Sidelink positioning reference signal processing

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing. A configuring device may send a request message requesting sidelink PRS processing capabilities of a responding device and receive a response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities. The configuring device may configure a sidelink PRS configuration indicating a duration and priority associated with processing a sidelink PRS for an additional sidelink signal received by the responding device and send the sidelink PRS configuration to the responding device. The responding device may receive the request message to indicate the sidelink PRS processing capabilities of the device and send a response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capabilities. The responding device may receive a sidelink PRS configuration indicating a duration and priority associated with processing a sidelink PRS for an additional sidelink signal and process the sidelink PRS based on the received sidelink PRS configuration.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Related Applications This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 63 / 307,463, filed Feb. 7, 2022, entitled “Sidelink Positioning Reference Signal Processing,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more particularly, to sidelink positioning reference signal processing. [Background technology]

[0003] A wireless communication system may include one or more network communication devices, such as base stations, which may be known by another name, eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), or other suitable term. Each network communication device, such as a base station, may support wireless communication for one or more user communication devices, which may be known by another name, user equipment (UE), or other suitable term. A wireless communication system may support wireless communication with one or more user communication devices by using resources of the wireless communication system, such as time resources (e.g., symbols, slots, subslots, minislots, aggregate slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers). Furthermore, a wireless communication system may support wireless communication across various RATs, including third-generation (3G) radio access technologies (RATs), fourth-generation (4G) RATs, fifth-generation (5G) RATs, and other suitable RATs beyond 5G. In some cases, a wireless communication system may be a non-terrestrial based network (NTN), which may support various communication devices for wireless communication in the NTN. For example, NTNs may include network entities onboard non-terrestrial vehicles such as satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and high altitude platform systems (HAPS), as well as terrestrial network entities such as gateway entities capable of transmitting and receiving over long distances.

[0004] The wireless communication system enables UE-assisted and UE-based positioning methods in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) positioning framework. Typically, the UE can perform measurements and processing of Uu interface positioning reference signals prior to reporting the measurements to a location server in the wireless communication system. However, UE-to-UE range and orientation determination is not supported, which facilitates relative positioning applications across other services, such as for vehicle-to-everything (V2X), public safety, industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), commercial, and other applications. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 307,453 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses, and systems supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing. By employing the described techniques, network entities (e.g., UEs or other sidelink-enabled devices) and sidelink devices are operable to implement various aspects of sidelink positioning reference signal processing. Any of the network entities (e.g., UEs or other devices) and / or sidelink devices may be implemented as UEs, base stations, roadside units, anchor UEs, target UEs, reference UEs, location servers, unmanned or uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones) in a wireless communication system, and / or as any other type of network device or entity that performs procedures for sidelink positioning processing. Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to processing functionality of sidelink reference signals in a standalone manner as well as with respect to other sidelink signals and / or channels. For example, a network device may send a processing capability request to a sidelink device via a sidelink communication link. In various implementations, the processing capability request may be a request for sidelink PRS processing capability or the processing capability request may be a request for Uu and sidelink PRS processing capability. The sidelink device receives the processing capability request from the network device, generates a response and reports back to the network device as the sidelink PRS processing capability and / or Uu and sidelink PRS processing capability of the sidelink device.

[0007] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may include wireless communication in a device (e.g., a UE, i.e., a responding device as an apparatus), where the device receives a request message for indicating a sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capability of the device. The device may transmit a response message indicating a sidelink PRS processing capability of the device based on the received request message. The device may also receive a sidelink PRS configuration indicating a respective duration and a respective priority associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS for an additional sidelink signal, and process the sidelink PRS based on the received sidelink PRS configuration.

[0008] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the responding device is a roadside unit, a reference UE, an anchor UE, or one or more UEs configured for sidelink PRS processing. The device can receive a request message to indicate the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the device and send a response message indicating the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the device. The device can also determine the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability based on the number of sidelink PRS symbols and / or Uu interface PRS symbols that the device can jointly process and buffer during the configured slot duration. The device can jointly process sidelink PRS and Uu interface PRS according to a Uu measurement gap configuration and / or jointly process sidelink PRS and Uu interface PRS on overlapping or partially overlapping positioning frequency layers. Separate sidelink measurement occasions can be defined during which to perform sidelink PRS positioning measurements or joint sidelink and Uu PRS measurements according to a measurement gap having a start time, length, repetition period, and offset. The response message may indicate that the sidelink PRS processing capabilities include information including which sidelink PRS symbols the device can process according to the sidelink PRS configuration. The response message may also indicate that the sidelink PRS processing capabilities include information such as the amount of sidelink PRS resources the device can process during a sidelink slot depending on the configured sidelink positioning frequency layer. The sidelink PRS configuration may include criteria for sidelink PRS prioritization as a first priority state for sidelink PRS processing having a higher priority than sidelink PRS data processing or a second priority state for sidelink PRS processing having a lower priority than PRS data processing.

[0009] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may involve wireless communication in a device (e.g., a configuration device as a network entity, i.e., an apparatus), where the device transmits a request message to request sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capabilities of a responding device. The device may receive a response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities of the responding device based on the transmitted request message. The device may also configure a sidelink PRS configuration indicating respective durations and respective priorities associated with processing sidelink PRS at the responding device for additional sidelink signals received by the responding device, and transmit the sidelink PRS configuration to the responding device.

[0010] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the configuring device is a base station, a roadside unit, a location server, an anchor UE, a reference UE, or a target UE. The device can send a request message to request a joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device and receive a response message indicating the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device. The joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device is based at least in part on the number of one or more sidelink PRS symbols or Uu interface PRS symbols that the responding device can jointly process and buffer during the configured slot duration. The device can also send the request message to the responding device as one of an unsolicited request or a solicited request. The device can configure a sidelink PRS configuration with a duration during which the sidelink PRS has a defined priority with respect to transmitting additional sidelink data or non-positioning reference signals. The device can send the request message by unicast, groupcast, or broadcast signaling.

[0011] Various aspects of the present disclosure for sidelink positioning measurement procedures are described with reference to the following drawings, in which the same numbers may be used throughout to reference like features and components shown in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 illustrates example absolute and relative positioning scenarios in connection with sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a multi-cell RTT procedure in connection with a sidelink positioning measurement procedure according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an existing system for relative range estimation in connection with a sidelink positioning measurement procedure according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for NR beam-based positioning in conjunction with a sidelink positioning measurement procedure according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) Location Information Request message associated with a sidelink positioning measurement procedure according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an LPP Location Information Provision message associated with a sidelink positioning measurement procedure according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an NR-DL-PRS-ProcessingCapability message related to sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 illustrates example sidelink PRS processing capabilities for processing sidelink PRS resources to support sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 10]FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an NR-DL-PRS-ProcessingCapability message supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 illustrates examples of unicast and groupcast signaling for unsolicited sidelink PRS processing capability message transfer in support of sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of joint Uu and SL PRS processing capabilities for processing Uu and SL PRS resources to support sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a sidelink prioritization processing window to support sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an example block diagram of components of a device supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing (e.g., a responding device, a sidelink-implemented UE) according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an example block diagram of components of a device (e.g., configuration device, sidelink network entity) supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] 1 is a flowchart of a method for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] 1 is a flowchart of a method for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] 1 is a flowchart of a method for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] 1 is a flowchart of a method for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Implementations of sidelink (SL) positioning reference signal (PRS) processing are described, such as in relation to aspects of sidelink reference signal processing functionality in a standalone manner and with respect to other sidelink signals and / or channels. The present disclosure details several implementations supporting sidelink (PC5) with varying sidelink PRS positioning processing capabilities. Given a wide range of hardware requirements and UE capabilities, different UEs may support different sidelink PRS processing capabilities. Aspects of the present disclosure include implementations for defining sidelink PRS processing behavior for UEs, such as for performing sidelink positioning measurements and processing and for performing joint SL and Uu measurements and processing, including coordination of measurement gaps with sidelink PRS opportunities. Additionally, the present disclosure includes implementations for requesting and reporting sidelink positioning processing capabilities for performing sidelink positioning, including the number of sidelink PRS symbols during a given duration. The described aspects also enable centralized and decentralized sidelink prioritization processing window configurations for processing sidelink PRS with respect to other signals and / or channels. Additionally, the described aspects enable sidelink PRS processing capability exchange to be performed in a variety of different coverage scenarios, including in-coverage, partial coverage, and out-of-coverage.

[0014] Typically, a UE may perform measurements and processing of Uu interface positioning reference signals prior to reporting the measurements to a location server in the wireless communication system. Conventional systems support UE-assisted and UE-based positioning methods in the 3GPP positioning framework. However, UE-to-UE range and orientation determination is not supported, which facilitates relative positioning applications across other services, such as for vehicle-to-everything (V2X), public safety, industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), commercial, and other applications. Furthermore, there are challenges in processing sidelink PRS in parallel with other existing sidelink data and reference signal transmissions. For the described sidelink positioning measurement procedures, timely and accurate measurements are essential to obtain high absolute and relative positioning accuracy. Unlike conventional positioning, the described sidelink positioning takes into account moving and distributed nodes, varying mobility, availability of anchors and non-anchor entities, measurement uncertainty, etc. At the same time, sidelink positioning provides the advantage of range and orientation estimation, which is essential for tracking and position estimation of some UEs with respect to other UEs.

