Method for providing an absolute position of a target device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (100) for providing an absolute position of a target device (20) as well as a device (10) and a target device (20) for this purpose.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for providing an absolute position of a target device. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device, a target device, a computer program, and a storage medium for this purpose. State of the art

[0002] 3GPP TR 23.700 describes numerous solutions for ranging in network coverage, partial network coverage, or no network coverage mode. For example, in a no-network coverage mode, a user equipment (UE) may be responsible for coordinating a positioning process. Even if a so-called anchor UE participates in the sidelink positioning process and can perform ranging and angle of arrival measurements, the responsible coordinating UE may lack the information to provide an absolute position for the targeted UE. The responsible UE can receive relative positioning messages from the anchor UE with respect to the targeted UE. Unfortunately, positioning in absolute coordinates would not be possible with only ranging and angle of arrival information in the message.Therefore, the state of the art does not provide a technical solution that allows combining absolute and relative position. Disclosure of the invention

[0003] The above object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1, a server device having the features of claim 12, a target device having the features of claim 13, a computer program having the features of claim 14, and a computer-readable storage medium having the features of claim 15. Further features and details of the invention are disclosed in the respective dependent claims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in the context of the method according to the invention always correspond to the computer program according to the invention, the network element according to the invention, and the computer-readable storage medium according to the invention, and vice versa, so that reciprocal reference can always be made to the disclosure concerning the individual aspects of the invention.

[0004] The objective is achieved in particular by a method for providing an absolute position of a target device, comprising the following steps at a device, preferably a server device or a server UE: - Receiving a request to locate a target device, - Determining at least one localized anchor device based on an analysis of one and / or a plurality of localized anchor devices capable of providing absolute positioning information with respect to the target device, wherein the one and / or the plurality of localized anchor devices serve as a reference point for locating the target device, - sending a request to the determined at least one localized anchor device, the request comprising a task for initiating a positioning procedure by sending a positioning reference signal to the target device, - receiving a positioning information message from the at least one anchor device based on the initiated positioning procedure, wherein the positioning information message comprises mobility awareness information regarding the target device, - Identifying two candidate positions based on a calculation depending on the received mobility information, - selecting one of the two candidate positions depending on a comparison result of arrival angle measurements with respect to the target device, - Providing the selected one candidate position as the absolute position of the target device to the requesting entity.

[0005] This offers the advantage that the inventive method provides an absolute position in combination with relative positioning information. Furthermore, using an absolute position of at least one localized anchor device, such as a roadside unit (RSU), advantageously allows for the conversion of relative positioning information into absolute positioning information, such as an absolute position of a target device. Furthermore, using the inventive method according to embodiments of the invention can be advantageous in an application such as a rail network as a transportation network.

[0006] In the context of this invention, a positioning procedure may include sensing or ranging, or any other location-based service. Sensing is understood as detecting other radio transmissions in the vicinity to avoid interference, while ranging may involve measuring the distance between a device and a base station to optimize communication parameters.

[0007] In the context of positioning in wireless communication systems such as 5G NR (New Radio), PRS stands for Positioning Reference Signal. A PRS is a signal that can support precise location determination for a device or user equipment (UE). Using a PRS signal can, for example, work as follows: A base station can transmit a PRS signal on specific time-frequency resources within its radio cell. These resources are allocated for positioning purposes. The devices, or UEs, within the radio cell receive this PRS signal and measure its properties, such as signal strength and time of arrival. The device can then calculate its position based on the PRS signal measurements from the base station, using techniques such as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) or Angle of Arrival (AoA) determination, depending on the available information. After processing the received PRS signal, the device UE can determine its position with a relatively high degree of accuracy, which can be used for location-based services, emergency services, object tracking, and other applications.

