User Equipment, Network Node, and Method

Abstract

A system (1) is disclosed in which a user equipment (UE) (3) is configured for direct communication between UEs. The UE (3) receives from a network node (5) information for determining resources for transmitting a positioning reference signal of another UE (3), and transmits the positioning reference signal using the resources determined based on using the information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system operating according to 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (registered trademark) standards or their equivalents or derivatives, and devices thereof. The present disclosure is particularly relevant to, but not exclusively related to, the positioning of user equipment (UE) in so-called "5G" or "New Radio" systems (also referred to as "next-generation" systems) and similar systems.

Background Art

[0002] Under 3GPP standards, a NodeB (or "eNB" in LTE and "gNB" in 5G) is a base station for a communication device (user equipment or "UE") to connect to a core network and communicate with other communication devices or remote servers. Communication between the UE and the base station is controlled using the so-called Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol. The communication device may be, for example, a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, laptop / tablet computer, web browser, e-book reader, etc. Such mobile (or generally stationary) devices are usually operated by a user (thus, they are often collectively called user equipment "UE"), but it is also possible to connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices and similar Machine Type Communications (MTC) devices to the network. For simplicity, this application uses the term base station to refer to any such base station and the terms mobile device or UE to refer to such communication devices.

[0003] The latest developments in 3GPP specifications are the so-called "5G" or "New Radio" (NR) specifications, which refer to an evolving communication technology expected to support various applications and services such as MTC / IoT communications, vehicle communications and autonomous vehicles, high-resolution video streaming, and smart city services. 3GPP intends to support 5G with the so-called 3GPP Next Generation (NextGen) radio access network (RAN) and 3GPP NextGen core (NGC) networks. Various details of 5G networks are described, for example, in the "NGMN 5G White Paper" V1.0 (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] End-user communication devices are generally referred to as user equipment (UE) and may be operated by humans or may be equipped with automated (MTC / IoT) devices. Base stations in 5G / NR communication systems are generally called New Radio Base Station ("NR-BS") or "gNB", but it will be understood that these may also typically be referred to using the term "eNB" (or 5G / NR eNB) associated with Long Term Evolution (LTE) base stations (also generally called "4G" base stations). 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.300 V16.7.0 (Non-Patent Document 2) and 3GPP TS 37.340 V16.7.0 (Non-Patent Document 3) define, inter alia, the following nodes. gNB: A node that provides protocol terminations for the NR user plane and control plane towards the UE and is connected to the 5G core network (5GC) via the NG interface. ng-eNB: A node that provides protocol terminations for the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) user plane and control plane towards the UE and is connected to the 5GC via the NG interface. En-gNB: A node that provides protocol termination for the NR user plane and control plane towards the UE and functions as a secondary node in E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC). NG-RAN node: Either a gNB or an ng-eNB.

[0005] The term base station or RAN node is used in this specification to refer to any such node.

[0006] The 3GPP specifications also define various ways in which UEs can communicate data with each other without using the resources of a base station (although in some cases, the UEs may require at least some control signaling from the base station). Such communication is generally referred to as direct communication between UEs or Device-to-Device (D2D) communication. D2D communication was initially defined as part of the Proximity Services (ProSe) services in Releases 12 and 13 of its specifications. As part of the ProSe services, a new D2D interface was introduced. This D2D interface is called "PC5" or "sidelink" at the physical layer. The sidelink provides a direct link for communication between devices regardless of the presence of network coverage. The sidelink is enhanced for vehicle use cases to handle high-speed (up to 250 km / h along roads, up to 500 km / h along railways) and high-density (thousands of nodes) scenarios.

[0007] Side links have several application areas, including, among others, proximity services, public safety, machine type communication and IoT including sensors, wearable devices, etc. The term Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) encompasses a special application area of side link / PC5 for communication between vehicles using direct links. V2X includes at least the following categories: Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V); Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I); Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P); Vehicle-to-Home (V2H); and enhanced Vehicle-to-Everything (eV2X).

[0008] An important aspect of D2D is the positioning of the UE (vehicle), especially in the case of V2X. The V2X positioning requirements can be found in 3GPP TS 22.261 V17.10.0 (Non-Patent Document 4) and 3GPP TS 22.186 V17.0.0 (Non-Patent Document 5). 3GPP TS 22.261 (Non-Patent Document 4) defines the high-precision positioning requirements for the 5G system, and these requirements are summarized in its Section 7.3.2.2, taking into account that they include V2X. Seven different positioning service levels are defined in Table 7.3.2.2-1 of 3GPP TS 22.261 (Non-Patent Document 4) with respect to horizontal and vertical accuracy, positioning service availability, and positioning service latency. 3GPP TS 22.186 (Non-Patent Document 5) defines the relative lateral positioning requirements and relative vertical positioning requirements for general V2X use cases.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0009]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0010] The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) provides positioning requirements for various V2X services assigned to three groups: a first group with 10-meter accuracy (e.g., for information provision), a second group with lane-level accuracy (e.g., for safety use cases), and a third group with sub-meter-level accuracy (e.g., for autonomous or remote driving). The positioning requirements may relate to 3D / 2D coordinates (absolute position) or distances and / or angles to an anchor node, e.g., another UE (relative position). Further details can be found in 3GPP document number RP-210040 (Non-Patent Document 6).

[0011] However, sidelink has not been used for positioning before, and the inventors have identified several problems related to sidelink positioning. Note that the following terms are used in this specification: - Anchor UE: A UE used as an anchor node to identify another UE; - Anchor node: A network element used as an anchor node to identify another network node; - Target UE: A UE whose location is unknown and needs to be identified; - Target node: A network element whose location is unknown and needs to be identified; - S-PRS: Sidelink positioning reference signal, that is, a positioning reference signal transmitted / received on the sidelink and used for positioning purposes.

[0012] One problem with sidelink positioning is that, especially in use cases / scenarios that require sub-meter accuracy, the change in the position of the anchor node moving during the entire positioning procedure affects the positioning accuracy.

[0013] When a UE is outside the coverage of any base station, the UE applies a self-organized resource allocation determined by a sensing procedure autonomously performed by the transmitting UE. In such a case, the UE randomly selects an appropriate amount of resources, but the selected resources are generally not periodic and may cause problems in sidelink positioning.

[0014] Furthermore, since some symbols may carry special information that can interfere with positioning reference signals (PRS), the currently defined slot formats for the sidelink are not suitable for transmitting PRS.

[0015] The positioning reference signal can be transmitted using the licensed band and the so-called Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) band. The available ITS bandwidth is less than 80 MHz, and in some countries, only 20 MHz is allocated to ITS. Since the positioning accuracy is related to the PRS bandwidth (a large bandwidth is required to achieve high accuracy such as sub-meter accuracy), the ITS spectrum may not be able to provide sufficient accuracy when timing difference-based positioning methods are used.

[0016] Another problem is that even when the anchor UE is located closer to the base station than other UEs, the power of the PRS received from the anchor UE can be significantly lower than the power of the PRS received from the serving base station or an adjacent base station. This power difference may cause interference and may limit which anchor node the UE can use for sidelink positioning. It may also affect the positioning accuracy. Although there may be a number of UEs (and base stations) that can function as anchor nodes / UEs for sidelink positioning, not all of these anchor nodes / UEs are suitable for the desired positioning method or accuracy. However, there is no appropriate procedure for selecting the appropriate anchor node.

[0017] Therefore, the present disclosure attempts to provide a method and related apparatus for addressing or at least mitigating (at least some of) the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0018] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a network node, the method comprising receiving location information of a UE selected as an anchor UE, which is configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), receiving assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding the location of the anchor UE, and using the location information and the assistance information in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE. The location information and the assistance information may be received periodically or on demand. The at least one characteristic regarding the location of the anchor UE may be a change in the location of the anchor UE or a timestamp.

[0019] The assistance information may include at least one of a time value associated with the location information, information identifying the speed of the anchor UE, information identifying the direction of travel of the UE, information regarding the relative speed of the UE, and information identifying the Doppler effect associated with a signal used in a procedure for determining the location of the target UE. The time value associated with the location information may indicate the time at which the location information was acquired, or the time at which a positioning reference signal or a sounding reference signal associated with the location information was transmitted by the anchor UE using direct communication between UEs.

[0020] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a UE selected as an anchor UE, which is configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), the method comprising transmitting, to a network node, the location information of the UE and assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding the location of the UE, which are used by the network node in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE.

[0021] The network node may be a further UE, a base station, or a positioning function entity.

[0022] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method executed by a first user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs. The method includes receiving, from a network node, information identifying continuous resources for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second UE, and transmitting the positioning reference signal using the continuous resources.

[0023] Transmitting the positioning reference signal may be performed across the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between UEs, and the information indicating the continuous resources may indicate a period for transmitting the positioning reference signal.

[0024] Transmitting the positioning reference signal may be performed across the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between UEs. Transmitting the positioning reference signal may be performed using a common portion of the continuous resources and a predetermined resource pool for transmitting the positioning reference signal.

[0025] Transmitting the positioning reference signal may be performed across the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between UEs. The method may include selecting at least one specific resource from the continuous resources by performing spectrum sensing, and transmitting the positioning reference signal may be performed using the at least one specific resource.

[0026] The continuous resources may indicate a resource pool, and transmitting the positioning reference signal may be performed using at least one resource included in the resource pool.

[0027] The continuous resources may be represented by bitmap information.

[0028] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a network node, the method including transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, information identifying contiguous resources in at least one of a time domain and a frequency domain for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second UE.

[0029] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method including receiving first configuration information that is first configuration information for direct communication between UEs and that includes information identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC), and at least one guard symbol within a slot; and transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than the at least one symbol based on the first configuration information and second configuration information.

[0030] The method may further include receiving second configuration information that is second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal and that includes information identifying an offset in number of symbols for determining a start symbol used for transmitting the positioning reference signal; and puncturing the positioning reference signal with the at least one symbol.

[0031] The method may further include receiving second configuration information that is second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal and that includes information identifying an offset for determining a start symbol used for transmitting the positioning reference signal based on a maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH.

[0032] The offset may be selected from a range having a minimum value equal to one plus the maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH and a maximum value equal to the total number of symbols in the slot minus the count of at least one symbol.

[0033] The method may further include receiving, via sidelink control information (SCI), second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal via at least one specific symbol in a slot.

[0034] The positioning reference signal may be an aperiodic positioning reference signal.

[0035] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a network node, the method including transmitting configuration information that is first configuration information for direct communication between user equipment (UE) and that includes information identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and at least one guard symbol within a slot; and transmitting, to the UE, second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than the at least one symbol.

