A mechanism for measuring positioning reference signals.

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a mechanism for positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first device determines channel metrics between the first device and a second device. The first device determines a number of PRS samples based on the channel metrics and a target accuracy of the PRS measurement. The first device transmits a report indicating the results of the PRS measurement. In this manner, the number of PRS samples can be reduced based on the channel metrics, thereby saving power.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to methods, devices, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for positioning reference signal measurement. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of communication systems, new technologies are proposed. A recent work item was done in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) on positioning support in New Radio (NR) systems. A new reference signal for positioning was introduced in the downlink. For example, a terminal device can measure the reference signal time difference (RSTD) between positioning reference signals (PRS) from different transmission points to perform positioning. Alternatively or in addition, the terminal device can measure the receive-transmit (Rx-Tx) time difference, where the time difference is the difference between two PRSs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Generally, the example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for positioning reference signal measurements. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first aspect, a first device is provided, the first device comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured by the at least one processor to cause the first device to at least: determine channel metrics between the first device and a second device, determine a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the channel metrics and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement, and perform a positioning reference signal measurement based on the number of positioning reference signal samples.

[0005] In a second aspect, a second device is provided, the second device comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured by the at least one processor to cause the second device to at least: transmit mapping information to the first device, the mapping information indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal samples, a channel metric, and an accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement; and receive a report from the first device indicating a result of a PRS measurement, the PRS measurement being based on the number of positioning reference signal samples, the number of positioning reference signal samples being determined based on the channel metric between the first device and the second device, and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided, the method including: determining channel metrics between a first device and a second device; determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the channel metrics and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement; and performing a positioning reference signal measurement based on the number of positioning reference signal samples.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided, the method including: transmitting, at a second device, mapping information to a first device, the mapping information indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal samples, a channel metric, and an accuracy of a PRS measurement; and receiving, from the first device, a report indicating a result of a PRS measurement, the PRS measurement being performed based on the number of positioning reference signal samples, the number of positioning reference signal samples being determined based on a channel metric between the first device and the second device, and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: means for determining channel metrics between a first device and a second device; means for determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the channel metrics and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement; and means for performing a positioning reference signal measurement based on the number of positioning reference signal samples.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: means, at a second device, for transmitting mapping information to the first device, the mapping information indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal samples, a channel metric, and an accuracy of a PRS measurement; and means, at the first device, for receiving a report indicating a result of a PRS measurement, the PRS measurement being based on the number of positioning reference signal samples, the number of positioning reference signal samples being determined based on channel metric between the first device and the second device, and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least a method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that this summary section is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description.

[0012] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a signaling flow diagram for positioning reference signal measurement according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 4 is a schematic diagram of positioning reference signal samples according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of a method implemented in a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart of a method implemented in a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart of a method implemented in a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements.

[0015] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0016] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0017] In this disclosure, references such as "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the embodiment being described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments need to include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed to be within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic with respect to other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0018] Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, it should be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element can be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element can be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the illustrated embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes" and / or "including" as used herein specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more of other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., analog and / or digital-only implementations); (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable): (i) A combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; and (ii) hardware processors (including digital signal processors) with software, software, and portions of memory that work together to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or a server, to perform various functions; and (c) A hardware circuit and / or processor, such as a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor, that requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but where the software may not be present when it is not necessary for operation.

[0021] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including the claims. As a further example, the term circuitry, as used in this application, also covers merely a hardware circuit or processor (or processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term circuitry also covers, for example, baseband or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices, if applicable to certain claim elements.

[0022] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network conforming to an appropriate communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be performed according to any appropriate generation of communication protocols, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocols now known or developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communication, there are of course future communication technologies and systems in which the present disclosure may be embodied. The scope of the present disclosure should not be considered as being limited to only the aforementioned systems.

[0023] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node of a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device may refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), e.g., a Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also referred to as gNB), remote radio unit (RRU), radio header (RH), remote radio head (RRH), relay device, integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, low power node such as femto, pico, satellite network device, low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, and geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellite, non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-ground network device such as aircraft network device, etc. The term "terminal device" refers to any end device capable of wireless communication. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0024] As mentioned before, it was implemented in 3GPP for positioning support in NR. According to the prior art, to meet the low latency target, one enhancement specified is to reduce the number of PRS samples (reference signal occasions) in the UE. The reduction in the number of PRS samples simply sets the amount that the UE should use to meet the accuracy requirements / tests. However, there is a trade-off between accuracy and power consumption, since the fewer the number of samples, the less the requirements are expected to be in terms of accuracy.

