Group positioning in a telecommunications system

Abstract

According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus configured to cause a first user equipment to store information defining a group of user equipments, the first user equipment being included in the group, and to associate at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipments of the group, or receive from a cellular communication network an association with at least one positioning reference unit of the user equipments of the group, such that each user equipment of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the positioning of mobile nodes in a wireless communication network.

Background Art

[0002] Positioning of a user equipment (UE) in a cellular network involves deriving an estimate of the current location of the user equipment. Various mechanisms are used in the cellular network (NW) to derive the estimate of the current location. For example, the estimate may be derived from the time difference of received information and / or may be assisted by a detectable proximity network such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) hotspot.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to some aspects, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Some exemplary embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The scope of protection sought in the various embodiments of the invention is presented by the independent claims. Embodiments, examples, and features described herein that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims, if any, should be construed as useful examples for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus, using the at least one processing core, to at least store, in a first user device, information defining a group of user devices, the first user device being included in the group; and associate at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group, or receive, from a cellular communication network, an association of at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group, such that each user device of the group is associated with the at least one positioning reference unit.

[0005] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus, using the at least one processing core, to at least store, in a cellular core network node, information defining a group of user devices, the first user device being included in the group; store information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group such that each user device of the group is associated with the at least one positioning reference unit; and determine the position of at least one user device within the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user devices within the group.

[0006] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the at least one processing core to control at least one cellular cell as a base station in the apparatus, receive a list of user equipment included in a group, wherein not all of the user equipment in the group are within at least one cellular cell controlled by the base station, generate a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group, and provide the transmission schedule to at least one user equipment in the group, or receive the transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group from a first user equipment among the user equipment in the group.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method including storing, in a first user equipment, information defining a group of user equipment, wherein the first user equipment is included in the group, and associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group such that each user equipment in the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit, or receiving, from a cellular communication network, an association of at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method including: storing, in a cellular core network node, information defining a group of user equipment, where a first user equipment is included in the group; storing information associating at least one positioning reference unit with user equipment of the group such that each user equipment of the group is associated with one positioning reference unit; and determining a position of at least one user equipment in the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user equipment in the group.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method including: controlling at least one cellular cell as a base station; receiving a list of user equipment included in a group, where not all of the user equipment in the group are within at least one cellular cell controlled by the base station; generating a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group and providing the transmission schedule to at least one user equipment in the group, or receiving, from a first user equipment among the user equipment in the group, the transmission schedule for the time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus including: means for storing, in a first user equipment, information defining a group of user equipment, where the first user equipment is included in the group; and means for associating at least one positioning reference unit with user equipment of the group such that each user equipment of the group is associated with one positioning reference unit, or means for receiving, from a cellular communication network, an association between at least one positioning reference unit and user equipment of the group.

[0011] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least store, in a first user device, information defining a group of user devices, wherein the first user device is included in the group; and associate at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group or receive, from a cellular communication network, an association of at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group, such that each user device of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit.

[0012] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least store, in a cellular core network node, information defining a group of user devices, wherein a first user device is included in the group; store information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group such that each user device of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit; and determine the position of at least one user device within the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user devices within the group. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]

Figure 1

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Figure 5

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Disclosed herein is a positioning mechanism for positioning a group of user equipment (UE) by associating the group of UEs with one or more positioning reference units (PRUs). The number of PRUs is less than the number of UEs, and the UEs in the group share the PRUs and each UE does not have a unique PRU. The group of UEs is geographically restricted such that the position of a single PRU characterizes the positions of all UEs within the group. The physical dimensions and size of the group may dynamically depend on the surrounding situation. In other words, the UEs in the group are close to each other. Further, a time-multiplexed transmission schedule for positioning reference signals such as uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals may be assigned to the UEs in the group, whereby the UEs in the group transmit these signals sequentially in a controlled manner and two UEs in the group do not transmit simultaneously. These features of the disclosed method result in the advantages and technical effects of being used in an optimized manner of resources, which is difficult to achieve using conventional positioning procedures, and the proposed local adjustment by leveraging sidelink brings an additional advantage of offloading the signaling overhead. Generally, the number of UEs in the group may be more than the number of positioning reference units associated with the UEs in the group.

[0015] Figure 1 shows an exemplary system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. The cellular communication system includes a radio access network and a cellular core network 130. The radio access network includes at least one base station 120, which may include hundreds of base stations, or even thousands of base stations. The base station may be configured to control at least one cell each. Examples of cellular communication systems include fifth generation (5G) systems, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) systems, and long term evolution (LTE) systems.

