Passive positioning using analog beamforming

Abstract

It is desirable to know the location of the user equipment (UE), such as a cellular phone. [Solution] A technique is provided for passive positioning of a user device (UE) using analog beamforming. An exemplary method for positioning a user device includes receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first base station in a first time, receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first base station, receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second base station in a second time, receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second base station, and determining the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first and second timing difference values.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Wireless communication systems have evolved through various generations, including the first-generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephone services (including interim 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, Internet-capable wireless services, fourth-generation (4G) services (such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), and fifth-generation (5G) services (such as 5G New Radio (NR)). Currently, there are many different types of wireless communication systems in use, including cellular and Personal Communication Service (PCS) systems. Examples of well-known cellular systems include the Cellular Analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and the Global System for Mobile Access (GSM) variant of TDMA.

[0002] Often, it is desirable to know the location of a user equipment (UE), such as a cellular phone, and the terms "location" and "position" are synonymous and used interchangeably herein. A Location Service (LCS) client may wish to know the location of the UE and may communicate with a location center to request the location of the UE. The location center and the UE may exchange messages as appropriate to obtain a location estimate for the UE. The location center may return the location estimate to the LCS client for use in, for example, one or more applications.

[0003] Obtaining the location of mobile devices accessing a wireless network can be useful for many applications, including, for example, emergency calls, personal navigation, asset tracking, and locating friends or family members. Existing positioning methods include those based on measuring radio signals transmitted from various devices, including satellite vehicles and ground radio sources within a wireless network, such as base stations and access points. [Overview of the Initiative] [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] An exemplary method for positioning a user device according to this disclosure includes receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time, receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node, receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in a second time, receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node, and determining the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first and second timing difference values.

[0005] Implementations of such methods may include one or more of the following features: Turnaround time and time-of-flight values ​​associated with a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal may be received. A first timing difference value may be received from a first wireless node, and a second timing difference value may be received from a second wireless node. The first and second timing difference values ​​may be received from a network server or serving station. The first timing difference value may be included in the first positioning reference signal, and a second timing difference value may be included in the second positioning reference signal. The first and second timing difference values ​​may be received via a higher-layer protocol. The first timing difference value may be associated with a beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal. The second wireless node may be a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal may be received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device. The first positioning reference signal may be transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node. The method may include determining a position estimate based at least in part on the difference in arrival time. The first and second positioning reference signals may be from the same or different frequency layers.

[0006] An exemplary method for providing a positioning reference signal according to this disclosure includes transmitting a positioning reference signal to a station in a first time, transmitting a positioning reference signal to a user device in a second time, and transmitting a timing difference value based on the first and second times to the user device.

[0007] Implementations of such methods may include one or more of the following features: Transmitting a positioning reference signal to a station may include beamforming the positioning reference signal based on the station's location. Transmitting a positioning reference signal to a user device may include beamforming the positioning reference signal based on the user device's location. The method may include receiving a second positioning reference signal from a station in a third time and transmitting the third time to the user device. Transmitting a positioning reference signal to a station in a first time may include transmitting a positioning reference signal from a second user device. Transmitting a positioning reference signal to a user device may include transmitting a sidelink signal to the user device. Timing difference values ​​may be transmitted via a higher-layer protocol. Timing difference values ​​may be transmitted to the user device using a positioning reference signal. The positioning reference signal may be transmitted via a sweep beam.

[0008] An exemplary apparatus for positioning user equipment according to this disclosure includes a memory, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time, receive a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node, receive a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in a second time, receive a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node, and determine the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first and second timing difference values.

[0009] Such an implementation of the device may include one or more of the following features: At least one processor may be further configured to receive turnaround time and time-of-flight values ​​associated with a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal. The first timing difference may be received from a first wireless node, and the second timing difference may be received from a second wireless node. The first and second timing difference may be received from a network server or serving station. The first timing difference may be included in the first positioning reference signal, and the second timing difference may be included in the second positioning reference signal. The first and second timing difference may be received via a higher-layer protocol. The first timing difference may be associated with a beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal. The second wireless node may be a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal may be received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device. A first positioning reference signal may be transmitted via a beam transmitted from a first wireless node. At least one processor may be further configured to determine a position estimate based at least in part on the difference in arrival time. The first and second positioning reference signals may be from the same or different frequency layers.

[0010] An exemplary apparatus for providing a positioning reference signal according to the present disclosure includes a memory, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor communically coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit a positioning reference signal to a station in a first time, transmit a positioning reference signal to a user device in a second time, and transmit a timing difference value based on the first time and the second time to the user device.

[0011] Such an implementation of the device may include one or more of the following features: At least one processor may be further configured to beamform a positioning reference signal based on the location of a station, beamform a positioning reference signal based on the location of a user device, receive a second positioning reference signal from the station in a third time, transmit it to the user device in a third time, transmit a positioning reference signal from the second user device, and transmit a sidelink signal to the user device. Timing difference values ​​may be transmitted via a higher-layer protocol. Timing difference values ​​may be transmitted to the user device using the positioning reference signal. At least one processor may be further configured to transmit the positioning reference signal via a sweep beam.

[0012] An exemplary apparatus for positioning user equipment according to this disclosure includes means for receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time; means for receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node; means for receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in a second time; means for receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node; and means for determining the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first and second timing difference values.

[0013] An exemplary apparatus for providing a positioning reference signal according to this disclosure includes means for transmitting a positioning reference signal to a station in a first time, means for transmitting a positioning reference signal to a user device in a second time, and means for transmitting a timing difference value based on the first time and the second time to the user device.

[0014] An exemplary non-temporary processor-readable storage medium provided for this disclosure, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to position a user device, includes: code for receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time; code for receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node; code for receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in a second time; code for receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node; and code for determining the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first and second timing difference values.

[0015] An exemplary non-temporary processor-readable storage medium provided herein, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to provide a positioning reference signal, includes a code for transmitting a positioning reference signal to a station in a first time, a code for transmitting a positioning reference signal to a user device in a second time, and a code for transmitting a timing difference value based on the first and second times to the user device.

[0016] The items and / or techniques described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as other capabilities not described herein: A first wireless node may transmit a beamformed positioning reference signal to a second wireless node in a first time and to a user device in a second time. The second wireless node may transmit a beamformed positioning reference signal to a first station in a third time and to a user device in a fourth time. The user device may utilize the difference between the arrival time of the beamformed positioning reference signal and the transmission time of the beamformed positioning reference signal to determine its position based on the reference signal time difference. The beamformed positioning reference signal may be a swept beam. Other capabilities may be provided, and not all of the capabilities described herein, nor any of them, must be provided in all implementations herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the components of an example user device shown. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the components of an example transmission / reception point. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the components of an example server. [Figure 5A] This figure shows an example of a downlink positioning reference signal resource set. [Figure 5B] This figure shows an example of a downlink positioning reference signal resource set. [Figure 5C] Figures 5A and 5B show an exemplary beam sweep configuration with the positioning reference signal resource set. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating an exemplary subframe format for transmitting a positioning reference signal. [Figure 7] This diagram shows an example round-trip time message flow between user equipment and a base station. [Figure 8] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary message flow for passive positioning of a user equipment. [Figure 9] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary message flow for passive positioning using analog beamforming. [Figure 10] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary message flow for passive positioning using a sweeping beam. [Figure 11] FIG. is a diagram showing an exemplary message flow for passive positioning using an inter-device sidelink. [Figure 12] FIG. is a diagram showing a process flow for an exemplary method for providing a positioning reference signal. [Figure 13] FIG. is a diagram showing a process flow for an exemplary method for passive positioning of a user equipment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] Techniques for passive positioning of user equipment (UEs) using analog beamforming are described herein. 5G NR includes several positioning methods, such as downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) arrival time difference (TDOA), DL departure angle (AoD), UL arrival angle (AoA), DL-start round-trip time (RTT), and combinations of these methods. Generally, some TDOA methods may require network synchronization. In contrast, RTT-based methods do not depend on network synchronization. Simultaneously positioning user equipment in high-density areas (e.g., stadiums, convention centers, Internet of Things (IoT) facilities, and Industrial IoT (IIoT)) can present challenges related to messaging and bandwidth limitations. For example, RTT methods require transmission from each UE and may therefore not be scalable in high-density UE environments. However, DL TDOA-based methods with time-synchronized NR networks can scale to a large number of devices without exceeding bandwidth limitations. For example, fixed-overhead positioning reference signal (PRS) transmissions from wireless nodes such as base stations can be used. PRS transmissions are independent of the number of UEs, and UEs are not required to transmit a response to the PRS transmission. The beamforming configuration of 5G NR presents challenges to passive positioning using PRS transmissions, as the relative locations of base stations and UEs may require different PRS beams.

[0019] The techniques provided herein utilize passive positioning techniques using analog beamforming. For example, a first wireless node may provide a first PRS to a second wireless node on a first beam and to a UE on the second beam. In response to receiving the first PRS beam from the first wireless node, the second wireless node may transmit a second PRS to the first wireless node on the first beam and to the UE on the second beam. The UE may be configured to use the difference in arrival times between the first and second PRS and the corresponding transmission times of the beams to calculate the TDOA position. These techniques and configurations are examples, and other techniques and configurations may be used.

[0020] Referring to Figure 1, an example of a communication system 100 includes a UE 105, a Radio Access Network (RAN) 135, here a fifth-generation (5G) next-generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN), and a 5G core network (5GC) 140. The UE 105 may be, for example, an IoT device, a location tracker device, a cellular phone, or other device. The 5G network is sometimes called a New Radio (NR) network, the NG-RAN 135 may be called a 5G RAN or NR RAN, and the 5GC 140 may be called an NG core network (NGC). Standardization of the NG-RAN and 5GC is underway in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®). Therefore, the NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 may comply with current or future standards from 3GPP for 5G support. The RAN 135 may be another type of RAN, such as a 3G RAN, a 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, etc. The communication system 100 may utilize information from constellation 185 of satellite vehicles (SV) 190, 191, 192, 193 for several other local or regional SPS such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Galileo, or Beidou (e.g., Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)), or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), or Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Additional components of the communication system 100 are described below. The communication system 100 may include additional or alternative components.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, NG-RAN135 includes NR node B (gNB) 110a, 110b, and next-generation e node B (ng-eNB) 114, and 5GC140 includes access and mobility management function (AMF) 115, session management function (SMF) 117, location management function (LMF) 120, and gateway mobile location center (GMLC) 125. gNB110a, 110b, and ng-eNB114 are communicatively coupled to each other and configured to communicate wirelessly bidirectionally with UE105, and each is communicatively coupled to AMF115 and configured to communicate bidirectionally with AMF115. AMF115, SMF117, LMF120, and GMLC125 are communicatively coupled to each other, and GMLC is communicatively coupled to external client 130. SMF117 can act as an initial contact point for service control functions (SCFs) (not shown) for creating, controlling, and deleting media sessions.

