Setting and directing positioning and data traffic priorities

Abstract

A system and method for generating and configuring PRS measurement prioritization, in which an access node receives a configuration request to configure a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window and determines whether to configure the measurement window according to a priority associated with the PRS measurement, and the access node can acknowledge success or failure in configuring the PRS measurement window.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 251,248, filed October 1, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and wireless communication networks. [Background technology]

[0003] Introduction Standardization bodies such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) are studying potential solutions for efficient operation of radio communications in new radio (NR) networks. The next generation mobile radio communication system 5G / NR will support a diverse set of use cases and a diverse set of deployment scenarios. The latter includes deployments at both low frequencies (e.g., hundreds of MHz) and very high frequencies (e.g., mm-wave in the tens of GHz range) similar to today's LTE. Besides typical mobile broadband use cases, NR is also being developed to support machine-type communications (MTC), very low latency critical communications (URLCC), sidelink device-to-device (D2D), and other use cases.

[0004] Positioning and location services have been a topic in LTE standardization since 3GPP Release 9. The aim was to meet the regulatory requirements for emergency call positioning, but other use cases such as positioning for the Industrial Internet of Things (I-IoT) are also considered. Positioning in NR is supported by the exemplary architecture shown in FIG. 1. The LMF 108A represents the location management function entity in NR. There is also an interaction between the LMF 108A and the g-node B 110 via the NRPPa protocol. The interaction between the g-node B 110 and the device (UE) 112 is supported via the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, and the location node 108A interfaces with the UE 112 via the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP). The LPP is common to both NR and LTE technologies. Other network nodes may be involved in the positioning support, such as the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 108B and the Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (e-SMLC) 108C.

[0005] 1 shows a gNB110B and an ng-eNB110A, it will be appreciated that not both may always be present. Note that when both a gNB110B and an ng-eNB110A are present, the NG-C interface generally only exists for one of them.

[0006] Legacy LTE standards support the following techniques:

[0007] - Extended Cell ID: Essentially Cell ID information to associate the device with the serving area of ​​the serving cell, and then additional information to determine finer granularity location.

[0008] - Aided Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). GNSS information retrieved by the device, supported by aiding information provided to the device by the E-SMLC.

[0009] - OTDOA (Observed Time Difference of Arrival). The device estimates the time difference of reference signals from different base stations and sends it to E-SMLC for multilateration.

[0010] - UTDOA (Uplink TDOA): A device is required to transmit a specific waveform that is detected by multiple location measurement units (e.g., eNBs) at known locations. These measurements are forwarded to the E-SMLC for multilateration.

[0011] Based on 3GPP NR radio technology, NR positioning for Release 16 is positioned to provide added value for enhanced location capabilities. Operation in low and high frequency bands (i.e. below and above 6 GHz) and the use of large antenna arrays provide additional degrees of freedom to significantly improve positioning accuracy. The possibility of using wide signal bandwidths in the low bands, and especially in the high bands, brings new performance limitations for user location for well-known positioning techniques based on OTDOA and UTDOA, Cell ID or E-Cell ID, etc., that utilize timing measurements to identify the UE's position.

[0012] NR Release 16 specifies several positioning features, including reference signals, measurements, and positioning methods.

[0013] Reference signal:

[0014] - A new downlink (DL) reference signal, the NR DL positioning reference signal (PRS), has been specified. The benefit of this signal over the LTE DL PRS is an increased bandwidth, configurable from 24 to 272 RBs, which gives a large improvement in time of arrival (TOA) accuracy. The NR DL PRS can be configured with comb factors of 2, 4, 6 or 12. Com 12 allows twice the number of orthogonal signals as the Com 6 LTE PRS. Also, beam sweeping is supported on the NR DL PRS in Rel-16.

[0015] - A new uplink (UL) reference signal based on the NR UL SRS was introduced, called "SRS for positioning". The Rel. 16 NR SRS for positioning allows for longer signals, up to 12 symbols (compared to 4 symbols in Rel. 15 SRS), and flexible positioning in the slot (only the last 6 symbols of the slot can be used in Rel. 15 SRS). The Rel. 16 NR SRS for positioning also allows for staggered comb RE patterns for improved TOA measurement range and for more orthogonal signals based on comb offsets (combs 2, 4 and 8) and cyclic shifts. However, the use of cyclic shifts longer than OFDM symbols divided by comb coefficients is not supported by Rel. 16, even though this is the main advantage of comb staggering, at least in indoor scenarios. Power control based on neighbor cell SSB / DL PRS is supported, as well as spatial QCL relationships towards CSI-RS, SSB, DL PRS or another SRS.

[0016] Positioning Technique

[0017] NR positioning supports the following methods:

[0018] A method that already exists in LTE and has been enhanced in NR.

[0019] - DL TDOA (Downlink TDOA)

[0020] - E-CID

[0021] - RAT-independent method (based on non-3GPP sensors, such as GPS, pressure sensors, Wifi signals, Bluetooth, etc.).

[0022] - UL TDOA (Uplink TDOA)

[0023] Newly introduced methods in NR:

[0024] - Multi-cell RTT: The LMF collects RTT (round trip time) measurements as a basis for multilateration.

[0025] - DL Angle of Departure (AoD) and UL Angle of Arrival (AoA) with multilateration using angle and power (RSRP) measurements

[0026] measurement:

[0027] In NR Rel.16, the following UE measurements are specified:

[0028] - DL Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD), e.g. to enable DL TDOA positioning

[0029] - Multi-cell UE Rx-Tx time difference measurement, enabling multi-cell RTT measurements

[0030] - DL PRS Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)

[0031] NR Rel.16 specifies the following gNB measurements:

[0032] - Uplink Relative Time of Arrival (UL-RTOA), useful for UL TDOA positioning

[0033] - gNB Rx-Tx time difference, useful for multi-cell RTT measurements

[0034] - UL SRS-RSRP

[0035] - Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Zenith Angle of Arrival (ZoA)

[0036] Signal Settings:

[0037] In NR Release 16, DL PRS is configured by each cell separately and the Location Server (LMF) collects all configurations via the NRPPa protocol before sending an Assistance Data (AD) message to the UE via the LPP protocol. In the uplink, SRS signaling is configured in the RRC by the serving gNB, which forwards the appropriate SRS configuration parameters to the LMF upon request.

[0038] The NR Release 16DL PRS is organized into a three-level hierarchy.

[0039] - PRS frequency layer: collects PRS resource sets from (potentially) multiple base stations that have common parameters in common. If two resource sets are in the same frequency layer, then they are:

[0040] - Operate in the same band with the same subcarrier spacing

[0041] - have the same comb coefficient

[0042] - Have the same starting PRB and bandwidth

[0043] - PRS Resource Set: corresponds to a collection of PRS beams (resources) all originating from the same transmitting and receiving point (TRP). All resources in the same set have the same comb coefficients.

[0044] - PRS resource: corresponds to the beam that transmits the PRS

[0045] Similar to LTE, in NR, a unique reference signal is transmitted from each antenna port at the gNB for downlink channel estimation at the UE. The reference signal for downlink channel estimation is commonly referred to as a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

[0046] A CSI-RS signal is transmitted on a set of time-frequency resource elements (REs) associated with an antenna port. For channel estimation across the system bandwidth, the CSI-RS is generally transmitted across the entire system bandwidth. The set of REs used for CSI-RS transmission is called a CSI-RS resource. From the UE perspective, an antenna port is equivalent to a CSI-RS that the UE shall use to measure the channel. Up to 32 (i.e., N tx = 32) antenna ports are supported in NR, therefore, 32 CSI-RS signals can be configured for a UE.

