Sidelink positioning method for wireless communication

Abstract

A method of wireless communication is described. The wireless communication method includes initiating, by a network device, a positioning service for a user device, and configuring, by the network device, a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) resource for the positioning service. In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving, from an additional user device, relative location information of the user device, where the user device and the additional user device are within a communication coverage area of ​​the network device or another network device, or at least one of the user device and the additional user device is outside the communication coverage area of ​​the network device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This patent specification relates to systems, devices, and techniques for wireless communication. [Background technology]

[0002] Wireless communication technologies are moving the world towards an increasingly connected and networked society. The rapid growth of wireless communication and technological advances are leading to greater demands for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects such as energy consumption, device cost, spectrum efficiency, and latency are also important to meet the needs of various communication scenarios. Compared to existing wireless networks, next generation systems and wireless communication technologies need to provide support for many users and devices. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The present specification relates to methods, systems, and devices for multiple channel feedback schemes in wireless communication devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In one aspect, a method of wireless communication is disclosed that includes initiating, by a network device, a positioning service for a user device, and configuring, by the network device, sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) resources for the positioning service.

[0005] In another aspect, a method of wireless communication is disclosed that includes receiving, by a user device, a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) resource configuration from a network device, and transmitting one or more SL-PRS transmissions to another user device in accordance with the SL-PRS configuration.

[0006] In another aspect, a communications device is disclosed comprising a processor configured to implement the above-described method.

[0007] In another aspect, a computer readable medium is disclosed having code stored thereon that, when executed, causes a processor to implement the methods described above.

[0008] These and other features are described herein. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an example of the same serving gNB scenario within communication coverage of sidelink positioning mode 1.

[0010] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows an example of different gNB scenarios within the communication coverage area of ​​sidelink positioning mode 1.

[0011] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of a partial communication coverage scenario for sidelink positioning mode 1.

[0012] [Figure 4] 4 and 5 show signaling procedures according to some implementations of the disclosed techniques. [Diagram 5] 4 and 5 show signaling procedures according to some implementations of the disclosed techniques.

[0013] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates SL-PRS resource configuration configured or selected or triggered by RRC, DCI, and SCI according to some implementations of the disclosed technology.

[0014] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of communication timing according to some implementations of the disclosed technology.

[0015] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of communication timing according to some implementations of the disclosed technology.

[0016] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows the legacy sequential relationships in DCI format 3_0.

[0017] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates an example scenario using CLI measurements according to some implementations of the disclosed technology.

[0018] [Figure 11] 11 and 12 show flow charts illustrating example methods of wireless communication according to some implementations of the disclosed technology. [Figure 12] 11 and 12 show flow charts illustrating example methods of wireless communication according to some implementations of the disclosed technology.

[0019] [Figure 13] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a wireless communication including a base station (BS) and user equipment (UE) according to some implementations of the disclosed technology.

[0020] [Figure 14] FIG. 14 illustrates an example block diagram of a portion of an apparatus according to some implementations of the disclosed technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The disclosed technology provides implementations and examples of sidelink positioning schemes.

[0022] Two different modes may be used for sidelink resource allocation: In mode 1 (hereinafter "sidelink positioning mode 1"), sidelink resources are scheduled by the network device, e.g., gNB. Mode 2 is a contention-based scheme in which the Tx UE selects the sidelink control and data resources for its transmission. Various implementations of the disclosed techniques relate to sidelink positioning mode 1.

[0023] Positioning in sidelink resource allocation mode 1 can be applied for both full coverage and partial coverage scenarios. The following is from the relevant specifications: [Table 1]

[0024] For sidelink positioning mode 1, reference signals (e.g., Sidelink Positioning Reference Signals (SL-PRS)) are transmitted between UEs (target UE, anchor UE / reference UE) to obtain and / or calculate target UE positioning information, and the target UE is located based on the obtained measurements. During this procedure, the network may be involved in scheduling, providing assistance data, estimating location, etc. The design of sidelink positioning mode 1, including positioning methods, protocols, procedures, and UE capabilities, is open and a gap in the specification.

[0025] Various implementations of the disclosed technology provide designs for realizing sidelink positioning mode 1. Implementation 1 describes the positioning method (e.g., whether sidelink positioning is network-based or UE-based), assistance data / location information / capability transfer, and supported scenarios for sidelink positioning mode 1. To support sidelink resource allocation mode 1 for different scenarios and methods, Implementation 2 introduces signaling procedures for sidelink positioning mode 1. Implementations 3, 4, and 5 provide detailed designs of DCI and SCI mentioned in Implementation 2. Implementation 6 focuses on congestion control for SL-PRS transmission. While Implementations 1-6 are all related to SL-PRS configuration or transmission, Implementation 7 introduces the use of SL-PRS measurements and CLI measurements to improve positioning accuracy.

[0026] (Implementation 1)

[0027] For sidelink positioning mode 1, both network-based and UE-based positioning methods can be supported. For network-based positioning, the UE may report necessary information to the network, such as gNB, Location Management Function (LMF), and the network side entity calculates the UE's position. Network-based positioning includes gNB-based positioning and LMF-based positioning, depending on which network entity the UE interacts with to obtain position measurements. UE-based positioning refers to a solution in which the UE's position is calculated by the UE.

[0028] The sidelink resource allocation may start with a request for a location location service for the target UE. A network device or a user device may request some location location services for the user device, and the network device may be at least one of a 5GC (5G core network), an NG-RAN node (e.g., gNB), an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), an LMF (Location Management Function), a V2X application layer, or a V2X function. Some entity in the communication system (e.g., a 5G core network system) may request a location location service (e.g., positioning) for the target UE. For example, a serving AMF / gNB for the target UE may determine the need for a location location service. Or, the UE may request some location location services (e.g., positioning or delivery of assistance data) from a serving AMF at the NAS level. Or, the UE may request a location location service (e.g., positioning or delivery of assistance data) from a serving gNB at the AS level.

[0029] (Capability transfer between LMF and UE, between gNB and UE, and / or between UEs)

[0030] A UE may indicate its capability to support one or more certain positioning methods, different aspects of a particular positioning method (e.g., different types of assistance request data and location information), and common features that are not specific to only one positioning method (e.g., the ability to handle multiple LPP transactions). In some implementations, the UE may include capability of CLI measurements (measurement of Cross Link Interference (CLI)) as additional measurement information for sidelink positioning.

[0031] (Transfer of assistance data)

[0032] Assistance data may be transferred from the network between the LMF and the UE, between the gNB and the UE, and / or between the LMF and the gNB. Assistance data may include SL-PRS configuration, cell information, TRP information, etc. The assistance data may include at least one of the following: physical cell ID (PCI), global cell ID (GCI), absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) of candidate NR transmitting / receiving points (TRPs) for measurement; timing of candidate NR TRP relative to serving (reference) TRP; SL-PRS configuration of candidate NR TRP; SSB information of TRP (time / frequency occupancy of SSB); TP indication for SL-PRS only; on-demand SL-PRS configuration; certain TRP configuration information; SL-PRS transmission characteristic information (SL-PRS configuration, number of transmissions, bandwidth, resource type including periodic / semi-persistent / non-periodic, path loss criterion, spatial relationship information, SL-PRS periodicity for each SL-PRS resource configuration); sidelink congestion control configuration; spatial direction information; geographic coordinate information; LOS / NLOS indicator; expected angle assistance information; or SL-PRS priority list.