[0015] Aspects of the disclosure include defining a sidelink processing capability exchange and configuring a prioritized processing window configuration. The described sidelink positioning reference signal processing provides different capabilities for different UEs, such as for sidelink PRS processing behavior for processing N symbols during a T duration and defining signaling content for sidelink UEs performing positioning to indicate the processing behavior. Furthermore, a sidelink UE or other sidelink-enabled device may jointly process Uu and SL PRS for enhanced position estimation. Furthermore, a sidelink UE or other SL-enabled device may prioritize processing of sidelink PRS as well as other sidelink signals and channels within a defined window or duration. In some implementations, processing window configurations and processing capability exchanges are defined for different coverage scenarios, including in-coverage, partial coverage, and out-of-coverage.

[0016] Different UEs may have different processing capabilities depending on cost, power consumption, and related requirements. Therefore, it is expected that not all UEs may have the same processing capabilities for sidelink PRS. Sidelink PRS processing is described based on different functionalities and different UE types in terms of the number of sidelink PRS symbols that a UE can process during a given duration, as well as for requesting and reporting sidelink positioning processing capabilities to perform sidelink positioning. In an implementation, joint processing of Uu and SL PRS symbols can be defined based on defined criteria. Alternatively or additionally, a sidelink prioritization processing window configuration for Mode 1 and Mode 2 sidelink transmissions may be defined to enable the UE to prioritize sidelink PRS over other sidelink channels and / or signals. In other implementations, processing window configuration and sidelink PRS processing capability exchange are supported in different coverage scenarios.

[0017] Aspects of the present disclosure are described in the context of a wireless communication system. Aspects of the present disclosure are further illustrated and described with reference to device diagrams and flow charts relating to sidelink positioning reference signal processing.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system 100 supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to aspects of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more base stations 102, one or more UEs 104, and a core network 106. The wireless communication system 100 may support various radio access technologies. In some implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 4G network, such as an LTE network or an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network. In some other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 5G network, such as an NR network. In other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a combination of a 4G network and a 5G network. The wireless communication system 100 may support radio access technologies beyond 5G. Additionally, the wireless communication system 100 may support technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), or code division multiple access (CDMA), etc.

[0019] One or more base stations 102 may be distributed in a geographic region to form a wireless communication system 100. One or more of the base stations 102 described herein may be or include or be referred to as a base transceiver station, access point, Node B, eNode B (eNB), next generation Node B (gNB), radio head (RH), relay node, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or other suitable terminology. The base station 102 and the UE 104 may communicate over a communication link 108, which may be a wireless or wired connection. For example, the base station 102 and the UE 104 may conduct wireless communication over an NR Uu interface.

[0020] A base station 102 may provide a geographic coverage area 110 for which the base station 102 may support services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc.) for one or more UEs 104 within the geographic coverage area. For example, the base station 102 and the UEs 104 may support wireless communication of signals related to services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc.) according to one or more radio access technologies. In some implementations, the base station 102 may be mobile, for example, when implemented as a gNB aboard a satellite or other non-terrestrial station (NTS) associated with a non-terrestrial based network (NTN). In some implementations, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with the same or different radio access technologies may overlap, and different geographic coverage areas 110 may be associated with different base stations 102. Information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a wide variety of technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols and chips that may be referenced throughout this description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0021] One or more UEs 104 may be distributed in a geographic region or coverage area 110 of the wireless communication system 100. The UEs 104 may include or be referred to as a mobile device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, a customer premises equipment (CPE), a subscriber device, or any other suitable term. In some implementations, the UEs 104 may be referred to as a unit, a station, a terminal, or a client, among other examples. Additionally or alternatively, the UEs 104 may be referred to as an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or a Machine Type Communication (MTC) device, among other examples. In some implementations, the UEs 104 may be stationary within the wireless communication system 100. In other implementations, the UEs 104 may be mobile within the wireless communication system 100, such as a moving earth station (ESIM).

[0022] One or more UEs 104 may be devices of different shapes or with different capabilities. Several examples of UEs 104 are shown in FIG. 1. The UE 104 may be capable of communicating with various types of devices, such as base stations 102, other UEs 104, or network equipment (e.g., a core network 106, relay devices, gateway devices, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, location servers implementing a location management function (LMF), or other network equipment). Additionally or alternatively, the UE 104 may support communication with other base stations 102 or UEs 104, which may act as relays in the wireless communication system 100.

[0023] The UE 104 may also support direct wireless communication with other UEs 104 via the communication link 112. For example, the UE 104 may support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link. In some implementations, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-exchange (V2X), or cellular V2X deployments, the communication link 112 may be referred to as a sidelink. For example, the UE 104 may support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a PC5 interface.

[0024] The base stations 102 may support communication with the core network 106 or with other base stations 102, or both. For example, the base stations 102 may interface with the core network 106 through one or more backhaul links 114 (e.g., via an S1, N2, or other network interface). The base stations 102 may communicate with each other through the backhaul links 114 (e.g., by an X2, Xn, or other network interface). In some implementations, the base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly (e.g., between the base stations 102). In some other implementations, the base stations 102 may communicate with each other indirectly (e.g., via the core network 106). In some implementations, one or more base stations 102 may include sub-components such as an access network entity, which may be an example of an access node controller (ANC). The ANC may communicate with one or more UEs 104 through one or more other access network transmission entities, which may be referred to as remote radio heads, smart radio heads, gateways, transmit receive points (TRPs), and other network nodes and / or entities.

[0025] The core network 106 may support user authentication, access authorization, tracking, connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The core network 106 may be an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or 5G Core (5GC), which may include a control plane entity (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF)) that manages access and mobility, as well as a user plane entity (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)) that routes packets or interconnects to external networks. In some implementations, the control plane entity may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for one or more UEs 104 served by one or more base stations 102 associated with the core network 106.

[0026] According to some implementations, one or more of the device 116 (e.g., a network entity) and the sidelink device 118 are operable to implement various aspects of sidelink positioning reference signal processing as described herein. Any of the device 116 and / or the sidelink device 118 may be implemented in the wireless communication system 100 as a UE 104, a base station 102, a roadside unit, an anchor UE, a target UE, a reference UE, a location server, an unmanned or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (e.g., a drone), and / or any other type of network device or entity that performs procedures for sidelink positioning measurements. Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to processing functionality of sidelink reference signals in a standalone manner as well as with respect to other sidelink signals and / or channels. For example, the device 116 can communicate (e.g., transmit) a processing capability request 120 to the sidelink device 118 via the sidelink communication link 112. In various implementations, the processing capability request 120 may be a request for sidelink PRS processing capability, or the processing capability request may be a request for Uu and sidelink PRS processing capability. The sidelink device 118 receives the processing capability request 120 from the device 116 and generates a response. Accordingly, the sidelink device 118 communicates (e.g., transmits) a report back to the network device 116 as the sidelink device's sidelink PRS processing capability 122 and / or Uu and sidelink PRS processing capability 124.

[0027] Referring to New Radio (NR) positioning based on NR Uu signals and SA architecture (e.g., beam-based transmission), target use cases also include commercial and regulated (emergency services) scenarios. 3GPP (Release 17) defines positioning performance requirements for commercial and IIoT use cases. For example, the positioning error requirement for end-to-end latency for UE position estimation in the commercial use case is less than 100 ms, and 100 ms for the IIoT use case, and is desired to be within the order of magnitude of 10 ms. However, these positioning performance requirements do not address obtaining a position estimate for the UE based on the sidelink PRS.

[0028] Supported positioning techniques (Release 16) are listed in Table 1, and separate positioning techniques may currently be configured and implemented based on the requirements of the Location Management Function (LMF) and UE capabilities. The transmission of the PRS enables the UE to perform UE positioning related measurements to enable the calculation of the UE's location estimate, and is configured per Transmission Reception Point (TRP), where the TRP may transmit one or multiple beams. Various RAT-dependent positioning techniques (also called positioning methods, or positioning procedures) are supported for UE, UE-assisted, LMF-based, and / or NG-RAN node-assisted. Supported RAT-dependent positioning techniques include Downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL-TDOA), Downlink Angle of Departure (DL-AoD), Multiple Round Trip Time (Multiple RTT), New Radio Enhanced Cell ID (NR E-CID), Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UL-TDOA), and Uplink Angle of Arrival (UL AoA).

