Method and apparatus for radio link management

Abstract

The present application relates to a method and apparatus for radio link management. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a user equipment (UE), the UE comprising: a transceiver; and a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor configured to: determine a positioning gap configuration for positioning the UE; perform radio link management associated with the positioning gap configuration; and determine a location of the UE during the positioning gap.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for radio link management. [Background technology]

[0002] In a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a typical Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) operation, such as a GNSS position fix operation, can take several seconds or even tens of seconds. However, there are constraints on simultaneous GNSS operation and data transmission or reception. For example, in the case of a Rel-17 Internet of Things (IoT) NTN user equipment (UE), the UE may not simultaneously perform GNSS operation and data transmission or reception. Therefore, the UE may leave the Radio Resource Control (RRC)_CONNECTED state to perform GNSS operation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] It is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for radio link management that can enable a UE to perform GNSS operations and remain in an RRC_CONNECTED state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a UE comprising: a transceiver; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to determine a positioning gap configuration for positioning of the UE, perform radio link management associated with the positioning gap configuration, and determine a location of the UE during the positioning gap.

[0005] In some embodiments, the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC)_CONNECTED state.

[0006] In some embodiments, the positioning of the UE includes GNSS positioning or non-GNSS positioning.

[0007] In some embodiments, radio link management is performed based on configuration information received from the BS, based on UE implementation, or based on pre-configured rules.

[0008] In some embodiments, positioning is performed based on a positioning gap configuration received from a base station (BS) or based on the movement of the UE.

[0009] In some embodiments, when a positioning gap is configured, radio link management is associated with a radio link control process that includes at least one of disabling all access stratum (AS) functionality before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling all AS functionality at or after the end of the positioning gap, disabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring at or after the end of the positioning gap, applying an extension value to counter N310 before or at the start of the positioning gap, applying an extension value to timer T310 before or at the start of the positioning gap, or suspending transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting an RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap that includes an instruction to instruct the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting a random access preamble using dedicated physical random access channel (PRACH) resources at or after the end of the positioning gap, or applying an extension value to timer T301 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0010] In some embodiments, the radio link control process further includes starting the counter N310 from a value of 0 after enabling the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring, or restarting the counter N310 at a previous counter value of the counter N310 after enabling the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring, the previous counter value being the counter value of the counter N310 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0011] In some embodiments, the RRC layer of the UE instructs lower layers of the UE to disable radio problem detection or radio link monitoring or to enable radio problem detection or radio link monitoring.

[0012] In some embodiments, if a positioning gap is configured after a radio link failure is declared, the radio link management is associated with a radio link control process that includes at least one of applying a value of 0 to counter N310 and applying a value of 0 to timer T310 before or at the start of the positioning gap, pausing transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting an RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap including an instruction instructing the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting a random access preamble using dedicated PRACH resources at or after the end of the positioning gap, or applying an extended value to timer T301 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0013] In some embodiments, the radio link management is associated with uplink synchronization including at least one of obtaining ephemeris data of the UE's serving Radio Access Network (RAN) node before the start of a positioning gap, updating a UE-specific timing advance (TA) based on the positioning result and valid ephemeris data after the end of the positioning gap, updating a total TA as the UE-specific TA plus a valid common TA after the end of the positioning gap, sending an RRC re-establishment request using the updated total TA, or reporting the updated total TA or the updated UE-specific TA after the end of the positioning gap.

[0014] In some embodiments, if the obtained ephemeris data is invalid at or after the end of the positioning gap, the processor is further configured to obtain ephemeris data of the UE's serving RAN node after the end of the positioning gap.

[0015] In some embodiments, when a positioning gap is configured and the UE is a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, the radio link management is associated with cell measurements including at least one of disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap, stopping evaluating at least one of the criteria for neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of the positioning gap, starting evaluating at least one of the criteria for neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of the positioning gap, disabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of the positioning gap, or enabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of the positioning gap.

[0016] In some embodiments, if a positioning gap is configured and the UE is not an NB-IoT UE, the radio link management is associated with cell measurements including at least one of disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap, stopping evaluating at least one event in the measurement reporting configuration before or at the start of the positioning gap, starting evaluating at least one event in the measurement reporting configuration at or after the end of the positioning gap, disabling measurement reporting before or at the start of the positioning gap, or enabling measurement reporting at or after the end of the positioning gap.

[0017] In some embodiments, the radio link management is associated with transmitting positioning assistance information including at least one of an indication that positioning of the UE is required, an adjustment to a positioning gap, or a time duration during which the UE is out of coverage.

[0018] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a base station (BS) comprising: a transceiver; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to generate first configuration information to configure a UE to perform radio link management associated with a positioning gap configuration; and transmit the first configuration information to the UE.

[0019] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to transmit second configuration information that configures the UE to perform a positioning operation.

[0020] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to receive an indication from the UE indicating that positioning of the UE is required.

[0021] In some embodiments, when a positioning gap is configured, radio link management is associated with a radio link control process that includes at least one of disabling all access stratum (AS) functionality before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling all AS functionality at or after the end of the positioning gap, disabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring at or after the end of the positioning gap, applying an extension value to counter N310 before or at the start of the positioning gap, applying an extension value to timer T310 before or at the start of the positioning gap, or suspending transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting an RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap that includes an instruction to instruct the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting a random access preamble using dedicated PRACH resources at or after the end of the positioning gap, or applying an extension value to timer T301 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0022] In some embodiments, the radio link control process further includes starting the counter N310 from a value of 0 after enabling the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring, or restarting the counter N310 at a previous counter value of the counter N310 after enabling the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring, the previous counter value being the counter value of the counter N310 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0023] In some embodiments, if a positioning gap is configured after a radio link failure is declared, the radio link management is associated with a radio link control process that includes at least one of applying a value of 0 to counter N310 and applying a value of 0 to timer T310 before or at the start of the positioning gap, pausing transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting an RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap including an instruction instructing the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting a random access preamble using dedicated PRACH resources at or after the end of the positioning gap, or applying an extended value to timer T301 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0024] In some embodiments, the radio link management is associated with uplink synchronization including at least one of obtaining ephemeris data of the UE's serving RAN node before the start of a positioning gap, updating the UE-specific TA based on the positioning result and valid ephemeris data after the end of the positioning gap, updating the total TA as the UE-specific TA plus the valid common TA after the end of the positioning gap, sending an RRC re-establishment request using the updated total TA, or reporting the updated total TA or the updated UE-specific TA after the end of the positioning gap.