[0033] The following three cases describe different scenarios for transferring Assistance Data based on the entity to which the Assistance Data is transferred.

[0034] (Case 1: Transfer of assistance data between LMF and UE)

[0035] In some implementations, the LMF may determine that assistance data needs to be provided to the UE.

[0036] In some other implementations, the UE may first transmit a request for some positioning assistance data to the LMF. The request may be transmitted along with assistance data request information, which may include additional information about the UE's approximate location and serving / neighboring cells, as well as the SL channel busy ratio (CBR), SL channel occupancy (CR), CR limitIn some implementations, such Assistance Data Request information may be provided in a Request Assistance Data message and / or an accompanying Provide Location Information message.

[0037] In some other implementations, the LMF provides the requested assistance data in an LPP Provide Assistance Data message, if available at the LMF.

[0038] (Case 2: Transfer of assistance data between gNB and UE)

[0039] In some implementations, the gNB may determine that assistance data (including SL-PRS configuration) needs to be provided to the UE.

[0040] In some other implementations, the UE may first transmit a request for some positioning assistance data to the gNB. The request may be transmitted along with assistance request information that includes the UE's approximate location and additional information about the serving and neighboring cells. Such assistance data request information may be provided in the Assistance Data Request message and / or an accompanying Provide Location Information message to help the gNB provide appropriate assistance data. This assistance data request information may include the last known location of the UE, the cell IDs of the UE serving NG-RAN node and neighboring NG-RAN nodes, if any, and NR E-CID measurements, if available.

[0041] In some other implementations, the gNB provides the requested assistance data in a Provide Uu Assistance Data message if available at the gNB.

[0042] (Case 3: Transfer of assistance data between LMF and gNB)

[0043] In some implementations, the gNB may determine that assistance data needs to be provided to the LMF, in some other implementations, the LMF requests the gNB for some assistance data, and the gNB responds with the assistance data to the LMF.

[0044] (Transfer of location-specific information)

[0045] Location information transfer can occur between UEs and / or between UEs / LMFs / other gNBs and a gNB (serving gNB of the target UE) and / or between UEs / gNBs and LMFs

[0046] The location information / measurements referred to in this patent specification include at least one of the following:

[0047] - Target UE / Rx UE reports measurements for Tx UE / Anchor UE / Reference UE (including UE1, UE2, UE3, etc.) and UEs (UEs that do not have a PC5 connection with the target UE).

[0048] -Tx UE and UEx provide measurements transmitted from target UE / Rx UE (Tx UE and UEx may first transmit a request for measurements to target UE / Rx UE). UEx corresponds to other UEs that do not have a PC5 connection with the target UE.

[0049] - Tx UE provides measurements between two Tx UEs.

[0050] - Tx UE provides measurements between one Tx UE and UEx.

[0051] -Measurements collected from gNB for LMF or UE based positioning

[0052] -Measurements collected from the LMF for gNB or UE based positioning

[0053] - A UE list shall be provided together with other measurement elements.

[0054] In the following, the procedure and description of sidelink positioning mode 1 under various scenarios will be described with reference to Fig. 1-Fig. 3. Fig. 1 shows an example of a same serving gNB scenario in communication coverage of sidelink positioning mode 1. Referring to Fig. 1, all of the UEs (including target UE and other anchor UE / reference UE) are under the communication coverage of the same gNB. In Fig. 1, the UE corresponds to the target UE, and UE1, UE2, and UE3 connected with the UE via PC5 communication correspond to anchor UE / reference UE. In this case, the location of the target UE can be calculated by the target UE or the gNB or the LMF. It is assumed that the anchor UE / reference UE knows its own location, and the anchor UE / reference UE can be a roadside unit (RSU), etc. The target UE or the network (gNB / LMF) can use the relative position distance and / or angle between the target UE and the anchor UE / reference UE to obtain the location information of the target UE.

[0055] For gNB-based positioning, the UE reports the SL-PRS measurement results (e.g., SL-PRS-RSRP) of the SL-PRS to the serving gNB for position estimation. The gNB plays the role of the LMF in the legacy positioning specification, including calculating the position, determining the positioning method to be used, etc.

[0056] For LMF-based positioning, the LMF interacts with the serving gNB for assistance data and UE configuration data (e.g., SL-PRS configuration) and with the UE to obtain a location measurement for the target UE. The LMF may collect any kind of information (e.g., UE positioning capabilities) to determine the positioning method and ultimately determine a single location estimate for the target UE. Additional information (e.g., accuracy of the location estimate) may also be determined.

[0057] For UE-based positioning, the target UE may collect SL-PRS measurements, calculate and report its location.

[0058] Figure 2 shows an example of different gNB scenarios in communication coverage of sidelink positioning mode 1. Referring to Figure 2, UEs (including target UE and other anchor UE / reference UE) are in communication coverage of different gNBs. In this case, the location of the target UE can be calculated by the target UE or the gNB or the LMF. It is assumed that the anchor UE / reference UE know their own location, and the anchor UE / reference UE can be a roadside unit (RSU), etc.

[0059] For gNB-based positioning, the UE can report SL-PRS measurement results to the gNB for position estimation only if there is an Xn connection between the serving gNB of the target UE and other gNBs. The serving gNB plays the role of the LMF in the legacy positioning specification, including calculating the position, determining the positioning method to be used, etc. The serving gNB may request assistance data from other gNBs, or the other gNBs may report assistance data to the serving gNB.

[0060] For LMF-based positioning, the LMF interacts with the serving gNB and other gNBs for assistance data and UE configuration data (e.g., SL-PRS configuration), and with the UE to obtain target UE position measurements. The LMF may collect any kind of information (e.g., UE positioning capabilities) to determine the positioning method and ultimately determine a single position estimate for the target UE. Additional information (e.g., accuracy of the position estimate) may also be determined.

[0061] For UE-based positioning, the target UE may collect SL-PRS measurements, calculate and report its location.

[0062] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a partial communication coverage scenario for sidelink positioning mode 1. Referring to FIG. 3, some of the UEs (including target UE and other anchor UEs / reference UEs) are in communication coverage and one UE is out of communication coverage. There is only one UE shown as being out of communication coverage, but other implementations are possible. In this case, the location of the target UE can be calculated only by the target UE. It is assumed that all anchor UEs / reference UEs, including those in and out of communication coverage, know their own locations, and the anchor UEs / reference UEs can be roadside units (RSUs) or the like.

[0063] For UE-based positioning, the target UE may collect SL-PRS measurements, calculate and report its location.

[0064] (Implementation 2)

[0065] The gNB may use higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC) to configure multiple SL-PRS resource configurations for both reception and transmission. Otherwise, the SL-PRS resource configurations may be predefined. The gNB may broadcast assistance data information to the UE. The gNB may provide measurement information for the target UE and communicate this information to the LMF. The gNB may play the role of the LMF in legacy positioning specifications, including calculating the position, determining the positioning method to be used, etc.