[0008] In the context of positioning, mobility information refers to data and information that provide insights into the mobility and movement characteristics of a device or user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, such as a 5G NR (New Radio) network. Mobility information can be a set of data and parameters that describe the mobility and movement behavior of a device, for example, in a wireless network. It can be used to improve the accuracy of positioning, track the movement of (target) devices, and optimize network resources for location-based services.They may include various elements, such as, for example, the speed and velocity of a device in a direction, which may be useful for predicting a future position of the UE and optimizing tracking algorithms. Or, such as a direction of movement, which means the angle or direction at which a device is moving. Or, such as a trajectory history, which may include historical data on the device's movement over time, allowing more accurate predictions of its future location. Or, such as an environmental context, which may be information about the physical environment, such as terrain, obstacles, or buildings, that may affect the device's movement and signal propagation.

[0009] A device or user device in the context of this invention refers to a device, such as a smartphone, a tablet, or any other device capable of communicating over a cellular network. This device can play various roles in different communication scenarios.

[0010] An anchor device or anchor UE may be understood as a device or user equipment that serves as a reference point or anchor for a positioning procedure.

[0011] A target device or target user equipment can be interpreted as a device or user equipment that is the recipient or target of a positioning procedure.

[0012] A server device or a target user device can be interpreted as a device or a user device that is the initiator or the coordinator of a positioning procedure.

[0013] It is possible that the mobility information includes trajectory information that includes waypoints associated with timestamp information for the target device.

[0014] It is conceivable that the target device has indicated the availability of information on a past and an estimated future trajectory, the method comprising the following further steps: - Requesting information on a past and a future estimated trajectory from the target device, - Receiving the requested trajectory information for calculation. This offers the advantage of improving the determination of path information based on information about the historical and future trajectory, such as, for example, waypoints and related timestamps.

[0015] It is possible that the target device is only capable of providing coarse positioning information, wherein the device comprises a digital model of a transport network, wherein the digital model indicates an assignment and / or a location identifier for elements of the transport network, the method comprising the following further steps: - Receiving a current location identifier from the target device based on a request from the device, - Converting the location identifier into trajectory information based on the use of the digital model and based on the received location identifier, - Providing the trajectory information to identify and / or select one of the two candidate positions.

[0016] It is also possible that the procedure includes the following additional steps: - Receiving a current location identifier based on a regular broadcast of the target device, - Initiating a distance determination procedure at the target device based on the received current identifier and based on the insertion of corresponding timestamp information.

[0017] The current identifier allows the server device to convert this information, based on the digital model, into positioning information indicating the assignment of identifier information to a location or position with respect to the digital model of the transport network, such as a road network or a rail network.

[0018] It is possible that identification includes the following additional step: - Determining two candidate positions based on a distance between the selected at least one localized anchor device and the target device, which are matched with respective path information and timestamp information.

[0019] It is possible that the respective path information includes information relating to a multi-lane path and / or further includes lane information relating to the multi-lane path.

[0020] This allows the inventive method to be used flexibly in a multi-lane situation. The provided lane information advantageously improves the ability to obtain the exact lane position of the target device on the multi-lane road.

[0021] It is further possible that determining at least one localized anchor device comprises the following further step: - Determining at least two localized anchor devices based on the analysis of the plurality of localized anchor devices, each capable of providing the absolute positioning information regarding the target device to increase the accuracy of the absolute positioning.

[0022] This has the effect of obtaining further positioning information from additional anchor devices, which advantageously supports the determination of the absolute position of the target device.

[0023] It is possible that the calculation further includes an error measurement using statistical error propagation.

[0024] This has a beneficial effect on the correctness and accuracy of the calculation, as possible errors are taken into account and eliminated in order to increase the position accuracy.

[0025] It is also possible that the method includes the following step: - Receiving a request to locate multiple and / or a group of target devices.

[0026] This advantageously allows an absolute position to be determined dynamically and efficiently for each device of the plurality of devices or group of devices, which may be advantageous, for example, in scenarios with multiple lanes or a road intersection.

[0027] It is further possible for sending the request to further comprise a task for initiating a positioning procedure between the determined at least one anchor device and the target device by expediting tracking of the target device in frequency range 2. This has the effect of accelerating and making the positioning procedure for tracking the location of the target device more precise by using frequencies in the millimeter wave (FR2) range. Frequency range 2 (FR2) of 5G NR (New Radio) corresponds to frequencies in the millimeter wave (mmWave) range, typically in the range from 24 GHz to 100 GHz, and is known for its high-frequency and short-wave characteristics. Expedited tracking allows the location of the (target) device to be updated quickly and with low latency.Accelerated tracking techniques have the advantage of increasing positioning accuracy by reducing the time between location updates. This is particularly beneficial in applications such as autonomous vehicles, where real-time and accurate positioning is essential for safe operation.

