Extended multipath component reporting in NewRadio.

Abstract

Techniques for enhanced multipath component reporting in new radio are disclosed. In one aspect, a requesting entity (RE) can determine that a measuring entity (ME) can perform multipath phase measurements. The RE can send a first request to the ME to perform at least one multipath phase measurement. The RE can receive a first response to the first request from the ME, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement. The RE can determine a location or sense an object based on the result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] 1. Field of Disclosure Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications.

[0002] 2. Description of Related Technology Wireless communication systems have evolved through various generations, including first-generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephone service (including interim 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, Internet-enabled wireless service, and fourth-generation (4G) service (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax). Many different types of wireless communication systems are currently in use, including cellular systems and personal communications service (PCS) systems. Examples of 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), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), etc.

[0003] The fifth-generation (5G) wireless standard, called New Radio (NR), enables higher data rates, more connections, and better coverage, among other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Network Alliance, the 5G standard is designed to provide higher data rates, more accurate positioning (e.g., based on reference signals for positioning (RS-P), such as downlink, uplink, or sidelink positioning reference signals (PRS)), and other technical enhancements compared to previous standards. These enhancements, as well as the use of higher frequency bands, advances in PRS processes and technology, and dense deployments for 5G, enable highly accurate 5G-based positioning. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects disclosed herein. As such, the following summary is not intended to be an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of all contemplated aspects or to delineate the scope of any particular aspect. Thus, the sole purpose of the following summary is to present certain concepts of one or more aspects of the mechanisms disclosed herein in a simplified form prior to the detailed description presented below.

[0005] In one aspect, a method of wireless positioning or sensing performed by a requesting entity (RE) includes determining that a measuring entity (ME) is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; sending a first request to the ME to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; receiving a first response to the first request from the ME, the first response including results of the at least one multipath phase measurement; and determining a location or sensing an object based on results of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0006] In one aspect, a method of wireless positioning or sensing performed by an ME includes receiving, from an RE, a first request to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; performing the at least one multipath phase measurement; and transmitting, to the RE, a first response to the first request, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0007] In one aspect, the RE 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: determine that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; send a first request to the ME via the at least one transceiver to perform the at least one multipath phase measurement; receive a first response to the first request from the ME via the at least one transceiver, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement; and determine a location or sense an object based on the result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0008] In one aspect, the ME 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 request to perform at least one multipath phase measurement from the RE via the at least one transceiver; perform the at least one multipath phase measurement; and transmit a first response to the first request to the RE via the at least one transceiver, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0009] Other objects and advantages associated with the embodiments disclosed herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description.

[0010] The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in the description of various aspects of the present disclosure and are provided only to illustrate, not limit, the aspects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless network structure according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless network structure according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless network structure according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of components that may be employed in a user equipment (UE), a base station, or a network entity and configured to support communication as taught herein; [Figure 3B] 1 is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of components that may be employed in a user equipment (UE), a base station, or a network entity and configured to support communication as taught herein; [Figure 3C] 1 is a simplified block diagram of several sample aspects of components that may be employed in a user equipment (UE), a base station, or a network entity and configured to support communication as taught herein; [Figure 4] 1 illustrates examples of various positioning methods supported in New Radio (NR) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a graph illustrating a radio frequency (RF) channel impulse response over time, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 6 is a signaling and event diagram illustrating a process 600 for extended multipath component reporting according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart of an example process performed by a requesting entity (RE) associated with enhanced multipath component reporting in New Radio, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart of an example process performed by a measurement entity (ME) associated with enhanced multipath component reporting in New Radio, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Aspects of the present disclosure are provided in the following description and related drawings, which are directed to various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the present disclosure.

[0013] The words "exemplary" and / or "example" are used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Likewise, the term "aspects of the present disclosure" does not require that all aspects of the present disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

[0014] Those skilled in the art will understand that the information and signals described below may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the following description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the particular application, desired design, corresponding technology, etc.

[0015] Further, many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuitry (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), by program instructions executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. In addition, the sequence(s) of actions described herein may be considered to be embodied entirely in any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions, which, when executed, cause or instruct the associated processor(s) of a device to perform the functionality described herein. Accordingly, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in several different forms, all of which are contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Additionally, for each aspect described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, “logic configured to” perform the described actions.

[0016] The terms “user equipment” (UE) and “base station,” as used herein, are not intended to be specific to or limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT) unless otherwise specified. Generally, a UE may be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a router, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a consumer location device, a wearable (e.g., a smart watch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), a vehicle (e.g., a car, a motorcycle, a bicycle, etc.), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. A UE may be mobile or stationary (e.g., at a given time) and may communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” may be referred to interchangeably as an “access terminal” or “AT,” a “client device,” a “wireless device,” a “subscriber device,” a “subscriber terminal,” a “subscriber station,” a “user terminal” or “UT,” a “mobile device,” a “mobile terminal,” a “mobile station,” or variations thereof. Generally, a UE can communicate with a core network via a RAN, through which the UE can be connected to external networks such as the Internet and to other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible for a UE, such as via a wired access network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) network (e.g., based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 specification, etc.), etc.

[0017] A base station may operate according to one of several RATs with which it communicates with UEs depending on the network in which it is deployed and may alternatively be referred to as an access point (AP), network node, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), next generation eNB (ng-eNB), New Radio (NR) Node B (also referred to as gNB or gNode B), etc. Base stations may be used primarily to support wireless access by UEs, including supporting data, voice, and / or signaling connections for supported UEs. In some systems, base stations may provide only edge node signaling functionality, while in other systems, base stations may provide additional control and / or network management functions. The communication link over which UEs can send signals to a base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). A communication link through which a base station can send signals to a UE is called a downlink (DL) channel or a forward link channel (e.g., a paging channel, a control channel, a broadcast channel, a forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term traffic channel (TCH) can refer to either an uplink / reverse traffic channel or a downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0018] The term "base station" can refer to a single physical transmission / reception point (TRP) or multiple physical TRPs, which may or may not be collocated. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP may be an antenna of the base station corresponding to the base station's cell (or several cell sectors). When the term "base station" refers to multiple collocated physical TRPs, the physical TRP may be an array of antennas of the base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or when the base station employs beamforming). When the term "base station" refers to multiple non-collocated physical TRPs, the physical TRPs may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transport medium) or a remote radio head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Instead, non-co-located physical TRPs may be the serving base station that receives measurement reports from the UE and neighboring base stations whose reference radio frequency (RF) signals the UE is measuring. Because a TRP is a point from which a base station transmits and receives wireless signals, as used herein, references to transmission from or reception at a base station should be understood as referring to a particular TRP of the base station.

[0019] In some implementations that support UE positioning, a base station may not support wireless access by the UE (e.g., may not support data, voice, and / or signaling connections for the UE), but instead may transmit reference signals to the UE to be measured by the UE and / or may receive and measure signals transmitted by the UE. Such a base station may be referred to as a positioning beacon (e.g., if it transmits signals to the UE) and / or a location measurement unit (e.g., if it receives and measures signals from the UE).

[0020] An "RF signal" includes electromagnetic waves of a given frequency that transport information through space between a transmitter and a receiver. As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single "RF signal" or multiple "RF signals" to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels, the receiver may receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same RF signal transmitted over different paths between a transmitter and a receiver may be referred to as a "multipath" RF signal. As used herein, an RF signal may also be referred to as a "wireless signal" or simply a "signal" when it is clear from the context that the term "signal" refers to a wireless signal or an RF signal.

[0021] 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 100 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 (sometimes referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) may include various base stations 102 (labeled “BS”) and various UEs 104. The base stations 102 may include macrocell base stations (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cell base stations (low-power cellular base stations). In one aspect, the macrocell base stations may include eNBs and / or ng-eNBs, where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an LTE network, or gNBs, where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an NR network, or a combination of both, and the small cell base stations may include femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc.

[0022] The base stations 102 may collectively form a RAN and may interface with a core network 170 (e.g., evolved packet core (EPC) or 5G core (5G core, 5GC)) through backhaul links 122 and to one or more location servers 172 (e.g., a location management function (LMF) or a secure user plane location (SUPL) location platform (SLP)) through the core network 170. The location server(s) 172 may be part of the core network 170 or may be external to the core network 170. The location server(s) 172 may be integrated with the base station 102. The UE 104 may communicate with the location server 172 directly or indirectly. For example, the UE 104 may communicate with the location server 172 through the base station 102 currently serving the UE 104. The UE 104 may also communicate with the location server 172 through another path, such as through an application server (not shown), through a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) (e.g., AP 150 described below), or through another network. For signaling purposes, communication between the UE 104 and the location server 172 may be represented as an indirect connection (e.g., through the core network 170), or a direct connection (e.g., as shown via direct connection 128), with intervening nodes (if any) omitted from the signaling diagrams for clarity.

[0023] In addition to other functions, the base stations 102 may perform functions related to one or more of the following: forwarding user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection setup and release, load balancing, non-access stratum (NAS) message delivery, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracing, RAN information management (RIM), paging, positioning, and alert message delivery. The base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., through EPC / 5GC) via backhaul links 134, which may be wired or wireless.

[0024] The base stations 102 may wirelessly communicate with the UEs 104. Each of the base stations 102 may provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110. In one aspect, one or more cells may be supported by the base stations 102 in each geographic coverage area 110. A “cell” is a logical communication entity used for communication with a base station (e.g., over some frequency resources referred to as a carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, band, etc.) and may be associated with an identifier (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCI), an enhanced cell identifier (ECI), a virtual cell identifier (VCI), a cell global identifier (CGI), etc.) to distinguish between cells operating over the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine-type communication (MTC), narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or others) that may provide access to different types of UEs. Because a cell is supported by a particular base station, the term "cell" may refer to either or both of the logical communication entity and its supporting base station, depending on the context. Additionally, because a TRP is typically the physical transmission point of a cell, the terms "cell" and "TRP" may be used interchangeably. In some cases, the term "cell" may also refer to the geographic coverage area (e.g., sector) of a base station, as long as the carrier frequency can be detected and used for communication within a portion of the geographic coverage area 110.

[0025] The geographic coverage areas 110 of neighboring macrocell base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in handover regions), and some of the geographic coverage areas 110 may be significantly overlapped by larger geographic coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell base station 102' (labeled "SC" for "small cell") may have a geographic coverage area 110' that significantly overlaps with the geographic coverage area 110 of one or more macrocell base stations 102. A network including both small cell base stations and macrocell base stations may be known as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include home eNBs (HeNBs), which may serve closed groups known as closed subscriber groups (CSGs).

[0026] The communication link 120 between the base station 102 and the UE 104 may include uplink (also called reverse link) transmissions from the UE 104 to the base station 102, and / or downlink (DL) (also called forward link) transmissions from the base station 102 to the UE 104. The communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna techniques, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may be of one or multiple carrier frequencies. Carrier allocation may be asymmetric with respect to the downlink and uplink (e.g., the downlink may be allocated more or fewer carriers than the uplink).

[0027] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (WLAN) 150 communicating with wireless local area network (WLAN) stations (STAs) 152 over a communication link 154 in an unlicensed frequency spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz). When communicating in the unlicensed frequency spectrum, the WLAN STAs 152 and / or the WLAN AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) or listen before talk (LBT) procedure before communicating to determine whether a channel is available.