[0029] [Table 1]

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates an example 200 of absolute and relative positioning scenarios related to sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network device described with reference to the example 200 may use and / or be implemented in conjunction with the wireless communication system 100 and may include a UE 104 and a base station 102 (e.g., eNB, gNB). The example 200 is an overview of absolute and relative positioning scenarios defined in the Architecture (Phase 1) specification using three different coordinate systems including (III) conventional absolute positioning, fixed coordinate system at 202, (II) relative positioning, variable and moving coordinate system at 204, and (I) relative positioning, variable coordinate system at 206. In particular, the relative positioning, variable coordinate system at 206 is based on relative device positions in a variable coordinate system, where the reference may be constantly changing with multiple nodes moving in different directions. The example 200 also includes a scenario 208 for out-of-coverage areas where UEs need to determine their relative positions with respect to each other.

[0031] Referring to the RAT-dependent positioning techniques, the DL-TDOA positioning technique uses at least three network nodes for triangulation-based positioning. The DL-TDOA positioning method utilizes the downlink reference signal time difference (RSTD) (and optionally the DL PRS RSRP) of downlink signals received from multiple transmission points (TPs) at the UE. The UE measures the downlink RSTD (and optionally the DL PRS RSRP) of the received signals using assistance data received from a positioning server (also referred to herein as a location server), and the resulting measurements, together with other configuration information, are used to locate the UE relative to neighboring TPs.

[0032] The DL-AoD positioning technique utilizes measured downlink PRS Reference Signal Received Powers (RSRPs) (DL PRS RSRPs) of downlink signals received from multiple TPs at the UE. The UE measures the DL PRS RSRPs of the received signals using assistance data received from a positioning server (also referred to herein as a location server), and the resulting measurements, together with other configuration information, are used to locate the UE with respect to neighboring TPs.

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates an example 300 of a multi-cell RTT procedure related to sidelink positioning according to an aspect of the disclosure. The multi-RTT positioning technique utilizes UE Rx-Tx measurements and DL PRS RSRPs of downlink signals received from multiple TRPs measured by the UE, and measured gNB Rx-Tx measurements and uplink sounding reference signal (SRS) RSRPs (UL SRS-RSRPs) in multiple TRPs of uplink signals transmitted from the UE. The UE measures the UE Rx-Tx measurements (and optionally the DL PRS RSRPs of the received signals) using assistance data received from a positioning server (also referred to herein as a location server), and the TRP measures the gNB Rx-Tx measurements (and optionally the UL SRS-RSRPs of the received signals) using assistance data received from the positioning server. The measurements are used to determine the RTT at the positioning server, which are used to estimate the location of the UE. Multi-RTT is only supported for UE-assisted and NG RAN-assisted positioning techniques, as described in Table T1.

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a system 400 for existing relative range estimation in conjunction with sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the disclosure. The system 400 illustrates relative range estimation using an existing single gNB RTT positioning framework. A location server (LMF) can configure measurements for different UEs, and the target UE can then report its measurements to the location server in a transparent manner. The location server can calculate the absolute location, but would need a priori information, such as the location of the target UE, to obtain the relative distance between two of the UEs.

[0035] For the NR Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) positioning technique, the UE's location is estimated with knowledge of its serving ng-eNB, gNB, and cells and is based on LTE signals. Information about the serving ng-eNB, gNB, and cells may be obtained by paging, registration, or other methods. NR Enhanced Cell ID (NR E-CID) positioning refers to a technique that uses additional UE measurements and / or NR radio resources and other measurements to improve the UE location estimate using NR signals. Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) positioning may use some of the same measurements as a measurement control system in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, but the UE may not make additional measurements for the sole purpose of positioning (i.e., the positioning procedure does not provide measurement configuration or measurement control messages, and the UE reports on the measurements it has in place rather than being required to take additional measurement actions).

[0036] The uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) positioning technique utilizes UL-TDOA (and optionally UL SRS-RSRP) at multiple reception points (RPs) of an uplink signal transmitted from a UE. The RPs measure the UL-TDOA (and optionally UL SRS-RSRP) of the received signal using assistance data received from a positioning server, and the resulting measurements are used along with other configuration information to estimate the location of the UE. The uplink angle of arrival (UL-AoA) positioning technique utilizes measured azimuth and zenith angles of arrival at multiple RPs of an uplink signal transmitted from a UE. The RPs measure the azimuth AoA and zenith AoA of the received signal using assistance data received from a positioning server (also referred to herein as a location server), and the resulting measurements are used along with other configuration information to estimate the location of the UE.

[0037] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a system 500 for NR beam-based positioning in conjunction with sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The system 500 illustrates a UE 104 and a base station 102 (e.g., gNB). The PRS may be transmitted by different base stations (serving and neighboring) using narrow beams across FR1 and FR2 as illustrated in the example system 500, which is relatively different compared to LTE where the PRS was transmitted across the entire cell. The PRS may be locally associated with a PRS resource ID and resource set ID for the base station (TRP). Similarly, UE positioning measurements such as reference signal time difference (RSTD) and PRS RSRP measurements are made between beams (e.g., between different pairs of DL PRS resources or DL ​​PRS resource sets) as opposed to different cells as is the case in LTE. Furthermore, there are additional UL positioning methods for the network to leverage to calculate the location of the target UE.

[0038] Tables T2 and T3 show the mapping from reference signals to measurements for each supported RAT dependent positioning technique at the UE and gNB, respectively.

[0039] [Table 2]

[0040] [Table 3]

[0041] RAT-dependent positioning techniques may use 3GPP RATs and core network entities to perform UE position estimation, and these techniques are distinguished from RAT-independent positioning techniques that rely on GNSS, IMU sensors, WLAN, and Bluetooth technologies to perform target device (UE) positioning. Network-assisted GNSS methods utilize a UE equipped with a radio receiver capable of receiving GNSS signals. In 3GPP specifications, the term GNSS encompasses both terrestrial and regional / augmented navigation satellite systems. Examples of global navigation satellite systems include GPS, modernized GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and the BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS). Regional navigation satellite systems include the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and many augmentation systems are classified under the collective term Space-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) and provide regional augmentation services. Different GNSS (e.g., GPS, Galileo, etc.) can be used separately or in combination to determine the location of the UE.

[0042] Barometric pressure sensor positioning utilizes an atmospheric pressure sensor to determine the vertical component of the UE's position. The UE measures the barometric pressure, optionally aided by assistance data, to calculate the vertical component of its location or sends the measurements to a positioning server for position calculation. This method can be combined with other positioning methods to determine the UE's 3D position. WLAN positioning utilizes WLAN measurements (access point (AP) identifiers and optionally other measurements) and a database to determine the UE's location. The UE measures received signals from WLAN access points, optionally aided by assistance data, and sends the measurements to a positioning server for position calculation. Using the measurement results and a reference database, the UE's location is calculated. Additionally or alternatively, the UE utilizes WLAN measurements and optionally WLAN AP assistance data provided by a positioning server to determine its location.

[0043] Bluetooth positioning utilizes Bluetooth measurements (beacon identifiers and optionally other measurements) to determine the location of the UE. The UE measures the received signals from the Bluetooth beacons. Using the measurements and a reference database, the location of the UE 104 is calculated. The Bluetooth method can be combined with other positioning methods (e.g., WLAN) to improve the positioning accuracy of the UE. TBS positioning consists of a network of ground-based transmitters broadcasting signals for positioning purposes only. Current types of TBS positioning signals are MBS (Metropolitan Beacon System) signals and Positioning Reference Signals (PRS). The UE measures the received TBS signals, optionally aided by assistance data, to calculate its location or sends the measurements to a positioning server for position calculation. Motion sensor positioning utilizes different sensors, such as accelerometers, gyros, magnetometers, etc., to calculate the displacement of the UE 104. The UE 104 estimates the relative displacement based on a reference position and / or a reference time. The UE 104 sends a report including the determined relative displacement that can be used to determine the absolute position. This method can be used with other positioning methods for hybrid positioning.

[0044] With reference to the conceptual overview of the current Uu implementation (Release 16), the overall measurement configuration and reporting is performed for each configured RAT-dependent and / or RAT-independent positioning method. Figure 6 shows an example LPP Request Location Information message 600 in relation to the sidelink positioning measurement procedure described herein. The RequestLocationInformation message body in the LPP message is used by the location server to request positioning measurements or position estimates from the target device. Figure 7 shows an example LPP Provide Location Information message 700 in relation to the sidelink positioning measurement procedure described herein. The ProvideLocationInformation message body in the LPP message is used by the target device to provide positioning measurements or position estimates to the location server.

[0045] FIG. 8 illustrates an example NR-DL-PRS processing capability 800 with reference to Uu PRS processing capabilities related to the sidelink positioning measurement procedures described herein. The IE NR-DL-PRS-ProcessingCapability defines a common DL-PRS processing capability. Capabilities for multiple NR positioning methods are provided, the IE NR-DL-PRS-ProcessingCapability applies across multiple NR positioning methods, and the target device shall indicate the same value for the capabilities in the IEs NR-DL-TDOA-ProvideCapabilities, NR-DL-AoD-ProvideCapabilities, and NR-Multi-RTT-ProvideCapabilities. The PRS-ProcessingCapabilityPerBand is defined for a single positioning frequency layer in a particular band (i.e., a target device supporting multiple positioning frequency layers is expected to process one frequency layer at a time). The NR DL-PRS-ProcessingCapability field descriptions are listed in Table T4.