[0025] The NR Positioning Radio Access Network (RAN) 4 sets the positioning measurement requirement (e.g., RSTD) based on the number of samples the UE receives for the PRS. The term "sample" in the RAN4 specification means the number of instances of the PRS resource (e.g., one repetition of a periodic set). The more samples the UE uses to measure the PRS, the higher the power consumption will be. The more samples, the higher the expected positioning measurement accuracy will be achieved (e.g., RSTD). So, there is a natural trade-off between power consumption and accuracy. This becomes an issue for low-power devices (e.g., reduced capability (RedCap) UEs) to achieve the required accuracy while minimizing power consumption. The samples required to meet a certain accuracy are also related to the quality of the received signal (i.e., a signal received at relatively high power with little interference will require fewer samples to reach the target accuracy).

[0026] Moreover, if the UE needs to always use the same number of measurement samples, this will be power inefficient for the UE, because the UE will need to use more samples for some PRSs from some transmit reception points (TRPs) that are not needed, which will lead to a waste of UE power.

[0027] To solve these and other potential problems, a solution for positioning reference signal (PRS) measurements is needed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first device determines channel metrics between the first device and a second device. The first device determines a number of PRS samples based on the channel metrics and a target accuracy of the PRS measurement. The first device transmits a report indicating the results of the PRS measurement. In this manner, the number of PRS samples can be reduced based on the channel metrics, thereby saving power at the UE side.

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication environment 100 in which an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented, which is an example embodiment. The communication environment 100, which is part of a communication network, includes a device 110-1, a device 110-2, ...., a device 110-N, which may be collectively referred to as a "first device 110". The communication environment 100 includes a second device 120. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the second device 120 may communicate with the first device 110 via TRPs 130-1 and 130-2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "TRP130" or individually referred to as "TRP130"). For example, TRP130-1 may also be referred to as a first TRP, and TRP130-2 may also be referred to as a second TRP.

[0029] The communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices and cells. In the communication environment 100, the first device 110 and the second device 120 may communicate data and / or control information with each other. If the first device 110 is a terminal device and the second device 120 is a network device, the link, i.e., the communication of data and / or control from the second device 120 to the first device 110, is referred to as a downlink (DL) and the link from the first device 110 to the second device 120 is referred to as an uplink (UL).

[0030] It should be understood that the number of first devices and cells and their connections shown in Figure 1 are provided for illustrative purposes, without implying any limitations, and communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices and networks configured to implement embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] Communications in the communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communications protocol, including, but not limited to, cellular communications protocols such as first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) and fifth generation (5G), wireless local network communications protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or other protocols now known or developed in the future. Moreover, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including, but not limited to, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or other technologies now known or developed in the future.

[0032] Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which illustrates a signaling flow 200 for PRS measurement according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, the signaling flow 200 is described with reference to FIG. 1. For illustrative purposes only, the signaling flow 200 may involve a first device 110-1 and a second device 120. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to any suitable type of device, including RedCap devices. RedCap devices are designed to have a relatively long battery life compared to Internet of Things (IoT). One such feature of RedCap to extend battery life is radio resource management (RRM) relaxation of RedCap devices. Moreover, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to different beams or TRPs.

[0033] The first device 110-1 may determine mapping information 2010 indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal (PRS) samples, channel metrics, and accuracy of the PRS measurements. In some embodiments, the mapping information may be determined at the first device 110-1. Alternatively, determining the mapping information may include receiving the mapping information from the second device. In other words, the second device 120 may transmit the mapping information to the first device 110-1.

[0034] In some embodiments, the mapping information may be stored in a lookup table. Alternatively, the mapping information may be stored in a multivariate function. In some other embodiments, the mapping information may be stored in other adaptive routines.

[0035] The channel metrics may include any suitable parameters indicative of link quality between the devices. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate line-of-sight (LoS) conditions. Alternatively, or in addition, the channel metrics may indicate a signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR). In other embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate a reference signal received power (RSRP). In some other embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate a reference signal received quality (RSRQ).

[0036] A positioning reference signal (PRS) may be a primary reference signal supporting downlink-based positioning methods. The term "PRS sample" as used herein refers to an instance / occasion of a repeated PRS signal. For example, one instance of a PRS resource set with a priority of 10 ms has four samples within a 40 ms window. Using a PRS may have the advantage of having a good level of accuracy, coverage, interference avoidance and suppression, and a wide delay spread range, since it can be received from potentially distant neighboring base stations for position estimation. This can be achieved by transmitting the PRS over multiple symbols that can cover a wide or full range of the NR bandwidth and be aggregated to accumulate power.

[0037] Table 1 below shows an example mapping information between the number of PRS samples, the channel metrics, and the accuracy of the PRS measurement. Note that the values ​​of accuracy, channel metrics, and the number of PRS samples in Table 1 are merely examples and are not limiting.

