelink communication. In other cases, sidelink communication is performed between the individual SL-UEs without involving base station 102.

[0056] On one hand, the sidelink 160 can operate via a wireless communication medium of interest that can be shared with other vehicles and / or infrastructure access points and other RATs for wireless communication. "Medium" can include one or more time, frequency, and / or space communication resources (e.g., covering one or more channels across one or more carriers) associated with wireless communication between one or more transmitter / receiver pairs. On another hand, the medium of interest may correspond to at least a portion of unlicensed frequency bands shared among various RATs. While different licensed frequency bands have been reserved for certain communication systems (e.g., by government entities such as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), these systems (particularly those employing small cell access points) have recently extended their operation to unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) bands used by Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technologies (most notably the IEEE 802.11x WLAN technology commonly referred to as "Wi-Fi"). Example systems of this type include various variants of CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), and so on.

[0057] It should be noted that, although Figure 1 Only two of these UEs are exemplified as SL-UEs (i.e., UE 164 and UE 182), but any UE in the exemplified UEs can be an SL-UE. Furthermore, although only UE 182 is described as capable of beamforming, any UE in the exemplified UEs (including UE 164) can be capable of beamforming. When SL-UEs are capable of beamforming, they can beamform toward each other (i.e., toward other SL-UEs), toward other UEs (e.g., UE 104), toward base stations (e.g., base station 102, base station 180, small cell 102', access point 150), etc. Therefore, in some cases, UE 164 and UE 182 can utilize beamforming via sidelink 160.

[0058] exist Figure 1 In the example, the UE shown (for simplicity, in) Figure 1Any UE (shown as a single UE 104) can receive signal 124 from one or more Earth-orbiting spacecraft (SV) 112 (e.g., satellites). In one aspect, SV 112 may be part of a satellite positioning system that allows UE 104 to use as an independent source of location information. Satellite positioning systems typically include a system of transmitters (e.g., SV 112) positioned such that a receiver (e.g., UE 104) can determine its location on or above the Earth based at least in part on positioning signals (e.g., signal 124) received from the transmitters. Such transmitters typically transmit signals marked with a set number of repeating pseudo-random noise (PN) codes. While typically located in SV 112, transmitters may sometimes be located at ground-based control stations, base stations 102, and / or other UEs 104. UE 104 may include one or more dedicated receivers specifically designed to receive signal 124 in order to derive geographic location information from SV 112.

[0059] In a satellite positioning system, the use of signal 124 can be enhanced by various satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS), which may be associated with or otherwise made capable of being used with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems. For example, SBAS may include augmentation systems that provide integrity information, differential correction, etc., such as Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlap Service (EGNOS), Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), GPS-assisted geographic augmentation navigation, or GPS and geographic augmentation navigation system (GAGAN). Therefore, as used herein, a satellite positioning system may include any combination of one or more global and / or regional navigation satellites associated with such one or more satellite positioning systems.

[0060] On one hand, SV 112 may additionally or alternatively be part of one or more non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). In an NTN, SV 112 connects to an earth station (also referred to as a ground station, NTN gateway, or gateway), which in turn connects to elements in the 5G network, such as a modified base station 102 (without a ground antenna) or a network node in a 5GC. This element, in turn, provides access to other elements in the 5G network and ultimately to entities outside the 5G network, such as internet web servers and other user equipment. Thus, as a replacement or supplement to communication signals from ground base station 102, UE 104 can receive communication signals (e.g., signal 124) from SV 112.

[0061] The wireless communication system 100 may also include one or more UEs, such as UE 190, which are indirectly connected to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links (referred to as "side links"). Figure 1 In one example, UE 190 has a D2D P2P link 192 with one of UEs 104 connected to one of the base stations 102 (e.g., UE 190 can indirectly obtain cellular connectivity through this D2D P2P link), and has a D2D P2P link 194 with a WLAN STA 152 connected to a WLAN AP 150 (UE 190 can indirectly obtain WLAN-based Internet connectivity through this D2D P2P link). In one example, D2D P2P links 192 and 194 can utilize any known D2DRAT (such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), Wi-Fi Direct). ® ,Bluetooth ® (etc.) to support.

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

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

[0064] Figure 2B Another example wireless network architecture 240.5GC 260 is illustrated (which can be used with...). Figure 2AThe 5GC 210 (corresponding to 5GC 210) can be functionally considered as a control plane function provided by the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 264 and a user plane function provided by the User Plane Function (UPF) 262, which work together to form the core network (i.e., 5GC 260). The functions of AMF 264 include: registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception, transmission of session management (SM) messages between one or more UEs 204 (e.g., any of the UEs described herein) and the Session Management Function (SMF) 266, a transparent proxy service for routing SM messages, access authentication and access authorization, transmission of short message service (SMS) messages between UE 204 and the Short Message Service Function (SMSF) (not shown), and Secure Anchoring Functionality (SEAF). AMF 264 also interacts with the Authentication Server Function (AUSF) (not shown) and UE 204 and receives an intermediate key established as a result of the UE 204's authentication process. In the case of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) authentication, AMF 264 retrieves security material from the AMF. AMF 264 also includes Security Context Management (SCM). The SCM receives a key from the SEAF and uses this key to derive an access network-specific key. AMF 264 functionality also includes location service management for regulatory services, transmission of location service messages between UE 204 and Location Management Function (LMF) 270 (which acts as location server 230), transmission of location service messages between NG-RAN 220 and LMF 270, Evolved Packet System (EPS) bearer identifier allocation for EPS interoperability, and UE 204 mobility event notification. Furthermore, AMF 264 also supports non-3GPP... ® (Third Generation Partner Program) Access network functionality.

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

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

[0067] Another optional aspect may include an LMF 270, which can communicate with the 5GC 260 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The LMF 270 can be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each can correspond to a single server. The LMF 270 can be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which can connect to the LMF 270 via the core network, the 5GC 260, and / or via the Internet (not illustrated). SLP 272 can support similar functions to LMF 270, but while LMF 270 can communicate with AMF 264, NG-RAN 220, and UE 204 on the control plane (e.g., using interfaces and protocols designed to deliver signaling messages rather than voice or data), SLP 272 can communicate with UE 204 and external clients (e.g., third-party server 274) on the user plane (e.g., using protocols designed to carry voice and / or data, such as Transmit Control Protocol (TCP) and / or IP).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0077] DU 285 may correspond to a logic unit that includes one or more base station functions for controlling the operation of one or more RU 287s. In some aspects, DU 285 may be at least partially based on functional decomposition (such as by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)). ®The DU285 is defined as a functional split to host one or more of the RLC layer, MAC layer, and one or more high PHY layers (such as modules for forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation and demodulation, etc.). In some aspects, the DU285 may further host one or more low PHY layers. Each layer (or module) may be implemented using an interface configured to communicate signals with other layers (and modules) hosted by the DU285 or with control functions hosted by the CU280.

[0078] Lower-layer functionality can be implemented by one or more RU 287s. In some deployments, an RU287 controlled by a DU 285 may correspond to a logical node that hosts RF processing functions or low-PHY layer functions (such as performing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse FFT (iFFT), digital beamforming, Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering, or both, based at least in part on functional decomposition (such as lower-layer functional decomposition). In this architecture, the RU 287 can be implemented to handle over-the-air (OTA) communications with one or more UE 204s. In some specific implementations, the real-time and non-real-time aspects of control plane and user plane communications with the RU 287 may be controlled by the corresponding DU 285. In some scenarios, this configuration allows the DU285 and CU 280 to be implemented in a cloud-based RAN architecture (such as a vRAN architecture).

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0085] In at least some cases, UE 302 and base station 304 also include satellite signal interfaces 330 and 370, each satellite signal interface including one or more satellite signal receivers 332 and 372, and optionally including one or more satellite signal transmitters 334 and 374, respectively. In some cases, base station 304 may be a terrestrial base station that can communicate with a spacecraft (e.g., spacecraft 112) via satellite signal interface 370. In other cases, base station 304 may be a spacecraft (or other non-terrestrial entity) that uses satellite signal interface 370 to communicate with terrestrial networks and / or other spacecraft.