[0036] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a network node for positioning of a UE configured for direct communication between user equipment (UE), the method including performing phase measurement-based positioning; performing at least one other type of positioning; and determining the position of the UE based on the phase measurement-based positioning and the at least one other type of positioning.

[0037] At least one other type of positioning may include one or more of positioning based on the timing of the positioning reference signal, positioning based on the power of the positioning reference signal, positioning based on the angle-of-departure of the positioning reference signal, and positioning based on the angle-of-arrival of the positioning reference signal.

[0038] Phase measurement-based positioning and at least one other type of positioning may each use a respective positioning reference signal resource set.

[0039] Each of the positioning reference signal resource sets may be mutually exclusive. Alternatively, each of the positioning reference signal resource sets may at least partially overlap.

[0040] The method may further include measuring the time difference of arrival of the positioning reference signals in the overlapping sets and measuring the phases of the positioning reference signals within the overlapping sets, and the position of the UE may be determined based on the time difference of arrival and the phases of the positioning reference signals within the overlapping sets.

[0041] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, the method including receiving information identifying at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of positioning reference signals by the UE, the period being defined at the symbol level or the slot level.

[0042] The information may identify at least one period based on a pattern. At least one period associated with the UE may be different from at least one further period associated with a further UE. At least one period associated with the UE may be based on a random pattern.

[0043] At least one period associated with the UE may be applicable when transmissions by the serving base station or an adjacent base station are muted. The method may further include transmitting a positioning reference signal during at least one period associated with the UE when transmissions by the serving base station or an adjacent base station are muted.

[0044] The method may further include transmitting a positioning reference signal during at least one period associated with the UE, regardless of whether transmissions by the serving base station are muted or transmissions by an adjacent base station are muted.

[0045] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a network node. The method includes transmitting, to a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), information identifying at least one period associated with the UE for muting transmission of a positioning reference signal by the UE, the period being defined at a symbol level or a slot level.

[0046] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs). The method includes performing a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs, transmitting to a network node the results of the plurality of measurements and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UEs to which the results are related, and receiving from the network node at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE.

[0047] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method executed by a network node, the method comprising receiving, from a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, results of a plurality of measurements based on each of a plurality of positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UE to which the result is related; and transmitting to the UE at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE.

[0048] The method may further include selecting one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE based on at least one criterion.

[0049] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method executed by a UE configured for direct communication between UEs, the method comprising receiving from an anchor UE at least one of information indicating whether the position of the anchor UE is available and information indicating whether the anchor UE can be used for positioning; and transmitting, when the position of the anchor UE is available and the anchor UE can be used for positioning, a request to the anchor UE to determine the current position of the UE.

[0050] The method may further include receiving, from each of a plurality of anchor UEs, each of the information indicating whether the position of one of the plurality of anchor UEs is available; and selecting one or more of the plurality of anchor UEs based on at least one criterion to determine the current position of the UE.

[0051] The at least one criterion may include one or more of a position availability criterion, a speed criterion, a received signal power criterion, and a received signal quality criterion.

[0052] The network node may be a base station, a UE, or a positioning function entity.

[0053] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a network node comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) to receive location information of a UE selected as an anchor UE, means to receive assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding the location of the anchor UE, and means to use the location information and the assistance information in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE.

[0054] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), the UE being selected as an anchor UE, the UE comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) to transmit to a network node the location information of the UE and assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding the location of the UE, which are used by the network node in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE.

[0055] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a first UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), the first UE comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) to receive from a network node information identifying continuous resources for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second UE, and means to transmit the positioning reference signal using the continuous resources.

[0056] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a network node comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) to transmit to a first UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) information identifying continuous resources in at least one of a time domain and a frequency domain for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second UE.

[0057] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a user equipment (UE) comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) for receiving first configuration information for direct communication between UEs, the first configuration information identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC), and at least one guard symbol within a slot; and means for transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than the at least one symbol based on the first configuration information and second configuration information.

[0058] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a network node comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) for transmitting configuration information comprising information identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and at least one guard symbol within a slot, as first configuration information for direct communication between UEs; and means for transmitting second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than the at least one symbol to the UE.

[0059] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a network node for positioning a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, the network node comprising means (e.g., memory, controller, and transceiver) for performing phase measurement-based positioning, means for performing at least one other type of positioning, and means for determining the position of the UE based on the phase measurement-based positioning and the at least one other type of positioning.

[0060] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a UE configured for direct communication between UEs, the UE comprising means (e.g., memory, controller, and transceiver) for receiving information identifying at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of positioning reference signals by the UE, the period being defined at symbol level or slot level.

[0061] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a UE configured for direct communication between UEs, the UE comprising means (e.g., memory, controller, and transceiver) for transmitting information identifying at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of positioning reference signals by the UE, the period being defined at symbol level or slot level.

[0062] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a UE configured for direct communication between UEs, the UE comprising means (e.g., memory, controller, and transceiver) for performing a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs, means for transmitting to a network node the results of the plurality of measurements and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UEs to which the results are related, and means for receiving from the network node at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE.

[0063] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a network node comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) for receiving results of a plurality of measurements based on each of a plurality of positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UEs to which the results are related from a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), and means for transmitting to the UE at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE.

[0064] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), the UE comprising means (e.g., a memory, a controller, and a transceiver) for receiving from an anchor UE at least one of information indicating whether the position of the anchor UE is available and information indicating whether the anchor UE can be used for positioning, and means for transmitting a request to the anchor UE for determining the current position of the UE when the position of the anchor UE is available and the anchor UE can be used for positioning.

[0065] Aspects of the present disclosure extend to computer program products, such as computer-readable storage media having corresponding systems, apparatuses, and instructions stored therein, the instructions being operable to program a programmable processor to perform the methods described in the aspects and possibilities presented above and / or to program a computer appropriately adapted to provide an apparatus as claimed in any of the claims.

[0066] For the sake of efficiency in the understanding of those skilled in the art, the present disclosure is described in detail in the context of a 3GPP system (5G network), but the principles of the present disclosure can also be applied to other systems.

[0067] The present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. Aspects of the present disclosure are as set forth in the independent claims. Some optional features are set forth in the dependent claims.

[0068] However, each feature disclosed in this specification (which term includes the claims) and / or shown in the drawings may be incorporated in the present disclosure independently of (or in combination with) any other disclosed and / or shown feature. In particular, without limitation, any feature of the claims dependent on a particular independent claim may be introduced into that independent claim in any combination or individually.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0069] Here, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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[0070] Overview FIG. 1 schematically shows a mobile (cellular or wireless) telecommunications system 1 to which embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied.

[0071] In this system 1, a user of a mobile device 3 (UE) can communicate with each other and with other users via a base station 5 (and other access network nodes) and a core network 7 using an appropriate 3GPP radio access technology (RAT) such as, for example, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and / or 5G RAT. It will be appreciated that a number of base stations 5 form a (wireless) access network or (R)AN. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, for illustrative purposes, FIG. 1 shows two mobile devices 3A and 3B and one base station 5, but the system, when implemented, will typically include other base stations / (R)AN nodes and mobile devices (UE).

[0072] Each base station 5 controls one or more associated cells (either directly or via other nodes such as home base stations, relays, remote radio heads, distributed units, etc.). A base station 5 that supports the next generation / 5G protocol may be referred to as a "gNB". It will be appreciated that some base stations 5 may be configured to support both 4G and 5G protocols, and / or any other 3GPP or non-3GPP communication protocol.

[0073] The mobile device 3 and its serving base station 5 are connected via a suitable radio interface (such as, for example, the so-called "NR" radio interface and / or "Uu" interface). Adjacent base stations 5 are connected to each other via a suitable inter-base station interface (such as, for example, the so-called "Xn" interface, "X2" interface, etc.). The base station 5 is also connected to the core network node via a suitable interface (such as the so-called "NG-U" interface (for the user plane), the so-called "NG-C" interface (for the control plane), etc.).

[0074] The core network 7 (e.g., EPC in the case of LTE, or NGC in the case of NR / 5G) typically includes logical nodes (or "functions") to support communications in the telecommunications system 1 and, in particular, for location management, subscriber management, mobility management, charging, security, call / session management. For example, the core network 7 of a "next generation" / 5G system includes user plane entities and control plane entities such as one or more control plane function (CPF) 10 and one or more user plane function (UPF) 11. For example, the so-called Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in 5G, or the Mobility Management Entity (MME) in 4G, is responsible for handling the connection and mobility management tasks of the mobile device 3, and the Session Management Function (SMF) is responsible for handling the communication sessions of the mobile device 3 such as session establishment, modification, and release, and the Location Management Function (LMF) 12 configures the UE 3 using the LTE positioning protocol (LPP) via the AMF. The core network 7 is connected to a data network (external (IP) network) 20 such as the Internet or a similar Internet Protocol (IP)-based network (via the UPF 11).

[0075] In this system 1, direct (UE-to-UE) communication is possible between UEs 3 that are in the vicinity of each other. For example, such direct communication may be realized based on procedures defined by 3GPP for the so-called sidelink (PC5 interface).

[0076] To achieve robust and efficient sidelink positioning, the nodes of this system are configured to support at least some of the following improvements.

[0077] When the anchor node / UE is moving, the position change during the positioning procedure may affect the positioning accuracy. In this system, this problem is addressed by various types of assistance information to improve the accuracy or reliability of the positioning process. For example, the position of the moving anchor node may be signaled with a timestamp (as the first type of assistance information). The timestamp may indicate the time when the positioning reference signal (e.g., PRS or SRS) associated with that position was transmitted, or the time when the position of the anchor node was acquired. Other types of assistance information regarding the position of the anchor node, such as the speed and direction of travel associated with the anchor node, may also be used. The speed, direction of travel, etc. may be provided in relation to UE3. Using the position and related assistance information, the UE or the network can estimate the exact position of the anchor node (e.g., with respect to the UE). Also, the assistance information may include information regarding the Doppler effect of the signal. Specifically, UE3 may be configured to perform appropriate measurements for Doppler (e.g., based on each of the positioning reference signals) to estimate the relative speed of the nearby anchor nodes. UE3 can report the measurement values to the base station / LMF for network-based positioning and obtain the exact position of the anchor node from the network.

[0078] When the position of one or more anchor nodes (including the moving anchor node) is known, UE3 can determine its own position based on the position of the anchor node.