[0028] The small cell base station 102' may operate in a licensed and / or unlicensed frequency spectrum. When operating in an unlicensed frequency spectrum, the small cell base station 102' may employ LTE or NR technology and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum used by the WLAN AP 150. A small cell base station 102' employing LTE / 5G in an unlicensed frequency spectrum may extend coverage to and / or increase the capacity of an access network. NR in an unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as NR-U. LTE in an unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as LTE-U, licensed assisted access (LAA), or MultiFire.

[0029] The wireless communication system 100 may further include an mmW base station 180 that may operate at millimeter wave (mmW) and / or sub-mmW frequencies to communicate with the UE 182. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a portion of RF in the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF ranges from 30 GHz to 300 GHz and has wavelengths from 1 millimeter to 10 millimeters. Radio waves within this band may be referred to as millimeter waves. Sub-mmW may range down to frequencies of 3 GHz with wavelengths of 100 millimeters. The super high frequency (SHF) band ranges from 3 GHz to 30 GHz and is also referred to as centimeter waves. Communications using the mmW / sub-mmW radio frequency bands have high path loss and relatively short distances. The mmW base station 180 and the UE 182 may utilize beamforming (transmit and / or receive) over the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short distances. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that in alternative configurations, one or more base stations 102 may also transmit using mmW or quasi-mmW and beamforming. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above illustrations are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting various aspects disclosed herein.

[0030] Transmit beamforming is a technique for focusing an RF signal in a particular direction. Traditionally, when a network node (e.g., a base station) broadcasts an RF signal, it broadcasts that signal in all directions (omnidirectionally). With transmit beamforming, the network node determines where a given target device (e.g., UE) is located (relative to the transmitting network node) and emits a stronger downlink RF signal in that particular direction, thereby providing a faster and more powerful RF signal (in terms of data rate) to the receiving device(s). To change the directionality of the RF signal when transmitting, the network node can control the phase and relative amplitude of the RF signal at each of one or more transmitters broadcasting the RF signal. For example, the network node may use an array of antennas (also called a "phased array" or "antenna array") that creates beams of RF waves that can be "steered" to point in different directions without actually moving the antennas. Specifically, RF currents from the transmitter are supplied to the individual antennas in the proper phase relationship so that the radio waves from the separate antennas combine to cancel and suppress radiation in undesired directions while simultaneously enhancing radiation in desired directions.

[0031] A transmit beam may be quasi-colocated, meaning that the transmit beam appears to a receiver (e.g., a UE) to have the same parameters regardless of whether the network node's own transmit antenna is physically colocated. In NR, there are four types of quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships. Specifically, a given type of QCL relationship means that some parameters for a second reference RF signal on a second beam can be derived from information about a source reference RF signal on a source beam. Thus, if the source reference RF signal is QCL Type A, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift, Doppler spread, mean delay, and delay spread of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL Type B, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and Doppler spread of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL Type C, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and average delay of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is QCL Type D, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate spatial reception parameters of a second reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel.

[0032] In receive beamforming, a receiver uses receive beams to amplify RF signals detected on a given channel. For example, the receiver can increase the gain setting and / or adjust the phase setting of an antenna array in a particular direction to amplify (e.g., increase its gain level) RF signals received from that direction. Thus, when a receiver is said to beamform in a particular direction, it means that the beam gain in that direction is higher than the beam gains along other directions, or that the beam gain in that direction is the highest compared to the beam gains in that direction of all other receive beams available to the receiver. This results in a stronger received signal strength (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), etc.) of RF signals received from that direction.

[0033] The transmit beam and the receive beam may be spatially related. A spatial relationship means that parameters for a second beam (e.g., a transmit beam or a receive beam) for a second reference signal can be derived from information about a first beam (e.g., a receive beam or a transmit beam) for a first reference signal. For example, a UE may use a particular receive beam to receive a reference downlink reference signal (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB)) from a base station. The UE can then form a transmit beam for sending an uplink reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)) to that base station based on the parameters of the receive beam.

[0034] Note that a "downlink" beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam, depending on the entity that forms it. For example, if a base station forms a downlink beam to transmit a reference signal to a UE, the downlink beam is a transmit beam. However, if the UE forms a downlink beam, it is a receive beam to receive a downlink reference signal. Similarly, an "uplink" beam can be either a transmit beam or a receive beam, depending on the entity that forms it. For example, if a base station forms an uplink beam, it is an uplink receive beam, and if the UE forms an uplink beam, it is an uplink transmit beam.

[0035] The electromagnetic spectrum is often subdivided into various classes, bands, channels, etc. based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been identified with the frequency range designations FR1 (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz). It should be understood that, although a portion of FR1 is above 6 GHz, FR1 is often referred to (interchangeably) as the “sub-6 GHz” band in various documents and papers. Similar nomenclature issues may arise with respect to FR2, which is often referred to (interchangeably) as the “millimeter wave” band in documents and papers, even though it is different from the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz to 300 GHz) identified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as the “millimeter wave” band.

[0036] Frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are often referred to as mid-band frequencies. Recent 5G NR studies have identified operating bands for these mid-band frequencies as the frequency range designated FR3 (7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz). Frequency bands included within FR3 may inherit FR1 and / or FR2 characteristics, and thus may effectively extend the characteristics of FR1 and / or FR2 to the mid-band frequencies. Higher frequency bands are currently being explored to extend 5G NR operation beyond 52.6 GHz. For example, three higher operating bands have been identified as the frequency ranges designated FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz to 71 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz to 300 GHz). Each of these higher frequency bands is included within the EHF band.

[0037] With the above aspects in mind, it should be understood that unless specifically stated otherwise, terms such as "sub-6 GHz," as used herein, may broadly refer to frequencies that may be below 6 GHz, may be within FR1, or may include mid-band frequencies. Furthermore, unless specifically stated otherwise, it should be understood that terms such as "mmWave," as used herein, may broadly refer to frequencies that may include mid-band frequencies, may be within the ranges of FR2, FR4, FR4-a, or FR4-1, and / or FR5, or may be within the EHF band.

[0038] In a multi-carrier system such as 5G, one of the carrier frequencies is referred to as the "primary carrier" or "anchor carrier" or "primary serving cell" or "PCell," and the remaining carrier frequencies are referred to as "secondary carriers" or "secondary serving cells" or "SCells." In carrier aggregation, the anchor carrier is the carrier operating on the primary frequency (e.g., FR1) utilized by the UE 104 / 182 and is the cell on which the UE 104 / 182 either performs an initial radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment procedure or initiates an RRC connection re-establishment procedure. The primary carrier carries all common control channels and UE-specific control channels and may (but is not always) be a carrier among licensed frequencies. The secondary carrier is a carrier operating on a second frequency (e.g., FR2) that may be configured once an RRC connection is established between the UE 104 and the anchor carrier and may be used to provide additional radio resources. In some cases, the secondary carrier may be a carrier among unlicensed frequencies. Since both the primary uplink carrier and the primary downlink carrier are typically UE-specific, the secondary carrier shall contain only the necessary signaling information and signals; for example, there may be no UE-specific signaling information and signals in the secondary carrier. This means that different UEs 104 / 182 in a cell may have different downlink primary carriers. The same applies to the uplink primary carrier. The network may change the primary carrier of any UE 104 / 182 at any time. This may be done, for example, to balance the load on different carriers. Since a "serving cell" (whether PCell or SCell) corresponds to a carrier frequency / component carrier over which several base stations are communicating, terms such as "cell," "serving cell," "component carrier," and "carrier frequency" may be used interchangeably.

[0039] For example, still referring to FIG. 1, one of the frequencies utilized by the macrocell base station 102 may be an anchor carrier (or "PCell"), and other frequencies utilized by the macrocell base station 102 and / or the mmW base station 180 may be secondary carriers ("SCells"). Simultaneous transmission and / or reception of multiple carriers allows the UE 104 / 182 to significantly increase its data transmission and / or data reception rates. For example, two 20 MHz carriers aggregated in a multi-carrier system would theoretically provide a 2x data rate increase (i.e., 40 MHz) compared to the data rate achieved by a single 20 MHz carrier.

[0040] Wireless communications system 100 may further include a UE 164 that may communicate with macrocell base station 102 via communications link 120 and / or with mmW base station 180 via mmW communications link 184. For example, macrocell base station 102 may support a PCell and one or more SCells for UE 164, and mmW base station 180 may support one or more SCells for UE 164.

[0041] In some cases, the UE 164 and the UE 182 may be capable of sidelink communication. Sidelink-capable UEs (SL-UEs) may communicate with the base station 102 via a communication link 120 using the Uu interface (i.e., the air interface between the UE and the base station). SL-UEs (e.g., the UE 164, the UE 182) may also communicate directly with each other via a wireless sidelink 160 using the PC5 interface (i.e., the air interface between sidelink-capable UEs). Wireless sidelink (or simply "sidelink") is an adaptation of the core cellular (e.g., LTE, NR) standard that enables direct communication between two or more UEs without the communication having to go through a base station. Sidelink communications may be unicast or multicast and may be used for device-to-device (D2D) medium sharing, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications (e.g., cellular V2X (cV2X) communications, enhanced V2X (eV2X) communications, etc.), emergency rescue applications, etc. One or more of a group of SL-UEs utilizing sidelink communications may be within the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 102. Other SL-UEs in such a group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 102 or may not be able to receive transmissions from the base station 102. In some cases, a group of SL-UEs communicating via sidelink communications may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each SL-UE transmits to all other SL-UEs in the group. In some cases, the base station 102 facilitates scheduling of resources for sidelink communications. In other cases, sidelink communications are performed between SL-UEs without the involvement of the base station 102.

[0042] In one aspect, the sidelink 160 may operate over a target wireless communications medium, which may be shared with other vehicular and / or infrastructure access points, as well as other wireless communications between other RATs. The “medium” may consist of one or more time, frequency, and / or spatial communications resources (e.g., encompassing one or more channels across one or more carriers) associated with wireless communications between one or more transmitter / receiver pairs. In one aspect, the target medium may correspond to at least a portion of an unlicensed frequency band shared among various RATs. While different licensed frequency bands have been reserved for certain communications systems (e.g., by government agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States), these systems, particularly those employing small cell access points, have recently extended operation to unlicensed frequency bands, such as the Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) bands used by Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technologies, most notably the IEEE 802.11x WLAN technology commonly referred to as “Wi-Fi.” Exemplary systems of this type include CDMA systems, TDMA systems, FDMA systems, orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) systems, and various variations thereof.

[0043] 1 illustrates only two of the UEs as SL-UEs (i.e., UEs 164 and 182), it should be noted that any of the illustrated UEs may be SL-UEs. Additionally, while only UE 182 has been described as being beamforming capable, any of the illustrated UEs, including UE 164, may be beamforming capable. If SL-UEs are beamforming capable, they may beamform toward each other (i.e., toward other SL-UEs), toward other UEs (e.g., UE 104), toward a base station (e.g., base station 102, 180, small cell 102′, access point 150), etc. Thus, in some cases, UE 164 and UE 182 may utilize beamforming over sidelink 160.

[0044] In the example of FIG. 1, any of the illustrated UEs (shown in FIG. 1 as a single UE 104 for simplicity) may receive signals 124 from one or more Earth-orbiting space vehicles (SVs) 112 (e.g., satellites). In one aspect, the SVs 112 may be part of a satellite positioning system that the UE 104 can use as an independent source of location information. A satellite positioning system typically includes a system of transmitters (e.g., SVs 112) positioned to enable a receiver (e.g., UE 104) to determine the receiver's location on or above the Earth based, at least in part, on positioning signals (e.g., signals 124) received from the transmitters. Such transmitters typically transmit signals marked with a repeating pseudo-random noise (PN) code of a set number of chips. While typically located within the SVs 112, transmitters may sometimes be located on ground-based control stations, base stations 102, and / or other UEs 104. The UE 104 may include one or more dedicated receivers specifically designed to receive the signals 124 from the SV 112 to derive geolocation information.