[0016] The user equipment (UE) 112 is communicatively coupled to the base station 120 via a wireless link 121, and the wireless link 121 complies with the same communication standard as the UE 112 and the base station 120 to achieve interoperability. The UEs 112, 114, 116 may be, if applicable, smartphones, cellular phones, tablets, laptop or desktop computers, or may include, for example, a connected vehicle communication module. Generally, the UE may be a mobile device such as a personal media device, or may be fixedly installed, for example, if the UE is a smart meter ring device installed to read and provide backend server information regarding water or electricity usage. An external network 140 such as the Internet may be accessed via the core NW 130.

[0017] In FIG. 1, a group 160 of UEs 112, 114, 116 is defined, whereby the UEs of the group are in close proximity to each other. Being in close proximity to each other can mean, for example, that they are within the sounding distance range of the leading UE 112 and can communicate with the leading UE without using a base station such as base station 120 or a relay device. The sounding distance means the distance at which the leading UE 112 can detect other UEs and can at least partially determine the direction and distance to these other UEs. The leading UE 112 can be configured to define the group 160 by selecting which UEs to include in the group and which UEs to exclude from the group. Generally, not all of the UEs 112, 114, 116 of the group 160 need to have the same serving base station 120.

[0018] The positioning reference unit (PRU) 150 is a device with a known position. This may include that the PRU is fixed at a specific position that does not change, or that the PRU has advanced positioning capabilities, such as for example an interface to a multi-constellation satellite positioning or airspace control system. The PRU may have at least an appropriate subset of UE capabilities, and in particular, the PRU may have positioning-related UE capabilities. For example, the PRU may be able to send its own position to the core NW 130. The PRU may be able to transmit and / or receive electromagnetic pulses useful for estimating the distance of a UE from the PRU. These pulses may be included in sidelink (SL: sidelink) communication between the PRU and the UEs of group 160. Sidelink means device-to-device communication such as UE-to-UE communication that does not pass through a base station device, where one device transmits electromagnetic energy and that electromagnetic energy is received by a receiver included in the receiving device. In other words, the communication is performed directly without passing through any other node such as a base station or a repeater. The PRU provides positioning measurement values such as reference signal time difference (RSTD), reference signal received power (RSRP), and / or receive-transmit (Rx-Tx) time difference, and may be configured to transmit an uplink (UL) sounding reference signal (SRS) for positioning, depending on the embodiment. As a practical matter, an example of a PRU is a device fixedly installed at a known position (having known {X, Y, Z} coordinates), such as a lamppost, and performs positioning measurements and estimates its position in the same way that nearby UEs perform measurements and estimate their positions. The result of the comparison between the estimated position of the PRU and the (known) true position is used at nearby UEs to refine the UE's own position estimate. In some cases, the PRU may be a UE with reliable positioning capabilities. However, the PRU is not necessarily one of the UEs within the group of UEs, although it may be if the PRU is a UE.

[0019] Essentially, the leading UE 112 defines the group 160 by selecting the UEs 112, 114, 116 to be included in the group 160 and associates the PRU 150 with each of the UEs within the group. FIG. 1 shows the case where all UEs within the group are associated with the same PRU 150, but the leading UE 112 may alternatively associate some of the UEs of the group with different PRUs. However, generally, the number of PRUs is less than the number of UEs within the group, and thus, not all UEs of the group will be associated with different PRUs. The associated PRUs are used for UL and / or SL positioning. Generally, UEs that are close to each other are expected to share similar radio conditions, so the group 160 of target UEs 112, 114, 116 that are physically close to each other can benefit from the same PRU to improve their positioning accuracy. In addition, the group 160 of UEs may benefit from multiplexed positioning reference signals such as UL SRS and / or SL PRS transmissions respectively for the purposes of UL and SL positioning, which provides the advantage of enhanced positioning latency. In some embodiments, the group 160 is divided into subgroups, with each subgroup associated with a separate PRU. The subgroups may be defined, for example, based on the similarity of UE movement states within the entire group 160. Once the association is made, the leading UE 112 may notify the member UEs of either the association of all of the member UEs or only each UE of its particular associated PRU. The leading UE 112 may execute this notification using, for example, SL communication within the group. In one embodiment, the leading UE 112 transmits an SL broadcast message regarding the PRU association to the associated group member UEs, enabling the group member UEs to perform SL positioning using their associated PRUs respectively.