[0047] In NR, three types of CSI-RS transmission are supported:

[0048] - Periodic CSI-RS transmission: CSI-RS is transmitted periodically in several subframes or slots. This CSI-RS transmission is semi-statically configured using parameters such as CSI-RS resource, periodicity and subframe or slot offset, similar to LTE.

[0049] - Aperiodic CSI-RS transmission: This is a one-shot CSI-RS transmission that can occur in any subframe or slot. Here, one-shot means that the CSI-RS transmission occurs only once per trigger. The CSI-RS resource (i.e., resource element location consisting of subcarrier location and OFDM symbol location) for aperiodic CSI-RS is semi-statically configured. The transmission of aperiodic CSI-RS is triggered by dynamic signaling over the PDCCH. The triggering may also include selecting a CSI-RS resource from multiple CSI-RS resources.

[0050] - Semi-persistent CSI-RS (SP CSI-RS) transmission: Similar to periodic CSI-RS, resources for semi-persistent CSI-RS transmission are semi-statically configured with parameters such as periodicity and subframe or slot offset. However, unlike periodic CSI-RS, dynamic signaling is required to activate and possibly deactivate CSI-RS transmission. An example is shown in Figure 2. In NR, activation and deactivation are performed using MAC CE signaling.

[0051] Multiple Transmission / Reception Points (TRP)

[0052] A cell can consist of multiple TRPs, each TRP in separate coordinates, an example of which is shown in Figure 3. This kind of setup is expected to be used in I-IOT scenarios. As an example, one cell with 10, 20 or even more TRPs can be used to cover a complete factory hall.

[0053] Therefore, for positioning, three separate coordinates are needed to perform multilateration. In this kind of scenario where the serving cell has multiple TRPs in separate coordinates, it should be possible to exploit this for positioning.

[0054] Gapless PRS measurement

[0055] In NR Release 16, all PRS-based measurements (including PRS RSRP, RSTD for OTDOA, and UE Rx-Tx for RTT) are performed in the presence of measurement gaps. During measurement gaps, the UE can expect that the network will not transmit data, and therefore the UE can tune itself specifically to measure the PRS. For example, to measure a PRS (i.e., DL PRS), the UE will potentially utilize a different bandwidth than the active bandwidth portion configured on the UE for receiving data.

[0056] In NR Release 17, it was agreed to specify an extension to allow measuring DL PRS without the need for a measurement gap. If the UE's bandwidth portion is wide enough to cover the DL PRS bandwidth, the UE can measure the PRS without requesting a measurement gap. In RAN1#106-E Conference, it was agreed that the UE can drop DL PRS measurement / processing when a downlink channel with higher priority or another downlink reference signal conflicts with the DL PRS measurement / processing.

[0057] Scheduled location time T

[0058] In NR Release 16, the positioning procedure is triggered by location requests or deferred location requests related to specific events related to the target UE, namely UE availability, area, periodic location, and movement. Positioning measurements are triggered when the UE receives an LPP request location information and / or the gNB receives an NRPPa measurement request, and the measurements are taken as soon as positioning resources are available and a measurement gap is configured (if required for DL ​​positioning methods).

[0059] In NR Release 17, it was agreed to allow positioning measurements at a scheduled location time T, which is a further time specified by an external LCS client, AF or UE. In RAN procedures, T can be interpreted as a measurement window centered on T (configured by the LMF) based on the QoS requirement(s) and the available PRS resource(s). When the UE and / or gNB receive the measurement window, they are assumed to perform DL and / or UL measurements with positioning signals within that measurement window. Summary of the Invention

[0060] It is an object of the present disclosure to obviate or mitigate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0061] A system and method for prioritizing PRS measurements is provided.

[0062] In a first aspect, a method implemented by an access node is provided. The access node may comprise an air interface and a processing circuit and be configured to receive a configuration request from a network node to configure a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for a wireless device. The access node determines whether to configure the PRS measurement window according to a priority associated with the PRS measurement. In response to configuring the PRS measurement window according to the priority, the access node transmits a configuration response to the network node and / or in response to not configuring the PRS measurement window according to the priority, the access node transmits a configuration failure to the network node.

[0063] In some embodiments, the access node may determine a priority between data reception and PRS measurements.

[0064] In some embodiments, the access node may transmit to the wireless device configuration information related to a PRS measurement window. In some embodiments, the access node may transmit to the wireless device an indication of a priority associated with a PRS measurement. In some embodiments, the access node may receive from the wireless device an indication that a PRS measurement has been skipped according to priority.

[0065] In another aspect, a method is provided for implementation by a network node. The network node may comprise an air interface and a processing circuit and be configured to generate configuration information relating to a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window. The network node transmits a configuration request to an access node to configure a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for a wireless device. The access node receives from the access node at least one of a configuration response indicating that the PRS measurement window was successfully configured and / or a configuration failure indicating that the PRS measurement window was not configured.

[0066] In some embodiments, the network node may be a Location Management Function (LMF). In other embodiments, the network node may be a gNB Control Unit (gNB-CU).

[0067] In some embodiments, the network node may receive an indication from the wireless device that a PRS measurement has been skipped according to priority.

[0068] In some embodiments, the configuration request includes an indication of a priority associated with the PRS measurement.

[0069] In some embodiments, at least one of the configuration request, the configuration response, and the configuration failure message may be transmitted and / or received via NRPPa signaling.

[0070] In some embodiments, at least one of the configure request, the configure response, and the configure failure message may be transmitted and / or received via F1AP signaling.

[0071] In some embodiments, the configuration response indicates that the PRS measurement window was successfully configured by the access node.

[0072] In some embodiments, the configuration failure indicates that the PRS measurement window was not configured by the access node.

[0073] The various aspects and embodiments described herein may be alternatively, optionally, and / or additionally combined with each other.

[0074] Other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

[0075] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0076] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an NR positioning architecture. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of semi-persistent CSI / RS transmission. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of multiple TRPs in a cell. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary communication system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a signaling diagram of a first exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a signaling diagram of a second exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method that may be implemented in a wireless device. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method that may be implemented in an access node. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method that may be implemented in a network node. [Figure 10] 1 is a block diagram of an example wireless device. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example network node. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary host. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary virtualization environment. [Figure 14] A communication diagram of a host communicating with a UE via a network node. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0077] The embodiments described below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the description and recognize applications of these concepts not specifically addressed herein. These concepts and applications are understood to fall within the scope of the description.

[0078] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it should be understood that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of the description. Those skilled in the art will be able to use the included description to implement the appropriate functionality without undue experimentation.