[0045] In a satellite positioning system, the use of signals 124 may be augmented by various satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) that may be associated with or enabled for use with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems. For example, the SBAS may include augmentation system(s) that provide integrity information, error correction, etc., such as the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), the Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), the Global Positioning System (GPS)-aided Geo-Augmented Navigation, or the GPS and Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN). Thus, as used herein, a satellite positioning system may include any combination of one or more global and / or regional navigation satellites associated with such one or more satellite positioning systems.

[0046] In one aspect, the SV 112 may additionally or alternatively be part of one or more non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). In an NTN, the SV 112 is connected to an earth station (also referred to as a ground station, NTN gateway, or gateway), which in turn is connected to an element in a 5G network, such as a modified base station 102 (without a terrestrial antenna) or a network node in a 5G network. This element then provides access to other elements in the 5G network and ultimately to entities outside the 5G network, such as Internet web servers and other user devices. In this way, the UE 104 may receive communication signals (e.g., signal 124) from the SV 112 instead of, or in addition to, communication signals from the terrestrial base station 102.

[0047] The wireless communication system 100 may further include one or more UEs, such as a UE 190, that indirectly connect to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links (referred to as “sidelinks”). In the example of FIG. 1 , the UE 190 has a D2D P2P link 192 with one of the UEs 104 connected to one of the base stations 102 (e.g., through which the UE 190 may indirectly obtain cellular connectivity), and a D2D P2P link 194 with a WLAN STA 152 connected to a WLAN AP 150 (through which the UE 190 may indirectly obtain WLAN-based Internet connectivity). In one example, the D2D P2P links 192 and 194 may be supported using any known D2D RAT, such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth®, etc.

[0048] 2A illustrates an exemplary wireless network structure 200. For example, a 5GC 210 (also referred to as a Next Generation Core (NGC)) may be functionally considered as control plane (C-plane) functions 214 (e.g., UE registration, authentication, network access, gateway selection, etc.) and user plane (U-plane) functions 212 (e.g., UE gateway functions, data network access, IP routing, etc.) that operate cooperatively to form a core network. A user plane interface (NG-U) 213 and a control plane interface (NG-C) 215 connect a gNB 222 to the 5GC 210, specifically to the user plane function 212 and the control plane function 214, respectively. In an additional configuration, an ng-eNB 224 may also be connected to the 5GC 210 via the NG-C 215 to the control plane function 214 and the NG-U 213 to the user plane function 212. Additionally, the ng-eNB 224 may communicate directly with the gNB 222 via a backhaul connection 223. In some configurations, the Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) 220 may have one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include one or more of both the ng-eNB 224 and the gNB 222. Either the gNB 222 or the ng-eNB 224 (or both) may communicate with one or more UEs 204 (e.g., any of the UEs described herein).

[0049] Another optional aspect may include a location server 230, which may be in communication with the 5GC 210 to provide location assistance to the UE(s) 204. The location servers 230 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server. The location servers 230 may be configured to support one or more location services for UEs 204 that may connect to the location server 230 via the core network, the 5GC 210, and / or the Internet (not shown). Furthermore, the location server 230 may be integrated into a component of the core network, or alternatively, may be external to the core network (e.g., a third-party server, such as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) server or a service server).

[0050] 2B illustrates another exemplary wireless network structure 240. A 5GC 260 (which may correspond to 5GC 210 in FIG. 2A) may be viewed functionally as a control plane function provided by an access and mobility management function (AMF) 264 and a user plane function provided by a user plane function (UPF) 262, which operate cooperatively to form a core network (i.e., 5GC 260). The functions of the AMF 264 include registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful intercept, transport for session management (SM) messages between one or more UEs 204 (e.g., any of the UEs described herein) and a session management function (SMF) 266, a transparent proxy service for routing SM messages, access authentication and authorization, transport for short message service (SMS) messages between the UE 204 and a short message service function (SMSF) (not shown), and security anchor functionality (SEAF). The AMF 264 also interacts with an authentication server function (AUSF) (not shown) and the UE 204 to receive intermediate keys established as a result of the UE 204 authentication process. In the case of UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) subscriber identity module (USIM)-based authentication, the AMF 264 retrieves security material from the AUSF. AMF264 functionality also includes security context management (SCM).The SCM receives keys from the SEAF that it uses to derive access network specific keys. The functionality of the AMF 264 also includes location service management for regulated services, transport for location service messages between the UE 204 and the Location Management Function (LMF) 270 (acting as the location server 230), transport for location service messages between the NG-RAN 220 and the LMF 270, EPS bearer identifier allocation for interworking with an evolved packet system (EPS), and UE 204 mobility event notification. In addition, the AMF 264 also supports functionality for non-3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) access networks.

[0051] The functions of the UPF 262 include acting as an anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (when applicable), acting as an external protocol data unit (PDU) session point for interconnection to a data network (not shown), packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy rule enforcement (e.g., gating, redirection, traffic steering), lawful interception (user plane collection), traffic usage reporting, quality of service (QoS) processing for the user plane (e.g., uplink / downlink rate enforcement, reflective QoS marking in the downlink), uplink traffic validation (service data flow (SDF) to QoS flow mapping), transport-level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering, and sending and forwarding one or more "end markers" to the source RAN node. The UPF 262 may also support the transfer of location service messages over the user plane between the UE 204 and a location server such as the SLP 272.

[0052] The functions of the SMF 266 include session management, UE Internet protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of user plane functions, configuration of traffic steering in the UPF 262 to route traffic to the appropriate destination, some control of policy enforcement and QoS, and downlink data notification. The interface through which the SMF 266 communicates with the AMF 264 is called the N11 interface.

[0053] Another optional aspect may include an LMF 270, which may be in communication with the 5GC 260 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The LMF 270 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, may each represent a single server. The LMF 270 may be configured to support one or more location services for UEs 204 that may connect to the LMF 270 via a core network, the 5GC 260, and / or via the Internet (not shown). The SLP 272 may support similar functions as the LMF 270, while the LMF 270 may communicate with the AMF 264, the NG-RAN 220, and the UE 204 via the control plane (e.g., using interfaces and protocols intended to convey signaling messages rather than voice or data), and the SLP 272 may communicate with the UE 204 and external clients (e.g., third-party servers 274) via the user plane (e.g., using protocols intended to carry voice and / or data, such as transmission control protocol (TCP) and / or IP).

[0054] Yet another optional aspect may include a third-party server 274 that may be in communication with the LMF 270, the SLP 272, the 5GC 260 (e.g., via the AMF 264 and / or the UPF 262), the NG-RAN 220, and / or the UE 204 to obtain location information (e.g., a location estimate) for the UE 204. Thus, in some cases, the third-party server 274 may be referred to as a location service (LCS) client or an external client. The third-party servers 274 may be implemented as multiple separate servers (e.g., physically separate servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server.

[0055] A user plane interface 263 and a control plane interface 265 connect the 5GC 260, and in particular the UPF 262 and AMF 264, to one or more gNBs 222 and / or ng-eNBs 224, respectively, in the NG-RAN 220. The interface between the gNB(s) 222 and / or ng-eNB(s) 224 and the AMF 264 is referred to as the “N2” interface, and the interface between the gNB(s) 222 and / or ng-eNB(s) 224 and the UPF 262 is referred to as the “N3” interface. The gNB(s) 222 and / or ng-eNB(s) 224 of the NG-RAN 220 may communicate directly with each other via a backhaul connection 223, referred to as the “Xn-C” interface. One or more of the gNB222 and / or ng-eNB224 may communicate with one or more UE204 via a wireless interface referred to as the "Uu" interface.

[0056] The functionality of the gNB 222 may be divided between a gNB central unit (gNB-CU) 226, one or more gNB distributed units (gNB-DUs) 228, and one or more gNB radio units (gNB-RUs) 229. The gNB-CU 226 is a logical node that includes base station functions such as forwarding user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, and session management, except for those functions exclusively assigned to the gNB-DU(s) 228. More specifically, the gNB-CU 226 typically hosts the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocols of the gNB 222. The gNB-DU 228 is a logical node that generally hosts the radio link control (RLC) and medium access control (MAC) layers of the gNB 222. Its operation is controlled by the gNB-CU 226. One gNB-DU 228 can support one or multiple cells, and one cell is supported by only one gNB-DU 228. The interface 232 between the gNB-CU 226 and one or more gNB-DUs 228 is referred to as the "F1" interface. The physical (PHY) layer functionality of the gNB 222 is generally hosted by one or more standalone gNB-RUs 229, which perform functions such as power amplification and signal transmission / reception. The interface between the gNB-DU 228 and the gNB-RU 229 is referred to as the "Fx" interface. Thus, the UE 204 communicates with the gNB-CU 226 via the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers, with the gNB-DU 228 via the RLC and MAC layers, and with the gNB-RU 229 via the PHY layer.

[0057] The deployment of a communication system, such as a 5G NR system, can be configured in multiple ways with various components or parts. In a 5G NR system or network, a network node, network entity, mobility element of a network, RAN node, core network node, network element, or network equipment, such as a base station or one or more units (or one or more components) performing base station functionality, can be implemented in an aggregated or disaggregated architecture. For example, a base station (such as a Node B (NB), evolved NB (eNB), NR base station, 5G NB, access point (AP), transmit / receive point (TRP), or cell) can be implemented as an aggregated base station (also known as a standalone base station or monolithic base station) or a disaggregated base station.

[0058] A centralized base station may be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack that is physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. A disaggregated base station may be configured to utilize a protocol stack that is physically or logically distributed among two or more units (e.g., one or more centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs)). In some aspects, a CU may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs may be co-located with the CU or alternatively geographically or virtually distributed across one or more other RAN nodes. A DU may be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of the CU, DU, and RU may also be implemented as a virtual unit, i.e., a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU).

[0059] The operation of a base station type or network design may take into account the aggregation characteristics of base station functionality. For example, a disaggregated base station may be utilized in an integrated access backhaul (IAB) network, an open radio access network (O-RAN, such as the network configuration supported by the O-RAN Alliance), or a virtualized radio access network (vRAN, also known as a cloud radio access network (C-RAN)). Disaggregation may include distributing functionality across two or more units in different physical locations, as well as virtually distributing the functionality of at least one unit, which may allow flexibility in network design. Various units of a disaggregated base station, or a disaggregated RAN architecture, may be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit.

[0060] 2C illustrates an exemplary disaggregated base station architecture 250 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The disaggregated base station architecture 250 may include one or more central units (CUs) 280 (e.g., gNB-CU 226) that can communicate directly with a core network 267 (e.g., 5GC 210, 5GC 260) via a backhaul link or indirectly with the core network 267 through one or more disaggregated base station units (e.g., a near-real time (RT) RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) 259 via an E2 link, or a non-real time (non-RT) RIC 257 associated with a Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework 255, or both). The CU 280 may communicate with one or more distributed units (DUs) 285 (e.g., gNB-DU 228) via respective midhaul links, such as an F1 interface. The DU 285 may communicate with one or more radio units (RUs) 287 (e.g., gNB-RU 229) via respective fronthaul links. The RU 287 may communicate with each UE 204 via one or more radio frequency (RF) access links. In some implementations, a UE 204 may be served by multiple RUs 287 simultaneously.