[0025] In some embodiments, if the UE is an NB-IoT UE, the radio link management is associated with cell measurements including at least one of: disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of a positioning gap; enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of a positioning gap; stopping evaluating at least one of the criteria for neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of a positioning gap; starting evaluating at least one of the criteria for neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of a positioning gap; disabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of a positioning gap; or enabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of a positioning gap.

[0026] In some embodiments, if the UE is not an NB-IoT UE, the radio link management is associated with cell measurements including at least one of disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of a positioning gap, enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of a positioning gap, stopping evaluating at least one event in a measurement reporting configuration before or at the start of a positioning gap, starting evaluating at least one event in a measurement reporting configuration at or after the end of a positioning gap, disabling measurement reporting before or at the start of a positioning gap, or enabling measurement reporting at or after the end of a positioning gap.

[0027] In some embodiments, the radio link management is associated with transmitting positioning assistance information including at least one of an indication that positioning of the UE is required, an adjustment to a positioning gap, or a time duration during which the UE is out of coverage.

[0028] Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method implemented by a UE, the method including steps of determining a positioning gap configuration for positioning of the UE, performing radio link management associated with the positioning gap configuration, and determining a location of the UE during the positioning gap.

[0029] Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method, implemented by a BS, including generating first configuration information for configuring a UE to perform radio link management associated with a positioning gap configuration, and transmitting the first configuration information to the UE.

[0030] To explain how the advantages and features of the present application can be obtained, the present application will be described by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present application. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an NTN system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a radio link control process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a method implemented by a UE for radio link management, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates a method implemented by a BS for radio link management according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] The detailed description of the accompanying drawings is intended as an illustration of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and is not intended to represent the only form in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments which are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0033] Although operations are illustrated in the figures in a particular order, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that not all illustrated operations need be performed, and that in some cases one or more operations may be skipped, to achieve desirable results. Additionally, the figures may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flow diagram. However, other operations not shown may be incorporated into the schematically depicted example process. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In certain situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0034] Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the embodiments are provided under specific network architectures and new service scenarios, such as cellular telephone networks, time division multiple access (TDMA)-based networks, code division multiple access (CDMA)-based networks, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based networks, LTE networks, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®)-based networks, LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), 3GPP 4G, 3GPP 5G NR, 3GPP Release 16 or later, satellite communication networks, and high altitude platform networks. With the development of network architectures and new service scenarios, it is contemplated that all embodiments in the present disclosure are also applicable to similar technical challenges, and further, the terms listed in the present disclosure may change, without affecting the principles of the present disclosure.

[0035] 1 illustrates an NTN system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. NTN may refer to a network, or a segment of a network, that uses radio frequency (RF) resources aboard satellites.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the network may include UEs and RAN nodes. The RAN nodes may be satellite or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platforms. Although only one UE and one satellite / UAS platform are illustrated in Figure 1, it is contemplated that any number of UEs and satellite / UAS platforms may be included in the wireless communications system.

[0037] A UE may include computing devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, smart televisions (e.g., televisions connected to the Internet), set-top boxes, game consoles, security systems (including security cameras), in-vehicle computers, network devices (e.g., routers, switches, modems), etc. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a UE may include a portable wireless communication device, a smartphone, a cellular telephone, a flip phone, a device with a subscriber identity module, a personal computer, a selective call receiver, or any other device capable of transmitting and receiving communication signals over a wireless network. In some embodiments, a UE includes a wearable device such as a smart watch, a fitness band, or an optical head-mounted display. Furthermore, a UE may be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile, mobile station, user, terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, fixed terminal, subscriber station, user terminal, device, or other terminology used in the art. A UE may communicate directly with a satellite BS via a service link. A UE may also perform sidelink transmissions.

[0038] A typical terrestrial-based communication network includes one or more ground-based (i.e., not airborne or space-based) BSs, each providing geographic radio coverage, and UEs that can transmit and receive data within the radio coverage. In a terrestrial-based communication network, the BSs and UEs can communicate with each other via a communication link, e.g., via downlink radio frames from the BS to the UE or via uplink radio frames from the UE to the BS.

[0039] RAN nodes (e.g., satellites) may include low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites, geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites having fixed locations relative to the Earth, and highly elliptical Earth orbit (HEO) satellites. According to various embodiments, the satellites may be implemented with either transparent payloads or regenerative payloads. When a satellite carries a transparent payload, the satellite performs only radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and / or amplification of the signal onboard. Thus, the waveform signal repeated by the payload is unchanged. In addition to performing radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, when a satellite carries a regenerative payload, the satellite also performs other signal processing functions onboard, such as demodulation / decoding, switching and / or routing, coding / decoding, and modulation / demodulation. In other words, for a satellite with a regenerative payload, all or part of the base station functionality (e.g., gNB, eNB, etc.) is implemented onboard.

[0040] UAS platforms may include unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including tethered UAS and lighter than air (LTA), heavier than air (HTA), and high altitude platform UAS (HAP).

[0041] In the remainder of this disclosure, a RAN node may include a satellite carrying a transparent payload, a satellite carrying a regenerative payload, a UAS platform, a BS, etc.

