SRS Resource Allocation Apparatus and Method

Abstract

A method for allocating sounding reference signal (SRS) resources by user equipment (UE) includes the base station configuring a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, and indicating that the first SRS resource on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resource on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication systems, and more specifically, to a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation apparatus and method.

Background Art

[0002] In current systems, the sounding reference signal (SRS) for positioning is transmitted within each uplink bandwidth part (BWP) of each uplink carrier. Even if the user equipment (UE) has sufficient power to transmit the SRS for positioning, the bandwidth of the SRS for positioning is still limited. Therefore, the performance of uplink timing-based positioning is limited. The UE can transmit SRSs for multiple positionings in multiple uplink carriers, but in the current New Radio (NR) system and the specifications of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), it is not possible for the NR system to coherently combine the SRSs for positioning transmitted in different carriers to form an equivalent larger bandwidth.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation apparatus and method.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to propose a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation apparatus and method. Thereby, problems and other problems in the prior art can be solved, the performance of uplink-based positioning can be improved, and / or the performance of SRS resource allocation can be improved.

[0005] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a method for allocating sounding reference signal (SRS) resources by user equipment (UE) includes: a base station configuring a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier; and the base station indicating that the first SRS resources on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth (also known as being aggregated by bandwidth).

[0006] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, the UE comprises a receiver. The receiver is configured by a base station with a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, and the receiver is configured by the base station with a first SRS resource on the first UL carrier and a second SRS resource on the second UL carrier aggregated by bandwidth.

[0007] In a third aspect of this disclosure, the UE comprises memory, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver. The UE is configured to perform the above method.

[0008] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a base station method for allocating sounding reference signal (SRS) resources includes setting up a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier for a user equipment (UE), and indicating to the UE that the first SRS resources on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth.

[0009] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, the base station comprises an allocator and an indicator. The allocator is configured to allocate a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier to a user equipment (UE), and the indicator is configured to indicate to the UE that a first SRS resource on the first UL carrier and a second SRS resource on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth.

[0010] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, the base station comprises a memory, a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver. The base station is configured to provide the above method.

[0011] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a non-temporary machine-readable storage medium has instructions stored therein, and when an instruction is executed by a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the method described above.

[0012] In the eighth aspect of this disclosure, the chip includes a processor. The processor is configured to call and execute computer programs stored in memory to cause the device on which the chip is installed to perform the above method.

[0013] In the ninth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium has a computer program stored therein that causes a computer to execute the above method.

[0014] In the tenth aspect of this disclosure, the computer program product includes a computer program, the computer program causing a computer to perform the above method.

[0015] In the eleventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer program causes a computer to perform the above method. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] To better illustrate embodiments of this disclosure or related technology, the following drawings are briefly introduced in embodiments. Clearly, the drawings represent only some embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these without contribution. [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of positioning based on downlink (DL) measurement. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram of one or more user equipment (UEs) and base stations in a communication network system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a UE according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a UE according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method performed by a UE according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method performed by a base station according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a block diagram of an example of a computing device according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The following describes in detail the technical aspects, structural features, objectives achieved, and effects of embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the attached drawings. Specifically, the terms used in embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the disclosure.

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Examples include the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, LTE-A (Advanced Long Term Evolution) system, New Radio (NR) system, an evolved version of the NR system, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), and Global Interoperability for Microwave Access. Examples include WiMAX (access), wireless local area networks (WLAN), wireless fidelity (WiFi), 5th generation (5G) systems (also known as NR systems), and other communication systems.

[0019] Optionally, the base station referred to in the embodiments of the present application provides communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with user equipment (UE) located within this coverage area. Optionally, the base station may be a gNB (next generation NodeB), a base transceiver station (BTS) in a GSM system or a CDMA system, or a NodeB (NB) in a WCDMA system, or an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN).

[0020] User equipment (UE) can refer to an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The access terminal may be a cellular radio phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device, or other processing devices coupled to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network, a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc.

[0021] Optionally, the communication system in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to unlicensed spectrum. The unlicensed spectrum can be considered to be shared spectrum. Or, the communication system in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to licensed spectrum. The licensed spectrum can be considered to be non-shared spectrum.

[0022] Positioning technology is one of the core technologies of wireless communication systems and navigation systems. The 5G NR system supports positioning technology. In 3GPP Release 16, the following positioning solutions are defined: Downlink (DL) Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) method, Uplink (UL) TDOA method, Multi-Round Trip Time (RTT) method, DL Angle of Departure (AoD) method, UL Angle of Arrival (AoA) method, Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) method.

[0023] In 3GPP NR, in order to support downlink positioning measurements, a Downlink Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) is introduced, and in order to support uplink positioning measurements, a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) for positioning is introduced. Specifically, in NR Release 16, the following measurements for positioning are supported: DL Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) measured based on DL PRS, UL RTOA (Relative Time of Arrival) measured based on SRS for positioning, UE Receive (Rx)-Transmit (Tx) time difference, gNB Rx-Tx time difference, DL PRS Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), UL SRS RSRP, UL AoA.