[0066] (Signaling Procedure for Sidelink Positioning Mode 1)

[0067] 1. The gNB may use higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC) to configure multiple SL-PRS resource configurations for both reception and transmission, or the gNB may use higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC) to configure ranges of some SL-PRS parameters. In some implementations, the SL-PRS parameters may be pre-configured. The SL-PRS configuration parameters may be pre-configured by at least one of the 5G Core Network (5GC), an NG-RAN node (e.g., gNB), an AMF, an LMF, a V2X application layer, or a V2X function.

[0068] The parameters in each PRS configuration can be at least one of the following: SL-PRS priority, SL-PRS resource ID, SL-PRS resource list, SL-PRS periodicity, SL-PRS resource offset, SL-PRS resource repetition factor, SL-PRS resource time gap, SL-PRS muting pattern, SL-PRS resource power, SL-PRS sequence ID, SL-PRS comb size, SL-PRS SCS, SL-PRS RB set. The SL-PRS RB set indicates the set of PRBs actually used for transmission and reception of SL-PRS. The leftmost bit of the bitmap points to the lowest RB index in the resource configuration, and so on. A value of 0 in the bitmap indicates that the corresponding PRB is not used for transmission and reception of SL-PRS, and a value of 1 indicates that the corresponding PRB is used for transmission and reception of SL-PRS.

[0069] RRC configures M1_1 PRS configurations for reception and M1_2 PRS configurations for transmission, where M1_1 can be the same as or different from M1_2.

[0070] 2. The DCI is used to dynamically or semi-persistently select multiple SL-PRS configurations (part of the RRC configuration) or a range of some SL-PRS parameters for one or more UEs.

[0071] The DCI may be used for a single UE for indication of either or both SL-PRS and SL data resources.

[0072] A common group DCI can be considered for a group of UEs.

[0073] - The existing DCI format 3_0 can be reused or a new DCI format can be introduced. DCI format 3_0 is specified in TS 38.212 clause 7.3.1.4 of Rel-16. Furthermore, fields of DCI format 3_0 are related to TS 38.213, 38.214, and 38.331.

[0074] 3. A UE can use the SCI or / and MAC CE to report / request one or more SL-PRS configurations or ranges of some SL-PRS parameters to other UEs. In Figures 4 and 5 described below, the SCI or / and MAC CE are used for scheduling and decoding of SL-PRS.

[0075] Either or both of the SCI and MAC CE may be used.

[0076] -Existing SCI formats can be reused or new SCI formats can be introduced

[0077] 4. Feedback to the network

[0078] Feedback to the network occurs depending on the scenario, e.g., based on whether full / partial coverage and / or UE / LMF / gNB based positioning. In some implementations, no feedback to the network is required for UE based positioning or for partial coverage scenarios.

[0079] The network may receive measurements from Tx UE or Rx UE or other nodes (LMF / gNB).

[0080] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a signaling procedure based on some implementations of the disclosed technology. The network may transmit DCI including SL-PRS related information, HARQ process related information, PUCCH resources, and / or SL data resource related information to the Tx UE (see "1.DCI" in FIG. 4). After the time gap / SL-PRS time gap indicated by the DCI, the Tx UE may start SL-PRS transmission, and the Rx UE may receive the SL-PRS by decoding the SCI of the Tx UE (see "2.SL-PRS" in FIG. 4). If the transmission is unicast or groupcast, the Rx UE may transmit HARQ-ACK feedback to the Tx UE via the PSFCH (see "3.PSFCH" in FIG. 4). The Tx UE may transmit this HARQ-ACK feedback to the network using the PUCCH resources provided by the DCI (see "4.HARQ-ACK" in FIG. 4). If the Rx UE successfully receives the SL-PRS, the Rx UE may report the measurement result to the network (see "5. Measurement").

[0081] Figure 5 illustrates another example of a signaling procedure based on some implementations of the disclosed technology. A network (e.g., gNB) may transmit a DCI including SL-PRS related information, HARQ process related information, PUCCH resources, and / or SL data resource related information to a Tx UE (see "1. DCI" in Figure 5). After a time gap / SL-PRS time gap indicated by the DCI, the Tx UE may start SL-PRS transmission, and the Rx UE may receive the SL-PRS by decoding the SCI of the Tx UE (see "2. SL-PRS" in Figure 5). The Rx UE may transmit HARQ-ACK feedback via the PSFCH, or the Rx UE may report measurement results of the SL-PRS (e.g., SL-PRS RSRP, RSRPP) to the Tx UE (see "3. PSFCH / Measurement" in Figure 5). If the Tx UE receives a measurement value from the Rx UE, the Tx UE may transmit this measurement value feedback to the network using the PUCCH resource provided by the DCI (see "4. Measurement Values" in Figure 5).

[0082] Figure 6 shows the relative number of SL-PRS resource configurations configured / selected / triggered by RRC / DCI / SCI. The gNB can (pre)configure M1 SL-PRS resource configurations for both reception and transmission using higher layer signaling (e.g. RRC). The DCI is used to dynamically or semi-persistently select M2 SL-PRS configurations for one or more UEs. The UE can inform / request M3 (one or more) SL-PRS configurations to the UE using SCI or / and MAC CE. M1>M2>M3 or M1≧M2≧M3 or M1≧M2>M3 or M1>M2≧M3

[0083] FIG. 6 may also show the value ranges of parameters in the SL-PRS resource configuration configured / selected / triggered by RRC / DCI / SCI. The gNB may (pre)configure the value ranges of some SL-PRS parameters for both reception and transmission using higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC). The DCI is used to dynamically or semi-persistently select the value ranges of some SL-PRS parameters for one or more UEs. The UE may inform / request the value ranges of some SL-PRS parameters to the UE using the SCI or / and MAC CE. The value ranges of the SL-PRS parameters configured by the RRC are equal to or greater than the ranges selected by the DCI. The value ranges of the SL-PRS parameters selected by the DCI are equal to or greater than those triggered by the SCI.

[0084] The measurement results for sidelink positioning include at least one of the following: Measurement List, UE Pair / List, SL-PRS ID, PhysCellID, CellGlobalID, Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN), TimeStamp, SL-PRS RSTD, SL-PRS RSRP, Rx-Tx Time Difference, SRS RSRP, Angle of Arrival (AoA), AdditionalPathList, TimingQuality, Additional Measurements, Loss / NLos Indicator, etc.

[0085] When the LMF requests the UE / gNB to report measurement results, the response time / response time earlyfix can be configured at the NAS level along with other configurations including: location information type (location estimate or measurement), triggered reporting, periodic reporting (including report amount and report interval), accuracy requirement (horizontal, vertical). The time indicates the maximum response time measured between receipt of the request and transmission of the location information. The response time indicates the maximum response time as a measure between receipt of RequestLocationInformation and transmission of ProvideLocationInformation as specified in the relevant standard (e.g., TS 37.355). The response time / response time earlyfix can also be triggered by physical layer control signaling, e.g., RRC / DCI / MAC CE / SCI.

[0086] - If the units field is not present, the value range is an integer number of seconds from 1 to 128.

[0087] If the units field is present with the enumeration value "10 seconds", the maximum response time is given in 10 second increments from 10 to 1280 seconds.

[0088] - If the units field is present with the enumerated value "10ms", then the maximum response time is given in 10 millisecond increments, between 0.01 and 1.28 seconds.