[0086] Satellite signal receivers 332 and 372 can be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376 respectively, and can provide components for receiving and / or measuring satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 respectively. When satellite signal receivers 332 and 372 are satellite positioning system receivers, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 can be Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) signals, Galileo signals, BeiDou signals, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) signals, etc. When satellite signal receivers 332 and 372 are non-terrestrial network (NTN) receivers, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 can be communication signals originating from a 5G network (e.g., carrying control and / or user data). Satellite signal receivers 332 and 372 may include any suitable hardware and / or software for receiving and processing satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. Satellite signal receivers 332 and 372 may request appropriate information and operation from other systems, and in at least some cases, perform calculations using measurements obtained by any suitable satellite positioning system algorithm to determine the locations of UE 302 and base station 304, respectively.

[0087] Optional satellite signal transmitters 334 and 374 (when present) can be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, and can be provided with components for transmitting satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. When satellite signal transmitter 374 is a satellite positioning system transmitter, satellite positioning / communication signal 378 can be a GPS signal, GLONASS signal, etc. ® Signals include Galileo signals, BeiDou signals, NAVIC signals, and QZSS signals. When satellite signal transmitters 334 and 374 are NTN transmitters, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 can be communication signals originating from a 5G network (e.g., carrying control and / or user data). Satellite signal transmitters 334 and 374 can include any suitable hardware and / or software for transmitting satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. Satellite signal transmitters 334 and 374 can request appropriate information and operations from other systems.

[0088] Base station 304 and network entity 306 each include one or more network transceivers 380 and 390, which provide components (e.g., transmitting components, receiving components, etc.) for communicating with other network entities (e.g., other base stations 304, other network entities 306). For example, base station 304 may use one or more network transceivers 380 to communicate with other base stations 304 or network entities 306 via one or more wired or wireless backhaul links. As another example, network entity 306 may use one or more network transceivers 390 to communicate with one or more base stations 304 via one or more wired or wireless backhaul links, or to communicate with other network entities 306 via one or more wired or wireless core network interfaces.

[0089] Transceivers can be configured to communicate via wired or wireless links. A transceiver (whether wired or wireless) includes transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) and receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362). In some embodiments, the transceiver may be an integrated device (e.g., implementing transmitter and receiver circuitry in a single device), in some embodiments it may include separate transmitter and receiver circuitry, or in other embodiments it may be implemented in a different manner. The transmitter and receiver circuitry of a wired transceiver (e.g., network transceiver 380 and network transceiver 390 in some embodiments) may be coupled to one or more wired network interface ports. Wireless transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array, which allows the corresponding device (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform transmit beamforming, as described herein. Similarly, wireless receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array, which allows the corresponding device (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In one aspect, the transmitter and receiver circuitry may share the same multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such that the corresponding device may perform only receive or only transmit at a given time, rather than both receive and transmit simultaneously. Wireless transceivers (e.g., WWAN transceivers 310 and 350, short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360) may also include network listening modules (NLMs) for performing various measurements.

[0090] As used herein, various wireless transceivers (e.g., transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360 in some specific embodiments, and network transceivers 380 and 390) and wired transceivers (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390 in some specific embodiments) may generally be described as "transceiver," "at least one transceiver," or "one or more transceivers." Therefore, whether a particular transceiver is a wired or wireless transceiver can be inferred from the type of communication performed. For example, backhaul communication between network devices or servers typically involves signaling via a wired transceiver, while wireless communication between a UE (e.g., UE 302) and a base station (e.g., base station 304) will typically involve signaling via a wireless transceiver.

[0091] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 also include other components that can be used in conjunction with the operation disclosed herein. UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 each include one or more processors 342, 384, and 394 for providing functionality related to, for example, wireless communication, and for providing other processing functionality. Thus, processors 342, 384, and 394 may provide components for processing, such as components for determining, components for calculating, components for receiving, components for transmitting, components for indicating, etc. In one aspect, processors 342, 384, and 394 may include, for example, one or more general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, central processing units (CPUs), ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable logic devices or processing circuits, or various combinations thereof.

[0092] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 each include memory circuitry implementing memories 340, 386, and 396 (e.g., each including a memory device) for maintaining information (e.g., information indicating reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, etc.). Therefore, memories 340, 386, and 396 can provide components for storage, retrieval, maintenance, etc. In some cases, UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 may each include capability components 348, 388, and 398. Capability components 348, 388, and 398 may be hardware circuitry that is part of or coupled to processors 342, 384, and 394, respectively, which, when executed, enable UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. In other aspects, capability components 348, 388, and 398 may be external to processors 342, 384, and 394 (e.g., part of a modem processing system, integrated with another processing system, etc.). Alternatively, capability components 348, 388, and 398 may be memory modules stored in memories 340, 386, and 396, respectively, which enable UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein when executed by processors 342, 384, and 394 (or modem processing system, another processing system, etc.). Figure 3A Possible locations for capability component 348 are illustrated. This capability component may be part of, for example, one or more WWAN transceivers 310, memory 340, one or more processors 342, or any combination thereof, or it may be a standalone component. Figure 3B Possible locations for capability component 388 are illustrated. This capability component may be, for example, part of one or more WWAN transceivers 350, memory 386, one or more processors 384, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component. Figure 3C Possible locations for capability component 398 are illustrated. This capability component may be, for example, part of one or more network transceivers 390, memory 396, one or more processors 394, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component.

[0093] UE 302 may include one or more sensors 344 coupled to one or more processors 342 to provide components for sensing or detecting motion and / or orientation information independent of motion data derived from signals received by one or more WWAN transceivers 310, one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, and / or satellite signal interfaces 330. By way of example, sensor 344 may include accelerometers (e.g., microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices), gyroscopes, geomagnetic sensors (e.g., compasses), altimeters (e.g., barometric altimeters), and / or any other type of motion detection sensor. Furthermore, sensor 344 may include multiple different types of devices and combine their outputs to provide motion information. For example, sensor 344 may use a combination of multi-axis accelerometers and orientation sensors to provide the ability to calculate positioning in two-dimensional (2D) and / or three-dimensional (3D) coordinate systems.

[0094] In addition, UE 302 includes a user interface 346 that provides components for providing instructions to a user (e.g., audible and / or visual instructions) and / or for receiving user input (e.g., when the user actuates a sensing device such as a keypad, touchscreen, microphone, etc.). Although not shown, base station 304 and network entity 306 may also include user interfaces.

[0095] Referring more specifically to one or more processors 384, in the downlink, IP packets from network entity 306 can be provided to processor 384. One or more processors 384 can implement functionality for the RRC layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer. One or more processors 384 may provide: RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with the delivery of upper-layer PDUs, error correction via Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC Service Data Units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction, priority processing, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0096] Transmitter 354 and receiver 352 implement Layer 1 (L1) functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include: error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) decoding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. Transmitter 354 processes the mapping to the signal constellation based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The decoded and modulated symbols can then be split into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., pilot) in the time and / or frequency domains, and then combined using inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a stream of time-domain OFDM symbols. The OFDM symbol stream is spatially pre-decoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from the channel estimator can be used to determine the decoding and modulation scheme, as well as for spatial processing. Channel estimates can be derived from reference signals transmitted by UE 302 and / or channel condition feedback. Each spatial stream can then be provided to one or more different antennas 356. The transmitter 354 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate an RF carrier for transmission.

[0097] At UE 302, receiver 312 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 316. Receiver 312 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to one or more processors 342. Transmitter 314 and receiver 312 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Receiver 312 can perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial streams destined for UE 302. If multiple spatial streams are destined for UE 302, they can be combined by receiver 312 into a single OFDM symbol stream. Receiver 312 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to transform the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal includes a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. Symbols on each subcarrier, along with a reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the signal constellation points most likely to be transmitted by base station 304. These soft decisions can be based on channel estimates calculated by a channel estimator. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted by base station 304 on the physical channel. Then, data and control signals are provided to one or more processors 342, which implement layer 3 (L3) and layer 2 (L2) functionality.

[0098] In the downlink, one or more processors 342 provide demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from the core network. One or more processors 342 are also responsible for error detection.

[0099] Similar to the functionality described in conjunction with downlink transmissions performed by base station 304, one or more processors 342 provide: RRC layer functionality associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connectivity, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functionality associated with upper-layer PDU delivery, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ), priority processing, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0100] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator from the reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 304 can be used by the transmitter 314 to select an appropriate decoding and modulation scheme and facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the transmitter 314 can be provided to different antennas 316. The transmitter 314 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate the RF carrier for transmission.

[0101] Uplink transmissions are processed at base station 304 in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with the receiver function at UE 302. Receiver 352 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 356. Receiver 352 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to one or more processors 384.