[0022] Figure 1 provides generalized examples of various components, any or all of which may be used as appropriate, and each of them may be duplicated or omitted as needed. In detail, one UE 105 is illustrated, but many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be used in the communication system 100. Similarly, the communication system 100 may include a larger (or smaller) number of SVs (i.e., more or fewer than the four SVs 190-193 shown), gNBs 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, external clients 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections connecting the various components in the communication system 100 may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks, data and signaling connections. Furthermore, the components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0023] Figure 1 shows a 5G-based network, but similar network implementations and configurations may be used for other communication technologies such as 3G and Long-Term Evolution (LTE). The implementations described herein (whether for 5G technology and / or for one or more other communication technologies and / or protocols) may be used to transmit (or broadcast) a directional synchronization signal, receive and measure the directional signal at a UE (e.g., UE105), and / or provide location assistance to UE105 (via GMLC125 or other location servers), and / or calculate the location relative to UE105 at a locatable device such as UE105, gNB110a, 110b, or LMF120 based on the measured quantities received at UE105 for such directionally transmitted signals. The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125, Location Management Function (LMF) 120, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 115, SMF 117, ng-eNB (e-node B) 114, and gNB (g-node B) 110a, 110b are examples and may be replaced by, or include, various other location server and / or base station functionalities in different embodiments.

[0024] The UE105 may comprise and / or be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) enabled terminal (SET), or any other name. Furthermore, the UE105 may correspond to a cell phone, smartphone, laptop, tablet, PDA, tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, asset tracker, health monitor, security system, smart city sensor, smart meter, wearable tracker, or any other portable or mobile device. While not always the case, the UE105 can typically support wireless communications using one or more radio access technologies (RATs), such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA®), LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 WiFi (also known as Wi-Fi), Bluetooth® (BT), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), and 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN135 and 5GC140). The UE105 can also support wireless communications using, for example, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) that may connect to other networks (e.g., the Internet) using a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or packet cable. The use of one or more of these RATs may enable UE105 to communicate with an external client 130 (for example, via an element of 5GC140, not shown in Figure 1, or possibly via GMLC125), and / or enable the external client 130 to receive location information about UE105 (for example, via GMLC125).

[0025] UE105 may include a single entity or multiple entities, such as within a personal area network, where the user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O (input / output) devices, as well as / or body sensors, and separate wireline or wireless modems. The location estimate of UE105 may be called location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, location estimate, or location fix, and may be geographical and therefore provide location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) relative to UE105, and such location coordinates may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level, ground level, floor level, or basement level, or depth below). Alternatively, the location of UE105 may be expressed as an urban location (e.g., as a postal address or designation for several points or narrow areas within a building, such as a particular room or floor). The location of UE105 may be expressed as an area or volume (defined either geographically or by urban form) in which UE105 is expected to be located with some probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%). The location of UE105 may be expressed as a relative location, for example, with distance and direction from a known location. The relative location may be expressed as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined in comparison to some origin in a known location, which may be defined, for example, geographically, in urban terms, or by reference to a point, area, or volume shown on a map, plan, or building plan. In the descriptions contained herein, the use of the term location may include any of these variations unless otherwise specified. When calculating the location of a UE, it is common to determine local x, y, and possibly z coordinate values, and then, if desired, convert the local coordinates to absolute coordinates (e.g., with respect to latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0026] UE105 may be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of various technologies. UE105 may be configured to indirectly connect to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. D2D P2P links may be supported using any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT), such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), or Bluetooth®. One or more of a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographical coverage area of ​​a transmit / receive point (TRP), such as one or more of gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114. Other UEs in such a group may be outside such geographical coverage area or may not be able to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE can transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP may facilitate the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication can be performed between UEs without the involvement of TRP.

[0027] The base station (BS) in NG-RAN135 shown in Figure 1 includes NR node B, called gNB110a and 110b. The pair of gNB110a and 110b in NG-RAN135 may be connected to each other via one or more other gNBs. Access to the 5G network is provided to UE105 via wireless communication between UE105 and one or more of the gNB110a and 110b, thereby providing wireless communication with access to 5GC140 instead of UE105 using 5G. In Figure 1, it is assumed that the serving gNB for UE105 is gNB110a, but another gNB (e.g., gNB110b) may act as the serving gNB if UE105 moves to a different location, or as a secondary gNB to provide UE105 with additional throughput and bandwidth.

[0028] The base station (BS) in NG-RAN135 shown in Figure 1 may include an ng-eNB114, also called a next-generation advanced node B. The ng-eNB114 may be connected to one or more of the gNB110a, 110b in NG-RAN135, possibly via one or more other gNBs and / or one or more other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB114 may provide LTE wireless access and / or advanced LTE (eLTE) wireless access to the UE105. One or more of the gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114 may be configured to function as a positioning-only beacon, which may transmit signals to help determine the location of the UE105, but may not receive signals from the UE105 or other UEs.

[0029] BS110a, 110b, and 114 may each have one or more TRPs. For example, each sector within a BS cell may have a TRP, but multiple TRPs may share one or more components (e.g., they may share a processor but have separate antennas). System 100 may include macro-TRPs, or system 100 may have different types of TRPs, such as macro-TRPs, pico-TRPs, and / or femto-TRPs. Macro-TRPs may cover relatively large geographical areas (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may enable unrestricted access by terminals subscribing to the service. Pico-TRPs may cover relatively small geographical areas (e.g., picocells) and may enable unrestricted access by terminals subscribing to the service. Femto-TRPs or home-TRPs may cover relatively small geographical areas (e.g., femtocells) and may enable limited access by terminals associated with femtocells (e.g., terminals for users in their homes).

[0030] As mentioned above, Figure 1 shows a node configured to communicate according to the 5G communication protocol, but nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols, such as the LTE protocol or the IEEE 802.11x protocol, may be used. For example, in an Advanced Packet System (EPS) providing LTE wireless access to UE105, the RAN may comprise an Advanced Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) which may comprise base stations equipped with Advanced Node B (eNB). The core network for the EPS may comprise an Advanced Packet Core (EPC). The EPS may comprise the E-UTRAN plus the EPC, where in Figure 1, the E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN135 and the EPC corresponds to 5GC140.

[0031] The gNB110a, 110b, and ng-eNB114 may communicate with the AMF115, which in turn communicates with the LMF120 for positioning functionality. The AMF115 may support the mobility of the UE105, including cell changes and handovers, and may be involved in signaling connections to the UE105, as well as potentially supporting data and voice bearers for the UE105. The LMF120 may communicate directly with the UE105, for example, through wireless communication. The LMF120 may support the positioning of UE105 when UE105 accesses NG-RAN135, and may support positioning procedures / methods such as A-GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA), Real-time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Extended Cell ID (E-CID), Angle of Arrival (AOA), Angle of Departure (AOD), and / or other positioning methods. The LMF120 can process location service requests for UE105 received, for example, from AMF115 or GMLC125. The LMF120 may be connected to AMF115 and / or GMLC125. The LMF120 may be referred to by other names, such as Location Manager (LM), Location Function (LF), Commercial LMF (CLMF), or Value Added LMF (VLMF). Nodes / systems implementing the LMF120 may also implement other types of location support modules, such as Extended Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP), as additions or alternatives.At least part of the positioning functionality (including the derivation of the UE105's location) may be performed in the UE105 (for example, using signal measurements acquired by the UE105 for signals transmitted by wireless nodes such as gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114, and / or supporting data provided to the UE105 by LMF120, for example).

[0032] GMLC125 may support location requests for UE105 received from an external client 130, and may forward such location requests to AMF115 for forwarding to LMF120 by AMF115, or may forward the location requests directly to LMF120. A location response from LMF120 (including, for example, a location estimate for UE105) may be returned to GMLC125 either directly or via AMF115, and GMLC125 may then return the location response (including, for example, a location estimate) to the external client 130. GMLC125 is illustrated as connected to both AMF115 and LMF120, although one of these connections may be supported by 5GC140 in some implementations.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the LMF120 may communicate with gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114 using the New Radio Positioning Protocol A (sometimes called NPPa or NRPPa), which may be specified in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa may be the same as, similar to, or an extension of LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPa) as specified in 3GPP TS36.455, and NRPPa messages are transmitted via the AMF115 between gNB110a (or gNB110b) and the LMF120, and / or between ng-eNB114 and the LMF120. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the LMF120 and UE105 may communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP), which may be specified in 3GPP TS36.355. LMF120 and UE105 may communicate using the New Radio Positioning Protocol (sometimes called NPP or NRPP), which may be the same as, similar to, or an extension of LPP. Here, LPP and / or NPP messages may be forwarded between UE105 and LMF120 via AMF115 and serving gNB110a, 110b, or serving ng-eNB114 for UE105. For example, LPP and / or NPP messages may be forwarded between LMF120 and AMF115 using the 5G Location Services Application Protocol (LCS AP), and between AMF115 and UE105 using the 5G Non-Access Layer (NAS) protocol. The LPP and / or NPP protocols may be used to support positioning of UE105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods such as A-GNSS, RTK, OTDOA, and / or E-CID.The NRPPa protocol may be used to support the positioning of the UE105 using a network-based positioning method such as E-CID (for example, when used with measurements obtained by gNB110a, 110b, or ng-eNB114), and / or LMF120 may use it to obtain location-related information from gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114, such as parameters defining directional SS transmissions from gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114.

[0034] Using a UE-assisted positioning method, UE105 may acquire location measurements and send these measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF120) for the calculation of a location estimate for UE105. For example, location measurements may include one or more of the following for gNB110a, 110b, ng-eNB114, and / or WLAN APs: Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Round-Trip Signal Propagation Time (RTT), Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and / or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ). Location measurements may also include, or alternatively, GNSS pseudorange, code phase, and / or carrier phase measurements for SV190-193.

[0035] Using a UE-based positioning method, UE105 may acquire location measurements (which may be the same as or similar to, for example, location measurements for a UE-assisted positioning method) and calculate the location of UE105 (for example, with the help of support data received from a location server such as LMF120, or broadcast by gNB110a, 110b, ng-eNB114, or other base stations or APs).

[0036] Using a network-based location method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114) or APs may acquire and / or receive location measurements (e.g., RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, or Time of Arrival (TOA) measurements for a signal transmitted by UE105). One or more base stations or APs may send the measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF120) for the calculation of a location estimate for UE105.

[0037] The information provided to the LMF120 by gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114 using NRPPa may include timing and configuration information for directional PRS or SS transmissions, as well as location coordinates. The LMF120 may provide some or all of this information to the UE105 as supporting data in LPP and / or NPP messages via NG-RAN135 and 5GC140.

[0038] An LPP or NPP message sent from the LMF120 to the UE105 may instruct the UE105 to do one of a variety of things, depending on the desired functionality. For example, an LPP or NPP message may include an instruction for the UE105 to obtain measurements for GNSS (or A-GNSS), WLAN, E-CID, and / or OTDOA (or some other positioning method). In the case of E-CID, an LPP or NPP message may instruct the UE105 to obtain one or more measured quantities (e.g., beam ID, beamwidth, mean angle, RSRP, RSRQ measurements) of a directional signal transmitted within a particular cell supported by one or more of the gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114 (or supported by some other type of base station such as an eNB or WiFi AP). UE105 may send the measured quantity back to LMF120 via serving gNB110a (or serving ng-eNB114) and AMF115 within an LPP or NPP message (for example, inside a 5G NAS message).