[0046] [Table 4]

[0047] NOTE: When a target device (UE) provides durationOfPRS-Processing capability (N,T) for any P(≧T) time window (i.e., as defined in TS38.214 subclause 5.1.6.5), the target device should be able to process all DL-PRS resources within P if N≧K (K is also defined in TS38.214 subclause 5.1.6.5), the number of DL-PRS resources in each slot does not exceed maxNumOfDL-PRS-ResProcessedPerSlot, and the configured measurement gaps and the maximum ratio of measurement gap length (MGL) to measurement gap repetition period (MGRP) are as specified (i.e., in TS38.133).

[0048] In an aspect of the present disclosure, Uu PRS processing is taken into consideration. When PRS measurement is outside of MG, several options under UE capabilities for PRS priority handling are supported. In the first option (Option 1), the UE may indicate support for two priority states. In State 1, the PRS has higher priority than all PDCCH / PDSCH / CSI-RS, and in State 2, the PRS has lower priority than all PDCCH / PDSCH / CSI-RS. In the second option (Option 2), the UE may indicate support for three priority states. In State 1, the PRS has higher priority than all PDCCH / PDSCH / CSI-RS, and in State 2, the PRS has lower priority than PDCCH and URLLC PDSCH, and higher priority than other PDSCH / CSI-RS. It should be noted that the URLLC channel corresponds to a dynamically scheduled PDSCH, whose PUCCH resources for carrying ACK / NAK are marked as high priority. In State 3, the PRS has lower priority than all PDCCH / PDSCH / CSI-RS. In a third option (Option 3), the UE may indicate support for a single priority state, where in State 1, the PRS has higher priority than all PDCCH / PDSCH / CSI-RS (note that SSB is a separate issue).

[0049] For purposes of determining the conditions for measuring PRS outside of the MG, the expected Rx timing difference between the PRS from non-serving cells and that from the serving cell is determined by the expected RSTD and the expected RSTD uncertainty in the assistance data. An LS may be sent to request a RAN4 survey and determine a threshold, which may be compared to the Rx timing difference to determine whether the PRS from the non-serving cell satisfies the conditions for PRS measurement outside of the MG. Examples for the threshold include CP length, 50% of OFDM symbols, and 1 ms. It should be noted that other options may be considered by the RAN4, and the requirement for whether the UE should calculate and / or compare the expected Rx time difference to the threshold is also part of the survey request.

[0050] In some aspects, the following parameters for the PRS processing window from the gNB to the UE are supported, including at least the start slot, periodicity, duration / length, and cell and SCS information associated with the above parameters. During the maintenance phase, other parameter needs to be discussed include, but are not limited to, the processing type (associated with the corresponding UE capability 1A / 1B / 2), the band / CC-ID required depending on each scenario in which the PRS processing window applies, and the above cell and SCS information to determine when and where the PRS processing window applies. Note that the indication of the processing type does not imply that the UE indication of multiple capabilities in (1A / 1B / 2) is already supported, which is a separate consideration. Furthermore, some of the parameters may not be mandatory for the PRS processing window. The priority of the PRS for UEs supporting two priority states and three priority states only needs to be indicated in at least the RRC.

[0051] For capability 1A, as per the working assumption made in RAN1#106-e, DL signaling and / or channels in a per-UE manner (i.e., across both NR<E) in the PRS processing window are dropped if the DL PRS is determined to be of higher priority. For capability 1B, as per the working assumption made in RAN1#106-e, only DL signaling and / or channels from a certain band in the PRS processing window are dropped if the DL PRS is determined to be of higher priority. The working assumption supports PRS measurements outside of the MG and within the PRS processing window, and UE measurements within an active DL BWP where the PRS has the same numerology as the active DL BWP, according to the UE capabilities. Within the PRS processing window, the following UE capabilities are supported according to the UE's determination that the DL PRS should be of higher priority. Capability 1 for PRS prioritization over all other DL signals and channels in all symbols in a window, (Capability 1A) DL signals and channels from all DL CCs (per UE) are affected, and (Capability 1B) only DL signals and channels from a specific band or CC are affected (FFS is a band or CC). Capability 2 for PRS prioritization over other DL signals and channels only in PRS symbols in a window, UE shall be able to declare PRS processing capability outside of MG. For FFS, capability signaling details (e.g. per UE or per band, etc.).

[0052] PRS processing window request by LMF to gNB is supported from RAN1 point of view. It is the responsibility of RAN3 to design the necessary information to be transferred in the NRPPa message. Note that it is the responsibility of the gNB to decide the use of measurement gap or PRS processing window and include it in LS to RAN2 and RAN3. For PRS processing window configuration and indication, at least the following mechanisms are supported: RRC (pre)configuration for PRS processing window configuration and DL MAC CE activation for PRS processing window, respectively, and include it in LS to RAN2, requesting RAN2 to determine if DL MAC CE is feasible for this indication.

[0053] Regarding RAT dependent positioning measurements, different downlink measurements including DL PRS RSRP, downlink RSTD, and UE Rx-Tx time difference required for supported RAT dependent positioning techniques are shown in Table T5. The measurement configuration may include four pairs of downlink RSTD measurements performed per pair of cells, each measurement performed between a different pair or resource set of downlink PRS resources with a single reference timing, and eight downlink PRS reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements may be performed on different downlink PRS resources from the same cell.

[0054] [Table 5A]

[0055] [Table 5B]

[0056] Aspects of the present disclosure support sidelink reference signal processing functionality in a standalone manner as well as with respect to other sidelink signals and / or channels. The present disclosure details several implementations supporting sidelink (PC5) varying sidelink PRS positioning processing capabilities. Given a wide range of hardware requirements and UE capabilities, different UEs may support different sidelink PRS processing capabilities. Aspects of the present disclosure include implementations for defining sidelink PRS processing behavior for UEs, such as for performing sidelink positioning measurements and processing and for performing joint SL and Uu measurements and processing, including coordination of measurement gaps with sidelink PRS opportunities. Additionally, the present disclosure includes implementations for requesting and reporting sidelink positioning processing capabilities for performing sidelink positioning, including the number of sidelink PRS symbols during a given duration. The described aspects also enable centralized and decentralized sidelink prioritization processing window configurations for processing sidelink PRS with respect to other signals and / or channels. Additionally, the described aspects enable sidelink PRS processing capability exchange to be performed in a variety of different coverage scenarios, including in-coverage, partial coverage, and out-of-coverage.

[0057] With the described techniques, an initiator device initiates a sidelink positioning and ranging session, and a responder device responds to the sidelink positioning and ranging session from the initiator device. Furthermore, the described implementations for sidelink positioning reference signal processing may be implemented in combination to support NR RAT-independent positioning over the sidelink (PC5) interface. In this disclosure, a positioning-related reference signal may be referred to as a reference signal used for positioning procedures and / or purposes to estimate the location of a target UE, such as based on a positioning reference signal (PRS) or based on an existing reference signal, such as a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) or a sounding reference signal (SRS). A target UE may be referred to as a device or network entity to be located or positioned. In some implementations, the term PRS may refer to any signal, such as a reference signal, that may or may not be used primarily for positioning. A target UE may also be referred to as a target UE, and has a position (absolute or relative) to be obtained by the network or by the UE itself. In particular, any aspect of the positioning techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented in combination with any additional aspect of the positioning techniques described in related disclosures, i.e., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 63 / 307,453, entitled "Sidelink Positioning Measurement Procedures," filed on February 7, 2022 (docket number SMM920210192-US-PSPF).

[0058] FIG. 9 illustrates an example 900 of sidelink PRS processing capabilities for processing sidelink PRS resources supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the disclosure. A sidelink-capable device may report its processing capabilities related to PRS processing based on a solicited or unsolicited request from a network entity (e.g., a UE or another network device). In some implementations, a network device as a UE may receive information about sidelink PRS processing capabilities of UEs, devices, anchor nodes, and / or reference devices and UEs. Based on the reported sidelink PRS processing options supported in the UE, a configuration entity (e.g., a base station, UE, location server) may select and indicate a sidelink PRS configuration for measurement according to the UE capabilities and required latency for the corresponding positioning session. The UE may indicate to the network or other UEs the absolute duration or duration of sidelink PRS symbols N that the UE may process every T ms, assuming a maximum sidelink PRS bandwidth, in units of ms. The type of capability may affect the amount of sidelink PRS resources that the UE can process during a given time, as well as the latency of processing the sidelink PRS. The configuration entity may then configure a set of sidelink PRS resources based on the sidelink PRS processing capability of the UE.