[0024] NR-based positioning solutions include the following functional entities:

[0025] UE: The UE measures DL PRS resources transmitted from multiple different transmission / reception points (TRPs), or transmits SRS resources for positioning.

[0026] Transmitting and Receiving Points (TRPs): Generally, multiple TRPs are involved in locating the position of a single UE. Each TRP can either transmit a DL PRS to the UE or receive and measure an SRS for positioning transmitted by the UE.

[0027] Location server: A location server may also be called a "location management function" (LMF).

[0028] Figure 1 shows an example of NR positioning based on DL measurement. As shown in this example, the basic procedure is as follows: The LMF and TRP coordinate the DL PRS configuration. Each TRP transmits DL PRS resources based on the DL PRS configuration. The UE measures the DL PRS resources transmitted from multiple TRPs and measures the DL PRS RSRP and / or DL ​​RSTD. The UE reports the positioning measurement results to the LMF. Furthermore, the LMF calculates the UE's position based on the reported positioning measurement results. Specifically, in the DL-AoD method, the UE measures the RSRP or path RSRP of one or more DL RS resources and reports the measurement results to the LMF. The LMF can determine the starting angle of a single UE relative to each TRP and calculate the UE's position.

[0029] To support uplink positioning methods, the UE can transmit SRS resources for positioning. Within one UL Bandwidth (BWP) of a UL carrier, the UE can have one or more sets of SRS resources for positioning configured. Each set may contain one or more SRS resources for positioning. The UE can transmit one SRS resource for positioning to a serving cell TRP or a non-serving cell TRP. Each SRS resource for positioning is provided with a path loss RS. This path loss RS may be a DL positioning reference signal (PRS) or a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) block of the serving cell or non-serving cell. The SRS resources for positioning are configured within one UL BWP of the UL carrier. If the UE supports carrier aggregation (also known as carrier aggregation) with multiple UL carriers, the SRS resources for positioning can be configured across multiple UL carriers.

[0030] The positioning performance and accuracy of timing-based positioning measurements are limited by the bandwidth of the PRS. In current systems, the sounding reference signal (SRS) for positioning is transmitted within each uplink BWP of each uplink carrier. Even if the user equipment (UE) has sufficient power to transmit the SRS for positioning, the bandwidth of the SRS for positioning is still limited. Therefore, the performance of uplink timing-based positioning is limited. While a UE can transmit multiple SRSs for positioning on multiple uplink carriers, current New Radio (NR) systems and the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications allow the NR system to coherently combine SRSs for positioning transmitted on different carriers to form an equivalent larger bandwidth.

[0031] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide solutions for setting up and transmitting SRS resources for positioning in order to support bandwidth aggregation reception.

[0032] Figure 2 shows the following: In some embodiments, one or more user equipment (UEs) 10 and base stations (e.g., gNBs or eNBs) 20 are provided for communication in a communication network system 30 (e.g., an NR system) according to the embodiments of this disclosure. The communication network system 30 includes one or more UEs 10 and base stations 20. One or more UEs 10 may include a memory 12, a transceiver 13, and a processor 11 coupled to the memory 12 and transceiver 13. The base station 20 may include a memory 22, a transceiver 23, and a processor 21 coupled to the memory 22 and transceiver 23. The processor 11 or 21 can be configured to implement the proposed functions, procedures, and / or methods described herein. A radio interface protocol layer can be implemented in the processor 11 or 21. The memory 12 or 22 is operably coupled to the processor 11 or 21 and stores various information to operate the processor 11 or 21. The transceiver 13 or 23 is operably coupled to the processor 11 or 21, and the transceiver 13 or 23 transmits and / or receives radio signals.

[0033] The processor 11 or 21 may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chipsets, logic circuits, and / or data processing devices. The memory 12 or 22 may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, memory cards, storage media, and / or other storage devices. The transceiver 13 or 23 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. If the embodiment is implemented in software, the techniques described herein may be implemented by modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. The modules may be stored in memory 12 or 22 and executed by the processor 11 or 21. The memory 12 or 22 may be implemented inside the processor 11 or 21, or outside the processor 11 or 21, in which case the memory 12 or 22 may be communicably coupled to the processor 11 or 21 via various means known in the art.