[0039] As stated, the communication system 100 is described in relation to 5G technology, but the communication system 100 may be implemented to support other communication technologies such as GSM, WCDMA, and LTE (for example, to perform voice, data, positioning, and other functionalities) used to support and interact with mobile devices such as UE105. In some such embodiments, 5GC140 may be configured to control different air interfaces. For example, 5GC140 may be connected to a WLAN using a non-3GPP interworking function in 5GC140 (N3IWF, not shown in Figure 1). For example, the WLAN may support IEEE802.11 WiFi access for UE105 and may comprise one or more WiFi APs. Here, the N3IWF may connect to the WLAN and to other elements in 5GC140 such as AMF115. In some embodiments, both NG-RAN135 and 5GC140 may be replaced by one or more other RANs and one or more other core networks. For example, in an EPS, NG-RAN135 may be replaced by an E-UTRAN including an eNB, and 5GC140 may be replaced by an EPC including a Mobility Management Entity (MME) instead of AMF115, an E-SMLC instead of LMF120, and a GMLC which may be similar to GMLC125. In such an EPS, the E-SMLC may use LPPa instead of NRPPa to send and receive location information to and from the eNB within the E-UTRAN, and may use LPP to support the positioning of UE105. In these other embodiments, the positioning of UE105 using a directional PRS may be supported in a manner similar to that described herein for 5G networks, the difference being that the functions and procedures described herein for gNB110a, 110b, ng-eNB114, AMF115, and LMF120 may, in some cases, be applied instead to other network elements such as eNBs, WiFi APs, MMEs, and E-SMLCs.

[0040] As described above, in some embodiments, positioning functionality may be performed, at least in part, using directional SS beams transmitted by base stations (such as gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB114) that are within range of the UE (e.g., UE105 in Figure 1) whose position will be determined. In some cases, the UE may use directional SS beams from multiple base stations (such as gNB110a, 110b, and ng-eNB114) to calculate the position of the UE.

[0041] Referring also to Figure 2, UE200 is an example of UE105 and comprises a computing platform including a processor 210, memory 211 including software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for transceivers 215 (including a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250), a user interface 216, a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 217, a camera 218, and a position (motion) device 219. The processor 210, memory 211, sensors 213, transceiver interface 214, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, and position (motion) device 219 may be coupled to communicate with each other by a bus 220 (which may be configured for optical and / or telecommunications, for example). One or more of the illustrated devices (for example, camera 218, position (motion) device 219, and / or one or more of sensors 213, etc.) may be omitted from UE200. The processor 210 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor 210 may comprise multiple processors, including a general-purpose / application processor 230, a digital signal processor (DSP) 231, a modem processor 232, a video processor 233, and / or a sensor processor 234. One or more of the processors 230-234 may comprise multiple devices (e.g., multiple processors). For example, the sensor processor 234 may comprise processors for radar, ultrasound, and / or lidar, for example. The modem processor 232 may support dual SIM / dual connectivity (or even more SIMs). For example, one SIM (subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module) may be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and another SIM may be used by the end user of the UE200 for connectivity.Memory 211 is a non-temporary storage medium that may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 211 stores software 212, which may be processor-readable processor-executable software code, containing instructions configured to cause the processor 210 to perform various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 212 may not be directly executable by the processor 210, but may be configured, for example, to cause the processor 210 to perform functions when compiled and executed. This description may refer to the processor 210 performing functions, including other implementations such as the processor 210 executing software and / or firmware. This description may refer to the processor 210 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more of the processors 230-234 performing functions. This description may refer to the UE200 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the UE200 performing functions. The processor 210 may include, in addition to and / or instead of, memory 211, memory in which instructions are stored. The functionality of the processor 210 will be explained more thoroughly below.

[0042] The configuration of the UE200 shown in Figure 2 is an example of the present disclosure, including the claims, and is not limited thereto; other configurations may be used. For example, an exemplary configuration of the UE includes one or more of the processors 230-234 of the processor 210, memory 211, and wireless transceivers 240. Other exemplary configurations include one or more of the processors 230-234 of the processor 210, memory 211, and wireless transceivers 240, as well as one or more of the sensors 213, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, PMD 219, and / or wired transceiver 250.

[0043] The UE200 may include a modem processor 232 capable of performing baseband processing on signals received and downconverted by the transceiver 215 and / or the SPS receiver 217. The modem processor 232 may perform baseband processing on signals so that they are upconverted for transmission by the transceiver 215. Alternatively, baseband processing may be performed by a processor 230 and / or a DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform baseband processing.

[0044] The UE200 may include a sensor 213, which may include, for example, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 270, one or more magnetometers 271, and / or one or more environmental sensors 272. The IMU 270 may comprise one or more inertial sensors, for example, one or more accelerometers 273 (which collectively respond to the acceleration of the UE200 in three dimensions), and / or one or more gyroscopes 274. The magnetometers may provide measurements for determining orientation (for example, compared to magnetic north and / or true north), which can be used for any of a variety of purposes, for example, to support one or more compass applications. The environmental sensors 272 may comprise, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more barometric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones. The sensor 213 can generate analog and / or digital signal representations that can be stored in memory 211 and processed by DSP 231 and / or processor 230 when supporting one or more applications, such as applications targeting positioning and / or navigation operations.

[0045] Sensor 213 may be used in relative location measurement, relative location determination, motion determination, etc. Information detected by sensor 213 may be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based location determination, and / or sensor-assisted location determination. Sensor 213 may be useful in determining whether UE200 is stationary or portable and / or whether some useful information regarding UE200's mobility should be reported to server 120. For example, based on information acquired / measured by sensor 213, UE200 may notify / report to server 120 that UE200 has detected movement or has moved, and may report relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning, or sensor-based or sensor-assisted location determination enabled by sensor 213). In another example, with respect to relative positioning information, the sensor / IMU may be used to determine the angle and / or bearing of other devices relative to UE200, etc.

[0046] The IMU270 may be configured to provide measurements of the direction and / or velocity of motion of the UE200, which may be used in relative location determination. For example, one or more accelerometers 273 and / or one or more gyroscopes 274 of the IMU270 may detect the linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the UE200, respectively. Measurements of the linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the UE200 may be integrated over time to determine the instantaneous direction and displacement of motion of the UE200. The instantaneous direction and displacement of motion may be integrated to track the location of the UE200. For example, the reference location of the UE200 may be determined for a given moment using, for example, an SPS receiver 217 (and / or by some other means), and measurements from the accelerometers 273 and gyroscopes 274 taken after this moment may be used in dead reckoning to determine the current location of the UE200 based on the movement (direction and distance) of the UE200 compared to the reference location.

[0047] The magnetometer 271 can determine the magnetic field strength in different directions, which can be used to determine the orientation of the UE200. For example, orientation may be used to provide a digital compass to the UE200. The magnetometer 271 may include a two-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and display the magnetic field strength in two orthogonal dimensions. Similarly or alternatively, the magnetometer 271 may include a three-dimensional magnetometer configured to detect and display the magnetic field strength in three orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometer 271 may provide means for sensing the magnetic field and providing a display of the magnetic field to, for example, the processor 210.

[0048] The transceiver 215 may include a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250, respectively, configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections. For example, the wireless transceiver 240 may include a transmitter 242 and a receiver 244 coupled to one or more antennas 246 to transmit and / or receive (for example, on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) a wireless signal 248, and convert the signal from the wireless signal 248 to a wired (for example, electrical and / or optical) signal and from the wired (for example, electrical and / or optical) signal to the wireless signal 248. Thus, the transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components, and / or the receiver 244 may include multiple receivers, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components. The Wireless Transceiver 240 can be configured to communicate signals (e.g., with TRP and / or one or more other devices) in accordance with various Radio Access Technologies (RATs), such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (Vehicle-to-Vehicle / Vehicle-to-Infrastructure), (PC5), V2C (Uu), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth®, and Zigbee. New Radio may use mm-wave frequencies and / or sub-6GHz frequencies. The wired transceiver 250 may include, for example, a transmitter 252 and a receiver 254 configured for wired communication with network 135 in order to send communications to and receive communications from gNB110a.The transmitter 252 may include multiple transmitters, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components, and / or the receiver 254 may include multiple receivers, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components. The wired transceiver 250 may be configured, for example, for optical and / or telecommunications. The transceiver 215 may be communicatively coupled to the transceiver interface 214, for example, by optical and / or electrical connections. The transceiver interface 214 may be integrated with the transceiver 215, at least in part.

[0049] The user interface 216 may include one or more of several devices, such as a speaker, microphone, display device, vibration device, keyboard, and touchscreen. The user interface 216 may include two or more of these devices. The user interface 216 may be configured to allow a user to interact with one or more applications hosted by the UE200. For example, the user interface 216 may store representations of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 so that they are processed by the DSP231 and / or general-purpose processor 230 in response to user actions. Similarly, an application hosted on the UE200 may store representations of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 to present output signals to the user. The user interface 216 may include audio input / output (I / O) devices, such as a speaker, microphone, digital-analog circuit configuration, analog-digital circuit configuration, amplifier, and / or gain control circuit configuration (including two or more of these devices). Other configurations of audio I / O devices may be used. Alternatively, the user interface 216 may include, for example, one or more touch sensors that respond to touch and / or pressure on the keyboard and / or touchscreen of the user interface 216.

[0050] An SPS receiver 217 (for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver) may be capable of receiving and acquiring SPS signals 260 via an SPS antenna 262. Antenna 262 may be configured to convert wireless signals 260 to wired signals, such as electrical or optical signals, and may be integrated with antenna 246. The SPS receiver 217 may be configured to process the acquired SPS signals 260 whole or partially in order to estimate the location of the UE 200. For example, the SPS receiver 217 may be configured to use the SPS signals 260 to determine the location of the UE 200 by trilateration. A general-purpose processor 230, memory 211, DSP 231, and / or one or more specialized processors (not shown) may be used in conjunction with the SPS receiver 217 to process the acquired SPS signals whole or partially and / or to calculate the estimated location of the UE 200. Memory 211 may store representations (e.g., measured values) of the SPS signal 260 and / or other signals (e.g., signals obtained from the wireless transceiver 240) for use when performing positioning operations. The general-purpose processor 230, DSP 231, and / or one or more specialized processors, and / or memory 211 may provide or support a location engine for use when processing measured values ​​to estimate the location of the UE200.

[0051] The UE200 may include a camera 218 for capturing still images or video. The camera 218 may include, for example, an imaging sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device or CMOS imager), a lens, an analog-digital circuit configuration, a frame buffer, and the like. Additional processing, adjustment, encoding, and / or compression of the signal representing the captured image may be performed by a general-purpose processor 230 and / or DSP 231. Similarly or alternatively, a video processor 233 may perform adjustment, encoding, compression, and / or manipulation of the signal representing the captured image. The video processor 233 may decode / decompress the stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown) of the user interface 216.