[0020] Instead of the leading UE 112 associating the PRU with the UEs in the group, if the leading UE 112 provides the information defining the group to the core NW node, a core NW 130 node such as a location management function (LMF) may perform this association. The information provided to the core NW node may include, for example, the relative position or relative movement state information of the UEs determined by the leading UE 112 through electromagnetic sounding. The core NW node may then provide the association of the PRU to the UEs to the leading UE, and the leading UE may notify each UE in the group of all the associations or only the associations regarding the target UEs. The communication between the leading UE 112 and a core NW node such as the LMF regarding the association of the UEs with the PRU may be performed, for example, using long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) signaling. This applies regardless of whether it is the leading UE 112 or the LMF that performs the association. Instead of notifying only the leading UE 112, the LMF may individually send LPP messages regarding the PRU association to the associated group member UEs. Additionally or alternatively, the LMF and one or more base stations may use NRPPa and radio resource control (RRC) signaling to broadcast the association (mapping) between the PRU identity and the group member UE identity in the downlink direction to the UE group 160. As an alternative, the LMF and the base station may first send the information regarding the association to the PRU ID of the group member to the leading UE 112, and then the leading UE 112 may broadcast this information to the member UEs of the group 160 via SL.

[0021] Once the association of the UEs in the group 160 with the PRU is completed and the UE recognizes which PRU it is associated with, the UE may perform SL positioning using the associated PRU.

[0022] The lead UE 112 may define a group by first selecting the effective size of the physical dimensions of the group, i.e., the length or radius of the group, and then selecting the UEs within this selected length range of the group to be included in the group. The effective physical dimensions may be selected based on at least one of the radio coherence level, positioning integrity, and quality of service requirement. Typically, the richer the scattered radio propagation environment, the smaller the coherent radio space, and thus the smaller the group effective size. The radio coherence depends on the radio characteristics of the environment and the mobility of the lead UE 112. Generally, the effective physical dimensions may be selected based on the mobility conditions of the UEs. When the mobility of the UEs is high, only the UEs moving in a similar manner to the lead UE 112 may be included in the group. This is because otherwise the group will be scattered and will not be useful for enhancing positioning. An example of UEs moving together is UEs on the same moving vehicle as the lead UE 112. Typically, the larger the effective size of the group, the lower the accuracy of the obtained position estimation (i.e., the greater the difference in position estimation). As a result, when the quality of service requirement is used to select the group, the lead UE 112 obtains the integrity requirement and converts the integrity requirement into an acceptable effective size for the group that meets such a requirement. In other words, when the required positioning accuracy is high, the size of the group must be smaller to meet the quality requirement. The group size determination may be triggered, for example, by the lead UE 112 itself, another UE within the group, or a core NW130 node such as the LMF. When the movement state of the lead UE 112 or another UE changes, the group 160 is likely to need to be redefined to avoid a decrease in positioning accuracy.

[0023] Once group 160 is defined, the lead UE 112 may generate a time-division multiplexed transmission schedule for the positioning reference signals of UEs 112, 114, 116 within the group, such as the transmission schedule of time-division multiplexed uplink (UL) sounding reference signals (SRS) and / or sidelink (SL) positioning reference signals (PRS). The lead UE 112 may notify the network and the member UEs of group 160 of the defined time-division multiplexed transmission schedule. Such a time-division multiplexed transmission schedule means a transmission schedule in which each UE of the group has a transmission slot for transmitting its positioning reference signal such as UL SRS and / or SL PRS, and the transmission slots of the UEs of the group do not overlap so that collisions are avoided using the time-division multiplexed transmission schedule. For example, the member UEs may transmit UL SRS in a round-robin manner continuously in the time domain according to the time-division multiplexed transmission schedule. In one embodiment, the set of UEs multiplexing the above SRS configuration corresponds to the set of UEs sharing the same PRU within group 160. In another embodiment, the set of UEs multiplexing the SRS configuration shares different PRUs.

[0024] Instead of the lead UE 112 determining this time-division multiplexed transmission schedule, a base station such as base station 120 serving the lead UE 112 may determine the schedule and provide it to the UEs of the group individually, by groupcast, or provide it to the lead UE 112, which then diffuses the time-division multiplexed transmission schedule to the other UEs of the group, for example using sidelink communication.

[0025] Once the time-division multiplexed transmission schedule is defined and provided to the member UEs of group 160, the LMF or another core NW 130 node may configure the same set of base station transmit / receive points (TRPs) to receive the configured UL SRS transmissions. These base stations may be, for example, gNB nodes within a 5th generation radio access network.