[0079] When UE3 is not within the coverage of the base station, it can communicate only with other UEs via the PC5 interface. This is referred to as "out-of-coverage". UE3 can be configured to randomly select resources, but such resources are not periodic or continuous in the frequency or time domain (due to the random selection). To improve the positioning accuracy and reliability, when transmitting a reference signal, one of the following options can be used to avoid the impact of such randomness. Option 1: The PRS is configured across the entire configured bandwidth used for sidelink (e.g., the bandwidth portion associated with sidelink). In one alternative, the anchor node UE transmits the PRS across the entire configured bandwidth but only within one of the resource pools configured for the UE (either a PRS-specific resource pool or another sidelink-related resource pool). Since the PRS is transmitted across the entire system bandwidth (or the configured bandwidth), other channels and other PRS resources are punctured to avoid interference. In another alternative, after performing sensing, the anchor node UE transmits the PRS across the entire system bandwidth or across the entire configured bandwidth within the selected resources. In this case, the selected resources may include one or more symbols and / or one or more slots. Other PRS resources are punctured. Option 2: The anchor UE transmits the PRS within the resource pool configured for the UE. However, in this case, the PRS is restricted within the resource pool. Option 3: The PRS configuration is explicitly indicated. In this case, the anchor UE 3 (or, e.g., the base station 5 within partial coverage) explicitly indicates the resources used for the PRS configuration, e.g., resource block (RB). Any UE 3 in the vicinity of the anchor UE 3 (or base station 5) can obtain the PRS configuration used by its anchor node and receive the PRS using the resources indicated by the configuration.

[0080] Regarding the slot configuration of the PRS, the following options may be used to avoid transmitting the PRS through unusable symbols. Option 1: The range of values of the currently defined offset is maintained (i.e., dl-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset can be set between "0" and "12"), and the PRS is punctured by any special symbol (e.g., AGC) and / or PSCCH. Advantageously, the PRS can be composed of the first symbol. Option 2: To avoid the configuration of PRS on any special symbol / PSCCH, a new range of values is used for the offset (e.g., dl-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset or a new sidelink-specific offset). For example, the minimum value of the offset may be between 1 and N PSCCH,max +1, and N PSCCH,max is the maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH. Thus, the offset may be selected from the range between "1" (or N PSCCH,max +1) and "12".

[0081] Option 3: The PSCCH may be avoided by configuring an aperiodic PRS via sidelink control information (SCI). In this case, the applicable PRS configuration can be provided to UE3 (via SCI) to avoid the symbols used for the PSCCH.

[0082] Regarding the improvement of positioning accuracy when using the ITS spectrum (or other narrowband), a carrier-phase-based positioning method may be used for sidelink positioning. Specifically, the carrier-phase-based positioning may be used in combination with one or more other positioning methods (timing-difference-based positioning methods). Advantageously, UE3 may first perform timing / power / AoD / AoA-based positioning with relatively loose accuracy requirements, and then perform carrier-phase-based positioning to reduce complexity and obtain higher accuracy. The combined measurements can achieve a more accurate and resource-efficient procedure than using any positioning method alone.

[0083] When performing sidelink positioning, the UE3 may receive PRS signals from both the base station 5 and another UE3 functioning as an anchor node (anchor UE). In this case, the power of the PRS received from the anchor UE3 may be much lower than that of the PRS from the serving base station or an adjacent base station. To address this issue, the anchor UE3 may be composed of each of the periodic micromuting patterns, or may adopt a random pattern using a bitmap.

[0084] Regarding the selection of an appropriate anchor node / anchor UE, the UE3 or the network (e.g., the base station or the LMF12) may be configured to apply one or more criteria. For absolute positioning, only the UE3 with a known position should be used as an anchor node. Even with a known position, some UEs, such as high-speed UEs, should not be used as anchor nodes (due to the Doppler effect). The criteria for anchor node / UE selection may include, for example, the position availability of a given anchor node, the speed of a given anchor node (e.g., via Doppler measurements), the received signal power and / or quality of a given anchor node (e.g., sidelink RSRP / RSRQ), and the security requirements of a given anchor node (e.g., whether its position can be shared with other network nodes).

[0085] User Equipment (UE) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the main components of the mobile device (UE) 3 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown, the UE 3 includes a transceiver circuit 31 operable to transmit signals to and receive signals from nodes connected via one or more antennas 33. Although not necessarily shown in FIG. 3, the UE 3 of course has all the normal functions of a conventional mobile device (such as user interface 35), which may be provided by any one or any combination of hardware, software, and firmware as needed. The controller 37 controls the operation of the UE 3 according to software stored in the memory 39. The software may be pre-installed in the memory 39 and / or downloaded, for example, via the telecommunications network 1 or from a removable data storage device (RMD). The software includes, among other things, an operating system 41, a communication control module 43, a direct communication module 45, and a positioning module 47.

[0086] The communication control module 43 is responsible for processing (generating / sending / receiving) signaling messages and uplink / downlink data packets between the UE 3 and other nodes, including (R)AN nodes 5 and core network nodes. The signaling may include control signaling related to UE positioning (e.g., via system information or RRC). It will be understood that the communication control module 43 may include several sub-modules ("layers" or "entities") to support specific functions. For example, the communication control module 43 may include a PHY sub-module, a MAC sub-module, an RLC sub-module, a PDCP sub-module, an SDAP sub-module, an IP sub-module, an RRC sub-module, etc.

[0087] The direct communication module 45 is responsible for direct UE-to-UE communication (based on control information / configuration information obtained via the communication control module 43).

[0088] The positioning module 47 is responsible for positioning procedures including the processing of positioning reference signals such as PRS and SRS, and the acquisition and application of PRS configuration and slot format for sidelink positioning. The positioning module 47 may communicate with other UEs 3 (via the direct communication module 45) via an appropriate UE - to - UE interface such as sidelink / PC5. The positioning module 47 may also communicate (via the communication control module 43) with positioning function entities within the core network 7 such as the base station 5 and / or the LMF 12. In the case of network - based positioning, the positioning function entity may assist the UE 3 in determining the location of the UE (or the location of another node), or provide the location to the UE 3 (if determined by the positioning function entity itself).

[0089] Access network node (base station) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the main components of the base station 5 (or a similar access network node) shown in Figures 1 and 2. As shown, the base station 5 includes a transceiver circuit 51 operable to transmit signals to connected UEs 3 via one or more antennas 53, receive signals from those UEs 3, transmit signals to other network nodes (directly or indirectly) via the network interface 55, and receive signals from those network nodes. The network interface 55 typically includes appropriate base - station - to - base - station interfaces (such as X2 / Xn) and appropriate base - station - to - core - network interfaces (such as S1 / N1 / N2 / N3). The controller 57 controls the operation of the base station 5 according to software stored in the memory 59. The software may be pre - installed in the memory 59 and / or downloaded, for example, via the telecommunications network 1 or from a removable data storage device (RMD). The software includes, among other things, an operating system 61 and a communication control module 63.

[0090] The communication control module 63 is responsible for processing (generating / sending / receiving) signaling between the base station 5 and other nodes such as the UE 3 and core network nodes. The signaling may include control signaling related to UE positioning (e.g., via system information or RRC). It will be understood that the communication control module 63 may include several sub-modules ("layers" or "entities") to support specific functions. For example, the communication control module 63 may include a PHY sub-module, a MAC sub-module, an RLC sub-module, a PDCP sub-module, an SDAP sub-module, an IP sub-module, an RRC sub-module, etc.

[0091] Access network node (RSU) The so-called Road Side Unit (RSU) is defined as a stationary infrastructure entity that supports V2X applications and can exchange messages with other entities that support V2X applications. RSU is a term frequently used in existing ITS specifications, and the terms introduced in the relevant 3GPP specifications are for the purpose of making the documents easier to read for the ITS industry. RSU is a logical entity that supports V2X application logic using functions provided by either the 3GPP network or a UE (referred to as an RSU of UE type). Note that when a UE or a base station is mentioned in the following sections, it also refers to an RSU of UE type and an RSU of base station type.

[0092] Core network function FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main components of a general core network function such as CPF10, UPF11, or LMF12 shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the core network function includes a transceiver circuit 71 operable to transmit signals to and receive signals from other nodes (including UE3, base station 5, and other core network nodes) via a network interface 75. A controller 77 controls the operation of the core network function according to software stored in a memory 79. The software may be pre-installed in the memory 79 and / or downloaded, for example, via the telecommunications network 1 or from a removable data storage device (RMD). The software includes, among other things, an operating system 81, a communication control module 83, and a location management module 87 (in the case of LMF12, for example).

[0093] The communication control module 83 is responsible for processing (generating / sending / receiving) signaling between the core network function and other nodes such as UE3, base station 5, and other core network nodes. The signaling may include, for example, signaling related to UE positioning.

[0094] When a location management module 87 is present, the location management module 87 is responsible for (network-based) positioning procedures including providing the UE3 with PRS configuration and slot format for sidelink positioning. The location management module 87 communicates with the UE3 (via the communication control module 83 and the base station 5). In the case of network-based positioning, the location management module 87 may assist the UE3 in determining the location of the UE (or the location of another node) or provide the location to the UE3 (if determined by the positioning function entity itself).

[0095] Detailed description The 3GPP specifications define a downlink (DL) physical channel corresponding to a resource element (RE) that carries information transmitted from the upper layer, and a DL physical signal that is used in the physical layer and corresponds to an RE that does not carry information transmitted from the upper layer. For example, the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical multicast channel (PMCH), physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH) are defined as DL physical channels, and the reference signal (RS) and synchronization signal (SS) are defined as DL physical signals. The reference signal, also called the pilot signal, is a signal having a predetermined special waveform known to both the UE 3 and the base station 5. For example, as DL reference signals, the cell specific reference signal, UE-specific reference signal (UE-RS), positioning reference signal (PRS), and channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) are defined. Similarly, the 3GPP specifications define an uplink (UL) physical channel corresponding to an RE that carries information transmitted from the upper layer, and a UL physical signal that is used in the physical layer and corresponds to an RE that does not carry information transmitted from the upper layer.For example, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and a physical random access channel (PRACH) are defined as UL physical channels, and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for UL control / data signals and a sounding reference signal (SRS) used for UL channel measurement are defined as UL physical signals.

[0096] In the case of sidelink, the following channels, namely, a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), and a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH) are specified by 3GPP. Two sidelink-specific system information blocks (SIBs), namely SIB18 and SIB19, are specified to carry sidelink-related control information (via RRC).

[0097] Positioning may refer to determining the geographical location and / or speed of UE3 based on the measurement of radio signals. The position information may be requested by a client (e.g., an application) associated with UE3 and reported to the client associated with UE3. The position information may also be requested by a client within or connected to the core network 7. The position information may be reported in a standard format, such as a cell-based or geographical coordinate format, together with the estimation error of the position and speed of UE3 and / or the positioning method used for positioning.