[0038] [Table 1]

[0039] The first device 110-1 may obtain the PRS assistance data. For example, the core network device 210 may transmit 2020 the PRS assistance data to the first device 110-1. In some embodiments, the core network device 210 may be or may include a location management function (LMF). In one example embodiment, the LMF may be a separate unit from the core network device, and the LMF is in communication with the core network device.

[0040] The PRS assistance data may include parameters for the PRS. For example, the PRS assistance data may include the bandwidth of the PRS. Alternatively, or in addition, the PRS assistance data may include the periodicity of the PRS. In some embodiments, the PRS assistance data may include the density of subcarriers occupied in a given PRS symbol, referred to as the comb size. In a comb-N PRS, N symbols can be combined to cover all subcarriers in the frequency domain. Thus, each base station can transmit on a different set of subcarriers to avoid interference.

[0041] The first device 110-1 determines 2025 channel metrics between the first device 110-1 and the second device 120. For example, the first device 110-1 may determine channel metrics between the first device 110-1 and the TRP 130-1. The first device 110-1 may also determine channel metrics between the first device 110-1 and the TRP 130-2.

[0042] As mentioned above, the channel metrics may indicate at least one of: LoS status, SINR, RSRP, or RSRQ. The first device 110-1 may determine the channel metrics based on any suitable signal. For example, the channel metrics may be determined based on a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB). Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may determine the channel metrics based on a PRS. In this case, the channel metrics may be determined based on a previous measurement of the PRS. In other words, the first device 110-1 may use a previously received PRS to determine the channel metrics.

[0043] The first device 110-1 determines 2030 the number of PRS samples based on the channel metrics and the target accuracy of the PRS measurements. For example, in some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine the number of PRS samples based on the channel metrics, the target accuracy, and the mapping information. In some other embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine the number of PRS samples based on a received quasi co-located signal.

[0044] In some embodiments, the target accuracy of the PRS measurement may be determined based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement. QoS may refer to a measure of the overall service performance experienced by a user of the network. To quantitatively measure at least one of the QoS, packet loss, bit rate, throughput, transmission delay, availability, jitter, or other relevant aspects of the service may be considered. In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine the target accuracy of the PRS measurement. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may receive an indication of the target accuracy from the core network device 210.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3, the first device 110-1 may determine that the SINR between the first device 110-1 and the TRP 130-1 is 0 dB. The target accuracy of the PRS measurement associated with the TRP 130-1 is + / - 10 nanoseconds. In this case, the first device 110-1 may determine that the number of PRS samples is 2 according to Table 1, which is shown as PRS samples 310-1 and 310-2. Moreover, the first device 110-1 may determine that the SINR between the first device 110-1 and the TRP 130-2 is -3 dB. The target accuracy of the PRS measurement associated with the TRP 130-1 is + / - 10 nanoseconds. In this case, the first device 110-1 may determine that the number of PRS samples is 4 according to Table 1, which is shown as PRS samples 320-1, 320-2, 320-3 and 320-4. In other words, the channel conditions between the first device 110-1 and TRP 130-1 are better than the channel conditions between the first device 110-1 and TRP 130-2, and the first device 110-1 may use fewer PRS samples for PRS measurements associated with TRP 130-1 than for PRS measurements associated with TRP 130-2. In this manner, the first device 110-1 may consume less power.

[0046] The second device 120 can transmit a set of positioning reference signals to the first device 110-1 2040. There are several configurable comb-based PRS patterns suitable for different scenarios, such as comb-2, comb-4, comb-6, comb-12, which are useful for different use cases. The PRS can also support 2 / 4 / 6 / 12 symbols in time frequency. Table 2 below shows example patterns of the PRS. Please note that Table 2 is only an example and is not limiting.

[0047] [Table 2]

[0048] The first device 110-1 performs a PRS measurement based on the number of PRS samples 2050. In other words, the first device 110-1 can reduce the number of measurements to reach a target accuracy. After the target accuracy is satisfied, the first device 110-1 can stop receiving or processing the PRS, thereby saving power. In some embodiments, the channel metrics may be determined based on the PRS measurement of the first PRS sample from the PRS samples.

[0049] 3, the first device 110-1 may perform PRS measurements on PRS signals received from TRP 130-1 at PRS samples 310-1 and 310-2. The first device 110-1 may perform PRS measurements on PRS signals received from TRP 130-2 at PRS samples 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, and 320-4.

