Position assistance data for wideband positioning

Abstract

Frequency-dependent variations in the beam shape of the transmitted RF signal may be provided to the receiving device. Beam shape information may include, for example, information regarding the gain and multiple azimuth and elevation directions of the beam, the boresight and width of the beam's main lobe (and optionally, side lobes), the pattern of antenna elements in the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and / or similar information. The type of information provided may dictate the amount of overhead required, and therefore varies depending on the means by which the information is conveyed. Additional details are provided in the embodiments described herein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to the field of wireless communication, and more particularly to determining the location of a user equipment (UE) using radio frequency (RF) signals.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] Description of Related Art In a data communication network, various positioning techniques can be used to determine the location of a mobile electronic device (referred to herein as a UE). Some of these positioning techniques may include determining the angular information of the beams used by the UE and / or a transmit receive point (TRP) to transmit one or more RF signals. For example, a UE can use the beam shape information of RF signals transmitted by one or more TRPs to determine one or more angles of departure (AoD). These measurement results, along with information regarding the location of one or more TRPs, can be used to determine the location of the UE.

Summary of the Invention

[0003]

[0003] Embodiments provided herein account for frequency-dependent variations in the beam shape of transmitted RF signals (also referred to herein as "transmission beams") by providing information indicative of the beam shape to a receiving device. The beam shape information can include, for example, the gain of the beam and multiple azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe (and optionally, side lobes) of the beam, information regarding the pattern of antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and / or similar information. The type of information provided can indicate the amount of overhead required, and thus vary the amount of overhead depending on the means by which the information is transmitted. Additional details are provided in the embodiments described herein.

[0004]

[0004] According to the present disclosure, an exemplary method at a transmitting device for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system comprises receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE. This method also comprises transmitting the RF reference signal. This method also comprises transmitting, to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, the shape of the beam being frequency-dependent.

[0005]

[0005] According to the present disclosure, an exemplary method at an entity during positioning for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system comprises obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device. This method also comprises receiving, from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmitting device for transmitting the RF reference signal, the shape of the beam being frequency-dependent. This method also comprises determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam.

[0006]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, an exemplary transmitting device for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system comprises a transceiver, a memory, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the one or more processors being configured to receive an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE. The one or more processing units are further configured to transmit the RF reference signal via the transceiver. The one or more processing units are further configured to transmit, to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, the shape of the beam being frequency-dependent.

[0007]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, an exemplary entity during positioning for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system includes a transceiver, a memory, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The one or more processors are configured to obtain beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device. The one or more processing units are further configured to receive, via the transceiver, from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, where the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. The one or more processing units are further configured to determine the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam.

[0008]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, an exemplary apparatus for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system includes means for receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE. This apparatus further includes means for transmitting the RF reference signal. This apparatus further includes means for transmitting, to either or both of the entity during positioning or the receiving device, information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, where the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent.

[0009]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, an exemplary apparatus for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system includes means for obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device. This apparatus further includes means for receiving, from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, where the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. This apparatus further includes means for determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, an exemplary non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions for indicating information related to beams for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the instructions comprising code for receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE. The instructions further comprise code for transmitting an RF reference signal. The instructions further comprise code for transmitting to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, the shape of the beam being frequency dependent.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, another exemplary non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the instructions comprising code for obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device. The instructions further comprise code for receiving from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmitting device for transmitting the RF reference signal, the shape of the beam being frequency dependent. The instructions further comprise code for determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam.

[0012] This "Summary of the Invention" is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to the appropriate portions of the entire specification of this disclosure, any or all of the drawings, and each claim. The foregoing will be described in more detail below, along with other features and embodiments, in the following specification, claims, and accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

[0013] A simplified diagram of a positioning system according to an embodiment.

Figure 2

[0014] Figure of a 5G NR positioning system illustrating an embodiment of a positioning system implementing 5th generation (5G) New Radio (NR) (such as that shown in FIG. 1).

Figure 3

[0015] Figure of a simplified environment including two base stations that generate directional beams for transmitting radio frequency (RF) reference signals and a UE.

Figure 4

[0016] Figure of a graphical representation of an embodiment of a downlink (DL) angle of departure (AoD) (DL-AoD) measurement process according to an embodiment.

Figure 5A

[0017] Figure of a graph showing antenna gain with respect to azimuth angle and illustrating a beam perspective.

Figure 5B

[0018] Figure illustrating a setting according to an embodiment in which a user equipment (UE) can obtain measurement results of RF reference signals transmitted by a base station to determine a DL-AoD for the purpose of determining the position of the UE.

Figure 6A

[0019] Flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment showing information related to a beam for positioning a UE in a wireless broadband system at a transmitting device.

Figure 6B

[0020] Flow diagram of a method for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system at an entity during positioning according to an embodiment.

Figure 7

[0021] Block diagram of an embodiment of a UE that can be utilized in an embodiment as described herein.

Figure 8

[0022] Block diagram of an embodiment of a base station that can be utilized in an embodiment as described herein.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014]

[0023] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements, according to a particular exemplary implementation. Additionally, multiple instances of an element may be shown by following the first number of the element with a letter or a hyphen and a second number. For example, multiple instances of element 110 may be shown as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc., or as 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When referring to such an element using only the first number, any instance of the element is to be understood (e.g., in the previous example, element 110 refers to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3, or elements 110a, 110b, and 110c).

[0015]

[0024] The following description is directed to a particular implementation for the purpose of illustrating innovative aspects of various embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a number of different ways. The described implementations may be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE 802.11 standards (including the standards identified as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) technology), Bluetooth (registered trademark) standards, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM (registered trademark)), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA (registered trademark)), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE (registered trademark)), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), or any of the other known signals used for communicating within a wireless network, cellular network, or Internet of Things (IoT) network, such as systems utilizing 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further implementations of these technologies.

[0016]

[0025] Here, with respect to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification, a plurality of example embodiments are described. In the following, specific embodiments in which one or more aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented are described, but other embodiments may be used and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0017]

[0026] As used herein, an "RF signal" comprises an electromagnetic wave that carries information through the space between a transmitter (or transmitting device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter may transmit a single signal, an "RF signal," or multiple "RF signals" to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through a multipath channel, a receiver may receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same transmitted RF signal on different paths between a transmitter and a receiver may sometimes be referred to as a "multipath" RF signal.

[0018]

[0027] FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a positioning system 100 within which a UE 105, a location server 160, and / or other components of the positioning system 100 can use the techniques provided herein to determine an estimated position of the UE 105 in accordance with an embodiment. The techniques described herein may be implemented by one or more components of the positioning system 100. The positioning system 100 can include a UE 105, one or more artificial satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)) for a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, or Beidou, a base station 120, an access point (AP) 130, a location server 160, a network 170, and an external client 180. Generally speaking, the positioning system 100 can estimate the position of the UE 105 based on RF signals received by and / or transmitted from the UE 105, and the known positions of other components that transmit RF signals (e.g., GNSS satellites 110, base stations 120, APs 130) and / or other components that receive RF signals. Further details regarding specific position-estimation techniques are described in more detail with respect to FIG. 2.

[0019]

[0028] FIG. 1 provides only a generalized example of various components, and it should be noted that any or all of them may be utilized as needed and each of them may be replicated as needed. In particular, although only one UE 105 is illustrated, it will be understood that many (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) of UEs may utilize the positioning system 100. Similarly, the positioning system 100 may include more or fewer base stations 120 and / or APs 130 than shown in FIG. 1. The illustrated connections connecting the various components within the positioning system 100 include data connections and signal transmission connections that may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Further, the components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted according to the desired functionality. In some embodiments, for example, the external client 180 may be directly connected to the location server 160. Those skilled in the art will recognize many modifications to the illustrated components.

[0020]

[0029] Depending on the desired function, network 170 may comprise any of a variety of wireless networks and / or wired networks. Network 170 can comprise any combination, for example, of a public network and / or a private network, a local area network and / or a wide area network. Further, network 170 may utilize one or more wired communication technologies and / or wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, network 170 may comprise, for example, a cellular network or other mobile network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and / or the Internet. Examples of network 170 include a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network, a fifth generation (5G) wireless network (also referred to as a New Radio (NR) wireless network or 5G NR wireless network), a Wi-Fi WLAN, and the Internet. LTE, 5G, and NR are wireless technologies defined or being defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®). Network 170 may include two or more networks and / or two or more types of networks.

[0021]

[0030] Base station 120 and access point (AP) 130 are communicatively coupled to network 170. In some embodiments, base station 120 may be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider and may employ any of a variety of wireless technologies, as described hereinafter herein. Depending on the technology of network 170, base station 120 may comprise, for example, a Node B, evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), base transceiver station (BTS), radio base station (RBS), NR NodeB (gNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), and the like. Base station 120, which is a gNB or ng-eNB, may be part of a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) that can connect to a 5G core network (5GC) when network 170 is a 5G network. AP 130 may comprise, for example, a Wi-Fi AP or a Bluetooth AP. Thus, UE 105 can transmit and receive information with network-connected devices, such as location server 160, by accessing network 170 via base station 120 using the first communication link 133. Additionally or alternatively, since AP 130 may be communicatively coupled to network 170, UE 105 may communicate with network-connected and Internet-connected devices, including location server 160, using the second communication link 135.

[0022]

[0031] As used herein, the term "base station" generally may refer to a single physical transmission point that may be disposed at base station 120, or physical transmission points disposed at the same location. A transmit receive point (TRP) (also referred to as a transmit / receive point) corresponds to this type of transmission point, and the term "TRP" may be used interchangeably herein with the terms "gNB", "ng-eNB", and "base station". In some cases, base station 120 may comprise multiple TRPs, for example, each TRP being associated with a different antenna or different antenna array of base station 120. The physical transmission point may comprise an array of antennas of base station 120 (such as in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system and / or when the base station employs beamforming). The term "base station" may further refer to physical transmission points that are not disposed at the same location, and the physical transmission point may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transport medium) or a remote radio head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station).

[0023]

[0032] As used herein, the term "cell" generally may refer to a logical communication entity used for communication with base station 120, and may be associated with an identifier (such as a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID)) for distinguishing adjacent cells operating via the same carrier or different carriers. In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different types of protocols (such as machine type communication (MTC), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), etc.) that may provide access to different types of devices. In some cases, the term "cell" may refer to a part of the geographical coverage area (such as a sector) in which the logical entity operates.

[0024]

[0033] The location server 160 may comprise a server and / or other computing device configured to determine the estimated location of the UE 105 and / or provide data (e.g., "assistance data") to the UE 105 to facilitate location measurements and / or location determination by the UE 105. According to some embodiments, the location server 160 may support a SUPL user plane (UP) location solution defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and support a location service for the UE 105 based on the subscription information of the UE 105 stored in the location server 160, and may comprise a Home Secure User Plane Location (H-SLP) location platform. In some embodiments, the location server 160 may comprise a Discovered SLP (D-SLP) or an Emergency SLP (E-SLP). The location server 160 may further comprise an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) that supports the location of the UE 105 using a control plane (CP) location solution for LTE radio access by the UE 105. The location server 160 may further comprise a Location Management Function (LMF) that supports the location of the UE 105 using a control plane (CP) location solution for NR or LTE radio access by the UE 105.