[0061] Each of the units, i.e., CU 280, DU 285, RU 287, and quasi-RT RIC 259, non-RT RIC 257, and SMO framework 255, may include or be coupled to one or more interfaces configured to receive or transmit signals, data, or information (collectively, signals) via a wired or wireless transmission medium. Each of the units, or an associated processor or controller that provides instructions to the unit's communication interface, may be configured to communicate with one or more of the other units via a transmission medium. For example, a unit may include a wired interface configured to receive signals from or transmit signals to one or more of the other units via a wired transmission medium. In addition, the units may include a wireless interface, which may include a receiver, transmitter, or transceiver (such as a radio frequency (RF) transceiver) configured to receive, transmit, or transmit signals via a wireless transmission medium to one or more of the other units.

[0062] In some aspects, the CU 280 may host one or more upper layer control functions. Such control functions may include Radio Resource Control (RRC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), etc. Each control function may be executed using an interface configured to communicate signals with other control functions hosted by the CU 280. The CU 280 may be configured to handle user plane functionality (i.e., Central Unit-User Plane (CU-UP)), control plane functionality (i.e., Central Unit-Control Plane (CU-CP)), or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the CU 280 may be logically divided into one or more CU-UP units and one or more CU-CP units. The CU-UP units, when implemented in an O-RAN configuration, may communicate bidirectionally with the CU-CP units via an interface such as an E1 interface. The CU 280 may be implemented to communicate with the DU 285, as needed, for network control and signaling.

[0063] The DU 285 may correspond to a logical unit including one or more base station functions for controlling the operation of one or more RUs 287. In some aspects, the DU 285 may host one or more of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and one or more upper physical (PHY) layers (such as modules for forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation and demodulation, etc.), at least in part according to a functional division such as that defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®). In some aspects, the DU 285 may further host one or more lower PHY layers. Each layer (or module) may be implemented with an interface configured to communicate signals with other layers (and modules) hosted by the DU 285 or with control functions hosted by the CU 280.

[0064] Lower layer functions may be performed by one or more RUs 287. In some deployments, the RUs 287 controlled by the DUs 285 may correspond to logical nodes hosting RF processing functions, lower PHY layer functions (such as performing fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), inverse FFTs (iFFTs), digital beamforming, physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering, etc.), or both, based at least in part on a functional division, such as a lower layer functional division. In such an architecture, the RU(s) 287 may be implemented to handle over-the-air (OTA) communications with one or more UEs 204. In some implementations, real-time and non-real-time aspects of control plane and user plane communications with the RU(s) 287 may be controlled by the corresponding DUs 285. In some scenarios, this configuration may enable the DU(s) 285 and CU 280 to be implemented in a cloud-based RAN architecture, such as a vRAN architecture.

[0065] The SMO framework 255 may be configured to support RAN deployment and provisioning of non-virtualized and virtualized network elements. For non-virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 255 may be configured to support the deployment of dedicated physical resources for RAN coverage requirements, which may be managed via an operations and maintenance interface (e.g., an O1 interface). For virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 255 may be configured to interact with a cloud computing platform (e.g., an open cloud (O-cloud) 269) via a cloud computing platform interface (e.g., an O2 interface) to perform network element lifecycle management (e.g., to instantiate virtualized network elements). Such virtualized network elements may include, but are not limited to, a CU 280, a DU 285, an RU 287, and a quasi-RT RIC 259. In some implementations, the SMO framework 255 can communicate with hardware aspects of a 4G RAN, such as an open eNB (O-eNB) 261, via the O1 interface. Additionally, in some implementations, the SMO framework 255 can communicate directly with one or more RUs 287 via the O1 interface. The SMO framework 255 may also include a non-RT RIC 257 configured to support the functionality of the SMO framework 255 .

[0066] The non-RT RIC 257 may be configured to include logic functions that enable non-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources, artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) workflows including model training and updates, or policy-based guidance of applications / features in the quasi-RT RIC 259. The non-RT RIC 257 may be coupled to or in communication with the quasi-RT RIC 259 (e.g., via an A1 interface). The quasi-RT RIC 259 may be configured to include logic functions that enable near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources by data collection and action via interfaces (e.g., via an E2 interface) that connect one or more CUs 280, one or more DUs 285, or both, and the O-eNB to the quasi-RT RIC 259.

[0067] In some implementations, the non-RT RIC 257 may receive parameters or external enrichment information from an external server to generate AI / ML models that are deployed to the quasi-RT RIC 259. Such information may be utilized by the quasi-RT RIC 259 and may be received from non-network data sources or from network functions in the SMO framework 255 or the non-RT RIC 257. In some examples, the non-RT RIC 257 or the quasi-RT RIC 259 may be configured to adjust RAN behavior or performance. For example, the non-RT RIC 257 may employ AI / ML models to monitor long-term trends and patterns in performance and take corrective action through the SMO framework 255 (e.g., reconfiguration via O1) or through the creation of RAN management policies (e.g., A1 policies).

[0068] 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate several example components (represented by corresponding blocks) that may be incorporated within a UE 302 (which may correspond to any of the UEs described herein), a base station 304 (which may correspond to any of the base stations described herein), and a network entity 306 (which may correspond to or embody any of the network functions described herein, including a location server 230 and an LMF 270, or alternatively, may be independent of the NG-RAN 220 and / or 5GC 210 / 260 infrastructure shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, such as a private network) to support the operations described herein. It will be understood that these components may be implemented in different types of devices in different implementations (e.g., within an ASIC, within a system-on-chip (SoC), etc.). The illustrated components may also be incorporated into other devices in a communication system. For example, other devices in the system may include components similar to the illustrated components to provide similar functionality. Also, a given device may include one or more of the components. For example, a device may include multiple transceiver components that enable the device to operate on multiple carriers and / or communicate via different technologies.

[0069] The UE 302 and the base station 304 each include one or more wireless wide area network (WWAN) transceivers 310 and 350, respectively, providing means for communicating (e.g., means for transmitting, means for receiving, means for measuring, means for tuning, means for refraining from transmitting, etc.) over one or more wireless communications networks (not shown), such as an NR network, an LTE network, a GSM network, etc. The WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 may each be connected to one or more antennas 316 and 356, respectively, for communicating with other network nodes, such as other UEs, access points, base stations (e.g., eNBs, gNBs), etc., over at least one designated RAT (e.g., NR, LTE, GSM, etc.) over a wireless communications medium of interest (e.g., some set of time / frequency resources in a particular frequency spectrum). The WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 may be variously configured to transmit and encode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, instructions, information, etc.), respectively, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, instructions, information, pilots, etc.), respectively, in accordance with a designated RAT. Specifically, the WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 include one or more transmitters 314 and 354, respectively, to transmit and encode signals 318 and 358, respectively, and include one or more receivers 312 and 352, respectively, to receive and decode signals 318 and 358, respectively.

[0070] The UE 302 and base station 304 also each, at least in some cases, include one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360, respectively. The short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be connected to one or more antennas 326 and 366, respectively, and may provide means for communicating (e.g., means for transmitting, means for receiving, means for measuring, means for tuning, means for refraining from transmitting, etc.) with other network nodes, such as other UEs, access points, base stations, etc., via at least one designated RAT (e.g., WiFi, LTE-D, Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, Z-Wave®, PC5, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), wireless access for vehicular environments (WAVE), near-field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), etc.) over a target wireless communication medium. The short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be variously configured to transmit and encode signals 328 and 368, respectively (e.g., messages, instructions, information, etc.), and conversely, to receive and decode signals 328 and 368, respectively (e.g., messages, instructions, information, pilots, etc.) in accordance with a designated RAT. Specifically, the short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 include one or more transmitters 324 and 364, respectively, to transmit and encode signals 328 and 368, respectively, and include one or more receivers 322 and 362, respectively, to receive and decode signals 328 and 368, respectively. As specific examples, the short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 may be WiFi transceivers, Bluetooth® transceivers, Zigbee® and / or Z-Wave® transceivers, NFC transceivers, UWB transceivers, or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) transceivers.

[0071] UE 302 and base station 304 also, in at least some cases, include satellite signal receivers 330 and 370. Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 may be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, and may provide a means for receiving and / or measuring satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. If satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 are satellite positioning system receivers, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 may be global positioning system (GPS) signals, global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) signals, Galileo signals, Beidou signals, Navigation Satellite System of India (NAVIC), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), etc. If satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 are non-terrestrial network (NTN) receivers, satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378 may be communication signals (e.g., carrying control and / or user data) originating from a 5G network. Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 may comprise any suitable hardware and / or software for receiving and processing satellite positioning / communication signals 338 and 378, respectively. Satellite signal receivers 330 and 370 may request information and action from other systems as appropriate and, in at least some cases, perform calculations to determine the locations of UE 302 and base station 304, respectively, using the obtained measurements according to any suitable satellite positioning system algorithms.

[0072] The base station 304 and the network entity 306 each include one or more network transceivers 380 and 390, respectively, that provide a means for communicating (e.g., a means for transmitting, a means for receiving, etc.) with other network entities (e.g., other base stations 304, other network entities 306). For example, a base station 304 may employ one or more network transceivers 380 to communicate with other base stations 304 or network entities 306 over one or more wired or wireless backhaul links. As another example, a network entity 306 may employ one or more network transceivers 390 to communicate with one or more base stations 304 over one or more wired or wireless backhaul links or with other network entities 306 over one or more wired or wireless core network interfaces.

[0073] A transceiver may be configured to communicate over a wired link or a wireless link. The transceiver (whether a wired transceiver or a wireless transceiver) includes transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) and receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362). In some implementations, the transceiver may be an integrated device (e.g., embodying the transmitter and receiver circuitry within a single device), in some implementations may comprise separate transmitter and receiver circuitry, or in other implementations may be embodied in other ways. The transmitter and receiver circuitry of a wired transceiver (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390 in some implementations) may be coupled to one or more wired network interface ports. The wireless transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 314, 324, 354, 364) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array that enables the respective device (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform transmit "beamforming," as described herein. Similarly, the wireless receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 312, 322, 352, 362) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array that enables the respective device (e.g., UE 302, base station 304) to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In one aspect, the transmitter and receiver circuitry may share multiple identical antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such that the respective device can only receive or transmit at a given time, but not both at the same time. The wireless transceivers (eg, WWAN transceivers 310 and 350, short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360) may also include a network listen module (NLM) or the like for performing various measurements.

[0074] As used herein, various wireless transceivers (e.g., transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360, and network transceivers 380 and 390, in some implementations) and wired transceivers (e.g., network transceivers 380 and 390, in some implementations) may be generally characterized as a “transceiver,” “at least one transceiver,” or “one or more transceivers.” Thus, whether a particular transceiver is a wired transceiver or a wireless transceiver may be inferred from the type of communication being performed. For example, backhaul communications between network devices or servers generally involve signaling via wired transceivers, while wireless communications between a UE (e.g., UE 302) and a base station (e.g., base station 304) generally involve signaling via wireless transceivers.

[0075] The UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 also include other components that may be used in conjunction with operations as disclosed herein. The UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 each include one or more processors 332, 384, and 394, for example, to provide functionality related to wireless communications and to provide other processing functionality. Accordingly, the processors 332, 384, and 394 may provide processing means, such as determining means, calculating means, receiving means, transmitting means, and directing means. In one aspect, the processors 332, 384, and 394 may include, for example, one or more general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, central processing units (CPUs), ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable logic devices or processing circuits, or various combinations thereof.