[0052] The position (motion) device (PMD) 219 may be configured to determine the position and possibly the motion of the UE 200. For example, the PMD 219 may communicate with and / or include part or all of the SPS receiver 217. The PMD 219 may also or alternatively be configured to determine the location of the UE 200 using ground-based signals (e.g., at least some of signals 248) to assist in acquiring and using the SPS signal 260 for trilateration, or both. The PMD 219 may be configured to use one or more other techniques for determining the location of the UE 200 (e.g., relying on the UE's self-reporting location (e.g., part of the UE's location beacon)), and may use a combination of techniques (e.g., SPS signals and ground positioning signals) to determine the location of the UE 200. PMD219 may include one or more sensors 213 (e.g., gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, etc.) that can sense the orientation and / or motion of UE200 and can provide an indication that a processor 210 (e.g., processor 230 and / or DSP231) may use them to determine the motion of UE200 (e.g., velocity vectors and / or acceleration vectors). PMD219 may be configured to provide an indication of uncertainty and / or error in the determined position and / or motion.

[0053] Referring also to Figure 3, examples of the TRP300 in BS110a, 110b, and 114 include a computing platform comprising a processor 310, a memory 311 containing software (SW) 312, a transceiver 315, and (optionally) an SPS receiver 317. The processor 310, memory 311, transceiver 315, and SPS receiver 317 may be coupled to each other communicatively by a bus 320 (which may be configured, for example, for optical and / or telecommunications). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., a wireless interface and / or SPS receiver 317) may be omitted from the TRP300. The SPS receiver 317 may be configured similarly to the SPS receiver 217 to enable receiving and acquiring SPS signals 360 via an SPS antenna 362. The processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 310 may comprise multiple processors (including, for example, a general-purpose / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, as shown in Figure 2). Memory 311 is a non-temporary storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 311 stores software 312, which may be processor-readable processor-executable software code, containing instructions configured, when executed, to cause the processor 310 to perform various functions described herein. Alternatively, the software 312 does not have to be directly executable by the processor 310, but may be configured, for example, to cause the processor 310 to perform functions when compiled and executed. This description may refer to the processor 310 performing functions, including other implementations such as the processor 310 executing software and / or firmware.This description may refer to "processor 310 performing a function" as an abbreviation for one or more of the processors contained within processor 310 performing a function. This description may refer to "TRP300 performing a function" as an abbreviation for one or more suitable components of TRP300 (and therefore one of BS110a, 110b, or 114) performing a function. Processor 310 may include, in addition to and / or instead of memory 311, memory in which instructions are stored. The functionality of processor 310 will be described more thoroughly below.

[0054] The transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and a wired transceiver 350, respectively, configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections. For example, the wireless transceiver 340 may include a transmitter 342 and a receiver 344 coupled to one or more antennas 346 to transmit and / or receive a wireless signal 348 (for example, on one or more uplink channels) and / or receive it (for example, on one or more downlink channels), and to convert the signal from the wireless signal 348 to a wired (for example, electrical and / or optical) signal and from the wired (for example, electrical and / or optical) signal to the wireless signal 348. Thus, the transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components, and / or the receiver 344 may include multiple receivers, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 may be configured to communicate signals (for example, with UE200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices) in accordance with various radio access technologies (RATs), such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth®, and Zigbee. The wired transceiver 350 may include a transmitter 352 and a receiver 354 configured for wired communication with network 140, for example, to send communications to and receive communications from server 120. The transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components, and / or the receiver 354 may include multiple receivers, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components.The wired transceiver 350 may be configured, for example, for optical and / or telecommunications.

[0055] The configuration of the TRP300 shown in Figure 3 is an example of the present disclosure, including the claims, and is not limited thereto; other configurations may be used. For example, the description herein describes how the TRP300 may be configured to perform or to perform several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by the server 120 and / or UE200 (i.e., the server 120 and / or UE200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0056] Referring also to Figure 4, an example of server 120 comprises a computing platform including a processor 410, memory 411 containing software (SW) 412, and transceiver 415. The processor 410, memory 411, and transceiver 415 may be coupled to each other communicatively by a bus 420 (which may be configured for, for example, optical and / or telecommunications). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., a wireless interface) may be omitted from server 400. The processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 410 may comprise multiple processors (including, for example, a general-purpose / application processor, a DSP, a modem processor, a video processor, and / or a sensor processor, as shown in Figure 2). The memory 411 is a non-temporary storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk memory, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 411 stores software 412, which may be processor-readable processor-executable software code, containing instructions configured to cause the processor 410 to perform various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, the software 412 may not be directly executable by the processor 410, but may be configured, for example, to cause the processor 410 to perform functions when compiled and executed. This description may refer to the processor 410 performing functions, including other implementations such as the processor 410 executing software and / or firmware. This description may refer to the processor 410 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more processors contained within the processor 410 performing functions. This description may refer to the server 400 (or server 120) performing functions as a shorthand for one or more suitable components of the server 400 (e.g., server 120) performing functions.The processor 410 may include, in addition to and / or instead of, memory 411, memory in which instructions are stored. The functionality of the processor 410 will be explained more thoroughly below.

[0057] The transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and a wired transceiver 450, respectively, configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections. For example, the wireless transceiver 440 may include a transmitter 442 and a receiver 444 coupled to one or more antennas 446 to transmit and / or receive a wireless signal 448 (for example, over one or more downlink channels) and / or receive it (for example, over one or more uplink channels), and to convert the signal from the wireless signal 448 to a wired (for example, electrical and / or optical) signal and from the wired (for example, electrical and / or optical) signal to the wireless signal 448. Thus, the transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters, which may be individual components or a composite / integrated component, and / or the receiver 444 may include multiple receivers, which may be individual components or a composite / integrated component. The wireless transceiver 440 may be configured to communicate signals (for example, with UE200, one or more other UEs, and / or one or more other devices) in accordance with various radio access technologies (RATs), such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth®, and Zigbee. The wired transceiver 450 may include a transmitter 452 and a receiver 454 configured for wired communication with network 135, for example, to send communications to and receive communications from TRP300. The transmitter 452 may include a plurality of transmitters, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components, and / or the receiver 454 may include a plurality of receivers, which may be individual components or composite / integrated components.The wired transceiver 450 may be configured, for example, for optical and / or telecommunications.

[0058] The configuration of the server 400 shown in Figure 4 is an example of the present disclosure, including the claims, and is not limited thereto; other configurations may be used. For example, the wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Similarly, or alternatively, the description herein describes how the server 400 may be configured to perform or to perform several functions, one or more of which may be performed by the TRP 300 and / or UE 200 (i.e., the TRP 300 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0059] Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, exemplary downlink PRS resource sets are shown. Generally, a PRS resource set is a collection of PRS resources across a single base station (e.g., TRP300) that have the same periodicity, common muting pattern configuration, and the same repetition factor across slots. The first PRS resource set 502 contains four resources and an repetition factor of 4, with a time gap equal to one slot. The second PRS resource set 504 contains four resources and an repetition factor of 4, with a time gap equal to four slots. The repetition factor indicates the number of times each PRS resource is repeated within each single instance of the PRS resource set (e.g., values ​​of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32). The time gap represents the offset in units of slots between two repeated instances of a PRS resource corresponding to the same PRS resource ID within a single instance of the PRS resource set (e.g., values ​​of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32). The duration extended by a single set of PRS resources, including repeated PRS resources, does not exceed the PRS periodicity. The repetition of PRS resources allows the receiver beam to sweep across the repetitions and synthesize RF gains to increase coverage. Repetitions can also enable in-instance muting.

[0060] Referring to Figure 5C with further reference to Figures 5A and 5B, an exemplary beam-sweep configuration 510 is shown. Generally, higher frequency (e.g., millimeter-wave) communication systems may utilize beamforming techniques to direct transmit and receive beams. For example, a multi-element antenna array 512 may be configured to utilize beamforming to transmit PRS. One or more analog and / or digital circuits in one or more transceivers may be configured to vary the azimuth and beamwidth of multiple PRS transmissions, such as a first resource 514a, a second resource 514b, a third resource 514c, and a fourth resource 514d. The number, angles, and beamwidths of beams shown in Figure 5C are examples, not limitations, as the antenna array 512 may be configured to beamform various beams with different azimuths and beamwidths. In one example, the antenna array 512 may be a two-dimensional array configured to generate beams with various azimuths and elevations. Generally, in analog beamforming, analog phase shifters may be used to amplify the beam and direct it along the desired azimuth and / or altitude. Typically, when using beamforming, all four beams (e.g., resources 514a-d) are not active simultaneously. Beam sweeping may be used to activate the beams in an established order. For example, referring to Figure 5A, the first resource 514a may be active from slot n to slot n+3, the second resource 514b may be active from slot n+4 to slot n+7, the third resource 514c may be active from slot n+8 to slot n+11, and the fourth resource 514d may be active from slot n+12 to slot n+15. Additional resources and timing changes may also be used. In another example, referring to Figure 5B, each of resources 514a-d may be active for one slot before moving to the next resource. In general, the term beam sweep can be used to describe the planned progress of resources using beamforming techniques.For example, beam sweeping can be used to advance resources based on clockwise or counterclockwise movement relative to an antenna array. In another example, the beam sweep signal may utilize other planned beam progression, such as from inside to outside (e.g., in the order 514b, 514c, 514a, 514d) or from outside to inside (e.g., in the order 514a, 514d, 514b, 514c), or other planned progression based on the number and orientation of resources. In contrast to beam sweeping, beamforming techniques can also be used to generate individual beams without planned progression. For example, specific resources may be selected based on the known location of another station or UE. Thus, beamforming can be used to establish connections with other stations when needed (i.e., without waiting for a beam sweep cycle).

[0061] Referring to Figure 6, an exemplary subframe and slot format for transmitting a positioning reference signal is shown. The exemplary subframe and slot format is included in the PRS resource set shown in Figures 5A to 5C. The subframe and slot formats in Figure 6 are examples, not limitations, and include Com 2 602 with a 2-symbol format, Com 4 604 with a 4-symbol format, Com 2 606 with a 12-symbol format, Com 4 608 with a 12-symbol format, Com 6 610 with a 6-symbol format, Com 12 612 with a 12-symbol format, Com 2 614 with a 6-symbol format, and Com 6 616 with a 12-symbol format. Generally, a subframe may contain 14 symbol periods with indices 0 to 13. The subframe and slot format can be used for a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). Typically, a base station may transmit PRS from antenna port 6 on one or more slots in each subframe configured for PRS transmission. Base stations may avoid transmitting PRS on resource elements allocated to PBCH, primary synchronization signal (PSS), or secondary synchronization signal (SSS), regardless of their antenna ports. Cells may generate reference symbols for PRS based on cell ID, symbol duration index, and slot index. Generally, UEs may be able to distinguish PRS from different cells.

[0062] A base station may transmit a PRS over a specific PRS bandwidth that may be configured by higher layers. A base station may transmit a PRS over subcarriers spaced apart across the PRS bandwidth. A base station may also transmit a PRS based on parameters such as PRS periodicity (TPRS), subframe offset (PRS), and PRS duration (NPRS). PRS periodicity is the periodicity in which the PRS is transmitted. The PRS periodicity may be, for example, 160, 320, 640, or 1280 ms. The subframe offset indicates the specific subframe in which the PRS is transmitted. The PRS duration indicates the number of consecutive subframes in which the PRS is transmitted during each period of PRS transmission (PRS occasion). The PRS duration may be, for example, 1, 2, 4, or 6 ms.