[0028] In another aspect of the invention, a device for providing absolute positioning information of a location, in particular a server user device, comprising means for implementing the method according to the invention can be provided. Thus, the device according to the invention can have the same advantages as those described in detail with reference to a method according to the invention.

[0029] In another aspect of the invention, a targeting device may be provided comprising means for performing at least one of the following steps: - Sending a current location identifier to a device according to the invention based on a request from the device, - Sending a current location identifier to the device according to the invention based on a regular broadcast.

[0030] Thus, the aiming device according to the invention can have the same advantages as those described in detail with reference to a method according to the invention.

[0031] In another aspect of the invention, a computer program, in particular a computer program product, can be provided that comprises instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to the invention. Thus, the computer program according to the invention can have the same advantages as those described in detail with reference to a method according to the invention.

[0032] In another aspect of the invention, a data processing device can be provided that is designed to carry out the method according to the invention. For example, a computer that executes the computer program according to the invention can be provided as the device. The computer can include at least one processor that can be used to execute the computer program. Furthermore, a non-volatile data memory can be provided in which the computer program can be stored and from which the computer program can be read by the processor for execution.

[0033] According to another aspect of the invention, a computer-readable storage medium can be provided, which comprises the computer program according to the invention and / or instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to the invention. The storage medium can be designed as a data storage device, for example, as a hard disk and / or as a non-volatile memory and / or as a memory card and / or as a solid-state drive. The data storage medium can, for example, be integrated into the computer.

[0034] Furthermore, the method according to the invention can be used as a computer-implemented method.

[0035] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. It is shown: Fig. 1: a method, a computer program and a storage medium according to embodiments of the invention, Fig. 2 a schematic representation according to embodiments of the invention and Fig. 3 a further schematic representation according to embodiments of the invention.

[0036] The core of the invention relates to the use of an absolute position of an anchor UE, referred to as a localized anchor UE, preferably a fixed one, such as a roadside unit (RSU), and the knowledge of the road network on which a target UE moves on a path, such as, for example, a railway line, a road, a multi-lane road or the like, in order to convert relative positions into an absolute position.

[0037] Fig. 1 depicts a method 100, a server U E 10, a computer program 30, a storage medium 15, and a computer 11 according to embodiments of the invention. Fig. 1 shows a method 100 for providing an absolute position of a target device 20. The method 100 according to embodiments of the invention comprises the following steps, which are performed at a device 10, in particular a server UE 10: In step 101, a request to locate a target device 20 is received by the device 10.

[0038] At step 102, at least one located anchor device 30 is determined based on an analysis of one and / or a plurality of located anchor devices 30 capable of providing absolute positioning information relative to the target device 20. The one and / or the plurality of located anchor devices 30 serve as a reference point for locating the target device 20. At step 103, a request is sent to the determined at least one located anchor device 30. The request includes a task for initiating a positioning procedure by sending a positioning reference signal to the target device 20. At step 104, a positioning information message is received from the at least one anchor device 30 based on the initiated positioning procedure.The positioning information message includes mobility information regarding the target device 20. Next, at step 105, two candidate positions 40, 41 are identified based on a calculation dependent on the received mobility information. At step 106, one of the two candidate positions 40, 41 is selected based on a comparison result of arrival angle measurements relative to the target device 20. At step 107, the selected one candidate position is provided to the requesting entity as the absolute position of the target device 20.

[0039] Fig. 1 further shows a device 10 comprising a computer 11 and a computer-readable storage medium 15. The computer-readable storage medium 15 comprises a computer program 50.