[0089] When the gNB requests UE measurement results to be reported, the response time / response time arrifix can be triggered by physical layer control signaling, e.g., RRC / DCI / MAC CE / SCI. In some implementations, other configurations can be requested by the gNB, including location information type (location estimate or measurement), triggered reporting, periodic reporting (including reporting amount and reporting interval), and / or accuracy requirements (horizontal, vertical).

[0090] (Implementation 3: New DCI format)

[0091] In sidelink positioning mode 1, 1) dynamic grant, 2) configured grant type 1 and 3) configured grant type 2 are supported for SL-PRS transmission.

[0092] For sidelink dynamic grants, SL-PRS transmissions are scheduled by DCI format [3_0]. For sidelink configured grants type 2, configured grants are activated by DCI format [3_0]. For sidelink configured grants type 1, SL-PRS transmissions follow higher layer configuration.

[0093] In this implementation, a new DCI format (DCI format 3_0 or another new named DCI format) is introduced with a new CRC scrambled by "SL-PRS-RNTI" to indicate / select some SL-PRS resource configuration. Sidelink configured grants (SL CGs) can be used for periodic SL-PRS and a new DCI format with a new CRC scrambled by "SL-CS-PRS-RNTI" can be introduced to indicate / select SL-PRS resources.

[0094] The DCI may indicate the time / frequency domain resources of the SL-PRS, where some of the existing fields of DCI format 3_0 may remain unchanged and new fields may be added. The DCI has fields including at least one of the following: SL-PRS transmission indication indicating whether sidelink data is transmitted or not, SL-PRS resource configuration index, SL-PRS frequency resource allocation, SL-PRS time resource allocation, time offset between SL-PRS transmission and the first SL data resource, SL-PRS measurement report activation / release indication, mapping relationship between data pool resources and PRS resource configuration or feedback timing indicator, configuration index in case DCI has SL-RNTI or SL-CS-RNTI or SL-PRS-RNTI or CRC scrambled by SL-PRS-CS-RNTI, time gap PRS indicating the time gap between DCI reception and the first SL-PRS transmission scheduled by DCI. The fields to be added in the new DCI format for sidelink positioning depend on the SL-PRS configuration, e.g., the SL-PRS resource pool / configuration can be included or mapped to the SL data resource pool.

[0095] The size of the new DCI format can be the same as or different from the existing format. Furthermore, the size of the new DCI format with CRC scrambled by the SL-PRS-RNTI or SL-CS-PRS-RNTI is adjusted. If multiple transmission resource pools are provided, zeros shall be appended to the new DCI format until the payload size is equal to the size of the new DCI format given by the transmission resource configuration, resulting in the maximum number of information bits of the new DCI format.

[0096] (Example 1 (SL-PRS resource configuration is included in the SL data resource pool))

[0097] In this case, higher layer parameters (e.g., RRC) can be used to indicate the set of PRBs actually used for transmission and reception of SL-PRS. The design of the DCI field depends on the transmission and reception of either or both SL-PRS and SL data resources. A reserved bit can be used to indicate whether SL data is transmitted or not.

[0098] In some implementations, when both SL-PRS and SL data are triggered by the new DCI format, the fields provided in Example 1.1 can be activated and the fields provided in Example 1.2 can be deactivated.

[0099] In some implementations, if only the SL-PRS is triggered by the new DCI format, the fields provided in Example 1.1 may be activated and the fields provided in Example 1.2 may be deactivated.

[0100] (Example 1.1 (When both SL-PRS and SL data are triggered by DCI))

[0101] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of communication timing based on some implementations of the disclosed technology. The DCI allocates resources for SL data transmission on PSSCH 712, 714 and SL-PRS transmission 722, 724, and shows some of the timing relationships. Specifically, there is a time gap between DCI reception and the first sidelink transmission scheduled by the DCI ("PSSCH1" in FIG. 7). Based on the "Time offset between SL-PRS transmission and SCI format 1-A (first SL data resource)" field of the DCI, the SL-PRS transmission time is determined. The "Feedback timing indicator" indicates the slot offset between the feedback of SL data / SL-PRS from the Rx UE and the PUCCH report of the Tx UE. At least one of the fields in the following table can be introduced for the new DCI format, and some of the fields can be optional. [Table 10]

[0102] (Example 1.2 (When only SL-PRS is triggered by DCI))

[0103] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of communication timing based on some implementations of the disclosed technology. The DCI allocates resources only for SL-PRS transmissions 822, 824, and shows some of the timing relationships. Specifically, there is a time gap between DCI reception and the first SL-PRS transmission scheduled by the DCI ("SL-PRS1" in FIG. 8). Based on the "SL-PRS Time Resource Allocation" field of the DCI, the SL-PRS transmission time is determined. The "Feedback Timing Indicator" indicates the slot offset between the feedback of the SL-PRS from the Rx UE and the PUCCH report of the Tx UE. At least one of the fields in the following table can be introduced for the new DCI format, and some of the fields can be optional. [Table 20]

[0104] (Example 2 (When SL-PRS resource configuration can be independently configured (at carrier frequency level / BWP level / resource pool level) and mapped to SL data resource pool))

[0105] In some implementations, the recommended fields for the new DCI format are as follows: At least one of the fields in the following table may be introduced for the new DCI format, and some of the fields may be optional. [Table 30]

[0106] (Implementation 4: Extension of existing DCI format 3_0)

[0107] In sidelink positioning mode 1, 1) dynamic grant, 2) configured grant type 1, and 3) configured grant type 2 are supported for SL-PRS transmission.

[0108] For sidelink dynamic grants, the SL-PRS transmission is scheduled by DCI format 3_0. For sidelink configured grants type 2, the configured grants are activated by DCI format 3_0. For sidelink configured grants type 1, the SL-PRS transmission follows higher layer configuration.

[0109] In this implementation, the existing DCI format 3_0 is used for sidelink positioning mode 1 with CRC scrambled by "SL-RNTI / SL-CS-RNTI" and SL-PRS related fields are added to dynamically indicate / select several SL-PRS resource configurations. The DCI can indicate separate time / frequency domain resources for SL data channels and SL PRS. The fields to be added to DCI format 3_0 for sidelink positioning depend on the SL-PRS configuration. For example, the SL-PRS resource configuration can be included or mapped to the SL data pool resources. The DCI may add spare fields related to the SL-PRS including at least one of the following: SL-PRS transmission indication indicating whether sidelink data is transmitted or not, SL-PRS resource configuration index, SL-PRS frequency resource allocation, SL-PRS time resource allocation, time offset between SL-PRS transmission and the first SL data resource, SL-PRS measurement report activation / release indication, mapping relationship between data pool resources and PRS resource configuration or feedback timing indicator, configuration index in case the DCI has SL-RNTI or SL-CS-RNTI or SL-PRS-RNTI or CRC scrambled by SL-PRS-CS-RNTI, Time Gap PRS indicating the time gap between DCI reception and the first SL-PRS transmission scheduled by the DCI.

[0110] Higher layer parameters (e.g., RRC) can be used to enable the sidelink positioning functionality. There are three scenarios: SL-PRS only, SL data only, and both SL-PRS and SL data are sent and received.

[0111] If only SL data is transmitted and received, it is proposed to reuse existing fields in DCI format 3-0.

[0112] Figure 9 shows the legacy sequential relationship in the current DCI format 3.0. If only SL data and not SL-PRS is transmitted, the entire existing fields in DCI format 3_0 can be reused without adding any more fields.