[0025]

[0034] In the CP location solution, signaling for controlling and managing the location of UE105 may be exchanged between elements of network 170 and between network 170 and UE105 as signaling from the perspective of network 170 using existing network interfaces and protocols. In the UP location solution, signaling for controlling and managing the location of UE105 may be exchanged between location server 160 and UE105 as data from the perspective of network 170 (e.g., data carried using Internet Protocol (IP) and / or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)).

[0026]

[0035] As described above (and as will be described in more detail below), the estimated location of UE105 may be based on measurements of RF signals transmitted from UE105 and / or RF signals received by UE105. In particular, these measurements can provide information regarding the relative distance and / or angle of UE105 from one or more components within positioning system 100 (e.g., GNSS satellite 110, AP 130, base station 120). The estimated location of UE105 can be geometrically estimated (e.g., using triangulation and / or multilateration) based on the measured results of distance and / or angle along with the known locations of one or more components.

[0027]

[0036] Terrestrial wave components such as the AP 130 and the base station 120 may be fixed, but the embodiments are not so limited. Mobile components may be used. For example, in some embodiments, the position of the UE 105 may be estimated based at least in part on the measurement results of the RF signal 140 transmitted between the UE 105 and one or more other UEs 145 that may be mobile or fixed. When one or more other UEs 145 are used in the positioning of a particular UE 105, the UE 105 whose position is determined may be referred to as the "target UE", and each of the one or more other UEs 145 used may be referred to as an "anchor UE". For the positioning of the target UE, the position of each of the one or more anchor UEs may be known and / or may be determined jointly with the target UE. The direct communication between the one or more other UEs 145 and the UE 105 may comprise sidelink communication technology and / or similar device-to-device (D2D) communication technology. The sidelink defined by 3GPP is a form of D2D communication under cellular-based LTE and NR standards.

[0028]

[0037] The estimated location of UE105 can be used in various applications, such as applications for assisting in direction detection or navigation for the user of UE105, or applications for assisting another user (e.g., associated with external client 180) in identifying the location of UE105. "Location" is also referred to herein as "location estimate", "estimated location", "location", "position", "position estimate", "position fix", "estimated position", "location fix", or "fix". The process of determining a location may be referred to as "positioning", "position determination", "location determination", etc. The location of UE105 may include the absolute location of UE105 (e.g., latitude, longitude, and optionally altitude) or the relative location of UE105 (e.g., a location represented as a distance north or south, east or west, and optionally up or down from some other location, such as some other known fixed location or the location of UE105 at some known previous time). The location may be specified as a geodesic location having coordinates that may be absolute (e.g., latitude, longitude, and optionally altitude), relative (e.g., relative to some known absolute location), or local (e.g., coordinates X, Y, and optionally Z, according to a coordinate system defined relative to a local area such as a factory, warehouse, campus of a university, shopping mall, stadium, or convention center). Alternatively, the location may be a civic location, in which case it may include one or more of an address (e.g., including country, state, county, city, road, and / or name or label of a street, and / or number of a road or street), and / or a label or name of a place, building, part of a building, floor of a building, and / or room inside a building.The location may further include an indication of uncertainty or error, such as a horizontal distance and possibly a vertical distance, where the location is expected to be incorrect, or an indication of an area or volume (e.g., a circle or an ellipse) within which the UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain confidence level (e.g., 95% confidence level).

[0029]

[0038] The external client 180 may be a web server or a remote application that may have some relevance to the UE 105 (e.g., can be accessed by the user of the UE 105), or it may be a server, application, or computer system that provides a location service to one or more other users, which may include obtaining and providing the location of the UE 105 (e.g., to enable services such as searching for friends or relatives, tracking assets, or the location of children or pets). Additionally or alternatively, the external client 180 may obtain the location of the UE 105 and provide it to an emergency service provider, a government agency, etc.

[0030]

[0039] As described above, the exemplary positioning system 100 may be implemented using a wireless communication network such as an LTE-based network or a 5G NR-based network. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a 5G NR positioning system 200 that illustrates an embodiment of a positioning system (e.g., positioning system 100) that implements 5G NR. The 5G NR positioning system 200 may be configured to determine the location of UE 105 by using access nodes 210, 214, 216 (which may correspond to base stations 120 and access points 130 of FIG. 1) and (optionally) LMF 220 (which may correspond to location server 160) to implement one or more positioning methods. Here, the 5G NR positioning system 200 includes UE 105 and components of a 5G NR network that includes a next generation (NG) radio access network (RAN) (NG-RAN) 235 and a 5G core network (5G CN) 240. The 5G network may be referred to as an NR network, the NG-RAN 235 may be referred to as a 5G RAN or an NR RAN, and the 5G CN 240 may be referred to as an NG core network. The 5G NR positioning system 200 may further utilize information from GNSS satellites 110 of a GNSS system such as a global positioning system (GPS) or a similar system (e.g., GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)). Additional components of the 5G NR positioning system 200 are described below. The 5G NR positioning system 200 may include additional or alternative components.

[0031]

[0040] FIG. 2 provides only a generalized example of various components, and it should be noted that any or all of them may be utilized as needed, and each of them may be replicated or omitted as needed. In particular, although only one UE 105 is illustrated, it will be understood that many (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) of UEs may utilize the 5G NR positioning system 200. Similarly, the 5G NR positioning system 200 may include a greater (or fewer) number of GNSS satellites 110, gNBs 210, ng-eNBs 214, wireless local area networks (WLANs) 216, access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 215, external clients 230, and / or other components. The exemplary connections connecting the various components within the 5G NR positioning system 200 may include data connections and signaling connections that may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical connections and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Further, the components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted as desired for the desired functionality.

[0032]

[0041] UE105 may comprise a device, mobile device, wireless device, portable terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), secure user plane location (SUPL) enabled terminal (SET), and / or may be referred to by these names, or any other names. Further, UE105 may correspond to a mobile phone, smartphone, laptop, tablet, personal data assistant (PDA), navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, or any other portable or mobile device. Typically, UE105 may support wireless communication using one or more radio access technologies (RATs) such as GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, LTE, high rate packet data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX (registered trademark)), 5G NR (e.g., using NG-RAN235 and 5G CN240), but not necessarily limited to these. UE105 may support wireless communication using WLAN216 that can connect to other networks such as the Internet (as with one or more RATs and as previously described with respect to FIG. 1). Use of one or more of these RATs may enable UE105 to communicate with external client 230 (e.g., via elements of 5G CN240 not shown in FIG. 2 or, in some cases, via gateway mobile location center (GMLC) 225), and / or may enable external client 230 to receive location information regarding UE105 (e.g., via GMLC225). External client 230 in FIG. 2 may correspond to external client 180 in FIG. 1, such as being implemented in or communicatively coupled to a 5G NR network.

[0033]

[0042] UE105 may comprise a single entity or may comprise multiple entities, such as in a personal area network, where the user may employ voice, video, and / or data I / O devices, and / or body sensors and a separate wired or wireless modem. An estimated value of the location of UE105 may be referred to as a location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, may be geodesic, and thus may provide the location coordinates of UE105 (e.g., latitude and longitude) and may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level, height or depth above or below the ground surface, floor height or basement depth). Alternatively, the location of UE105 may be represented as a civic location (e.g., as a postal destination or as the designation of a point or small area within a building such as a particular room or floor). The location of UE105 may be represented as an area or volume within which UE105 is expected to be located (defined in either geodesic or civic form) with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of UE105 may further be, for example, a relative position with respect to a known location, having a distance and direction or relative X, Y (and Z) coordinates defined relative to an origin, where the known location may be defined geodesically, in civic terms, or by reference to a point, area, or volume shown on a map, floor plan, or architectural design. In the descriptions contained herein, the use of the term location may, unless otherwise indicated, be with any of these variations. When calculating the location of a UE, it is common to solve for local X, Y, and optionally Z coordinates and then, if necessary, convert the local coordinates to absolute coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0034]

[0043] The base stations within NG-RAN 235 shown in FIG. 2 may correspond to base station 120 of FIG. 1 and may include NR NodeB (gNB) 210-1 and 210-2 (collectively and generically referred to herein as gNB 210). Pairs of gNBs 210 within NG-RAN 235 may be connected to each other (e.g., directly as shown in FIG. 2 or indirectly via other gNBs 210). The communication interface between base stations (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) may be referred to as the Xn interface 237. Access to the 5G network is provided to UE 105 via wireless communication between one or more of UE 105 and gNB 210, which may provide wireless communication access to 5G CN 240 instead of UE 105 using 5G NR. The wireless interface between base stations (gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214) and UE 105 may be referred to as the Uu interface 239. 5G NR wireless access may also be referred to as NR wireless access or 5G wireless access. In FIG. 2, it is assumed that the serving gNB of UE 105 is gNB 210-1, but other gNBs (e.g., gNB 210-2) may serve as the serving gNB if UE 105 moves to another location or may serve as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105.

[0035]

[0044] The base stations within NG-RAN 235 shown in FIG. 2 may include, or alternatively include, a next-generation evolved Node B (also referred to as ng-eNB 214). The ng-eNB 214 may be connected to one or more gNBs 210 within NG-RAN 235, for example, directly or indirectly via other gNBs 210 and / or other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB 214 may provide LTE wireless access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) wireless access to UE 105. Some of the gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2) and / or ng-eNB 214 in FIG. 2 may be configured to function as positioning-only beacons that can transmit signals (e.g., positioning reference signals (PRS)) and / or broadcast auxiliary data for assisting in the positioning of UE 105, but cannot receive signals from UE 105 or other UEs. Although only one ng-eNB 214 is shown in FIG. 2, note that some embodiments may include multiple ng-eNBs 214. The base stations 210, 214 may communicate directly with each other via the Xn communication interface. Additionally or alternatively, the base stations 210, 214 may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the 5G NR positioning system 200, such as LMF 220 and AMF 215.

[0036]

[0045] The 5G NR positioning system 200 may include one or more WLANs 216 that can connect to a non-3GPP interaction function (N3IWF) 250 within the 5G CN 240 (e.g., in the case of an untrusted WLAN 216). For example, the WLAN 216 may support IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi access for the UE 105 and may include one or more Wi-Fi APs (e.g., AP 130 in FIG. 1). Here, the N3IWF 250 may connect to other elements within the 5G CN 240, such as the AMF 215. In some embodiments, the WLAN 216 may support another RAT, such as Bluetooth. The N3IWF 250 may provide support for secure access by the UE 105 to other elements within the 5G CN 240 and / or may support the interaction of one or more protocols used by the WLAN 216 and the UE 105 with one or more protocols used by other elements of the 5G CN 240, such as the AMF 215. For example, the N3IWF 250 may support the establishment of an IPSec tunnel with the UE 105, the termination of the IKEv2 / IPsec protocol with the UE 105, the termination of the N2 and N3 interfaces with the 5G CN 240 for the control plane and the user plane respectively, and the relay of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) control plane non-access stratum (NAS) signaling between the UE 105 and the AMF 215 across the N1 interface. In some other embodiments, the WLAN 216 may connect directly to an element within the 5G CN 240 (e.g., the AMF 215 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2) without going through the N3IWF 250. For example, if the WLAN 216 is a trusted WLAN for the 5G CN 240, a direct connection of the WLAN 216 to the 5G CN 240 may occur and may be enabled using a trusted WLAN interaction function (TWIF) (not shown in FIG. 2) that may be an element within the WLAN 216. Note that although only one WLAN 216 is shown in FIG. 2, some embodiments may include multiple WLANs 216.