[0098] The positioning methods supported in the NG-RAN include, among others, RAT-dependent methods including Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA)-based positioning, Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA)-based positioning, Roundtrip time (RTT)-based positioning, and RAT-independent methods including Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based positioning, barometric sensor-based positioning, and Bluetooth-based positioning.

[0099] In some of these positioning methods, a positioning reference signal (PRS) may be used. The PRS is a reference signal used to estimate the position of the UE3.

[0100] For example, the OTDOA positioning method uses the time difference of DL signals received by the UE3 from multiple anchor nodes. The UE3 measures the time of the received DL signals using position assistance data received from a position server or, in the case of sidelink positioning, from a nearby UE3 or base station 5. The position of the UE3 may be determined based on the measurement results and the known geographical coordinates of the adjacent anchor nodes. The anchor nodes may include the base station 5 and other UE3s with known positions. Similarly, the UTDOA positioning method uses the time difference of arrival of sounding reference signals (SRS) at multiple anchor nodes (UE3 and / or base station 5). In the following description, the term positioning reference signal is used to refer to any one of PRS, SRS, and S-PRS (and any other signal suitable for determining the position of the UE) unless otherwise specified.

[0101] In the following, with reference to FIGS. 6A to 10, how sidelink positioning can be realized in the system 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0102] Moving anchor node Current (Release 16 / 17) 3GPP positioning methods, especially DL positioning methods such as OTDOA, RTT, AOA / D, etc., assume a fixed (stationary) anchor node with a known position such as a base station.

[0103] In sidelink positioning, V2X is one of the most important use cases. In V2X, when using another UE3 (vehicle or road user) with a known position as an anchor node, this UE3 is likely to be moving. According to 3GPP TR 38.845 V17.0.0 (Non-Patent Document 7), it is necessary to support a UE speed of up to 250 km / h in outdoor and tunnel areas so that the relative speed between two moving vehicles can reach up to 500 km / h. In the case of trains, speeds up to 500 km / h can be supported, and the maximum relative speed between two moving trains (or UEs of such trains) is 1000 km / h.

[0104] Figure 2 shows a scenario where two UEs 3A and 3B (vehicles) are traveling in opposite directions. UEs 3A and 3B are in the vicinity of base station 5 and may communicate with base station 5 using the Uu / NR radio interface. UEs 3A and 3B may also communicate directly with each other via a "sidelink" using the PC5 interface.

[0105] Assuming that the position of vehicle A is known, in addition to the roadside base station 5 (gNB), vehicle A can be used as an anchor node for the positioning of vehicle B. However, unlike the fixed roadside base station 5, vehicle A is moving. For example, assuming a relative speed of 500 km / h and a maximum allowable positioning latency of 100 ms, the original position of the moving anchor node, i.e., the distance between vehicle A at the start of the positioning procedure and its position at the end of the procedure, may exceed 13 meters.

[0106] Therefore, especially in use cases / scenarios that require sub-meter accuracy, the position change of the moving anchor node during the positioning procedure affects the positioning accuracy.

[0107] In this system, the above problem can be addressed by using one of the following options that rely on various types of assistance information to improve the accuracy or reliability of the positioning process. Option 1: Signaling of the position of a moving anchor node with a timestamp. In the case of network-based positioning, each (moving) anchor node, e.g., UE / vehicle 3A, reports its position to the network along with a timestamp indicating the time when the positioning reference signal (e.g., PRS or SRS) associated with its position was transmitted or the time when the position of the anchor node was acquired. Similarly, in the case of UE-based positioning, each (moving) anchor node, e.g., UE / vehicle 3A, reports its position to another UE / vehicle 3B along with a timestamp indicating the time when the positioning reference signal related to its position was transmitted or the time when the position of the anchor node was acquired. In this option, both periodic position reporting and on-demand position reporting may be used. Option 2: Signaling of position-related information of a moving anchor node. In the case of network-based positioning, each (moving) anchor node, e.g., UE / vehicle 3A, reports its position to the network along with additional assistance information such as the speed, direction of travel, etc., associated with that anchor node. The speed, direction of travel, etc., may be provided in relation to UE3. Using the position and the associated assistance information, the network can infer the exact position of the anchor node. Similarly, in the case of UE-based positioning, each (moving) anchor node, e.g., vehicle 3A, reports its position to vehicle 3B along with additional assistance information such as the speed, direction of travel, etc., associated with that anchor node (e.g., for a UE). The other UE / vehicle 3B can infer the exact position of the anchor node based on the reported position and the associated assistance information. In this option, both periodic position reporting and on-demand position reporting may be used. Option 3: Assistance information including Doppler measurements. In this case, UE3 may be configured to perform appropriate measurements for Doppler (e.g., based on each of the positioning reference signals) to estimate the relative speed of the anchor node. UE3 can report the measurement values to the base station for network-based positioning and obtain the exact position of the anchor node from the network.

[0108] When the position of one or more anchor nodes (including the moving anchor node) is known, UE3 can determine its own position based on the position of the anchor node. It will be understood that different options may be applied to different anchor nodes. When the anchor node is UE3, it may also be called anchor UE3.

[0109] When network-based positioning is used, UE3 may communicate with a positioning function entity in the core network 7, e.g., a location management function (LMF). The positioning function entity may assist UE3 in determining its position (or the position of another node). Alternatively, the positioning function entity may determine the position of UE3 (or another node) and provide the position to UE3.

[0110] PRS Resource Allocation for Out-of-Coverage UEs When UE3 communicates via sidelink, PSCCH / PSSCH cannot be transmitted anywhere within the NR system bandwidth or within the frequency span configured for sidelink. Instead, a resource pool is defined for each of the channels.

[0111] The term "out-of-coverage" refers to a scenario where UE3 is not within the coverage of a base station and can communicate with other UEs only via the PC5 interface. In this case, the current standard stipulates that UE3 needs to apply autonomous resource allocation, which is determined by a sensing procedure performed autonomously before UE3 transmits. However, since UE3 randomly selects an appropriate amount of resources, the selected resources are generally not periodic and may be discontinuous either in the frequency or time domain (due to the random selection). When such autonomous resource allocation is applied to positioning reference signals, it may be difficult to ensure positioning accuracy and reliability due to the randomness of the signals.

[0112] This problem can be addressed by using one of the following options for transmitting the reference signal. Option 1: The PRS is configured over the entire configured bandwidth used for the sidelink (e.g., the bandwidth part associated with the sidelink). In this case, the anchor node UE3 transmits the PRS over the entire system bandwidth (or the configured bandwidth, e.g., the bandwidth part) regardless of whether the resources are within one of the resource pools for PSCCH / PSSCH or other channels or outside the resource pools. This alternative may be combined with certain predefined restrictions, such as transmitting the PRS at a specific time and / or periodically (in which case the activation time or period may be set by the network). In the first modification of this option, the anchor node UE transmits PRS over the entire configured bandwidth, but only within one of the resource pools configured for the UE. The resource pool may include a transmission resource pool, a reception resource pool, an overlap of the transmission and reception resource pools, as well as a set of the transmission and reception resource pools. The resource pool may be a resource pool for PSCCH / PSSCH or a resource pool dedicated to PRS. Since PRS is transmitted over the entire system bandwidth or the entire configured bandwidth, other channels and other PRS resources are punctured to avoid interference. In another modification of this option, after performing sensing, the anchor node UE transmits PRS over the entire system bandwidth or the entire configured bandwidth within the selected resources. In this case, the selected resources may include one or more symbols and / or one or more slots. Other PRS resources are punctured. Option 2: Similar to the first modification of Option 1, the anchor UE transmits PRS within the resource pool configured for the UE. However, in this case, PRS is restricted within the resource pool. The resource pool may be a resource pool dedicated to PRS or one of the resource pools configured for PSCCH / PSSCH. The resources used for PRS transmission may be selected from a transmission resource pool, a reception resource pool, an overlap of the transmission and reception resource pools, or a set of the transmission and reception resource pools. Option 3: Explicit indication of PRS configuration - In this case, the anchor UE3 (or, for example, the base station 5 within partial coverage) explicitly indicates the resources used for PRS configuration, such as resource blocks (RBs). For example, the resources may be indicated using a bitmap (1D or 2D bitmap). In this case, any UE3 in the vicinity of the anchor UE3 (or base station 5) can obtain the PRS configuration used by its anchor node and receive PRS using the resources indicated by the configuration.

[0113] Options 1 to 3 are particularly beneficial for out-of-coverage UE3, but it will be understood that the same approach may be applicable to in-coverage UE3 or partially-covered UE3.

[0114] When puncturing is used, UE3 may be configured to adopt one of the following puncturing modes. Puncturing mode 1: The PRS sequence is not continuous. In this case, the PRS can be configured continuously over multiple resources, but the PRS sequence is punctured with resources used by other UEs or channels (i.e., the PRS sequence is not continuous). For example, a 12-bit PRS sequence {101011110101} can be punctured with the middle 4 bits ({1111}) to result in a punctured sequence {10100101}. Puncturing mode 2: The PRS sequence is continuous. In this case, the PRS is configured only for resources not used by other UEs or channels. For example, for the same sequence {101011110101}, if 4 bits are used for other purposes, the resulting PRS will be {10101111}.

[0115] It will be understood that the network may indicate to UE3 which puncturing mode to use (e.g., via system information or sidelink control information).

[0116] Slot format for PRS Figures 6A and 6B show two exemplary sidelink slot formats having different PSCCH and PSSCH configurations. The sidelink slot format is different from the slot format of the interface (e.g., Uu interface) between the base station 5 and the UE 3. For example, in the case of PSSCH transmission, there can be 7 to 14 symbols in a slot reserved for sidelink operation, and PSSCH can be transmitted with 5 to 12 of those symbols. The remaining sidelink symbols transmit some or all of the PSCCH and PSFCH, at least one automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and at least one guard symbol.

[0117] In the current standard, the PRS can be composed of an offset (dl-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset) having a value between "0" and "12". The configuration of the PRS can assume that traffic is not transmitted during the positioning procedure, so there is no need to consider the PDCCH. However, some symbols, such as AGC symbols, are not suitable for the PRS. Further, the PSCCH and PSSCH are multiplexed in the frequency domain. Therefore, the current approach based on dl-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset may constitute unusable symbols and thus does not match the sidelink slot format.