[0034] In some embodiments, the transceiver 13 is configured by the base station 20 with a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, and the transceiver 13 is configured by the base station 20 with the first SRS resources on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources on the second UL carrier being aggregated by bandwidth (also referred to as bandwidth aggregation). This solves the problems of the prior art and other problems, improves the performance of uplink-based positioning, and / or improves the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0035] In some embodiments, the processor 21 is configured to allocate a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier to the UE 10, and the processor 21 is configured to show the UE 10 that the first SRS resources on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth. This solves the problems of the prior art and other problems, improves the performance of uplink-based positioning, and / or improves the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0036] Figure 3 shows an example of a UE300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The UE300 is configured to implement several embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the UE300 using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. The UE300 comprises a receiver 301. The receiver 301 is configured by a base station with a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, and the receiver 301 is configured by the base station with a first SRS resource on the first UL carrier and a second SRS resource on the second UL carrier aggregated by bandwidth. This solves the problems of the prior art and other problems, improves the performance of uplink-based positioning and / or improves the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0037] Figure 4 shows an example of a UE400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The UE400 is configured to implement several embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the UE400 using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. The UE400 may comprise a memory 401, a transceiver 402, and a processor 403 coupled to the memory 401 and the transceiver 402. The processor 403 can be configured to implement the proposed functions, procedures, and / or methods described herein. The layer of the radio interface protocol can be implemented in the processor 403. The memory 401 is operably coupled to the processor 303 and stores various information to operate the processor 403. The transceiver 402 is operably coupled to the processor 403 and transmits and / or receives radio signals. The processor 403 may include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, and / or data processing devices. The memory 401 may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, memory cards, storage media, and / or other storage devices. The transceiver 402 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. If the embodiment is implemented in software, the techniques described herein may be implemented by modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. The modules may be stored in the memory 401 and executed by the processor 403. The memory 401 may be implemented inside the processor 403 or outside the processor 403, in which case the memory 401 may be communicably coupled to the processor 403 via various means known in the art.

[0038] In some embodiments, the transceiver 402 is configured by the base station with a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, and the transceiver 402 is configured by the base station with a first SRS resource on the first UL carrier and a second SRS resource on the second UL carrier aggregated by bandwidth. This solves the problems of the prior art and other issues, improves the performance of uplink-based positioning, and / or improves the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0039] Figure 5 shows an example of a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 500 performed by a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 500 performed by a UE is used to implement several embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 500 performed by a UE using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, the sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 500 performed by a UE includes operation 502 in which a base station sets up a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, and operation 504 in which the base station indicates that a first SRS resource on the first UL carrier and a second SRS resource on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth. This can solve prior art problems and other problems, improve the performance of uplink-based positioning, and / or improve the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0040] In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, a first SRS resource is linked to or associated with a second SRS resource. In some embodiments, a first SRS resource is located in a first SRS resource set on a first UL carrier, and a second SRS resource is located in a second SRS resource set on a second UL carrier. In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, a first SRS resource set is linked to or associated with a second SRS resource set. In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, each SRS resource in the first SRS resource set is linked to or associated with each SRS resource in the second SRS resource set according to the order of the SRS resources. In some embodiments, the symbol position of the first SRS resource and the symbol position of the second SRS resource are the same. In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, a first UL carrier is linked to or associated with a second UL carrier.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method further includes being requested via signaling to transmit a first SRS resource and a second SRS resource using the same timing advance (TA) value. In some embodiments, the signaling includes downlink control information (DCI) or a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) activation command. In some embodiments, if the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier are in different timing advance groups (TAG), the UE is requested to adjust the uplink timing of the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource based on a timing advance offset value associated with the TAG of the first UL carrier or the TAG of the second UL carrier. In some embodiments, the method is further required to calculate the transmit (TX) power of a first SRS resource and the TX power of a second SRS resource so that the per-subcarrier TX power in the first SRS resource is the same as the per-subcarrier TX power in the second SRS resource.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of a base station 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The base station 600 is configured to implement several embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the base station 600 using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. The base station 600 comprises an allocator 601 and an indicator 602. The allocator 601 is configured to allocate a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier to a user equipment (UE). The indicator 602 is configured to show the UE that the first SRS resources on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth. This solves the problems of the prior art and other problems, improves the performance of uplink-based positioning and / or improves the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0043] Figure 7 shows an example of a base station 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The base station 700 is configured to implement several embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the base station 700 using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. The base station 700 may comprise a memory 701, a transceiver 702, and a processor 703 coupled to the memory 701 and the transceiver 702. The processor 703 can be configured to implement the proposed functions, procedures, and / or methods described herein. The layer of the radio interface protocol can be implemented in the processor 703. The memory 701 is operably coupled to the processor 703 and stores various information to operate the processor 703. The transceiver 702 is operably coupled to the processor 703 and transmits and / or receives radio signals. The processor 703 may include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), other chipsets, logic circuits, and / or data processing devices. The memory 701 may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, memory cards, storage media, and / or other storage devices. The transceiver 702 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. If the embodiment is implemented in software, the techniques described herein may be implemented by modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. The modules may be stored in the memory 701 and executed by the processor 703. The memory 701 may be implemented inside the processor 703 or outside the processor 703, in which case the memory 701 may be communicably coupled to the processor 703 via various means known in the art.

[0044] In some embodiments, the processor 703 is configured to allocate a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier to a user device (UE), and the processor is configured to show the UE that the first SRS resources on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth. This solves the problems of the prior art and other problems, improves the performance of uplink-based positioning, and / or improves the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0045] Figure 8 shows an example of a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 800 performed by a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 800 performed by a base station can be used to implement several embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in the sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 800 performed by a base station using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, the sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation method 800 performed by a base station includes an operation 802 to set up a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier for a user equipment (UE), and an operation 804 to indicate to the UE that the first SRS resources on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth. This can solve prior art problems and other problems, improve the performance of uplink-based positioning, and / or improve the performance of SRS resource allocation.