[0079] References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described with respect to an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic with respect to other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0080] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a communication system 100 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0081] In this example, the communications system 100 includes a communications network 102 including an access network 104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 106 including one or more core network nodes 108. The access network 104 includes one or more access network nodes (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 110), such as network nodes 110A and 110B, or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network nodes 110 facilitate direct or indirect connectivity of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 112A, 112B, 112C, and 112D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 112) to the core network 106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0082] Exemplary wireless communication over a wireless connection includes transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic, radio, infrared, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, communication system 100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections. Communication system 100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, wireless networks, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0083] The UE 112 may be any of a wide variety of communications devices, including a wireless device configured, configured, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with the network node 110 and other communications devices. Similarly, the network node 110 is configured, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the UE 112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the communications network 102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the communications network 102.

[0084] In the illustrated example, the core network 106 connects the network node 110 to one or more hosts, such as the host 116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network nodes may be directly coupled to the hosts. The core network 106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., the core network node 108) structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, and therefore those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 108. Exemplary core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Location Management Function (LMF), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Subscription Identifier De-concealing Function (SIDF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), a Network Publishing Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0085] The host 116 may be owned or under the control of, and operated by or on behalf of, a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 104 and / or the communication network 102. The host 116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data regarding various ambient conditions detected by multiple UEs, analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or possibly interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such functions implemented by a server.

[0086] 4 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as a particular standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G), a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi), and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Global Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communications (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standard, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0087] In some examples, the communication network 102 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the communication network 102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the communication network 102. For example, the communication network 102 may provide ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or providing massive machine-based communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to still further UEs.

[0088] In some examples, the UE 112 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 104 on a predefined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network 104. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to operate in a single or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate in any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Enhanced UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0089] In this example, the hub 114 communicates with the access network 104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEs 112C and / or 112D) and a network node (e.g., network node 110B). In some examples, the hub 114 may be a controller, a router, a content source and content analysis, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to UEs. For example, the hub 114 may be a broadband router that allows access to the core network 106 for the UE. As another example, the hub 114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 110, or may be due to executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 114. As another example, the hub 114 may be a data collector that serves as a temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker, or other media distribution device, the hub 114 may retrieve, via a network node, VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information, which the hub 114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the hub 114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, particularly in the case where one or more of the UEs are low energy IoT devices.

[0090] The hub 114 may have a full-time / permanent or intermittent connection to the network node 110B. The hub 114 may also enable different communication schemes and / or schedules between the hub 114 and the UEs (e.g., UEs 112C and / or 112D) and between the hub 114 and the core network 106. In other examples, the hub 114 is connected to the core network 106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 110 while still being connected via a wired or wireless connection through the hub 114. In some embodiments, the hub 114 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose main function is to route communications from the UE to / from the network node 110B to the UE. In other embodiments, the hub 114 may be a non-dedicated hub, i.e., a device that is capable of operating to route communications between the UE and the network node 110B, but that is further capable of operating as a communication initiation and / or termination point for some data channels.

[0091] It should be noted that the description provided herein focuses on 3GPP cellular communication systems, and therefore 3GPP terminology or terminology similar to 3GPP terminology is often used, however, the concepts disclosed herein are not limited to 3GPP systems.

[0092] It should be noted that in the description herein, reference may be made to the term "cell." However, it is important to note that, particularly with respect to 5G / NR concepts, a beam may be used in place of a cell, and thus the concepts described herein are equally applicable to both cells and beams.

[0093] Returning to the description of conventional PRS-based measurements performed with measurement gaps, in NR Release 17 it was agreed to specify an extension to allow measuring DL PRS without the need for measurement gaps. If the UE's bandwidth portion (BWP) is wide enough to cover the DL PRS bandwidth, the UE can measure the PRS without requesting a measurement gap(s). However, collisions with data channels and other downlink reference signals may be an issue that needs to be addressed.

[0094] It is agreed that the UE may drop DL PRS measurement / processing when the DL PRS collides with a DL channel and / or another DL reference signal with a higher priority, but the UE procedure when such a drop occurs is not known. Therefore, it remains to be resolved what procedure the UE will implement when the DL PRS measurement / processing is about to be dropped due to DL PRS collision with a DL channel or another DL reference signal with a higher priority. It should be noted that an entity that may decide to prioritize radio resources for a particular use may not have all the necessary information. It remains a problem how to set positioning related priorities in the radio node. The setting and signaling details of DL PRS priorities across different NW entities are currently unknown. Therefore, how DL PRS priorities and related signaling should be set in the UE is another open issue to be addressed.

[0095] Some embodiments described herein are directed to setting and / or indicating the priority of DL PRS to the UE with respect to other conflicting DL channels / reference signals, handshaking messages between the LMF and the serving gNB regarding the priority of DL PRS, UE procedures when measurement / processing of DL PRS is dropped due to collision with DL channel / other DL reference signals with higher priority, and solutions for prioritizing positioning measurements using different windows (measurement gaps and positioning measurement windows).

[0096] In some embodiments, a method is specified for setting positioning measurement priority over other downlink channel reception or other downlink reference signal reception / measurement. It will be described how the gNB takes into account different input(s) from other network entities or UE(s) to make an informed decision.

[0097] In some embodiments, a method is proposed such that the UE understands whether it should prioritize positioning measurements or data reception.

[0098] In some embodiments, a method is provided that facilitates in minimizing the need to request measurement gaps from a UE to the network.

[0099] In some embodiments, a method is proposed whereby the UE informs the LMF that the measurement / processing of the PRS is skipped / dropped due to a collision with a DL channel / DL reference signal with a higher priority.

[0100] In some embodiments, a method for prioritizing positioning measurements using different windows (measurement gaps and positioning measurement windows) was specified.

[0101] In one embodiment, the LMF may signal the configuration of DL PRS resources with different priorities to the UE via the LPP protocol. For example, a priority indicator may be included as part of the PRS configuration, where different values ​​of the priority indicator indicate different priorities (e.g., a priority indicator value of 0 indicates a lower priority DL PRS and a priority indicator value of 1 indicates a higher priority DL PRS). For example, the priority indicator may be configured as part of the NR-DL-PRS-Info information element (IE) specified in 3GPP TS37.355 V16.5.0.

[0102] The priority indicator sent by the LMF for each PRS resource to the UE may be used to relay what the gNB scheduler has determined. In one embodiment, the gNB may include a priority indicator in an NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) message used to send the PRS configuration(s) to the LMF. In another embodiment, the LMF may request the gNB, also via NRPPa, to provide a specific priority for a given PRS (if the gNB did not initially provide an explicit priority indication for the PRS resource(s). The gNB then responds to the LMF with a request reject / grant message related to the request to provide the PRS priority.

[0103] In some cases, the priority indication may consist of two or more priority levels, and two of these levels may be associated with a timer. When the priority is indicated to the LMF, one priority level is used first (e.g., the PRS is set to be of highest priority over data). When the timer expires, the LMF is expected to change the PRS priority to the second associated level (e.g., the PRS is deprioritized over data).

[0104] In some cases, the priority indicator may be set at the DL PRS resource set level (e.g., as part of the NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16 specified in the NR-DL-PRS-Info IE of 3GPP TS37.355 V16.5.0), which means that the priority indicated by the priority indicator applies to all of the DL PRS resources in that DL PRS resource set.

[0105] In another case, the priority indicator may be set at the DL PRS resource level (e.g., as part of NR-DL-PRS-Resource-r16 specified in the NR-DL-PRS-Info IE of 3GPP TS37.355 V16.5.0), in which case it is possible to set different priorities for different DL PRS resources in a given DL PRS resource set (e.g., DL PRS resource 1 of the DL PRS resource set is set to a higher priority and DL PRS resource 2 of the DL PRS resource set is set to a lower priority).