[0076] The UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 include memory circuitry implementing memories 340, 386, and 396, respectively (e.g., each including a memory device) for maintaining information (e.g., information indicating reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, etc.). Thus, the memories 340, 386, and 396 may provide storage means, retrieval means, maintenance means, etc. In some cases, the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 may include positioning components 342, 388, and 398, respectively. The positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be hardware circuits that are part of or coupled to the processors 332, 384, and 394, respectively, that, when executed, cause the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. In other aspects, the positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be external to the processors 332, 384, and 394 (e.g., part of a modem processing system, integrated with another processing system, etc.). Alternatively, the positioning components 342, 388, and 398 may be memory modules stored in the memories 340, 386, and 396, respectively, that, when executed by the processors 332, 384, and 394 (or modem processing system, another processing system, etc.), cause the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 to perform the functionality described herein. Figure 3A illustrates possible locations of the positioning component 342, which may be part of, for example, one or more WWAN transceivers 310, memory 340, one or more processors 332, or any combination thereof, or may be a stand-alone component. FIG. 3B shows possible locations of a positioning component 388, which may be part of, for example, one or more WWAN transceivers 350, memory 386, one or more processors 384, or any combination thereof, or may be a stand-alone component.FIG. 3C shows possible locations of a positioning component 398, which may be part of, for example, one or more network transceivers 390, memory 396, one or more processors 394, or any combination thereof, or may be a stand-alone component.

[0077] The UE 302 may include one or more sensors 344 coupled to the one or more processors 332 to provide a means of sensing or detecting movement and / or orientation information that is independent of movement data derived from signals received by the one or more WWAN transceivers 310, the one or more short-range wireless transceivers 320, and / or the satellite signal receiver 330. By way of example, the sensor(s) 344 may include an accelerometer (e.g., a micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) device), a gyroscope, a geomagnetic sensor (e.g., a compass), an altimeter (e.g., a barometric altimeter), and / or any other type of movement detection sensor. Furthermore, the sensor(s) 344 may include multiple different types of devices and combine their outputs to provide movement information. For example, the sensor(s) 344 may use a combination of a multi-axis accelerometer and an orientation sensor to provide the ability to calculate position in a two-dimensional (2D) and / or three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system.

[0078] Additionally, the UE 302 includes a user interface 346 that provides a means for providing instructions to a user (e.g., audio and / or visual instructions) and / or receiving user input (e.g., upon user actuation of a sensing device such as a keypad, touch screen, microphone, etc.). Although not shown, the base station 304 and the network entity 306 may also include user interfaces.

[0079] Referring more particularly to the one or more processors 384, on the downlink, IP packets from the network entity 306 may be provided to the processor 384. The one or more processors 384 may implement functionality for an RRC layer, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. The one or more processors 384 may provide RRC layer functionality associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., master information block (MIB), system information blocks (SIBs)), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functionality associated with forwarding of upper layer PDUs, error correction via automatic repeat request (ARQ), concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction, priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.

[0080] The transmitter 354 and receiver 352 may implement Layer 1 (L1) functionality associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on transport channels, forward error correction (FEC) coding / decoding of transport channels, interleaving, rate matching, mapping onto physical channels, modulation / demodulation of physical channels, and MIMO antenna processing. The transmitter 354 handles mapping to signal constellations based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), M-phase-shift keying (M-PSK), and M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The coded and modulated symbols may then be split into parallel streams. Each stream may then be mapped to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., pilot) in the time and / or frequency domain, and then combined together using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to generate a physical channel carrying a time-domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM symbol stream is spatially precoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from a channel estimator may be used to determine coding and modulation schemes and for spatial processing. The channel estimates may be derived from a reference signal and / or channel condition feedback transmitted by the UE 302. Each spatial stream may then be provided to one or more different antennas 356. The transmitter 354 may modulate an RF carrier with the individual spatial streams for transmission.

[0081] At the UE 302, the receiver 312 receives signals through its respective antenna(s) 316. The receiver 312 recovers information modulated onto RF carriers and provides the information to one or more processors 332. The transmitter 314 and receiver 312 implement Layer 1 functionality associated with various signal processing functions. The receiver 312 may perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial streams destined for the UE 302. If multiple spatial streams are destined for the UE 302, they may be combined by the receiver 312 into a single OFDM symbol stream. The receiver 312 then converts the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain using a fast Fourier transform (FFT). The frequency-domain signal includes a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, as well as the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation point transmitted by the base station 304. These soft decisions may be based on channel estimates calculated by a channel estimator. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted on the physical channel by the base station 304. The data and control signals are then provided to one or more processors 332 that implement Layer-3 (L3) and Layer-2 (L2) functionality.

[0082] In the downlink, one or more processors 332 provide demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the core network. The one or more processors 332 are also responsible for error detection.

[0083] Similar to the functionality described in connection with downlink transmissions by the base station 304, the one or more processors 332 provide RRC layer functionality related to system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connection, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functionality associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functionality associated with forwarding upper layer PDUs, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functionality associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), priority handling, and logical channel prioritization.

[0084] Channel estimates derived by the channel estimator from a reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 304 may be used by the transmitter 314 to select an appropriate coding and modulation scheme and to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial streams generated by the transmitter 314 may be provided to different antenna(s) 316. The transmitter 314 may modulate an RF carrier with the individual spatial streams for transmission.

[0085] Uplink transmissions are processed at the base station 304 in a manner similar to that described with respect to the receiver function at the UE 302. The receiver 352 receives signals through its respective antenna(s) 356. The receiver 352 recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier and provides the information to one or more processors 384.

[0086] In the uplink, one or more processors 384 provide demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the UE 302. The IP packets from the one or more processors 384 may be provided to the core network. The one or more processors 384 are also responsible for error detection.

[0087] For convenience, the UE 302, base station 304, and / or network entity 306 are illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C as including various components that may be configured in accordance with various examples described herein. However, it will be understood that the illustrated components may have different functionality in different designs. In particular, various components in FIGS. 3A-3C are optional in alternative configurations, and various aspects include configurations that may vary due to design choice, cost, device use, or other considerations. For example, in FIG. 3A, a particular implementation of the UE 302 may omit the WWAN transceiver(s) 310 (e.g., a wearable device or tablet computer or PC or laptop may have Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth capabilities without cellular capabilities), or may omit the short-range wireless transceiver(s) 320 (e.g., cellular only, etc.), or may omit the satellite signal receiver 330, or may omit the sensor(s) 344, etc. 3B, a particular implementation of base station 304 may omit WWAN transceiver(s) 350 (e.g., a Wi-Fi “hotspot” access point without cellular capability), or may omit short-range wireless transceiver(s) 360 (e.g., cellular only), or may omit satellite signal receiver 370, etc. For the sake of brevity, examples of various alternative configurations are not provided herein but should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0088] The various components of the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306 may be communicatively coupled to one another via data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392, respectively. In one aspect, the data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392 may form or be part of communication interfaces of the UE 302, the base station 304, and the network entity 306, respectively. For example, when different logical entities are embodied within the same device (e.g., gNB and location server functionality incorporated within the same base station 304), the data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392 may provide communication therebetween.

[0089] The components of Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C may be implemented in various ways. In some implementations, the components of Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C may be implemented in one or more circuits, such as, for example, one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors), where each circuit may use and / or incorporate at least one memory component for storing information or executable code used by the circuit to provide its functionality. For example, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 310-346 may be implemented by the processor and memory component(s) of the UE 302 (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). Similarly, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 350-388 may be implemented by the processor and memory component(s) of the base station 304 (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). Additionally, some or all of the functionality represented by blocks 390-398 may be implemented by the processor and memory component(s) of the network entity 306 (e.g., by execution of appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). For simplicity, various operations, actions, and / or functions are described herein as being performed "by the UE," "by the base station," "by the network entity," etc. However, it should be understood that such operations, actions, and / or functions may actually be performed by particular components or combinations of components of the UE 302, base station 304, network entity 306, etc., such as processors 332, 384, 394, transceivers 310, 320, 350, and 360, memories 340, 386, and 396, positioning components 342, 388, and 398, etc.

[0090] In some designs, the network entity 306 may be implemented as a core network component. In other designs, the network entity 306 may be separate from the network operator or operation of the cellular network infrastructure (e.g., the NG RAN 220 and / or the 5GC 210 / 260). For example, the network entity 306 may be a component of a private network that may be configured to communicate with the UE 302 via the base station 304 or independently of the base station 304 (e.g., via a non-cellular communication link such as WiFi).

[0091] FIG. 4 illustrates examples of various positioning methods supported in New Radio (NR) according to aspects of the present disclosure. NR supports several cellular network-based positioning technologies, including downlink-based positioning methods, uplink-based positioning methods, and downlink and uplink-based positioning methods. Downlink-based positioning methods include observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) in LTE, downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) in NR, and downlink angle-of-departure (DL-AoD) in NR. FIG. 4 illustrates examples of various positioning methods according to aspects of the present disclosure. In an OTDOA or DL-TDOA positioning procedure illustrated by scenario 410, a UE measures differences between times of arrival (ToAs) of reference signals (e.g., positioning reference signals (PRS)) received from pairs of base stations, referred to as reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurements or time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements, and reports them to a positioning entity. More specifically, the UE receives identifiers (IDs) of a reference base station (e.g., a serving base station) and multiple non-reference base stations in the assistance data. The UE then measures RSTD between the reference base station and each of the non-reference base stations. Based on the known locations of the participating base stations and the RSTD measurements, a positioning entity (e.g., the UE in the case of UE-based positioning or a location server in the case of UE-assisted positioning) can estimate the location of the UE.

[0092] For DL-AoD positioning, as illustrated by scenario 420, the positioning entity uses measurement reports from the UE of received signal strength measurements of multiple downlink transmit beams to determine the angle(s) between the UE and the transmitting base station(s). The positioning entity can then estimate the location of the UE based on the determined angle(s) and the known location(s) of the transmitting base station(s).

[0093] Uplink-based positioning methods include uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) and uplink angle-of-arrival (UL-AoA). UL-TDOA is similar to DL-TDOA, but is based on an uplink reference signal (e.g., a sounding reference signal (SRS)) transmitted by the UE to multiple base stations. Specifically, the UE transmits one or more uplink reference signals that are measured by a reference base station and multiple non-reference base stations. Each base station then reports the reception time (referred to as the relative time of arrival (RTOA)) of the reference signal(s) to a positioning entity (e.g., a location server), which knows the locations and relative timing of the participating base stations. Based on the reception-to-reception (Rx-Rx) time difference between the reported RTA of the reference base station and that of each non-reference base station, the known locations of the base stations, and their known timing offsets, the positioning entity can estimate the UE's location using TDOA.

[0094] For UL-AoA positioning, one or more base stations measure the received signal strength of one or more uplink reference signals (e.g., SRS) received from the UE on one or more uplink receive beams. The positioning entity uses the signal strength measurements and the angle(s) of the receive beam(s) to determine the angle(s) between the UE and the base station(s). Based on the determined angle(s) and the known location(s) of the base station(s), the positioning entity can then estimate the location of the UE.