[0113] If a SL-PRS resource pool / configuration is included in the SL data resource pool, higher layer parameters (e.g., RRC) can be used to indicate the set of PRBs actually used for SL-PRS transmission / reception. At least one of the fields in the following table can be introduced to extend DCI format 3_0, and some of the fields can be optional. [Table 40-1] [Table 40-2]

[0114] SL-PRS resource pools / configurations can be configured independently (at carrier frequency level / BWP level / resource pool level) and mapped to SL data resource pools. At least one of the fields in the following table may be introduced for DCI format 3_0, and some of the fields may be optional. [Table 50]

[0115] Regarding DCI size, if multiple SL-PRS / data transmission resource pools / configurations are provided, DCI format 3_0 shall be padded with zeros until the payload size is equal to the size of DCI format 3_0 given by the configuration of the SL-PRS / data transmission resource pools / configurations (resulting in the maximum number of information bits of DCI format 3_0).

[0116] If the UE is configured to monitor DCI format 3_1 and the number of information bits in DCI format 3_0 is smaller than the payload of DCI format 3_1, zeros shall be added to DCI format 3_0 until the payload size is equal to the payload size of DCI format 3_1. If the UE is configured to monitor DCI format 3_0 and the number of information bits in DCI format 3_1 is smaller than the payload of DCI format 3_0, zeros shall be added to DCI format 3_1 until the payload size is equal to the payload size of DCI format 3_0. Due to the DCI bit constraint, the size of DCI format 3_0 excluding the 24-bit CRC must be less than or equal to 140 bits.

[0117] (Implementation 5-SCI Design)

[0118] The SCI carried on the PSCCH is the first stage SCI, which carries sidelink scheduling information. In the current specification, SCI format 1-A is used for scheduling the PSSCH and the second stage SCI on the PSSCH. In this implementation, some fields of SCI format 1-A are modified from the current specification to schedule the SL-PRS.

[0119] The following table shows an example of SCI format 1-A based on some implementations of the disclosed technology. In the following table, the "priority" field and the "second stage SCI format" field are modified fields from those of the current specification. For example, a priority indicator for SL-PRS transmission can be introduced, and a reserved bit in the field second stage SCI format can be used to indicate a new SCI format for SL-PRS. In addition, the existing second stage SCI format can be extended to trigger SL-PRS transmission or to introduce a new SCI format for triggering SL-PRS transmission. [Table 60]

[0120] (Priority field)

[0121] With regard to the priority field, the priority can be an integer, non-integer, or discrete integer, or discrete decimal, and a priority indicator can be introduced in the SL-PRS transmission with three options:

[0122] Option 1: The priority indicator for the SL-PRS is configured in each PRS configuration.

[0123] Option 2: The priority indicator of the SL-PRS is indicated from the Tx UE to the Rx UE in SCI format 1-A.

[0124] Option 2-1: If the priority indicator codepoint can be activated by the MAC-CE, it is proposed to reuse the current priority indicator in the SCI. One codepoint corresponds to two values.

[0125] Option 2-2: A new table is introduced as shown below, where each entry corresponds to a combination of a priority level for SL-PRS and a priority level for PSSCH. The new table can be specified in RAN1. [Table 70]

[0126] The following table is another example of a new table for priority indicators. [Table 80]

[0127] Option 3: The priority indicator of the SL-PRS is indicated from the Tx UE to the Rx UE in the second stage SCI format. For example, the reserved bit in the second stage SCI format field shown in the table below is used to indicate the new SCI format of the SL-PRS.

[0128] Table 8.3.1.1-1: Stage 2 SCI Format [Table 90]

[0129] When a UE transmits or receives N SL-PRS to or from one or more UEs, the UE transmits or receives only the set of SL-PRS corresponding to the smallest priority field value. Moreover, the priority value of the SL-PRS measurement feedback is the same as the priority value of the SL-PRS transmission associated with the SL-PRS measurement reception opportunity.

[0130] (Second stage SCI format field)

[0131] The second stage SCI format fields can be designed by extending the existing second stage SCI format to trigger SL-PRS transmission or by introducing a new second stage SCI format to trigger SL-PRS transmission. The SCI includes fields including at least one of the following: offer / request indicator, SL-PRS transmission indication indicating SL data only, SL-PRS only, or both SL data and SL-PRS, SL-PRS priority, time offset between SL-PRS transmission and first SL data resource, SL-PRS time resource allocation, SL-PRS frequency resource allocation, SL-PRS resource reservation period, SL-PRS measurement request indicator, SL-PRS RSRP threshold, response time, mapping relationship between data pool resources and PRS resource configuration. Different cast types are supported for SL-PRS transmission, under which conditions groupcast / unicast / broadcast can be supported.

[0132] Option 1: MAC CE and second stage SCI are used as containers for explicit request SL-PRS transmission between UEs or for reporting SL-PRS. MAC CE is used and further use of second stage SCI is up to the UE implementation. If both second stage SCI and MAC CE are used, the same resources are indicated in second stage SCI and MAC CE.

[0133] Option 2: The MAC CE is used as a container for explicit request SL-PRS transmission between UEs or as a container for reporting SL-PRS.

[0134] Option 3: The second stage SCI is used as a container for explicit request SL-PRS transmission between UEs or as a container for reporting SL-PRS.

[0135] Due to bit constraints on the second stage SCI format, the size of the second stage SCI excluding the 24-bit CRC must be 140 bits or less.

[0136] Option 1: Design of a new second-stage SCI format

[0137] According to the Rel-16 specification, SCI format 2-A is designed to support all cast types (including groupcast type 1), while SCI format 2-B is only for groupcast type 1 with distance-based HARQ feedback operation. To support all cast types, it is more appropriate to include SCI format 2-A in a new SCI format (SCI format 2-D). In addition, the zone ID and communication range requirement of SCI format 2-B can provide rough positioning / zone information, and therefore, the two can be added to the new SCI format (called SCI format 2-D). The following table shows an example of a new second-stage SCI format. If the SL-PRS resource configuration is included in the SL data resource pool, at least one of the fields can be introduced, and some fields can be optional. [Table 100-1] [Table 100-2]

[0138] If the SL-PRS resource configuration is configured independently (at carrier frequency level / BWP level / resource pool level), the new second stage SCI format can be designed as shown in the following table. At least one of the fields can be introduced and some fields can be optional. [Table 110-1] [Table 110-2]

[0139] Option 2: Extension of the existing second-stage SCI format

[0140] The existing second stage SCI format can be extended as shown in the following table. At least one of the fields can be introduced and some fields can be optional. [Table 120-1] [Table 120-2]

[0141] The fields "SL-PRS RSRP Threshold", "Zone ID" and "Coverage Requirement" are relevant for measurement reporting.

[0142] RSRP-based mechanism: The Rx UE only needs to report the SL-PRS measurement value if the SL-PRS RSRP is higher than the "SL-PRS RSRP threshold".

[0143] Distance-based mechanism: The Rx UE needs to report SL-PRS measurements only if the communication requirements are met according to the "Zone ID" and "Coverage Requirements".

[0144] RSRP and Distance-Based Mechanism: SL-PRS If both RSRP and communication requirements are met, the Rx UE should report SL-PRS measurements.