[0042] 1 may conform to any type of network capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals. For example, the wireless communication system conforms to a wireless communication network, a cellular telephone network, a time division multiple access (TDMA)-based network, a code division multiple access (CDMA)-based network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based network, an LTE network, a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-based network, a 3GPP 5G network, a satellite communication network, a high altitude platform network, and / or other communication networks.

[0043] In one implementation, the wireless communication system conforms to the 3GPP protocol NR, where the BS transmits on the DL using an OFDM modulation scheme and the UE transmits on the UL using a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) scheme or an OFDM scheme. However, more generally, the wireless communication system may implement some other open or proprietary communication protocol, such as WiMAX, among other protocols.

[0044] In other embodiments, the BS may communicate using other communication protocols, such as the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocols. Additionally, in some embodiments, the BS may communicate over a licensed spectrum, while in other embodiments, the BS may communicate over an unlicensed spectrum. This disclosure is not intended to be limited to any particular wireless communication system architecture or protocol implementation. In another embodiment, the BS may communicate with the UE using a 3GPP 5G protocol.

[0045] A UE that supports NTN functionality may be assumed to have GNSS capability, and the UE may perform GNSS operations, such as acquiring its position and, therefore, deriving its timing advance based on satellite ephemeris for uplink synchronization. Due to UE RF hardware and capability constraints, GNSS operations and data transmission or reception may not be performed simultaneously. As a result, when the UE needs to perform GNSS operations, such as acquiring a GNSS position when the GNSS position becomes stale, the UE may leave the RRC_CONNECTED state and enter the RRC_IDLE state to perform the GNSS operations.

[0046] For Rel-18 IoT NTN with further optimization and UE power saving considerations, GNSS operation can be optimized with little GNSS usage and power efficiency for long term connections. Therefore, it is advantageous to allow the UE to perform GNSS operation in the RRC_CONNECTED state without entering the RRC_IDLE state.

[0047] However, there are some problems when a UE may perform GNSS operations in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0048] GNSS operation may take several seconds or tens of seconds, and the UE may not perform GNSS operation and data transmission / reception simultaneously. To enable the UE to perform GNSS operation in the RRC_CONNECTED state, the network may configure at least one GNSS operation gap (a time duration for performing GNSS operation, e.g., a positioning gap) during which the UE and the network may stop data transmission and reception, so that the UE can switch its RF and obtain a GNSS position (e.g., by receiving measurement signals from GNSS satellites).

[0049] The length of the time duration (e.g., for neighbor cell measurements) can be configured in milliseconds, i.e., 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, and 160 ms, which has negligible impact on the following UE operations: 1) radio link monitoring (RLM) or radio link failure (RLF) handling, 2) uplink synchronization, and 3) NB-IoT neighbor cell measurement triggering in the RRC_CONNECTED state. However, GNSS operations can typically take several seconds or even tens of seconds. For example, a GNSS position fix can take 30 s to 40 s for a cold start (tens of minutes after the GNSS module is turned off), 10 s to 15 s for a warm start (several minutes after the GNSS module is turned off), and 3 s to 5 s for a hot start (the GNSS module is always on). Therefore, the GNSS operation duration may prevent the UE from maintaining or resuming an RRC connection during or after such a long GNSS operation duration following legacy mechanisms in the LTE or NR system.

[0050] More specifically, the following problems may occur.

[0051] Problem 1: RLF and possible state transitions can be caused by long GNSS operation durations.

[0052] FIG. 2 illustrates a radio link control process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] In the RRC_CONNECTED state, the UE may perform normal operation. The physical layer may perform radio problem detection or radio link monitoring. At time t1, the UE may receive an indication, for example, an N310 continuous out-of-sync indication, from a lower layer (e.g., the physical layer) indicating that a physical layer-related problem has been detected, and the UE may start timer T310. The maximum value of timer T310 may be 6 s for a normal UE and 8 s for an NB-IoT UE.

[0054] When timer T310 is running, if an indication (e.g., an N311 in-sync indication) is received, the radio link is restored and timer T310 is stopped. If the N311 in-sync indication is not received and timer T310 expires (at time t2), the radio link is not restored and the UE may declare a radio link failure. The UE (e.g., the RRC layer of the UE) may send an RRC connection re-establishment request and start timer T301. The maximum value of timer T301 may be 10 s for a normal UE and 120 s for an NB-IoT UE. When timer T301 expires and the RRC connection re-establishment has not been completed at time t3, the UE may enter the RRC_IDLE state.

[0055] In the present disclosure, the time duration for performing a GNSS operation (e.g., a GNSS position fix) may be configured (e.g., explicitly configured by the network or by a specification) or may be configured after the RLF declaration (e.g., implicitly placed after the RLF declaration, which may be specified by a specification or by a UE implementation, etc.). Hereinafter, the time duration for performing a GNSS position fix may be referred to as a positioning gap. It should be noted that a GNSS position fix is ​​used to describe the solution of the present disclosure, and other GNSS operations or other non-GNSS operations may also be applied in the present disclosure.

[0056] Case 1-1: A positioning gap is configured.

[0057] As mentioned above, GNSS operation and data transmission or reception may not be performed simultaneously. Therefore, a radio problem may be detected after the start of a positioning gap, and timer T310 may be started. Depending on the time duration of the positioning gap and the value of timer T310, several scenarios are presented as follows: a) The time duration of the positioning gap is shorter than the value of timer T310: i. The UE can receive the N311 continuously in sync indication in time for physical layer recovery after a positioning gap, i.e., the radio link is restored and therefore RLF cannot be declared. ii. The UE may not receive the N311 continuously in sync indication for physical layer recovery after a positioning gap, and therefore RLF may be declared. b) The time duration of the positioning gap is equal to or greater than the value of timer T310: The UE cannot receive the N311 continuously in sync indication when timer T310 is running, so RLF can be reliably declared when timer T310 expires.