[0095] Downlink and uplink-based positioning methods include enhanced cell-ID (E-CID) positioning and multiple round trip time (RTT) positioning (also referred to as "multi-cell RTT" and "multi-RTT"). In an RTT procedure, a first entity (e.g., a base station or a UE) transmits a first RTT-related signal (e.g., a PRS or SRS) to a second entity (e.g., a UE or a base station), and the second entity transmits a second RTT-related signal (e.g., an SRS or PRS) back to the first entity. Each entity measures the time difference between the time of arrival (ToA) of the received RTT-related signal and the transmission time of the transmitted RTT-related signal. This time difference is referred to as the reception-to-transmission (Rx-Tx) time difference. The Rx-Tx time difference measurement may be performed or adjusted to include only the time difference between the nearest slot boundaries for the received and transmitted signals. Both entities may then send their Rx-Tx time difference measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 270), which calculates the round-trip propagation time (i.e., RTT) between the two entities from the two Rx-Tx time difference measurements (e.g., as the sum of the two Rx-Tx time difference measurements). Alternatively, one entity may send its Rx-Tx time difference measurement to the other entity, which then calculates the RTT. The distance between the two entities may be determined from the RTT and a known signal speed (e.g., the speed of light). In the case of multi-RTT positioning illustrated by scenario 430, a first entity (e.g., a UE or base station) conducts RTT positioning procedures with multiple second entities (e.g., multiple base stations or UEs) to allow the location of the first entity to be determined based on the distance to the second entities and the known locations of the second entities (e.g., using multilateration). As illustrated by scenario 440, RTT and multi-RTT methods can be combined with other positioning techniques such as UL-AoA and DL-AoD to improve location accuracy.

[0096] The E-CID positioning method is based on radio resource management (RRM) measurements. In E-CID, the UE reports the serving cell ID, timing advance (TA), and identities, estimated timing, and signal strength of detected neighboring base stations. The UE's location is then estimated based on this information and the known location of the base station(s).

[0097] To assist in positioning operations, a location server (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270, SLP 272) may provide assistance data to the UE. For example, the assistance data may include an identifier of the base station (or base station's cell / TRP) from which to measure the reference signal, reference signal configuration parameters (e.g., the number of consecutive slots containing the PRS, the periodicity of the consecutive slots containing the PRS, a muting sequence, a frequency hopping sequence, a reference signal identifier, a reference signal bandwidth, etc.), and / or other parameters applicable to a particular positioning method. Alternatively, the assistance data may be obtained directly from the base station itself (e.g., in a periodically broadcast overhead message, etc.). In some cases, the UE may be able to detect neighboring network nodes itself without using the assistance data.

[0098] In the case of OTDOA or DL-TDOA positioning procedures, the assistance data may further include an expected RSTD value and an uncertainty, or search window, associated with the expected RSTD before and after the expected RSTD. In some cases, the value range for the expected RSTD may be + / - 500 microseconds (μs). In some cases, when any of the resources used for the positioning measurements are in FR1, the value range for the expected RSTD uncertainty may be + / - 32 μs. In other cases, when all of the resources used for the positioning measurement(s) are in FR2, the value range for the expected RSTD uncertainty may be + / - 8 μs.

[0099] A location estimate may be referred to by other names, such as a position estimate, location, position, position fix, fix, etc. A location estimate may be geodetic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude), or urban and include a street address, postal address, or some other linguistic description of the location. A location estimate may also be defined relative to some other known location or defined absolutely (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possibly altitude). A location estimate may include an expected error or uncertainty (e.g., by including an area or volume that the location is expected to be within with some specified or default level of confidence).

[0100] In some situations, a transmitted RF signal, which may be a positioning signal, may travel on different paths between the transmitter and receiver, in which case the RF signal may be referred to as a “multipath” RF signal. In these cases, there may or may not be a direct line-of-sight (LOS) path between the transmitter and receiver, and there is at least one non-line-of-sight (NLOS) path between the transmitter and receiver. NLOS paths typically reach the receiver by being reflected off or around nearby obstacles, resulting in NLOS signals traveling a longer distance to reach the receiver than LOS signals do, and therefore NLOS signals arrive at the receiver later than LOS signals. A receiver can use the relative arrival times to distinguish NLOS signals from LOS signals, and thus can often detect when an RF signal is a multipath signal.

[0101] FIG. 5 is a graph 500 illustrating an example channel estimate of a multipath channel between a receiver device (e.g., either a UE or a base station described herein) and a transmitter device (e.g., either a UE or a base station described herein) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The channel estimate represents the strength of a radio frequency (RF) signal (e.g., a positioning reference signal (PRS)) received through the multipath channel as a function of time delay and may be referred to as a channel energy response (CER), a channel impulse response (CIR), or a power delay profile (PDP) of the channel. Thus, the horizontal axis represents time (e.g., milliseconds) and the vertical axis represents signal strength (e.g., decibels). Note that a multipath channel is a channel between a transmitter and a receiver due to the transmission of the RF signal in multiple beams and / or due to propagation characteristics of the RF signal (e.g., reflection, refraction, etc.) that cause the RF signal to follow multiple paths, or multipaths.

[0102] In the example of FIG. 5, the receiver detects / measures multiple (four) channel taps of the RF signal. Each channel tap is a cluster of one or more rays and corresponds to the multipaths the RF signal has taken between the transmitter and the receiver. Thus, the channel taps represent the arrival time and signal strength of the RF signal on the multipaths. There may be multiple channel taps because the RF signal is transmitted on different transmit beams (and therefore at different angles), or because of the propagation characteristics of the RF signal (e.g., it may take different paths due to reflections), or both. Note that while FIG. 5 shows channel taps with two to five rays, it should be understood that the channel taps may have more or fewer rays than the number shown.

[0103] In the example of Figure 5, the channel tap detected at time T3 is composed of stronger rays than the channel tap detected at time T1. This may be due to an obstruction on the LOS path between the transmitter and receiver. Alternatively, or in addition, there may be a strong reflector along the NLOS path corresponding to the channel tap detected at time T3.

[0104] To improve positioning accuracy, New Radio (NR) Release 16 (Rel-16) and Release 17 (Rel-17) allow target devices to report multipath information via the information element (IE) NR-AdditionalPathList. This IE is used by target devices to provide information about additional paths related to the time-of-arrival (TOA) measurements associated with NR positioning in the form of relative time differences and quality values. The additional path nr_relativeTimeDifference is the detected path timing relative to the detected path timing used for the TOA value, and each additional path can be associated with a quality value nr_path_Quality.

[0105] For positioning purposes, Rel-17 allows target devices to report up to eight relative time differences (RTDs). The primary motivation is improved positioning accuracy, and this reporting is supported for different techniques such as DL-TDOA, OTDOA, and multi-RTT. For sensing use cases, more detailed information about multipath information is beneficial and necessary to capture specific aspects of the target / environment, such as target movement. For example, target velocity and target Doppler values ​​are proportional to phase change over a short time window. Accessing only the RTD values ​​(note that RTDs map relative distance differences) does not provide enough information to obtain the Doppler characteristics required for RF sensing use cases.

[0106] Furthermore, having more information about the multipath taps, i.e., time, phase, and amplitude per path, is equally beneficial for more accurate positioning. Such rich multipath information can be fed into neural network-based positioning engines, for example, for radio frequency fingerprinting (RFFP), which infers its target device location based on multipath signatures from different transmission points.

[0107] Therefore, techniques for enhanced multipath component reporting are presented herein, including, but not limited to, reporting phase information for each path of a multipath signal in addition to the already supported reporting of RTD and amplitude values, reporting phase measurements, reporting capabilities, requesting phase measurements of multipath RF signals, providing mechanisms for reporting phase measurements of multipath RF signals, defining multipath phase reporting by both the UE and the TRP, and defining phase reporting for sensing operations.

[0108] FIG. 6 is a signaling and event diagram illustrating a process 600 for enhanced multipath component reporting according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The process 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 includes interactions between a requesting entity (RE) 602 and a measurement entity (ME) 604. In some aspects, for example, in the case of a DL positioning operation, the RE 602 may be a gNB and / or a location server, and the ME 604 may be a UE. In some aspects, for example, in the case of a SL positioning operation, the RE 602 may be a first SL UE, and the ME 604 may be a second SL UE. In some aspects, for example, in the case of a UL positioning operation, the RE 602 may be a location server, and the ME 604 may be a gNB or other TRP. In some aspects, the ME 604 reports the results of the positioning operation. In some aspects, the ME 604 reports the results of the measurement operation.

[0109] If the RE 602 does not already know the multipath measurement capability of the ME 604 before the RE 602 requests multipath measurement and reporting from the ME 604, the RE 602 determines the multipath measurement capability of the ME 604. In the example shown in Figure 6, the RE 602 sends a first request 606 for multipath measurement capability to the ME 604. In response, the ME 604 sends a first response 608 to the RE 602 specifying the multipath measurement capability of the ME 604. In the example shown in Figure 6, the ME 604 indicates that it can support multipath measurements and that it can measure both timing and phase.

[0110] In the example shown in FIG. 6, the RE 602 transmits a second request 610 for at least one multipath measurement to the ME 604. In some aspects, the second request 610 can specify that the RE 602 desires both timing and phase information, timing information only, or phase information only. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the second request 610 specifies at least phase information. In some aspects, the second request 610 can further specify a path power threshold, in which case the ME 604 can exclude from the second response 614 information associated with paths having path powers that do not meet the specified path power threshold.

[0111] 6, the ME 604 performs at least one multipath measurement in block 612. In some aspects, the multipath measurements performed in block 612 may include positioning measurements. In some aspects, the multipath measurements in block 612 may include sensing measurements.

[0112] 6, if the ME 604 successfully performs the requested multipath measurement(s) in block 612, the ME 604 sends a second response 614 to the RE 602 that includes the results of the multipath measurement(s). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the second response 614 includes at least phase information for each path of the multipath measurement(s).

[0113] However, if the ME 604 is unable to successfully perform the requested multipath measurements in block 612, the ME 604 sends a second response 616 that either explicitly indicates the failure to perform the requested multipath measurements or implicitly indicates this failure, for example, by not including the requested measurement results in the second response 616. For example, if the second request 610 includes a path power threshold, but none of the paths measured by the ME 604 exceed that power threshold, the ME 604 has no timing or phase measurements to report to the RE 602. In that case, the second response 616 may either include an error code to identify this situation, or simply not report any multipath measurement results. (The results of other successful measurements, if any, may be included in the second response 616.)

[0114] The following are examples of how the current 3GPP® specifications can be modified to support enhanced multipath component reporting, particularly phase reporting, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. These implementation examples are illustrative and not limiting.

[0115] Reporting phase information for each path of a multipath signal In some aspects, a reporting entity, which may be a device or a network entity, may report the phase of each path of a multipath RF signal, which may be in addition to reporting the RTD and / or amplitude of each path of a multipath RF signal. In some aspects, the IE structure NR-AdditionalPath-r18 / 19 may be extended by adding new fields defined to indicate phase estimates for paths of a multipath RF signal, where bold text indicates additional fields.

[0116] [Table 1]

[0117] In some aspects, the phase of each path can be specified by an integer having a value between 0 and 359, where the integer represents the phase angle in degrees. In some aspects, an additional field having a value between 0 and 9 can be used to indicate fractional phase in tenths of a degree. In other aspects, path phase can be represented using other numerical systems, such as as radians, or using real numbers, or using an index into a table of possible phase values, or a combination of the above.

[0118] In some aspects, the reporting entity may provide an indication of the quality of the phase measurement, i.e., specify the reporting entity's best estimate of the quality of the detected phase of the additional path. In some aspects, the reporting entity may provide a separate quality indication for each detected additional path. In some aspects, the reporting entity may provide one quality indicator that represents the best estimate of the quality of the detected phases of all of the additional paths. This may be applicable, for example, when the path estimation process generates delay, phase, and amplitude values ​​simultaneously.