[0063] PRS periodic TPRS and subframe offset PRS can be transmitted via PRS configuration index IPRS. The PRS configuration index and PRS duration may be configured independently by the upper layer. A set of NPRS consecutive subframes in which the PRS is transmitted may be called a PRS occasion. Each PRS occasion may be enabled or muted; for example, a UE may apply muting bits to each cell. A PRS resource set is a collection of PRS resources across base stations having the same periodicity, a common muting pattern configuration, and the same repetition coefficient across slots (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32 slots).

[0064] Generally, the PRS resources shown in Figures 5A to 5C may be a set of resource elements used for PRS transmission. The set of resource elements can spread across multiple physical resource blocks (PRBs) in the frequency domain and across N (e.g., one or more) consecutive symbols within a slot in the time domain. Within a given OFDM symbol, the PRS resource occupies consecutive PRBs. A PRS resource is represented by at least the following parameters: a PRS resource identifier (ID), a sequence ID, a comb size N, a resource element offset in the frequency domain, a starting slot and starting symbol, the number of symbols per PRS resource (i.e., the duration of the PRS resource), and QCL information (e.g., QCL with other DL reference signals). Currently, one antenna port is supported. The comb size indicates the number of subcarriers in each symbol carrying the PRS. For example, a comb size of 4 means that every four subcarriers of a given symbol carry the PRS.

[0065] A PRS resource set is a set of PRS resources used for transmitting PRS signals, where each PRS resource has a PRS resource ID. In addition, PRS resources within a PRS resource set are associated with the same transmit / receive point (e.g., TRP300). A PRS resource set is identified by its PRS resource set ID and may be associated with a specific TRP (identified by its cell ID) transmitted by the base station's antenna panel. A PRS resource ID within a PRS resource set is associated with a single beam (and / or beam ID) transmitted from a single base station (if the base station can transmit one or more beams). Each PRS resource in a PRS resource set may be transmitted on a different beam; therefore, a PRS resource, or simply a resource, may also be referred to as a beam. It should be noted that this does not imply whether the base station and PRS know the beam transmitted on it to the UE.

[0066] In one example, the positioning frequency layer may be a collection of PRS resource sets across one or more base stations. The positioning frequency layer may have the same subcarrier spacing (SCS) and cyclic prefix (CP) type, the same point A, the same DL PRS bandwidth, the same starting PRB, and the same comb size. Numerologies supported for PDSCH may be supported for PRS.

[0067] A PRS occasion is one instance of a periodically repeating time window (for example, a group of one or more consecutive slots) in which a PRS is expected to be transmitted. A PRS occasion may also be called a PRS positioning occasion, positioning occasion, or simply an occasion.

[0068] Please note that the terms "positioning reference signal" and "PRS" refer to reference signals that may be used for positioning, including, but are not limited to, the PRS signal in LTE, the Navigation Reference Signal (NRS), Downlink Positioning Reference Signal (DL-PRS), Uplink Positioning Reference Signal (UL-PRS), Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), Cell-Specific Reference Signal (CRS), Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) in 5G.

[0069] Referring to Figure 7, an exemplary round-trip message flow 700 between user equipment 705 and base station 710 is shown. UE705 is an example of UE105, 200, and base station 710 may be gNB110a~b or ng-eNB114. Generally, RTT positioning methods determine the distance between two entities by utilizing the time it takes for a signal to travel from one entity to another and back. This distance, plus the known location of a first entity and the angle (e.g., azimuth) between the two entities, may be used to determine the location of a second entity. In multi-RTT (also called multi-cell RTT), multiple distances from one entity (e.g., UE) to another entity (e.g., TRP), and the known location of the other entity may be used to determine the location of the first entity. The exemplary message flow 700 may be initiated by base station 710 with an RTT session configured message 702. The base station may utilize LPP / NRPPa messaging to establish an RTT session. At time T1, base station 710 may transmit DL PRS 704, which is received by UE 705 at time T2. In response, UE 705 may transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS) for positioning message 706 at time T3, which is received by base station 710 at time T4. The distance between UE 705 and base station 710 is:

[0070]

number

[0071] However, c = speed of light It can be calculated as follows.

[0072] In densely populated operating environments where many UEs exchange RTT messages with base stations, the bandwidth required for UL SRS for positioning messages can result in significant messaging overhead and may utilize excess network bandwidth. Passive positioning techniques can reduce the bandwidth required for positioning by eliminating or reducing transmissions from UEs.

[0073] Referring to Figure 8, an exemplary message flow 800 for passive positioning of user device 805 is shown. The message flow includes UE805, a first base station 810, and a second base station 812. UE805 is an example of UE105,200, and base stations 810,812 are examples of gNB110a~b or ng-eNB114. Generally, the TDOA positioning technique uses the difference in elapsed time between one entity and another entity to determine the relative distance from the other entity, and the relative distance combined with the known location of the other entity may be used to determine the location of that one entity. The angle of arrival and / or the angle of departure may be used to help determine the location of the entities. For example, the angle of arrival or the angle of departure of a signal, combined with the distance between devices (determined using signals, e.g., the elapsed time of the signal, the received power of the signal, etc.), and the known location of one of the devices may be used to determine the location of the other device. The angle of arrival or the angle of departure may be an azimuth angle compared to a reference direction such as true north. The angle of arrival or the angle of departure may be the zenith angle compared straight upward from the entity (i.e., compared radially outward from the center of the Earth). In operation, the first base station 810 may provide the UE 805 with a passive positioning commencement message 802. The passive positioning commencement message 802 may be a broadcast message or other signaling such as a radio resource control (RRC) signal to inform the UE of the PRS transmission schedule and may include transmission information (e.g., channel information, muting pattern, PRS bandwidth, PRS identification information, etc.). At time T1, the first station may transmit a first DL PRS 804, which may be received (for example) by the second base station 812 at time T2 and by the UE 805 at time T3. The second base station 812 may be configured to transmit a second DL PRS806 at time T4, which is received by the first base station 810 at time T5 and by the UE805 at time T6.The time between T2 and T4 may be the configured turnaround time at the second base station 812, and therefore a known time period. Since the first base station 810 and the second base station 812 are in fixed locations, the time between T1 and T2 (i.e., time of flight) may also be known. For use in positioning calculations, the turnaround time (i.e., T4-T2) and time of flight (i.e., T2-T1) may be broadcast or otherwise provided to the UE805. The UE805 may observe the difference between T6 and T3, and the distance is...

[0074]

number

[0075] It can be calculated as follows.

[0076] Generally, message flow 800 is appropriate when UE 805 can eavesdrop on a first DL PRS 804 transmitted from the first base station 810 to the second base station 812, and can eavesdrop on a second DL PRS 806 transmitted from the second base station 812 to the first base station 810. Typically, lower frequency wireless networks (e.g., sub-6 GHz) may use omnidirectional DL PRS transmissions that can be heard by several stations. However, in some higher frequency 5G NR networks, millimeter wave (mmW) and beamforming techniques are used to generate directional transmissions. Such directional beams can limit the UE's ability to eavesdrop on DL PRS transmissions between base stations.

[0077] Referring to Figure 9 with further reference to Figure 8, an exemplary message flow 900 for passive positioning using analog beamforming is shown. The message flow 900 includes a first base station 910, a second base station 912, and a UE 905. Base stations 910 and 912 may include some or all of the components of TRP 300, where TRP 300 may be an example of base stations 910 and 912. In one example, base stations 910 and 912 may be gNB110a~b or ng-eNB114. UE 905 may include some or all of the components of UE 200, where UE 200 may be an example of UE 905. Base stations 910 and 912 are configured to transmit multiple PRS resources as shown in Figures 5A~5C. The PRS resources may be on the same frequency layer or on different frequency layers. In one example, the PRS may be an on-demand PRS (e.g., user or group specific) and / or may support different technologies such as LTE and NR (e.g., dynamic spectrum sharing). For example, the first base station 910 may be configured for LTE, and the second base station 912 may be configured for 5G NR (e.g., mmW). In one example, one or both of the base stations 910, 912 may be configured for either or both LTE operation and 5G NR operation. Each of the PRS resources in the PRS resource sets 502, 504 may be configured to transmit beams at different orientations and / or altitudes. The transmit beams may be associated with the location of other base stations; that is, base stations may be configured to transmit PRS based on the known location of the base station. In one example, message flow 900 includes transmitting a first DL PRS on the first beam 902a at time T1 using the first base station 910 so that the first beam 902a is directed to the second base station 912. The first beam 902a may be, for example, the first resource 514a. The first beam 902a is received by the second base station 912 at time T2. The first base station 910 transmits the first DL PRS on the second beam 902b at time X1. The second beam 902b may be, for example, the fourth resource 514d.UE905 is positioned to receive the second beam 902b at time T3. The second base station 912 is configured to transmit a second DL PRS on the first beam 904a at time T4 so that the first beam 904a is directed to the first base station 910 and received at time T5. The second base station 912 also transmits a second DL PRS on the second beam 904b at time X4, and UE905 is positioned to receive the second beam 904b at time T6. The base stations 910 and 912 may be configured to indicate the time difference between the transmissions of their respective first and second beams 902a-b and 904a-b (e.g., via broadcasting or other signaling). For example, the first base station 910 may indicate a timing difference X1-T1, and the second base station 912 may indicate a timing difference X4-T4. The indications from base stations 910 and 912 may include turnaround time (e.g., T4-T2) and time of flight (e.g., T2-T1). Other stations and servers (e.g., LMF120) may be configured to provide their indications and timing difference information to UE905. The first and second beams 902a-b and 904a-b may be transmitted using different techniques. For example, the first DL PRS on the first beam 902a may be an LTE / sub-6GHz omnidirectional transmit, and the second beam 902b may be a beamformed mmW beam (e.g., 5G NR). Other variations of the techniques may be used for each beam 902a-b and 904a-b.

[0078] The UE905 or network resource (e.g., LMF120 or other server 400) performs reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurements based on arrival times T3 and T6.

[0079]

number

[0080] It can be configured to calculate the distance between stations as shown above.

[0081] In one embodiment, UE905 may receive PRS resource configurations from base stations 910, 912, or other network resources such as LMF120, and may determine which PRS resources (i.e., PRS beams) to utilize based on a position estimate. For example, the position estimate may be based on an inertial navigation sensor such as IMU270. PRS resource information may include station location, PRS configuration information (e.g., PRS ID, carrier frequency, frequency shift (i.e., vshift), PRS code sequence, muting sequence, bandwidth, and / or set of transmit times), as well as turnaround time, time-of-flight information, and time difference indication for each PRS resource transmitted by the base station. PRS resource information may be included in RRC or other appropriate network signaling protocol. When UE905 is in RRC connection mode, UE905 may be aware of beam configurations for receiving appropriate PRS from adjacent base stations. Beam configuration information may reduce the amount of beam sweep performed by the UE to receive PRS transmissions.