[0026] The mechanisms disclosed in this specification clearly improve latency and resource efficiency for UL positioning when compared with prior positioning methods in a variety of ways. First, in prior systems, when different UEs are served by different base stations, or when some of the UEs are outside network coverage, the SRS transmission schedule may be signaled in a one-to-one manner by multiple base stations serving or reaching different UEs, resulting in a large amount of signaling and associated latency. Second, multiple base stations cannot easily multiplex different SRS configurations belonging to different UEs in a desired manner. This is because prior systems do not have a positioning mechanism that allows such coordination across multiple base stations, such as gNBs, for SRS configurations. Third, even when served and configured by the same base station, prior mechanisms require one-to-one signaling between the network and a group of UEs to transmit assistance data, thus resulting in more signaling and higher resource consumption than, for example, when the lead UE 112 is used to disseminate association information and time-division multiplexing transmission schedules via sidelink.

[0027] Figure 2 shows an exemplary system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. Similar numbers refer to elements similar to those in FIG. 1. The situation in FIG. 2 is different from that in FIG. 1 in that UE 114 of group 160 is not associated with the same PRU 150 as the other two UEs 112, 114. Rather, UE 114 is associated with PRU 152, which need not be of the same type as PRU 150. This association can be the result of a determination at the lead UE 112 or the core NW node that, among the UEs in group 160, UE 114 is closer to PRU 152 than to PRU 150, and UEs 112 and 116 are closer to PRU 150, regardless of whether it is the lead UE 112 or the core NW node that performs the association. Generally, the present disclosure is in no way limited to a numerical example where the group should specifically include three UEs. Also, although FIGS. 1 and 2 show PRUs 150, 152 within the circle representing group 160, in principle, the PRUs need not be within the range of the geographical restrictions defined for the UEs within the group; rather, they may be slightly outside the restrictions. The UEs included in the group are as defined in the information that defines the list of UE identities included in the group. The PRUs are not included in this list, except in the specific case where one of the PRUs is incidentally associated with one of the UEs of the group.

[0028] Figure 3 shows an exemplary apparatus that can support at least some embodiments of the present invention. A device 300 is shown, and the device 300 may include, for example, a mobile communication device such as the UE 112 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, or, in an applicable part, a device that operates a core network node such as a base station or an LMF. Included in the device 300 is a processor 310, and the processor 310 may include, for example, a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. A single-core processor includes one processing core, and a multi-core processor includes a plurality of processing cores. The processor 310 may generally include a control device. The processor 310 may include a plurality of processor units. The processor 310 may be a control device. The processing core may include, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core manufactured by ARM Holdings or a Zen processing core designed by Advanced Micro Devices Corporation. The processor 310 may include at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon and / or Intel Atom processor. The processor 310 may include at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor 310 may include at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor 310 may be, for example, means for performing method steps such as storing, associating, receiving, notifying, generating, selecting, determining, and controlling in the device 300. The processor 310 may be configured to perform actions, at least in part, by computer instructions.

[0029] The processor may include circuitry or may be configured as one or more circuits, and the one or more circuits are configured to perform the steps of the method in accordance with the embodiments described herein. The term "circuitry" as used in this application refers to (a) a hardware-only circuit implementation, such as an implementation with only analog and / or digital circuitry, and (b) where applicable, (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory that work together to cause a device such as a user equipment or a server to perform various functions, a combination of hardware circuitry and software, and (c) a hardware circuit, and / or software (e.g., firmware) required for operation, where the software may not be present if not required for operation, one or more, or all, of a processor such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor.

[0030] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, the term "circuitry" as used herein may also include just a hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term "circuitry" includes, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit within a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device, when applicable to an element of a particular claim.

[0031] Device 300 may include a memory 320. The memory 320 may include a random access memory and / or a permanent memory. The memory 320 may include at least one RAM chip. The memory 320 may include, for example, a solid state memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, and / or a holographic memory. The memory 320 may be at least partially accessible to the processor 310. The memory 320 may be at least partially included in the processor 310. The memory 320 may be a means for storing information. The memory 320 may include computer instructions configured to be executed by the processor 310. When computer instructions configured to cause an action in the processor 310 are stored in the memory 320 and the entire device 300 is configured to operate under the instruction of the processor 310 using the computer instructions from the memory 320, the processor 310 and / or at least one of its processing cores may be considered to be configured to execute the above-mentioned action. The memory 320 may be at least partially included in the processor 310. The memory 320 may be at least partially external to the device 300 but may be accessible to the device 300.