[0040] Fig. Figure 2 shows two schematic representations according to embodiments of the invention. In the upper part of Fig. 2 shows a street 5. Furthermore, this part of Fig. 2 shows a server user device 10 (server UE) and a target user device 20 (target UE) as a vehicle. Furthermore, a localized anchor user device (anchor UE) is shown. As an example, Fig. 2 depicts a scenario for providing an absolute position of a location of a target UE 20. The target UE 20 is positioned relative to the located anchor UE 30 320. The located anchor UE 30 reports the relative positioning information to the server UE 10, which is, for example, collocated with the target UE 20. Alternatively, the server UE 10 may also be collocated with the anchor UE 30 or even another third-party UE (not shown). Based on the known distance and the known path, the server UE 10 may determine two candidate positions 40, 41 for the target UE 20, which is located in the lower part of Fig. 2. Then, only one candidate exists that is compatible with the measured arrival angle. Road 5 or the road network is defined, for example, as a straight road with a 2D path comprising the waypoints. A trajectory of road 5 may be random, such as, for example, nonlinear.

[0041] Fig. 3 illustrates a further schematic representation according to embodiments of the invention.

[0042] As in Fig. 2, the server UE 10 may, for example, be selected by the target UE 10 if the positioning request originates from the target UE 20 or from an application server (AS) if the AS had requested a positioning service. Fig. 3 depicts in particular a flowchart of the inventive method according to embodiments of the invention.

[0043] At step 301, a positioning request to locate one or more target UEs 20 is received by the server UE 10. Then, at step 302, the server UE 10 determines at least one located anchor device 30 based on an analysis of one and / or a plurality of located anchor devices 30 capable of providing absolute positioning information regarding the target device 20, wherein the one and / or the plurality of located anchor devices 30 serve as a reference point for locating the target device 20.The analysis may be based either on a configured list comprising possible anchor UEs 30 to determine that a possible anchor UE 30 has an available absolute positioning, or on using the discovery mechanism of the server UE 10 to analyze all possible anchor UEs 30 and their capabilities to select the one located anchor UE 30 that is available in the absolute positioning.

[0044] At step 303, the server UE 10 may request the located anchor UE 30 to send a positioning reference signal (PRS) to the target UE 20. The participating UEs 20, 30 may perform measurements to determine the distance and the angle of arrival (AoA). Finally, the anchor UE 30 may send a notification to the server UE 10 regarding the measurement results.

[0045] At step 304, the server UE 10 may generate an estimated trajectory 70 comprising waypoints 80, 90 associated with timestamps for the target UE 20, such as in Fig. 4. This can be calculated, for example, as follows: a. The target UE 20 has knowledge of its past trajectory 80 as well as the future estimated trajectory 90, as in Fig. 4. The server UE 10 requests the past trajectory 80 and the future estimated trajectory 90 from the target UE 20 for the calculation process. b. The target UE 20 may only provide a rough position, such as, for example, a road number, a last milestone, a motorway exit number, or a crossed road. The target and server UEs 10, 20 comprise a digital model of a transportation network, such as a road network 5, with identifiers of the road numbers and milestones. The target UE 20 may provide the current identifier of the road section and send it to the server UE 10 for further calculation. The server UE 10 may use its digital model to convert the received road section identifier into a trajectory 70 and may then quantize it to generate waypoints 80, 90, such as in Fig. 4 illustrates.

[0046] At step 305, the server UE may, for example, obtain two candidate positions from the area between the located anchor UE 30 and the target UE 20 by matching them with the respective path information 70. This may, for example, be based on the internal calculations of the server UE 10 and on the trajectory information and / or mobility information, such as timestamp information, speed, or direction information.

[0047] At step 306, the server UE 10 may select the only candidate position compatible with the arrival angle measurement and, in particular, the timestamp associated with the road segment information. At step 307, the server UE 10 may then provide the absolute position of the target UE 20 to the requesting entity based on the selected candidate.

[0048] In another embodiment, the destination UE 20 may periodically broadcast the identifier of its road segment. This information is then used at step 304 by the server UE 10 during a distance determination procedure at the same destination using the timestamp.

[0049] In another embodiment, an expedited tracking procedure in frequency range 2 (FR2) between the located UE 30 and the target UE 20 may be used for a direct link measurement. In such a case, sending the request from the server UE 10 to the anchor UE 30 includes a task for initiating a positioning procedure, such as a direct link measurement, by expediting the tracking of the target device 20 in frequency range 2, FR2.