[0119] In some aspects, the quality of the phase estimate for each additional path can be reported independently of the timing or amplitude quality of each additional path. In this implementation, the existing nr-PathQuality IE is used to report the quality of the timing measurements of multiple paths, while a new IE, e.g., nr-PhaseQuality, is used to report the quality of the phase measurements of multiple paths. In some aspects, the reporting entity can use a single quality field to specify the reporting entity's best estimate of the combined quality of the detected timing and phase of each additional path or all additional paths. In this implementation, the existing nr-PathQuality IE is redefined and reinterpreted to specify the device's best estimate of the quality of the detected timing and phase of the additional paths.

[0120] competency report A reporting entity can report that it has the capability to support per-path timing reporting for multipath components. The IE structure NR-DL-TDOA-ProvideCapabilities is used by a target device to indicate its capability to support NR DL-TDOA and to provide its NR DL-TDOA positioning capabilities to a location server. The optional field additionalPathsExtSupport indicates that the target device supports nr-AdditionalPathListExt reporting in the IE NR-DL-TDOA-SignalMeasurementInformation. The enumerated value indicates the number of additional paths supported by the target device. The optional field additionalPathsPowerSupport indicates that the target device supports the IE nr-DL-PRS-RSRPP for additional paths in the IE NR-AdditionalPathList.

[0121] In some aspects, the NR-DL-TDOA-ProvideCapabilities is extended by adding a new field defined to indicate that the UE supports per-path phase reporting for multipath components, with bold text indicating the additional field.

[0122] [Table 2]

[0123] Measurement request / configuration A location server or other network entity can request the UE to report per-path phase for a multipath signal. The IE NR-DL-TDOA-RequestLocationInformation is used by the location server to request NR DL-TDOA location measurements from the target device. The field additionalPathsExt, if present, indicates that the target device is requested to provide nr-AdditionalPathListExt in the IE NR-DL-TDOA-SignalMeasurementInformation. If this field is present, the field additionalPaths shall not be present.

[0124] In some aspects, the NR-DL-TDOA-RequestLocationInformation is reused or reinterpreted to request the UE to report phase for each additional path. In some aspects, the existing fields additionalPaths or additionalPathsExt can be reused or reinterpreted to request timing and phase reporting. In this approach, newer release UEs interpret the fields as providing timing and phase reporting, while legacy UEs only provide timing for each reported path.

[0125] In some aspects, the NR-DL-TDOA-RequestLocationInformation is extended by adding new fields to request timing and / or phase reports; bold text indicates the additional fields.

[0126] [Table 3]

[0127] In some aspects, a new field such as additionalPhasePaths-r18 / 19 is defined and used to request a phase report independently of requesting a timing report. In some aspects, a new field such as additionalTimingPhasePaths-r18 / 19 is defined and used to request a timing and phase report together (in which case the existing timing request field would not be present). In some aspects, both of the above two fields can be supported, for example, to allow a network entity to request a phase report without a timing report.

[0128] measurement report The IE NR-DL-TDOA-SignalMeasurementInformation is used by the target device to provide NR DL-TDOA measurements to the location server. Within this IE, the UE reports additional paths in either nr-AdditionalPathList-r16 or nr-AdditionalPathListExt-r17. The fields include the relative timing and RSRP values ​​of the additional paths.

[0129] In some aspects, the NR-DL-TDOA-SignalMeasurementInformation is extended to allow per-path phase reporting, and in some aspects, new fields such as nr-Phase, nr-PhaseFine, and nr-PhaseQuality can be used for this purpose.

[0130] In some aspects, a new IE, such as nr-AdditionalPathListExt-r18 / 19, can be defined for reporting extended multipath information, allowing differentiation between types of multipath reporting, e.g., RTD only or RTD and phase.

[0131] In some aspects, existing IEs, such as nr-AdditionalPathListExt-r17 or nr-AdditionalPathList-r16, continue to be used but are interpreted differently based on the NR release supported by the UE and whether the network entity requests phase information.

[0132] In some aspects, a location server, network entity, or sensing entity can define a power threshold so that only paths with a reference signal received path power (RSRPP) above this threshold are reported. In some aspects, the power threshold for sensing can be different from the power threshold for positioning.

[0133] In some situations, the UE may not be able to report per-path phase information. In some aspects, the UE may generate an explicit indication that it was not able to report per-path phase information, and optionally provide a reason or explanation. In some aspects, the UE may implicitly indicate that it was not able to report per-path phase information, for example, by reporting timing information rather than phase information.

[0134] While the above examples are directed to DL-TDOA positioning, the same techniques can be applied to other positioning techniques that support multipath reporting. In some aspects, measurement capability reporting, measurement requests, and measurement reports are supported for OTDOA and multi-RTT. For example, the IE NR-Multi-RTT-SignalMeasurementInformation is used by the target device to provide NR multi-RTT measurements to the location server. In some aspects, the IE NR-Multi-RTT-MeasElement-r16 can be extended by adding a new field defined to indicate that the UE supports per-path phase reporting for multipath components.

[0135] Phase reporting for UL / SL-based positioning techniques Additional path reporting is also supported for UL-based positioning techniques, including but not limited to UL-TDOA and multi-RTT. For example, the IE for gNB Rx-Tx time difference or UL RTOA measurements supports multipath timing reporting via fields AdditionalPathList or ExtendedAdditionalPathList, and timing quality is reported using field TrpMeasurementTimingQuality.

[0136] In some aspects, the gNB indicates to the location server its capability of phase reporting for each additional path (and the number of paths with phase). In some aspects, the location server requests the gNB to report phase information for each additional path. In some aspects, the phase information can be reported together with or separately from the relative timing information. In some aspects, the quality of the phase measurement can be indicated either separately, e.g., using a new field denoted as TrpMeasurementPhaseQuality, or together with the quality of the timing information, e.g., using a single field denoted as TrpMeasurementTimingPhaseQuality, if timing is also reported. In some aspects, if requested by the location server, the gNB can report phase information for each additional path in a measurement report. This can be applied to any UL-based positioning technique.

[0137] The same techniques may be applied to sidelink (SL) positioning. For example, an SL UE may be configured to report phase information of additional paths based on the capabilities of the SL UE. In some aspects, the phase information may be reported to a location server. In some aspects, the phase information may be reported to another SL UE, for example, in the case of SL-based positioning or sensing.

[0138] The same techniques can be applied to sensing operations. For example, in some aspects, phase information can be reported to the sensing entity. In some aspects, the sensing entity can request timing (e.g., RTD) and / or phase measurements for multiple paths from the node based on the node's capability information, which can be communicated to the sensing entity as part of a sensing capability message. In some aspects, measurements can be performed as part of a sensing session on configured sensing reference signals (RSs). Exemplary nodes include, but are not limited to, a UE, a TRP / gNB, or any dedicated reference unit, such as a roadside unit (RSU) or a positioning reference unit (PRU). In some aspects, the quality of the phase measurement indicator (or a combined phase and timing quality indicator) is reported from the node to the sensing entity along with the measurement.

[0139] 7 is a flowchart of an example process 700 associated with enhanced multipath component reporting in new radio, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. In some implementations, one or more process blocks of FIG. 7 may be performed by a requesting entity (RE) (e.g., location server 172, BS 304, UE 302). In some implementations, one or more process blocks of FIG. 7 may be performed by another device, or a group of devices that are separate from or include the RE. Additionally or alternatively, one or more process blocks of FIG. 7 may be performed by one or more components of an apparatus, such as processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s), any or all of which may be means for performing the operations of process 700.

[0140] 7, process 700 may include determining that a measurement entity (ME) is capable of performing multipath phase measurements at block 710. The means for performing the operations of block 710 may include a processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s) of any of the apparatuses described herein. For example, the BS 304 may determine that the UE 302 is capable of performing multipath phase measurements via signals communicated via the WWAN transceiver(s) 310.

[0141] 7, the process 700 may include, at block 720, sending a first request to the ME to perform at least one multipath phase measurement. The means for performing the operations of block 720 may include the processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s) of any of the apparatus described herein. For example, the BS 304 may send the first request to the UE via the transmitter(s) 354, or the location server or other network entity 306 may send the first request to the BS 304 via the network transceiver(s) 390.

[0142] 7, the process 700 may include receiving, from the ME, a first response to the first request, the first response including results of at least one multipath phase measurement, at block 730. The means for performing the operations of block 730 may include a processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s) of any of the apparatuses described herein. For example, the BS 304 may receive the first response from the UE 302 via the receiver(s) 352, and the network entity 306 may receive the first response from the BS 304 via the network transceiver(s) 390.

[0143] 7, process 700 may include, at block 740, determining a location or detecting an object based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement. Means for performing the operations of block 740 may include a processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s) of any of the apparatus described herein. For example, BS 304 may determine a location or detect an object based on results of the multipath phase measurement using processor(s) 384, and network entity 306 may determine a location or detect an object based on results of the multipath phase measurement using processor(s) 394.

[0144] In some aspects, determining that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements includes sending a request for the ME's multipath measurement capability to the ME, receiving a response from the ME indicating the ME's multipath measurement capability, and determining, based on the response, that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements.

[0145] In some aspects, transmitting the first request includes transmitting an indication to also report multipath timing measurements.

[0146] In some aspects, receiving the first response also includes receiving multipath timing measurements.

[0147] In some aspects, determining a location or sensing an object based on results of the at least one multipath phase measurement includes determining a location based on results of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0148] In some aspects, determining a location or sensing an object based on results of the at least one multipath phase measurement includes sensing an object based on results of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0149] In some aspects, the RE includes a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

[0150] In some aspects, the ME includes a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0151] Process 700 may include additional implementations, such as any single implementation or any combination of implementations described below and / or with respect to one or more other processes described elsewhere herein. While Figure 7 shows example blocks of process 700, in some implementations, process 700 may include additional, fewer, different, or differently configured blocks than those shown in Figure 7. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 700 may be performed in parallel.

[0152] 8 is a flowchart of an example process 800 associated with enhanced multipath component reporting in new radio, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. In some implementations, one or more process blocks of FIG. 8 may be performed by a measurement entity (ME) (e.g., UE 104, UE 302, BS 304, RSU, PRU, etc.). In some implementations, one or more process blocks of FIG. 8 may be performed by another device or a group of devices that are separate from or include the ME. Additionally or alternatively, one or more process blocks of FIG. 8 may be performed by one or more components of an apparatus, such as processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s), any or all of which may be means for performing the operations of process 800.

[0153] 8, process 800 may include receiving a first request to perform at least one multipath phase measurement from a requesting entity (RE) at block 810. Means for performing the operations of block 810 may include a processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s) of any of the apparatuses described herein. For example, UE 302 may receive the first request from BS 304 using receiver(s) 312.

[0154] 8, the process 800 may include performing at least one multipath phase measurement at block 820. The means for performing the operations of block 820 may include the processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s) of any of the apparatus described herein. For example, the UE 302 may perform the one or more multipath phase measurements using the receiver(s) 312 and the processor(s) 332.

[0155] 8, the process 800 may include, at block 830, transmitting to the RE a first response to the first request, the first response including results of the at least one multipath phase measurement. The means for performing the operations of block 830 may include a processor(s), memory, or transceiver(s) of any of the apparatuses described herein. For example, the UE 302 may transmit the first response to the BS 304 using the transmitter(s) 314.

[0156] In some aspects, performing at least one multipath phase measurement includes measuring a positioning signal.