[0118] This problem can be addressed using one of the following options. Option 1: The range of offset values is maintained (i.e., dl-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset can be set between "0" and "12"), and the PRS is punctured with any special symbol (e.g., AGC) and / or PSCCH. Thus, the PRS can be composed starting from the first symbol. Option 2: To avoid the configuration of PRS on any special symbol / PSCCH, a new range of values is used for the offset (e.g., dl-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset or a new sidelink-specific offset). For example, the minimum value of the offset may be between 1 and N PSCCH,max +1, where N PSCCH,max is the maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH. Thus, the offset may be selected from the range between "1" (or N PSCCH,max +1) and "12".

[0119] Alternatively, the PSCCH may be avoided using a different approach. In sidelink positioning, since PRS on the PC5 interface may need to be more dynamic than PRS on the Uu interface due to dynamic resource allocation, the aperiodic PRS may be configured by appropriately formatted sidelink control information (SCI). In this case, the applicable PRS configuration can be provided to UE3 (via the SCI) to avoid the symbols used for the PSCCH.

[0120] Carrier Phase-based Positioning The spectrum used for sidelink positioning includes ITS and licensed bands. The available ITS bandwidth is less than 80 MHz, and in some countries, only 20 MHz is allocated to ITS. Since the positioning accuracy is related to the PRS bandwidth (the larger the bandwidth, the more accurate the positioning can be achieved), the ITS spectrum may not be able to provide sufficient accuracy when the timing difference-based positioning method is used.

[0121] To address this problem, a carrier-phase-based positioning method may be used for sidelink positioning. Specifically, the carrier-phase-based positioning may be used in combination with one or more other positioning methods (timing-difference-based positioning methods). Carrier-phase measurements require a relatively small bandwidth, and carrier-phase measurements have approximately 1000 times less noise and much lower sensitivity to multipath than symbol-phase measurements. However, the complexity to resolve the integer ambiguity of carrier-phase measurements becomes very high, especially for power-saving users or UEs with low complexity.

[0122] Advantageously, a combination of phase-based positioning and one or more other positioning methods can be used to address these problems.

[0123] The other positioning methods may include - a positioning method based on the timing of positioning reference signals, - a positioning method based on the power of positioning reference signals, - a positioning method based on the angle-of-departure (AoD) of positioning reference signals, and - a positioning method based on the angle-of-arrival (AoA) of positioning reference signals. may be included.

[0124] The positioning reference signal used in the above positioning methods (including the carrier-phase-based positioning method) may be a PRS or SRS, or any other suitable reference signal.

[0125] To implement such combined positioning, multiple positioning reference signal resource sets may be configured respectively for phase-based positioning and timing / power / AoD / AoA-based positioning. These reference signal resource sets may be mutually exclusive or (at least partially) overlapping.

[0126] In the case of a timing-based positioning reference signal set, UE3 measures the time difference of arrival. In the case of a phase-based positioning reference signal set, UE3 measures the phase of the reference signal. In the case of both sets of positioning reference signals, UE3 performs joint measurements for both the time difference of arrival and the phase.

[0127] Advantageously, UE3 may first perform timing / power / AoD / AoA-based positioning with relatively loose accuracy requirements to reduce the search space to resolve the integer ambiguity. Next, UE3 may perform carrier-phase-based positioning to reduce complexity and obtain higher accuracy.

[0128] To apply such combined positioning, the UE capabilities may be defined from the perspective of the measurement or the positioning method, respectively. From the perspective of the measurement, UE3 can indicate to the anchor node whether it can measure the phase. From the perspective of the positioning method, UE3 can indicate to the anchor node whether it can perform carrier-phase-based positioning.

[0129] PRS Muting Figures 7 to 10 schematically show some exemplary ways in which PRS transmission muting can be implemented in the systems shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0130] In NR, PRS muting is used to reduce the interference of the serving base station or adjacent base stations when UE3 receives PRS from base station 5 located relatively far away. 3GPP TS 38.211 V17.0.0 (Non-Patent Document 8) describes two methods for muting PRS resources, namely, - muting the PRS resource set instance using the properties MutingPattern1 and MutingBitRepetition of the -nrPRSConfig object, and - Using the property MutingPattern2 of the -nrPRSConfig object to mute the PRS resource repetition index, A method is defined.

[0131] However, for sidelink positioning, UE3 may receive PRS signals from both the base station 5 and another UE3 functioning as an anchor node (anchor UE). In this case, the power of the PRS received from the anchor UE3 may be much lower than that of the PRS from the serving base station or an adjacent base station.

[0132] To address this issue, the anchor UE3 may be composed of each of the periodic micromuting patterns, or may adopt a random pattern using a bitmap.

[0133] More specifically, as follows, the periodic micromuting predefined by the anchor UE3 may be applied. - A predefined micromuting pattern having a relatively fine time granularity (e.g., a slot or symbol level granularity shorter than or equal to the muting period of the base station) may be configured to be applied during the muting period of the adjacent base station 5 for each anchor UE3. In other words, each anchor UE3 is permitted to transmit only when the serving or adjacent base station 5 is muted, as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, different muting patterns may be configured for different UE3s. - A predefined micromuting pattern with a relatively fine time granularity (e.g., at the slot or symbol level granularity that is shorter than or equal to the muting period of the base station) may be configured for each anchor UE3, and the UE3 may apply each pattern regardless of whether the serving or adjacent base station 5 is muted. In other words, the UE3 may not need to determine the muting pattern of the serving base station or the adjacent base station 5 (although sensing may be employed before transmitting the PRS). An example of this approach for two UE3s is shown in FIG. 8.

[0134] Alternatively, random micromuting may be applied by the anchor UE3. - A random micromuting pattern with a relatively fine time granularity (e.g., at the slot or symbol level granularity that is shorter than or equal to the muting period of the base station) may be configured for each anchor UE3 to be applied during the muting period of the adjacent base station 5. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, each anchor UE3 is permitted to transmit only when the serving or adjacent base station 5 is muted. - A random micromuting pattern with a relatively fine time granularity (e.g., at the slot or symbol level granularity that is shorter than or equal to the muting period of the base station) may be configured for each anchor UE3, and the UE3 may apply each pattern regardless of whether the serving or adjacent base station 5 is muted. An example of this approach is shown in FIG. 10.

[0135] The random muting pattern may be predefined (e.g., derived based on UE-specific parameters) or signaled to the anchor UE3 by the network (e.g., the LMF12 via the base station 5).

[0136] Anchor UE Selection In Release 17, the PRS can be configured for the serving base station 5 and the surrounding base stations 5. The position of each base station 5 is fixed and known. Therefore, any base station 5 can be used as an anchor node for positioning. In the case of sidelink positioning, the UE3 (mobile device) can also be used as an anchor node. Therefore, there may be a large number of UE3s (and base stations 5) that can function as anchor nodes for sidelink positioning. However, not all of these anchor nodes are suitable for the desired positioning method or accuracy.

[0137] The following is an explanation of some exemplary methods by which a suitable anchor node can be selected for positioning.

[0138] For absolute positioning, only UE3s with known positions should be used as anchor nodes. Even with known positions, some UEs, such as high-speed UEs, should not be used as anchor nodes (due to the Doppler effect).

[0139] Beneficially, the base station 5 may be configured to adjust the selection of a suitable anchor node for positioning (for in-coverage UEs and partial-coverage UEs). The base station 5 may use at least one criterion for anchor UE selection. Such criteria may include, but are not limited to, the following, namely, the position availability of a given anchor node (which is essential for absolute positioning), the speed of a given anchor node (by Doppler measurement), the received signal power and / or quality of a given anchor node (e.g., sidelink RSRP / RSRQ), the security requirements of a given anchor node (e.g., whether its position can be shared with other network nodes).

[0140] In this case, UE3 reports the measurement values to the network, and the network selects an appropriate anchor UE based on applicable criteria and notifies UE3 about the selected anchor UE. UE3 can also report to the network whether it can be selected as an anchor node as UE capability.

[0141] Alternatively, the selection of an appropriate anchor node for positioning may be achieved without base station cooperation (e.g., in the case of out-of-coverage). For absolute positioning, each UE3 may be configured to indicate whether its position is available and whether it can be selected as an anchor node with unicast, groupcast, or broadcast information, so that nearby UEs can know whether that UE can be used as an anchor node. UE3 can send a positioning request to the UE selected as an anchor node based on certain criteria, and the anchor UE can send a confirmation response. Effectively, in this case, the requesting UE3 may be configured to apply one or more of the above-described criteria.

[0142] Modifications and Alternatives The detailed embodiments have been described above. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the above embodiments can be subject to several modifications and alternatives while still obtaining the benefits from the disclosure embodied therein. By way of example, only some of these alternatives and modifications are described here.

[0143] The term positioning reference signal is used in this disclosure to refer to a reference signal transmitted by a network node and used to identify the position of the network node or another network node. The network node may be a base station (gNB) for Uu interface positioning, or a UE for Uu interface positioning or sidelink positioning. PRS and SRS are used as examples of such positioning reference signals. However, any other suitable signal may be used. In the case of sidelink (PC5), the positioning reference signal may be referred to as sidelink PRS (S-PRS) and sidelink SRS (S-SRS).

[0144] The term direct communication between UEs is used in this disclosure to refer to a scenario where two or more devices are connected and communicate directly with each other. An example of such direct communication is the sidelink in a 5G NR system, although other systems may use different terminology for the same purpose.

[0145] Various types of positioning information may include - 3D coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude, altitude in some cases, or Cartesian coordinate system x, y, z), and / or - distance and / or angle to an anchor node and may be included.

[0146] However, it will be understood that in some use cases, it may be sufficient for a vehicle (UE) to provide only the relative distance and angle to other vehicles / UEs / traffic participants.