[0102] In the uplink, one or more processors 384 provide demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport channel and the logical channel to recover IP packets from UE 302. IP packets from one or more processors 384 can be provided to the core network. One or more processors 384 are also responsible for error detection.

[0103] For convenience, UE 302, base station 304 and / or network entity 306 are in Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3CThe example shown herein includes various components that can be configured according to the various examples described herein. However, it should be understood that the illustrated components may have different functionalities in different designs. In particular, Figures 3A to 3C Various components are optional in alternative configurations, and various aspects include configurations that can vary due to design choices, cost, equipment usage, or other considerations. For example, in Figure 3A In certain cases, specific implementations of UE 302 may omit the WWAN transceiver 310 (e.g., wearable devices, tablets, personal computers (PCs), or laptops may have Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth). ® The short-range wireless transceiver 320 can be omitted (e.g., cellular only), or the satellite signal interface 330 can be omitted, or the sensor 344 can be omitted, etc. In another example, in Figure 3B In certain cases, specific implementations of base station 304 may omit WWAN transceiver 350 (e.g., a Wi-Fi "hotspot" access point without cellular capabilities), or short-range wireless transceiver 360 (e.g., cellular only), or satellite signal interface 370, etc. For the sake of brevity, examples of various alternative configurations are not provided herein, but will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0104] Various components of UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 can be communicatively coupled to each other via data buses 308, 382, ​​and 392, respectively. In one aspect, data buses 308, 382, ​​and 392 can form or be part of the communication interfaces of UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306, respectively. For example, in cases where different logical entities are embodied in the same device (e.g., gNB and location server functionality integrated into the same base station 304), data buses 308, 382, ​​and 392 can provide communication between these logical entities.

[0105] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C The components can be implemented in various ways. In some specific implementations, Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3CThe components can be implemented in one or more circuits, such as, for example, one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors). Here, each circuit may use and / or combine at least one memory component for storing information or executable code used by the circuit to provide that functionality. For example, some or all of the functionalities represented by blocks 310 to 346 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of UE 302 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). Similarly, some or all of the functionalities represented by blocks 350 to 388 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of base station 304 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). Moreover, some or all of the functionalities represented by blocks 390 to 398 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of network entity 306 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). For simplicity, various operations, actions, and / or functions are described herein as being performed "by the UE," "by the base station," "by the network entity," etc. However, it should be understood that such operations, actions and / or functions can actually be performed by specific components or combinations of components of the UE 302, base station 304, network entity 306, etc. (such as processors 342, 384, 394, transceivers 310, 320, 350 and 360, memory 340, 386 and 396, capability components 348, 388 and 398, etc.).

[0106] In some designs, network entity 306 may be implemented as a core network component. In other designs, network entity 306 may operate differently from the network operator or cellular network infrastructure (e.g., NG RAN 220 and / or 5GC 210 / 260). For example, network entity 306 may be a component of a private network that can be configured to communicate with UE 302 via base station 304 or independently of base station 304 (e.g., via a non-cellular communication link such as Wi-Fi).

[0107] The Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) is used point-to-point between a location server (e.g., LMF 270) and a target device (e.g., UE) to locate the target device using positioning-related measurements obtained from one or more reference sources (physical entities or portions of physical entities that provide signals measurable by the target device to obtain the location of the target device). An LPP session is used between the location server and the target device to obtain positioning-related measurements or location estimates, or to transfer auxiliary data. Currently, a single LPP session is used to support a single location request, and multiple LPP sessions can be used between the same endpoints to support multiple different location requests. Each LPP session includes one or more LPP transactions (or procedures), where each LPP transaction performs a single operation (capability exchange, auxiliary data transfer, or location information transfer). Each LPP transaction involves the exchange of one or more LPP messages between the location server and the target device. The general format of an LPP message consists of a set of common fields followed by a body. The body (which may be empty) contains information specific to a particular message type. Each message type contains information specific to one or more positioning methods and / or information common to all positioning methods.

[0108] An LPP session typically includes at least a capability transfer or instruction process, an auxiliary data transfer or delivery process, and a location information transfer or delivery process. Figure 4 Examples of LPP capability transfer process 410, LPP auxiliary data transfer process 430, and LPP location information transfer process 450 between a target device (labeled "target") and a location server (labeled "server") according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0109] The purpose of LPP capability transfer procedure 410 is to enable the transfer of capabilities from a target device (e.g., UE 204) to a location server (e.g., LMF 270). In this context, capabilities refer to location and protocol capabilities associated with LPP, as well as location methods supported by LPP. In LPP capability transfer procedure 410, the location server (e.g., LMF 270) indicates the type of capability required by the target device (e.g., UE 204) in an LPP request capability message. The target device responds with an LPP provide capability message. The capabilities included in the LPP provide capability message should correspond to any capability type specified in the LPP request capability message. Specifically, for each location method for which a request for capability is included in the LPP request capability message, if the target device supports that location method, the target device includes its capability for the supported location method in the LPP provide capability message. For the LPP capability indication procedure, the target device provides capabilities to the location server in the LPP provide capability message that were not requested (i.e., the LPP request capability message was not received).

[0110] The purpose of LPP Assisted Data Delivery Process 430 is to enable a target device to request assisted data from a location server (network entity) for location assistance, and to enable the location server to deliver assisted data to the target device without a request. In LPP Assisted Data Delivery Process 430, the target device sends an LPP Request Assisted Data message to the location server. The location server responds to the target device with an LPP Provide Assisted Data message containing the assisted data. The delivered assisted data should match or be a subset of the assisted data requested in the LPP Request Assisted Data. The location server may also provide any unrequested information it deems useful to the target device. The location server may also send one or more additional LPP Provide Assisted Data messages to the target device containing further assisted data. For the LPP Assisted Data Delivery Process, the location server provides unrequested assisted data necessary for location. Assisted data can be provided periodically or non-periodically.

[0111] The purpose of LPP location information transmission process 450 is to enable a location server to request location measurement data and / or location estimates from a target device, and to enable the target device to transmit location measurement data and / or location estimates to the location server without a request. In LPP location information transmission process 450, the location server transmits an LPP request location information message to the target device to request location information, indicating the type of location information required and the potentially associated QoS. The target device responds to the location server with an LPP provide location information message to transmit the location information. Unless the location server explicitly allows additional location information, the transmitted location information should match or be a subset of the location information requested by the LPP request location information message. More specifically, if the requested information is compatible with the capabilities and configuration of the target device, the target device includes the requested information in the LPP provide location information message. Otherwise, if the target device does not support one or more of the requested positioning methods, the target device continues to process the message as if it only contains information about the supported positioning methods, and handles the signaling content of unsupported positioning methods through LPP error detection. If requested by an LPP Request for Location Information message, the target device sends an Additional LPP Provide Location Information message to the location server to deliver additional location information. The LPP location information delivery process supports delivery based on location estimates from unrequested services.

[0112] LPP also defines procedures related to error indication when a receiving endpoint (target device or location server) receives erroneous or unexpected data or detects some data loss. Specifically, when a receiving endpoint determines that a received LPP message contains an error, it may return an error message indicating one or more errors to the sending endpoint and discard the received / erroneous message. If the receiving endpoint is able to determine that the erroneous LPP message is an LPP error or abort message, it discards the received message without returning an error message to the sending endpoint.

[0113] LPP also defines procedures associated with abort instructions to allow a target device or location server to abort an ongoing process due to an unexpected event (e.g., an LCS client canceling a location request). Abort procedures can also be used to stop ongoing processes (e.g., periodic location reports from a target device). During an abort procedure, the first endpoint determines that process P must be aborted and sends an abort message carrying the transaction ID of process P to the second endpoint. The second endpoint then aborts process P.

[0114] Various frame structures can be used to support downlink and uplink transmission between network nodes (e.g., base stations and UEs). Figure 5 Figure 500 illustrates an example frame structure according to various aspects of this disclosure. The frame structure may be a downlink or uplink frame structure. Other wireless communication technologies may have different frame structures and / or different channels.

[0115] LTE (and in some cases NR) uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink and Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. However, unlike LTE, NR also has the option to use OFDM on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are often referred to as tones, frequency slots, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated using data. Generally, modulation symbols are transmitted using OFDM in the frequency domain and SC-FDM in the time domain. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing can be 15 kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (resource block) can be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25 MHz, 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, or 20 MHz, the nominal Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband can cover 1.08 MHz (i.e., 6 resource blocks), and for system bandwidths of 1.25 MHz, 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, or 20 MHz, there can be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands, respectively.