[0037]

[0046] The access node may comprise any of various network entities that enable communication between the UE 105 and the AMF 215. The network entity can include a gNB 210, an ng-eNB 214, a WLAN 216, and / or other types of cellular base stations. However, the access node that provides the functions described herein may additionally or alternatively include an entity that enables communication with any of various RATs not shown in FIG. 2, which may include non-cellular technologies. Thus, the term "access node", as used in the embodiments described herein below, may include, but is not necessarily limited to, a gNB 210, an ng-eNB 214, or a WLAN 216.

[0038]

[0047] In some embodiments, an access node such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216 (either alone or in combination with other components of the 5G NR positioning system 200) may be configured to obtain a position measurement result of an uplink (UL) signal received from UE 105 in response to receiving a request for location information from LMF 220, and / or obtain from UE 105 a downlink (DL) position measurement result obtained by UE 105 regarding a DL signal received by UE 105 from one or more access nodes. As described, FIG. 2 shows access nodes 210, 214, and 216 configured to communicate according to 5G NR, LTE, and Wi-Fi communication protocols respectively, but access nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols may be used, such as, for example, Node B that uses the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA (R)) protocol for a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), eNB that uses the LTE protocol for an evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), or a Bluetooth beacon that uses the Bluetooth protocol for a WLAN. For example, in a 4G Evolved Packet System (EPS) that provides LTE wireless access to UE 105, the RAN may include an E-UTRAN that may include a base station with an eNB that supports LTE wireless access. The core network for EPS may include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). In that case, EPS may include an E-UTRAN in addition to the EPC, and in FIG. 2, the E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN 235 and the EPC corresponds to 5GCN 240. The methods and techniques described herein for obtaining the civilian location of UE 105 may be applicable to such other networks.

[0039]

[0048] gNB 210 and ng-eNB 214 can communicate with AMF 215, and AMF 215 communicates with LMF 220 for positioning functions. AMF 215 can support the mobility of UE 105, including cell change and handover of UE 105 from an access node 210, 214, or 216 of a first RAT to an access node 210, 214, or 216 of a second RAT. AMF 215 may participate in supporting the signaling connection to UE 105 and, optionally, the data bearer and voice bearer for UE 105. LMF 220 can support the positioning of UE 105 using a CP location solution when UE 105 accesses NG-RAN 235 or WLAN 216, and can support location procedures and methods, including UE-assisted / UE-based procedures / methods and / or network-based procedures / methods, such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (which may be called Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) in NR), Real-Time Kinematic (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (ECID), Angle of Arrival (AOA), Angle of Departure (AoD), WLAN positioning, Round Trip Signal Propagation Delay (RTT), Multi-cell RTT, and / or other positioning procedures and methods. LMF 220 may process, for example, the location service request of UE 105 received from AMF 215 or from GMLC 225. LMF 220 may be connected to AMF 215 and / or GMLC 225. In some embodiments, a network such as 5GCN 240 may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or a SUPL Location Platform (SLP).Note that in some embodiments, at least a portion of the positioning function (including determination of the location of UE 105) may be performed at UE 105 (e.g., by measuring a downlink PRS (DL-PRS) signal transmitted by a wireless node such as gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216, and / or by using assistance data provided to UE 105 by, e.g., LMF 220).

[0040]

[0049] The Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 225 can support a location request for UE 105 received from an external client 230 and can transfer such a location request to the AMF 215 for transfer to the LMF 220 by the AMF 215. A location response from the LMF 220 (e.g., including a location estimate for UE 105) may be similarly returned to the GMLC 225, either directly or via the AMF 215, and then the GMLC 225 may return the location response (e.g., including the location estimate) to the external client 230.

[0041]

[0050] The Network Exposure Function (NEF) 245 may be included in the 5GCN 240. The NEF 245 can support secure exposure of functions and events related to the 5GCN 240 and UE 105 to the external client 230, which may be referred to as an Access Function (AF) and may enable secure provision of information from the external client 230 to the 5GCN 240. The NEF 245 may be connected to the AMF 215 and / or the GMLC 225 for the purpose of obtaining the location of UE 105 (e.g., the location of a citizen) and providing the location to the external client 230.

[0042]

[0051] As further shown in FIG. 2, the LMF 220 may communicate with the gNB 210 and / or the ng-eNB 214 using the NR Positioning Protocol Annex (NRPPa) defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.445. NRPPa messages may be transferred between the gNB 210 and the LMF 220 and / or between the ng-eNB 214 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215. As further shown in FIG. 2, the LMF 220 and the UE 105 may communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) defined in 3GPP TS 37.355. Here, LPP messages may be transferred between the UE 105 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 and the serving gNB 210-1 or serving ng-eNB 214 of the UE 105. For example, the LPP messages may be transferred between the LMF 220 and the AMF 215 for use in service-based (e.g., based on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)) operations, and may be transferred between the AMF 215 and the UE 105 using the 5G NAS protocol. The LPP protocol may be used to support the positioning of the UE 105 using UE-assisted positioning methods and / or UE-based positioning methods such as A-GNSS, RTK, TDOA, multi-cell RTT, AoD, and / or ECID. The NRPP protocol may be used to support the positioning of the UE 105 using network-based positioning methods such as ECID, AOA, uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA), and / or may be used by the LMF 220 to obtain location-related information such as parameters defining DL-PRS transmissions from the gNB 210 and / or the ng-eNB 214 from the gNB 210 and / or the ng-eNB 214.

[0043]

[0052] In the case of the UE105 accessing the WLAN216, the LMF220 may obtain the location of the UE105 by using NRPPa and / or LPP in a similar manner as described for the UE105 accessing the gNB210 or ng-eNB214. Therefore, in order to support network-based positioning of the UE105 and / or transfer other location information from the WLAN216 to the LMF220, NRPPa messages may be transferred between the WLAN216 and the LMF220 via the AMF215 and the N3IWF250. Alternatively, based on the location-related information and / or location measurement results transferred from the N3IWF250 to the LMF220 using NRPPa, which is known to the N3IWF250 or accessible by the N3IWF250, in order to support network-based positioning of the UE105, NRPPa messages may be transferred between the N3IWF250 and the LMF220 via the AMF215. Similarly, in order to support UE-assisted or UE-based positioning of the UE105 by the LMF220, LPP and / or LPP messages may be transferred between the UE105 and the LMF220 via the AMF215, the N3IWF250, and the serving WLAN216 of the UE105.

[0044]

[0053] In the 5G NR positioning system 200, the positioning method may be classified as "assisted by the UI" or "UE-based". This classification may depend on where the request to determine the location of the UE105 originated. For example, if the request originated at the UE (e.g., from an application or "app" executed by the UE), the positioning method may be classified as UE-based. On the other hand, if the request originated from an external client, or the AF230, the LMF220, or other devices or services within the 5G network, the positioning method may be classified as assisted by the UE (or "network-based").

[0045]

[0054] In the UE-assisted positioning method, the UE 105 may obtain a positioning measurement result and send this measurement result to a location server (e.g., LMF 220) for calculating the estimated position of the UE 105. In the case of a RAT-dependent positioning method, the positioning measurement result may include one or more of received signal strength indication (RSSI), round-trip signal propagation time (RTT), reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), reference signal time difference (RSTD), time of arrival (TOA), angle of arrival (AOA), difference between received time and transmitted time (Rx-Tx), differential AOA (DAOA), angle of departure (AoD), or timing advance (TA) with respect to one or more of the gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216 access points. Additionally or alternatively, similar measurement results may be made from sidelink signals transmitted by other UEs, and the sidelink signals may function as anchor points for positioning the UE 105 when the positions of other UEs are known. The positioning measurement result may also include or alternatively include measurement results for positioning methods independent of RAT, such as GNSS (e.g., GNSS pseudorange, GNSS code phase, and / or GNSS carrier phase), WLAN, etc.

[0046]

[0055] In the UE-based positioning method, the UE 105 may obtain a positioning measurement result (which may be the same as or similar to the positioning measurement result in the case of the UE-assisted positioning method, for example), and may further calculate the position of the UE 105 (using, for example, auxiliary data received from a location server such as LMF 220, SLP, etc., or broadcast by the gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216).

[0047]

[0056] In a network-based positioning method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB210 and / or ng-eNB214), one or more APs (e.g., APs within WLAN216), or N3IWF250 may obtain positioning measurement results (e.g., measurement results of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, AOA, or TOA) regarding signals transmitted by UE105, and / or in the case of N3IWF250, may receive measurement results obtained by UE105 or by APs within WLAN216, and may transmit the measurement results to a location server (e.g., LMF220) for calculating an estimated position of UE105.

[0048]

[0057] The positioning of UE105 may be classified as being based on UL, DL, or DL-UL, depending on the type of signal used for positioning. For example, if the positioning is based only on signals received by UE105 (e.g., from a base station or another UE), the positioning may be classified as being based on DL. On the other hand, if the positioning is based only on signals transmitted by UE105 (e.g., receivable by a base station or another UE), the positioning may be classified as being based on UL. Positioning based on DL-UL includes positionings such as RTT-based positioning based on signals transmitted and received both by UE105. Positioning assisted by sidelink (SL) comprises signals transmitted between UE105 and one or more other UEs. According to some embodiments, as described herein, UL, DL, or DL-UL positioning can use SL signal transmission as a complement or replacement for SL, DL, or DL-UL signal transmission.

[0049]

[0058] Depending on the type of positioning (e.g., based on UL, DL, or DL-UL), the type of reference signal used can change. For positioning based on DL, for example, these signals may comprise PRS (e.g., DL-PRS transmitted by a base station, or SL-PRS transmitted by another UE), and the PRS can be used for TDOA, AoD, and RTT measurements. Other reference signals that can be used for positioning (UL, DL, or DL-UL) may include sounding reference signals (SRS), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS), synchronization signals (e.g., synchronization signal block (SSB) synchronization signals (SS)), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), demodulation reference signals (DMRS), etc. Further, the reference signals may be transmitted in a transmit beam (e.g., using beamforming techniques) and / or received in a receive beam, and may affect angle measurements such as AoD and / or AOA.