[0046] In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, a first SRS resource is linked to or associated with a second SRS resource. In some embodiments, a first SRS resource is located in a first SRS resource set on a first UL carrier, and a second SRS resource is located in a second SRS resource set on a second UL carrier. In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, a first SRS resource set is linked to or associated with a second SRS resource set. In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, each SRS resource in the first SRS resource set is linked to or associated with each SRS resource in the second SRS resource set according to the order of the SRS resources. In some embodiments, the symbol position of the first SRS resource and the symbol position of the second SRS resource are the same. In some embodiments, for bandwidth aggregation, a first UL carrier is linked to or associated with a second UL carrier.

[0047] In some embodiments, the method further includes requesting the UE to transmit the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource using the same timing advance (TA) value via signaling. In some embodiments, the signaling includes downlink control information (DCI) or media access control (MAC) control element (CE) activation commands. In some embodiments, if the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier are in different timing advance groups (TAGs), the base station requests the UE to adjust the uplink timing of the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource based on the value of the timing advance offset associated with the TAG of the first UL carrier or the TAG of the second UL carrier. In some embodiments, the method further includes calculating the transmit (TX) power of the first SRS resource and the TX power of the second SRS resource and requesting the UE to do so that the per-subcarrier TX power in the first SRS resource and the per-subcarrier TX power in the second SRS resource are the same.

[0048] Exemplary technical solutions

[0049] In some embodiments, multiple UL carriers may be configured on the UE. On the first UL carrier, one or more SRS resources for positioning may be configured on the UE. On the second UL carrier, one or more SRS resources for positioning may be configured on the UE. For positioning measurements at the receiving end, the system may indicate to the UE that the first SRS resources for positioning on the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources for positioning on the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth (also known as being aggregated by bandwidth).

[0050] For example, the system may indicate to the UE that the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource are linked or associated with each other for bandwidth aggregation. Depending on the configuration provided by the system, the UE may be required to transmit the first and second SRS resources accordingly. For example, even if the first and second SRS resources are transmitted on different UL carriers, the UE may be required to apply the same timing advance (TA) value to the transmission of the first and second SRS resources. The system can use a single DCI to trigger the transmission of the first and second SRS resources for positioning. If the SRS resources for positioning are semi-persistent, the system can activate the transmission using a single medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) activation command.

[0051] In some embodiments, a first SRS resource set for positioning may be configured on a first uplink carrier in the UE, and a second SRS resource set for positioning may be configured on a second uplink carrier in the UE. The first SRS resource set for positioning may include one or more SRS resources for positioning, and the second SRS resource set for positioning may include one or more SRS resources for positioning. For reception by bandwidth aggregation, the system may indicate to the UE that one SRS resource in the first set is linked or associated with one SRS resource in the second set. This disclosure provides various embodiments for providing a configuration for linking SRS resources for bandwidth aggregation.

[0052] For example, configuration information may be provided to the UE. The configuration information indicates that a first SRS resource set for positioning is linked to or associated with a second SRS resource set for positioning.

[0053] For example, a configuration of an SRS resource set for positioning may include one indicator, and SRS resource sets for positioning with indicators set to the same value are linked or associated with each other for receiving bandwidth aggregation. For example, a configuration of a first SRS resource set for positioning may have an indicator set to 0, and a configuration of a second SRS resource set for positioning may have an indicator set to 1. In this case, the SRS resources in the first SRS resource set are linked or associated with the SRS resources in the second SRS resource set for receiving bandwidth aggregation.

[0054] If the UE receives instructions that a first set of SRS resources for positioning is linked or associated with a second set of SRS resources for positioning for bandwidth aggregation reception, the UE may assume that, for bandwidth aggregation reception, each SRS resource in the first set of SRS resources is linked or associated with each SRS resource in the second set of SRS resources in the order of the SRS resources in each set.

[0055] If the UE receives instructions that a first set of SRS resources for positioning is to be linked or associated with a second set of SRS resources for positioning for bandwidth aggregation reception, the UE may assume that the two SRS resources are linked or associated if the symbolic position of one SRS resource in the first set of SRS resources is the same as the symbolic position of one SRS resource in the second set of SRS resources.

[0056] In some embodiments, the UE can receive an indication that a first uplink carrier and a second uplink carrier are linked or associated with each other for receiving bandwidth aggregation. For example, an indicator may be set on each uplink carrier. The indicator is used to indicate a link or association for receiving bandwidth aggregation for positioning measurements. If the indicators on the first uplink carrier and the second uplink carrier are set to the same value, the UE can assume that the first uplink carrier and the second uplink carrier are linked or associated with each other for receiving bandwidth aggregation for positioning measurements.

[0057] For example, an index of a second uplink carrier may be provided to a first uplink carrier. This index of the second uplink carrier is used to indicate that the first uplink carrier is linked to or associated with the second uplink carrier for receiving bandwidth aggregation for positioning measurements.