[0050] In another embodiment, the determination or calculation by the server UE may also include an error measurement using statistical error propagation.

[0051] In another embodiment, it is possible for multiple anchor UEs 30 to be involved in the method according to the invention in order to increase the position accuracy.

[0052] The above explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention in the context of examples. Of course, individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another, provided this is technically feasible, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

[1] A method (100) for providing an absolute position of a target device (20), comprising the following steps on a device (10): - receiving (101) a request to locate a target device (20), - Determining (102) at least one localized anchor device (30) based on an analysis of one and / or a plurality of localized anchor devices (30) capable of providing absolute positioning information with respect to the target device (20), wherein the one and / or the plurality of localized anchor devices (30) serve as a reference point for locating the target device (20), - sending (103) a request to the determined at least one localized anchor device (30), the request comprising a task for initiating a position determination procedure by sending a position determination reference signal to the target device (20), - receiving (104) a positioning information message from the at least one anchor device (30) based on the initiated positioning procedure, wherein the positioning information message comprises mobility awareness information regarding the target device (20), - identifying (105) two candidate positions (40, 41) based on a calculation depending on the received mobility information, - selecting (106) one of the two candidate positions (40, 41) depending on a comparison result of arrival angle measurements with respect to the target device (20), - Providing (107) the selected one candidate position as the absolute position of the target device (20) to the requesting entity. [2] Method (100) according to claim 1, characterized by in that the mobility information comprises trajectory information comprising waypoints linked to time stamp information for the target device (20). [3] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the target device (20) has indicated the availability of information on a past and an estimated future trajectory, the method (100) comprising the following further steps: - requesting the information on the past and future estimated trajectory from the target device (20), - Receive the requested trajectory information for the calculation. [4] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the target device (20) is only capable of providing coarse positioning information, wherein the device (10) comprises a digital model of a transport network, wherein the digital model indicates an assignment and / or a location identifier for elements of the transport network, wherein the method (100) comprises the following further steps: - receiving a current location identifier from the target device (20) based on a request from the device (10), - Converting the location identifier into trajectory information based on the use of the digital model and based on the received location identifier, - Providing the trajectory information for identifying (105) and / or selecting (106) one of the two candidate positions. [5] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the procedure includes the following further steps: - receiving a current location identifier based on a regular broadcast from the target device (20), - initiating a distance determination procedure at the target device (20) based on the received current identifier and based on the insertion of corresponding time stamp information. [6] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the identifying (105) comprises the following further step: - Determining two candidate positions based on a distance between the selected at least one localized anchor device (30) and the target device (20), which are matched with respective path information and timestamp information. [7] Method (100) according to claim 6, characterized bythat the respective path information comprises information relating to a multi-lane path and / or further comprises lane information relating to the multi-lane path. [8] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that determining (102) at least one localized anchor device (30) comprises the following further step: - Determining at least two localized anchor devices (30) based on the analysis of the plurality of localized anchor devices, each capable of providing the absolute positioning information with respect to the target device (20) in order to increase the accuracy of the absolute positioning. [9] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the calculation further comprises an error measurement using statistical error propagation. [10] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the method (100) comprises the following step: - receiving a request to locate multiple and / or a group of target devices (20). [11] Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the sending (103) of the request further comprises a task for initiating a position determination procedure between the determined at least one localized anchor device (30) and the target device (20) by the accelerated tracking of the target device (20) in the frequency range 2 (FR2). [12] Device (10) for providing absolute positioning information of a location, in particular a server user device (10), comprising means for carrying out the method (100) according to one of the preceding claims. [13] Aiming device (20) comprising means for performing at least one of the following steps: - sending a current location identifier to a device (10) according to claim 12 based on a request from the device (10), - Sending a current location identifier based on a regular broadcast to the device (10) according to claim 12. [14] A computer program (50) comprising instructions which, when the computer program (50) is executed by a computer (11) of a device (10), cause the computer (11) to perform the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11. [15] A computer-readable storage medium (15) comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer (11), cause the computer (11) to perform the steps of the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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