[0050]

[0059] FIG. 3 shows, by way of example, a simplified environment 300 including two base stations 120-1 and 120-2 (which may correspond to base station 120 in FIG. 1 and / or gNB 210 and / or ng-eNB 214 in FIG. 2) that generate directional beams for transmitting RF reference signals, and a UE 105. Each of the directional beams is rotated, for example, 120 degrees or 360 degrees, for each beam sweep that may be periodically repeated. Each directional beam can include an RF reference signal (e.g., a PRS resource). Base station 120-1 generates a set of RF reference signals including transmission beams 305-a, 305-b, 305-c, 305-d, 305-e, 305-f, 305-g, and 305-h, and base station 120-2 generates a set of RF reference signals including transmission beams 309-a, 309-b, 309-c, 309-d, 309-e, 309-f, 309-g, and 309-h. Since UE 105 may include an antenna array, it can use beamforming to form receive beams 311-a and 311-b to receive the RF reference signals transmitted by base stations 120-1 and 120-2.

[0051]

[0060] The selection of beam 305-c from base station 120-1 can be from the receive-side beam sweep operation, in which UE 105 determines that the RF reference signal (e.g., using reference signal received power (RSRP)) is the highest in the case of a beam pair having transmission beam 305-c and receive beam 311-a (among all combinations of transmission beams 305 and receive beams 311). A similar process can be used to determine beam pair 309-b and 311-b. In this way, the beam pairs shown shaded in FIG. 3 can be used to obtain position-related measurement results for determining the position of UE 105.

[0052]

[0061] Figure 4 graphically shows an embodiment of a downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD) measurement process 400 by which the position of UE 105 can be determined using the angular information provided by beam 410. However, it may be noted that embodiments for providing beam information (described in more detail below) are not limited to such a process. Other embodiments can include additional or alternative types of measurements and / or positioning processes. The measurements can include AoD and AoA, for example, angle of arrival (vertical) angle (ZoA) and / or angle of departure (ZoD).

[0053]

[0062] In Figure 4, base stations 120-a, 120-b, and 120-c are transmitting their respective RF reference signals using their respective beams 410-a, 410-b, and 410-c. UE 105 can perform RSRP measurements of the respective RF reference signals that can be used to determine the respective DL-AoD, as mentioned. In some embodiments, for example, in network-based positioning, UE 105 can communicate the RSRP measurements to a location server to determine the DL-AoD. In other embodiments, for example, in UE-based positioning, UE 105 can determine the DL-AoD. The DL-AoD (corresponding to angles 420-a, 420-b, and 420-c) can be with respect to a reference direction or plane. Then, the DL-AoD can be used, along with base station positions 430-a, 430-b, and 430-c, to triangulate the position of UE 105. It may be noted that in other examples or embodiments, the position of UE 105 can be determined using a different number of base stations 120. Further, in some embodiments, in addition to the DL-AoD information, range measurements (for example, measured using RTT, for example, the distance between UE 105 and one or more base stations 120) can be used to calculate the position of UE 105.

[0054]

[0063] In order for the UE to determine the DL-AoD of the RF reference signal transmitted by the base station 120, the UE may sometimes require additional information regarding the shape of each beam 410 from which the base station 120 transmits the RF reference signal. Different from the simplified beam shapes shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the beam shape may vary in its amplitude and direction and may also have side lobes. Further, since the RF reference signal in a broadband system can be communicated over a wide range of frequencies (e.g., 24 to 29 GHz), the beam 410 may be subject to the beam squint problem. Additional information regarding beam squint is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

[0055]

[0064] FIG. 5A is a graph charting the antenna gain against the azimuth angle. Here, the main lobe at azimuth angle zero represents the main lobe of the reference beam 502. The carrier frequency for this reference beam 502 is the carrier frequency to which the antenna array transmitting the beam 502 is tuned. That is, the antenna elements in the antenna array are spaced apart to adapt to the wavelength of a specific carrier frequency (e.g., spaced apart by λ / 2, where λ is the wavelength). Further, the codewords (phase offsets and weights for the individual antenna elements) are designed to adapt to the carrier frequency.

[0056]

[0065] The gain and beam direction can depend on various factors such as frequency, polarization, and orientation. When the frequency that a broadband system can use changes, the beam can be subject to "beam squint" where the beam azimuth (and / or elevation) angle and gain change according to the use of different frequencies. That is, the angle of the main lobe can shift depending on whether the frequency is higher or lower than the reference frequency of the reference beam 502 (for example, it can become larger or smaller as shown by beam 504 and beam 506). Similarly, the beamforming gain can also change from the beamforming gain in the boresight direction at the reference frequency based on the difference between the reference frequency used and the carrier frequency. This frequency dependence can be based on the specific physical characteristics and codewords used by the transmit antenna array.

[0057]

[0066] Here, it can be noted that the antenna gain plotted in the graph shown in Figure 5A is simplified for illustrative purposes. In an actual embodiment, the beam shapes of the reference beam 502 and the other beams 504, 506 can be more complex. Further, the beam shapes of the other beams 504, 506 can change according to the frequency (in addition to the angle).

[0058]

[0067] Figure 5B shows a setup (similar to the process shown in Figure 4) in which the UE 120 can perform measurements of the RF reference signal transmitted by the base station 110 for the purpose of determining the DL-AoD to determine the position of the UE 120. Figure 5B further shows how the angle of each beam of the RF reference signal can change according to the frequency used to transmit the RF reference signal. That is, instead of transmitting the RF reference signal using the first transmit beam 510-a having the corresponding first angle 520-A, the base station 110 can send the second transmit beam 510-b with the second angle 520-b, and the difference between the first angle 520-a and the second angle 520-b is due to beam squint.

[0059]

[0068] The beam squint in UE120 can be more prominent. That is, according to some embodiments, the UE can transmit an uplink (UL) RF reference signal for positioning, and the object used to transmit the RF reference signal is subject to beam squint. Different from the base station 110 that may have multiple front-ends (antenna arrays / panels and related transmission circuitry) tuned to different frequencies within a broadband spectrum to facilitate reduction of beam squint, the UE120 can have only a single front-end. Therefore, the transmission beam for the RF signal transmitted by the UE120 can be more subject to beam squint across the entire spectrum. Further, since the spacing between the elements and the codebook also affects how the signal is received from a particular direction, beam squint can also be a problem for the receiving beam.

[0060]

[0069] To facilitate ensuring accurate measurement of the RF reference signal, the embodiments provided herein address the problems caused by beam squint (and other frequency-dependent effects on the beam shape) by providing information regarding the beam shape of the transmission beam used to transmit the RF reference signal to the receiving device. As mentioned in FIGS. 4 and 5B, the transmission of the RF reference signal may be performed by a base station (more specifically, the TRP), and the receiving device may be the UE120. However, in an alternative embodiment, the transmitting device can comprise the UE120, and the receiving device can comprise the TRP therein. Further, in some embodiments, the receiving beam information can be shared with the transmitting device.

[0061]

[0070] The method by which beam shape information can be communicated to a receiving device can vary according to the desired functionality. For example, for a given RF reference signal (PRS, CRS, CSI-RS, etc.) or set of RF reference signals that can be used to determine angular information for determining the position of UE120, the full beam shape for the transmission beam of the RF reference signal can be provided. This can include, for example, the gain in the individual azimuth and elevation directions for the transmission beam. The granularity in the azimuth and elevation directions can depend on the measurements by UE120 and / or the limits of the positioning accuracy for UE120. However, it can be noted that providing the full beam shape by this method can require a large amount of overhead. When the beam / codebook changes dynamically, in some cases it may be necessary to communicate the beam shape frequently.

[0062]

[0071] Other options for communicating the beam shape include communicating one or more of the following.

[0063] 1. The boresight direction and beam width of the main lobe. Optionally, the information can include the boresight direction and beam width of one or more side lobes. This can be provided on a per-antenna or per-beam basis. This can include much less overhead than communicating the full beam shape and thus can contribute to frequent updates (e.g., when multiple RF reference signals are measured).

[0064] 2. Antenna element pattern, codeword, and panel (antenna array) layout. The panel (antenna array) layout can include, for example, the arrangement of elements in different panels (e.g., using Cartesian or polar coordinates to describe element positions), the type of antenna element (e.g., patch or dipole), and so on. The antenna element pattern can describe the radiation pattern of an individual antenna element. The antenna element pattern and the antenna array layout can, in combination with the codeword, allow for the determination of the beam shape. In some embodiments, all can be described in the form of a lambda / N spacing, and the reference wavelength (lambda) is communicated. The pattern of the antenna elements may be different in different panels. Providing the antenna element pattern and the panel layout in this way may require a large overhead in some cases, but this method indicates that it is a fixed hardware method, and thus in some cases much dynamic information is not required. That is, the dynamic information can include the actual weight phases and / or amplitudes applied to the elements to create the transmit beam. With the antenna element pattern, the panel layout, and the dynamic information, the receiving device (e.g., UE120) can calculate the full beam shape of the transmit beam.

[0065] 3. Index Identifiers. In some embodiments, the receiving device can have a database of beam shape information for different types of transmitting devices that is locally stored (e.g., pre-loaded in memory). (Since there are a limited number of antenna / RF front-end manufacturers, there may be some beam shape information that is shared among multiple device types, which can save on the space requirements for storing beam shape information for different types of transmitting devices.) Index identifiers such as numbers, words, codes, device types, etc. can be provided to the receiving device so that it can search for the beam shape information for the transmit beam used to transmit the RF reference signal that is stored. This beam shape information can include any of the information already mentioned (e.g., full beam shape, boresight direction and beam width, antenna element pattern / panel layout, etc.).

[0066] 4. One or More Equations. Some beam shapes can be accurately approximated using one or more equations that can account for frequency dependence. Thus, such equations can be communicated to the receiving device to determine the beam shape of the RF reference signal.

[0067] 5. Other embodiments can provide additional information for conveying the frequency dependence of the beam shape. For example, according to some embodiments, a reference carrier frequency or bandwidth that can be added to the boresight and / or beam width of the main lobe can be provided. In some embodiments, the information can also include the number and / or their relative intensities, pointing directions, beam widths, etc. of the side lobes 508. In some embodiments, the boresight and beam width information can include information for one or more of the main lobe and side lobes (e.g., significant side lobes having an amplitude greater than a threshold).

[0068]

[0072] As mentioned, some information may already convey frequency dependence in some cases (e.g., using equations). In some embodiments, multiple sets of information for multiple frequencies may be provided (e.g., bore sites and beam widths for different frequencies).

[0069]

[0073] In some embodiments, beam shape information may be provided on a per frequency layer basis to facilitate conveying beam shape frequency dependence. In some embodiments, the information is provided on a per frequency layer basis if the bandwidth is less than a threshold value. Otherwise, the bandwidth may be divided into sub - bands or bandwidth parts (BWPs), and beam shape information may be conveyed on a per sub - band / BWP basis.

[0070]

[0074] To reduce signaling overhead, a baseline or reference beam shape with full description at a reference frequency (e.g., beamforming gain at individual angles) may be provided. The beam shape information will describe the delta compared to the baseline beam shape. According to some embodiments, the baseline beam shape may be provided to the receiving device or may include a predetermined beam shape known to the receiving device in some cases. For example, the predetermined beam shape may include a beam shape defined by a related standard or provided by the transmitting device or location server. In an example where multiple RF reference signals are transmitted by the transmitting device, the transmitting device can provide a baseline beam shape that describes the beam used to transmit one RF reference signal (e.g., the first RF reference signal), and then provide the difference in beam shape, i.e., the delta, for the beams used to transmit other RF reference signals.