[0058] If the UE receives an instruction that the first uplink carrier and the second uplink carrier are linked or associated with each other, the UE may assume that the SRS resources for positioning set up on the first uplink carrier are linked or associated with the SRS resources for positioning set up on the second uplink carrier for receiving bandwidth aggregation. The UE may also assume that each set of SRS resources for positioning set up on the first uplink carrier is linked or associated with each set of SRS resources for positioning set up on the second uplink carrier, in accordance with the order of the SRS resource sets for positioning on each uplink carrier.

[0059] In some embodiments, the UE may receive instructions that a first SRS resource for positioning is linked to or associated with a second SRS resource for positioning for receiving bandwidth aggregates for positioning measurements. For example, the configuration of each SRS resource for positioning may include an indicator that shows the association between the SRS resources for positioning for receiving bandwidth aggregates. If the SRS resources for positioning on the first uplink carrier and the SRS resources for positioning on the second uplink carrier have indicators with the same value, the UE may assume that these two SRS resources for positioning are linked to or associated with each other for receiving bandwidth aggregates.

[0060] For example, the configuration of one SRS resource for positioning may include the ID(s) of one or more SRS resources for positioning configured on other uplink carriers, and the SRS resources for positioning may be linked to or associated with the SRS resources for positioning indicated by the ID(s) included in the configuration of the SRS resources for positioning.

[0061] In some embodiments, the UE can receive a request to transmit two linked SRS resources for positioning with the same TA value. The UE can be configured to have an SRS resource for positioning on a first uplink carrier, and the UE can be configured to have an SRS resource for positioning on a second uplink carrier. The UE can be configured to link the first SRS resource for positioning on the first uplink carrier and the second SRS resource for positioning on the second uplink carrier for bandwidth aggregation reception. The UE can receive a request to apply the same TA to the transmission of the first SRS resource for positioning and the second SRS resource for positioning. If the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier are in different timing advance groups (TAGs), the UE can receive a request to adjust the uplink timing of the first SRS resource for positioning and the second SRS resource for positioning based on the timing advance offset value associated with the TAG of the first UL carrier. If the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier are in different TAGs, the UE may be required to adjust the uplink timing of the first SRS resource for positioning and the second SRS resource for positioning based on the timing advance offset value associated with the TAG of the second UL carrier.

[0062] In some embodiments, the UE can be configured with semi-persistent SRS resources for positioning on a first uplink carrier, and the UE can be configured with semi-persistent SRS resources for positioning on a second uplink carrier. The UE can be configured so that the first SRS resources for positioning, which include the semi-persistent SRS resources on the first uplink carrier, and the second SRS resources for positioning, which include the semi-persistent SRS resources on the second uplink carrier, are linked or associated with each other for receiving bandwidth aggregate. The system can activate the transmission of both the first and second SRS resource sets by sending a single MAC CE activation.

[0063] In some embodiments, the system sends a single MAC CE activation command, in which the ID of a first SRS resource set is indicated. Upon receiving the MAC CE activation command, the UE may be requested to send the SRS resources included in the first SRS resource set and the SRS resources included in a second SRS resource set. The MAC CE command may indicate to the UE the spatial relationship information or transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state of each SRS resource included in the first SRS resource set. Thereafter, the UE may receive a request to apply the indicated spatial relationship information or TCI state to the corresponding SRS resources in the first SRS resource set and the linked SRS resources in the second SRS resource set.

[0064] In some embodiments, the UE can be configured with aperiodic SRS resources for positioning on a first uplink carrier and aperiodic SRS resources for positioning on a second uplink carrier. The UE can be configured so that the first SRS resources for positioning, which include the aperiodic SRS resources on the first uplink carrier, and the second SRS resources for positioning, which include the aperiodic SRS resources on the second uplink carrier, are linked or associated with each other for receiving bandwidth aggregate. The system can trigger the transmission of both the first and second SRS resource sets by sending a single DCI format. In one example, the system sends a single DCI command in which the ID of the first SRS resource set is indicated. Upon receiving the DCI command, the UE can be requested to transmit the SRS resources included in the first SRS resource set and the SRS resources included in the second SRS resource set.

[0065] In some embodiments, the UE can be configured with SRS resources for positioning on a first uplink carrier and SRS resources for positioning on a second uplink carrier. The UE can be configured so that the first set of SRS resources for positioning on the first uplink carrier and the second set of SRS resources for positioning on the second uplink carrier are linked or associated with each other for bandwidth aggregation reception. The UE can be shown that the first SRS resources for positioning on the first uplink carrier and the second SRS resources for positioning on the second uplink carrier are linked or associated with each other for bandwidth aggregation reception. When the UE transmits the first SRS resources for positioning and the second SRS resources for positioning, the UE can be requested to calculate the transmit (TX) power of the first SRS resources and the TX power of the second SRS resources so that the per-subcarrier TX power of the first SRS resources and the per-subcarrier TX power of the second SRS resources are the same. If the combined UE transmit power of the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical random access channel (PRACH), and SRS in a serving cell exceeds the maximum power control (PCMAX), the UE may receive a request to calculate the TX power of the first SRS resource and the TX power of the second SRS resource so that the per-subcarrier TX power in the first SRS resource is equal to the per-subcarrier TX power in the second SRS resource.