[0116] LTE supports a single set of parameters (subcarrier spacing (SCS), symbol length, etc.). In contrast, NR can support multiple sets of parameters (µ), for example, subcarrier spacings of 15kHz (µ=0), 30kHz (µ=1), 60kHz (µ=2), 120kHz (µ=3), and 240kHz (µ=4) or larger can be available. Within each subcarrier spacing, there are 14 symbols per time slot. For a 15kHz SCS (µ=0), there is one time slot per subframe, 10 time slots per frame, a time slot duration of 1 millisecond (ms), a symbol duration of 66.7 microseconds (µs), and a maximum nominal system bandwidth (in MHz) of 4K FFT size. For a 30kHz SCS (µ=1), there are two time slots per subframe, 20 time slots per frame, a time slot duration of 0.5ms, a symbol duration of 33.3µs, and a maximum nominal system bandwidth (in MHz) of 4K FFT size. For a 60kHz SCS (µ=2), there are four time slots per subframe, 40 time slots per frame, a time slot duration of 0.25ms, a symbol duration of 16.7µs, and a maximum nominal system bandwidth (in MHz) of 4K FFT size. For a 120kHz SCS (µ=3), there are eight time slots per subframe, 80 time slots per frame, a time slot duration of 0.125ms, a symbol duration of 8.33µs, and a maximum nominal system bandwidth (in MHz) of 4K FFT size. For a 240kHz SCS (µ=4), there are 16 time slots per subframe, 160 time slots per frame, a time slot duration of 0.0625ms, a symbol duration of 4.17µs, and a maximum nominal system bandwidth (in MHz) of 4K FFT size.

[0117] exist Figure 5 In the example, a parameter set of 15kHz is used. Therefore, in the time domain, a 10ms frame is divided into 10 equal-sized subframes, each subframe being 1ms long, and each subframe including one time slot. Figure 5 In the diagram, time is represented horizontally (on the X-axis), with time increasing from left to right, while frequency is represented vertically (on the Y-axis), with frequency increasing (or decreasing) from bottom to top.

[0118] A resource grid can be used to represent time slots, each time slot comprising one or more time-concurrent resource blocks (RBs) (also known as physical RBs (PRBs)) in the frequency domain. The resource grid is further divided into multiple resource elements (REs). An RE corresponds to a symbol length in the time domain and a subcarrier in the frequency domain. Figure 5In the parameter set, for a normal cyclic prefix, the RB can contain 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain and seven consecutive symbols in the time domain, for a total of 84 REs. For an extended cyclic prefix, the RB can contain 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain and six consecutive symbols in the time domain, for a total of 72 REs. The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0119] Some REs may carry reference (pilot) signals (RS). These reference signals may include positioning reference signals (PRS), tracking reference signals (TRS), phase tracking reference signals (PTRS), cell-specific reference signals (CRS), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS), demodulation reference signals (DMRS), primary synchronization signals (PSS), secondary synchronization signals (SSS), synchronization signal blocks (SSB), sounding reference signals (SRS), etc., depending on whether the illustrated frame structure is used for uplink or downlink communication. Figure 5 An example location (labeled "R") of an RE carrying a reference signal is shown.

[0120] An over-the-top (OTT) server (a third-party server outside the operator's cellular network) can perform location operations with one or more UEs, much like a location server (e.g., LMF 270), but without coordinating with a location server or any base station to configure specific reference signal transmission for UE measurement. Instead, the OTT server and UE utilize reference signals already transmitted within the cellular network (e.g., 5G and / or LTE networks). This type of location, which utilizes reference signals already scheduled to be transmitted to and measured by a connected UE without coordination with a location server or base station, is referred to as "OTT-based location," "OTT location," etc. The reference signal measured by the UE is referred to as an "OTT reference signal," "OTT signal," etc.

[0121] For example, TRS can be used for location purposes, such as OTT-based location. Each TRS is configured with its own time, frequency, and scrambling identifier in each cell. All UEs must support TRS reception, and all 5G networks need to transmit TRS. However, a UE is only aware of the TRS configuration of its serving cell. Furthermore, a TRS in one cell may conflict with data, TRS, or CSI-RS in neighboring cells.

[0122] Figure 6 This is a diagram 600 illustrating an example TRS configuration according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 6 In this diagram, time is represented horizontally (on the X-axis), increasing from left to right, while frequency is represented vertically (on the Y-axis), increasing (or decreasing) from bottom to top. Figure 6In the example, two consecutive time slots are expanded to show the resource elements of the four resource blocks that make up the two time slots.

[0123] like Figure 6 As shown, TRS is transmitted periodically at 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, or 80ms in bursts of one or two time slots. Within a time slot, the positioning of the symbols carrying the TRS is configurable if there is a four-symbol inter-symbol distance between the TRS symbols. For FR1, the permitted symbol pair positioning is (4, 8), (5, 9), and (6, 10). For FR2, all symbol pairs within a time slot are allowed to be positioned. In the frequency domain, there is a fixed subcarrier distance between the TRS subcarriers in the four subcarriers. There is also a configurable subcarrier offset within each resource block. The TRS bandwidth can be equal to the downlink bandwidth portion (DL-BWP) of the device (i.e., as large as 272 PRBs) or 48 PRBs.

[0124] like Figure 6 As shown, the TRS is not fully interleaved in the frequency domain (the TRS is transmitted in a comb-4 comb pattern), and therefore, four peaks are expected to be observed in the channel estimation of the TRS (e.g., the channel energy response (CER)). More specifically, because the TRS is transmitted on a given symbol with gaps in the frequency domain, this TRS causes aliasing in the channel estimation. Aliasing is a result of transforming the frequency domain to the time domain when estimating the channel estimate, and manifests as multiple peaks of equal size, such as... Figure 7 shown. Specifically, Figure 7 This is a graph 700 showing the CER estimation for a single symbol, where the measured TRS is transmitted using the comb-4 mode. (Example) Figure 7 As shown, since the TRS is transmitted in comb-4 mode (i.e., on every fourth subcarrier), the CER has four significant peaks, but only one of these peaks is the "true" peak (i.e., representing the actual time of arrival (ToA) of the TRS in that symbol). However, because the TRS in the cell is quasi-co-located with the SSB in the cell, the SSB can also be measured to address the time-domain aliasing problem of the TRS in that cell.

[0125] Figure 8 An example of an OTT-based location process 800 using TRS according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. The OTT-based location process 800 can be executed between a client device 804 (e.g., a mobile device, an IoT device, or any other type of UE) and an OTT server 870 (e.g., a third-party server, a Connected Smart Edge (CIE) server, etc.).

[0126] At stage 810, OTT server 870 optionally transmits a request to client device 804 to report TRS configuration parameters (e.g., symbol mode, symbol offset, frequency offset, number of slots per burst, burst periodicity, scrambling identifier, QCL relationship, PCI, etc.) for the serving cell of device 804. This request may configure device 804 to report TRS configuration parameters periodically or when any changes are determined. The request may also configure device 804 to report only TRS configurations for a subset of TRS detected by device 804 based on certain criteria. For example, the request may configure device 804 to report only TRS configurations for TRS with signal strengths above a threshold. The request may also configure device 804 to report only TRS configurations associated with specific component carriers, frequency bands, or frequency ranges (e.g., FR1 and / or FR2). Furthermore, the request may configure device 804 to transition to an RRC connected state for the purpose of collecting TRS configuration parameters from the network.

[0127] At stage 820, device 804 reports the requested TRS configuration parameters to OTT server 870. It should be noted that device 804 can automatically report its serving cell's TRS parameters even if it does not receive a request from OTT server 870 at stage 810, such as when the serving cell changes or periodically.

[0128] At stage 830, device 804 reports the identifiers (e.g., PCIs) of any neighboring cells it discovers through procedures such as Radio Resource Management (RRM). Device 804 may also transmit RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, and / or Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) measurements associated with the PCIs of neighboring cells. This report may include component carriers, frequency bands, frequency ranges, time slot offsets, periodicity, subframe offsets, time windows, and / or preferred TRS configurations (if available) to be provided by OTT server 870. These parameters may be reported in order of priority.