[0032] Device 300 may include a transmitter 330. Device 300 may include a receiver 340. The transmitter 330 and the receiver 340 may be configured to transmit and receive information respectively according to at least one cellular standard or non-cellular standard. The transmitter 330 may include a plurality of transmitters. The receiver 340 may include a plurality of receivers. The transmitter 330 and / or the receiver 340 may be configured to operate according to, for example, the standards of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), 5G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), IS-95, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Ethernet, and / or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

[0033] Device 300 may include a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver 350. The NFC transceiver 350 may support at least one NFC technology such as NFC, Bluetooth, Wibree, or similar technologies.

[0034] Device 300 may include a user interface (UI) 360. The UI 360 may include at least one of a display, a keyboard, a touch screen, a vibrator configured to send a signal to the user by vibrating device 300, a speaker, and a microphone. The user may operate device 300 via the UI 360, for example, to receive an incoming call, to initiate a phone or video call, to browse the Internet, to manage digital files stored in memory 320 or stored on the cloud accessible via transmitter 330 and receiver 340 or via NFC transceiver 350, and / or to play games.

[0035] Device 300 may include a user identity module 370 or may be configured to accept a user identity module 370. The user identity module 370 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card installable in device 300. The user identity module 370 may include information identifying the subscription of the user of device 300. The user identity module 370 may include cryptographic information useful for verifying the identity of the user of device 300 and / or for facilitating encryption of information communicated and charging the user of device 300 for communications made by device 300.

[0036] Processor 310 may include a transmitter configured to output information to other devices included in device 300 via electrical leads within device 300 from processor 310. Such a transmitter may include, for example, a serial bus transmitter configured to output information to memory 320 via at least one electrical lead for storage within memory 320. Instead of a serial bus, the transmitter may include a parallel bus transmitter. Similarly, processor 310 may include a receiver configured to receive information within processor 310 from other devices included in device 300 via electrical leads within device 300. Such a receiver may include, for example, a serial bus receiver configured to receive information from receiver 340 via at least one electrical lead for processing in processor 310. Instead of a serial bus, the receiver may include a parallel bus receiver.

[0037] Device 300 may include additional devices not shown in FIG. 3. For example, if device 300 includes a smartphone, it may include at least one digital camera. Some device 300 may include a rear camera and a front camera, where the rear camera may be for digital photography and the front camera may be for videophone. Device 300 may include a fingerprint sensor configured to at least partially authenticate a user of device 300. In some embodiments, device 300 may lack at least one of the above-described devices. For example, some device 300 may lack NFC transceiver 350 and / or user identity module 370.

[0038] The processor 310, memory 320, transmitter 330, receiver 340, NFC transceiver 350, UI 360, and / or user identity module 370 can be interconnected by electrical leads inside the device 300 in a number of different ways. For example, each of the devices described above may be separately connected to a master bus inside the device 300 to enable the device to exchange information. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, this is merely an example, and various ways of interconnecting at least two of the devices described above may be selected without departing from the scope of the present invention, depending on the exemplary embodiment.

[0039] Figure 4 shows signaling according to at least some exemplary embodiments of the present invention. On the vertical axis, from left to right, the leads UE112, UE114, UE116, and PRU150 of FIG. 1, and to the right, the network NW including the radio access NW and the core NW are arranged. Time progresses from top to bottom. The figure shows two alternative processes, a first alternative process including steps 410 to 450 and a second alternative process including steps 410 and steps 460 to 4100. Step 4110 is the common end point of both alternative processes.

[0040] In the initial step 410, SL measurements are performed. These measurements may include ranging and / or positioning and may lead to the lead UE112 having knowledge of nearby UEs.

[0041] Step 420 includes the NW providing a UL SRS / SL PRS pre-configuration to the lead UE112. In step 430, the lead UE112 determines a positioning group (group 160 in FIGS. 1 and 2), for example, based on first selecting the geographical size of the group, and, as described above herein, the lead UE associates a PRU with each UE in the group. The lead UE112 may also define a time-division multiplexed transmission schedule for positioning reference signals such as UL SRS and / or SL PRS for the UEs that are members of the group.