[0071]

[0075] In some embodiments, group delay information may also be provided to the receiving device, and the group delay can affect the measurement of the RF reference signal performed by the receiving device. That is, the group delay for the RF reference signal may be frequency-dependent in a manner similar to the method for the beam pattern. Thus, this group delay information may also be provided to the receiving device according to some embodiments. Since the group delay is in some cases specific to a particular RF front end or panel, the group delay information may be provided for each RF front end or panel used to transmit the RF reference signal. Further, similar to the option for conveying beam pattern information, the group delay may be provided in relation to the reference carrier frequency or bandwidth (using differential indications to show frequency dependence). Alternatively, different group delays may simply be provided for each of the different carrier frequencies.

[0072]

[0076] According to some embodiments, the beam pattern information and / or the group delay information may be provided to the receiving device using one or more different 5G NR signal transmission layers. For example, the information may be conveyed using L1 (e.g., downlink control information (DCI), uplink control information (UCI), or sidelink control information (SCI)), L2 (e.g., MAC control element (MAC-CE)), or L3 (e.g., radio resource control (RRC) using LPP / NRPPa). Due to the different capabilities of the different layers (e.g., the speed at which the information can be conveyed, the ability to convey large amounts of information, etc.), the format of the information to be conveyed (e.g., full beam pattern, boresight / bandwidth of the main lobe, equations, indices, etc.) may be selected based on the different layers used.

[0073]

[0077] The variations in beam shape (beam squint) and group delay can occur with small frequency fluctuations relative to the reference frequency, but these small fluctuations do not appear to ultimately affect the accuracy of the positioning of UE120 based on the measurements performed on the RF reference signal. Thus, embodiments can establish threshold frequencies at which beam shape and group delay can affect positioning accuracy. These threshold frequencies (which may be the same or different for beam shape and group delay) can be used to determine whether beam shape information or group delay information should be communicated to the receiving device.

[0074]

[0078] FIG. 6A is a flowchart of a method 600-A for instructing information related to beams for positioning of a UE in a wireless broadband system in a transmitting device, according to an embodiment. As mentioned in the above embodiment, a broadband system can mean a system in which the frequency dependence of the beam shape can affect the measurements of RF signals performed by a receiving device that can be used to determine the position of a UE. Means for implementing the functionality shown in the blocks shown in FIG. 6A can comprise hardware and / or software components of a UE or a transceiver (TRP). Exemplary components of a UE and a transceiver are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and will be described in more detail below.

[0075]

[0079] At block 610, the functionality includes receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of an RF reference signal for positioning the UE. For example, a transmitting device (e.g., a TRP or a UE) can receive a notification or indication from a location server that a planned beam measurement of an RF reference signal should be performed by a receiving device, and / or provide information indicating the shape of the beam of the RF reference signal to the receiving device, and / or receive a request from the location server or the receiving device to provide the position of the UE to a positioning entity. According to some embodiments, the positioning entity can comprise the UE itself or a location server D. According to some embodiments, the positioning entity can comprise a receiving device (e.g., a TRP or a UE). In other embodiments, the positioning entity can comprise a location server or other device. According to some embodiments, the use of beams in the transmission of RF reference signals can be controlled by one or more associated wireless communication and / or positioning standards. As mentioned, the transmitting device and the receiving device can vary according to the measurements to be performed. In some examples, for example, the transmitting device can comprise a TRP, and the receiving device can comprise a UE. In other examples, the transmitting device can comprise a UE, and the receiving device can comprise a TRP. In some examples, such as in sidelink-based positioning, the transmitting device can comprise a first UE, and the receiving device can comprise a second UE. According to some embodiments, the planned beam measurement includes an AoA or AoD measurement (which can include a ZoA or ZoD measurement). According to some embodiments, the functionality at block 610 can occur after the transmission of the RF reference signal (at block 620). Thus, the indication at block 610 can be an indication that the measurement has been completed.

[0076]

[0080] The means for implementing the functionality in block 610 can comprise the wireless communication interface 730 shown in FIG. 7, the processing unit 710, and / or other components of the UE 105. Alternatively, the means for implementing the functionality in block 610 can comprise the wireless communication interface 830 shown in FIG. 8, the processing unit 810, and / or other components of the base station (TRP) 800.

[0077]

[0081] In block 620, the functionality includes transmitting an RF reference signal. The transmission can include the use of one or more beams, each having one or more respective shapes. Additional details follow.

[0078]

[0082] The means for implementing the functionality in block 620 can comprise the wireless communication interface 730 shown in FIG. 7, the processing unit 710, and / or other components of the UE 105. Alternatively, the means for implementing the functionality in block 610 can comprise the wireless communication interface 830 shown in FIG. 8, the processing unit 810, and / or other components of the base station 800.

[0079]

[0083] At block 630, the functionality includes sending information indicating the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal to either the positioning entity or the receiving device, or both, where the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. This functionality may vary depending on the device type of the receiving device and / or whether the positioning entity includes the receiving device. For example, in the UE-assisted approach, the UE can measure the RSRP values of a plurality of RF reference signals (e.g., a plurality of PRS resources where each individual PRS resource is transmitted by a respective transmission beam by the TRP side). In this case, the beam shape may not be required by the UE in some cases, but instead, information indicating the beam shape may be provided from the UE to the location server that receives the RSRP values. In the case of an example where the TRP is the receiving device, the receiving device can perform angle measurements and thus utilize the information indicating the beam shape.

[0080]

[0084] As mentioned in the various embodiments described above, different types of information indicating the shape of the beam can be used. For example, in some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam is the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed by the receiving device, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam can further include the boresight of the main lobe of the beam, the beamforming gain and width, and (optionally) the boresight and width of one or more side lobes of the beam. In such embodiments, the gain for the main lobe and / or side lobe can also be provided. In some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam can further include information indicating a combination of weights for the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. According to some embodiments in which the information indicating the shape of the beam includes information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the information indicating the shape of the beam can further include information indicating the geometric structure and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. As mentioned, the information can also include differential information that the receiving device can determine the change in the shape of the beam based on the change in frequency or bandwidth.

[0081]

[0085] The means for implementing the functionality in block 630 can comprise the wireless communication interface 730, the processing unit 710 and / or other components of the UE 105 shown in FIG. 7. Alternatively, the means for implementing the functionality in block 610 can comprise the wireless communication interface 830, the processing unit 810 and / or other components of the base station 800 shown in FIG. 8.

[0082]

[0086] As mentioned in the embodiments described above, according to some embodiments, method 600-A may include additional functionality. For example, some embodiments of method 600-A may further include determining the frequency dependence of the group delay in the transmission of an RF reference signal and sending information indicative of the group delay to either the positioning entity or the receiving device, or both. This frequency dependence may be provided in the form of differential indication with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, using equations and / or providing the group delay for a plurality of carrier frequencies.

[0083]

[0087] In some examples, the beam may be one of a plurality of beams used to transmit an RF reference signal. In such examples, some embodiments of method 600-A may further include sending information indicative of the beam shape of the individual beams of the plurality of beams to either the positioning entity or the receiving device, or both. Optionally, the individual beams of the plurality of beams correspond to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or configured continuous block of frequencies for the RF reference signal. In some embodiments, method 600-A may further include determining a format for the information indicative of the beam shape. As mentioned, this format may be determined based on the layer in which the information is provided. Thus, for some embodiments of method 600-A, the format is determined, at least in part, based on whether the information indicative of the beam shape is sent to the UE via L1, L2, or L3 signaling. As already mentioned, the beam shape may be conveyed in relation to a reference or baseline beam shape. Thus, according to some embodiments, the information indicative of the beam shape may include information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for the transmission of the RF reference signal and the reference beam shape.

[0084]

[0088] As additionally mentioned, according to some embodiments, the information indicating the beam shape includes information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal and the reference beam shape. Here, the reference beam shape can include a predetermined or known beam shape defined by a relevant standard and / or provided to the receiving device in advance. Additionally or alternatively, the reference beam shape can include one of the beam shapes among many beam shapes used for transmitting the RF reference signal.

[0085]

[0089] FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a method 600-B for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system in a positioning entity according to an embodiment. Also in this case, the broadband system can mean a system in which the frequency dependence of the beam shape can affect the measurement of the RF signal implemented by a receiving device used to determine the position of the UE. The means for implementing the functionality shown in the blocks shown in FIG. 6B comprise hardware and / or software components of the UE or the server (e.g., location server 160). Also in this case, exemplary components of the UE and the base station are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which will be described in more detail below.

[0086]

[0090] In block 650, the functionality is to obtain beam measurement information of the RF reference signal transmitted by the transmitting device. The beam measurement information can include, for example, RSRP measurement information or other AoD or AoA related measurement values. More broadly, the beam measurement information can include information related to AoA or AoD measurements. In embodiments where the positioning entity comprises the UE, obtaining the beam measurement information can include performing measurements of the RF reference signal at the UE. In embodiments where the positioning entity comprises the server, obtaining the beam measurement information can include receiving the beam measurement information at the server from the UE or the TRP (e.g., the receiving device performing the measurements). The transmitting device can comprise the TRP or the UE.

[0087]

[0091] The means for implementing the functionality in block 650 can comprise the wireless communication interface 730, the processing unit 710, and / or other components of the UE 105 shown in FIG. 7. Alternatively, the means for implementing the functionality in block 650 can comprise the wireless communication interface 830, the processing unit 810, and / or other components of the location server 800 shown in FIG. 8.

[0088]

[0092] In block 660, the functionality includes receiving from a transmitting device information indicating the shape of a beam used by the transmitting device to transmit an RF reference signal, where the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. According to some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam includes information identifying the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed at the receiving device, or a combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam further includes the boresight, beamforming gain, and width of one or more side lobes of the beam. According to some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam includes information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and further includes information indicating the combination of weights for the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. According to some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam includes information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam further includes information indicating the geometry and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel.

[0089]

[0093] The means for implementing the functionality in block 660 can comprise the wireless communication interface 730, the processing unit 710, and / or other components of the UE 105 shown in FIG. 7. Alternatively, the means for implementing the functionality in block 660 can comprise the wireless communication interface 830, the processing unit 810, and / or other components of the location server 800 shown in FIG. 8.

[0090]

[0094] In block 670, the functionality includes determining the position of the UE based on beam measurement information and information indicating the shape of the beam. Here, determining the position of the UE can include modifying or correcting the beam measurement information received in block 650 based on the information indicating the shape of the beam received in block 660. Alternatively, the beam measurement information can be interpreted, weighted, and / or used differently based on the information indicating the shape of the beam. The technique can be changed.

[0091]

[0095] As mentioned in the various embodiments described above, the embodiments can implement one or more additional features. For example, according to some embodiments, method 600-B can further include receiving information indicating the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal. Here, determining the position of the UE can be further based on the information indicating the group delay. According to some embodiments, the beam can be one of a plurality of beams used for transmitting the RF reference signal. In such embodiments, the method can further include receiving information indicating the shape of the beam for each of the plurality of beams. Optionally, the individual beams of the plurality of beams can correspond to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or configured continuous block of frequencies for the RF reference signal. According to some embodiments, the information indicating the shape of the beam includes information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal and the reference beam shape.