[0066] The technical advantages are as follows: In some embodiments, using the proposed technology(s), a 5G NR system can support a novel transmission mechanism for SRS for positioning. This mechanism can support the positioning system coherently combining multiple SRS resources for positioning transmitted on different uplink carriers. This improves the performance of the system's uplink timing-based positioning measurements, enhances the performance of the uplink-based positioning method, and improves the overall NR positioning system.

[0067] The commercial benefits of some embodiments are as follows: 1. Solving problems in the prior art and other problems. 2. Improving the performance of uplink-based positioning. 3. Improving the performance of SRS resource allocation. 4. Providing good communication performance. 5. Providing high reliability. Some embodiments of this disclosure can be used in many applications. Some embodiments of this disclosure are used by chipset vendors, video system development vendors, automotive (including automobiles, trains, trucks, buses, bicycles, motorbikes, helmets, etc.) manufacturers, drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) manufacturers, smartphone manufacturers, communication devices for public safety applications, and AR / VR / MR device manufacturers (e.g., for gaming, conferences / seminars, and educational purposes). Some embodiments of this disclosure are combinations of “technologies / processes” that can be adopted in video standards to create the final product. Some embodiments of this disclosure propose technical mechanisms. At least one solution, method, system, and apparatus proposed in some embodiments of this disclosure may be used in current and / or new / future standards relating to communication systems (e.g., UEs, base stations, and / or communication systems). Compatible products will conform to at least one solution, method, system, and apparatus proposed in some embodiments of this disclosure. The proposed solutions, methods, systems, and apparatus will be widely used in UEs, base stations, and / or communication systems. The implementation of at least one solution, method, system, and apparatus proposed in some embodiments of this disclosure will consider at least one modification to sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation methods and apparatus for standardization.

[0068] Figure 9 is an example of a computing device 1100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Any suitable computing device may be used to perform the operations described herein. For example, Figure 9 shows an example of a computing device 1100 that can perform some of the embodiments of Figures 1 to 8 using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, the computing device 1100 may include a processor 1112. The processor 1112 is communicatively coupled to a memory 1114 and executes computer-executable program code and / or accesses information stored in the memory 1114. The processor 1112 may include a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a state machine, or other processing device. The processor 1112 may include any processing device (including one) from a plurality of processing devices. Such a processor may include or communicate with a computer-readable medium that stores instructions. When an instruction is executed by the processor 1112, it causes the processor to perform the operations described herein.

[0069] Memory 1114 may include any suitable non-temporary computer-readable medium. Computer-readable medium may include any electronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage device capable of providing the processor with computer-readable instructions or other program code. Non-exclusive examples of computer-readable medium include magnetic disks, memory chips, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), configured processors, optical storage devices, magnetic tapes or other magnetic storage devices, or other media from which a computer processor can read instructions. Instructions may include processor-specific instructions generated by a compiler and / or interpreter based on code written in any suitable computer programming language (including, for example, C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java, Python, Perl, JavaScript, and ActionScript).

[0070] The computing device 1100 may further include a bus 1116. The bus 1116 may be communicatively coupled to one or more components of the computing device 1100. The computing device 1100 may also include multiple external or internal devices, such as input devices or output devices. For example, the computing device 1100 is shown to include an input / output ("I / O") interface 1118. This interface may receive input from one or more input devices 1120 or provide output to one or more output devices 1122. One or more input devices 1120 and one or more output devices 1122 may be communicatively coupled to the I / O interface 1118. The communication coupling may be implemented in any suitable way (e.g., connection via a printed circuit board, connection via a cable, communication via wireless transmission, etc.). Non-limiting examples of input devices 1120 include touchscreens (e.g., one or more cameras for capturing touch areas, or pressure sensors for detecting pressure changes caused by touch), mice, keyboards, or any other devices that may be used to generate input events in response to physical actions by a user of a computing device. Non-limiting examples of output devices 1122 include liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, external monitors, speakers, or any other devices that may be used to display or otherwise present outputs generated by a computing device.

[0071] The computing device 1100 is capable of executing program code. The program code is configured such that the processor 1112 performs one or more of the operations described above in some embodiments of Figures 1 to 8. The program code may always reside in memory 1114 or any suitable computer-readable medium and may be executed by the processor 1112 or any other suitable processor.

[0072] The computing device 1100 may further include at least one network interface device 1124. The network interface device 1124 may include any device or group of devices suitable for establishing wired or wireless data connections to one or more data networks 1128. Non-limiting examples of the network interface device 1124 include Ethernet network adapters, modems, and / or such. The computing device 1100 may transmit messages in the form of electronic or optical signals through the network interface device 1124.

[0073] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an example of a communication system 1200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Embodiments described herein can be implemented in the communication system 1200 using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. Figure 10 shows the communication system 1200. The communication system 1200 includes, at least as shown, a radio frequency (RF) circuit 1210, a baseband circuit 1220, an application circuit 1230, a memory / storage 1240, a display 1250, a camera 1260, a sensor 1270, and an input / output (I / O) interface 1280, all coupled together.