[0147] It will be understood that the above "sidelink positioning" technology may be applicable to any of the services and use cases in the following groups 1) to 3). Group 1) Loose positioning requirements: - Traffic jam warning - Urban scenarios related to road warnings - Traffic jam warning - Rural scenarios related to road warnings - Traffic jam warning - Highway scenarios related to road warnings - Local scenario related to route information - Highway scenario related to route information - Software update - Conventional - Routine / emergency, autonomous - Routine - Software update - Autonomous - Emergency - Software update without infrastructure, from vehicle to factory - Remote automatic driving cancellation - HD content distribution - High - end service for automobiles - HD content distribution - Low - end service for automobiles - HD content distribution - Bus passenger service - Software update of reconfigurable wireless system - Patient transportation monitoring - Automatic valet parking (wake - up) Group 2) Lane - level positioning requirements: - Left - turn assist for intersecting traffic - Intersection movement assist - Emergency brake warning - Lane - change warning - Slow vehicle, leading vehicle (highway) - Lane - change warning - Slow vehicle, leading vehicle (urban area) - Lane - change warning - Non - permitted case (local area) - Vehicle health monitoring - Speed harmonization - See - through for path operation - Vision - restriction assist via CCTV - Vision - restriction assist via remote vehicle - Continuous traffic flow by green - signal adjustment - Collection of AV risks and road events by vehicles - Queue driving of vehicles in steady state - Cooperative lane merging - Report of release of motor vehicle - Accident report - Recognition confirmation - Cooperative and collaborative driving operations - Cooperative lane change - Cooperative and collaborative driving operations - Road closure - Bus lane sharing request - Withdrawal of bus lane sharing - Vehicle judgment assist - Short - time standby of RV, RV failure, bus standby - Vehicle judgment assist - Low - speed vehicles on the route Group 3) Positioning requirements below meter: - High - resolution sensor sharing - Weak road users - Recognition near potentially dangerous situations (in urban areas) - Weak road users - Collision risk warning - Real - time situation recognition and high - resolution map - Group start - Tele - Operated Driving (TOD) - TOD support - TOD for automatic parking - Cooperative operation of autonomous vehicles for emergencies - Collection and sharing of high - definition maps - Automatic intersection crossing - Infrastructure - assisted environment recognition - Data distribution regarding objects on the road - Infrastructure - assisted environment recognition - Individual data transmission in the form of trajectories or motion commands - Infrastructure - based tele - operated driving - Automatic valet parking - Mutual authentication and location proof - Cooperative, collaborative driving operation - Pedestrian crossing - Cooperative traffic gap - Cooperative lateral parking - Cooperative roadside zone management

[0148] It should be understood that the above - described embodiments may be applied to both 5G new radio systems and LTE systems (E - UTRAN). The above - described embodiments may also be applied to future systems (such as beyond 5G, 6G, etc.).

[0149] Next-generation mobile networks support diverse service requirements classified into three categories by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU): Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC). eMBB aims to provide enhanced support for traditional mobile broadband and focuses on services that require large guaranteed bandwidths, such as High Definition (HD) video, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR). URLLC is a requirement for critical applications such as autonomous driving and factory automation that require guaranteed access within an extremely short time. mMTC needs to support a huge number of connected devices, such as smart meters and environmental monitoring, but can usually tolerate a certain access delay. It will be understood that some of these applications may have relatively loose Quality of Service / Quality of Experience (QoS / QoE) requirements, while some applications may have relatively strict QoS / QoE requirements (e.g., high bandwidth and / or low latency). It will be understood that the positioning method described herein may be applicable to at least one of the above categories of UEs and / or at least one type of service.

[0150] In the above description, for ease of understanding, the UE, access network node (base station), and core network node have been described as having several individual modules (such as communication control modules). These modules may be provided as described above in certain applications where an existing system has been modified to implement the present disclosure, but in other applications, such as a system designed from the outset with the features of the present invention in mind, these modules may be incorporated into the overall operating system or code, and thus may not be distinguishable as individual entities. These modules may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0151] When a software module or program is loaded into a computer, it includes instructions (or software code) that cause the computer to execute one or more of the functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media or tangible storage media can include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or other types of memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc, or other types of optical disc storage devices, and magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage devices, or other types of magnetic storage devices. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media can include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0152] Each controller may comprise any suitable form of processing circuitry including, but not limited to, for example, one or more hardware-implemented computer processors, microprocessors, central processing unit (CPU), arithmetic logic unit (ALU), input / output (IO) circuitry, internal memory / cache (program and / or data), processing registers, communication buses (e.g., control bus, data bus, and / or address bus), direct memory access (DMA) functionality, hardware or software-implemented counters, pointers, and / or timers, etc.

[0153] In the above embodiments, some software modules have been described. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, software modules may be provided in compiled or uncompiled form, and may be supplied to the UE, access network node (base station), and core network node via a computer network or as a signal on a recording medium. Further, the functions implemented by some or all of this software may be executed using one or more dedicated hardware circuits. However, it is preferable to use software modules to facilitate the updates of the functions of the UE, access network node, and core network node.

[0154] The functions of a base station (referred to as a “distributed” base station or gNB) may be split between one or more distributed units (DUs) and a central unit (CU), where the CU typically performs high-level functions and communication with the next-generation core, and the DU performs low-level functions and communication via a radio interface with UEs in the vicinity (i.e., of the cell operated by the gNB). It will be understood that a distributed gNB includes the following functional units: gNB Central Unit (gNB-CU): A logical node that hosts the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer of the gNB (or the RRC layer and PDCP layer of the en-gNB) and controls the operation of one or more gNB-DUs. The gNB-CU terminates the so-called F1 interface connected to the gNB-DU. gNB Distributed Unit (gNB-DU): A logical node that hosts the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical (PHY) layer of the gNB or en-gNB, and whose operation is partially controlled by the gNB-CU. One gNB-DU supports one or more cells. One cell is supported by only one gNB-DU. The gNB-DU terminates the F1 interface connected to the gNB-CU. gNB-CU-Control Plane (gNB-CU-CP): A logical node that hosts the control plane part of the RRC and PDCP protocols of the gNB-CU for the en-gNB or gNB. The gNB-CU-CP terminates the so-called E1 interface connected to the gNB-CU-UP and the F1-C (F1 control plane) interface connected to the gNB-DU. gNB-CU-User Plane (gNB-CU-UP): A logical node that hosts the user plane part of the PDCP protocol of the gNB-CU for the en-gNB, and the user plane parts of the PDCP protocol and SDAP protocol of the gNB-CU for the gNB. The gNB-CU-UP terminates the E1 interface connected to the gNB-CU-CP and the F1-U (F1 user plane) interface connected to the gNB-DU.

[0155] When a distributed base station or a similar control plane - user plane (CP - UP) split is adopted, the base station may be split into separate control plane and user plane entities, each of which may include related transceiver circuits, antennas, network interfaces, controllers, memories, operating systems, and communication control modules. It will be understood that when the base station constitutes a distributed base station, the network interface (reference number 55 in FIG. 4) also includes an E1 interface and an F1 interface (F1 - C for the control plane and F1 - U for the user plane) for communicating signals between the respective functions of the distributed base station. In this case, the communication control module also plays the role of communication (generation, transmission, and reception of signaling messages) between the control plane part and the user plane part of the base station. When a distributed base station is used, as described in the above embodiments, it will be understood that for pre - emption of communication resources, it is not necessary to include both the control plane part and the user plane part. It will be understood that pre - emption may be processed by the user plane part of the base station without passing through the control plane part (or vice versa).

[0156] The above embodiments are also applicable to "non - mobile" or generally stationary user equipment. The above - mentioned mobile devices may include MTC / IoT devices and the like.

[0157] The user equipment (or "UE", "mobile station", "mobile device", or "wireless device") in the present disclosure is an entity connected to the network via a wireless interface.

[0158] It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to dedicated communication devices and can be applied to any device having a communication function as described in the following paragraphs.

[0159] The terms "user equipment" or "UE", "mobile station", "mobile device", and "radio device", which are terms used in 3GPP, are generally intended to be synonymous with each other and include stand-alone mobile stations such as terminals, cell phones, smartphones, tablets, cellular IoT devices, IoT devices, and machines. It will be understood that the terms "mobile station" and "mobile device" also include devices that have remained stationary for a long period of time.

[0160] A UE may be, for example, an item of equipment for production or manufacturing and / or an energy-related machine (e.g., a boiler; an engine; a turbine; a solar panel; a wind turbine; a hydroelectric generator; a thermal power generation device; a nuclear power generator; a battery; a nuclear system and / or related equipment; heavy electrical machinery; a pump including a vacuum pump; a compressor; a fan; a blower; hydraulic equipment; pneumatic equipment; metalworking machinery; a manipulator; a robot and / or its application system; a tool; a mold or die; a roll; a conveying device; a lifting device; a material handling device; a fiber machine; a sewing machine; a printing and / or related machine; a paper converting machine; a chemical machine; mining machinery and / or construction machinery and / or related equipment; machinery and / or appliances for agriculture, forestry, and / or fisheries; safety and / or environmental protection equipment; a tractor; a precision bearing; a chain; a gear; a power transmission device; a lubrication device; a valve; a pipe fitting; and / or an application system for any of the foregoing equipment or machinery, etc.).

[0161] A UE may be, for example, an item of transportation equipment (e.g., transportation equipment such as rolled materials; automobiles; motorcycles; bicycles; trains; buses; carts; human-powered vehicles; ships and other vessels; airplanes; rockets; satellites; drones; balloons, etc.).

[0162] A UE may be, for example, an item of information and communication equipment (e.g., information and communication equipment such as electronic computers and related equipment; communication and related equipment; electronic components, etc.).

[0163] The UE may be, for example, items of refrigeration machinery, refrigeration machinery application products, goods and / or service industry equipment, vending machines, automatic service machines, office machines or equipment, consumer electronics and electronic devices (for example, consumer electronics such as audio devices; video devices; speakers; radios; televisions; microwave ovens; rice cookers; coffee machines; dishwashers; washing machines; dryers; electric fans or related equipment; vacuum cleaners, etc.).

[0164] The UE may be, for example, an electrical application system or equipment (for example, an electrical application system or equipment such as an X-ray system; a particle accelerator; a radioisotope device; a sonic device; an electromagnetic application device; an electronic power application device, etc.).

[0165] The UE may be, for example, an electronic lamp, a lighting fixture, a measuring instrument, an analyzer, a tester, or a surveying or sensing device (for example, a surveying or sensing device such as a smoke detector, a human sensor, a motion sensor, a wireless tag, etc.), a wristwatch or clock, an inspection device, an optical device, a medical device and / or system, a weapon, an item of cutlery, a hand tool, etc.

[0166] The UE may be, for example, a mobile information terminal or related equipment of wireless equipment (for example, a wireless card or module designed to be attached to or inserted into another electronic device (for example, a personal computer, an electrical measuring instrument)). The UE may be part of a device or system that uses various wired and / or wireless communication technologies to provide applications, services, and solutions related to the "Internet of Things" (IoT) described later.

[0167] Internet of Things devices (or "things") may be equipped with appropriate electronic devices, software, sensors, network connectivity, etc. that enable these devices to collect and exchange data with each other and with other communication devices. IoT devices may include automated devices that follow software instructions stored in internal memory. IoT devices may operate without the need for human supervision or interaction. IoT devices may also remain stationary and / or inactive for long periods of time. IoT devices may be implemented as part of (generally) stationary devices. IoT devices may also be embedded in non-stationary devices (e.g., vehicles) or attached to animals or people being monitored / tracked.

[0168] It will be understood that IoT technology can be implemented in any communication device that can connect to a communication network and send / receive data, whether such communication device is controlled by human input or by software instructions stored in memory.