[0092]

[0096] Means for implementing the functionality in block 670 can comprise the wireless communication interface 730, the processing unit 710, and / or other components of the UE 105 shown in FIG. 7. As an alternative, means for implementing the functionality in block 670 can comprise the wireless communication interface 830, the processing unit 810, and / or other components of the base station 120 shown in FIG. 8.

[0093]

[0097] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the UE 105 that can be utilized as described above in this specification (e.g., in relation to FIGS. 1-6). For example, the UE 105 can implement one or more of the functions of the methods shown in FIGS. 6 and 6B. Note that FIG. 7 provides only a generalized illustration of various components, and that any or all of those components may be utilized as needed. In some examples, it may be noted that the components shown in FIG. 7 may be localized in a single physical device and / or distributed among various network devices that may be located in different physical locations. Further, as already mentioned, the UE functionality considered in the previously described embodiments can be performed by one or more of the hardware and / or software components shown in FIG. 7.

[0094]

[0098] The illustrated UE105 includes hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via bus 705 (or otherwise communicate as needed). The hardware elements can include a processing unit 710, which can include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more dedicated processors (such as digital signal processor (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and so forth), and / or other processing structures or means. As shown in FIG. 7, some embodiments can have an individual DSP 720 depending on the desired functionality. Positioning and / or other determinations based on wireless communication can be provided within processing unit 710 and / or wireless communication interface 730 (discussed below). UE105 can also include one or more input devices 770, which can include, but are not limited to, one or more keyboards, touchscreens, touch pads, microphones, buttons, dials, switches, and so forth, and UE105 can also include one or more output devices 715, which can include, but are not limited to, one or more displays (such as touchscreens), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, and so forth.

[0095]

[0099] In addition, the UE 105 can also include a wireless communication interface 730, which can include, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset (Bluetooth device, IEEE 802.11 device, IEEE 802.15.4 device, Wi-Fi device, WiMAX device, WAN device and / or various cellular devices, etc.), and / or the like, by which the UE 105 can communicate with other devices described in the above embodiments. Through the wireless communication interface 730, for example, communicate with the TRP of the network and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices communicatively coupled to the TRP described herein, and data and signal transmission can be carried out (for example, transmitted and received) via an eNB, a gNB, an ng-eNB, an access point, various base stations and / or other access node types. The communication can be implemented via one or more wireless communication antennas 732 that send and / or receive wireless signals 734. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication antenna 732 can include a plurality of discrete antennas, an antenna array, or any combination thereof. The antenna 732 can transmit and receive wireless signals using beams (for example, transmit beams and receive beams). Beamforming can be implemented using digital and / or analog beamforming techniques each having respective digital and / or analog circuit mechanisms. The wireless communication interface 730 can include such circuit mechanisms.

[0096]

[0100] The wireless communication interface 730 can comprise individual receivers and transmitters, or a transceiver, a transmitter and / or a receiver, or any combination thereof, to communicate with base stations (e.g., ng-eNB and gNB), and other terrestrial transceivers such as wireless devices and access points, depending on the desired functionality. The UE 105 can communicate with different data networks that can comprise various network types. For example, a wireless wide area network (WWAN) can be a CDMA network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network, a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) network, a WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) network, and so on. A CDMA network can implement one or more radio access technologies (RATs) such as CDMA2000 (registered trademark), WCDMA, and so on. CDMA2000 (registered trademark) includes the IS-95, IS-2000 and / or IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can implement GSM, digital advanced mobile phone system (D-AMPS) or some other RAT. An OFDMA network can use LTE, LTE-Advanced, 5G NR, and so on. 5G NR, LTE, LTE-Advanced, GSM and WCDMA are described in documents from 3GPP. CDMA2000 (registered trademark) is described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. A wireless local area network (WLAN) can also be an IEEE 802.11x network, and a wireless personal area network (WPAN) can be a Bluetooth network, an IEEE 802.15x or some other type of network. The techniques described herein can also be used for any combination of WWAN, WLAN and / or WPAN.

[0097]

[0101] UE105 can further include sensor 740. Sensor 740 can include, but is not limited to, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, magnetometers, altimeters, microphones, proximity sensors, light sensors, barometers, etc.), some of which can be used to obtain position-related measurements and / or other information.

[0098]

[0102] An embodiment of UE105 may also include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 780 that can receive signals 784 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 782 (which may be the same antenna as antenna 732). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements can be utilized to supplement and / or incorporate the techniques described herein. The GNSS receiver 780 can use conventional techniques to derive the position of UE105 from GNSS satellites 110 of GNSS systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS, the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) over Japan, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) over India, the BeiDou satellite positioning system (BDS) over China, and so on. Further, the GNSS receiver 780 can be associated with, or enabled for use with, one or more wide area and / or regional navigation satellite systems such as, for example, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), the Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), and the Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN), and so on, and / or various augmentation systems (e.g., Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS)) that can be used with them.

[0099]

[0103] Although the GNSS receiver 780 is shown as a completely different component in FIG. 7, it should be noted that the embodiments are not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "GNSS receiver" can include hardware and / or software components configured to obtain GNSS measurements (measurements from GNSS satellites). Thus, in some embodiments, the GNSS receiver can comprise a measurement engine executed by one or more processing units such as the processing unit 710, the DSP 720, and / or a processing unit within the wireless communication interface 730 (e.g., within a modem) (as software). The GNSS receiver can optionally also include a positioning engine, which can use GNSS measurements from the measurement engine to determine the position of the GNSS receiver using, among other things, an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), Weighted Least Squares (WLS), a Hatch filter, a particle filter, and so on. This positioning engine can also be executed by one or more processing units such as the processing unit 710 or the DSP 720.

[0100]

[0104] UE 105 can further include, and / or communicate with, a memory 760. The memory 760 can include, but is not limited to, solid state storage devices such as local and / or network accessible storage, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, random access memory (RAM), and / or read only memory (ROM) that can be programmable, flash updatable, and / or the like. Such storage devices can be configured to implement any suitable data storage device including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures, and / or the like.

[0101]

[0105] The memory 760 of the UE 105 can comprise an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or can include software elements (not shown in FIG. 7), such as one or more application programs designed to implement a method and / or to configure a system provided by other embodiments described herein. By way of mere example, one or more procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above can be implemented in the memory 760 as code and / or instructions executable by the UE 105 (and / or the processing unit 710 or DSP 720 within the UE 105). In some embodiments, such code and / or instructions can then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the methods described.

[0102]

[0106] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the base station 120 that can be utilized as described above herein (e.g., in relation to FIGS. 1-6). Note that FIG. 8 provides only a generalized illustration of various components, and that any or all of those components can be utilized as needed. In some embodiments, the base station 120 can correspond to a gNB, ng-eNB, and / or (more generally) a TRP.

[0103]

[0107] The illustrated base station 120 includes hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via bus 805 (or otherwise communicate as needed). The hardware elements can include a processing unit 810, which can include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more dedicated processors (DSP chips, graphics acceleration processors, ASICs, and / or the like), and / or other processing structures or means. As shown in FIG. 8, some embodiments can have individual DSPs 820 depending on the desired functionality. According to some embodiments, positioning and / or other determinations based on wireless communication can be provided within the processing unit 810 and / or the wireless communication interface 830 (discussed below). The base station 120 can also include one or more input devices, which can include, but are not limited to, keyboards, displays, mice, microphones, buttons, dials, switches, and / or the like, and the base station 120 can also include one or more output devices, which can include, but are not limited to, displays, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, and / or the like.

[0104]

[0108] In addition, the base station 120 can also include a wireless communication interface 830, which can include, but is not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset (Bluetooth device, IEEE 802.11 device, IEEE 802.15.4 device, Wi-Fi device, WiMAX device, cellular communication equipment, etc.), and / or the like, by which the base station 120 can communicate as described herein. Through the wireless communication interface 830, data and signal transmissions can be communicated to a UE, other base stations / TRPs (e.g., eNB, gNB, and ng-eNB), and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices described herein (e.g., can be transmitted and received). The communication can be implemented via one or more wireless communication antennas 832 that send and / or receive wireless signals 834.

[0105]

[0109] In addition, the base station 120 can also include a network interface 880, which can include support for wireline communication technologies. The network interface 880 can include a modem, a network card, a chipset, and / or the like. The network interface 880 can include one or more input and / or output communication interfaces for enabling data exchange with a network, a communication network server, a computer system, and / or any other electronic device described herein.

[0106]

[0110] In many embodiments, base station 120 can further include a memory 860. The memory 860 can include, but is not limited to, local and / or network accessible storage devices, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid state storage devices such as RAM, and / or ROM that can be programmable, flash updatable and / or the like. Such storage devices can be configured to implement some suitable data storage device including, but not limited to, various file systems, database structures and / or the like.

[0107]

[0111] The memory 860 of base station 120 can also include software elements (not shown in FIG. 8) such as an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or one or more application programs that can include other code for implementing a method and / or configuring a system provided by other embodiments described herein. As a mere example, one or more of the procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above can be implemented in the memory 860 as code and / or instructions that can be executed by base station 120 (and / or processing unit 810 or DSP 820 within base station 120). In some embodiments, such code and / or instructions can then be used to configure and / or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the methods described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial changes can be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, individualized hardware can also be used and / or certain elements can be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets, etc.) or both. Further, connections to other computing devices such as network input / output devices can be used.

[0108]

[0112] Referring to the accompanying drawings, a component that can include a memory can include a non-transitory machine-readable medium. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" mean any storage medium associated with providing data that will cause a machine to operate in a particular manner. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media can be included in the provision of those to a processing unit and / or other devices for executing instructions / codes. Additionally or alternatively, a machine-readable medium can be used to store and / or carry such instructions / codes. In many embodiments, a computer-readable medium is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such media can take many forms including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, magnetic and / or optical media, any other physical media having patterns of holes, RAM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), flash-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, carrier waves as described below, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and / or codes.

[0109]

[0113] The methods, systems, and devices discussed herein are examples. Various embodiments can omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as needed. For example, features described in connection with a particular embodiment can be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of embodiments can be combined in a similar manner. The various components of the figures provided herein can be embodied in hardware and / or software. Also, technology evolves, and thus many of the elements are examples that do not limit the scope of the disclosure to these specific examples.

[0110]

[0114] For primarily general usage reasons, it has been found convenient in some cases to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, numerical values, and so on. However, it should be understood that all of these terms or similar terms should be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. For the sake of clarity from the above considerations, unless otherwise specifically stated to the contrary, throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as "process", "calculate", "compute", "determine", "verify", "identify", "associate", "measure", "perform", etc. are recognized to mean actions or processes of specific devices such as dedicated computers or similar dedicated electronic computing devices. Thus, in the context of this specification, a dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device can typically operate on or transform signals represented as physical electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities within the memory, registers, or other information storage devices, transmission devices, or display devices of the dedicated computer or similar dedicated electronic computing device.