[0058] Once the RLF is declared, the UE can send an RRC re-establishment request, which may also be limited by the positioning gap. Depending on the time duration of the positioning gap, the value of timer T310, and the value of timer T301, several scenarios are presented below: a) The time duration of the positioning gap is less than the sum of the values ​​of timers T310 and T301: i. The UE may send an RRC re-establishment request and may receive the RRC re-establishment configuration in time for RRC recovery after the positioning gap, i.e., the radio link is restored and therefore the UE may remain in RRC_CONNECTED state. ii. The UE may send an RRC re-establishment request but fail to receive the RRC re-establishment configuration in time for RRC recovery after the positioning gap, i.e., the RRC re-establishment is not successful, and therefore the UE may enter the RRC_IDLE state. b) The time duration of the positioning gap is equal to or greater than the sum of the values ​​of timers T310 and T301: The UE may send an RRC re-establishment request but may not receive the RRC re-establishment configuration in time for RRC recovery after the positioning gap, i.e., the RRC re-establishment may not be successful, and therefore the UE may reliably enter the RRC_IDLE state.

[0059] Case 1-2: A positioning gap is placed after RLF is declared.

[0060] Once the RLF is declared, the UE can start timer T301 and can send an RRC re-establishment request, which may be limited by the time duration of the positioning gap. Depending on the time duration of the positioning gap and the value of timer T301, several scenarios are presented as follows: a) The time duration of the positioning gap is shorter than the value of timer T301: i. The UE may send an RRC re-establishment request and may receive the RRC re-establishment configuration in time for RRC recovery after the positioning gap, i.e., the radio link is restored and therefore the UE may remain in RRC_CONNECTED state. ii. The UE may send an RRC re-establishment request but fail to receive the RRC re-establishment configuration in time for RRC recovery after the positioning gap, i.e., the RRC re-establishment is not successful, and therefore the UE may enter the RRC_IDLE state. b) The time duration of the positioning gap is equal to or greater than the value of timer T301: The UE may send an RRC re-establishment request but may not receive the RRC re-establishment configuration in time for RRC recovery after the positioning gap, i.e., the RRC re-establishment may not be successful, and therefore the UE may reliably enter the RRC_IDLE state.

[0061] Considering the above, for both Case 1-1 and Case 1-2, if the value of timer T301 is not long enough, the UE may enter RRC_IDLE state. For Case 1-1, if the value of timer T310 is not long enough, the UE may declare RLF.

[0062] Problem 2: Due to the long duration of the positioning gap, uplink synchronization may be lost.

[0063] Positioning operations, eg, GNSS position fixes, may be used by the UE to obtain valid UE location information, which is a necessary element for uplink synchronization.

[0064] There are three necessary elements for uplink synchronization, these elements are: a) valid UE location information; b) Valid ephemeris data for the serving satellites, such that the UE can calculate a UE-specific TA; and c) A valid cell-specific common TA that may be provided by the network together with the satellite ephemeris, allowing the UE to calculate the total TA as the common TA plus the UE-specific TA for uplink synchronization. is.

[0065] In some cases, the NTN UE may also report the TA to the network when the UE is requested by the network.

[0066] Depending on the availability of ephemeris data and the time duration of the positioning gap, several cases are presented below.

[0067] Case 2-1: The ephemeris data becomes invalid during the long time duration of the positioning gap.

[0068] The received ephemeris data may only be used for a valid time duration starting at the epoch time, and the UE may need to reacquire new ephemeris data before the end of the valid duration or after the end of the valid duration.

[0069] If the end of the valid duration is during the time duration of the positioning gap, the UE may not be able to reacquire new ephemeris data by the end of the positioning gap, and only after the positioning gap will the UE calculate its TA for uplink synchronization, which may further lengthen the time duration before reconnection.

[0070] Case 2-2: TA is updated after experiencing a long positioning gap.

[0071] The NTN Timing Advance Report (TAR) is used to help the network understand the actual propagation delay for further scheduling. The UE may report the TAR once in the random access procedure if the network broadcasts an indication, and / or may report the TAR once in the RRC_CONNECTED state if no TAR is reported during the connection procedure. During the connection procedure, the network may adjust the TA by a Timing Advance Command (TAC) to ensure uplink synchronization.

[0072] After a long time duration of a positioning gap, both the location of the UE and the location of the RAN node (i.e., satellite) may have changed significantly, and therefore the TA may need to be updated. The differential TA (i.e., the difference between the first TA value before the positioning gap and the second TA value after the positioning gap) may exceed the TAC limit (which may be 0.017 ms), and as a result, the network cannot update its knowledge of the UE's TA by the TAC.

[0073] Issue 3: Triggering neighbor cell measurements in RRC_CONNECTED state due to long positioning gaps.

[0074] In Rel-17, the criteria to trigger neighbor cell measurements in RRC_CONNECTED state for NB-IoT UEs is a combination of the serving cell reference signal received power (RSRP) and its variation: if the measured serving cell RSRP is lower than a threshold and its variation compared to the reference RSRP is higher than a threshold, the UE may perform neighbor cell measurements.

[0075] If a positioning gap is configured, during the positioning gap the NB-IoT UE may not receive any signals from the network, including reference signals for RSRP measurements, and as a result, neighbor cell measurements may be triggered by the corresponding RF switch.

[0076] Meanwhile, similar issues may occur for normal UEs and eMTC UEs configured with measurement targets, especially when events related to serving cell RSRP are configured.

[0077] Problem 4: The movement of the UE may invalidate the results of a previous GNSS operation, for example, a previous GNSS position fix, or invalidate the time duration for performing a positioning operation.

[0078] Currently, only network-triggered GNSS position fixes are supported, i.e., the network may trigger the UE to perform a positioning operation, e.g., a GNSS position fix. The UE may not perform the positioning operation itself.