[0145] The SL-PRS RSRP threshold can also be configured in higher layer signaling: MAC / DCI / RRC / NAS signaling.

[0146] (Implementation 6)

[0147] In the current specification, sidelink congestion control is used in sidelink positioning mode 2. There is a mapping relationship between PSSCH transmission parameters (MCS, PRB number, retransmission number, MaxTxPower, CR limit, etc.), CBR range, and priority range. CBR, CR / CR limitSeveral parameters, including SL RSSI, are related to congestion control according to TS 38.215. SL-PRS congestion control is typically used in sidelink positioning mode 2 when the network is not able to configure the transmission parameters. In this case, the UE needs to measure the congestion rate of the channel and decide how many resources a transmission should occupy based on its own transmission priority.

[0148] In sidelink positioning mode 1, sidelink transmission parameters are determined / configured by the network. The UE can also report CBR measurements to the gNB. In this implementation, the following items regarding SL-PRS congestion control are accounted for:

[0149] - SL-PRS congestion control parameters, if required: definition, value range, measurement window size, etc.

[0150] - Defines SL-PRS transmission parameters related to congestion control.

[0151] -Define the SL-PRS priority configuration related to congestion control.

[0152] -How can SL data transmissions be balanced with SL-PRS transmissions for congestion control?

[0153] - Congestion Control for Mode 1 Sidelink Positioning

[0154] Item 1: SL-PRS congestion control parameters, including at least one of the following parameters: [Table 130]

[0155] Item 2: SL-PRS transmission parameters related to congestion control

[0156] The SL-PRS transmission parameters may be at least one of the following: SL-PRS MCS value range, SL-PRS subchannel number range, maximum SL-PRS (re)transmissions, SL-PRS MaxTxPower, SL-PRS CRlimit, SL-PRS periodicity, SL-PRS repetition factor, number of SL-PRS symbols in a slot, SL-PRS muting pattern.

[0157] Item 3: SL-PRS priority configuration related to congestion control

[0158] For a detailed description (including tables), please refer to the above-mentioned Implementation 5. The following options are available for SL-PRS priority configuration:

[0159] Option 1: The priority indicator for the SL-PRS is configured in each PRS configuration.

[0160] Option 2: The priority indicator of the SL-PRS is indicated from the Tx UE to the Rx UE in SCI format 1-A.

[0161] Option 2-1: If the priority indicator codepoint can be activated by the MAC-CE, it is proposed to reuse the current priority indicator in the SCI. One codepoint corresponds to two values.

[0162] Option 2-2: A new table is introduced, where each entry corresponds to a combination of a priority level for the SL-PRS and a priority level for the PSSCH. The new table can be specified in RAN1.

[0163] Option 3: The priority indicator of the SL-PRS is indicated from the Tx UE to the Rx UE in the second stage SCI format.

[0164] Item 4: Mapping between transmission parameters, congestion control metrics, and priority ranges

[0165] During the UE resource selection procedure, based on the measured CBR or / and SL-PRS CBR, the UE can determine the CBR range. The CBR measurement result and the transmission priority (SL data or / and SL-PRS) can be combined, and the corresponding transmission parameters (SL data or / and SL-PRS) can be further determined. The following options are available:

[0166] Option 1

[0167] The SL-PRS transmission parameters and the SL data transmission parameters are determined separately based on different CBR and priority values. In some implementations, there is a mapping relationship between the SL-PRS transmission parameters, the SL-PRS CBR range, and the SL-PRS priority range (not including the SL data CBR and the SL data priority). In some implementations, there is a mapping relationship between the SL data transmission parameters, the SL data CBR range, and the SL data priority range (not including the SL-PRS CBR and the SL-PRS priority).

[0168] Option 2

[0169] There is a mapping relationship between the SL-PRS transmission parameters, the SL-PRS CBR range, and the SL-PRS priority range (not including the SL data CBR and the SL data priority). There is a mapping relationship between the SL data transmission parameters, the SL data CBR range, the SL data priority range, the SL-PRS CBR, and the SL-PRS priority.

[0170] Option 3

[0171] There is a mapping relationship between the SL data transmission parameters, the SL data CBR range, the SL data priority range, the SL data CBR, and the SL data priority. There is a mapping relationship between the SL data transmission parameters, the SL data CBR range, the SL data priority range, the SL-PRS CBR, and the SL-PRS priority.

[0172] Option 4

[0173] There is a mapping relationship among the SL data transmission parameter, the SL data CBR range, the SL data priority range, the SL data CBR, and the SL data priority. There is a mapping relationship among the SL data transmission parameter, the SL data CBR range, the SL data priority range, the SL-PRS CBR, and the SL-PRS priority.

[0174] When the UE needs to finally determine the SL-PRS transmission parameter and / or the SL data transmission parameter by combining both the SL-PRS CBR measurement result and the SL data CBR measurement result. The CBR-combo range can be as follows:

[0175] CBR-combo = x * SL-PRS CBR+(1 - x)SL data CBR (where 0 < x < 1)

[0176] The value of x can be composed of the NAS layer or RRC, DCI, SCI, MAC CE, etc. Or the value of x can be determined by the UE implementation.

[0177] SL-PRS CBR measurement window size (N SL-PRS ) is different from the SL data CBR measurement window size. The CBR-combo range of SL-PRS can be as follows.

[0178] CBR-combo-SL-PRS = N SL-PRS *(1 / N SL-PRS *x * SL-PRS CBR + 1 / N SL data *(1 - x)*SL data CBR)

[0179] In the above formula, 0 < x < 1. The value of x can be composed of the NAS layer or RRC, DCI, SCI, MAC CE, etc. Or the value of x can be determined by the UE implementation. N SL datais the number of slots of the SL data measurement window that overlap with the SL-PRS CBR measurement window.

[0180] When the SL-PRS CBR measurement window size is different from the SL data CBR measurement window size (N SL data ). The CBR-combo range of the SL data can be as follows:

[0181] CBR-combo-SLdata = N SL data *(1 / N SL-PRS *x*SL-PRS CBR + 1 / N SL data *(1 - x)*SL data CBR)

[0182] In the above formula, 0 < x < 1. The value of x can be composed of the NAS layer or RRC, DCI, SCI, MAC CE, etc. Or the value of x can be determined by the UE implementation. N SL-PRS is the number of slots of the SL data measurement window that overlap with the SL data CBR measurement window.

[0183] Item 5: Convergence control for mode 1 sidelink positioning

[0184] SL-PRS convergence control can be used for mode 2 sidelink positioning resource selection. For sidelink positioning mode 1, the UE can transmit an RRC request, or a DCI request, or a MAC CE request, or other requests (e.g., location specific request, assistance data request) to the gNB for SL-PRS resource configuration. The CBR measurement value is provided together with the request and transmitted to the gNB. In some implementations, the gNB can control the SL-PRS configuration / or the range of some parameters to be configured for the UE.

[0185] (Implementation 7)

[0186] Measurement of CLI (Crosslink Interference) can be used as additional measurement information for sidelink positioning. For CLI measurements, the measurement object indicates the frequency / time location of the SRS resource and / or CLI-RSSI (CLI Received Signal Strength Indicator) resource and the subcarrier spacing of the SRS resource to be measured.