[0129] It should be noted that stages 820 and 830 can be a single transmission sequence or multiple transmission sequences. For example, device 804 may transmit both serving cell information (e.g., requested TRS configuration parameters) and neighboring cell information (e.g., identifiers of any neighboring cells) in the same data transmission (i.e., stages 820 and 830 are a single transmission sequence), and OTT server 870 receives both the serving cell information and the neighboring cell information; or device 804 may transmit the serving cell information first and then the neighboring cell information (i.e., stages 820 and 830 are separate transmissions), and OTT server 870 may receive the serving cell information first and then the neighboring cell information.

[0130] At stage 840, based on the identifiers of neighboring cells, OTT server 870 provides device 804 with TRS configurations for the identified neighboring cells. This response may include one or more TRS configurations associated with a specific PCI and / or with an SSB from that PCI. These multiple TRS configurations may be “alternatives” for device 804 to attempt to detect. The response may also include a timestamp, validity timer, expiration timer, etc., indicating when the provided configuration is valid.

[0131] On one hand, the OTT server 870 may have already obtained TRS information for neighboring cells based on phases 810 and 820 with multiple other devices, thereby creating a crowdsourced database of TRS parameters for multiple cells. In some cases, if the OTT server 870 does not have the TRS information for neighboring cells indicated at phase 840, the CIE server can send a request to another device 804 known to have that neighboring cell as its serving cell, as in phase 810. The OTT server 870 can then obtain the TRS configuration parameters for that cell from the other device 804, as in phase 820.

[0132] At stage 850, device 804 reports location information to OTT server 870. For UE-based positioning, the location information may be an estimated location of device 804 determined based on measurements of TRS sent by the serving cell and neighboring cells from which device 804 receives TRS configuration information. Alternatively or additionally, the location information may be the original measurements of the TRS and the timestamps of those measurements (as in UE-assisted positioning). Device 804 may also report which TRS were successfully detected or which TRS were not detected. That is, device 804 may report the identifiers of neighboring cells in which it detected or failed to detect the indicated TRS.

[0133] As will be understood, although the foregoing has described the use of TRS for positioning, the OTT-based positioning process 800 may alternatively be performed using CSI-RS or any other downlink reference signal specific to the serving cell.

[0134] This disclosure provides techniques for improving the performance of location estimation using OTT technologies by employing a mapping framework that provides anchored location coordinates (e.g., the location of a base station or other nodes with fixed and / or known locations) to the UE and / or a location server. At a higher level, the disclosed techniques support behavioral changes for devices (UEs) of the same category without exchanging any device-specific identities that could affect privacy. Instead of the UE transmitting the entire set of device capabilities (which may be greater than a kilobyte of data) for each location session (e.g., via LPF 270, OTT server 870), the UE can exchange its entire set of capabilities once with a server (receiving a device-category-specific identifier, which may be 8 bytes long) and then using the device-category-specific identifier for subsequent capability exchanges. This is done via LPP capability delivery procedure 410 or a similar procedure. Such capability services can support multiple capability use cases (e.g., location, sensing, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), etc.), but only a subset of device capabilities relevant to the query use case is returned.

[0135] Figure 9 An example signaling flow 900 for switching device capabilities according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Signaling flow 900 may be executed between UE 904 (e.g., any UE described herein) and OTT server 970 (e.g., a third-party server, CIE server, etc.). OTT server 970 may also be referred to as a "capability server".

[0136] At stage 905, UE 904 provides its entire set of device capabilities to OTT server 970 in one or more capability messages. Capability messages can be, or similar to, LPP capability provision messages, such as... Figure 4 As illustrated, device capabilities may include capabilities related to positioning, sensing, etc. For example, capabilities may include, but are not limited to, what types of reference signals UE 904 can measure / process, the associated processing time, what wireless technologies UE 904 supports (Wi-Fi, UWB, LTE, 5G, GPS, etc.), what frequency bands UE 904 supports, etc.

[0137] At stage 910, the OTT server 970 searches for a set of capabilities provided by the UE 904 to determine whether a capability indicator (or capability identifier (ID)) has been assigned to a specific set of capabilities. The OTT server 970 may store a database of assigned capability indicators and their associated set of device capabilities. Each unique set of device capabilities is associated with a unique capability indicator. The same capability indicator is assigned to UEs with the same set of device capabilities (e.g., UEs of the same device category, or device type, or device brand and model).

[0138] If a capability indicator is not assigned to a set of device capabilities received in stage 905, then at stage 915, the OTT server 970 assigns a new capability indicator value as the capability indicator for the set of device capabilities. The OTT server 970 also stores a set of capabilities and associated capability indicators for future use (e.g., such as...). Figure 10 and Figure 11 (As illustrated). At stage 920, the OTT server 970 reports a capability indicator to the UE 904, whether it is previously existing or newly assigned. The UE 904 can then use the capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions (e.g., location sessions, sensing sessions, etc.) by providing the capability indicator during capability exchange instead of providing its actual device capabilities, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0139] Figure 10 An example signaling flow 1000 is illustrated for requesting Base Station Almanac (BSA) information using capability indicators according to various aspects of this disclosure. Signaling flow 1000 may be executed between UE 1004 (e.g., any UE described herein) and OTT server 1070 (e.g., a third-party server, CIE server, etc.). OTT server 1070 may also be referred to as a "capability server".

[0140] At stage 1005, UE 1004 provides its capability indicator to OTT server 1070. At stage 1010, OTT server 1070 looks up the capability indicator to determine if it is associated with a set of device capabilities. If not, at stage 1015, OTT server 1070 sends a capability indicator error message to UE 1004 indicating that the capability indicator was not found. In response, UE 1004 can provide its entire set of device capabilities to obtain the capability indicator, as referenced. Figure 9 As described.

[0141] At stage 1020, if a capability indicator for UE 1004 is found, UE 1004 can request a BSA (Network-Based Service or Session). A BSA can be used for location purposes, sensing purposes, and / or some other purposes. The request can indicate the purpose of the BSA and the location of UE 1004. The location can be a coarse location, such as a cell identifier, or a fine location, such as GPS coordinates.

[0142] At stage 1025, OTT server 1070 looks up the BSA of UE 1004, and at stage 1030, OTT server 1070 provides the BSA to UE 1004. The BSA may contain only BSA-related information associated with a set of device capabilities related to the capability indicator provided by UE 1004 at stage 1005. For example, if a set of capabilities indicates that UE 1004 is only capable of performing LTE-based positioning, the BSA may include only information about base stations (e.g., eNBs) operating under the LTE RAT, excluding information about base stations operating under other RATs.

[0143] If UE 1004 also provides its location at stage 1020, then OTT server 1070 may only provide BSA information related to UE 1004's location (e.g., information about base stations within communication range of UE 1004's location). Similarly, if UE 1004 indicates the purpose of the BSA, then the BSA may only include information related to the purpose (e.g., if the purpose is sensing, then information about base stations transmitting reference signals that can be used for sensing).

[0144] In some cases, the OTT server 1070 may need to query different servers or network entities to obtain the BSA. In such cases, the OTT server 1070 may need to provide the capabilities of UE 1004 (not just capability indicators, as other servers or network entities may not have a mapping between capability indicators and multiple sets of capabilities) to other servers or network entities. However, instead of providing the entire set of capabilities, the OTT server 1070 can apply a "mask" or filter to the entire set of capabilities and only transmit a subset of the capabilities required to obtain the BSA. In this way, other servers or network entities will only receive the capabilities relevant to the BSA request.

[0145] Figure 11 Example signaling flow 1100 is illustrated for requesting participation in a crowdsourcing activity using capability indicators according to various aspects of this disclosure. Signaling flow 1100 may be executed between UE 1104 (e.g., any UE described herein) and OTT server 1170 (e.g., a third-party server, CIE server, etc.). OTT server 1170 may also be referred to as a "capability server".

[0146] At stage 1105, UE 1104 provides its capability indicator to OTT server 1170. At stage 1110, OTT server 1170 looks up the capability indicator to determine if it is associated with a set of device capabilities. If not, at stage 1115, OTT server 1170 sends a capability indicator error message to UE 1104 indicating that the capability indicator was not found. In response, UE 1104 can provide its entire set of device capabilities to obtain the capability indicator, as referenced. Figure 9 As described.

[0147] At stage 1120, if a capability indicator for UE 1104 is found, UE 1104 can request to participate in a crowdsourcing activity (an example of a network-based session or service). The crowdsourcing activity could be measuring certain OTT reference signals (e.g., TRS, CSI-RS, PTRS, etc.) and / or providing RRM measurements. At stage 1125, OTT server 1170 defines the crowdsourcing activity for UE 1104.