[0079] However, although the UE's movement may invalidate its previous GNSS position fix result, the network is unaware that the UE needs to reacquire a GNSS position, i.e., that the UE needs to perform a positioning operation. Therefore, the network may not configure a time duration for the UE to perform a positioning operation (i.e., a positioning gap), and data transmission or reception continues until uplink synchronization is lost. Additionally, in the case of a discontinuous coverage scenario, when the UE configures a duration for performing a positioning fix, the network may be unaware of the time duration for which the UE will be out of coverage. Therefore, during a positioning gap, the UE may be out of coverage, and therefore the UE may not be able to reconnect to the network after the positioning gap.

[0080] It should be noted that in the above problems, positioning operations are described as an example, and these problems may also exist when performing other operations, such as GNSS positioning operations, non-GNSS positioning operations (e.g., positioning operations involving long time periods that may be longer than the value of timer T310, the value of timer T301, or the sum of the values ​​of timer T310 and timer T301), or other GNSS operations.

[0081] The present disclosure proposes several solutions to solve the above problems, for example, several solutions for radio link management. In the rest of the present disclosure, positioning operations, which may include GNSS positioning operations and / or non-GNSS positioning operations, are used to describe the solutions. It should be noted that the solutions also apply to other types of operations, such as any operation that may cause the UE to transition from an RRC_CONNECTED state to an RRC_IDLE state (or an RRC_INACTIVE state). In some embodiments, the positioning operation may be indicated by the BS, for example, by configuration information (or configuration messages, configuration signaling, etc.). In some other embodiments, the positioning operation may be performed by the UE based on a UE decision. For example, if the UE determines that the location of the UE has changed and the distance between the UE's previous location and the UE's current location exceeds a threshold, the UE may decide to perform a positioning operation.

[0082] In the remainder of this disclosure, the expression "positioning gap" may be used to refer to a time duration for performing a positioning operation, i.e., a position fix. In the case of other operations, such as another GNSS operation, the expression "positioning gap" may be replaced with the expression "time duration for the GNSS operation," and the solution also applies to that GNSS operation. Other expressions for the time duration may also be applied.

[0083] Solution 1: In this solution, radio link management may relate to enhancing the radio link control process, such as adjusting radio link monitoring (RLM) handling, adjusting RLF handling, or both. Adjusting the radio link control process may be instructed by the network, e.g., the BS may send configuration information (or configuration message, configuration signaling, etc.) instructing the UE to adjust the radio link control process. Alternatively, adjusting the radio link control process may be specified, e.g., in a specification, and the UE may handle RLM or RLF accordingly. Alternatively, adjusting the radio link control process is performed by the UE implementation. A detailed solution is presented as follows.

[0084] Solution 1-1: The time duration of the positioning gap is configured.

[0085] The radio link control process (e.g., adjusting RLM handling or adjusting RLF handling) may include at least one of the following: a) With regard to AS functionality, the UE may perform at least one of the following: i. Disable (or suspend) all AS functionality before or at the start of the positioning gap; and / or ii. At or after the end of the positioning gap, enable (or resume) all AS functionality. b) With regard to radio problem detection or radio link monitoring, the RRC layer may instruct lower layers to perform at least one of the following: i. Disable (or suspend) radio problem detection or radio link monitoring before or at the start of a positioning gap; and / or ii. Enabling (or resuming) radio problem detection or radio link monitoring at or after the end of the positioning gap. c) Regarding counter N310: i. before or at the start of the positioning gap, apply an extension value to the counter N310, for example, the extension value may be greater than 20. The value may be large enough to cover the positioning gap, for example, 100, 200, etc., or the value of the counter N310 may be set as infinity; and / or ii. At or after the end of the positioning gap, restart the value of counter N310 with the counter value of counter N310 at the start of the positioning gap, or start the value of counter N310 with the value 0. When enabling or resuming radio problem detection or radio link monitoring at the end of the gap, the UE may continue to use the counter value of counter N310 at the start of the positioning gap, or may start the value of counter N310 from 0. For example, at the start of the positioning gap, counter N310 has a value of 5 and counter N310 is disabled (or paused). At the end of the positioning gap, counter N310 is enabled (or resumed) with a value of 5, or counter N310 is enabled (or resumed) with a value of 0. d) Regarding timer T310: At the start of the positioning gap, an extension value is applied to timer T310, for example, the extension value may be larger than 6 s for normal UEs or larger than 8 s for NB-IoT UEs. The value may be large enough to cover the positioning gap, for example, 50 s, 100 s, etc., or the value of timer T310 may be set as infinity. e) Suspend the transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until the end of the positioning gap. f) Before or at the start of the positioning gap, send an RRC re-establishment request including an instruction to instruct the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap. g) transmitting a random access preamble using a dedicated PRACH resource at the end of the positioning gap or after the end of the positioning gap; or h) Regarding timer T301: Before or at the start of the positioning gap, set the value of timer T301 to a value large enough to cover the positioning gap, e.g., 100s, 200s, etc., or set the value of timer T301 as infinity.

[0086] Solution 1-2: The positioning gap is after the RLF declaration.

[0087] The radio link control process (e.g., adjusting RLM handling or adjusting RLF handling) may include at least one of the following: a) Regarding Counter N310 and Timer T310: Before or at the start of a positioning gap, in order to directly trigger RLF, set the value of Counter N310 to the value 0 and the value of Timer T310 to the value 0. In this way, RLF is directly triggered and the UE can perform a positioning operation. b) Suspend the transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until the end of the positioning gap. c) Before or at the start of the positioning gap, send an RRC re-establishment request including an instruction to instruct the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap. d) transmitting a random access preamble using a dedicated PRACH resource at the end of the positioning gap or after the end of the positioning gap; or e) Regarding timer T301: Before or at the start of the positioning gap, an extension value is applied to timer T310, for example, the extension value may be larger than 6 s for normal UEs or larger than 8 s for NB-IoT UEs. The value may be large enough to cover the positioning gap, for example, 50 s, 100 s, etc., or the value of timer T301 may be set as infinity.