[0106] It should be noted that the priority of the DL PRS described above is with respect to DL channels and / or other DL reference signals that may collide with the DL PRS measurement / processing. In one example, a DL PRS with a "higher priority" indicator set means that the DL PRS shall be measured / processed by the UE in priority to DL channels and / or other DL reference signals that may collide with the DL PRS measurement / processing. A DL PRS with a "lower priority" indicator set means that the DL PRS measurement / processing shall be dropped (or in other words skipped) by the UE, in which case the UE shall prioritize measurement / reception / decoding of DL channels and / or other DL reference signals that may collide with the DL PRS.

[0107] In another embodiment, whether a DL PRS shall be measured / processed or dropped by the UE may depend on both the priority indicated for the DL PRS and the priority indicated for the conflicting DL channel and / or other DL reference signal. Note that the priority indicated for the conflicting DL channel and / or other DL reference signal may be indicated from the serving gNB to the UE. For example, this embodiment may cover the following examples:

[0108] Example 1: High priority is indicated for a colliding PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and high priority is indicated for DL ​​PRS. Then the UE shall drop the high priority DL PRS with which the high priority PDSCH collide. Alternatively, the UE can measure / process the high priority DL PRS in preference to the colliding high priority PDSCH.

[0109] Example 2: High priority is indicated for a colliding PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and low priority is indicated for DL ​​PRS.The UE shall then drop the low priority DL PRS with which the high priority PDSCH collide.

[0110] Example 3: Low priority is indicated for a colliding PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and low priority is indicated for DL ​​PRS. Then the UE shall drop the low priority DL PRS with which the low priority PDSCH collide. Alternatively, the UE can measure / process the low priority DL PRS in preference to the colliding low priority PDSCH.

[0111] It should be noted that although a colliding PDSCH is used in the above example, this embodiment is not limited to only PDSCH, but is applicable to other colliding DL channels and / or DL ​​reference signals.

[0112] In some embodiments, at least three levels of priority may be configured for the DL PRS (e.g., higher priority, medium priority, lower priority). In one example, a DL PRS with a higher priority indicator configured means that the DL PRS shall be measured / processed by the UE in priority to DL channels and / or other DL reference signals that may collide with the DL PRS measurement / processing. A DL PRS with a lower priority indicator configured means that the DL PRS measurement / processing shall be dropped (or in other words skipped) by the UE, in which case the UE shall prioritize measurement / reception / decoding of DL channels and / or other DL reference signals that may collide with the DL PRS. In one example, a DL PRS with a medium priority indicator configured means that the UE shall:

[0113] - The DL PRS shall be measured / processed by the UE with priority over other DL reference signals that may conflict with DL PRS measurement / processing.

[0114] - DL PRS measurements / processing shall be dropped (or in other words skipped) by the UE, in which case the UE shall give priority to measuring / receiving / decoding DL channels that may collide with the DL PRS.

[0115] The above embodiments may be generalized to N levels of priority for DL ​​PRS, where each level of priority may apply to a subset of DL channels and / or other DL reference signals.

[0116] It should be noted that in this disclosure, conflicts between DL channels and / or other DL reference signals with DL PRS measurement / processing may be defined as any one of the following:

[0117] - The time domain symbols (eg, OFDM symbols) allocated for the DL channel and / or other DL reference signals overlap with the time domain symbols (eg, OFDM symbols) allocated for the DL PRS.

[0118] - The time domain symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols) allocated for DL ​​channels and / or other DL reference signals overlap with all time domain symbols in the configured window for the UE to perform DL PRS measurements / processing. Note that the configured window may contain one or multiple time domain symbols. Note that the time domain symbols in the configured window may be larger than the time domain symbols allocated for DL ​​PRS.

[0119] - The time domain symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols) allocated for the DL channel and / or other DL reference signals overlap with a subset of time domain symbols in a configured window for the UE to perform DL PRS measurements / processing. Note that the configured window may include one or more time domain symbols. Note that the time domain symbols in the configured window may be larger than the time domain symbols allocated for the DL PRS. In some cases, the subset of time domain symbols is the time domain symbols allocated for the DL PRS.

[0120] The DL channel in the above embodiments may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a PDCCH, a dynamically scheduled PDSCH (PDSCH with dynamic grant scheduled via C-RNTI and scrambled DL DCI), and a semi-persistent scheduled (SPS) PDSCH (downlink semi-persistent transmission configured by the SPS-Config information element in 3GPP TS38.331 V16.4.1).

[0121] Other DL reference signals in the above embodiments may include, but are not limited to, one or more of periodic NZP CSI-RS, aperiodic NZP CSI-RS, semi-persistent NZP CSI-RS, periodic TRS, and aperiodic TRS, as specified in 3GPP TS38.214 and 3GPP TS38.211.

[0122] FIG. 5 is a signaling diagram illustrating an example embodiment in which the LMF 108 indicates the configured priority of one or more DL PRS resources to the serving gNB 110 via the NRPPa.

[0123] Step 120: The LMF 108 indicates the priority of the positioning session to the gNB 110 via NRPPa signaling, for example based on the quality of service requirements for positioning. The priority may also include some requirement regarding the type of positioning session, for example, regulatory or commercial, or ascending or descending order with some number indexing (e.g., 1 to 5). In one embodiment, the signaling of this prioritization information may be achieved via incorporating the priority information into the existing NRPPa message specified in the Rel-16 version of TS38.455. In another embodiment, the signaling may be done by extending the PRS configuration exchange procedure specified in the rel-17 version of TS38.455. An example is provided below. 9.1.1.a1 PRS configuration request This message is sent by the LMF to request the NG-RAN node to configure PRS transmission. Direction: LMF->NG-RAN node. TIFF0007662900000001.tif63170TIFF0007662900000002.tif171709.2.x1 Requested DL PRS transmission characteristics This IE contains the requested PRS setting for transmission by the LMF. TIFF0007662900000003.tif32170

[0124] In other embodiments, prioritization may be signaled using one or more new NRPPa messages or may be left to OAM.

[0125] Step 122: The gNB 110 can use this input to determine what shall be prioritized, whether data (i.e., either a dynamically scheduled PDSCH or an SPS PDSCH) or other reference signals shall be prioritized over the PRS, or whether the PRS shall be prioritized over data channels and reference signals.

[0126] Step 124: The gNB 110 indicates the priority using an existing field in the DCI, an existing field in the DCI with one or more codepoints in the field reinterpreted for priority indication, a new field in the DCI, a new DCI format, or using a MAC Control element. The serving gNB 110 may also instruct the UE 112 to drop PRS with associated priorities above a certain number (e.g., above 3, where priority 3 and above may be associated with a low priority PRS configuration).

[0127] Step 126: If the gNB 110 prioritizes data or other reference signals over the PRS (i.e., if the PRS is not transmitted or if the UE is required to obtain DL data without performing PRS measurements), the UE 112 may skip the PRS measurements in accordance with the prioritization.

[0128] In an alternative case, if the gNB 110 prioritizes the PRS over other data or reference signal(s), the UE 112 may perform PRS measurements according to the prioritization.