[0169] It will be understood that IoT devices are sometimes also referred to as Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices or Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication devices. It will be understood that a UE may support one or more IoT or MTC applications. Some examples of MTC applications are listed in the following table (Source: 3GPP TS 22.368 V13.1.0 (Non-Patent Document 9), Annex B, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference). This list is not exhaustive and is intended to show some examples of machine type communication applications.

Table 1

[0170] Applications, services, and solutions may include Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) services, emergency wireless communication systems, Private Branch eXchange (PBX) systems, PHS / digital cordless telecommunications systems, Point of sale (POS) systems, notification call systems, Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS), Vehicle to Everything (V2X) systems, train wireless systems, location-related services, disaster / emergency wireless communication services, community services, video streaming services, femtocell application services, Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, charging services, wireless on-demand services, roaming services, activity monitoring services, telecommunications carrier / communication NW selection services, function-limited services, Proof of Concept (PoC) services, personal information management services, ad hoc network / Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) services, and the like.

[0171] Furthermore, the UE categories described above are merely application examples of the technical ideas and embodiments described in this specification. Of course, these technical ideas and embodiments are not limited to the UEs described above, and various modifications are possible.

[0172] Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are not further detailed herein.

[0173] The foregoing description of the disclosed examples is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these examples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0174] This application claims the benefit of priority based on UK Patent Application No. 2206699.7 filed on May 6, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0175] All or part of the above embodiments may be described, but not limited to, as follows in the appended notes. (Appendix 1) A method performed by a network node, receiving, periodically or on demand, location information of a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) and selected as an anchor UE; receiving, periodically or on demand, assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the location of the anchor UE; using the location information and the assistance information in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE; and including. (Appendix 2) The assistance information is a time value associated with the location information, information identifying the speed of the anchor UE, information identifying the direction of travel of the UE, information regarding the relative speed of the UE, and information identifying the Doppler effect associated with a signal used in a procedure for determining the location of the target UE, The method according to Appendix 1, including at least one of. (Appendix 3) The time value associated with the location information indicates the time when the location information was obtained, or the time when the positioning reference signal or sounding reference signal associated with the location information was transmitted by the anchor UE using direct communication between UEs. The method according to Appendix 2. (Appendix 4) A method performed by a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) and selected as an anchor UE, Transmitting, to a network node, UE location information and assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the location of the UE, which is used by the network node in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE A method comprising the above (Appendix 5) The network node is a further UE, a base station, or a positioning function entity The method according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4 (Appendix 6) A method performed by a first UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), comprising Receiving, from a network node, information identifying continuous resources for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second UE Transmitting a positioning reference signal using the continuous resources A method comprising the above (Appendix 7) Transmission of the positioning reference signal is performed over the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between UEs The information indicating the continuous resources indicates a period for transmitting the positioning reference signal The method according to Appendix 6 (Appendix 8) Transmission of the positioning reference signal is performed over the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between UEs Transmission of the positioning reference signal is performed using a common part of the continuous resources and a predetermined resource pool for transmitting the positioning reference signal The method according to Appendix 6 (Appendix 9) Transmission of the positioning reference signal is performed over the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between UEs. The method comprises Selecting at least one specific resource from the continuous resources by performing spectrum sensing Comprising the above Transmission of the positioning reference signal is performed using at least one specific resource The method described in Supplementary Note 6. (Supplementary Note 10) The continuous resource indicates a resource pool, Transmitting the positioning reference signal is performed using at least one resource included in the resource pool, The method described in Supplementary Note 6. (Supplementary Note 11) The continuous resource is represented by bitmap information, The method described in any one of Supplementary Notes 6 to 10. (Supplementary Note 12) A method performed by a network node, Transmitting information for identifying continuous resources in at least one of the time domain and the frequency domain for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second user equipment (UE) to a first UE configured for direct communication between UEs, A method comprising the above. (Supplementary Note 13) A method performed by a user equipment (UE), Receiving first configuration information for direct communication between UEs, the first configuration information including information for identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC), and at least one guard symbol within a slot, Transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than at least one symbol based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information, A method comprising the above. (Supplementary Note 14) Receiving second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal, the second configuration information for identifying an offset in the number of symbols for determining a start symbol used for transmitting the positioning reference signal, Puncturing the positioning reference signal with at least one symbol, The method according to appendix 13, further comprising. (Appendix 15) Receiving second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal, the second configuration information identifying an offset for determining a start symbol used to transmit the positioning reference signal based on the maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH. The method according to appendix 13, further comprising. (Appendix 16) The offset is Equal to the minimum value equal to one plus the maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH, and Equal to the maximum value equal to subtracting the count of at least one symbol from the total number of symbols in the slot, The method according to appendix 15, selected from the range having. (Appendix 17) Receiving second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal via at least one specific symbol in a slot via Sidelink control information (SCI). The method according to appendix 13, further comprising. (Appendix 18) The positioning reference signal is an aperiodic positioning reference signal. The method according to appendix 17. (Appendix 19) A method performed by a network node, Transmitting first configuration information for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), the first configuration information including information identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and at least one guard symbol within a slot. Transmitting, to a UE, second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than at least one symbol A method comprising. (Appendix 20) A method performed by a network node for positioning of a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, comprising Performing phase measurement-based positioning Performing at least one other type of positioning Determining the position of the UE based on phase measurement-based positioning and at least one other type of positioning A method comprising. (Appendix 21) The at least one other type of positioning is Positioning based on the timing of a positioning reference signal Positioning based on the power of a positioning reference signal Positioning based on the transmission angle of a positioning reference signal, and Positioning based on the reception angle of a positioning reference signal The method according to Appendix 20, comprising one or more of. (Appendix 22) The phase measurement-based positioning and the at least one other type of positioning each use a respective positioning reference signal resource set The method according to Appendix 20 or 21. (Appendix 23) Each of the positioning reference signal resource sets is mutually exclusive The method according to Appendix 22. (Appendix 24) Each of the positioning reference signal resource sets at least partially overlaps The method according to Appendix 22. (Appendix 25) Performing measurement of the arrival time difference of positioning reference signals in an overlapping set Performing measurement of the phase of positioning reference signals within an overlapping set Further comprising The position of the UE is determined based on the time difference of arrival and phase of positioning reference signals within an overlapping set. The method according to Appendix 24. (Appendix 26) A method executed by a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), including receiving information identifying at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of positioning reference signals by the UE, wherein the period is defined at a symbol level or a slot level. The method. (Appendix 27) The information identifies at least one period based on a pattern. The method according to Appendix 26. (Appendix 28) At least one period associated with the UE is different from at least one further period associated with a further UE. The method according to Appendix 26 or 27. (Appendix 29) At least one period associated with the UE is based on a random pattern. The method according to Appendix 26. (Appendix 30) At least one period associated with the UE is applicable when transmissions by the serving base station or an adjacent base station are muted, and the method further includes transmitting a positioning reference signal in at least one period associated with the UE when transmissions by the serving base station or an adjacent base station are muted. The method according to any one of Appendices 26 to 29. (Appendix 31) The method further includes transmitting a positioning reference signal in at least one period associated with the UE regardless of whether transmissions by the serving base station are muted or transmissions by an adjacent base station are muted. The method according to any one of Appendices 26 to 29. (Appendix 32) A method performed by a network node, including transmitting information identifying at least one period associated with a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, for muting the transmission of positioning reference signals by the UE, wherein the period is defined at symbol level or slot level, the method. (Appendix 33) A method performed by a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), including performing a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs, transmitting to a network node the results of the plurality of measurements and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UE to which the results are related, receiving from the network node at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current location of the UE, the method. (Appendix 34) A method performed by a network node, receiving from a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) the results of a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UE to which the results are related, transmitting to the UE at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current location of the UE, the method. (Appendix 35) selecting one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current location of the UE based on at least one criterion, the method according to Appendix 34, further including. (Appendix 36) A method executed by a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, comprising: receiving, from an anchor UE, at least one of information indicating whether the position of the anchor UE is available and information indicating whether the anchor UE can be used for positioning; when the position of the anchor UE is available and the anchor UE can be used for positioning, sending a request to the anchor UE to determine the current position of the UE; A method comprising the above. (Appendix 37) receiving, from each of a plurality of anchor UEs, respective information indicating whether the position of one of the plurality of anchor UEs is available; selecting, based on at least one criterion, one or more of the plurality of anchor UEs to determine the current position of the UE; The method according to Appendix 36, further comprising the above. (Appendix 38) The at least one criterion includes a position availability criterion, a speed criterion, a received signal power criterion, and a received signal quality criterion, The method according to Appendix 35 or 37, including one or more of the above. (Appendix 39) The network node is a base station, The method according to any one of Appendices 12, 19 to 25, and 32 to 35. (Appendix 40) The network node is a UE, The method according to any one of Appendices 20 to 25. (Appendix 41) The network node is a positioning function entity, The method according to any one of Appendices 32 to 35. (Appendix 42) Means for receiving, periodically or on demand, the location information of a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) and selected as an anchor UE, Means for receiving, periodically or on demand, assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the location of the anchor UE, Means for using the location information and the assistance information in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE, A network node comprising the above. (Appendix 43) A UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) and selected as an anchor UE, Means for transmitting to a network node the location information of the UE and assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the location of the UE, which are used by the network node in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE, A UE comprising the above. (Appendix 44) A first UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), Means for receiving from a network node information for identifying continuous resources for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second UE, Means for transmitting a positioning reference signal using the continuous resources, A first UE comprising the above. (Appendix 45) Means for transmitting to a first UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) information for identifying continuous resources in at least one of a time domain and a frequency domain for transmitting a positioning reference signal for a second UE, A network node comprising the above. (Appendix 46) Means for receiving first configuration information for direct communication between UEs, the first configuration information including information for identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC), and at least one guard symbol within a slot. Means for transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than at least one symbol based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information. A user equipment (UE) comprising the above. (Appendix 47) Means for transmitting configuration information which is first configuration information for direct communication between user equipment (UEs), the configuration information including information for identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and at least one guard symbol within a slot. Means for transmitting second configuration information for transmitting a positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than at least one symbol to the UE. A network node comprising the above. (Appendix 48) A network node for positioning of a UE configured for direct communication between user equipment (UEs), Means for performing phase measurement-based positioning. Means for performing at least one other type of positioning. Means for determining the position of the UE based on phase measurement-based positioning and at least one other type of positioning. A network node comprising the above. (Appendix 49) A user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), comprising means for receiving information identifying at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of positioning reference signals by the UE, wherein the period is defined at symbol level or slot level, User equipment (UE). (Appendix 50) A UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs) comprises means for transmitting information identifying at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of positioning reference signals by the UE, wherein the period is defined at symbol level or slot level, Network node. (Appendix 51) A user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), comprising means for performing a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs, means for transmitting to a network node each of the results of the plurality of measurements and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UE to which the result is related, means for receiving from the network node at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE, UE comprising the same. (Appendix 52) A network node comprising means for receiving the results of a plurality of measurements from a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UE to which the result is related, means for transmitting to the UE at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE, Network node comprising the same. (Appendix 53) A UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), means for receiving at least one of information indicating whether the position of the anchor UE is available and information indicating whether the anchor UE can be used for positioning from the anchor UE; means for transmitting a request for determining the current position of the UE to the anchor UE when the position of the anchor UE is available and the anchor UE can be used for positioning; A UE comprising the above.