[0088] Solution 2 In this solution, radio link management may be associated with uplink synchronization. The UE may acquire ephemeris data of a RAN node (e.g., the UE's serving RAN node) before the start of a positioning gap. For example, the UE may acquire system information (e.g., System Information Block 31 (SIB31) for an LTE system or SIB19 for an NR system) including the ephemeris data, or alternatively, the UE may acquire the ephemeris data using dedicated signaling. In some embodiments, the UE may acquire the RAN node's ephemeris data before the start of a positioning gap only if the end of the validity period of the current ephemeris data is earlier than the end of the positioning gap. In some other embodiments, the UE may always acquire the RAN node's ephemeris data before the start of a positioning gap.

[0089] In some embodiments, the end of the validity period of the acquired ephemeris data may still be earlier than the end of the positioning gap, in other words, the acquired ephemeris data may still be invalid after the positioning gap, and the UE may then acquire the RAN node's ephemeris data at or after the end of the positioning gap.

[0090] At the end of the positioning gap or after the end of the positioning gap, the UE may perform at least one of the following: a) Update the UE-specific TA, where the UE-specific TA may be updated with the result of the positioning operation and valid ephemeris data. For example, the UE may have determined an updated location of the UE and an updated location of the RAN node, and may determine the UE-specific TA based on the updated location and valid ephemeris data of the RAN node. b) Update the total TA, which may be equal to the sum of the updated UE-specific TA and the valid common TA. c) Sending an RRC re-establishment request using the updated total TA In some embodiments, the RRC re-establishment request is sent if a positioning gap is after the RLF declaration. d) Report the updated total TA, the updated UE-specific TA, or both to the network. Note that the UE may report the updated total TA, the updated UE-specific TA, regardless of whether the conditions for reporting TA in RRC_CONNECTED state are met or not.

[0091] Solution 3 In this solution, radio link management may be associated with cell measurements. With respect to cell measurements and configured positioning gaps for a UE in RRC_CONNECTED state, the UE may perform at least one of the following: i. Disabling (or suspending) at least one of the serving cell measurements, which may include RSRP measurements, distance to reference location calculations, channel busy rates, or height of the airborne UE, before or at the start of the positioning gap; and / or ii. Activating (or resuming) at least one of the serving cell measurements at or after the end of the positioning gap.

[0092] If the UE is an NB-IoT UE, with respect to neighbor cell measurements in RRC_CONNECTED state, the UE may further perform at least one of the following: i. before or at the start of a positioning gap; 1. Stop evaluating at least one of the neighbor cell measurement criteria, such as stopping evaluating the RSRP or RSRP variation of the neighbor cell, or stopping evaluating the distance or distance variation to the reference location, and / or 2. Disable triggering neighbor cell measurements. ii. At or after the end of the positioning gap, 1. Initiate evaluation of at least one of the neighbor cell measurement criteria, such as initiating evaluation of the RSRP or RSRP variation of the neighbor cell, or initiating evaluation of the distance or distance variation to the reference location, and / or 2. Enable triggering neighbor cell measurements.

[0093] If the UE is not an NB-IoT UE, the UE may further perform at least one of the following: i. before or at the start of a positioning gap; 1. Stop evaluating at least one of the events in the measurement reporting configuration, which may include events A1-A6, B1-B2, C1-C2, W1-W3, V1-V2, or H1-H2; and / or 2. Disable measurement reporting. ii. At or after the end of the positioning gap, 1. Initiating evaluation of at least one of the events in the measurement reporting configuration, which may include at least one of events A1-A6, B1-B2, C1-C2, W1-W3, V1-V2, or H1-H2; and / or 2. Enable measurement reporting.

[0094] Solution 4 In this solution, the radio link management may be associated with transmitting assistance information to the network, and the assistance information may include at least one of the following: a) An indication that a positioning operation (or GNSS positioning operation, GNSS operation, non-GNSS positioning operation, etc.) is required at the UE, for example due to movement of the UE. b) Adjustments to the configured positioning operation pattern (or GNSS positioning operation pattern, GNSS operation pattern, non-GNSS positioning operation pattern, etc.), for example adjusting the length of the duration of a positioning operation, such as from 30 seconds to 10 seconds. Examples include adjusting the duration of consecutive gaps or adjusting the gap length, applying an offset to a configured positioning gap, adjusting the recurrence period of non-consecutive gaps, etc. c) The duration that the UE may be out of coverage if the UE is in a discontinuous coverage scenario.

[0095] It should be noted that the above solution may be implemented when the UE is in RRC_CONNECTED state or in other states such as RRC_IDLE state, RRC_INACTIVE state, etc.

[0096] FIG. 3 illustrates a method implemented by a UE for radio link management in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] In operation 301, the UE may determine a positioning gap configuration for positioning the UE, in operation 302, the UE may perform radio link management associated with the positioning gap configuration, and in operation 303, the UE may determine the location of the UE during the positioning gap.

[0098] FIG. 4 illustrates a method implemented by a BS for radio link management according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0099] In operation 401, the BS may generate first configuration information to configure the UE to perform radio link management associated with the positioning gap configuration, and in operation 402, the BS may transmit the first configuration information to the UE.

[0100] In some embodiments, the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC)_CONNECTED state.

[0101] In some embodiments, the positioning of the UE includes GNSS positioning or non-GNSS positioning.

[0102] In some embodiments, radio link management is performed based on configuration information received from the BS, based on UE implementation, or based on pre-configured rules.

[0103] In some embodiments, positioning is performed based on a positioning gap configuration received from a BS or based on the movement of the UE.

[0104] In some embodiments, when a positioning gap is configured, the radio link management may include disabling all AS functionality before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling all AS functionality at or after the end of the positioning gap, disabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring at or after the end of the positioning gap, applying an extension value to counter N310 before or at the start of the positioning gap (e.g., greater than 20), applying an extension value to timer T310 before or at the start of the positioning gap (e.g., greater than 6 s for a normal UE, or greater than 6 s for an NB-IoT UE), the BS may suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap, or the UE ...