[0129] Step 128: The gNB 110 indicates the decision to the LMF 108 using the NRPPa. In one embodiment, the response of the gNB's decision related to PRS prioritization may be included in one of the existing NRPPa response messages specified in the Rel-16 version of TS38.455. In another embodiment, the signaling may be done by extending the PRS configuration exchange procedure specified in the Rel-17 version of TS38.455. An example is provided below. 9.1.1.a2 PRS Configuration Response This message is sent by an NG-RAN node to acknowledge setting / updating PRS transmission. Direction: NG-RAN node->LMF. TIFF0007662900000004.tif134170TIFF0007662900000005.tif17170

[0130] In an alternative embodiment, the signaling may be via a PRS Configuration Failure message as shown below. 9.1.1.a3 PRS configuration failure This message is sent by the NG-RAN node to indicate that the NG-RAN node is unable to configure PRS transmission. Direction: NG-RAN node->LMF. TIFF0007662900000006.tif98170

[0131] In other embodiments, the indication may be signaled using one or more new NRPPa messages or may be left to the OAM.

[0132] Step 130: The UE may use the LPP to inform the LMF that the PRS has been dropped / skipped. In some embodiments, the signaling may include an error. An example is provided below that includes an indication that the PRS is not detected and / or that the PRS measurement is skipped. 6.2.1.1 - NR-DL-TDOA-TargetDeviceErrorCauses The IE NR-DL-TDOA-TargetDeviceErrorCauses is used by the target device to provide NR DL-TDOA error reasons to the location server. TIFF0007662900000007.tif77170

[0133] In some embodiments, the signaling may be more explicit and include an indication of deprioritized PRS measurement(s), as in the following example: TIFF0007662900000008.tif214170TIFF0007662900000009.tif98170

[0134] In some embodiments, supplemental information may be signaled on the F1 interface in a split gNB scenario between the gNB-CU and gNB-DU, such as by signaling a new indication on an F1AP message that would be equivalent to the NRPPa message described in steps 120 and 128 of FIG. 5.

[0135] FIG. 6 is a signaling diagram illustrating an example embodiment relating to overlapping windows.

[0136] Step 140: The LMF 108 sets a measurement window, which may be based on the scheduled location time T.

[0137] Step 142: The LMF 108 instructs the gNB 110 of the start time of the measurement window and the end time of the measurement window.

[0138] Step 144: In some embodiments, the UE 108 may indicate a need to initiate positioning measurements.

[0139] Step 146: The gNB 110 sets a preferred window for the measurement duration, the preferred window being based at least in part on a window length of the set measurement window (e.g., according to a start period and an end period). The gNB 110 may determine which PRS measurement(s) are taking place outside of such window and instruct those PRS measurements to be dropped.

[0140] Step 148: The gNB 110 provides such an indication of priority to the UE 112 based on the measurement window and instructions.

[0141] Step 150: The gNB 110 may also notify the LMF 108 of the PRS deprioritization via the NRPPa.

[0142] Step 152: The UE 112 may, based on the gNB 110 instructions, skip PRS measurements taking place outside such measurement windows provided by the LMF 108. Alternatively, the UE 112 sets the measurement windows as requested.

[0143] Step 154: The UE 112 uses the LPP to report to the LMF 108 that the PRS has been dropped / skipped.

[0144] In some other embodiments, the gNB may indicate, over the F1 interface, the configured priority of one or more DL PRS resources to its gNB-DU(s).

[0145] In some other embodiments, the serving gNB may exchange configured priorities of one or more DL PRS resources with its neighbor nodes over the Xn interface.

[0146] In an alternative embodiment, multiple 1-bit DL PRS priority indicators are used to indicate the priority of a DL PRS over other signals and channels. Each 1-bit DL PRS priority indicator indicates DL PRS priority for one particular signal or channel, or alternatively, for a set of signals and / or channels. As an example, a 1-bit DL PRS priority indicator may be defined such that a bit set to 1 will indicate that a DL PRS is prioritized and a bit set to 0 will indicate that a particular signal or channel, or set of signals and / or channels, is to be prioritized.

[0147] In one embodiment, the 1-bit DL PRS priority indicator will be signaled as a bit string, with each bit corresponding to one priority indicator, which defines the priority for a particular predefined signal or channel, or set of signals and / or channels.

[0148] To give some examples, the 1-bit DL PRS priority indicator may define DL PRS priority for one of the following signals or channels, or sets of signals or channels, or for a subset thereof:

[0149] - PDCCH

[0150] - PDCCH coreset0

[0151] - Coreset other than coreset0 of PDCCH

[0152] - A specific coreset for the PDCCH

[0153] - all CSI-RS configured for the UE

[0154] - A specific CSI-RS resource set configured for the UE

[0155] - a subset of the CSI-RS resource set configured for the UE

[0156] - specific CSI-RS resources configured for the UE

[0157] - a subset of CSI-RS resources configured for the UE

[0158] - PDSCH

[0159] - Dynamically scheduled PDSCH

[0160] - SPS PDSCH

[0161] In one embodiment, a 1-bit DL PRS priority indicator is signaled by the LMF over the LPP to the UE.

[0162] In one embodiment, a 1-bit DL PRS priority indicator is signaled by the gNB over RRC to the UE.

[0163] In one embodiment, one or more of the 1-bit DL PRS priority indicators are signaled by the gNB to the UE as part of the configuration of the signal or channel to which the DL PRS priority indicator applies. As an example, the 1-bit DL PRS priority indicator would be included in the CSI-RS configuration to specify the prioritization between a particular CSI-RS and the DL PRS.

[0164] Note that in NR, the PDCCH coreset can be anywhere in a slot. This is useful to reduce latency, for example, for URLLC. However, if there are multiple coresets in each slot, there may be too little space left to accommodate the DL PRS and to allow UE processing of the DL PRS. To balance the latency requirements versus the positioning requirements, one solution is to allow different prioritization for different coresets as described above.

[0165] Some of the mechanisms described herein allow the UE to prioritize data channels, control channels, other downlink reference signals, and / or positioning measurements. If there are problems in handling both, the network can provide priorities so that the UE knows what to prioritize and what to drop. Some embodiments can provide lower positioning latency and even improved accuracy by concentrating on prioritized positioning resources for measurements. The gNB can provide efficient prioritization of data / control channels (e.g., emergency URLLC data / commands) and positioning measurements.

[0166] 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method that may be implemented in a wireless device, such as the UE 112 described herein. The method may include:

[0167] Step 160: Optionally, the wireless device obtains measurement window configuration information. The configuration information may be received from an access node and / or a network node. In some embodiments, this includes receiving a configuration message (e.g., an LPP message) from a network node, such as the LMF 108. The configuration information may include parameters (e.g., start time, end time) related to a measurement window for performing PRS measurements.

[0168] The wireless device may receive further configuration information including at least one resource for measuring one or more reference signals (e.g., PRS) and for deriving positioning measurements. The configuration parameters may include periodicity, offset, starting PRB, bandwidth, ending PRB, starting symbol, number of consecutive symbols, ending symbol, and / or other configuration parameters that define the location in frequency, time, and / or bandwidth of the reserved resources.

[0169] Step 162: The wireless device may receive an indication of priority associated with one or more PRS measurements. The indication may be received from an access node, such as the gNB 110. The indication may be included in a DCI message received from the access node. In some embodiments, the indication may instruct the wireless device to prioritize data or other reference signal(s) over the PRS.