[0082] Referring to Figure 10, an exemplary message flow 1000 for passive positioning using swept beams is shown. The message flow 1000 includes a first base station 1010, a second base station 1012, and a UE 1005. Base stations 1010, 1012 may be gNB 110a~b or ng-eNB 114, and UE 1005 is an example of UE 105, 200. In one example, UE 1005 may be in an RRC idle and inactive state, and the communication network may be unaware of the beam association and tracking state of UE 1005. Base stations 1010, 1012 may be configured to beam sweep PRS transmissions to cover possible locations of UE 1005. A PRS resource set 502 may be configured to provide UE 1005 with timing difference information associated with each beam, for example, advancing through the azimuth angle within the cell. For example, the first base station 1010 may transmit a first DL PRS on the first beam 1002a at time T1, and may sweep the first DL PRS through M different beams (e.g., azimuth) within the cell sector. The first DL PRS on the first beam 1002a may be received by the second base station 1012 at time T2. The first DL PRS on the swept beam 1002b may be transmitted at time X 1-M It may be transmitted at time X and received by UE1005 at time T3. For example, referring to Figures 5A-5C, the first beam 1002a may be the first resource 514a, and the swept beam 1002b may be the fourth resource 514d, where the first base station 1010 also transmits the second and third resources 514b-c in succession. The second base station 1012 is configured to transmit the second DL PRS on the first beam 1004a at time T4, and the second DL PRS is received by the first base station 1010 at time T5. The second base station 1012 is configured to sweep the second DL PRS at time X 4-N In this case, UE1005 may receive the swept beam 1004b at time T6. The timing difference of the beam sweep (for example, {X 1-M}-T1 and {X 4-N}-T4) can be provided to UE1005 via network signaling (e.g., RRC, System Information Block (SIB), etc.). Timing difference {X 1-M}-T1 corresponds to the timing difference of the first DL PRS on the first beam 1002a, and {X 4-N}-T4 corresponds to the timing difference of the second DL PRS on the first beam 1004a. When UE 1005 receives the swept beam 1002b (e.g., beam i) from the first base station 1010, X i The timing difference -T1 and the corresponding reception timing T3 are obtained. When UE1005 receives a swept beam 1004b (for example, beam j) from the second base station 1012, X j The timing difference of -T4 and the corresponding reception timing T6 are obtained. The UE1005 is configured to use the timing and timing difference information to derive the RSTD value described in equations (5) to (7) above.

[0083] In one example, the first base station 1010 may not receive a second DL PRS on the first beam 1004a from the second base station 1012 (for example, due to beam-matching loss or other failure). The UE 1005 may be signaled to suspend the RSTD procedure until new beam-matching is established. This signaling may be based on a network channel (e.g., a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)) or another messaging protocol (e.g., Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE), LPP, RRC, SIB, etc.).

[0084] In one embodiment, one or more UEs may be configured to perform some or all of the functions of a base station as described herein. For example, a UE may be configured to determine its location (e.g., using inertial techniques, satellite techniques, and / or ground techniques) and transmit a positioning reference signal to adjacent base stations and / or UEs. UEs in a network may be configured to transmit omnidirectional sounding reference signals (SRS) and / or beamformed SRS for positioning, depending on the capabilities of the network and / or the UE. For example, a UE configured for 5G sub-6GHz operation may utilize omnidirectional signaling, and a UE configured for higher frequencies may utilize analog beamforming. A UE may transmit SRS for positioning using existing uplink and sidelink communication interfaces, such as Uu and PC5. Referring to Figure 11, an exemplary message flow 1100 for passive positioning using a device-to-device sidelink is shown. The message flow 1100 includes a first base station 1110, a first UE 1103, and a second UE 1105. The base station 1110 may be gNB110a~b or ng-eNB114, and UE1103, 1105 are examples of UE105, 200. In one example, message flow 1100 includes transmitting a first DL PRS on the first beam 1102a at time T1 using base station 1110 so that the first beam 1102a is directed to the first UE1103 and received at time T2. The first base station 1110 transmits / sweeps the first DL PRS on the second beam 1102b at time X1. UE1105 is positioned to receive the second beam 1102b at time T3. The first UE1103 is configured to transmit UL PRS1104a toward base station 1110 at time T4, and UL PRS1104a is received at time T5. The first UE1103 also transmits sidelink PRS1104b at time X4, and the second UE1105 is positioned to receive sidelink PRS1104b at time T6. Sidelink PRS1104b may be based on beamforming or omnidirectional transmission.The base station 1110 and the first UE 1103 may be configured to indicate the time difference between the transmission of DL PRS beams 1102a-b and the transmission of UL PRS 1104a and sidelink PRS 1104b (e.g., via broadcasting or other signaling). For example, base station 1110 may indicate a timing difference X1-T1, and the first UE 1103 may indicate a timing difference X4-T4. UE 1105 is configured to perform RSTD measurements based on arrival times T3 and T6 and calculate the distance between stations based on equations (5)-(7) above. In one example, UE 1103 may initiate PRS exchange with base station 1110 such that UL PRS is transmitted at time T1 and received by the base station at time T2. Figure 11 shows two UEs and one base station, but the methods for passive positioning using analog beamforming described herein are not so limited. Various combinations of base stations and UEs may be used. Furthermore, the base station may be one or more of various TRPs, such as macro-TRPs, pico-TRPs, and / or femto-TRPs, and a combination of omnidirectional and beamforming transmissions may be used. The TRP may include a distributed radio head. In one example, the TRP may be configured to transmit PRSs on the same frequency layer or on different frequency layers. The PRSs may be broadcast PRSs and (e.g., user or group-specific) on-demand PRSs, and may be transmitted over various interfaces (e.g., Uu and / or PC5 / sidelink). The TRP may also be configured to take advantage of distinct timing differences for different technologies and capabilities (e.g., mmW and LTE / sub-6GHz NR).

[0085] Referring further to Figures 1 to 11 and then to Figure 12, Method 1200 for providing a positioning reference signal includes the illustrated stages. However, Method 1200 is an example and not limiting. Method 1200 may be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, running in parallel, and / or dividing a single stage into multiple stages.

[0086] In stage 1202, method 1200 includes transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station at a first time. A TRP 300, including a transceiver 315 and a processor 310, is a means for transmitting the first positioning reference signal. The TRP 300 may be configured with multiple PRS resources to provide PRS transmissions on different transmit beams. For example, a first base station 1010 is an example of a TRP 300 and may transmit a first PRS on a first beam 1002a toward a second base station 1012 at time T1. In one example, the station may be a UE such as the first UE 1103 in Figure 11. PRS resources may be associated with a station such that the azimuth (and optionally altitude) of the PRS is directed toward the station.

[0087] In stage 1204, the method includes transmitting a second positioning reference signal to user equipment at a second time. The TRP 300, including transceiver 315 and processor 310, is a means for transmitting the second PRS to the UE. The TRP may be configured to transmit PRS resources on additional beams at different azimuths and / or altitudes. The transmission times of the additional beams may be broadcast, i.e., provided to the UE via network signaling. In one example, referring to Figure 9, the first DL PRS on the second beam 902b is transmitted at time X1 and received by the UE 905 at time T3.

[0088] In stage 1206, the method includes transmitting a timing difference value based on a first time and a second time to user equipment. The TRP300, including the transceiver 315 and processor 310, is a means for transmitting the timing difference value. Referring to Figure 9, an example of a timing difference value is the difference (e.g., X1-T1) between the transmission time of the DL PRS on the first beam 902a and the transmission time of the DL PRS on the second beam 902b. Referring to Figure 10, the timing difference value may be based on sweep beams of known duration, such as the time difference between the transmission of the first DL PRS on the first beam 1002a and the transmission of the first DL PRS on the sweep beam 1002b. The timing difference may be broadcast, or provided, within network signaling (e.g., RRC, LPP, NRPP, MAC-CE, SIB, etc.). In one example, the timing difference may be associated with the PRS beam identification information or other signal characteristics (e.g., azimuth information) of the received beam, based on a codebook locally stored on the UE.

[0089] In one embodiment, method 1200 may be implemented by a UE such as the first UE 1103 in Figure 11. The PRS transmitted in the first time may be a UL PRS 1104a transmitted at time T4, and the PRS transmitted in the second time may be a sidelink PRS 1104b transmitted at time X4. The time difference may be based on a difference value X4-T4. The PRS transmitted in the first time and the PRS transmitted in the second time may utilize the same or different frequency layers and different interfaces (e.g., Uu and / or PC5 / sidelink). The timing difference value may be based on the time difference between signals in different technologies and features (e.g., mmW, LTE, sub-6GHz NR). In one example, the PRS transmitted in the first and second times may be based on a broadcast PRS, an on-demand PRS, or a combination of both.

[0090] Referring further to Figures 1 to 11 and then to Figure 13, the method 1300 for passive positioning of user equipment includes the illustrated stages. However, method 1300 is an example and not limited thereto. Method 1300 may be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, running in parallel, and / or dividing a single stage into multiple stages.

[0091] In stage 1302, the method includes receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node at a first time. UE200, including transceiver 215 and processor 230, is a means for receiving the first PRS. The first wireless node may be a base station, UE, or other wireless device whose location is known. In one example, a TRP is configured to transmit a DL PRS to a second TRP on a first beam 902a. The second PRS resource may be configured to provide a DL PRS to UE905 on a second beam 902b, which is received by UE905 at time T3. The orientation of the second beam 902b may be based on the estimated position of UE905. In one example, the second beam 902b may be a swept beam configured to transmit DL PRS information over a range of azimuths within a coverage area. The UE may be configured to select a DL PRS based on established PRS scheduling information. For example, the first PRS may be a user- or group-specific on-demand PRS.

[0092] In stage 1304, the method includes receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a first wireless node. The UE 200, including the transceiver 215 and processor 230, is a means for receiving the first timing difference value. The first timing difference value may be based on, for example, the time (e.g., X1-T1) required by the first base station 910 to transmit a DL PRS on a first beam 902a and then a DL PRS on a second beam 902b. The first timing difference value may be broadcast by the first base station 910 or by other base stations in the communication network. For example, the LMF 120 may be configured to provide the first timing difference value to the UE. Network signaling such as RRC may be used to provide the first timing difference value to the UE. In one embodiment, the timing information may be embedded in one or more of the positioning reference signals and / or sidelink signals.

[0093] In stage 1306, the method includes receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node at a second time. The UE 200, including transceiver 215 and processor 230, is a means for receiving the second PRS. The second wireless node may be a base station, UE, or other wireless device whose location is known. In one example, a second TRP, such as a second base station 912, is configured to send a DL PRS on a first beam 904a to the first base station 910 at time T4. The second base station 912 is configured to send a DL PRS on a second beam 904b at time X4, and the DL PRS is received by the UE at time T6. The direction of the second beam 904b may be based on the estimated position of the UE 905. In one example, the second beam 904b may be a swept beam configured to transmit DL PRS information over a range of azimuths within the coverage area of ​​the second base station 912. The UE may be configured to select a DL PRS based on established PRS scheduling information. In one example, the second PRS may be a user or group-specific broadcast-on-demand PRS. The first and second PRS may be on the same or different frequency layers and may utilize different technologies (e.g., LTE and 5G NR for dynamic spectrum sharing).