[0148] In some cases, OTT server 1170 may need to query different servers or network entities to obtain crowdsourcing activity information. In such cases, OTT server 1170 may need to provide other servers or network entities with the capabilities of UE 1104 (not just capability indicators, as other servers or network entities may not have a mapping between capability indicators and multiple sets of capabilities). However, OTT server 1170 may apply a "mask" or filter to the entire set of capabilities and only transmit a subset of the capabilities needed to obtain crowdsourcing activity information, rather than providing the entire set of capabilities. In this way, other servers or network entities will only receive capabilities relevant to the request for crowdsourcing activity information.

[0149] At stage 1130, OTT server 1170 responds to UE 1104's request with information configuring UE 1104 to participate in the crowdsourcing activity. At stage 1135, UE 1104 captures crowdsourcing information based on the configuration received at stage 1130. At stage 1140, UE 1104 reports the results of the crowdsourcing activity.

[0150] It should be understood that, relative to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The scenarios described are merely examples of how capability indicators can be used, and this disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0151] In some cases, a device may change its capabilities over time. For example, a dual-subscriber device may have different capability groups depending on which network access subscription is active. Therefore, the device (UE) may offer its different capability options in an initial phase (i.e., phase 905), and then receive capability indicators for each group of capabilities (at phase 920). That is, the device may be associated with multiple capability indicators, but at any given time, only one of those capability indicators is "active." The device can then offer one of the multiple capability indicators applicable when requesting network services (e.g., at phases 1005 or 1105).

[0152] In some cases, a server may request the UE to activate one of the capability indicators associated with the UE. For example, when the UE requests a specific network service (e.g., at stage 1020 or 1120), the OTT server (or another server or network entity via the OTT server) may request the UE to activate a specific set of capabilities for the network service.

[0153] In some cases, an OTT server may use capabilities / capability indicators across multiple devices (UEs) to determine the positioning method, sensing method, or other network-based sessions (or services) for purposes such as location estimation, sensing, etc., for one or more of these devices. That is, to determine which positioning method to use for location determination of a single device, which TRS to measure, which frequency band to measure, which TRPs to measure, for how long to measure, which time-domain instance to measure, and whether to measure SSB, TRS, or PRS (if available), the OTT server considers capabilities across multiple devices.

[0154] Figure 12 Example method 1200 for communication according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. In one aspect, method 1200 may be performed by a capability server (e.g., OTT server 970, OTT server 1070, OTT server 1170).

[0155] At 1210, the capability server receives one or more capability messages from a first UE (e.g., any UE described herein), indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions, as shown in... Figure 9 At stage 905. In one aspect, operation 1210 may be performed by one or more network transceivers 390, one or more processors 394, memory 396 and / or capability components 398, any or all of which may be considered as components for performing the operation.

[0156] At 1220, the capability server sends a response message to the first UE, including at least a first capability indicator, for use in subsequent network-based sessions, such as in... Figure 9 At stage 920, a first capability indicator identifies a first set of capabilities, and the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device category as the UE having the first set of capabilities. In one aspect, operation 1220 may be performed by one or more network transceivers 390, one or more processors 394, memory 396, and / or capability components 398, any or all of which may be considered as components for performing the operation.

[0157] At 1230, the capability server configures the second UE using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE based at least in part on the first set of capabilities. In one aspect, operation 1230 may be performed by one or more network transceivers 390, one or more processors 394, memory 396, and / or capability components 398, any or all of which may be considered as components for performing the operation.

[0158] It should be understood that the technical advantage of method 1200 is that it is based on the ability of another UE or another group of UEs to determine the appropriate network-based session and / or the parameters of that network-based session.

[0159] As can be seen in the detailed description above, different features are grouped together in the examples. This manner of disclosure should not be construed as an intention to have more features than those explicitly mentioned in each clause. Rather, the various aspects of this disclosure may include fewer features than those in the individual example clauses disclosed. Therefore, the following clauses should be regarded accordingly as incorporated into the description, where each clause may serve as a separate example. Although each dependent clause may refer in the clause to a specific combination with one of the other clauses, the aspect of that dependent clause is not limited to that specific combination. It should be understood that other example clauses may also include combinations of aspects of a dependent clause with the subject matter of any other dependent or independent clause, or combinations of any feature with other dependent and independent clauses. The various aspects disclosed herein explicitly include these combinations unless explicitly stated or readily inferred that a particular combination is not intended for use (e.g., contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor). Furthermore, it is contemplated that aspects of a clause may be included in any other independent clause, even if that clause does not directly depend on the independent clause.

[0160] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses: Clause 1. A method of communication performed by a capability server, the method comprising: receiving one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; sending a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; and configuring a second UE using one or more parameters of the network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined at least in part based on the first set of capabilities for the second UE.

[0161] Clause 2. The method according to Clause 1, the method further comprising: determining whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server; and assigning the first capability indicator to the first set of capabilities based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is not mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server.

[0162] Clause 3. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 2, the method further comprising: determining whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server, wherein the response message includes the first capability indicator based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is mapped to the first capability indicator.

[0163] Clause 4. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, the method further comprising: receiving one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least the first set of capabilities; and sending a second response message to the third UE including at least the first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions.

[0164] Clause 5. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4, the method further comprising: receiving one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least a second set of capabilities supported by the third UE for the one or more network-based sessions; and sending a second response message to the third UE including at least a second capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and wherein the second capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

[0165] Clause 6. The method according to Clause 5, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are further based on the second set of capabilities.

[0166] Clause 7. The method according to any one of Clauses 5 to 6, wherein the second UE is: the first UE, the third UE, or another UE different from the first UE and the third UE.

[0167] Clause 8. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station calendar (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0168] Clause 9. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein the one or more parameters include: an identifier for one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the type of the one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the frequency band for the second UE to measure the network-based session, an identifier for one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the duration for which the second UE performs the measurement for the network-based session, an identifier for the time-domain instance for the second UE to measure the network-based session, or any combination thereof.

[0169] Clause 10. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, the method further comprising: receiving from a second server a request for capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and sending to the second server a subset of the first set of capabilities corresponding to the capabilities supported by the first UE for the second network-based session.

[0170] Clause 11. The method described in Clause 10, wherein the second network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station auto-assay (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0171] Clause 12. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 11, the method further comprising: receiving from a second server a request for the capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and sending the first set of capabilities to the second server.

[0172] Clause 13. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein: the one or more capability messages further indicate a second set of capabilities supported by the first UE for the one or more network-based sessions, the response message includes a second capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, the second capability indicator identifying the second set of capabilities, and the second capability indicator being generic for all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

[0173] Clause 14. The method according to Clause 13, wherein at a given time, at the first UE, only the first set of capabilities or the second set of capabilities is active.

[0174] Clause 15. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 14, wherein the one or more network-based sessions include: one or more wireless positioning operations, one or more wireless sensing operations, one or more base station calendar (BSA) services, one or more crowdsourcing activities, or any combination thereof.

[0175] Clause 16. The method of any one of Clauses 1 to 15, wherein the one or more network-based sessions utilize the measurement of an over-the-top (OTT) reference signal.

[0176] Clause 17. A capability server comprising: one or more memories; one or more transceivers; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors being individually or in combination configured to: receive one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE) via the one or more transceivers, the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; send a response message to the first UE via the one or more transceivers including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities and wherein the first capability indicator is generic for all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; and configure a second UE using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE based at least in part on the first set of capabilities.

[0177] Clause 18. The capability server as described in Clause 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured individually or in combination to: determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server; and assign the first capability indicator to the first set of capabilities based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is not mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server.

[0178] Clause 19. A capability server according to any one of Clauses 17 to 18, wherein the one or more processors are individually or in combination further configured to: determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server, wherein the response message includes the first capability indicator based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is mapped to the first capability indicator.

[0179] Clause 20. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 17 to 19, wherein the one or more processors are individually or in combination further configured to: receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE via the one or more transceivers, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least the first set of capabilities; and send a second response message to the third UE via the one or more transceivers, including at least the first capability indicator, for subsequent network-based sessions.

[0180] Clause 21. A capability server according to any one of Clauses 17 to 20, wherein the one or more processors are individually or in combination further configured to: receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE via the one or more transceivers, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least a second set of capabilities supported by the third UE for the one or more network-based sessions; and send a second response message to the third UE via the one or more transceivers, including at least a second capability indicator, for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and wherein the second capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

[0181] Clause 22. The capability server as described in Clause 21, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are further based on the second set of capabilities.