[0170] Step 164: The wireless device may decide to skip one or more PRS measurements according to the priority indication.

[0171] Step 166: Optionally, the wireless device may transmit a report to the access node or network node indicating that the PRS measurement(s) was skipped or not performed.

[0172] It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the wireless devices may communicate (e.g., send / receive messages) directly with a network node, such as the location server 108. In other embodiments, messages and signals between the entities may be communicated via other nodes, such as the radio access node (e.g., gNB, eNB) 110.

[0173] It will be appreciated that one or more of the above steps may be performed simultaneously and / or in different orders. Also, steps shown in dashed lines are optional and may be omitted in some embodiments.

[0174] 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method that may be implemented in an access node, such as a gNB 110, as described herein. The method may include:

[0175] Step 170: The access node obtains configuration information. The configuration information may be received from a network node such as a location server (LMF). The configuration information may be a configuration request for configuring a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for at least one wireless device and may include an indication of a priority associated with one or more PRS measurements. The configuration information may be received via NRPPa signaling and / or F1AP signaling.

[0176] Step 172: The access node determines a prioritization of one or more PRS measurements according to the configuration information. In some embodiments, data traffic may be prioritized over the PRS. In other embodiments, the PRS may be prioritized over other data traffic. In some embodiments, the access node may determine to prioritize PRS measurements within a measurement window.

[0177] Step 174: Optionally, the access node transmits an indication of the determined priority to one or more wireless devices. The access node may signal the priority indication via a DCI message. In an embodiment, the access node may also transmit the priority indication to a network node, such as the LMF 108. The access node may transmit the indication to the network node via an NRPPa message. The indication may indicate that one or more PRSs have been deprioritized.

[0178] Step 176: The access node transmits a configuration response to the network node. In some embodiments, in response to configuring the PRS measurement window according to the priority, the access node transmits a configuration response to indicate that the PRS measurement window was successfully configured for the wireless device. In some embodiments, in response to not configuring the PRS measurement window according to the priority, the access node transmits a configuration failure to indicate that the PRS measurement window was not configured for the wireless device. The configuration response(s) may be transmitted via NRPPa signaling and / or F1AP signaling.

[0179] It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the access node may communicate (e.g., send / receive messages) directly with the target wireless device 112. In other embodiments, messages and signals between the entities may be communicated via other nodes, such as other wireless access nodes (e.g., gNBs, eNBs) 110.

[0180] It will be appreciated that one or more of the above steps may be performed simultaneously and / or in different orders. Also, steps shown in dashed lines are optional and may be omitted in some embodiments.

[0181] 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method that may be implemented in a network node, such as a location server (e.g., LMF 108) described herein. The method may include:

[0182] Step 180: The network node generates configuration information, which may include measurement window configuration information and / or an indication of a priority associated with one or more PRS measurements.

[0183] In some embodiments, the configuration information may further include at least one resource for measuring one or more reference signals (e.g., PRS) and for deriving positioning measurements. The resource(s) configuration may include periodicity, offset, starting PRB, bandwidth, ending PRB, starting symbol, number of consecutive symbols, ending symbol, and / or other configuration parameters that define the location in frequency, time, and / or bandwidth of the reserved resources.

[0184] Step 182: The network node transmits the generated configuration information. The configuration information may be transmitted to the access node and / or the wireless device. The information may be transmitted in a configuration request message for configuring a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for at least one wireless device. The configuration request may include an indication of a priority associated with the PRS measurement. The configuration information may be transmitted to the access node via NRPPa signaling and / or F1AP signaling and to the wireless device via LPP signaling.

[0185] Step 184: The network node may receive a configuration response from the access node and / or the wireless device. The configuration response may indicate that the PRS measurement window was successfully set for the wireless device or, alternatively, that the PRS measurement window was not set. In some embodiments, this may include an indication that one or more PRS / PRS measurements have been deprioritized. The configuration response(s) may be received via NRPPa signaling and / or F1AP signaling.

[0186] Step 186: Optionally, the network node may receive an indication from the access node and / or the wireless device that one or more PRS measurements were skipped or not performed.

[0187] It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the network nodes may communicate (e.g., send / receive messages) directly with the target wireless device 112. In other embodiments, messages and signals between the entities may be communicated via other nodes, such as a radio access node (e.g., gNB, eNB) 110.

[0188] It will be appreciated that one or more of the above steps may be performed simultaneously and / or in different orders. Also, steps shown in dashed lines are optional and may be omitted in some embodiments.

[0189] FIG. 10 illustrates a UE 200, which may be an embodiment of the UE 112 of FIG. 4, according to some embodiments. A UE, as used herein, refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cell phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback appliances, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptop computers, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), vehicle mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, and the like. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0190] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or may not initially be associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user.

[0191] The UE 200 includes a processing circuit 202 operably coupled to an input / output interface 206, a power source 208, a memory 210, a communication interface 212, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 204. Some UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 8. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0192] The processing circuitry 202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in the memory 210 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuitry 202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), programmable logic together with appropriate firmware, one or more stored computer programs, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) together with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0193] In this example, the input / output interface 206 may be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information to the UE 200. Examples of input devices include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for sensing input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0194] In some embodiments, the power source 208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power source 208 may further include a power circuit for delivering power to various parts of the UE 200 from the power source 208 itself and / or from an external power source via an input circuit, or an interface such as a power cable. Delivering power may be for charging the power source 208, for example. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power source 208 to make it suitable for the respective component of the UE 200 to which it is being powered.

[0195] The memory 210 may be or be configured to include memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 210 includes one or more application programs 214, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 216. The memory 210 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 200.

[0196] The memory 210 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical disk drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disk drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smart card memory, such as a tamper-resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC, commonly known as a "SIM card." The memory 210 may enable the UE 200 to access, offload data, or upload data, instructions, application programs, and the like, stored in a temporary or non-transitory memory medium. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in memory 210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0197] The processing circuit 202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other networks using a communication interface 212. The communication interface 212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 222. The communication interface 212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 218 and / or a receiver 220 suitable for providing network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Moreover, the transmitter 218 and receiver 220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0198] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of communication interface 212 may include cellular communications, Wi-Fi communications, LPWAN communications, data communications, voice communications, multimedia communications, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communications, location-based communications such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communications protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0199] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by the UE's sensors to a network node via a wireless connection through the UE's communications interface 212. Data captured by the UE's sensors may be communicated to a network node via another UE over a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes when reporting detected temperature), in response to a triggering event (e.g., an alert is sent when humidity is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0200] As another example, the UE comprises an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight according to the received input, or a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0201] The UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application areas, including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, augmented industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices that are or are embedded in connected refrigerators or freezers, TVs, connected lighting devices, power meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, water inundation / humidity sensors, electronic door locks, connected doorbells, air conditioning systems such as heat pumps, autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smart watches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearables for haptic augmentation or sensory augmentation, water sprinklers, animal or product tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or a remote-controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises other components as described with respect to UE 200 shown in FIG. 10, plus circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0202] As yet another particular example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, the UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operating status or other functions related to its operation.