[0074] The application circuit 1230 may include, but is not limited to, one or more single-core processors or multi-core processors. The processor may include any combination of general-purpose and dedicated processors, e.g., a graphics processor, an application processor. The processor is coupled with memory / storage and configured to execute instructions stored in memory / storage, enabling various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system. The communication system 1200 can execute program code. The program code is configured such that the application circuit 1230 performs one or more of the operations described above in some embodiments of Figures 1 to 8. The program code may always reside in the application circuit 1230 or on any suitable computer-readable medium and can be executed by the application circuit 1230 or any other suitable processor.

[0075] The baseband circuit 1220 may include, but is not limited to, one or more single-core processors or multi-core processors. The processor may include a baseband processor. The baseband circuit may handle various radio control functions. These functions may enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuit. Radio control functions include, but are not limited to, signal modulation, coding, decoding, and radio frequency shifting. In some embodiments, the baseband circuit can provide communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit can support communication with EUTRAN (evolved universal terrestrial radio access network) and / or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), and wireless personal area networks (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuit is configured to support wireless communication of multiple radio protocols may be called multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0076] In various embodiments, the baseband circuit 1220 may include circuits that operate with signals not strictly considered to be at baseband frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit may include circuits that operate with signals having an intermediate frequency between baseband frequencies and radio frequencies. The RF circuit 1210 may enable communication with a radio network using electromagnetic radiation modulated through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuit may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with the radio network. In various embodiments, the RF circuit 1210 may include circuits that operate with signals not strictly considered to be at radio frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, the RF circuit may include circuits that operate with signals having an intermediate frequency between baseband frequencies and radio frequencies.

[0077] In various embodiments, the transmitter circuits, control circuits, or receiver circuits described above in some embodiments of Figures 1 to 8 may be embodied in whole or in part in one or more of the RF circuits, baseband circuits, and / or application circuits. As used herein, “circuit” means, or is part of, or includes, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) running one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the functions described. In some embodiments, an electronic device circuit may be implemented in one or more software or firmware modules, or functions related to the circuit may be implemented by one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, some or all of the components of the baseband circuit, application circuit, and / or memory / storage may together be implemented in a system on a chip (SOC). The memory / storage 1240 may be used, for example, for the system to load and store data and / or instructions. A memory / storage according to one embodiment may include any combination of suitable volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (dynamic RAM, DRAM) and / or non-volatile memory such as flash memory.

[0078] In various embodiments, the I / O interface 1280 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable interaction between a user and the system, and / or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable interaction between peripheral components and the system. The user interface may include, but is not limited to, a physical keyboard or keypad, a touchpad, a speaker, a microphone, etc. The peripheral component interface may include, but is not limited to, a non-volatile memory port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an audio jack, and a power supply interface. In various embodiments, the sensor 1270 may include one or more sensing devices for determining environmental conditions and / or location information related to the system. In some embodiments, the sensor may include, but is not limited to, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a positioning unit. The positioning unit may be part of a baseband circuit and / or an RF circuit, or may interact with a baseband circuit and / or an RF circuit, in order to communicate with components of a positioning network, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.

[0079] In various embodiments, the display 1250 may include displays such as liquid crystal displays and touchscreen displays. In various embodiments, the communication system 1200 may be a mobile computing device, including, but not limited to, laptop computing devices, tablet computing devices, netbooks, ultrabooks, smartphones, and AR / VR glasses. In various embodiments, the system may have more or fewer components and / or different architectures. Where appropriate, the methods described herein may be implemented as computer programs. Computer programs may be stored in storage media such as non-temporary storage media.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will understand that each unit, algorithm, and step described and disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether a function is performed in hardware or software depends on the application conditions and design requirements of the technical proposal. Those skilled in the art may implement the function using different methods for each specific application, but these implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that, since the operating processes of the systems, devices, and units described above are essentially the same, they can refer to the operating processes of the systems, devices, and units in the embodiments described above. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, these operating processes are not described in detail.

[0081] As should be understood, the systems, devices, and methods disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in other ways. The embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The division of units is based solely on logical function, and other divisions may exist in implementation. Multiple units or components may be combined or integrated in another system. Also, some features may be omitted or skipped. On the other hand, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication coupling between the entities shown or considered may operate indirectly or communicatively in electrical, mechanical, or other forms by some ports, devices, or units.

[0082] Units as descriptive components may or may not be physically separated. Units in representation may or may not be physical units, i.e., located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Furthermore, some or all of the units may be used depending on the purpose of the embodiment. In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment may be integrated into one processing unit, physically independent, or two or more units may be integrated into one processing unit.