[0059] Furthermore, the UE may also indicate the amount of sidelink PRS resources that the UE can process during a time unit, e.g., a sidelink slot, a sidelink symbol, depending on the subcarrier spacing (SCS). In another implementation, the UE may indicate the required number of sidelink slots and / or sidelink symbols for different measurement methods (e.g., TDOA, AoA, AoD, ranging, etc.) if no measurement method is indicated in the PRS processing capability request. Example 900 illustrates the concept of processing sidelink PRS resources and shows that a sidelink UE may buffer N symbols of the sidelink PRS for T time amount. For processing optimization, the duration (NT) should be kept as short as possible, but this may vary depending on the hardware performance of the UE. In another implementation, when the required number of sidelink PRS resources cannot be processed at the UE (e.g., due to ongoing processing), the processing may be postponed or dropped. In another implementation, ongoing processing may be dropped to make resources available. Dropping and / or postponing of processing may be associated with different priority levels, as further described below. In one implementation, the network device or entity provides in the PRS processing capability request the latency requirement that the UE needs to meet in order to process and report back the measurements, and the UE only needs to report a single bit of information whether it is able to meet the latency requirement.

[0060] FIG. 10 illustrates an example 1000 of an NR-SL-PRS-ProcessingCapability message supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the disclosure. In an implementation, a sidelink UE or other device may report the maximum number of sidelink positioning frequency layers (PFLs), the supported sidelink PRS bandwidth, the buffer type, the supported duration of sidelink PRS processing, the supported maximum number of sidelink PRS resources in a slot, an indication of whether the UE may support parallel processing of SL PRS and Uu PRS, and / or an indication of whether the UE may support parallel processing of sidelink PRS and other sidelink channels or signals. The sidelink and Uu positioning frequency layers may overlap in whole or in part. A sidelink PFL is a collection of sidelink PRS resources across time frequencies with the same SCS and CP type, the same center frequency, the same point A, and the configured bandwidth (including the same starting reference time, e.g., starting physical resource block). Example 1000 illustrates an excerpt of an example signaling for defining a sidelink PRS processing capability of a UE. This configuration may be signaled via the assistance data (or any other sidelink positioning resource configuration signaling) and / or via a measurement configuration for sidelink positioning.

[0061] FIG. 11 illustrates an example 1100 of unicast and groupcast signaling for unsolicited sidelink PRS processing capability message transfer supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the disclosure. A request for sidelink processing capability may be signaled either using broadcast signaling (e.g., by groupcast message, positioning SIB, V2X SIB, etc.) or by dedicated signaling (e.g., PC5 RRC, RRC, MAC CE, LPP signaling). In an example implementation, sidelink processing capability between sidelink UEs involved in a unicast or groupcast session may be signaled by capability information PC5 RRC signaling (unsolicited) or by request as capability query and capability information request. Example 1100 illustrates an example of unicast and groupcast unsolicited capability information transfer including sidelink PRS processing capability between a pair of UEs and between a UE and a set of member UEs belonging to the same group. In another implementation, the initiator UE or a network device (e.g., a configuration device) may request joint Uu and sidelink processing capabilities from the responding UE depending on the UE's support for Uu and / or sidelink positioning. In general, the positioning calculation entity may require knowledge of both the Uu and SL positioning capabilities of the UE depending on whether absolute and / or relative location information is sought.

[0062] FIG. 12 illustrates an example 1200 of joint Uu and SL PRS processing capabilities for processing Uu and SL PRS resources supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the disclosure. In an implementation, a UE or network device supporting both legacy LPP positioning (Uu positioning) and sidelink positioning can perform joint PRS processing depending on the time instance when both Uu and SL measurements are available for measurement and processing. In the context of Uu positioning, measurements can be performed with or without measurement gaps. Thus, joint processing of sidelink and Uu PRS may be considered for gapless measurements. Furthermore, a configuration entity may then configure a set of Uu and SL PRS resources based on both the Uu and SL PRS processing capabilities of the UE.

[0063] Example 1200 illustrates the concept of processing joint Uu and SL PRS resources within a measurement gap. Figure 12 also illustrates that a sidelink UE may buffer N symbols of sidelink PRS and M symbols of Uu PRS for T amount of time. For processing optimization, the duration (MT) should be kept as short as possible, but this may vary depending on the hardware performance of the UE. Furthermore, the amount of SL and Uu PRS symbols in duration T should be within the measurement gap length (e.g., based on an existing value such as 20 ms, etc.). The number of symbols to be buffered may depend on the duration of the largest number of symbols to be processed in the set (N,M), e.g., if M>N, the buffer period is set to M ms and the corresponding processing time is set to (MT) ms.

[0064] In another implementation, separate sidelink measurement occasions may be defined for performing sidelink positioning measurements or joint Uu and SL measurements similar to measurement gaps with start time, length, repetition period and offset. The process is performed when measurement gaps and sidelink measurement occasions overlap. Furthermore, such sidelink positioning measurement occasions may be configured by one of several signaling mechanisms, including RRC, MAC CE, LPP, PC5 RRC, and / or PC5-S. In other implementations, sidelink positioning measurement occasions may be pre-configured. Multiple sidelink measurement occasions may be configured with varying lengths and repetition periods within a resource pool.

[0065] FIG. 13 illustrates an example 1300 of a sidelink prioritization processing window supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to an aspect of the disclosure. In some implementations, different types of processing capabilities may be defined to handle the prioritization of sidelink PRS with respect to sidelink data transmissions and other reference signals (e.g., transmitted on the PSSCH). A configuration entity may configure a duration during which a sidelink PRS may have a defined priority indication with respect to other sidelink channels and signals, including data transmissions. This duration may be a window or timeline with a predefined start time, duration or length, end time (if applicable), and / or periodicity or recurrence period. The prioritization window may be determined differently for Mode 1 and Mode 2 sidelink operation.

[0066] Procedures may be implemented in which the prioritization processing window is configured for in-coverage and partial coverage scenarios of a UE. In Mode 1, the base station (e.g., gNB) provides resource pool configuration for Mode 1 sidelink transmissions, and the initiator UE (e.g., Tx UE) may configure the processing window depending on whether a particular sidelink transmission (i.e., sidelink data, or sidelink PRS) may be prioritized. The aspect of the prioritization window in the sidelink is to define a prioritization framework, where sidelink PRS may or may not be prioritized with respect to other sidelink data and signals. This may be defined by a separate capability herein. By defining this processing window, the defined sidelink PRS that may be outside this window may be dropped in favor of other sidelink data and / or signals, and the sidelink PRS that fall within this prioritization processing window have the following priority states: priority state 1, where the sidelink PRS has higher priority than other sidelink data or channels, and priority state 2, where the sidelink PRS has lower priority than other sidelink data or channels.

[0067] In other implementations, the sidelink PRS may have one priority state, where the sidelink PRS has higher priority than all signals received within the prioritization window. The sidelink channels may include PSCCH, PSSCH, PBCH, PSFCH, and the sidelink signals may include S-SSB, S-PSS, S-SSS, SL DMRS, SL CSI-RS, SL PT-RS, etc. In contrast to the buffering and processing times described above, the prioritization processing window may allow flexible buffering lengths of the sidelink PRS and other sidelink signals or channels depending on the length of the window and the (N,T) sidelink capabilities of the UE. Example 1300 shows a priority processing window for the sidelink.

[0068] In an aspect of the disclosure, a prioritization processing window can be configured for in-coverage and partial coverage scenarios. The UE or network device performing the positioning performs resource allocation in a distributed manner, and thus depending on the detection and selection procedure, the prioritization processing window may be configured by system information signaling and / or pre-configuration. For Mode 2, the prioritization processing window may consist of a set of priority rules, which may be pre-configured in the UE. These priority rules may be updated on an on-demand basis using dynamic signaling or using system information elements. For unicast positioning sessions, the sidelink PRS prioritization window may be configured in a UE-specific manner. For groupcast positioning, a common sidelink PRS prioritization window can be configured for member UEs, and in other implementations, each member UE may be configured with a separate sidelink PRS prioritization window.

[0069] Processing configuration and capability exchange can be supported in several implementation scenarios. In the first scenario for UE-based, UE-configured processing configuration and capability exchange, a UE supporting sidelink positioning performs and processes sidelink PRS measurements based on a processing configuration given by another UE or device (e.g., anchor UE, reference UE, target UE, roadside unit, etc.). In this scenario, the absolute and / or relative positioning calculation entity may be a UE performing and processing sidelink measurements based on a given sidelink PRS prioritization processing window configuration. Alternatively, the prioritization processing window configuration may be based on pre-configuration and / or system information from previously visited cells or RAN notification areas. Furthermore, processing capabilities are requested by the UE or other devices and shared with other UEs and devices involved in the sidelink positioning session.

[0070] In a second scenario for processing configuration and capability exchange by UE-based network configuration, a UE supporting sidelink positioning performs and processes sidelink PRS measurements based on a processing configuration provided by one or more network entities, such as a base station (e.g., gNB), location server, reference station, reference TRP, roadside unit, etc., via positioning assistance data, or measurement configuration signaling. In this scenario, the absolute and / or relative positioning calculation entity may be the UE performing and processing sidelink PRS measurements based on a provided sidelink PRS prioritization processing window configuration.