[0094] In stage 1308, the method includes receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a second wireless node. The UE200, including transceiver 215 and processor 230, is a means for receiving the second timing difference value. The second timing difference value may be based on, for example, the time (e.g., X4-T4) required by the second base station 912 to transmit a DL PRS on the first beam 904a and then on the second beam 904b. The second timing difference value may be broadcast by the second base station 912 or by other base stations in the communication network. For example, LMF120 may be configured to provide the second timing difference value to the UE. Network signaling such as RRC may be used to provide the second timing difference value to the UE.

[0095] In stage 1310, the method includes determining the time difference between a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal based at least in part on a first timing difference value and a second timing difference value. The UE200, including the processor 230, is a means for determining the time difference. The UE may receive turnaround time and time-of-flight information related to the first and second PRS transmissions from a base station, serving station, or other network resource (e.g., LMF120) in order to perform RSTD measurements based on the times of arrival T3 and T6. For example, equations (5) to (7) may be used to determine the distance between the UE and the base station. In one embodiment, the time difference information may be provided to the network (e.g., LMF120) to determine the location of the UE200. In another example, the UE200 may be configured to utilize the time difference information and other supporting data (e.g., the location of the transmitting station) to determine its location and report that location to the network.

[0096] In one embodiment, the functions of the wireless node in Method 1300 may be performed by a UE or other wireless station whose location is known. For example, a UL PRS and inter-device sidelink (e.g., PC5) may be used to provide other reference signals such as PRS or positioning SRS. Other interfaces, such as a Uu interface, may be used to transmit one or more PRSs. The wireless node may also be configured to send an interruption message to the UE if the exchange of PRS beams between stations fails (e.g., loss of correspondence).

[0097] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the accompanying claims. For example, due to the nature of software and computers, the functions described above may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof, executed by a processor. Features that perform a function may also be physically located in various locations, including the distribution of parts of the function so that they are performed in various physical locations. For example, one or more functions or one or more parts thereof described above as being performed in the LMF120 may be performed outside the LMF120, such as by the TRP300.

[0098] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” also include the plural form unless the context otherwise explicitly indicates. For example, “a processor” may include one or more processors. As used herein, the terms “equip,” “equip,” “include,” and / or “include” specify the presence of the described feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0099] Furthermore, as used herein, "or" in enumerations of items ending in "at least one of" or "one or more of" indicates a disjunctive enumeration, such as the enumeration "at least one of A, B, or C" or "one or more of A, B, or C" meaning A, or B, or C, or AB, or AC, or BC, or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or a combination of two or more features (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.).

[0100] Significant modifications may be made to meet specific requirements. For example, customized hardware may be used, and / or certain elements may be implemented in hardware, software executed by the processor (including portable software such as applets), or both. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, may be employed.

[0101] The systems and devices described above are examples. Various configurations may be made by omitting, substituting, or adding various procedures or components as appropriate. For example, features described for some configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of configurations may be combined in the same way. Furthermore, technology is evolving, and therefore many of the elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or claims.

[0102] A wireless communication system is one in which communication is transmitted wirelessly, that is, by electromagnetic and / or acoustic waves that propagate through the atmosphere rather than through wires or other physical connections. A wireless communication network may not have all communications transmitted wirelessly, but is configured to have at least some communications transmitted wirelessly. Furthermore, the term “wireless communication device” or similar terms does not require that the functionality of the device is exclusively or uniformly primary for communication, or that the device is a mobile device, but indicates that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (unidirectional or bidirectional), for example, at least one radio for wireless communication (each radio being part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver).

[0103] This description provides specific details to give a complete understanding of exemplary configurations (including implementation forms). However, the configurations can be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques are shown without unnecessary details to avoid obscuring the configurations. This description provides exemplary configurations and does not limit the claims, applicability, or configurations. Rather, the foregoing description of the configurations provides instructions for practicing the techniques described. Various modifications can be made to the function and configuration of the elements without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0104] As used herein, the terms “processor-readable medium,” “machine-readable medium,” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any medium involved in providing data that enables a machine to operate in a particular manner. When using a computing platform, various processor-readable media may be involved in providing instructions / code to a processor for execution and / or may be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., signals). In many implementations, processor-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media can take many forms, including, but are not limited to, non-volatile and volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical disks and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media include, but are not limited to, dynamic memory.

[0105] The statement that a value exceeds a first threshold (i.e., is greater than or greater than it) is equivalent to the statement that the value satisfies or exceeds a second threshold that is slightly greater than the first threshold, for example, the second threshold being a single value greater than the first threshold in the resolution of the computing system. The statement that a value is less than a first threshold (i.e., is within or below it) is equivalent to the statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold that is slightly smaller than the first threshold, for example, the second threshold being a single value less than the first threshold in the resolution of the computing system.

[0106] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0107] 1. A method for positioning a user device, Receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in the first time period, Receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a first wireless node, In the second time period, the second positioning reference signal is received from the second wireless node, Receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a second wireless node, The method comprises determining the arrival time difference between a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal based at least in part on a first timing difference value and a second timing difference value.

[0108] 2. The method of Clause 1, further comprising receiving a turnaround time value and a flight time value associated with a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal.

[0109] 3. The method of Clause 1, wherein the first timing difference is received from the first wireless node and the second timing difference is received from the second wireless node.

[0110] 4. The method of Clause 1, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received from a network server or serving station.

[0111] 5. The method of Article 1, wherein the first timing difference is included in the first positioning reference signal and the second timing difference is included in the second positioning reference signal.

[0112] 6. The method of Clause 1, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

[0113] 7. The method of Clause 1, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

[0114] 8. The method of Clause 1, wherein the second wireless node is a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device.

[0115] 9. The method of Article 1, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

[0116] 10. The method of Clause 1, further comprising determining a position estimate based at least in part on the difference in arrival time.

[0117] 11. The method of Article 1, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

[0118] 12. A method for providing a positioning reference signal, Transmitting a first positioning reference signal to the station during the first time period, In the second time period, a second positioning reference signal is transmitted to the user device, The system includes transmitting a timing difference value based on a first time and a second time to the user's device.

[0119] 13. The method of transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station, as described in Article 12, includes beamforming the first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

[0120] 14. The method of transmitting a second positioning reference signal to a user device, as described in Clause 12, includes beamforming the second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user device.

[0121] 15. The method of Article 12, In the third time period, the station receives a third positioning reference signal, It further includes transmitting a third time to the user's device.

[0122] 16. The method of transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station in a first time includes transmitting a first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

[0123] 17. The method of transmitting a second positioning reference signal to the user equipment, as described in Clause 12, includes transmitting a sidelink signal to the user equipment.

[0124] 18. The method of Clause 12, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted via the upper layer protocol.

[0125] 19. The method of Article 12, wherein the timing difference is transmitted to the user equipment using a second positioning reference signal.

[0126] 20. The method of Article 12, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are transmitted via a sweep beam.

[0127] 21. A device for positioning user equipment, Memory and At least one transceiver, It comprises memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being In the first time period, receive a first positioning reference signal from the first wireless node. A first timing difference value is received based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a first wireless node. In the second time period, the second positioning reference signal is received from the second wireless node. The system receives a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node. The system is configured to determine the arrival time difference between a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal based at least in part on a first timing difference value and a second timing difference value.

[0128] 22. The apparatus of Clause 21, wherein at least one processor is further configured to receive turnaround time values ​​and time-of-flight values ​​associated with a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal.

[0129] 23. The apparatus of Clause 21, wherein a first timing difference value is received from a first wireless node, and a second timing difference value is received from a second wireless node.

[0130] 24. The apparatus of Clause 21, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received from a network server or serving station.

[0131] 25. The apparatus of Article 21, wherein a first timing difference is included in a first positioning reference signal, and a second timing difference is included in a second positioning reference signal.

[0132] 26. The apparatus of Clause 21, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

[0133] 27. The apparatus of Article 21, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

[0134] 28. The apparatus of Article 21, wherein the second wireless node is the second user equipment, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user equipment.

[0135] 29. The apparatus of Article 21, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

[0136] 30. The apparatus of Clause 21, wherein at least one processor is further configured to determine a position estimate based at least in part on the difference in arrival time.

[0137] 31. The apparatus of Article 21, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

[0138] 32. A device for providing a positioning reference signal, Memory and At least one transceiver, It comprises memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to at least one transceiver, the at least one transceiver being, During the first time period, the first positioning reference signal is transmitted to the first station. During the second time period, a second positioning reference signal is transmitted to the user device. It is configured to send timing difference values ​​based on the first time and the second time to the user's device.

[0139] 33. The apparatus of Article 32, wherein at least one processor is further configured to beamform a first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

[0140] 34. The apparatus of Clause 32, wherein at least one processor is further configured to beamform a second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user equipment.

[0141] 35. The apparatus of Article 32, wherein at least one processor is In the third time period, the station receives a third positioning reference signal. It is further configured to transmit a third time to the user's device.

[0142] 36. The apparatus of Article 32, wherein at least one processor is further configured to transmit a first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

[0143] 37. The apparatus of Clause 32, wherein at least one processor is further configured to transmit sidelink signals to user equipment.

[0144] 38. The apparatus of Clause 32, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted via a higher-layer protocol.

[0145] 39. The apparatus of Article 32, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted to the user equipment using a second positioning reference signal.

[0146] 40. The apparatus of Article 32, wherein at least one processor is further configured to transmit a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal over a sweep beam.

[0147] 41. A device for positioning user equipment, Means for receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time period, Means for receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a first wireless node, Means for receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in a second time period, Means for receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a second wireless node, The system includes means for determining the arrival time difference between a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal, based at least in part on a first timing difference value and a second timing difference value.

[0148] 42. The apparatus of Article 41 further comprising means for receiving a turnaround time value and a time-of-flight value associated with a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal.

[0149] 43. The apparatus of Clause 41, wherein a first timing difference is received from a first wireless node and a second timing difference is received from a second wireless node.

[0150] 44. The apparatus of Clause 41, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received from a network server or serving station.

[0151] 45. The apparatus of Article 41, wherein a first timing difference is included in a first positioning reference signal, and a second timing difference is included in a second positioning reference signal.

[0152] 46. ​​The apparatus of Clause 41, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

[0153] 47. The apparatus of Article 41, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

[0154] 48. The apparatus of Article 41, wherein the second wireless node is the second user equipment, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user equipment.

[0155] 49. The apparatus of Article 41, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

[0156] 50. The apparatus of Article 41 further comprising means for determining a position estimate based at least in part on the difference in arrival time.

[0157] 51. The apparatus of Article 41, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

[0158] 52. A device for providing a positioning reference signal, A means for transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station in the first time period, A means for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to a user device in a second time period, The system includes means for transmitting timing difference values ​​based on a first time and a second time to user equipment.

[0159] 53. The apparatus of Article 52, which includes means for transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station, includes means for beamforming the first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

[0160] 54. The apparatus of Article 52, which includes means for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to a user device, includes means for beamforming the second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user device.

[0161] 55. The apparatus of Article 52, A means for receiving a third positioning reference signal from the station in the third time period, The system further includes means for transmitting a third time to the user's device.

[0162] 56. The apparatus of Article 52, which includes means for transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station in a first time, includes means for transmitting a first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

[0163] 57. The apparatus of Article 52, the means for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to a user device, includes means for transmitting a sidelink signal to a user device.