[0111]

[0115] As used herein, the terms "and" and "or" can include various meanings that are also expected to depend, at least in part, on the context in which such terms are used. Typically, when used to associate a list such as A, B, or C, "or" is intended to mean A, B, and C, where it is used in an inclusive sense, and A, B, or C is used here in an exclusive sense. Further, the term "one or more" as used herein may be used to describe any feature, structure, or property in the singular or to describe any combination of features, structures, or properties. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Further, when used to associate a list such as A, B, or C, the term "at least one of" can be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, and so on.

[0112]

[0116] Although several embodiments have been described above, various modifications, alternative structures, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. For example, the above elements may be merely components of a larger system, other rules may take precedence, or it may be possible to modify the applications of the various embodiments. Also, many steps may be tried before, during, or after the above elements are considered. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0113]

[0117] In view of this description, embodiments may include different combinations of features. Examples of implementations are described in the numbered paragraphs below. Item 1. A method for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system by a transmitting device, the method comprising: receiving an instruction for a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE; transmitting the RF reference signal; and transmitting, to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, information indicating a shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. Item 2. The method according to Item 1, wherein the entity during positioning comprises a receiving device. Item 3. The method according to any one of Items 1 to 2, wherein the entity during positioning comprises a UE, a transmit-receive point (TRP), or a location server. Item 4. The method according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE. Item 5. The method according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein the planned beam measurement comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement. Item 6. The information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information identifying the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier describing the shape of the beam indexed by a receiving device, or a combination thereof. The method according to any one of Items 1 to 5. Item 7. The method according to Item 6, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises a boresight, a beamforming gain, and the width of one or more side lobes of the beam. Item 8. The method according to any one of Items 6 to 7, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and further comprises information indicating the combination amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. Item 9. The method according to any one of Items 6 to 8, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam includes information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam further includes information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. Item 10. The method according to any one of Items 1 to 9, further comprising determining the frequency dependence of the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal and transmitting information indicating the group delay to either or both of the entity or the receiving device during positioning. Item 11. The method according to any one of Items 1 to 10, wherein the beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the method further comprises transmitting information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam of the plurality of beams to either or both of the entity or the receiving device during positioning. Item 12. The method according to Item 11, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent block of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal. Item 13. The method according to any one of Items 11 to 12, further comprising determining the format of the information indicating the shape of the beam based at least in part on whether the information indicating the shape of the beam was transmitted to the UE via L1, L2, or L3 signal transmission. Item 14. The method according to any one of Items 1 to 13, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam includes information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. Item 15. A method for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system at an entity during positioning, the method comprising obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device, receiving from the transmitting device information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, and determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. Item 16. The method according to item 15, wherein the entity during positioning comprises a UE, and obtaining beam measurement information comprises performing measurements of RF reference signals at the UE. Item 17. The method according to any one of items 15 to 16, wherein the entity during positioning comprises a server, and obtaining beam measurement information comprises receiving beam measurement information from a UE at the server. Item 18. The method according to any one of items 15 to 17, wherein the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE. Item 19. The method according to any one of items 15 to 18, wherein the beam measurement information comprises information related to angle of arrival (AoA) measurements or angle of departure (AoD) measurements. Item 20. The method according to any one of items 15 to 19, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam is an identifier identifying information describing the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the shape of the beam with respect to the reference frequency or bandwidth, or the shape of the beam indexed by the receiving device, or information indicating a combination thereof. Item 21. The method according to item 20, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises the boresight, the beamforming gain, and the width of one or more side lobes of the beam. Item 22. The method according to any one of items 20 to 21, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and further comprises information indicating the compound amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. Item 23. The method according to any one of items 20 to 22, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. Item 24. The method according to any one of Items 20 to 23, further comprising receiving information indicating a group delay in the transmission of an RF reference signal, and determining the position of the UE based further on the information indicating the group delay. Item 25. The method according to any one of Items 15 to 24, wherein the beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit an RF reference signal, and the method further comprises receiving information indicating the shape of the beam for each of the plurality of beams. Item 26. The method according to Item 25, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent block of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal. Item 27. The method according to any one of Items 15 to 26, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. Item 28. A transmission device for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the transmission device comprising a transceiver, a memory, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the one or more processors being configured to receive an instruction for a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE, transmit the RF reference signal via the transceiver, and transmit information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. Item 29. The transmission device according to Item 28, wherein the transmission device comprises a TRP or a UE. Item 30. The transmission device according to any one of Items 28 to 29, wherein one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the beam shape, the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the beam shape with respect to the reference frequency or bandwidth, or information describing the beam shape indexed by the receiving device, or a combination thereof. Item 31. The transmission device according to Item 30, wherein one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the beam shape, the boresight, the beamforming gain, and the width of one or more side lobes of the beam. Item 32. The transmission device according to any one of Items 30 to 31, wherein one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, information indicating the compound amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. Item 33. The transmission device according to any one of Items 30 to 32, wherein one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. Item 34. The transmission device according to any one of Items 28 to 33, further configured such that one or more processors determine the frequency dependence of the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal and transmit information indicating the group delay to either or both of the entity or the receiving device during positioning. Item 35. The beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the transmission device according to any one of Items 28 to 34, further configured such that one or more processors transmit information indicating the beam shape for each beam of the plurality of beams to either or both of the entity or the receiving device during positioning. Item 36. The transmission device according to item 35, wherein each beam among the plurality of beams corresponds to adjacent blocks of frequencies configured for each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or RF reference signal. Item 37. The transmission device according to any one of items 35 to 36, wherein one or more processors are further configured to determine a format of information indicating a beam shape based at least in part on whether the information indicating the beam shape is transmitted to a UE via L1, L2, or L3 signaling. Item 38. The transmission device according to any one of items 28 to 37, wherein one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the beam shape information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. Item 39. An entity during positioning for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the entity during positioning comprising a transceiver, a memory, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the one or more processors being configured to obtain beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmission device, receive, via the transceiver, from the transmission device information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmission device for transmitting the RF reference signal, and determine a position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. Item 40. The entity during positioning according to item 39, wherein the entity during positioning comprises a UE, and one or more processors are configured to perform measurements of the RF reference signal to obtain the beam measurement information. Item 41. The entity during positioning according to any one of items 39 to 40, wherein the entity during positioning comprises a server, and one or more processors are configured to receive the beam measurement information from the UE to obtain the beam measurement information. Item 42. The entity during positioning according to any one of items 39 to 41, wherein the transmission device comprises a TRP or a UE. Item 43. The entity in positioning according to any one of Items 39 to 42, wherein one or more processors are configured to obtain information related to arrival angle (AoA) measurement or departure angle (AoD) measurement in order to obtain beam measurement information. Item 44. The entity in positioning according to any one of Items 39 to 43, wherein one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the shape of a beam, by receiving information identifying the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or information describing the shape of the beam indexed by a receiving device, or a combination thereof. Item 45. The entity in positioning according to Item 44, wherein one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the boresight, the beamforming gain, and the width of one or more side lobes of the beam. Item 46. The entity in positioning according to any one of Items 44 to 45, wherein one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the compound amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. Item 47. The entity in positioning according to any one of Items 44 to 46, wherein one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. Item 48. The entity in positioning according to any one of Items 44 to 47, wherein one or more processors are further configured to receive information indicating the group delay in the transmission of an RF reference signal, and determining the position of the UE is further based on the information indicating the group delay. Item 49. The beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit an RF reference signal, and one or more processors are further configured to receive information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam among the plurality of beams. The entity in positioning according to any one of Items 39 to 48. Item 50. The entity during positioning according to item 49, wherein each beam among the plurality of beams corresponds to adjacent blocks of frequencies configured for each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or RF reference signal. Item 51. The entity during positioning according to any one of items 39 to 50, wherein one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal and the reference beam shape in order to receive information indicating the shape of the beam. Item 52. An apparatus for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the apparatus comprising means for receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE, means for transmitting the RF reference signal, and means for transmitting to either or both of the entity during positioning or the receiving device information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. Item 53. The apparatus according to item 52, wherein the planned beam measurement comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement. Item 54. An apparatus for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the apparatus comprising means for obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device, means for receiving from the transmitting device information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmitting device for transmitting the RF reference signal, and means for determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. Item 55. The apparatus according to item 54, wherein the beam measurement information comprises information related to an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement. Item 56. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the instructions comprising code for, for positioning the UE, receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal, transmitting the RF reference signal, and transmitting to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, information indicating a shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, the shape of the beam being frequency-dependent, non-transitory computer-readable medium. Item 57. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the instructions comprising code for obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device, receiving from the transmitting device information indicating a shape of the beam used by the transmitting device for transmitting the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent, and determining a position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam, non-transitory computer-readable medium. The invention described in the claims of the present application at the time of filing is appended below. [C1] A method in a transmitting device for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the method comprising: receiving an instruction for a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE; transmitting the RF reference signal; transmitting, to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, information indicating a shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. [C2] The method according to C1, wherein the entity during positioning comprises the receiving device. [C3] The method according to C1, wherein the entity during positioning comprises the UE, a transmit-receive point (TRP), or a location server. [C4] The method according to C1, wherein the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE. [C5] The method according to C1, wherein the planned beam measurement comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement. [C6] The information indicating the shape of the beam comprises: the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions; the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam; the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam; the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth; or an identifier for identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed at the receiving device; or The method according to C1, comprising information indicating a combination thereof. [C7] The method according to C6, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises a boresight, a beamforming gain, and the width of one or more side lobes of the beam. [C8] The method according to C6, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and further comprises information indicating the compound amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. [C9] The method according to C6, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. [C10] determining a frequency dependence of a group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal; The method according to C1, further comprising transmitting information indicating the group delay to either or both of the entity being positioned and the receiving device during the positioning. [C11] The method according to C1, wherein the beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the method further comprises transmitting, to either or both of the entity being positioned and the receiving device, information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam of the plurality of beams. [C12] The method according to C11, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent block of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal. [C13] The method according to C11, further comprising determining a format of the information indicating the shape of the beam based at least in part on whether the information indicating the shape of the beam was transmitted to the UE via L1, L2, or L3 signaling. [C14] The method according to C1, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for the transmission of the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. [C15] A method for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system at an entity being positioned, the method comprising: acquiring beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device; receiving, from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of a beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent; determining a position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam. [C16] The method according to C15, wherein the entity being positioned comprises the UE, and acquiring beam measurement information comprises performing measurements of the RF reference signal at the UE. [C17] The method according to C15, wherein the entity during the positioning comprises a server, and obtaining beam measurement information comprises receiving the beam measurement information from the UE by the server. [C18] The method according to C15, wherein the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE. [C19] The method according to C15, wherein the beam measurement information comprises information related to an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement. [C20] The information indicating the shape of the beam is the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier for identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed by a receiving device, or The method according to C15, comprising information indicating a combination thereof. [C21] The method according to C20, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises a boresight, a beamforming gain, and the width of one or more side lobes of the beam. [C22] The method according to C20, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and further comprises information indicating the combined amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. [C23] The method according to C20, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. [C24] The method according to C15, further comprising receiving information indicating the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal, and determining the position of the UE is further based on the information indicating the group delay. [C25] The method according to C15, wherein the beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the method further comprises receiving information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam of the plurality of beams. [C26] The method according to C25, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent blocks of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal. [C27] The method according to C15, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for transmitting the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. [C28] A transmitting device for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, wherein the transmitting device comprises a transceiver, a memory, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the one or more processors receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE, transmitting the RF reference signal via the transceiver, and transmitting information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, the shape of the beam being frequency-dependent. [C29] The transmitting device according to C28, wherein the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE. [C30] The one or more processors, in the information indicating the shape of the beam, gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, boresight and width of a main lobe of the beam, radiation pattern of antenna elements of an antenna panel used for transmitting the beam, shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed by the receiving device, or The transmitting device according to C28, configured to include a combination thereof. [C31] The transmitting device according to C30, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the shape of the beam a boresight, a beamforming gain, and widths of one or more side lobes of the beam. [C32] The transmission device according to C30, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include, in the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, information indicating the compound amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. [C33] The transmission device according to C30, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include, in the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. [C34] The one or more processors determining a frequency dependence of a group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal, The transmission device according to C28, further configured to perform transmitting information indicating the group delay to either or both of the entity during positioning and the receiving device. [C35] The beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the one or more processors are further configured to transmit, to either or both of the entity during positioning and the receiving device, information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam of the plurality of beams. The transmission device according to C28. [C36] The transmission device according to C35, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent block of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal. [C37] The transmission device according to C35, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine a format of the information indicating the shape of the beam based at least in part on whether the information indicating the shape of the beam is transmitted to the UE via L1, L2, or L3 signaling. [C38] The transmission device according to C28, wherein the one or more processors are configured to include, in the information indicating the shape of the beam, information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for the transmission of the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. [C39] An entity during positioning for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, wherein the entity during positioning is a transceiver, a memory, Comprising the transceiver and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, the one or more processors being configured to obtain beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmission device; receive, via the transceiver, from the transmission device, information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmission device to transmit the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent; a positioning entity configured to determine the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam. [C40] The positioning entity according to C39, wherein the positioning entity comprises the UE, and the one or more processors are configured to perform measurements of the RF reference signal to obtain beam measurement information. [C41] The positioning entity according to C39, wherein the positioning entity comprises a server, and the one or more processors are configured to receive the beam measurement information from the UE to obtain beam measurement information. [C42] The positioning entity according to C39, wherein the transmission device comprises a TRP or a UE. [C43] The positioning entity according to C39, wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain information related to angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or angle of departure (AoD) measurement to obtain the beam measurement information. [C44] To receive the information indicating the shape of the beam, the one or more processors are configured to the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions; the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam; the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam; the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier for identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed by a receiving device, or The positioning entity according to C39, configured to receive information indicating a combination thereof. [C45] The positioning entity according to C44, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the boresight, the beamforming gain, and the width of one or more side lobes of the beam to receive the information indicating the shape of the beam. [C46] An entity during positioning according to C44, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the combined amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam. [C47] An entity during positioning according to C44, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. [C48] An entity during positioning according to C39, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive information indicating the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal, and determining the position of the UE is further based on the information indicating the group delay. [C49] An entity during positioning according to C39, wherein the beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the one or more processors are further configured to receive information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam among the plurality of beams. [C50] An entity during positioning according to C49, wherein each beam among the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent blocks of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal. [C51] An entity during positioning according to C39, wherein, to receive the information indicating the shape of the beam, the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used in the transmission of the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. [C52] An apparatus for indicating information related to a beam for positioning of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the apparatus comprising means for receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE; means for transmitting the RF reference signal; means for transmitting information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal to either or both of an entity during positioning or a receiving device, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent. [C53] The apparatus according to C52, wherein the planned beam measurement comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement. [C54] An apparatus for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the apparatus comprising Means for obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device Means for receiving, from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of a beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent An apparatus comprising means for determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam [C55] The apparatus according to C54, wherein the beam measurement information comprises information related to an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement [C56] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the instructions comprising Receiving an indication of a planned beam measurement of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for the positioning of the UE Transmitting the RF reference signal Code for transmitting, to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, information indicating the shape of a beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent, the non-transitory computer-readable medium [C57] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the instructions comprising Obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device Receiving, from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of a beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, wherein the shape of the beam is frequency-dependent Code for determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam, the non-transitory computer-readable medium