[0042] In step 440, the leading UE 112 notifies the group members and, optionally, the associated PRUs of the association between the UE and the PRU. If the leading UE 112 defines a time-division multiplexed transmission schedule for the positioning reference signals for the group members, these are also notified to the member UEs and, optionally, the associated PRUs. For example, the notification in step 440 may be performed via SL signaling. In step 450, the leading UE 112 notifies a network such as the LMF of the association between the UE and the PRU. If the leading UE 112 has defined a time-division multiplexed transmission schedule for the positioning reference signals for the group members, these are also notified to the NW.

[0043] In a second alternative exemplary embodiment, the process flows from step 410 to step 460, and the leading UE 112 notifies the NW of the SL measurements in step 410 and the PRUs that may be considered. In response thereto, in step 470, the NW, e.g., the LMF, defines a group of UEs and associates a PRU identity with each UE identity included in the group. Similarly, the NW, e.g., the LMF, determines a time-division multiplexed transmission schedule for positioning reference signals such as UL SRS and / or SL PRS for the group members.

[0044] In step 480, the NW notifies the leading UE 112 of the association and the transmission schedule determined in step 470. In step 490, the leading UE 112 distributes this information within the group, e.g., via SL signaling. The PRU may also be notified.

[0045] Finally, in step 4110, the information from the PRU is utilized to use the association of the UE with the PRU and, if available, also the time-division multiplexed transmission schedule for positioning reference signals such as UL SRS and / or SL PRS for the group members, and uplink, downlink, or sidelink positioning may be used.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method according to at least some exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The steps of the illustrated method may be performed at the lead UE 112 or, if installed on a control device, by a control device configured to control its functions.

[0047] Step 510 includes storing, in a first user device, information defining a group of user devices, the first user device being included in the group. Step 520 includes associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group such that each user device of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit, or receiving, from a cellular communication network, an association of at least one positioning reference unit with the user devices of the group. The number of user devices in the group may be greater than the number of positioning reference units associated with the user devices in the group. Each user device of the group being associated with at least one positioning reference unit may include each user device of the group being associated with a unique positioning reference unit.

[0048] It should be understood that embodiments of the disclosed invention are not limited to the specific structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but extend to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0049] Reference throughout this specification to one exemplary embodiment or embodiment means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. For example, when a reference is made to a numerical value using terms such as about or approximately, the exact numerical value is also disclosed.

[0050] As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and / or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be constructed such that each member of the list is identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, the individual members of such a list should not be construed as de facto equivalents of any other member of the same list based solely on the fact that they are presented in a common group without any contrary indication. In addition, various embodiments and examples of the present invention may be referred to herein in connection with alternatives for their various components. It should be understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives should not be construed as de facto equivalents of one another, but rather as separate and autonomous expressions of the present invention.

[0051] Furthermore, the features, structures, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the foregoing description, numerous specific details such as examples of length, width, shape, etc. are provided to facilitate an overall understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

[0052] The foregoing examples illustrate the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications can be made in the form of implementation, use, and details without exercising inventive faculty and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited except as defined by the following claims.

[0053] The verbs "to comprise" and "to include" are used in this document as open limitations that do not exclude or require the presence of features not recited. Features recited in dependent claims may be freely combined with each other unless explicitly stated otherwise. Further, the use of the singular form "a" or "an" should be understood not to exclude the plural throughout this document.

[0054] Acronym list LMF Location Management Function NRPPa new radio positioning protocol A NW Network PRS Positioning Reference Signal PRU Positioning Reference Unit RRC Radio Resource Control SL SideLink SRS Sounding Reference Signal TRP Transmission / Reception Point UE User Equipment