[0083] When a software function unit is implemented, used, and sold as a product, it may be stored on a readable storage medium in a computer. Based on this understanding, the proposed technical ideas in this disclosure can be implemented essentially or in part as a software product, or parts of the technical ideas that are beneficial to the prior art can be implemented as a software product. A software product in a computer is stored on a storage medium. The storage medium includes a number of commands for a computing device (e.g., a personal computer, server, or network device) to perform all or part of the steps disclosed in embodiments of this disclosure. The storage medium includes USB disks, mobile hard disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), floppy disks, or other types of media capable of storing program code.

[0084] While this disclosure has been described in relation to the most practical and preferred embodiments, this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. It is understood that it is intended to cover a variety of arrangements that can be made without departing from the broadest interpretation of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for allocating sounding reference signal (SRS) resources by user equipment (UE), The base station will be configured to have a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, The base station indicates that the first SRS resource in the first UL carrier and the second SRS resource in the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth, including, A method for allocating sounding reference signal (SRS) resources, characterized by the following features.

2. For bandwidth aggregation, the first SRS resource is linked to or associated with the second SRS resource. The method according to feature 1.

3. The first SRS resource is located in the first SRS resource set in the first UL carrier, and the second SRS resource is located in the second SRS resource set in the second UL carrier. The method according to feature 2.

4. For bandwidth aggregation, the first SRS resource set is linked to or associated with the second SRS resource set. The method according to feature 3.

5. For bandwidth aggregation, each SRS resource in the first SRS resource set is linked or associated with each SRS resource in the second SRS resource set in order of the SRS resources. The method according to feature 4.

6. The symbol position of the first SRS resource and the symbol position of the second SRS resource are the same. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. For bandwidth aggregation, the first UL carrier is linked to or associated with the second UL carrier. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the features described herein.

8. The signaling further includes being requested to transmit the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource using the same timing advance (TA) value, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the features described herein.

9. The signaling includes downlink control information (DCI) or media access control (MAC) control element (CE) activation commands. The method according to feature 7.

10. If the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier are in different timing advance groups (TAGs), the UE is required to adjust the uplink timing of the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource based on the value of the timing advance offset associated with the TAG of the first UL carrier or the TAG of the second UL carrier. The method according to 8 or 9, characterized by the features described above.

11. The requirements further include calculating the transmit (TX) power of the first SRS resource and the TX power of the second SRS resource so that the per-subcarrier TX power in the first SRS resource and the per-subcarrier TX power in the second SRS resource are equal. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized by the features described above.

12. A method for allocating sounding reference signal (SRS) resources by a base station, To configure a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier for the user equipment (UE), The UE is shown that the first SRS resource in the first UL carrier and the second SRS resource in the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth, including, A method for allocating sounding reference signal (SRS) resources, characterized by the following features.

13. For bandwidth aggregation, the first SRS resource is linked to or associated with the second SRS resource. The method according to 12, characterized by the features described above.

14. The first SRS resource is located in the first SRS resource set in the first UL carrier, and the second SRS resource is located in the second SRS resource set in the second UL carrier. The method according to the present invention, characterized by the present invention.

15. For bandwidth aggregation, the first SRS resource set is linked to or associated with the second SRS resource set. The method according to feature 14.

16. For bandwidth aggregation, each SRS resource in the first SRS resource set is linked or associated with each SRS resource in the second SRS resource set in order of the SRS resources. The method according to the present invention, characterized by the present invention.

17. The symbol position of the first SRS resource and the symbol position of the second SRS resource are the same. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized by the features described herein.

18. For bandwidth aggregation, the first UL carrier is linked to or associated with the second UL carrier. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized by the features described herein.

19. The further includes requesting the UE to transmit the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource using the same timing advance (TA) value via signaling, The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized by the features described herein.

20. The signaling includes downlink control information (DCI) or media access control (MAC) control element (CE) activation commands. The method according to the present invention, characterized by the present invention.

21. If the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier are in different timing advance groups (TAGs), the base station requests the UE to adjust the uplink timing of the first SRS resource and the second SRS resource based on the value of the timing advance offset associated with the TAG of the first UL carrier or the TAG of the second UL carrier. The method according to 19 or 20, characterized by the present invention.

22. The further includes calculating the transmit (TX) power of the first SRS resource and the TX power of the second SRS resource and requesting the UE to do so that the per-subcarrier TX power in the first SRS resource and the per-subcarrier TX power in the second SRS resource are the same, The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized by...

23. A user device (UE) equipped with a receiver, The receiver indicates that the base station has configured a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier, and that the base station has indicated that the first SRS resources in the first UL carrier and the second SRS resources in the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth. User equipment (UE) characterized by the following features.

24. A base station comprising an allocator and an indicator, The allocator is configured to allocate a first uplink (UL) carrier and a second UL carrier to user equipment (UE). The indicator is configured to show the UE that the first SRS resource in the first UL carrier and the second SRS resource in the second UL carrier are aggregated by bandwidth. A base station characterized by the following features.

25. User equipment (UE), Memory and Transceiver and, The system comprises a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver, The UE is configured to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11. User equipment (UE) characterized by the following features.

26. It is a base station, Memory and Transceiver and, The system comprises a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver, The base station is configured to perform the method described in any one of claims 12 to 22. A base station characterized by the following features.

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