[0050] When the first device 110-1 decides that it can stop receiving / processing a PRS, there are some subtleties since the first device 110-1 can decide different times to stop processing a PRS and stop receiving a PRS. The reasons are twofold: 1) the first device 110-1 may be receiving multiple PRSs within one symbol and continue to receive PRSs from other TRPs even after the required number of samples for a particular PRS is reached; 2) the first device 110-1 may be using the same Rx beam to receive multiple PRSs and therefore still use a certain Rx beam for longer than just for one PRS. In such a case, the first device 110-1 may stop processing a PRS that has reached the required number of samples, but technically does not stop receiving it until some or all PRSs within those symbols / Rx beams have been processed.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may perform a PRS-RSRP measurement on the PRS sample. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may perform a PRS-reference signal received path power (PRS-RSRPP) measurement on the PRS sample. In other embodiments, the first device 110-1 may perform a PRS reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurement. As another example, the first device 110-1 may perform a UE receive-transmit (RX-TX) time difference measurement on the PRS sample. In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may perform at least one of the following on the PRS sample: an angle of arrival measurement, an angle of departure measurement, or a carrier phase measurement.

[0052] In some embodiments, the second device 120 can transmit performance information to the first device 110-1. In this case, the first device 110-1 can update the PRS sample count based on the performance information. For example, if the second device 120 signals performance degradation, the mapping information can be updated to a more conservative set of values, e.g., the minimum sample count is increased by a fixed value.

[0053] In some other embodiments, the mapping information can be updated based on periodic checks of the validity of the mapping information. For example, if static mapping (i.e., mapping information) is in place, dynamic mapping can be periodically triggered to compare the results of applying both methods to the same PRS. If there is a difference in the associated performance, the static mapping can be updated according to the configuration given in the dynamic mapping. In other words, the minimum number of samples in the lookup table can be updated to match the number of samples after the dynamic method has converged.

[0054] Please refer to FIG. 4, which shows an example embodiment of a flow chart of updating PRS samples. In block 410, the first device 110-1 may determine channel metrics of the TRP / beam. As described above, the channel metrics may indicate at least one of: LoS condition, SINR, RSRP, or RSRQ. In block 420, the first device 110-1 may determine a number of PRS samples based on the channel metrics and a target accuracy of the PRS measurement. In block 430, the first device 110-1 may perform a PRS measurement based on the number of PRS samples.

[0055] In block 440, the first device 110-1 may update the number of PRS samples. In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may update the number of PRS samples based on the difference of the PRS measurements made. For example, if the number of PRS samples is four, the first device 110-1 may obtain a first time of arrival (TOA) estimate based on the first PRS and obtain a second TOA estimate based on the second PRS. In this case, the first device 110-1 may compare the first TOA estimate with the second TOA estimate. If the TOA based on the first TOA estimate and the second TOA estimate converges, the first device 110-1 may stop the PRS measurements and return the TOA. In this case, the first device 110-1 may update the number of PRS samples from four to two. If the TOA based on the first TOA estimate and the second TOA estimate does not converge, the first device 110-1 may obtain a third TOA estimate based on the third PRS. If the TOA based on the second TOA estimate and the third TOA estimate converges, the first device 110-1 may stop the PRS measurement and return the TOA. In this case, the first device 110-1 may update the PRS sample number from 4 to 3. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may further perform PRS measurement for the fourth PRS.

[0056] In block 450, the first device 110-1 may stop processing PRS from a TRP / beam. Blocks 410 to 450 may be repeated for all TRPs or all beams of a TRP. In block 460, if the first device 110-1 is performing beamforming, the first device 110-1 may stop measuring PRS by an RX beam after processing of all PRS beams / TRPs in that RX beam has been stopped. Block 460 may be repeated for all UE RX beams.

[0057] In some embodiments, if the number of PRS samples is reached, the first device 110-1 may exit the measurement gap for PRS measurement. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may prioritize PRS measurements in the measurement gap based on channel metrics. For example, the first device 110-1 may perform PRS measurements in the measurement gap first. In other words, the first device 110-1 may exit the measurement gap (MG) or prioritize specific TRPs / beams in a specific MG instance to reduce the time the first device 110-1 needs to spend in the MG total.

[0058] Referring again to FIG. 2, the first device 110-1 may transmit 2060 a report indicating the results of the TRP / PRS measurements of the beam. In some embodiments, the report may be transmitted to the second device 120 and then forwarded to the core network device 210. Alternatively, or additionally, the report may be transmitted to the core network device 210. Alternatively, or additionally, the report may be transmitted or provided to the LMF (not shown in FIG. 2). In some embodiments, the core network device 210 may estimate 2070 a location of the first device 110-1 based on the report.

[0059] In some example embodiments, UE-based positioning may be applied, in which the first device 110-1 may determine its location locally based on PRS measurements. The first device 110-1 may not need to send reports to the second device 120 or the core network device 210.