[0071] In a third scenario for UE-assisted UE configuration-based processing configuration and capability exchange, a UE supporting sidelink positioning performs and processes sidelink PRS measurements based on a processing configuration given by another UE or device (e.g., anchor UE, reference UE, target UE, etc.). In this scenario, the absolute and / or relative positioning calculation entity may be a network entity that performs and processes sidelink measurements based on a given sidelink PRS prioritization processing window configuration from a base station (e.g., gNB), location server, reference station, reference TRP, and / or roadside unit, etc. Alternatively, the sidelink PRS prioritization processing window configuration may be based on pre-configuration and / or system information from previously visited cells or RAN notification areas.

[0072] In a fourth scenario for UE-assisted network-configured processing configuration and capability exchange, a UE supporting sidelink positioning performs and processes sidelink PRS measurements based on the positioning assistance data or processing configuration provided by one or more network entities, such as a base station (e.g., gNB), location server, reference station, reference TRP, roadside unit, etc. In this scenario, the absolute and / or relative positioning calculation entity may be the network entity performing and processing the sidelink measurements based on the provided sidelink PRS prioritization processing window configuration from the base station (e.g., gNB), location server, reference station, reference TRP, roadside unit, etc.

[0073] FIG. 14 illustrates an example block diagram 1400 of a device 1402 supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to aspects of the disclosure. The device 1402 may be an example of a UE 104, such as a responding device, as described herein. The device 1402 may support wireless communication and / or network signaling with one or more base stations 102, other UEs 104, network entities and devices, or any combination thereof. The device 1402 may include components for bidirectional communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, such as a positioning manager 1404, a processor 1406, a memory 1408, a receiver 1410, a transmitter 1412, and an I / O controller 1414. These components may be in electronic communication or otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0074] The positioning manager 1404, the receiver 1410, the transmitter 1412, or various combinations or components thereof may be examples of means for implementing various aspects of the disclosure described herein. For example, the positioning manager 1404, the receiver 1410, the transmitter 1412, or various combinations or components thereof may support a method for implementing one or more of the functions described herein.

[0075] In some implementations, the positioning manager 1404, the receiver 1410, the transmitter 1412, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in communication management circuitry). The hardware may include a processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof configured as or otherwise supporting a means for performing functions described in this disclosure. In some implementations, the processor 1406 and a memory 1408 coupled with the processor 1406 may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., by the processor 1406 executing instructions stored in the memory 1408).

[0076] Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the positioning manager 1404, the receiver 1410, the transmitter 1412, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in code executed by the processor 1406 (e.g., as communications management software or firmware). When implemented in code executed by the processor 1406, the functions of the positioning manager 1404, the receiver 1410, the transmitter 1412, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general purpose processor, a DSP, a central processing unit (CPU), an ASIC, an FPGA, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices (e.g., configured as or otherwise supporting a means for performing the functions described in this disclosure).

[0077] In some implementations, the positioning manager 1404 may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting) using or otherwise cooperating with the receiver 1410, the transmitter 1412, or both. For example, the positioning manager 1404 may receive information from the receiver 1410, send information to the transmitter 1412, or be integrated in combination with the receiver 1410, the transmitter 1412, or both to receive information, transmit information, or perform various other operations described herein. Although the positioning manager 1404 is shown as a separate component, in some implementations, one or more functions described with respect to the positioning manager 1404 may be supported or performed by the processor 1406, the memory 1408, or any combination thereof. For example, the memory 1408 may store code that may include instructions executable by the processor 1406 to cause the device 1402 to perform various aspects of the disclosure described herein, or the processor 1406 and the memory 1408 may be otherwise configured to perform or support such operations.

[0078] For example, the positioning manager 1404 may support wireless communication and / or network signaling in a device (e.g., device 1402, i.e., a UE) according to examples disclosed herein. The positioning manager 1404 and / or other device components may be configured as or otherwise support an apparatus, such as a UE as a responding device, including a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver, where the processor and the transceiver are configured to cause the apparatus to receive a request message for indicating a sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capability of the apparatus, to transmit a response message indicating a sidelink PRS processing capability of the apparatus based at least in part on the received request message, to receive a sidelink PRS configuration indicating respective durations and respective priorities associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS for at least one additional sidelink signal, and to process the at least one sidelink PRS based at least in part on the received sidelink PRS configuration.

[0079] Further, the apparatus (e.g., UE as a responding device) includes any one or combination of a roadside unit, a reference UE, an anchor UE, or one or more UEs configured for sidelink PRS processing. The processor is configured to cause the apparatus to receive a request message for indicating a joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the apparatus and to send a response message indicating a joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the apparatus. The processor is configured to cause the apparatus to determine a joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability based at least in part on a number of one or more sidelink PRS symbols or Uu interface PRS symbols that the apparatus can jointly process and buffer during a configured slot duration. The processor is configured to cause the apparatus to jointly process the sidelink PRS and the Uu interface PRS according to a Uu measurement gap configuration. The processor is configured to cause the apparatus to jointly process the sidelink PRS and the Uu interface PRS on overlapping or partially overlapping positioning frequency layers. The response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities includes information including sidelink PRS symbols that the device can process according to the sidelink PRS configuration. The response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities includes information including an amount of sidelink PRS resources that the device can process during a sidelink slot depending on the sidelink positioning frequency layer. The sidelink PRS configuration includes a criterion for sidelink PRS prioritization as at least one of a first priority state of a sidelink PRS process having a higher priority than at least one sidelink PRS data process or a second priority state of a sidelink PRS process having a lower priority than at least one sidelink PRS data process. The at least one additional sidelink signal includes at least one of a PSCCH, a PSSCH, a PBCH, or a PSFCH communicated over a sidelink channel as at least one of an S-SSB, an S-PSS, an S-SSS, an SL DMRS, an SL CSI-RS, or an SL PT-RS.The response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability of the device includes one or more of: a maximum number of sidelink positioning frequency layers, a supported sidelink PRS bandwidth, a buffer type, a supported duration of PRS processing, a supported maximum number of sidelink PRS resources in a slot, an indication on whether the device supports parallel processing of sidelink PRS and Uu PRS, or an indication on whether the device supports parallel processing of sidelink PRS and at least one additional sidelink signal. The joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability is based at least in part on the largest number of symbols to be processed in the sidelink set and the duration of Uu PRS symbols to be jointly processed. Separate sidelink measurement occasions are defined during which sidelink PRS positioning measurements or joint sidelink and Uu PRS measurements are performed according to measurement gaps having a start time, a length, a repetition period, and an offset. The separate sidelink measurement occasions are configured by a signaling mechanism including at least one of RRC, MAC CE, LPP, PC5 RRC, or PC5-S. A flexible buffer length is configured for joint processing of the sidelink PRS and at least one additional sidelink signal. The sidelink PRS configuration is configured for Mode 1 and Mode 2 sidelink communication.

[0080] The positioning manager 1404 and / or other device components may be configured with or otherwise support as a means for wireless communication and / or network signaling in the UE as a responding device, including receiving a request message for indicating sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capabilities; transmitting a response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities based at least in part on the received request message; receiving a sidelink PRS configuration indicating respective durations and respective priorities associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS for at least one additional sidelink signal; and processing the at least one sidelink PRS based at least in part on the received sidelink PRS configuration.

[0081] Further, the wireless communication and / or network signaling in the UE includes any one or combination of receiving a request message for indicating joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability and sending a response message indicating joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability. The wireless communication and / or network signaling further includes determining the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability based at least in part on a number of one or more sidelink PRS symbols or Uu interface PRS symbols that may be jointly processed and buffered during a configured slot duration. The wireless communication and / or network signaling further includes jointly processing the sidelink PRS and the Uu interface PRS according to a Uu measurement gap configuration. The sidelink PRS configuration includes a criterion for sidelink PRS prioritization as at least one of a first priority state of sidelink PRS processing having a higher priority than at least one sidelink PRS data processing or a second priority state of sidelink PRS processing having a lower priority than at least one sidelink PRS data processing. The response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities includes information including sidelink PRS symbols that can be processed according to the sidelink PRS configuration. The response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities includes information including an amount of sidelink PRS resources that can be processed during a sidelink slot depending on the sidelink positioning frequency layer. The wireless communication and / or network signaling further includes jointly processing sidelink PRS and Uu interface PRS on overlapping or partially overlapping frequency layers.

[0082] The processor 1406 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some implementations, the processor 1406 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some implementations, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 1406. The processor 1406 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 1408) to cause the device 1402 to perform various functions of the disclosure.

[0083] The memory 1408 may include random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM). The memory 1408 may store computer-readable computer-executable code including instructions that, when executed by the processor 1406, cause the device 1402 to perform various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or another type of memory. In some implementations, the code may not be directly executable by the processor 1406, but may (e.g., when compiled and executed) cause a computer to perform functions described herein. In some implementations, the memory 1408 may include a basic input / output system (BIOS), which may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices, among others.