[0203] In fact, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller that operates the drone. When a user makes a change from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust a throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include two or more of the functions described above. For example, a UE may comprise a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0204] 11 illustrates a network node 300, which may be an embodiment of the access node 110 or the core network node 108 of FIG. 4, according to some embodiments. A network node, as used herein, refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with UEs and / or other network nodes or devices in a communication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0205] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated another way, their transmit power level) and may therefore be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0206] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or a minimization of drive test (MDT).

[0207] The network node 300 includes a processing circuit 302, a memory 304, a communication interface 306, and a power source 308. The network node 300 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which the network node 300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS component and a BSC component), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control several Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may be considered as a single separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node 300 may be configured to support several radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 310 may be shared by different RATs). Network node 300 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node 300. These wireless technologies may be integrated in the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node 300.

[0208] The processing circuitry 302 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resources, or combinations of hardware, software, and / or coded logic, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 300 components, such as memory 304, operable to provide the network node 300 functionality.

[0209] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 302 comprises a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 312 and a baseband processing circuitry 314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 312 and the baseband processing circuitry 314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 312 and the baseband processing circuitry 314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0210] The memory 304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit 302. The memory 304 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuit 302 and utilized by the network node 300. The memory 304 may be used to store calculations performed by the processing circuit 302 and / or data received via the communication interface 306. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 302 and the memory 304 are integrated.

[0211] The communication interface 306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface 306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 316 for sending and receiving data to and from a network, for example over a wired connection. The communication interface 306 also includes a radio front-end circuit 318 that is coupled to an antenna 310 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna 310. The radio front-end circuit 318 comprises a filter 320 and an amplifier 322. The radio front-end circuit 318 may be connected to the antenna 310 and the processing circuit 302. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 310 and the processing circuit 302. The radio front-end circuit 318 may receive digital data that is to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 318 may convert the digital data into a wireless signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 320 and / or amplifiers 322. The wireless signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 310 may collect the wireless signal, which is then converted to digital data by the wireless front-end circuitry 318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0212] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 300 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit 318, and instead the processing circuit 302 includes the radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 310. Similarly, in some embodiments all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuitry 312 is part of the communications interface 306. In still other embodiments, the communications interface 306 includes one or more ports or terminals 316, the radio front-end circuitry 318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communications interface 306 communicates with baseband processing circuitry 314 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0213] The antenna 310 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In some embodiments, the antenna 310 is separate from the network node 300 and connectable to the network node 300 through an interface or port.

[0214] The antenna 310, the communication interface 306, and / or the processing circuit 302 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some obtaining operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 310, the communication interface 306, and / or the processing circuit 302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0215] The power source 308 provides power to the various components of the network node 300 in a form suitable for each component (e.g., at voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power source 308 may further comprise or be coupled to a power management circuit for supplying the components of the network node 300 with power for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuit of the power source 308. As a further example, the power source 308 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit. The battery may provide backup power in the event that the external power source fails.

[0216] 11 to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 300 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into the network node 300 and output of information from the network node 300. This may enable a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 300.

[0217] 12 is a block diagram of a host 400, which may be an embodiment of the host 116 of FIG. 4 in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 400 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0218] The host 400 includes a processing circuit 402 operably coupled to an input / output interface 406, a network interface 408, a power source 410, and a memory 412 via a bus 404. In other embodiments, other components may be included. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 8 and 9, and therefore those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 400.

[0219] The memory 412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 414 and data 416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by the UE for the host 400 or data generated by the host 400 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application program 414 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, route, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in the core network or on the edge of the core network. Thus, the host 400 may select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application program 414 may support a variety of protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0220] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization as used herein may apply to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 500 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes, such as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a hardware computing device acting as a host. Furthermore, in embodiments in which a virtual node does not require wireless connectivity (e.g., a core network node or a host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0221] An application 502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) is run in the virtualized environment 500 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0222] The hardware 504 includes a processing circuit, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuit, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. Software may be executed by the processing circuit to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 506 (also referred to as a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM)), provide VMs 508a and 508b (one or more of which are commonly referred to as VMs 508), and / or implement any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 506 may present to the VMs 508 a virtual operating platform that looks like networking hardware.

[0223] The VMs 508 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 506. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance 502 instances may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 508, and the implementation may be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0224] In the context of NFV, a VM 508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if those programs were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 508 and the portion of the hardware 504 on which it runs, whether hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with other of the VMs, form a separate virtual network element. Further in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a particular network function running in one or more VMs 508 on the hardware 504 and corresponds to the application 502.

[0225] The hardware 504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (such as in a data center or CPE, for example) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration 510 that oversees, among other things, the lifecycle management of the application 502. In some embodiments, the hardware 504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided using a control system 512, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0226] FIG 14 illustrates a communication diagram of a host 602 communicating with a UE 606 via a network node 604 over a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments. Exemplary implementations according to various embodiments of a UE (such as the UE 112A of FIG. 4 and / or the UE 200 of FIG. 8), a network node (such as the network node 110A of FIG. 4 and / or the network node 300 of FIG. 9), and a host (such as the host 116 of FIG. 4 and / or the host 400 of FIG. 10) described in the previous paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0227] Similar to host 400, an embodiment of host 602 includes hardware, such as a communications interface, processing circuitry, and memory. Host 602 also includes software stored on or accessible by host 602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes host applications that may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 650 extending between the UE 606 and host 602. In providing services to a remote user, the host applications may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 650.

[0228] The network node 604 includes hardware that enables the network node 604 to communicate with the host 602 and the UE 606. The connection 660 may be direct or may pass through one or more other intermediate networks, such as a core network (similar to the core network 106 of FIG. 4) and / or one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0229] The UE 606 includes hardware and software stored in or accessible by the UE 606 and executable by the processing circuitry of the UE. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "app," that may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 606 with the support of the host 602. At the host 602, a running host application may communicate with a running client application via an OTT connection 650 that terminates at the UE 606 and the host 602. In providing services to a user, the client application of the UE may receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 650 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application of the UE may interact with the user to generate user data that the client application of the UE provides to the host application through the OTT connection 650.

[0230] The OTT connection 650 may extend through a connection 660 between the host 602 and a network node 604 and through a wireless connection 670 between the network node 604 and the UE 606 to provide connectivity between the host 602 and the UE 606. The connections 660 and wireless connections 670 through which the OTT connection 650 may be provided are depicted abstractly to show communication between the host 602 and the UE 606 through the network node 604, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices.

[0231] As an example of transmitting data over the OTT connection 650, in step 608 the host 602 provides user data, which may be implemented by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE 606 sharing data with the host 602 without explicit human interaction. In step 610, the host 602 initiates a transmission carrying user data towards the UE 606. The host 602 may initiate the transmission in response to a request transmitted by the UE 606. The request may be triggered by human interaction with the UE 606 or by the operation of a client application executing on the UE 606. The transmission may proceed via the network node 604 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Thus, in step 612, the network node 604 transmits the user data carried in the host 602 initiated transmission to the UE 606 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. At step 614 , the UE 606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on the UE 606 associated with a host application executed by the host 602 .

[0232] In some examples, the UE 606 executes a client application that provides user data to the host 602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to data received from the host 602. Thus, in step 616, the UE 606 may provide the user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further take into account user input received from a user via an input / output interface of the UE 606. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE 606 initiates transmission of the user data towards the host 602 via the network node 604 in step 618. In step 620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 604 receives the user data from the UE 606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 602. In step 622, the host 602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 606.