[0105] In some embodiments, the radio link control process further includes starting the counter N310 from a value of 0 after enabling the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring, or restarting the counter N310 at a previous counter value of the counter N310 after enabling the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring, the previous counter value being the counter value of the counter N310 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0106] In some embodiments, the RRC layer of the UE instructs lower layers of the UE to disable radio problem detection or radio link monitoring or to enable radio problem detection or radio link monitoring.

[0107] In some embodiments, if a positioning gap is configured after a radio link failure is declared, the radio link management is associated with a radio link control process that includes at least one of applying a value of 0 to counter N310 and applying a value of 0 to timer T310 before or at the start of the positioning gap, pausing transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting an RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap including an instruction instructing the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap, transmitting a random access preamble using dedicated PRACH resources at or after the end of the positioning gap, or applying an extended value to timer T301 before or at the start of the positioning gap.

[0108] In some embodiments, the radio link management is associated with uplink synchronization including at least one of obtaining ephemeris data of the UE's serving RAN node before the start of a positioning gap, updating the UE-specific TA based on the positioning result and valid ephemeris data after the end of the positioning gap, updating the total TA as the UE-specific TA plus the valid common TA after the end of the positioning gap, sending an RRC re-establishment request using the updated total TA, or reporting the updated total TA or the updated UE-specific TA after the end of the positioning gap.

[0109] In some embodiments, if the obtained ephemeris data is invalid at or after the end of the positioning gap, the processor is further configured to obtain ephemeris data of the UE's serving RAN node after the end of the positioning gap.

[0110] In some embodiments, when a positioning gap is configured and the UE is an NB-IoT UE, the radio link management is associated with cell measurements including at least one of: disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap; enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap; stopping evaluating at least one of the criteria for neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of the positioning gap; starting evaluating at least one of the criteria for neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of the positioning gap; disabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of the positioning gap; or enabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of the positioning gap.

[0111] In some embodiments, if a positioning gap is configured and the UE is not an NB-IoT UE, the radio link management is associated with cell measurements including at least one of disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap, enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap, stopping evaluating at least one event in the measurement reporting configuration before or at the start of the positioning gap, starting evaluating at least one event in the measurement reporting configuration at or after the end of the positioning gap, disabling measurement reporting before or at the start of the positioning gap, or enabling measurement reporting at or after the end of the positioning gap.

[0112] In some embodiments, the radio link management is associated with transmitting positioning assistance information including at least one of an indication that positioning of the UE is required, an adjustment to a positioning gap, or a time duration during which the UE is out of coverage.

[0113] FIG. 5 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0114] 5, an example of an apparatus 500 may include at least one processor 504 and at least one transceiver 502 coupled to the processor 504. The apparatus 500 may be a UE, a BS, a RAN node, or any other device having similar functionality.

[0115] In this figure, elements such as at least one transceiver 502 and processor 504 are described in the singular, but the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver 502 may be divided into two devices, such as a receive circuit and a transmit circuit. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 may further include an input device, a memory, and / or other components.

[0116] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 may be a UE. The transceiver 502 and the processor 504 may interact with each other to perform the operations of a UE described in any of Figures 1-4. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 may be a BS or a RAN node. The transceiver 502 and the processor 504 may interact with each other to perform the operations of a BS or a RAN node described in any of Figures 1-4.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 may further include at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0118] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store computer-executable instructions that cause the processor 504 to implement a method for a UE as described above. For example, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor 504 to interact with the transceiver 502 to perform the operations of the UE described in any of FIGS.

[0119] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store computer-executable instructions that cause the processor 504 to implement a method for a BS or RAN node as described above. For example, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor 504 to interact with the transceiver 502 to perform the operations of the BS or RAN node described in any of FIGS. 1-4.

[0120] The methods of the present disclosure may be implemented on a programmed processor. However, the controllers, flowcharts, and modules may also be implemented on hardware electronic or logic circuits such as general-purpose or special-purpose computers, programmed microprocessors or microcontrollers and peripheral integrated circuit elements, integrated circuits, discrete element circuits, programmable logic devices, etc. In general, any device having a finite state machine capable of implementing the flowcharts shown in the figures may be used to implement the processing functions of the present disclosure.

[0121] While the present disclosure has been described using specific embodiments thereof, it is apparent that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, various components of the embodiments may be exchanged, added, or substituted in other embodiments. Also, not all elements shown in the figures are necessary for the operation of the disclosed embodiments. For example, one skilled in the art of the disclosed embodiments would be able to make and use the teachings of the present disclosure by simply employing the elements of the independent claims. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0122] In this disclosure, relational terms such as “first,” “second,” and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements not only includes those elements, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “a,” “an,” etc., does not, without further constraint, preclude the presence of additional identical elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Also, the term “another” is defined as at least a second or more. As used herein, terms such as “including,” “having,” and the like are defined as “comprising.” [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 500 devices 502 Transceiver 504 processor

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), A transceiver; a processor coupled to the transceiver, determining a positioning gap configuration for positioning of the UE; performing radio link management associated with the positioning gap configuration; determining a position of the UE during a positioning gap; a processor configured to: A UE equipped with:

2. When the positioning gap is configured, the radio link management Disabling all Access Stratum (AS) functionality prior to or at the start of said positioning gap; enabling all AS functionality at or after the end of said positioning gap; Disabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring before or at the start of the positioning gap; enabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring at or after the end of the positioning gap; applying an extension value to a counter N310 before or at the start of said positioning gap; applying an extension value to a timer T310 before or at the start of said positioning gap; or suspending transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until an end of the positioning gap; transmitting the RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap, the RRC re-establishment request including an instruction to instruct a BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap; transmitting a random access preamble using dedicated physical random access channel (PRACH) resources at or after the end of the positioning gap; or applying an extension value to a timer T301 before or at the start of said positioning gap. The UE of claim 1 , associated with a radio link control process including at least one of:

3. 3. The UE of claim 2, wherein an RRC layer of the UE instructs a lower layer of the UE to disable the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring or to enable the radio problem detection or radio link monitoring.