[0060] According to the embodiment of Fig. 2, the first device 110-1 can determine the number of PRS samples based on channel metrics. In this case, if the channel condition is good enough, the first device 110-1 can measure a smaller number of PRS samples. (In other words, if the channel condition is worse, more PRS samples can be measured.) In other words, the first device 110-1 does not need to measure the same number of positioning reference signals for all TRPs, thereby saving power.

[0061] 5 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 500 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion, the method 500 will be described from the perspective of the first device 110-1.

[0062] The first device 110-1 may determine mapping information indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal (PRS) samples, channel metrics, and accuracy of the PRS measurements. In some embodiments, the mapping information may be determined at the first device 110-1. Alternatively, determining the mapping information may include receiving the mapping information from the second device. In other words, the second device 120 may transmit the mapping information to the first device 110-1.

[0063] In some embodiments, the mapping information may be stored in a lookup table. Alternatively, the mapping information may be stored in a multivariate function. In some other embodiments, the mapping information may be stored in other adaptive routines.

[0064] The channel metrics may include any suitable parameters indicative of link quality between the devices. For example, in some embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate line-of-sight (LoS) conditions. Alternatively, or in addition, the channel metrics may indicate a signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR). In other embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate a reference signal received power (RSRP). In some other embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate a reference signal received quality (RSRQ).

[0065] The PRS may be the main reference signal supporting downlink-based positioning methods. As used herein, the term "PRS sample" may refer to an instance / occasion of a repeated PRS signal. Using the PRS may have the advantage of having a good level of accuracy, coverage, interference avoidance and suppression, and a wide delay spread range, as it may be received from potentially distant neighboring base stations for position estimation. This may be achieved by transmitting the PRS over multiple symbols that cover a wide range / full NR bandwidth and can be aggregated to accumulate power.

[0066] The first device 110-1 may obtain the PRS assistance data. For example, the core network device 210 may transmit 2020 the PRS assistance data to the first device 110-1. In some embodiments, the core network device 210 may be or may include a location management function (LMF). In one example embodiment, the LMF may be a separate unit from the core network device, and the LMF is in communication with the core network device.

[0067] The PRS assistance data may include parameters for the PRS. For example, the PRS assistance data may include the bandwidth of the PRS. Alternatively, or in addition, the PRS assistance data may include the periodicity of the PRS. In some embodiments, the PRS assistance data may include the density of subcarriers occupied in a given PRS symbol, referred to as the comb size. In a comb-N PRS, N symbols may be combined to cover all subcarriers in the frequency domain. Thus, each base station may transmit on a different set of subcarriers to avoid interference.

[0068] In block 510, the first device 110-1 determines channel metrics between the first device 110-1 and the second device 120. As described above, the channel metrics may indicate one or more of: LoS status, SINR, RSRP, or RSRQ. The first device 110-1 may determine the channel metrics based on any suitable signal. For example, the channel metrics may be determined based on a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SSB). Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may determine the channel metrics based on a PRS. In this case, the channel metrics may be determined based on a previous measurement of the PRS. In other words, the first device 110-1 may use a previously received PRS to determine the channel metrics.

[0069] At block 520, the first device 110-1 determines the number of PRS samples based on the channel metrics and the target accuracy of the PRS measurements. For example, in some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine the number of PRS samples based on the channel metrics, the target accuracy, and the mapping information. In some other embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine the number of PRS samples based on the received quasi-colocated signal.

[0070] In some embodiments, the target accuracy of the PRS measurement may be determined based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement. QoS may refer to a measure of the overall service performance experienced by a user of the network. To quantitatively measure at least one of the QoS, packet loss, bit rate, throughput, transmission delay, availability, jitter, and other relevant aspects of the service may be considered. In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may determine the target accuracy of the PRS measurement. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may receive an indication of the target accuracy from the core network device 210.

[0071] The first device 110-1 can receive a set of positioning reference signals from the second device 120. There are several configurable comb-based PRS patterns, such as comb-2, comb-4, comb-6, and comb-12, suitable for different scenarios that serve different use cases. The PRS can also support 2 / 4 / 6 / 12 symbols in time frequency.

[0072] In block 530, the first device 110-1 performs a PRS measurement based on the number of PRS samples. In other words, the first device 110-1 only uses a minimum number of measurements to reach a target accuracy. After the target accuracy is satisfied, the first device 110-1 can stop receiving or processing the PRS, thereby saving power. In some embodiments, the channel metrics may be determined based on the PRS measurement of the first PRS sample from the PRS samples.

