Systems and methods for low latency positioning using high speed uplink signaling

Abstract

During a positioning session, a user equipment (UE) is provided with an early uplink grant to respond to a request for location service information from a location server. The location service information may be, for example, a request for positioning capabilities, a request for positioning measurements or position estimates, and may be a single, periodic, or triggered request for location information. The early uplink grant may be requested by the UE in advance of needing an uplink grant before positioning measurements are completed. The location server may trigger the early uplink grant at or about the same time that the location server sends a request for information to the UE. The early uplink grant may be used during high-priority or urgent related positioning sessions to reduce latency in the UE providing a response to a request for location information.

Description

Priority claims

[0001] Claiming priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 069,433, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR LOW LATENCY POSITIONING USING FAST UPLINK SIGNALING," filed August 24, 2020, and U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17 / 404,874, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR LOW LATENCY POSITIONING USING FAST UPLINK SIGNALING," filed August 17, 2021, both of which are assigned to the assignee of this application and are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. [Technical Field]

[0002]

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to communications, and more particularly to techniques for supporting location services for user equipment (UE) served by fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks. [Background technology]

[0003] Wireless communication systems have evolved through various generations, including first-generation analog wireless telephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephone service (including intermediate 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, Internet-enabled wireless service, and fourth-generation (4G) service (e.g., LTE or WiMax). The fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) standard calls for higher data rates, a greater number of connections, and better coverage, among other improvements. 5G NR from the Next Generation Mobile Network Alliance is designed to provide data rates of tens of megabits per second to each of tens of thousands of users, and data rates of 1 gigabit per second to dozens of workers on an office floor.

[0004] In some applications, it may be useful or necessary to be able to obtain the location of a mobile device over a wireless communication system with extremely low latency. Examples of such applications may include location related to emergency calls from a mobile device, applications involving the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), such as in an automated factory or warehouse, and / or applications involving automated devices, such as unmanned vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Summary of the Invention

[0005] During a positioning session, a user equipment (UE) is provided with an early uplink grant to respond to a request for location service information from a location server. The location service information may be, for example, a request for positioning capabilities, a request for positioning measurements, or a position estimate, and may be a single, periodic, or triggered request for location information. The early uplink grant may be requested by the UE in advance of needing an uplink grant, for example, before positioning measurements are completed. The location server may trigger the early uplink grant, for example, at or about the same time that the location server sends a request for information to the UE. The early uplink grant may be used, for example, during high-priority or urgent related positioning sessions, to reduce delays in the UE providing a response to a request for location information.

[0006]

[0006] In one implementation, a method implemented by a user equipment (UE) for supporting location services for the UE includes receiving a request for location information from a location server, receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server, and sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0007]

[0007] In one implementation, a user equipment (UE) is configured to support location services for the UE and includes a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with other entities in a wireless network, at least one memory, and at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive a request for location information from a location server via the wireless transceiver; receive an uplink grant from a base station via the wireless transceiver before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server; and send the location information to the location server via the wireless transceiver using the uplink grant.

[0008]

[0008] In one implementation, a user equipment (UE) is configured to support location services for the UE and includes means for receiving a request for location information from a location server, means for receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server, and means for sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0009]

[0009] In one implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program code stored thereon, the program code operable to configure at least one processor in a user equipment (UE) to support location services for the UE, the program code comprising instructions for receiving a request for location information from a location server, receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server, and sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0010]

[0010] In one implementation, a method implemented by a location server for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE) includes sending a request for information related to location services to the UE, sending a message to a base station to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request, and receiving a response to the request from the UE sent by the UE using the uplink grant.

[0011]

[0011] In one implementation, a location server configured to support location services for user equipment (UE) comprises an external interface configured to communicate with other entities in a wireless network, at least one memory, and at least one processor coupled to the external interface and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: send a request for information related to location services to the UE via the external interface; send a message to a base station via the external interface to elicit an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request; and receive a response to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant via the external interface from the UE.

[0012]

[0012] In one implementation, a location server configured to support location services for a user equipment (UE) comprises means for sending a request for information related to the location service to the UE, means for sending a message to a base station to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request, and means for receiving a response to the request from the UE, sent by the UE using the uplink grant.

[0013]

[0013] In one implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program code stored thereon, the program code operable to configure at least one processor in a location server to support location services for user equipment (UE), the program code comprising instructions for sending a request to the UE for information related to the location services, sending a message to a base station to elicit an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request, and receiving a response to the request from the UE sent by the UE using the uplink grant.