4. If the positioning gap is configured after a radio link failure is declared, the radio link management: applying a value of 0 to a counter N310 and a value of 0 to a timer T310 before or at the start of said positioning gap; suspending transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until an end of the positioning gap; transmitting the RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap, the RRC re-establishment request including an instruction to instruct a BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap; transmitting a random access preamble using a dedicated PRACH resource at or after the end of the positioning gap; or applying an extension value to a timer T301 before or at the start of said positioning gap. The UE of claim 1 , associated with a radio link control process including at least one of:

5. The radio link management acquiring ephemeris data of a serving Radio Access Network (RAN) node of the UE before a start of the positioning gap; updating a UE-specific timing advance (TA) based on the positioning result and valid ephemeris data after the positioning gap ends; updating a total TA as the UE-specific TA plus a common TA valid after the end of the positioning gap; sending an RRC re-establishment request using the updated total TA; or reporting the updated total TA or the updated UE-specific TA after the end of the positioning gap. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE is associated with uplink synchronization that includes at least one of:

6. If the positioning gap is configured and the UE is a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, the radio link management Disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap; enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap; ceasing to evaluate at least one of the neighbor cell measurement criteria before or at the start of the positioning gap; commencing evaluating at least one of the neighbor cell measurement criteria at or after the end of the positioning gap; Disabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of the positioning gap; or Enabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of the positioning gap. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE is associated with cell measurements including at least one of:

7. If the positioning gap is configured and the UE is not an NB-IoT UE, the radio link management: Disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap; enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap; ceasing to evaluate at least one event in a measurement reporting configuration before or at the start of the positioning gap; commencing evaluating at least one event in the measurement reporting configuration at or after the end of the positioning gap; Disabling measurement reporting before or at the start of said positioning gap; or Enabling the measurement reports at or after the end of the positioning gap. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE is associated with cell measurements including at least one of:

8. The radio link management an indication indicating that the positioning of the UE is required; an adjustment to the positioning gap; or The duration of time that the UE is out of coverage The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE is associated with transmitting positioning assistance information including at least one of:

9. A base station (BS), A transceiver; a processor coupled to the transceiver, generating first configuration information for configuring a user equipment (UE) to perform radio link management associated with a positioning gap configuration; transmitting the first configuration information to the UE; a processor configured to: BS equipped with.

10. When the positioning gap is configured, the radio link management Disabling all Access Stratum (AS) functionality prior to or at the start of said positioning gap; enabling all AS functionality at or after the end of said positioning gap; Disabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring before or at the start of the positioning gap; enabling radio problem detection or radio link monitoring at or after the end of the positioning gap; applying an extension value to a counter N310 before or at the start of said positioning gap; applying an extension value to a timer T310 before or at the start of said positioning gap; or suspending transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until an end of the positioning gap; transmitting the RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap, the RRC re-establishment request including an instruction to instruct the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap; transmitting a random access preamble using dedicated physical random access channel (PRACH) resources at or after the end of the positioning gap; or applying an extension value to a timer T301 before or at the start of said positioning gap. The BS of claim 9, associated with a radio link control process including at least one of:

11. If the positioning gap is configured after a radio link failure is declared, the radio link management: applying a value of 0 to a counter N310 and a value of 0 to a timer T310 before or at the start of said positioning gap; suspending transmission of RRC re-establishment requests until an end of the positioning gap; transmitting the RRC re-establishment request before or at the start of the positioning gap, the RRC re-establishment request including an instruction to instruct the BS to suspend responses to the RRC re-establishment request until the end of the positioning gap; transmitting a random access preamble using a dedicated PRACH resource at or after the end of the positioning gap; or applying an extension value to a timer T301 before or at the start of said positioning gap. The BS of claim 9, associated with a radio link control process including at least one of:

12. The radio link management acquiring ephemeris data of a serving Radio Access Network (RAN) node of the UE before a start of the positioning gap; updating a UE-specific timing advance (TA) based on the positioning result and valid ephemeris data after the end of the positioning gap; updating a total TA as the UE-specific TA plus a common TA valid after the end of the positioning gap; sending an RRC re-establishment request using the updated total TA; or reporting the updated total TA or the updated UE-specific TA after the end of the positioning gap. The BS of claim 9, wherein the BS is associated with uplink synchronization including at least one of:

13. If the UE is a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, the radio link management Disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap; enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap; ceasing to evaluate at least one of the neighbor cell measurement criteria before or at the start of the positioning gap; commencing evaluating at least one of the neighbor cell measurement criteria at or after the end of the positioning gap; Disabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements before or at the start of the positioning gap; or Enabling triggering of neighbor cell measurements at or after the end of the positioning gap. The BS of claim 9, associated with cell measurements including at least one of:

14. If the UE is not an NB-IoT UE, the radio link management: Disabling at least one measurement of the serving cell before or at the start of the positioning gap; enabling at least one measurement of the serving cell at or after the end of the positioning gap; ceasing to evaluate at least one event in a measurement reporting configuration before or at the start of the positioning gap; commencing evaluating at least one event in the measurement reporting configuration at or after the end of the positioning gap; Disabling measurement reporting before or at the start of said positioning gap; or Enabling the measurement reports at or after the end of the positioning gap. The BS of claim 9, associated with cell measurements including at least one of:

15. 1. A method implemented by a user equipment (UE), comprising: determining a positioning gap configuration for positioning of the UE; performing radio link management associated with the positioning gap configuration; determining a location of the UE during a positioning gap; A method comprising:

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