[0084] The I / O controller 1414 may manage input and output signals for the device 1402. The I / O controller 1414 may also manage peripheral devices that are not integrated into the device 1402. In some implementations, the I / O controller 1414 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some implementations, the I / O controller 1414 may use an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-DOS®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, LINUX®, or another known operating system. In some implementations, the I / O controller 1414 may be implemented as part of a processor, such as the processor 1406. In some implementations, a user may interact with the device 1402 through the I / O controller 1414 or through hardware components controlled by the I / O controller 1414.

[0085] In some implementations, the device 1402 may include a single antenna 1416. However, in other implementations, the device 1402 may have two or more antennas 1416, which may be capable of simultaneously transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. The receiver 1410 and the transmitter 1412 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 1416, wired or wireless links as described herein. For example, the receiver 1410 and the transmitter 1412 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver may include a modem for demodulating packets received from the one or more antennas 1416 and for modulating the packets and providing the modulated packets to the one or more antennas 1416 for transmission.

[0086] FIG. 15 illustrates an example block diagram 1500 of a device 1502 supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to aspects of the disclosure. The device 1502 may be an example of a sidelink-enabled device as a network entity and constituent device, as described herein. The device 1502 may support wireless communication and / or network signaling with one or more base stations 102, other UEs 104, core network devices and functions (e.g., core network 106), network entities and devices, or any combination thereof. The device 1502 may include components for bidirectional communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, such as a positioning manager 1504, a processor 1506, a memory 1508, a receiver 1510, a transmitter 1512, and an I / O controller 1514. These components may be in electronic communication or otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0087] The positioning manager 1504, the receiver 1510, the transmitter 1512, or various combinations or components thereof may be examples of means for implementing various aspects of the disclosure described herein. For example, the positioning manager 1504, the receiver 1510, the transmitter 1512, or various combinations or components thereof may support a method for implementing one or more of the functions described herein.

[0088] In some implementations, the positioning manager 1504, the receiver 1510, the transmitter 1512, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in communication management circuitry). The hardware may include a processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof configured as or otherwise supporting a means for performing functions described in this disclosure. In some implementations, the processor 1506 and a memory 1508 coupled with the processor 1506 may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., by the processor 1506 executing instructions stored in the memory 1508).

[0089] Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the positioning manager 1504, the receiver 1510, the transmitter 1512, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in code executed by the processor 1506 (e.g., as communications management software or firmware). When implemented in code executed by the processor 1506, the functions of the positioning manager 1504, the receiver 1510, the transmitter 1512, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general purpose processor, a DSP, a central processing unit (CPU), an ASIC, an FPGA, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices (e.g., configured as or otherwise supporting a means for performing the functions described in this disclosure).

[0090] In some implementations, the positioning manager 1504 may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting) using or otherwise cooperating with the receiver 1510, the transmitter 1512, or both. For example, the positioning manager 1504 may receive information from the receiver 1510, send information to the transmitter 1512, or be integrated in combination with the receiver 1510, the transmitter 1512, or both to receive information, transmit information, or perform various other operations described herein. Although the positioning manager 1504 is shown as a separate component, in some implementations, one or more functions described with respect to the positioning manager 1504 may be supported or performed by the processor 1506, the memory 1508, or any combination thereof. For example, the memory 1508 may store code that may include instructions executable by the processor 1506 to cause the device 1502 to perform various aspects of the disclosure described herein, or the processor 1506 and the memory 1508 may be otherwise configured to perform or support such operations.

[0091] For example, the positioning manager 1504 may support wireless communication and / or network signaling in a device (e.g., device 1502, a sidelink network device) according to examples disclosed herein. The positioning manager 1504 and / or other device components may be configured as or otherwise support an apparatus, such as a sidelink network device (e.g., as a configuration device), including a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver, where the processor and the transceiver are configured to cause the apparatus to: transmit a request message to request sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capabilities of a responding device; receive a response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities of the responding device based at least in part on the transmitted request message; configure a sidelink PRS configuration indicating respective durations and respective priorities associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS at the responding device for at least one additional sidelink signal received by the responding device; and transmit the sidelink PRS configuration to the responding device.

[0092] Further, the apparatus (e.g., a sidelink network device as a configuration device) includes any one or combination of a base station, a roadside unit, a location server, an anchor UE, a reference UE, or a target UE. The processor and the transceiver are configured to cause the apparatus to transmit a request message to request a joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device and to receive a response message indicating the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device. The joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device is based at least in part on a number of one or more sidelink PRS symbols or Uu interface PRS symbols that the responding device can jointly process and buffer during a configured slot duration. The processor and the transceiver are configured to cause the apparatus to transmit the request message to the responding device as one of an unsolicited request or a solicited request. The processor is configured to cause the apparatus to configure a sidelink PRS configuration with a duration during which the sidelink PRS has a defined priority with respect to transmission of additional sidelink data or non-positioning reference signals. The processor is configured to cause the device to transmit the request message by unicast, groupcast, or broadcast signaling. The duration includes a time window or a time interval.

[0093] The positioning manager 1504 and / or other device components may be configured with or otherwise support as a means for wireless communication and / or network signaling in the sidelink network device as a configuring device, including sending a request message to request sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capabilities of the responding device; receiving a response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities of the responding device based at least in part on the transmitted request message; configuring a sidelink PRS configuration indicating respective durations and respective priorities associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS at the responding device for at least one additional sidelink signal received by the responding device; and transmitting the sidelink PRS configuration to the responding device.

[0094] Further, the wireless communication in the configuring device includes any one or combination of: sending a request message to request joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device and receiving a response message indicating joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device. The joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device is based at least in part on a number of one or more sidelink PRS symbols or Uu interface PRS symbols that the responding device can jointly process and buffer during a configured slot duration. The wireless communication in the configuring device further includes sending the request message to the responding device as one of an unsolicited request or a solicited request. The wireless communication in the configuring device further includes configuring a sidelink PRS configuration with a duration during which the sidelink PRS has a defined priority for transmitting additional sidelink data or non-positioning reference signals.

[0095] The processor 1506 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some implementations, the processor 1506 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some implementations, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 1506. The processor 1506 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 1508) to cause the device 1502 to perform various functions of the disclosure.

[0096] The memory 1508 may include random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM). The memory 1508 may store computer-readable computer-executable code including instructions that, when executed by the processor 1506, cause the device 1502 to perform various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or another type of memory. In some implementations, the code may not be directly executable by the processor 1506, but may (e.g., when compiled and executed) cause a computer to perform functions described herein. In some implementations, the memory 1508 may include a basic input / output system (BIOS), which may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices, among other things.

[0097] The I / O controller 1514 may manage input and output signals for the device 1502. The I / O controller 1514 may also manage peripheral devices that are not integrated into the device 1502. In some implementations, the I / O controller 1514 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some implementations, the I / O controller 1514 may use an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-DOS®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, LINUX®, or another known operating system. In some implementations, the I / O controller 1514 may be implemented as part of a processor, such as the processor 1506. In some implementations, a user may interact with the device 1502 through the I / O controller 1514 or through hardware components controlled by the I / O controller 1514.

[0098] In some implementations, the device 1502 may include a single antenna 1516. However, in other implementations, the device 1502 may have two or more antennas 1516, which may be capable of simultaneously transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. The receiver 1510 and the transmitter 1512 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 1516, wired or wireless links as described herein. For example, the receiver 1510 and the transmitter 1512 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver may include a modem for demodulating packets received from the one or more antennas 1516 and for modulating the packets and providing the modulated packets to the one or more antennas 1516 for transmission.

[0099] FIG. 16 illustrates a flowchart of a method 1600 for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1600 may be performed by a device or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1600 may be performed by a device such as a UE 104 configured as a sidelink response device as described with reference to FIGS. 1-15. In some implementations, the device may execute a set of instructions to control functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the device may perform aspects of the described functions using dedicated hardware.

[0100] At 1602, the method may include receiving a request message for indicating sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capabilities. The operations of 1602 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1602 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0101] At 1604, the method may include transmitting a response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities based on the received request message. The operations of 1604 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1604 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0102] At 1606, the method may include receiving a sidelink PRS configuration indicating a respective duration and a respective priority associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS for the additional sidelink signal. The operations of 1606 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1606 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0103] At 1608, the method may include processing the at least one sidelink PRS based on the received sidelink PRS configuration. The operations of 1608 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1608 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0104] FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart of a method 1700 for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to aspects of the disclosure. The operations of the method 1700 may be performed by a device or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1700 may be performed by a device such as a UE 104 configured as a sidelink response device as described with reference to FIGS. 1-15. In some implementations, the device may execute a set of instructions to control functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the device may perform aspects of the described functions using dedicated hardware.