[0055] Technical terms Clause 1. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, using the at least one processing core, to cause the apparatus to at least - store in a first user equipment information defining a group of user equipments, the first user equipment being included in the group, and - associate at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipments of the group or receive from a cellular communication network an association of at least one positioning reference unit of the user equipments of the group such that each user equipment of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit is configured to perform. The apparatus according to clause 1, further configured such that the apparatus notifies each user equipment in the group of the identity of the positioning reference unit associated with the user equipment. The apparatus according to clause 1 or 2, further configured such that the apparatus generates a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for user equipment in the group, or receives a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for user equipment in the group from another user equipment from a cellular communication network and / or a second network, and notifies each user equipment in the group of the transmission schedule for the specific uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals of the user equipment from among the generated or received time-division multiplexed transmission schedules. The apparatus according to any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the user equipment of the group is physically close to each other such that the first user equipment can communicate directly with all other user equipment in the group without relying on a repeater or a base station device. The apparatus according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein at least one of all user equipment in the group is associated with the same positioning reference unit, and the apparatus is further configured to select user equipment included in the group based on the physical dimension of the group. The apparatus according to clause 5, further configured such that the apparatus selects the physical dimension of the group based on at least one of a radio coherence level, positioning integrity, and service quality requirement regarding the physical dimension of the group or the effective size of the group. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code, using the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus to at least - Causing a cellular core network node to store information defining a group of user equipment, the storing including the first user equipment being included in the group; - Causing the cellular core network node to store information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group, such that each user equipment of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit; - Determining the position of at least one user equipment within the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user equipment within the group; A device configured to perform the above. Clause 8. The device according to clause 7, further configured to generate information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group and provide the information to at least one user equipment of the group, or to receive from a first user equipment of the group information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group. Clause 9. A device comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, using the at least one processing core, to cause the device to at least: - Control at least one cellular cell as a base station; - Receive a list of user equipment included in a group, the receiving including that not all of the user equipment within the group are within at least one cellular cell controlled by the base station; - Generate a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment within the group and provide the transmission schedule to at least one user equipment of the group, or receive from a first user equipment of the user equipment within the group a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment within the group; A device configured to perform the above. Clause 10. A method, comprising: - Storing, in a first user equipment, information defining a group of user equipments, the first user equipment being included in the group; and - Associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipments of the group, or receiving, from a cellular communication network, an association of at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipments of the group, such that each user equipment of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit. A method as described above. Clause 11. The method according to clause 10, further comprising notifying, to each user equipment within the group, an identity of the positioning reference unit associated with the user equipment. Clause 12. The method according to clause 10 or 11, further comprising: generating a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for user equipments within the group, or receiving, from a cellular communication network and / or another user equipment in a second network, a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for user equipments within the group; and notifying, to each user equipment within the group, a transmission schedule for a specific uplink sounding reference signal and / or sidelink positioning reference signal of the user equipment from among the generated or received time-division multiplexed transmission schedules. Clause 13. The method according to any one of clauses 10 to 12, wherein the user equipments of the group are physically close to each other such that the first user equipment can communicate directly with all other user equipments of the group without relying on a repeater or a base station device. Clause 14. The method according to any one of clauses 10 to 13, wherein at least one of all user equipments within the group are associated with the same positioning reference unit, and the method further comprises selecting user equipments included in the group based on a physical dimension of the group. Clause 15. The method according to any one of Clauses 10 to 14, further comprising selecting the physical dimensions of a group based on at least one of the wireless coherence level, positioning integrity, and quality of service requirements related to the physical dimensions or the effective size of the group. Clause 16. A method comprising: - storing, in a cellular core network node, information defining a group of user equipment, the storing including that a first user equipment is included in the group; - storing, in the user equipment of the group, information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group such that each user equipment of the group is associated with one positioning reference unit; - determining the position of at least one user equipment in the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user equipment in the group. The method as described above. Clause 17. The method according to Clause 16, further comprising generating information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group and providing the information to at least one user equipment of the group, or receiving, from a first user equipment, information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group. Clause 18. A method comprising: - controlling at least one cellular cell as a base station; - receiving a list of user equipment included in a group, the receiving including that not all of the user equipment in the group are within at least one cellular cell controlled by the base station; - Generate a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for user equipment within a group and provide it to at least one user equipment in the group, or receive a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for user equipment within the group from a first user equipment among the user equipment in the group A method comprising the above. Clause 20. An apparatus comprising: - Means for storing, in a first user equipment, information defining a group of user equipment, wherein the first user equipment is included in the group - Means for associating at least one positioning reference unit with user equipment in a group so that each user equipment in the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit, or means for receiving, from a cellular communication network, an association of at least one positioning reference unit with user equipment in the group An apparatus comprising the above. Clause 21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least - Store, in a first user equipment, information defining a group of user equipment, wherein the first user equipment is included in the group - Associate at least one positioning reference unit with user equipment in a group so that each user equipment in the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit, or receive, from a cellular communication network, an association of at least one positioning reference unit with user equipment in the group A non-transitory computer-readable medium causing the above to be performed. Clause 22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least - causing a cellular core network node to store information defining a group of user equipment, including storing that a first user equipment is included in the group; - causing the cellular core network node to store information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group, such that each user equipment of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit; - determining the position of at least one user equipment within the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user equipment within the group; A non - transitory computer - readable medium that causes the above to be performed.