[0073] When the first device 110-1 decides that it can stop receiving / processing a PRS, there are some subtleties since the first device 110-1 can decide different times to stop processing the PRS and stop receiving the PRS. The reasons are twofold: 1) the first device 110-1 may be receiving multiple PRSs within one symbol and need to continue receiving PRSs from other TRPs even after the required number of samples for a particular PRS is reached; 2) the first device 110-1 may be using the same Rx beam to receive multiple PRSs and therefore still need to use the Rx beam longer than just for one PRS. In such a case, the first device 110-1 may stop processing a PRS that has reached the required number of samples, but technically does not completely stop receiving it until some or all PRSs within those symbols / Rx beams have been processed.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may perform a PRS-RSRP measurement on the PRS sample. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may perform a PRS-Reference Signal Receive Path Power (PRS-RSRPP) measurement on the PRS sample. In other embodiments, the first device 110-1 may perform a PRS Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) measurement. As another example, the first device 110-1 may perform a UE receive-transmit (RX-TX) time difference measurement on the PRS sample. In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may perform at least one of the following on the PRS sample: an angle of arrival measurement, an angle of departure measurement, or a carrier phase measurement.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may receive performance information from the second device 120. In this case, the first device 110-1 may update the number of PRS samples based on the performance information. For example, if the second device 120 signals performance degradation, the mapping information may be updated to a more conservative set of values, e.g., the minimum number of samples is increased by a fixed value.

[0076] In some other embodiments, the mapping information can be updated based on periodic checks of the validity of the mapping information. For example, if static mapping (i.e., mapping information) is in place, dynamic mapping can be periodically triggered to compare the results of applying both methods to the same PRS. If there is a difference in the associated performance, the static mapping can be updated according to the configuration given in the dynamic mapping. In other words, the minimum number of samples in the lookup table can be updated to match the number of samples after the dynamic method has converged.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may exit the measurement gap for PRS measurement when the number of PRS samples is reached. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may prioritize PRS measurements within the measurement gap based on channel metrics. In other words, the first device 110-1 may exit the measurement gap (MG) or prioritize specific TRPs / beams in a specific MG instance to reduce the time the first device 110-1 needs to spend in the MG total.

[0078] In some embodiments, at block 540, the first device 110-1 may transmit a report indicating the results of the TRP / PRS measurements of the beam. In some embodiments, the report may be transmitted to the second device 120 and then forwarded to the core network device 210. Alternatively, or additionally, the report may be transmitted to the core network device 210. Alternatively, or additionally, the report may be transmitted or provided to the LMF.

[0079] In some example embodiments, UE-based positioning may be applied, in which the first device 110-1 may determine its location locally based on PRS measurements. The first device 110-1 may not need to send reports to the second device 120 or the core network device 210.

[0080] 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 600 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion, the method 600 will be described from the perspective of the second device 120.

[0081] At block 610, the second device 120 may transmit mapping information indicating a relationship between the number of positioning reference signal (PRS) samples, the channel metrics, and the accuracy of the PRS measurements.

[0082] In some embodiments, the mapping information may be stored in a lookup table. Alternatively, the mapping information may be stored in a multivariate function. In some other embodiments, the mapping information may be stored in other adaptive routines.

[0083] The channel metrics may include any suitable parameters indicative of link quality between the devices. For example, in some embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate line-of-sight (LoS) conditions. Alternatively, or in addition, the channel metrics may indicate a signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR). In other embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate a reference signal received power (RSRP). In some other embodiments, the channel metrics may indicate a reference signal received quality (RSRQ).

[0084] The PRS may be the primary reference signal supporting downlink-based positioning methods. As used herein, the term "PRS sample" may refer to an instance / occasion of a repeated PRS signal. Using a PRS may have the advantage of having a good level of accuracy, coverage, interference avoidance and suppression, and a wide delay spread range, as it may be received from potentially distant neighboring base stations for position estimation. This may be achieved by transmitting the PRS over multiple symbols that can cover a wide range / full NR bandwidth and be aggregated to accumulate power.

[0085] The second device 120 can transmit a set of positioning reference signals to the first device 110-1. There are several configurable comb-based PRS patterns, such as comb-2, comb-4, comb-6, and comb-12, suitable for different scenarios that serve different use cases. The PRS can also support 2 / 4 / 6 / 12 symbols in time frequency.

[0086] In some embodiments, the second device 120 can transmit performance information to the first device 110-1. In this case, the first device 110-1 can update the PRS sample count based on the performance information. For example, if the second device 120 signals performance degradation, the mapping information can be updated to a more conservative set of values, e.g., the minimum sample count is increased by a fixed value.

[0087] At block 620, the second device 120 receives a report indicating the results of the TRP / PRS measurements of the beam. In some embodiments, the report may be sent to the second device 120 and then forwarded to the core network device 210. Alternatively, or additionally, the report may be sent to the core network device 210. Alternatively, or additionally, the report may be sent or provided to the LMF.