[0105] At 1702, the method may include receiving a request message to indicate joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities. The operations of 1702 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1702 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0106] At 1704, the method may include transmitting a response message indicating joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities. The operations of 1704 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1704 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0107] At 1706, the method may include determining a joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability based on a number of sidelink PRS symbols and / or Uu interface PRS symbols that may be jointly processed and buffered during the configured slot duration. The operations of 1706 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1706 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0108] At 1708, the method may include jointly processing the sidelink PRS and the Uu interface PRS in accordance with the Uu measurement gap configuration. The operations of 1708 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1708 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0109] At 1710, the method may include jointly processing sidelink PRS and Uu interface PRS on overlapping or partially overlapping frequency layers. The operations of 1710 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1710 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0110] FIG. 18 illustrates a flowchart of a method 1800 for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of method 1800 may be performed by a device or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1800 may be performed by a network device configured as a sidelink configuration device as described with reference to FIGS. 1-15. In some implementations, the device may execute a set of instructions to control functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the device may perform aspects of the described functions using dedicated hardware.

[0111] At 1802, the method may include transmitting a request message to request sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capabilities of a responding device. The operations of 1802 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1802 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0112] At 1804, the method may include receiving a response message indicating sidelink PRS processing capabilities of the responding device based on the transmitted request message. The operations of 1804 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1804 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0113] At 1806, the method may include configuring a sidelink PRS configuration indicating respective durations and respective priorities associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS at the responding device for additional sidelink signals received by the responding device. The operations of 1806 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1806 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0114] At 1808, the method may include transmitting the sidelink PRS configuration to the responding device. The operations of 1808 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1808 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0115] FIG. 19 illustrates a flowchart of a method 1900 for supporting sidelink positioning reference signal processing according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of method 1900 may be performed by a device or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of method 1900 may be performed by a network device configured as a sidelink configuration device as described with reference to FIGS. 1-15. In some implementations, the device may execute a set of instructions to control functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the device may perform aspects of the described functions using dedicated hardware.

[0116] At 1902, the method may include transmitting a request message to request joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities of a responding device. The operations of 1902 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1902 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0117] At 1904, the method may include receiving a response message indicating joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities of the responding device. The operations of 1904 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1904 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0118] At 1906, the method may include transmitting the request message to the responding device as an unsolicited request or a solicited request. The operations of 1906 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1906 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG.

[0119] At 1908, the method may include configuring a sidelink PRS configuration with a duration during which the sidelink PRS has a defined priority for transmitting additional sidelink data or non-positioning reference signals. The operations of 1908 may be performed according to examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of 1908 may be performed by a device described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0120] It should be noted that the methods described herein represent possible implementations, that operations and steps may be rearranged or possibly altered, and that other implementations are possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more of the methods may be combined. The order in which the methods are described is not intended to be limiting, and any number or combination of the method operations described may be performed in any order to implement the method, or alternative methods.

[0121] The various example blocks and components described with respect to the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed using a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a CPU, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0122] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions may also be physically located in different locations, including being distributed such that parts of the functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0123] Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Flash memory, Compact Disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or a general purpose or special purpose processor.

[0124] Any connection may be properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included within the definition of computer-readable media. As used herein, disk and disc include CDs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blue-ray discs, where a disk typically reproduces data magnetically and a disc reproduces data optically with a laser. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0125] As used herein, including within the claims, "or" used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items ending with a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, such as, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C, or AB or AC or BC, or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Similarly, a list of one or more of A, B, or C means A or B or C, or AB or AC or BC, or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, the phrase "based on" as used herein should not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an exemplary step described as "based on condition A" may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" is intended to be construed in the same manner as the phrase "based at least in part on". Additionally, as used herein, including in the claims, a "set" may include one or more elements.

[0126] The description set forth herein with respect to the accompanying drawings describes exemplary configurations and does not represent every example that may be implemented or that falls within the scope of the claims. The term "example" as used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and does not mean "preferred" or "advantageous over other examples." The detailed description includes specific details for the purposes of providing an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0127] The description herein is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 100 Wireless communication system 102 Base station 104UE 106 Core Network 108 Communication Links 110 Geographic Coverage Areas 112 Communication Links 114 Backhaul Link 116 Devices 118 Sidelink Device 120 Processing capacity requirements 122 PRS Processing Capacity 124 Uu and sidelink PRS processing capability 400 Systems 500 Systems 1402 Devices 1404 Positioning Manager 1406 processor 1408 Memory 1410 Receiver 1412 Transmitter 1414 I / O Controller 1416 Antenna 1502 Devices 1504 Positioning Manager 1506 Processor 1508 Memory 1510 Receiver 1512 Transmitter 1514 I / O Controller 1516 Antenna

Claims

1. At least one memory; at least one processor coupled to said at least one memory; 1. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication comprising: receiving a request message for indicating a sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capability of the UE; transmitting a response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability of the UE based at least in part on the received request message; and receiving a sidelink PRS configuration according to the sidelink PRS processing capabilities; and processing at least one sidelink PRS based at least in part on the received sidelink PRS configuration; and The UE is configured to:

2. The at least one processor may cause the UE to: receiving the request message for indicating the UE's joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability; and transmitting the response message indicating the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the UE; and The UE of claim 1 , configured to:

3. The at least one processor may cause the UE to:

3. The UE of claim 2, configured to determine the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability based at least in part on a number of one or more sidelink or Uu interface PRS symbols that the UE can jointly process and buffer during a configured slot duration.

4. The at least one processor may cause the UE to: The UE of claim 2 , configured to cause sidelink PRS and Uu interface PRS to be jointly processed in accordance with a Uu measurement gap configuration.

5. 3. The UE of claim 2, wherein separate sidelink measurement occasions are defined during which sidelink PRS positioning measurements or joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS measurements are performed according to measurement gaps having a start time, a length, a recurrence period, and an offset.

6. 2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability includes information including sidelink PRS symbols that the UE can process in accordance with the sidelink PRS configuration.

7. 2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability includes information including an amount of sidelink PRS resources that the UE can process during a sidelink slot depending on a sidelink positioning frequency layer.

8. 2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the sidelink PRS configuration includes a criterion for sidelink PRS prioritization as at least one of a first priority state for sidelink PRS processing having a higher priority than data processing of at least one sidelink PRS or a second priority state for the sidelink PRS processing having a lower priority than data processing of the at least one sidelink PRS.

9. At least one memory; at least one processor coupled to said at least one memory; wherein the at least one processor causes the apparatus to transmitting a request message to request sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capabilities of a responding device; receiving a response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability of the responding device based at least in part on the transmitted request message; and configuring a sidelink PRS configuration indicating a respective duration and a respective priority associated with processing at least one sidelink PRS at the responding device for at least one additional sidelink signal received by the responding device; transmitting the sidelink PRS configuration to the responding device; An apparatus configured to cause

10. The at least one processor may cause the device to: transmitting the request message to request joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities of the responding device; receiving the response message indicating the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities of the responding device; 10. The apparatus of claim 9, configured to cause

11. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capability of the responding device is based at least in part on a number of one or more sidelink PRS symbols or Uu interface PRS symbols that the responding device can jointly process and buffer during a configured slot duration.

12. The at least one processor may cause the device to:

10. The apparatus of claim 9, configured to cause the request message to be transmitted to the responding device as one of an unsolicited request or a solicited request.

13. The at least one processor may cause the device to:

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sidelink PRS is configured to configure the sidelink PRS configuration with durations having a defined priority between them for transmission of additional sidelink data or non-positioning reference signals.

14. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a request message to indicate sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capability; transmitting a response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability based at least in part on the received request message; and receiving a sidelink PRS configuration according to the sidelink PRS processing capabilities; processing at least one sidelink PRS based at least in part on the received sidelink PRS configuration. A method comprising:

15. A processor for wireless communications comprising at least one controller coupled to at least one memory, the at least one controller causing the processor to: receiving a request message to indicate sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) processing capability; transmitting a response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability based at least in part on the received request message; and receiving a sidelink PRS configuration according to the sidelink PRS processing capabilities; and processing at least one sidelink PRS based at least in part on the received sidelink PRS configuration; and a processor configured to cause the 16. The at least one controller instructs the processor to: receiving the request message to indicate joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities; transmitting the response message indicating the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capabilities; and 16. The processor of claim 15, configured to:

17. The at least one controller instructs the processor to:

17. The processor of claim 16, configured to determine the joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS processing capacity based at least in part on a number of one or more sidelink or Uu interface PRS symbols that can be jointly processed and buffered during a configured slot duration.

18. The at least one controller instructs the processor to:

17. The processor of claim 16, configured to cause sidelink PRS and Uu interface PRS to be jointly processed in accordance with a Uu measurement gap configuration.

19. The processor of claim 16, wherein separate sidelink measurement occasions are defined for performing sidelink PRS positioning measurements or joint sidelink and Uu interface PRS measurements according to measurement gaps having a start time, a length, a recurrence period, and an offset.

20. The processor of claim 15, wherein the response message indicating the sidelink PRS processing capability includes information including one of sidelink PRS symbols that can be processed in accordance with the sidelink PRS configuration, or an amount of sidelink PRS resources that can be processed during a sidelink slot depending on a sidelink positioning frequency layer.

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