[0157] In some aspects, performing at least one multipath phase measurement includes measuring a sensed signal.

[0158] In some aspects, transmitting the first response includes transmitting a plurality of multipath phase measurements.

[0159] In some aspects, receiving the first request includes receiving an instruction to also perform multipath timing measurements.

[0160] In some aspects, transmitting the first response also includes transmitting a plurality of multipath timing measurements.

[0161] In some aspects, transmitting the first response includes transmitting an indication that the ME was unable to perform at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0162] In some aspects, the RE includes a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

[0163] In some aspects, the ME includes a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0164] Process 800 may include additional implementations, such as any single implementation or any combination of implementations described below and / or with respect to one or more other processes described elsewhere herein. While Figure 8 shows example blocks of process 800, in some implementations, process 800 may include additional, fewer, different, or differently configured blocks than those shown in Figure 8. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 800 may be performed in parallel.

[0165] As will be appreciated, a technical advantage of the techniques presented herein is that by providing phase measurements of multipath signals, positioning measurements may be more accurate. Similarly, the phase measurements enable calculation of the Doppler characteristics of the signals, which is typically required for sensing measurements.

[0166] In the above detailed description, it can be seen that different features are grouped together in the examples. This mode of disclosure should not be understood as an intention that the exemplary clauses have more features than are expressly stated in each clause. Rather, various aspects of the present disclosure may include fewer than all features of each disclosed exemplary clause. Accordingly, the following clauses should be considered incorporated into the description, and each clause may stand alone as a separate example. Although each dependent clause may refer to a specific combination with one of the other clauses within that clause, the aspect(s) of that dependent clause are not limited to that specific combination. It will be understood that other exemplary clauses may also include combinations of the aspect(s) of the dependent clause with the subject matter of any other dependent clause or independent clause, or combinations of any features with other dependent clauses and independent clauses. The various aspects disclosed herein expressly include specific combinations (e.g., contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor) unless such combinations are expressly expressed or can be readily inferred. It is further contemplated that aspects of a clause may be included in any other independent clause, even if the clause is not directly dependent on the independent clause.

[0167] Example implementations are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0168] Clause 1. A method of wireless positioning or sensing performed by a requesting entity (RE), the method comprising: determining that a measuring entity (ME) is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; sending a first request to the ME to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; receiving a first response to the first request from the ME, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement; and determining a position or sensing an object based on the result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0169] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein determining that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements includes sending a request for the ME's multipath measurement capability to the ME, receiving a response from the ME indicating the ME's multipath measurement capability, and determining, based on the response, that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements.

[0170] Clause 3. The method of clause 1 or 2, wherein sending the first request includes sending an instruction to also report multipath timing measurements.

[0171] Clause 4. The method of clause 3, wherein receiving the first response also includes receiving multipath timing measurements.

[0172] Clause 5. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein determining a location or sensing an object based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement includes determining a location based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0173] Clause 6. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein determining a location or sensing an object based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement comprises sensing an object based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0174] Clause 7. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

[0175] Clause 8. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the ME comprises a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0176] Clause 9. A method of wireless positioning or sensing performed by a measurement entity (ME), the method comprising: receiving a first request from a requesting entity (RE) to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; performing the at least one multipath phase measurement; and transmitting to the RE a first response to the first request, the first response comprising a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0177] Clause 10. The method of clause 9, wherein performing at least one multipath phase measurement includes measuring a reference signal.

[0178] Clause 11. The method of clause 10, wherein measuring the reference signal includes measuring a positioning signal or a sensing signal.

[0179] Clause 12. The method of any one of clauses 9 to 11, wherein transmitting a first response includes transmitting a plurality of multipath phase measurements.

[0180] Clause 13. The method of any one of clauses 9 to 12, wherein receiving the first request includes receiving instructions to also perform multipath timing measurements.

[0181] Clause 14. The method of clause 13, wherein transmitting the first response also includes transmitting a plurality of multipath timing measurements.

[0182] Clause 15. The method of any one of clauses 9 to 14, wherein transmitting the first response includes transmitting an indication that the ME was unable to perform at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0183] Clause 16. The method of any one of clauses 9 to 15, wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

[0184] Clause 17. The method of any one of clauses 9 to 16, wherein the ME comprises a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0185] Clause 18. A requesting entity (RE), comprising: 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: determine that a measurement entity (ME) is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; send a first request to the ME via the at least one transceiver to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; receive a first response to the first request from the ME via the at least one transceiver, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement; and determine a location or sense an object based on the result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0186] Clause 19. The RE of clause 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: send a request for the multipath measurement capability of the ME to the ME via the at least one transceiver; receive a response from the ME via the at least one transceiver indicating the multipath measurement capability of the ME; and determine, based on the response, that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements.

[0187] Clause 20. The RE of clause 18 or 19, wherein, to send the first request, the at least one processor is configured to send instructions to also report multipath timing measurements.

[0188] Clause 21. The RE of clause 20, wherein, to receive the first response, the at least one processor is configured to also receive multipath timing measurements.

[0189] Clause 22. An RE as described in any one of clauses 18 to 21, wherein at least one processor is configured to determine a position based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement, to determine a position or sense an object based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0190] Clause 23. A RE as described in any one of clauses 18 to 22, wherein at least one processor is configured to sense an object based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement, in order to determine a position or sense an object based on results of at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0191] Clause 24. The RE according to any one of clauses 18 to 23, wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

[0192] Clause 25. The RE according to any one of clauses 18 to 24, wherein the ME comprises a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0193] Clause 26. A measurement entity (ME), comprising: 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, from a requesting entity (RE) via the at least one transceiver, a first request to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; perform the at least one multipath phase measurement; and transmit, to the RE via the at least one transceiver, a first response to the first request, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0194] Clause 27. The ME of clause 26, wherein the at least one processor is configured to measure a reference signal to perform at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0195] Clause 28. The ME of clause 27, wherein to measure the reference signal, the at least one processor is configured to measure a positioning signal or a sensing signal.

[0196] Clause 29. An ME as described in any one of clauses 26 to 28, wherein, to transmit the first response, at least one processor is configured to transmit a plurality of multipath phase measurements.

[0197] Clause 30. The ME of any one of clauses 26 to 29, wherein, to receive the first request, at least one processor is configured to receive instructions to also perform multipath timing measurements.

[0198] Clause 31. The ME of clause 30, wherein, to transmit the first response, the at least one processor is configured to also transmit a plurality of multipath timing measurements.

[0199] Clause 32. The ME of any one of clauses 26 to 31, wherein, to send the first response, the at least one processor is configured to send an indication that the ME was unable to perform at least one multipath phase measurement.

[0200] Clause 33. The ME according to any one of clauses 26 to 32, wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNode B, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

[0201] Clause 34. The ME of any one of clauses 26 to 33, wherein the ME comprises a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0202] Clause 35. An apparatus comprising a memory, a transceiver, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processor are configured to perform the method of any one of clauses 1 to 17.

[0203] Clause 36. An apparatus comprising means for carrying out the method according to any one of clauses 1 to 17.

[0204] Clause 37. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, the computer executable including at least one instruction for causing a computer or processor to perform a method according to any one of clauses 1 to 17.

[0205] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0206] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be realized as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0207] The various example logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0208] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., UE). Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0209] In one or more exemplary aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included within the definition of medium. As used herein, disk and disc include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically and discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0210] While the above disclosure illustrates exemplary aspects of the present disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. The functions, steps, and / or actions of the method claims in accordance with the aspects of the present disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Furthermore, although elements of the present disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.

Claims

1. A method of wireless positioning or sensing performed by a requesting entity (RE), comprising: determining that a measurement entity (ME) is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; sending a first request to the ME to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; receiving a first response to the first request from the ME, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement; determining a location or sensing an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement; and A method comprising:

2. determining that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; sending to the ME a request for the ME's multipath measurement capabilities; receiving a response from the ME indicating the multipath measurement capabilities of the ME; determining, based on the response, that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; Including, The method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the first request includes transmitting an indication to also report multipath timing measurements.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving the first response also includes receiving multipath timing measurements.

5. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location or sensing an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement comprises determining a location based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

6. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a location or sensing an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement comprises sensing an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ME comprises a gNode B, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

9. A method of wireless positioning or sensing performed by a measurement entity (ME), comprising: receiving a first request to perform at least one multipath phase measurement from a requesting entity (RE); performing at least one multipath phase measurement; transmitting to the RE a first response to the first request, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement; A method comprising:

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein performing the at least one multipath phase measurement includes measuring a reference signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein measuring the reference signal comprises measuring a positioning signal or a sensing signal.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein transmitting the first response comprises transmitting a plurality of multipath phase measurements.

13. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the first request includes receiving an instruction to also perform multipath timing measurements.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the first response also includes transmitting a plurality of multipath timing measurements.

15. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the first response comprises transmitting an indication that the ME was unable to perform the at least one multipath phase measurement.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ME comprises a gNode B, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

18. A requesting entity (RE), Memory and at least one transceiver; at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor: determining that a measurement entity (ME) is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; sending a first request to the ME via the at least one transceiver to perform at least one multipath phase measurement; receiving a first response to the first request from the ME via the at least one transceiver, the first response including results of the at least one multipath phase measurement; determining a location or sensing an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement; It is configured as follows: RE.

19. To determine that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements, the at least one processor: transmitting a request for multipath measurement capability of the ME to the ME via the at least one transceiver; receiving a response from the ME via the at least one transceiver indicating the multipath measurement capability of the ME; determining, based on the response, that the ME is capable of performing multipath phase measurements; It is configured as follows:

19. The RE according to claim 18.

20. The RE of claim 18 , wherein, to transmit the first request, the at least one processor is configured to transmit an instruction to also report multipath timing measurements.

21. The RE of claim 20 , wherein to receive the first response, the at least one processor is configured to also receive multipath timing measurements.

22. 20. The RE of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a position based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement to determine a position or sense an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

23. 20. The RE of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to sense an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement, to determine a location or sense an object based on the results of the at least one multipath phase measurement.

24. The RE of claim 18 , wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

25. The RE of claim 18 , wherein the ME comprises a gNode B, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

26. A measurement entity (ME), comprising: Memory and at least one transceiver; at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor: receiving a first request to perform at least one multipath phase measurement from a requesting entity (RE) via the at least one transceiver; performing said at least one multipath phase measurement; transmitting a first response to the first request to the RE via the at least one transceiver, the first response including a result of the at least one multipath phase measurement; It is configured as follows: ME.

27. 27. The ME of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is configured to measure a reference signal to perform the at least one multipath phase measurement.

28. 28. The ME of claim 27, wherein to measure the reference signal, the at least one processor is configured to measure a positioning signal or a sensing signal.

29. 27. The ME of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit a plurality of multipath phase measurements to transmit the first response.

30. 27. The ME of claim 26, wherein, to receive the first request, the at least one processor is configured to receive instructions to also perform multipath timing measurements.

31. 31. The ME of claim 30, wherein, to transmit the first response, the at least one processor is configured to also transmit a plurality of multipath timing measurements.

32. 27. The ME of claim 26, wherein, to transmit the first response, the at least one processor is configured to transmit an indication that the ME was unable to perform the at least one multipath phase measurement.

33. 27. The ME of claim 26, wherein the RE comprises a location server, a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), or a user equipment (UE).

34. 27. The ME of claim 26, wherein the ME comprises a gNodeB, a transmission / reception point (TRP), a user equipment (UE), a roadside unit (RSU), or a positioning reference unit (PRU).

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