[0233] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 606 using the OTT connection 650, of which the radio connection 670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the handling of colliding signals and / or channels, thereby providing benefits such as improving measurement latency and bypassing the measurement gap request procedure to improve positioning quality.

[0234] In an exemplary scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 602. As another example, the host 602 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from the UEs for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicular congestion (e.g., controlling traffic signals). As another example, the host 602 may store surveillance videos uploaded by the UEs. As another example, the host 602 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR or AR, that the host 602 may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UEs. As other examples, the host 602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-constrained electrical loads to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams, etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0235] In some examples, measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. There may further be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 650 between the host 602 and the UE 606 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 602 and / or the UE 606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 650 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or other physical quantities from which the software may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not directly change the operation of the network node 604. Such procedures and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements by the host 602 of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in software causing messages to be sent using the OTT connection 650, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0236] Although the computing devices (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) described herein may include the depicted combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. The determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by a processing circuit, which may process information by, for example, transforming the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained or transformed information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or transformed information and as a result of said processing making a decision. Moreover, while a component is illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the computing device may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single depicted component, and functionality may be partitioned among the separate components. For example, a communications interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of those components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communications interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functionality of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functionality may be implemented in hardware.

[0237] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by a processing circuit executing instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit without executing instructions stored in a separate or distinct device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and wireless networks in general, but not limited to the processing circuit alone or other components of the computing device.

[0238] The above described embodiments are intended to be examples only, and alterations, modifications and variations of the particular embodiments may be realized by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the description.

[0239] Abbreviation At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in this disclosure. In case of inconsistencies between abbreviations, how the abbreviation is used above should be preferred. If listed multiple times below, the first listing should be preferred over the subsequent listing(s). 1x RTT CDMA2000 1x wireless transmission technology 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project 5G 5th Generation 6G 6th Generation ABS Almost Blank Subframe ARQ Automatic Repeat Request AWGN Additive White Gaussian Noise BCCH Broadcast Control Channel BCH Broadcast Channel CA Carrier Aggregation CC Carrier Components CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU CDMA Code Division Multiple Access CGI Cell Global Identifier CIR Channel Impulse Response CP Cyclic Prefix CPICH Common Pilot Channel CPICH Ec / No CPICH received energy per chip divided by power density in band CQI Channel Quality Information C-RNTI Cell RNTI CSI Channel State Information DCCH Dedicated Control Channel DL Downlink DM Demodulation DMRS demodulation reference signal DRX Intermittent Reception DTX Intermittent transmission DTCH Dedicated Traffic Channel DUT Device under test E-CID Extended Cell ID (positioning method) eMBMS Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service E-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center ECGI Evolved CGI eNB E-UTRAN Node B ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel E-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center E-UTRA (Extended UTRA) E-UTRAN Extended UTRAN FDD Frequency Division Duplex FFS Further consideration needed gNB NR base station GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HO Handover HSPA High Speed ​​Packet Access HRPD High Speed ​​Packet Data LOS Line of Sight LPP LTE Positioning Protocol LTE Long-Term Evolution MAC Media Access Control MAC Message Authentication Code MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Single Frequency Network MBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank Subframe MDT Drive Test Minimization MIB Master Information Block MME Mobility Management Entity MSC Mobile Switching Center NPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel NR new radio OCNG OFDMA Channel Noise Generator OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access OSS Operation Support System OTDOA Observation Arrival Time Difference O&M operation and maintenance PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel PCell Primary Cell PCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator Channel PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDCP Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDP Profile Delay Profile PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PGW Packet Gateway PHICH Physical Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Indication Channel PLMN Public Land Mobile Network PMI Precoder Matrix Indicator PRACH Physical Random Access Channel PRS Positioning Reference Signal PSS primary synchronization signal PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel RACH Random Access Channel QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation RAN Radio Access Network RAT Radio Access Technology RLC Radio Link Control RLM Radio Link Management RNC Radio Network Controller RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier RRC Radio Resource Control RRM Radio Resource Management RS reference signal RSCP Received Signal Code Power RSRP Reference Symbol Received Power or Reference signal received power RSRQ Reference Signal Reception Quality or Reference symbol reception quality RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator RSTD reference signal time difference SCH Synchronization Channel SCell Secondary Cell SDAP Service Data Adaptation Protocol SDU Service Data Unit SFN System Frame Number SGW Serving Gateway SI System Information SIB System Information Block SNR Signal to Noise Ratio SON Self-optimizing Network SS Sync Signal SSS secondary synchronization signal TDD time division duplex TDOA arrival time difference TOA arrival time TSS tertiary sync signal TTI Transmission Time Interval UE User Equipment UL Uplink USIM Universal Subscriber Identity Module UTDOA Uplink Time Difference of Arrival WCDMA Wide CDMA WLAN Wide Local Area Network

Claims

1. 1. A method performed by an access node, the method comprising: receiving a configuration request from a network node to configure a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for a wireless device; determining whether to set the PRS measurement window according to a priority associated with the PRS measurement; in response to configuring the PRS measurement window according to the priority, transmitting a configuration response to the network node to confirm successful configuration of the PRS measurement window, the configuration response including an indication that PRS measurements have been skipped; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration request includes an indication of the priority associated with the PRS measurement.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a priority between data reception and PRS measurements.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the configuration request and the configuration response is transmitted via NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) signaling.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the configuration request and the configuration response is transmitted via F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) signaling.

6. and transmitting a configuration failure to the network node in response to failing to configure the PRS measurement window in accordance with the priority. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the configuration failure indicates that the PRS measurement window was not configured by the access node.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting configuration information related to the PRS measurement window to the wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting to the wireless device an indication of the priority associated with the PRS measurement.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an indication from the wireless device that a PRS measurement was skipped according to the priority.

11. An access node comprising a wireless interface and processing circuitry, receiving a configuration request from a network node to configure a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for a wireless device; determining whether to set the PRS measurement window according to a priority associated with the PRS measurement; in response to configuring the PRS measurement window according to the priority, transmitting a configuration response to the network node to confirm successful configuration of the PRS measurement window, the configuration response including an indication that PRS measurements have been skipped; An access node that is configured to

12. 1. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: generating configuration information related to a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window; sending, to an access node, a configuration request to configure the positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for a wireless device; receiving a configuration response from the access node confirming successful configuration of the PRS measurement window, the configuration response including an indication that PRS measurements were skipped; A method comprising:

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the configuration request includes an indication of a priority associated with a PRS measurement.

14. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the configuration request and the configuration response is transmitted via NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) signaling.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the configuration request and the configuration response is transmitted via F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) signaling.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving an indication from the wireless device that a PRS measurement was skipped according to priority.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the network node is a Location Management Function (LMF).

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the network node is a gNB control unit (gNB-CU).

19. A network node comprising a radio interface and a processing circuit, generating configuration information related to a positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window; sending, to an access node, a configuration request to configure the positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement window for a wireless device; receiving a configuration response from the access node confirming successful configuration of the PRS measurement window, the configuration response including an indication that PRS measurements were skipped; A network node that is configured to

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