[0088] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the first device 110) capable of performing any of the methods 500 may comprise means for performing each operation of the method 500. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module. The first apparatus may be implemented as or included in the first device 110. In some example embodiments, the means may comprise at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause, by the at least one processor, the performance of the apparatus.

[0089] In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises means for determining channel metrics between a first device and a second device; means for determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the channel metrics and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement; and means for performing a positioning reference signal measurement based on the number of positioning reference signal samples.

[0090] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for transmitting a report indicative of the results of the PRS measurements to the second device.

[0091] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for receiving, from the second device, mapping information indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal samples, a channel metric, and an accuracy of the PRS measurement.

[0092] In some embodiments, the apparatus may comprise means for determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the channel metrics, the target accuracy, and the mapping information.

[0093] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a target accuracy of the PRS measurements based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement between the first device and the second device.

[0094] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for receiving an indication of a target accuracy of the PRS measurement from a core network device.

[0095] In some embodiments, the channel metrics indicate at least one of: line of sight (LoS) status, signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), reference signal received power (RSRP), or reference signal received quality (RSRQ).

[0096] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a channel metric based on a previous measurement of a positioning reference signal.

[0097] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for dynamically updating a number of positioning reference signal samples based on PRS measurements.

[0098] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for receiving performance information from the second device and means for updating a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the performance information.

[0099] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for ceasing to receive or process subsequent positioning reference signals following a determination that the target accuracy has been met.

[0100] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for exiting a measurement gap for the PRS measurements in accordance with determining that the number of positioning reference signal samples has been reached.

[0101] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for prioritizing PRS measurements within a measurement gap based on channel metrics.

[0102] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on a received quasi-colocated signal.

[0103] In some embodiments, the PRS measurements include at least one of: a PRS-RSRP measurement, a PRS-reference signal receive path power (PRS-RSRPP) measurement, a PRS reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurement, a user equipment (UE) receive-transmit time difference measurement, an angle of arrival measurement, an angle of departure measurement, or a carrier phase measurement.

[0104] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a receive beam; and means for stopping PRS measurements on the receive beam in accordance with determining that the number of positioning reference signal samples has been reached.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

[0106] 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be provided to implement a communications device, such as, for example, the first device 110 or the second device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processor 710, and one or more communications modules 740 coupled to the processor 710.

[0107] The communication module 740 is for bidirectional communication. The communication module 740 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, the communication module 740 may include at least one antenna.

[0108] The processor 710 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of the following: general purpose computers, application specific computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) and processors based on multi-core processor architectures, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time-controlled by a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0109] The memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), optical disks, laser disks, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power down durations.

[0110] The computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The program 730 may be stored in a memory, for example in the ROM 724. The processor 710 can load the program 730 into the RAM 722 to perform any suitable actions and processing.

[0111] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 730 such that the device 700 may perform any process of the present disclosure, such as those discussed with reference to Figures 2 to 6. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0112] In some exemplary embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly included in a computer readable medium that may be included in the device 700 (such as in the memory 720) or other storage device accessible by the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer readable medium into the RAM 722 for execution. The computer readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage device, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disks, CDs, DVDs, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Figure 8 shows an example of a computer readable medium 700 in the form of an optical storage disk. The computer readable medium has the program 730 stored thereon.

[0113] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or some other diagrammatic representations, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in, by way of non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controllers, or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0114] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that execute on a target physical or virtual processor device to perform any of the methods as described above with reference to Figures 2 to 6. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or split among program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0115] Program codes for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the functionality / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams are implemented. The program codes can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0116] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or associated data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0117] The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable medium includes, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0118] Furthermore, although operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or sequentially, or that all of the operations shown be performed, in order to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although details of several specific implementations are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to certain embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0119] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, At least one processor; at least one memory containing computer program code; Equipped with At least one memory and computer program code are configured to, by at least one processor, provide to the first device at least: determining channel metrics between the first device and the second device; determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on channel metrics and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement; Making a positioning reference signal measurement based on a number of positioning reference signal samples A first device configured to:

2. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: receiving mapping information from the second device indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal samples, a channel metric, and an accuracy of the PRS measurement; The first device of claim 1 configured to:

3. At least one memory and computer program code for executing, by at least one processor, on a first device, Determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the channel metrics, the target accuracy, and the mapping information. The first device of claim 2 , configured to cause the number of positioning reference signal samples to be determined by:

4. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: Determine a target accuracy of the PRS measurement based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement between the first device and the second device. A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

5. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: Receiving an indication of a target accuracy of a PRS measurement from a core network device A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

6. Channel metrics are Line of sight (LoS) status, Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR); Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) A first device according to claim 1 , exhibiting at least one of the following:

7. At least one memory and computer program code for executing, by at least one processor, on a first device, Determining channel metrics based on previous measurements of positioning reference signals A first device according to claim 1 , configured to cause channel metrics to be determined by:

8. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: Dynamically updating the number of positioning reference signal samples based on PRS measurements A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

9. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: receiving performance information from a second device; Update the number of positioning signal samples based on performance information A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

10. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: pursuant to determining that the target accuracy has been met, stopping receiving or processing subsequent positioning reference signals. A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

11. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: Exiting a measurement gap for PRS measurements upon determining that a number of positioning reference signal samples has been reached. A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

12. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: Prioritizing PRS measurements within measurement gaps based on channel metrics - Patents.com A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

13. At least one memory and computer program code for executing, by at least one processor, on a first device, Determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the received pseudo-colocated signal 10. The first device according to claim 1 , configured to cause the number of positioning reference signal samples to be determined by:

14. The PRS measurement is PRS-RSRP measurement, PRS-Reference Signal Receive Path Power (PRS-RSRPP) measurement; PRS reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurement, User Equipment (UE) receive-transmit time difference measurement; Arrival angle measurement, Launch angle measurement, or Carrier Phase Measurement The first device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

15. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: Determine the receiving beam, Stopping PRS measurements on receive beams upon determining that a number of positioning reference signal samples has been reached. A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

16. At least one memory and computer program code are provided to the first device by at least one processor, further comprising: causing the second device to transmit a report indicating the results of the PRS measurements A first device according to claim 1 , configured to:

17. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

18. determining, at the first device, channel metrics between the first device and the second device; determining, at the first device, a number of positioning reference signal samples based on channel metrics and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement; performing a positioning reference signal measurement based on the number of positioning reference signal samples; A method comprising:

19. receiving mapping information from the second device indicating a relationship between a number of positioning reference signal samples, a channel metric, and an accuracy of the PRS measurement; 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

20. Determining a number of positioning reference signal samples Determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the channel metrics, the target accuracy, and the mapping information.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

21. Determining a target accuracy of the PRS measurement based on a quality of service (QoS) requirement between the first device and the second device.

21. The method of any one of claims 18 to 20, further comprising:

22. Receiving an indication of a target accuracy of the PRS measurement from a core network device 22. The method of any one of claims 18 to 21, further comprising:

23. Channel metrics are Line of sight (LoS) status, Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR); Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) 23. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 22, further comprising at least one of:

24. Determining channel metrics Determining channel metrics based on previous measurements of positioning reference signals 24. The method of any one of claims 18 to 23, comprising:

25. Dynamically updating the number of positioning reference signal samples based on PRS measurements 25. The method of any one of claims 18 to 24, further comprising:

26. receiving performance information from a second device; updating a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the performance information; 25. The method of any one of claims 18 to 24, further comprising:

27. pursuant to determining that the target accuracy has been met, ceasing to receive or process subsequent positioning reference signals.

27. The method of any one of claims 18 to 26, further comprising:

28. exiting a measurement gap for PRS measurements in accordance with determining that a number of positioning reference signal samples has been reached 27. The method of any one of claims 18 to 26, further comprising:

29. Prioritizing PRS measurements within measurement gaps based on channel metrics - Patents.com 27. The method of any one of claims 18 to 26, further comprising:

30. Determining a number of positioning reference signal samples Determining a number of positioning reference signal samples based on the received pseudo-colocated signal 27. The method of any one of claims 18 to 26, comprising:

31. The PRS measurement is PRS-RSRP measurement, PRS-Reference Signal Receive Path Power (PRS-RSRPP) measurement; PRS reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurement, User Equipment (UE) receive-transmit time difference measurement; Arrival angle measurement, Launch angle measurement, or Carrier Phase Measurement 31. The method of any one of claims 18 to 30, comprising at least one of:

32. determining a receive beam; terminating PRS measurements on the receive beam upon determining that the number of positioning reference signal samples has been reached; 32. The method of any one of claims 18 to 31, further comprising:

33. Sending a report to the second device indicating the results of the PRS measurements.

33. The method of any one of claims 18 to 32, further comprising:

34. 34. The method of any one of claims 18 to 33, wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

35. means, at the first device, for determining channel metrics between the first device and the second device; means for determining, at the first device, a number of positioning reference signal samples based on channel metrics and a target accuracy of the positioning reference signal measurement; means for making a positioning reference signal measurement based on the number of positioning reference signal samples; An apparatus comprising:

36. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 18 to 34.

Images