Industrial Applicability

[0056] Industrial applications in wireless positioning are found in at least some embodiments of the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0057] 112, 114, 116 User Equipment, UE 120 Base Station 121 Wireless Link 130 Core Network 140 External Network 150, 152 Positioning Reference Unit, PRU 300 - 360 Structure of the device in FIG. 3 410 - 4110 Stages of the process in FIG. 4 510 - 520 Stages of the process in FIG. 5

Claims

**Claim 1** An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the at least one processing core to cause the apparatus to at least - store in a first user equipment information defining a group of user equipments, the first user equipment being included in the group, - associate at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipments of the group, or receive from a cellular communication network the association of the at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipments of the group, such that each user equipment of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit A device configured to perform the above operations **Claim 2** The device according to claim 1, further configured to notify each user equipment within the group of the identity of the positioning reference unit associated with the user equipment **Claim 3** The device according to claim 1 or 2, further configured to generate a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipments within the group, or receive from a cellular communication network and / or another user equipment from a second network a transmission schedule for the time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipments within the group, and notify each user equipment within the group of the transmission schedule for a specific uplink sounding reference signal and / or sidelink positioning reference signal of the user equipment from among the generated or received time-division multiplexed transmission schedules **Claim 4** The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the user equipments of the group are physically proximate to each other such that the first user equipment can communicate directly with all other user equipments of the group without relying on a repeater or a base station device **Claim 5** At least one of: all of the user equipment within the group being associated with the same positioning reference unit, and the apparatus being further configured to select user equipment included in the group based on a physical dimension of the group. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further configured to select the physical dimension of the group based on at least one of a radio coherence level, positioning integrity, and quality of service requirement related to the physical dimension of the group or an effective size of the group.

7. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the at least one processing core to cause the apparatus to at least - store, in a cellular core network node, information defining a group of user equipment, including storing that a first user equipment is included in the group; - store information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group such that each user equipment of the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit; - determine a position of at least one user equipment within the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user equipment within the group The apparatus is configured to perform.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further configured to generate information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group and provide it to at least one user equipment of the group, or to receive information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment of the group from the first user equipment.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code cause the at least one processing core to cause the apparatus to at least - Controlling at least one cellular cell as a base station; - Receiving a list of user equipment included in a group, wherein not all of the user equipment in the group is within the at least one cellular cell controlled by the base station; - Generating a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group and providing it to at least one user equipment in the group, or receiving from a first user equipment in the group the transmission schedule for the time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group; An apparatus configured to perform the above.

10. A method comprising: - Storing in a first user equipment information defining a group of user equipment, wherein the first user equipment is included in the group; - Associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group such that each user equipment in the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit, or receiving from a cellular communication network the association of the at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group; The method as described above.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising notifying each user equipment in the group of the identity of the positioning reference unit associated with the user equipment.

12. A method comprising: - Storing in a cellular core network node information defining a group of user equipment, wherein a first user equipment is included in the group; - Storing information associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group such that each user equipment in the group is associated with one positioning reference unit; - Determining the position of at least one user equipment in the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user equipment in the group; The method as described above.

13. A method comprising: - Controlling at least one cellular cell as a base station; - Receiving a list of user equipment included in a group, wherein not all of the user equipment in the group is within the at least one cellular cell controlled by the base station; - Generating a transmission schedule for time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group and providing the transmission schedule to at least one user equipment in the group, or receiving the transmission schedule for the time-division multiplexed uplink sounding reference signals and / or sidelink positioning reference signals for the user equipment in the group from a first user equipment among the user equipment in the group; A method comprising the above steps.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions, wherein when the set of computer-readable instructions is executed by at least one processor, the apparatus is caused to at least: - Store information defining a group of user equipment in a first user equipment, wherein the first user equipment is included in the group; - Associate at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group such that each user equipment in the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit, or receive the association of the at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group from a cellular communication network; A non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing the above operations.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of computer-readable instructions, wherein when the set of computer-readable instructions is executed by at least one processor, the apparatus is caused to at least: - Store information defining a group of user equipment in a cellular core network node, wherein a first user equipment is included in the group; - Store information for associating at least one positioning reference unit with the user equipment in the group such that each user equipment in the group is associated with at least one positioning reference unit; - Determining the position of at least one user device in the group based on information regarding at least one of the positioning reference units associated with the user devices in the group A non-transitory computer-readable medium that causes the above to be performed.

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