Explanation of Signs

[0176] 1 Telecommunication system 3, 3A, 3B Mobile device, UE 5 Base station, (R)AN node 7 Core network 10 Control Plane Function (CPF) 11 User Plane Function (UPF) 12 Location Management Function (LMF) 20 Data network 31 Transceiver circuit 33 Antenna 35 User interface 37 Controller 39 Memory 41 Operating system 43 Communication control module 45 Direct communication module 47 Positioning module 51 Transceiver circuit 53 Antenna 55 Network interface 57 Controller 59 Memory 61 Operating system 63 Communication control module 71 Transceiver circuit 75 Network interface 77 Controller 79 Memory 81 Operating system 83 Communication control module 87 Location management module

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs, comprising: receiving, from a network node, information for determining a resource for transmitting a positioning reference signal for another UE; transmitting the positioning reference signal using the resource determined based on using the information; A method comprising the above.

2. The information includes first configuration information for identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC), and at least one guard symbol within a slot; The transmitting is performed by transmitting the positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than the at least one symbol based on the information. The method according to claim 1.

3. receiving second configuration information for identifying an offset in the number of symbols for determining a start symbol used for transmitting the positioning reference signal; punching the positioning reference signal with the at least one symbol; The method according to claim 2, further comprising the above.

4. receiving second configuration information for identifying an offset for determining a start symbol used for transmitting the positioning reference signal based on a maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH; The method according to claim 2, further comprising the above.

5. The offset is equal to a minimum value equal to adding 1 to the maximum number of symbols of the PSCCH, equal to a maximum value equal to subtracting a count of at least one symbol from the total number of symbols in the slot; The method according to claim 4, wherein the offset is selected from a range having the above.

6. further comprising receiving, via sidelink control information (SCI), second configuration information for transmitting the positioning reference signal via at least one specific symbol in the slot; The positioning reference signal is an aperiodic positioning reference signal. The method according to claim 2.

7. The information identifies the continuous resources for transmitting the positioning reference signal for the other UE. The method according to claim 1.

8. The continuous resources indicate at least a part of a resource pool. Transmitting the positioning reference signal is performed using at least the part of the resource pool. The method according to claim 7.

9. Transmitting the positioning reference signal is performed across the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between the UEs. The information indicates a period for transmitting the positioning reference signal. The method according to claim 7.

10. Transmitting the positioning reference signal is performed across the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between the UEs. Transmitting the positioning reference signal is performed using a common part of the continuous resources and a specific resource pool for transmitting the positioning reference signal. The method according to claim 7.

11. Transmitting the positioning reference signal is performed across the entire configured bandwidth used for direct communication between the UEs. The method includes selecting at least one specific resource from the continuous resources by performing spectrum sensing. Transmitting the positioning reference signal is performed using the at least one specific resource. The method according to claim 7.

12. The continuous resources are represented by bitmap information. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

13. The information identifies at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of the positioning reference signal by the UE. The period is defined at the symbol level or the slot level. The method according to claim 1.

14. The information identifies the at least one period based on a pattern. The method according to claim 13.

15. The at least one period is different from at least one further period associated with the other UE. The method according to claim 13 or 14.

16. The at least one period is based on a random pattern. The method according to claim 13.

17. The at least one period is applicable when transmissions by serving or neighboring network nodes are muted. Sending is performed by sending the positioning reference signal within the at least one period when transmission by the serving or adjacent network node is muted. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16.

18. Sending is performed by sending the positioning reference signal within the at least one period regardless of whether transmission by the serving or adjacent network node is muted. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16.

19. A method performed by an anchor UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), comprising: transmitting, to the network node, position information of the anchor UE and assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the position of the anchor UE, which is used by the network node in a procedure for determining the position of a target UE. A method comprising the above.

20. The network node is a further UE, a base station, or a positioning function entity. The method according to claim 19.

21. A method performed by a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), comprising: performing a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs; transmitting, to the network node, the results of the plurality of measurements and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UEs to which the results are related; receiving, from the network node, at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE. A method comprising the above.

22. A method performed by a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), comprising: receiving, from an anchor UE, at least one of information indicating whether the position of the anchor UE is available and information indicating whether the anchor UE can be used for positioning; transmitting, to the anchor UE, a request for determining the current position of the UE when the position of the anchor UE is available and the anchor UE can be used for positioning. A method comprising the above.

23. receiving, from each of the plurality of anchor UEs, respective information indicating whether the position of one of the plurality of anchor UEs is available; selecting, based on at least one criterion, one or more of the plurality of anchor UEs to determine the current position of the UE; The method according to claim 22, further comprising.

24. The at least one criterion is a location availability criterion, a speed criterion, a received signal power criterion, and a received signal quality criterion, The method according to claim 23, comprising one or more of.

25. The network node is a base station, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. The network node is the UE, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

27. The network node is a positioning function entity, The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24.

28. A method performed by a network node, comprising: transmitting, to a UE configured for direct communication between user equipment (UEs), information used by the UE to determine resources for transmitting a positioning reference signal for another UE; The method comprising.

29. The information includes first configuration information identifying at least one symbol for one or more of a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH), at least one automatic gain control (AGC) symbol, and at least one guard symbol within a slot, transmitting, to the UE, second configuration information for transmitting the positioning reference signal using one or more other symbols other than the at least one symbol; The method according to claim 28, comprising.

30. The information identifies the continuous resources for transmitting the positioning reference signal for the other UE, The method according to claim 28.

31. The information identifies at least one period associated with the UE for muting the transmission of the positioning reference signal by the UE, The period is defined at a symbol level or a slot level, The method according to claim 28.

32. A method performed by a network node, comprising: receiving location information of an anchor UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs); receiving assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the location of the anchor UE; using the location information and the assistance information in a procedure for determining the location of a target UE involved in the direct communication between the UE and the anchor UE; A method comprising the above.

33. The assistance information includes: a time value associated with the location information; information identifying the speed of the anchor UE; information identifying the direction of travel of the UE; information regarding the relative speed of the UE; and information identifying the Doppler effect associated with a signal used in the procedure for determining the location of the target UE, The method according to claim 32, including at least one of the above.

34. The time value associated with the location information indicates the time when the location information was obtained, or the time when a positioning reference signal or sounding reference signal associated with the location information was transmitted by the anchor UE using direct communication between UEs. The method according to claim 33.

35. The network node is a further UE, a base station, or a positioning function entity. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 34.

36. A method performed by a network node, comprising: receiving the results of a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs from a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UEs to which the results of the plurality of measurements are related; transmitting to the UE at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current location of the UE; A method comprising the above.

37. Further comprising selecting one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current location of the UE based on at least one criterion. The method according to claim 36, further including the above.

38. A method performed by a network node, comprising: performing phase measurement based positioning. performing at least one other type of positioning; determining the position of a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs based on the phase measurement-based positioning and the at least one other type of positioning; A method comprising the above. **Claim 39** The at least one other type of positioning is positioning based on the timing of a positioning reference signal, positioning based on the power of a positioning reference signal, positioning based on the transmission angle of a positioning reference signal, and positioning based on the reception angle of a positioning reference signal, The method according to claim 38, comprising one or more of the above. **Claim 40** The phase measurement-based positioning and the at least one other type of positioning each use a respective positioning reference signal resource set, The method according to claim 38 or 39. **Claim 41** Each of the positioning reference signal resource sets is exclusive of each other, The method according to claim 40. **Claim 42** Each of the positioning reference signal resource sets at least partially overlaps, The method according to claim 40. **Claim 43** performing measurement of the time difference of arrival of positioning reference signals in an overlapping set; performing measurement of the phase of the positioning reference signals within the overlapping set; further comprising The position of the UE is determined based on the time difference of arrival and the phase of the positioning reference signals within the overlapping set, The method according to claim 42. **Claim 44** A UE configured for direct communication between user equipment (UEs), comprising means for receiving, from a network node, information for determining a resource for transmitting a positioning reference signal for another UE; means for transmitting the positioning reference signal using the resource determined based on using the information; A UE comprising the above. **Claim 45** An anchor UE configured for direct communication between user equipment (UEs), comprising means for transmitting, to the network node, the position information of the anchor UE and assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the position of the anchor UE, which is used by the network node in a procedure for determining the position of a target UE; An anchor UE comprising the above. **Claim 46** A UE configured for direct communication between user equipment (UEs), comprising means for performing a plurality of measurements based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs; means for transmitting to a network node each of the results of the plurality of measurements and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UEs to which the results are related; means for receiving from the network node at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE; A UE comprising the above.

47. A UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), means for receiving from an anchor UE at least one of information indicating whether the position of the anchor UE is available and information indicating whether the anchor UE can be used for positioning; means for transmitting a request to the anchor UE to determine the current position of the UE when the position of the anchor UE is available and the anchor UE can be used for positioning; A UE comprising the above.

48. means for transmitting, to a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), information used by the UE to determine resources for transmitting positioning reference signals for another UE; A network node comprising the above.

49. means for receiving position information of an anchor UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs); means for receiving assistance information indicating at least one characteristic regarding a change in the position of the anchor UE; means for using the position information and the assistance information in a procedure for determining the position of a target UE involved in the direct communication between the UE and the anchor UE A network node comprising the above.

50. means for receiving the results of the plurality of measurements from a UE configured for direct communication between user equipments (UEs), based on each of the positioning reference signals transmitted by a plurality of anchor UEs and each of the identifiers associated with the anchor UEs to which the results of the plurality of measurements are related; means for transmitting to the UE at least one of each of the identifiers indicating one or more anchor UEs used to determine the current position of the UE; A network node comprising the above.

51. means for performing phase measurement-based positioning; means for performing at least one other type of positioning; means for determining the position of a user equipment (UE) configured for direct communication between UEs based on the phase measurement-based positioning and the at least one other type of positioning; A network node comprising the above.

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