[0187] In some implementations, the network may configure the UE to report the following CLI measurement information based on the SRS resources:

[0188] -Measurement results for each SRS resource

[0189] - Index of SRS resources.

[0190] In some implementations, the network may configure the UE to report the following CLI measurement information based on the CLI-RSSI resource:

[0191] -CLI-RSSI measurement results per resource

[0192] - Index of the CLI-RSSI resource.

[0193] 10 illustrates an example scenario using CLI measurements according to some implementations of the disclosed technology. The LMF can transmit a request for both SL-PRS and CLI reference signal (SRS / CLI-RSSI) resource information to the gNB to activate positioning. In some other implementations, for UE-based positioning, the UE can also transmit a request for both SL-PRS and CLI reference signal (SRS / CLI-RSSI) resource information to the gNB to activate positioning.

[0194] In some implementations, the gNB may trigger the SL-PRS and SRS / CLI-RSSI transmission, and the gNB may configure the UE to report measurements including UE ID / UE pair ID, SL-PRS measurement results (SRS reference signal received power, SRS-RSRP), SL-PRS resource index, measurement results per SRS resource, index of SRS resource, measurement results per CLI-RSSI resource, index of CLI-RSSI resource. As shown in FIG. 10, if there is an Xn connection between the serving gNB of the target UE / victim UE and gNB1 / neighbor gNB of UE1 / interfering UE, the gNB may obtain the UE ID or UE pair ID of the interfering UE.

[0195] In some implementations, the LMF may trigger the UE to report measurements including UE ID / UE pair ID, SL-PRS measurement results (SRS reference signal received power, SRS-RSRP), SL-PRS resource index, measurement results per SRS resource, index of SRS resource, measurement results per CLI-RSSI resource, index of CLI-RSSI resource. As shown in FIG. 10, if there is a connection between the LMF and those two gNBs, the LMF may obtain the UE ID or UE pair ID of the interfering UE from UE1 / interfering UE's gNB1 / neighboring gNB via NRPPa.

[0196] In some implementations, the LMF can obtain the measurement results from a gNB (including the serving gNB and other gNBs) or from the UE. In some implementations, the gNB / LMF can also transmit the measurement results to the UE (which has the ability to calculate the location).

[0197] 11 and 12 show flow charts illustrating example methods of wireless communication according to some implementations of the disclosed technology.

[0198] 11 includes initiating 1110, by a network device, a positioning service for a user device. The method 1100 further includes configuring 1120, by the network device, sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) resources for the positioning service.

[0199] 12 includes receiving, by a user device, a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) resource configuration from a network device 1210. The method 1200 further includes transmitting, to another user device, one or more SL-PRS transmissions in accordance with the SL-PRS configuration 1220.

[0200] The implementations described above are applied to wireless communication. Figure 13 shows an example of a wireless communication system (e.g., a 5G or NR cellular network) including a base station 1720 and one or more user equipment (UE) 1711, 1712, and 1713. In some embodiments, the UE uses an implementation of the disclosed technology to access a BS (e.g., a network) 1731, 1732, 1733), which enables subsequent communication from the BS to the UE (1741, 1742, 1743). The UE may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a mobile computer, a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.

[0201] FIG. 14 illustrates an example of a block diagram representation of a portion of an apparatus. An apparatus 1810, such as a base station or a user device, which may be any wireless device (or UE), may include processor electronics 1820, such as a microprocessor, that implements one or more of the techniques presented herein. The apparatus 1810 may include transceiver electronics 1830 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals via one or more communication interfaces, such as an antenna 1840. The apparatus 1810 may include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. The apparatus 1810 may include one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information, such as data and / or instructions. In some implementations, the processor electronics 1820 may include at least a portion of the transceiver electronics 1830. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the disclosed techniques, modules, or functions are implemented using the apparatus 1810.

[0202] This specification, together with the drawings, are intended to be illustrative only, and by illustrative I mean examples, and not ideal or preferred embodiments, unless otherwise specified. As used herein, the use of "or" is intended to include "and / or" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0203] Some of the embodiments described herein are described in the general context of a method or process that may be implemented in one embodiment by a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium that includes computer-executable instructions, such as program code, executed by a computer in a networked environment. The computer-readable medium may include removable and non-removable storage devices, including, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), and the like. Thus, the computer-readable medium may include non-transitory storage media. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer-executable or processor-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein. A particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps or processes.

[0204] Some of the disclosed embodiments can be implemented as devices or modules using hardware circuits, software, or a combination thereof. For example, a hardware circuit implementation may include separate analog and / or digital components integrated, for example, as part of a printed circuit board. Alternatively or additionally, the disclosed components or modules can also be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices. Some implementations may additionally or alternatively include a digital signal processor (DSP), which is a dedicated microprocessor having an architecture optimized for the operational needs of digital signal processing associated with the disclosed functionality of the present application. Similarly, the various components or subcomponents within each module may be implemented in software, hardware, or firmware. Connectivity between modules and / or between components within a module may be provided using any one of the connection methods and mediums known in the art, including, but not limited to, communication via the Internet, wired, or wireless networks using appropriate protocols.

[0205] Although the specification contains many details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the claimed invention or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described herein in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features are described above as operating in a particular combination and may initially be claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from the claimed combination may be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination. Similarly, although operations are illustrated in the figures in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or in the sequential order, or that all of the illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.

[0206] Only a few implementations and examples have been described; other implementations, extensions and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A method of wireless communication, the method comprising: initiating, by the network device, a positioning service for the user device; configuring, by a network device, sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) resources for the positioning service; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving relative location information of the user device from an additional user device, wherein the user device and the additional user device are within a communication coverage area of ​​the network device or another network device, or at least one of the user device and the additional user device is outside a communication coverage area of ​​the network device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location service is initiated by a network device receiving a request for the location service or by a network device deciding to perform the location service.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting assistance data including an SL-PRS configuration to another network device or the user device, the transmission of the assistance data being triggered by a request from the other network device or the user device or a decision by the network device.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the assistance data is transmitted between the network device and another network device, and between the network device and the user device, and each of the network device and the other network device is a Location Management Function (LMF) or a gNB.

6. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the assistance data includes at least one of: a physical cell ID (PCI) of a candidate NR transmitting / receiving point (TRP) for measurement, a global cell ID (GCI), an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN), timing of the candidate NR TRP relative to a serving (reference) TRP; an SL-PRS configuration of the candidate NR TRP; SSB information of the TRP, a TP indication for SL-PRS only; an on-demand SL-PRS configuration; certain TRP configuration information, SL-PRS transmission characteristic information, a sidelink congestion control configuration; spatial direction information, geographic coordinate information, a LOS / NLOS indicator, expected angle assistance information, or an SL-PRS priority list.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the request from the user device includes at least one of location specific information relating to an approximate location of the user device, SL-PRS congestion parameters, cell-related information, channel-related information, measurement-related information, SL-PRS transmission information, or beam-related information.