[0182] Clause 23. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 21 to 22, wherein the second UE is: the first UE, the third UE, or another UE different from the first UE and the third UE.

[0183] Clause 24. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 17 to 23, wherein the network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station auto-database (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0184] Clause 25. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 17 to 24, wherein the one or more parameters include: an identifier for one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the type of the one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the frequency band for the second UE to measure the network-based session, an identifier for one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the duration for which the second UE performs the measurement for the network-based session, an identifier for the time-domain instance for the second UE to measure the network-based session, or any combination thereof.

[0185] Clause 26. A capability server according to any one of Clauses 17 to 25, wherein the one or more processors are individually or in combination further configured to: receive from a second server via the one or more transceivers a request for capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and send to the second server via the one or more transceivers a subset of the first set of capabilities corresponding to the capabilities supported by the first UE for the second network-based session.

[0186] Clause 27. The capability server as described in Clause 26, wherein the second network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station auto-database (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0187] Clause 28. A capability server according to any one of Clauses 17 to 27, wherein the one or more processors are individually or in combination further configured to: receive from a second server via the one or more transceivers a request for capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and transmit the first set of capabilities to the second server via the one or more transceivers.

[0188] Clause 29. A capability server according to any one of Clauses 17 to 28, wherein: the one or more capability messages further indicate a second set of capabilities supported by the first UE for the one or more network-based sessions, the response message including a second capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, the second capability indicator identifying the second set of capabilities, and the second capability indicator being generic for all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

[0189] Clause 30. A capability server as described in Clause 29, wherein at a given time, at the first UE, only the first set of capabilities or the second set of capabilities is active.

[0190] Clause 31. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 17 to 30, wherein the one or more network-based sessions include: one or more wireless positioning operations, one or more wireless sensing operations, one or more base station calendar (BSA) services, one or more crowdsourcing activities, or any combination thereof.

[0191] Clause 32. A server capable of operating under any one of Clauses 17 to 31, wherein one or more network-based sessions utilize measurements of an over-the-top (OTT) reference signal.

[0192] Clause 33. A capability server comprising: means for receiving one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; means for sending a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for a subsequent network-based session, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; and means for configuring a second UE using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined at least in part based on the first set of capabilities for the second UE.

[0193] Clause 34. The capability server as described in Clause 33, the capability server further comprising: components for determining whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server; and components for assigning the first capability indicator to the first set of capabilities based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is not mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server.

[0194] Clause 35. The capability server according to any one of Clauses 33 to 34, the capability server further comprising: a component for determining whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server, wherein the response message includes the first capability indicator based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is mapped to the first capability indicator.

[0195] Clause 36. The capability server according to any one of Clauses 33 to 35, the capability server further comprising: a component for receiving one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least the first set of capabilities; and a component for sending a second response message to the third UE including at least the first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions.

[0196] Clause 37. The capability server according to any one of Clauses 33 to 36, the capability server further comprising: a component for receiving one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least a second set of capabilities supported by the third UE for the one or more network-based sessions; and a component for sending a second response message to the third UE including at least a second capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and wherein the second capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

[0197] Clause 38. The capability server as described in Clause 37, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are further based on the second set of capabilities.

[0198] Clause 39. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 37 to 38, wherein the second UE is: the first UE, the third UE, or another UE different from the first UE and the third UE.

[0199] Clause 40. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 33 to 39, wherein the network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station auto-database (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0200] Clause 41. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 33 to 40, wherein the one or more parameters include: an identifier for one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the type of the one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the frequency band for the second UE to measure the network-based session, an identifier for one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the duration for which the second UE performs the measurement for the network-based session, an identifier for the time-domain instance for the second UE to measure the network-based session, or any combination thereof.

[0201] Clause 42. The capability server according to any one of Clauses 33 to 41, the capability server further comprising: means for receiving from a second server a request for a capability supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and means for sending to the second server a subset of the first set of capabilities corresponding to the capability supported by the first UE for the second network-based session.

[0202] Clause 43. The capability server as described in Clause 42, wherein the second network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station calendar (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0203] Clause 44. The capability server according to any one of Clauses 33 to 43, the capability server further comprising: components for receiving from the second server a request from the first UE for capabilities supported by a second network-based session provided by the second server; and components for sending the first set of capabilities to the second server.

[0204] Clause 45. A capability server according to any one of Clauses 33 to 44, wherein: the one or more capability messages further indicate a second set of capabilities supported by the first UE for the one or more network-based sessions, the response message includes a second capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, the second capability indicator identifying the second set of capabilities, and the second capability indicator being common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

[0205] Clause 46. A capability server as described in Clause 45, wherein at a given time, at the first UE, only the first set of capabilities or the second set of capabilities is active.

[0206] Clause 47. A capability server pursuant to any one of Clauses 33 to 46, wherein the one or more network-based sessions include: one or more wireless positioning operations, one or more wireless sensing operations, one or more base station calendar (BSA) services, one or more crowdsourcing activities, or any combination thereof.

[0207] Clause 48. A server capable of operating under any one of Clauses 33 to 47, wherein one or more network-based sessions utilize measurements of an over-the-top (OTT) reference signal.

[0208] Clause 49. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a capability server, cause the capability server to: receive one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; send a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the first set of capabilities; and configure a second UE using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined at least in part based on the first set of capabilities for the second UE.

[0209] Clause 50. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in Clause 49 further includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the capability server, cause the capability server to: determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server; and assign the first capability indicator to the first set of capabilities based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is not mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server.

[0210] Clause 51. A nontransitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 49 to 50, the nontransitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the capability server, cause the capability server to: determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server, wherein the response message includes the first capability indicator based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is mapped to the first capability indicator.

[0211] Clause 52. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 49 to 51, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the capability server, cause the capability server to: receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least the first set of capabilities; and send a second response message to the third UE including at least the first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions.

[0212] Clause 53. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 49 to 52, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the capability server, cause the capability server to: receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least a second set of capabilities supported by the third UE for the one or more network-based sessions; and send a second response message to the third UE including at least a second capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and wherein the second capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device class as UEs having the second set of capabilities.

[0213] Clause 54. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in Clause 53, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are further based on the second set of capabilities.

[0214] Clause 55. A non-transitory computer-readable medium pursuant to any one of Clauses 53 to 54, wherein the second UE is: the first UE, the third UE, or another UE different from the first UE and the third UE.

[0215] Clause 56. The non-transitory computer-readable medium pursuant to any one of Clauses 49 to 55, wherein the network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station autolog (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0216] Clause 57. A non-transitory computer-readable medium pursuant to any one of Clauses 49 to 56, wherein the one or more parameters include: an identifier for one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the type of the one or more reference signals for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the frequency band for the second UE to measure the network-based session, an identifier for one or more transmit / receive points (TRPs) for the second UE to measure the network-based session, the duration for which the second UE performs the measurement for the network-based session, an identifier for a time-domain instance for the second UE to measure the network-based session, or any combination thereof.

[0217] Clause 58. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 49 to 57, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the capability server, cause the capability server to: receive from a second server a request for capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and send to the second server a subset of the first set of capabilities corresponding to the capabilities supported by the first UE for the second network-based session.

[0218] Clause 59. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in Clause 58, wherein the second network-based session is: wireless positioning operation, wireless sensing operation, base station autolog (BSA) service, or crowdsourcing activity.

[0219] Clause 60. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 49 to 59, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the capability server, cause the capability server to: receive from the second server a request for the first UE for capabilities supported by a second network-based session provided by the second server; and send the first set of capabilities to the second server.

[0220] Clause 61. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 49 to 60, wherein: the one or more capability messages further indicate a second set of capabilities supported by the first UE for the one or more network-based sessions, the response message including a second capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, the second capability indicator identifying the second set of capabilities, and the second capability indicator being generic for all UEs of the same device class as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

[0221] Clause 62. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in Clause 61, wherein at a given time, at the first UE, only the first set of capabilities or the second set of capabilities is active.

[0222] Clause 63. A non-transitory computer-readable medium pursuant to any one of Clauses 49 to 62, wherein the one or more network-based sessions comprise: one or more wireless positioning operations, one or more wireless sensing operations, one or more base station calendar (BSA) services, one or more crowdsourcing activities, or any combination thereof.