[0164] 58. The apparatus of Clause 52, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted via a higher-layer protocol.

[0165] 59. The apparatus of Article 52, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted to the user equipment using a second positioning reference signal.

[0166] 60. The apparatus of Article 52, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are transmitted via a sweep beam.

[0167] 61. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to position a user device, A code for receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time period, A code for receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a first wireless node, A code for receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in the second time period, A code for receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from a second wireless node, The system includes a code for determining the arrival time difference between a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal, based at least in part on a first timing difference value and a second timing difference value.

[0168] 62. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium of Clause 61, further comprising a code for receiving a turnaround time value and a time-of-flight value associated with a first positioning reference signal and a second positioning reference signal.

[0169] 63. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium as defined in Clause 62, wherein a first timing difference is received from a first wireless node and a second timing difference is received from a second wireless node.

[0170] 64. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium as defined in Clause 61, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received from a network server or serving station.

[0171] 65. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium as defined in Clause 61, wherein a first timing difference is included in a first positioning reference signal, and a second timing difference is included in a second positioning reference signal.

[0172] 66. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to Clause 61, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

[0173] 67. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to Clause 61, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

[0174] 68. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium as defined in Clause 61, wherein the second wireless node is a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device.

[0175] 69. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to Clause 61, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

[0176] 70. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to Clause 61, further comprising a code for determining a position estimate based at least in part on the difference in arrival time.

[0177] 71. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium as defined in Clause 61, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

[0178] 72. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to provide positioning reference signals, A code for transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station in the first time period, A code for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to the user device in the second time period, It includes a code for transmitting a timing difference value based on a first time and a second time to the user's device.

[0179] 73. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium of Clause 72, comprising a code for transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station, including a code for beamforming the first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

[0180] 74. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium under Clause 72, comprising a code for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to a user device, including a code for beamforming the second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user device.

[0181] 75. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium as defined in Clause 72, A code for receiving a third positioning reference signal from the station in the third time period, It further includes a code for transmitting a third time to the user's device.

[0182] 76. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium of Clause 72, the code for transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station in a first time, includes the code for transmitting a first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

[0183] 77. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium under Clause 72, wherein the code for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to the user device includes a code for transmitting a sidelink signal to the user device.

[0184] 78. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium of Clause 72, wherein timing difference values ​​are transmitted via a higher-layer protocol.

[0185] 79. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium as defined in Clause 72, wherein the timing difference is transmitted to the user equipment using a second positioning reference signal.

[0186] 80. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium of Clause 72, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are transmitted via a sweep beam. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0187] 100 Communication Systems 105 User Equipment (UE) 110 NR node B (gNB) 114 Next-generation e-node B (ng-eNB) 115 Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 117 Session Management Function (SMF) 120 Location Management Function (LMF) 125 Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 130 External Clients 135 Wireless Access Network (RAN) 140 5G Core Network (5GC) 185 Constellations 190, 191, 192, 193 Satellite Vehicle (SV) 200 User Equipment (UE) 210 processors 211 memory 212 Software (SW) 213 Sensors 214 Transceiver Interface 215 Transceiver 216 User Interface 217 Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receiver 218 Cameras 219 Position (motion) devices 220 bus 230 General-Purpose / Application Processors 231 Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 232 Modem Processors 233 Video Processors 234 Sensor Processors 240 Wire Restaurant Seaba 242 Transmitter 244 Receiver 246 Antenna 248 Wireless Signals 250 wired transceivers 252 Transmitter 254 Receiver 260 SPS signal 262 SPS antenna 270 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 271 Magnetometer 272 Environmental Sensors 273 Accelerometer 274 Gyroscope 300 Transmit / Receive Points (TRP) 310 Processor 311 memory 312 Software (SW) 315 Transceiver 317 SPS receiver 320 bus 340 Wire Restaurant Seaba 342 Transmitter 344 Receiver 346 Antenna 348 Wireless Signals 350 Wired Transceiver 352 Transmitter 354 Receiver 360 SPS signal 362 SPS antenna 400 servers 410 Processor 411 memory 412 Software (SW) 415 Transceiver 420 bus 440 Wire Restaurant Seaba 442 Transmitter 444 Receiver 446 Antenna 448 Wireless Signals 450 Wired Transceiver 452 Transmitter 454 Receiver 502 First PRS Resource Set 504 Second PRS Resource Set 510 Beam sweep configuration 512 Multi-Element Antenna Array 514a First Resource 514b Second resource 514c Third Resource 514d The fourth resource

Claims

1. A method for positioning user devices, The steps include receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time period, The steps include receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node, The steps include receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in a second time period, The steps include receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node, A step of determining the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first timing difference value and the second timing difference value. A method for providing this.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a turnaround time value and a flight time value associated with the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first timing difference value is received from the first wireless node, and the second timing difference value is received from the second wireless node.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received from a network server or serving station.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first timing difference value is included in the first positioning reference signal, and the second timing difference value is included in the second positioning reference signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless node is a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a position estimate based at least partially on the arrival time difference.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

12. A method for providing a positioning reference signal, A step of transmitting a first positioning reference signal to the station in the first time period, The steps include transmitting a second positioning reference signal to the user device during the second time period, A step of transmitting a timing difference value based on the first time and the second time to the user device. A method for providing this.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station includes the step of beamforming the first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting the second positioning reference signal to the user device includes the step of beamforming the second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user device.

15. The steps include receiving a third positioning reference signal from the station in the third time period, The steps include transmitting the third time to the user device and The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station in the first time period includes the step of transmitting the first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting the second positioning reference signal to the user device includes the step of transmitting a side link signal to the user device.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted via a higher-layer protocol.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted to the user device using the second positioning reference signal.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are transmitted via a sweep beam.

21. A device for positioning user equipment, Memory and At least one transceiver, The system comprises the memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor In the first time period, receive a first positioning reference signal from the first wireless node. A first timing difference value is received based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node. In the second time period, the second positioning reference signal is received from the second wireless node. A second timing difference value is received based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node. The system is configured to determine the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first timing difference value and the second timing difference value. Device.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive turnaround time values ​​and time-of-flight values ​​associated with the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first timing difference value is received from the first wireless node, and the second timing difference value is received from the second wireless node.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first timing difference value and the second timing difference value are received from a network server or serving station.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first timing difference value is included in the first positioning reference signal, and the second timing difference value is included in the second positioning reference signal.

26. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

27. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

28. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the second wireless node is a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device.

29. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

30. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a position estimate based at least in part on the arrival time difference.

31. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

32. A device for providing a positioning reference signal, Memory and At least one transceiver, The system comprises the memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor During the first time period, the first positioning reference signal is transmitted to the station. During the second time period, a second positioning reference signal is transmitted to the user device. The system is configured to transmit a timing difference value based on the first time and the second time to the user device. Device.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to beamform the first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to beamform the second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user device.

35. The aforementioned at least one processor, In the third time period, a third positioning reference signal is received from the aforementioned station. Further configured to transmit the third time to the user device, The apparatus according to claim 32.

36. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

37. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit a sidelink signal to the user device.

38. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted via a higher-layer protocol.

39. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted to the user device using the second positioning reference signal.

40. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal via a sweep beam.

41. A device for positioning user equipment, Means for receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time period, Means for receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node, Means for receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in a second time period, Means for receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node, Means for determining the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal based at least in part on the first timing difference value and the second timing difference value, A device equipped with the following features.

42. The apparatus according to claim 41, further comprising means for receiving turnaround time values ​​and flight time values ​​associated with the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal.

43. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first timing difference value is received from the first wireless node, and the second timing difference value is received from the second wireless node.

44. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received from a network server or serving station.

45. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first timing difference value is included in the first positioning reference signal, and the second timing difference value is included in the second positioning reference signal.

46. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

47. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

48. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the second wireless node is a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device.

49. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

50. The apparatus according to claim 41, further comprising means for determining a position estimate based at least partially on the arrival time difference.

51. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

52. A device for providing a positioning reference signal, A means for transmitting a first positioning reference signal to a station in the first time period, A means for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to a user device in a second time period, Means for transmitting a timing difference value based on the first time and the second time to the user device A device equipped with the following features.

53. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the means for transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station includes means for beamforming the first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

54. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the means for transmitting the second positioning reference signal to the user device includes means for beamforming the second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user device.

55. Means for receiving a third positioning reference signal from the station in the third time period, Means for transmitting the third time to the user device and The apparatus according to claim 52, further comprising:

56. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the means for transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station in the first time period includes means for transmitting the first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

57. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the means for transmitting the second positioning reference signal to the user device includes means for transmitting a side link signal to the user device.

58. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted via a higher-layer protocol.

59. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted to the user device using the second positioning reference signal.

60. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are transmitted via a sweep beam.

61. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to position user equipment, A code for receiving a first positioning reference signal from a first wireless node in a first time period, A code for receiving a first timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the first wireless node, A code for receiving a second positioning reference signal from a second wireless node in the second time period, A code for receiving a second timing difference value based on two or more positioning reference signals transmitted from the second wireless node, A code for determining the arrival time difference between the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal, based at least in part on the first timing difference value and the second timing difference value. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium equipped with [a specific feature].

62. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, further comprising a code for receiving turnaround time values ​​and time-of-flight values ​​associated with the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal.

63. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 62, wherein the first timing difference value is received from the first wireless node, and the second timing difference value is received from the second wireless node.

64. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received from a network server or serving station.

65. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, wherein the first timing difference is included in the first positioning reference signal, and the second timing difference is included in the second positioning reference signal.

66. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, wherein the first timing difference and the second timing difference are received via a higher-layer protocol.

67. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, wherein the first timing difference value is associated with the beam identification value of the first positioning reference signal.

68. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, wherein the second wireless node is a second user device, and the second positioning reference signal is received via a sidelink transmitted from the second user device.

69. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, wherein the first positioning reference signal is transmitted via a beam transmitted from the first wireless node.

70. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, further comprising a code for determining a position estimate based at least in part on the arrival time difference.

71. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 61, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are from different frequency layers.

72. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to provide positioning reference signals, A code for transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station in the first time period, A code for transmitting a second positioning reference signal to the user device in the second time period, A code for transmitting a timing difference value based on the first time and the second time to the user device. A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium equipped with [a specific feature].

73. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, wherein the code for transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station includes a code for beamforming the first positioning reference signal based on the location of the station.

74. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, wherein the code for transmitting the second positioning reference signal to the user device includes a code for beamforming the second positioning reference signal based on the location of the user device.

75. A code for receiving a third positioning reference signal from the station in the third time period, A code for transmitting the third time to the user device and A non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, further comprising the above.

76. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, wherein the code for transmitting the first positioning reference signal to the station in the first time period includes a code for transmitting the first positioning reference signal from a second user device.

77. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, wherein the code for transmitting the second positioning reference signal to the user device includes a code for transmitting a sidelink signal to the user device.

78. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted via a higher-layer protocol.

79. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, wherein the timing difference value is transmitted to the user device using the second positioning reference signal.

80. The non-temporary processor-readable storage medium according to claim 72, wherein the first positioning reference signal and the second positioning reference signal are transmitted via a sweep beam.

Images