8. The SL-PRS congestion parameters include an SL-PRS CBR, which is defined as a portion of the subchannels in the SL-PRS resource configuration for which the SL-PRS RSSI satisfies a certain condition; an SL-PRS CR, which is defined as a certain total number of subchannels; and an SL-PRS CR, which indicates a maximum limit of the SL-PRS occupancy rate. ｌｉｍｉｔ 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the RSSI comprises at least one of: SL-PRS RSSI, which indicates a linear average of the total received power;

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the network device, capability information related to the positioning service from the user device or another network device.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the network device, location information from the user device or another network device, the location information being received in response to a request from the network device or the user device or a determination by the network device.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the location information includes at least one of a response time or a response time arrifix requirement, the response time indicating a maximum response time measured between receipt of the request and transmission of the location information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the location information includes at least one of measurement information of the user device or another user device, measurement information collected from another network device or user device list, and the measurement information is obtained from SL-PRS transmissions between the user device and another user device or between two other user devices.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the measurement information includes at least one of a measurement list, a UE pair / list, a SL-PRS ID, a PhysCellID, a CellGlobalID, an ARFCN, a TimeStamp, a SL-PRS RSTD, a SL-PRS RSRP, an Rx-Tx time difference, an SRS RSRP, an AoA, an AdditionalPathList, a TimingQuality, additional measurements, or a Loss / NLos indicator.

14. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sidelink positioning resources are configured by a radio resource control (RRC), the method further comprising transmitting at least one of downlink control information (DCI) for selecting at least some of the sidelink positioning resources.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network device supports dynamic grants, configured grant type 1 and configured grant type 2 for SL-PRS transmission.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the RRC is used to configure both reception and transmission SL-PRS configuration parameters, or a range of some SL-PRS configuration parameters.

17. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the SL-PRS configuration parameters include at least one of SL-PRS priority, SL-PRS resource ID, SL-PRS resource list, SL-PRS periodicity, SL-PRS resource offset, SL-PRS resource repetition factor, SL-PRS resource time gap, SL-PRS muting pattern, SL-PRS resource power, SL-PRS sequence ID, SL-PRS comb size, SL-PRS SCS, or SL-PRS RB set.

18. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the DCI comprises at least one of the following fields: SL-PRS transmission indication indicating whether sidelink data is transmitted or not; SL-PRS resource configuration index; SL-PRS frequency resource allocation; SL-PRS time resource allocation; time offset between SL-PRS transmission and a first SL data resource; SL-PRS measurement report activation / release indication; a mapping relationship between data pool resources and PRS resource configuration or a feedback timing indicator; a configuration index in case the DCI has a CRC scrambled by SL-RNTI or SL-CS-RNTI or SL-PRS-RNTI or SL-PRS-CS-RNTI; a time gap PRS indicating a time gap between DCI reception and a first SL-PRS transmission scheduled by the DCI.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the DCI has a format extended from DCI format 3_0 specified in the Rel-16 specifications, or defines a new DCI format presented separately from DCI format 3_0.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the DCI is used for only the user device or for a group of user devices including the user device for at least one of SL-PRS and SL data resources.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the DCI has a size depending on whether the format of the DCI is extended from DCI format 3_0.

22. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device receives a CLI (Cross Link Interference) measurement value for the positioning service, the method further comprising: triggering the user device to report a measurement value including a UE ID / UE pair ID, a SL-PRS measurement result, a SL-PRS resource index, a measurement result per SRS resource, an index of an SRS resource, a measurement result per CLI-RSSI resource, and an index of a CLI-RSSI resource.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the CLI measurements are received from the user device, another user device, or another network device.

24. 1. A method of wireless communication, the method comprising: receiving, by a user device, a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) resource configuration from a network device; transmitting one or more SL-PRS transmissions in accordance with the SL-PRS configuration to another user device; A method comprising:

25. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving, by the user device, location information from the user device or another network device, the location information being received in response to a request from the network device or the user device, or a determination by the network device.

26. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting location information to another user device or the network device in response to a request from or a decision by the user device, the location information including at least one of measurement information of the user device.

27. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving assistance data from the network device, the reception of the assistance data being triggered by a decision by the network device or a request from the other network device or the user device.

28. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the assistance data is transmitted between the network device or another network device, between the network device and the user device, and each of the network device and another network device is a Location Management Function (LMF) or a gNB.

29. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the assistance data includes at least one of: a physical cell ID (PCI), a GCI, an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) of a candidate NR transmitting / receiving point (TRP) for measurement, the timing of the candidate NR TRP relative to a serving (reference) TRP; an SL-PRS configuration of the candidate NR TRP; SSB information of the TRP, a TP indication for SL-PRS only; an on-demand SL-PRS configuration; certain TRP configuration information, SL-PRS transmission characteristic information, a sidelink congestion control configuration; spatial direction information, geographic coordinate information, a LOS / NLOS indicator, expected angle assistance information, or an SL-PRS priority list.

30. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more SL-PRS transmissions include at least one of a Sidelink Control Information (SCI) or a MAC CE to report or request the SL-PRS configuration.

31. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the SCI includes fields including at least one of a provided / request indicator, a SL-PRS transmission indication indicating SL data only, SL-PRS only, or both SL data and SL-PRS, a SL-PRS priority, a time offset between a SL-PRS transmission and a first SL data resource, a SL-PRS time resource allocation, a SL-PRS frequency resource allocation, a SL-PRS resource reservation period, a SL-PRS measurement request indicator, a SL-PRS RSRP threshold, a response time, a mapping relationship between data pool resources and a PRS resource configuration.

32. 32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the SCI has a format extended from SCI format 1-A specified in Rel-16 or a new SCI format presented separately from the SCI format 1-A and second stage SCI.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the SL-PRS priority is configured in each PRS configuration, or is indicated in SCI format 1-A, or is indicated in a second stage SCI format field.

34. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting a measurement report including SL-PRS measurements to the network device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the measurement report has a priority value that is the same as a priority value of the SL-PRS transmission.

36. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the measurement report is transmitted upon satisfaction of a condition related to at least one of a reference signal received power (RSRP) or distance.

37. The method of claim 24, further comprising reporting the CBR measurement to the network side.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein the mapping relationship is defined in the RRC parameters between the SL-PRS transmission parameters, the SL-PRS CBR range, or the SL-PRS priority range.

39. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting, by the user device to the network device, a request related to the SL-PRS resource configuration together with a CBR measurement of the user device, the request comprising at least one of an RRC request, or a DCI request, or a MAC CE request, or a location request, or an assistance data request.

40. The one or more SL-PRS transmissions may include a range of SL-PRS MCS values, a range of numbers of SL-PRS subchannels, a maximum number of SL-PRS transmissions, a maximum SL-PRS transmission power, a SL-PRS CR, ｌｉｍｉｔ 39. The method of claim 38, comprising SL-PRS transmission parameters including at least one of: SL-PRS periodicity, SL-PRS repetition factor, number of SL-PRS symbols in a slot, or SL-PRS muting pattern.

41. 39. The method of claim 38, further comprising performing, by the user device, a resource selection procedure based on a measured CBR and / or a SL-PRS CBR, the resource selection procedure including determining a CBR range.

42. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising: transmitting a cross-link interference (CLI) signal including an SRS and a CLI reference signal; and reporting a CLI measurement including a UE ID / UE pair ID to assist sidelink positioning.

43. A communications device comprising a processor configured to carry out a method according to any one or more of the preceding claims.

44. 43. A computer readable medium having code stored thereon, the code, when executed, causing a processor to perform a method according to any one or more of claims 1 to 42.

Images