[0223] Clause 64. A non-transitory computer-readable medium pursuant to any one of Clauses 49 to 63, wherein the one or more network-based sessions utilize measurements of an over-the-top (OTT) reference signal.

[0224] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and arts. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0225] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above in general terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such specific implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0226] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternative embodiments, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0227] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Example storage media are coupled to a processor such that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integral with the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., a UE). Alternatively, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0228] In one or more examples, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, which includes any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer. Furthermore, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included within the definition of a medium. As used herein, disks and optical discs include: compact optical discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0229] While the foregoing disclosure illustrates exemplary aspects of this disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, the functions, steps, and / or actions of the method claims according to aspects of this disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Furthermore, no component, function, action, or instruction described or claimed herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly stated otherwise. Additionally, as used herein, the terms “set,” “group,” etc., are intended to include one or more of the stated elements. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “having,” “comprising,” “including,” etc., do not exclude the presence of one or more additional elements (e.g., element “having” A may also have B). Furthermore, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “at least partially based on” unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to be open-ended when used in a series and is interchangeable with “and / or” unless otherwise explicitly stated (e.g., if used in conjunction with “any” or “only one”), or these alternatives are mutually exclusive (e.g., “one or more” should not be interpreted as “one and more”). Additionally, although components, functions, actions, and instructions may be described or claimed in the singular, plural forms may also be considered unless explicitly stated to be limited to the singular. Therefore, as used herein, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “described” are intended to include one or more of the stated elements. Additionally, as used herein, the terms “at least one” and “one or more” include “one” component, function, action, or instruction that performs or is capable of performing the described or claimed functionality, and also include “two or more” components, functions, actions, or instructions that perform or are capable of performing the described or claimed functionality in combination.

Claims

1. A method for communication performed by a capability server, the method comprising: Receive one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; Send a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device category as the UE having the first set of capabilities; as well as The second UE is configured using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE based at least in part on the first set of capabilities.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server; as well as The first capability indicator is assigned to the first group of capabilities based on the determination that the first group of capabilities is not mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server, wherein the response message includes the first capability indicator based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is mapped to the first capability indicator.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least the first set of capabilities; as well as A second response message, including at least the first capability indicator, is sent to the third UE for subsequent network-based sessions.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least a second set of capabilities supported by the third UE for the one or more network-based sessions; as well as A second response message including at least a second capability indicator is sent to the third UE for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and wherein the second capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device category as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are further based on the second set of capabilities.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second UE is: The first UE, The third UE, or Another UE that is different from the first UE and the third UE.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based session is: Wireless positioning operation, Wireless sensing operation, Base Station Almanac (BSA) service, or Crowdsourcing activities.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include: Identifiers for one or more reference signals used by the second UE for network-based session measurements. The type of one or more reference signals provided by the second UE for the network-based session measurement. The frequency band provided by the second UE for the network-based session measurement. Identifiers for one or more Transmit / Receive Points (TRPs) for the second UE in relation to the network-based session measurement. The duration for which the second UE performs measurements for the network-based session. The identifier for the time-domain instance of the network-based session measurement provided to the second UE, or Any combination of them.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive from the second server a request for the capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; as well as Send to the second server a subset of the first set of capabilities corresponding to the capabilities supported by the first UE for the second network-based session.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second network-based session is: Wireless positioning operation, Wireless sensing operation, Base Station Almanac (BSA) service, or Crowdsourcing activities.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive from the second server a request for the capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; as well as Send the first set of capabilities to the second server.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more capability messages further indicate a second set of capabilities supported by the first UE for the one or more network-based sessions. The response message includes a second capability indicator for use in subsequent network-based sessions. The second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and The second capability indicator is universal for all UEs of the same device category as those with the second set of capabilities.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at a given time, at the first UE, only the first set of capabilities or the second set of capabilities is active.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network-based sessions comprise: One or more wireless positioning operations, One or more wireless sensing operations, One or more Base Station Almanac (BSA) services, One or more crowdsourcing events, or Any combination of them.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network-based sessions utilize measurements of an over-the-top (OTT) reference signal.

17. A capability server, the capability server comprising: One or more memory units; One or more transceivers; and One or more processors, communicatively coupled to one or more memories and one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured individually or in combination to: Receive one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE) via the one or more transceivers, the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; A response message including at least a first capability indicator is sent to the first UE via the one or more transceivers for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device category as the UE having the first set of capabilities; as well as The second UE is configured using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE based at least in part on the first set of capabilities.

18. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to: Determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server; and The first capability indicator is assigned to the first group of capabilities based on the determination that the first group of capabilities is not mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server.

19. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to: Determine whether the first set of capabilities is mapped to any capability indicator stored at the capability server, wherein the response message includes the first capability indicator based on the determination that the first set of capabilities is mapped to the first capability indicator.

20. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to: Receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE via the one or more transceivers, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least the first set of capabilities; and A second response message, including at least the first capability indicator, is sent to the third UE via the one or more transceivers for subsequent network-based sessions.

21. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to: Receive one or more second capability messages from a third UE via the one or more transceivers, the one or more second capability messages indicating at least a second set of capabilities supported by the third UE for the one or more network-based sessions; and A second response message, including at least a second capability indicator, is sent to the third UE via the one or more transceivers for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and wherein the second capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device category as the UE having the second set of capabilities.

22. The capability server of claim 21, wherein the network-based session, one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are further based on the second set of capabilities.

23. The capability server according to claim 21, wherein the second UE is: The first UE, The third UE, or Another UE that is different from the first UE and the third UE.

24. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the network-based session is: Wireless positioning operation, Wireless sensing operation, Base Station Almanac (BSA) service, or Crowdsourcing activities.

25. The capability server of claim 17, wherein one or more parameters include: Identifiers for one or more reference signals used by the second UE for network-based session measurements. The type of one or more reference signals provided by the second UE for the network-based session measurement. The frequency band provided by the second UE for the network-based session measurement. Identifiers for one or more Transmit / Receive Points (TRPs) for the second UE in relation to the network-based session measurement. The duration for which the second UE performs measurements for the network-based session. The identifier for the time-domain instance of the network-based session measurement provided to the second UE, or Any combination of them.

26. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to: Receive, via the one or more transceivers, a request from the second server for the capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and A subset of the first set of capabilities, corresponding to the capabilities supported by the first UE for the second network-based session, is sent to the second server via the one or more transceivers.

27. The capability server of claim 26, wherein the second network-based session is: Wireless positioning operation, Wireless sensing operation, Base Station Almanac (BSA) service, or Crowdsourcing activities.

28. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured, individually or in combination, to: Receive, via the one or more transceivers, a request from the second server for the capabilities supported by the first UE for a second network-based session provided by the second server; and The first set of capabilities is sent to the second server via the one or more transceivers.

29. The capability server according to claim 17, wherein: The one or more capability messages further indicate a second set of capabilities supported by the first UE for the one or more network-based sessions. The response message includes a second capability indicator for use in subsequent network-based sessions. The second capability indicator identifies the second set of capabilities, and The second capability indicator is universal for all UEs of the same device category as those with the second set of capabilities.

30. The capability server of claim 29, wherein at a given time, at the first UE, only the first set of capabilities or the second set of capabilities is active.

31. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more network-based sessions include: One or more wireless positioning operations, One or more wireless sensing operations, One or more Base Station Almanac (BSA) services, One or more crowdsourcing events, or Any combination of them.

32. The capability server of claim 17, wherein the one or more network-based sessions utilize measurements of an over-the-top (OTT) reference signal.

33. A capability server, the capability server comprising: A component for receiving one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; A component for sending a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is generic for all UEs of the same device category as the UE having the first set of capabilities; as well as A component for configuring a second UE using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE based at least in part on the first set of capabilities.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a capability server, cause the capability server to: Receive one or more capability messages from a first user equipment (UE), the one or more capability messages indicating at least a first set of capabilities supported by the first UE for one or more network-based sessions; Send a response message to the first UE including at least a first capability indicator for subsequent network-based sessions, wherein the first capability indicator identifies the first set of capabilities, and wherein the first capability indicator is common to all UEs of the same device category as the UE having the first set of capabilities; as well as The second UE is configured using one or more parameters of a network-based session, wherein the network-based session, the one or more parameters of the network-based session, or both are determined for the second UE based at least in part on the first set of capabilities.

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