Claims

Claim 1 A method, performed by a transmitting device, of indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the method comprising: transmitting a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE; and transmitting, to either or both of an entity during positioning and a receiving device, information indicating a shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal, the information indicating the shape of the beam comprising information indicating a frequency dependency of either or both of a direction of the beam and a gain of the beam, the information indicating the shape of the beam comprising information indicating (i) a boresight and a width of a main lobe of the beam, and (ii) a boresight, a beamforming gain, and a width of one or more side lobes of the beam. Claim 2 the entity during positioning comprises the receiving device and / or the entity during positioning comprises the UE, a transmit receive point (TRP), or a location server and / or the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE and / or the planned beam measurement of the RF reference signal by the receiving device comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement and / or the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises gains of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, a radiation pattern of antenna elements of an antenna panel used to transmit the beam, a shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed at the receiving device Comprising information indicating these combinations, preferably, the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, further comprising information indicating the combined amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam, and / or the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the information indicating the shape of the beam further comprises information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel, and / or Determining the frequency dependence of the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal; Further comprising transmitting information indicating the group delay to either or both of the entity during positioning or the receiving device, and / or The beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the method further comprises transmitting information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam of the plurality of beams to either or both of the entity during positioning or the receiving device, and / or the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used in the transmission of the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. The method according to claim 1.

3. Each beam of the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent block of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal, and / or further comprising determining the format of the information indicating the shape of the beam based at least in part on whether the information indicating the shape of the beam is transmitted to the UE via L1, L2, or L3 signal transmission. The method according to claim 2.

4. A method for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system at an entity during positioning, the method comprising: Obtaining beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device; Receiving, from the transmitting device, information indicating the shape of the beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, where the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating the frequency dependence of either or both of the direction of the beam or the gain of the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises: (i) the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, and (ii) the boresight, beamforming gain, and width of one or more side lobes of the beam. Determining the position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam. Claim 5 The entity during positioning comprises the UE, and obtaining beam measurement information comprises performing measurement of the RF reference signal at the UE, and / or the entity during positioning comprises a server, and obtaining beam measurement information comprises receiving the beam measurement information from the UE at the server, and / or the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE, and / or the beam measurement information of the RF reference signal comprises an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement, and / or the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or an identifier identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed at the receiving device, or information indicating a combination thereof, and further comprising receiving information indicating the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal, determining the position of the UE being further based on the information indicating the group delay, and / or the beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, the method further comprising receiving information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam of the plurality of beams, and / or the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used in the transmission of the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. The method according to claim 4.

6. The information indicating the shape of the beam includes the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and further includes information indicating the compounding amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam, and / or the information indicating the shape of the beam includes the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam further includes information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. The method according to claim 5.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each beam among the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent block of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal.

8. A transmission device for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the transmission device comprising: a transceiver; a memory; one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, the one or more processors being configured to: transmit a radio frequency (RF) reference signal for positioning the UE via the transceiver; transmit information indicating the shape of the beam used in transmitting the RF reference signal to either or both of an entity or a receiving device during positioning, the information indicating the shape of the beam including information indicating the frequency dependence of either or both of the direction of the beam or the gain of the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam including (i) the boresight and width of the main lobe of the beam, and (ii) the boresight, beamforming gain, and width of one or more side lobes of the beam. A transmission device.

9. The transmission device comprises a TRP or a UE, and / or the one or more processors add to the information indicating the shape of the beam: the gain of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions; the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam; the shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or bandwidth, or An identifier for identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed by the receiving device, or configured to include these combinations, and / or the one or more processors determine the frequency dependence of the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal; and further configured to transmit information indicating the group delay to either or both of the entity or the receiving device during the positioning, and / or the beam is one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, and the one or more processors are configured to transmit information indicating the shape of the beam for each beam of the plurality of beams to either or both of the entity or the receiving device during the positioning, and / or the one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the shape of the beam information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for the transmission of the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape. The transmitting device according to claim 8. **Claim 10** The one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam information indicating the chemical composition amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam, and / or the one or more processors are configured to include in the information indicating the radiation pattern of the antenna elements of the antenna panel used to transmit the beam information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel. The transmitting device according to claim 9. **Claim 11** Each beam of the plurality of beams corresponds to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent block of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal, and / or the one or more processors are further configured to determine the format of the information indicating the shape of the beam based at least in part on whether the information indicating the shape of the beam was transmitted to the UE via L1, L2, or L3 signaling. The transmitting device according to claim 10. **Claim 12** An entity during positioning for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, wherein the entity during positioning comprises a transceiver, a memory, one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, and the one or more processors are configured to acquire beam measurement information of a radio frequency (RF) reference signal transmitted by a transmitting device, receive, via the transceiver, from the transmitting device, information indicating a shape of a beam used by the transmitting device to transmit the RF reference signal, wherein the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises information indicating frequency dependence of either or both of a direction of the beam or a gain of the beam, and the information indicating the shape of the beam comprises (i) a boresight and a width of a main lobe of the beam, and (ii) a boresight, a beamforming gain, and a width of one or more side lobes of the beam, determine a position of the UE based on the beam measurement information and the information indicating the shape of the beam. **Claim 13** The entity during positioning comprises the UE, and to acquire beam measurement information, the one or more processors are configured to perform measurements of the RF reference signal, and / or the entity during positioning comprises a server, and to acquire beam measurement information, the one or more processors are configured to receive the beam measurement information from the UE, and / or the transmitting device comprises a TRP or a UE, and / or to acquire the beam measurement information of the RF reference signal, the one or more processors are configured to acquire information related to an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement, and / or to receive the information indicating the shape of the beam, the one or more processors are configured to gains of the beam in a plurality of azimuth and elevation directions, a radiation pattern of antenna elements of an antenna panel used to transmit the beam, a shape of the beam with respect to a reference frequency or a bandwidth, or an identifier identifying information describing the shape of the beam indexed by a receiving device, or configured to receive information indicating these combinations and / or the one or more processors are further configured to receive information indicating the group delay in the transmission of the RF reference signal, determining the position of the UE being further based on the information indicating the group delay and / or the beam being one of a plurality of beams used to transmit the RF reference signal, the one or more processors being further configured to receive information indicating the shape of the beam for each of the plurality of beams and / or the one or more processors being configured to receive information indicating one or more differences between the shape of the beam used for the transmission of the RF reference signal and a reference beam shape for receiving the information indicating the shape of the beam and / or each of the plurality of beams corresponding to each frequency layer, bandwidth part (BWP), or adjacent blocks of frequencies configured for the RF reference signal, the entity during positioning according to claim 12.

14. The entity during positioning according to claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the compound amount of the antenna elements used to transmit the beam and / or the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating the shape and layout of the antenna elements of the antenna panel.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for indicating information related to a beam for positioning a user equipment (UE) in a wireless broadband system, the instructions comprising code for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

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