[0014]

[0014] In one implementation, a method implemented by a base station for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE) includes receiving a message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service, sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location service, and receiving and forwarding to the location server the response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0015]

[0015] In one implementation, a base station configured to support location services for user equipment (UE) comprises an external interface configured to communicate with other entities in a wireless network, at least one memory, and at least one processor coupled to the external interface and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive, via the external interface, a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service; send, via the external interface, an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location service; and receive, via the external interface, a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forward it to the location server.

[0016]

[0016] In one implementation, a base station configured to support location services for user equipment (UE) comprises means for receiving a message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service, means for sending an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location service, and means for receiving and forwarding to the location server a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0017]

[0017] In one implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program code stored thereon, the program code operable to configure at least one processor in a base station to support location services for user equipment (UE), the program code comprising instructions for receiving a message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service, sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location service, and receiving and forwarding to the location server the response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0018] Other objects and advantages associated with the embodiments disclosed herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description.

[0019]

[0019] The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in the explanation of various aspects of the present disclosure and are provided merely to illustrate, not to limit, the aspects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1]

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level system architecture of a wireless communication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]

[0021] 10 is a signaling flow illustrating various messages sent between components of a communication system during a location session in which early uplink grant is triggered by a location server. [Figure 3]

[0022] 1 is a signaling flow illustrating various messages sent between components of a communication system during a location session in which early uplink grant is requested by a user equipment (UE). [Figure 4]

[0023] 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating some example features of a UE configured for early uplink grant for responding to a location service request. [Figure 5]

[0024] 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating some example features of a location server configured to support early uplink grants for UEs to respond to location service requests. [Figure 6]

[0025] 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating certain example features of a base station configured to support early uplink grants for UEs to respond to location service requests. [Figure 7]

[0026] 10 is a flowchart for an example method for supporting location services for a UE using early uplink grant, performed by the UE. [Figure 8]

[0027] 10 is a flowchart for an example method for supporting location services for a UE using early uplink grant, as implemented by a location server. [Figure 9]

[0028] 10 is a flowchart for an example method for supporting location services for a UE using early uplink grants, implemented by a base station. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021]

[0029] Elements, phases, steps, and / or actions with the same reference label in different drawings may correspond to one another (e.g., may be similar or equivalent to one another). Furthermore, some elements in various drawings are labeled using a numeric prefix followed by an alphabetic or numeric suffix. Elements with the same numeric prefix but different suffixes may be different instances of the same type of element. A numeric prefix without a suffix is ​​used herein to refer to an element with that numeric prefix. For example, different instances of base stations 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3 are shown in FIG. 1. In that case, a reference to base station 110 refers to any of base stations 110-1, 110-2, or 110-3.

[0022]

[0030] Aspects of the present disclosure are provided in the following description and related drawings, directed to various examples provided for purposes of illustration. Alternative aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the present disclosure.

[0023]

[0031] The words "exemplary" and / or "example" are used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Likewise, the term "aspects of the present disclosure" does not require that all aspects of the present disclosure include the described feature, advantage or mode of operation.

[0024]

[0032] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the information and signals described below may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the following description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the particular application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, etc.

[0025]

[0033] Further, many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that various actions described herein may be performed by particular circuitry (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions executed by one or more processors, or a combination of both. Furthermore, a sequence of actions described herein may be considered to be embodied as a whole in any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, cause or instruct associated processors of a device to perform the functions described herein. Accordingly, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which are contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, for each aspect described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, “logic configured to” perform the described actions.

[0026]

[0034] The terms “user equipment” (UE) and “base station,” as used herein, are not intended to be specific to or otherwise limited to any particular radio access technology (RAT) unless otherwise specified. Generally, a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone, a router, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a tracking device, a wearable (e.g., a smart watch, glasses, an augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headset, etc.), a vehicle (e.g., an automobile, a motorcycle, a bicycle, etc.), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. A UE can be mobile or (e.g., at some times) stationary and can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). The term “UE” as used herein may be referred to interchangeably as an “access terminal” or “AT,” “client device,” “wireless device,” “subscriber device,” “subscriber terminal,” “subscriber station,” “user terminal” or UT, “mobile terminal,” “mobile station,” “mobile device,” or variations thereof. Generally, a UE can communicate with a core network via a RAN, through which the UE can be connected to external networks such as the Internet and other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting to the core network and / or the Internet are possible for the UE, such as via a wired access network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) network (eg, based on IEEE 802.11, etc.), etc.

[0027]

[0035] Depending on the network in which it is deployed, a base station may operate according to one of several RATs in communication with the UE and may alternatively be referred to as an access point (AP), network node, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), new radio (NR) Node B (also referred to as gNB), etc. Furthermore, in some systems, a base station may provide purely edge node signaling functionality, while in other systems, it may provide additional control and / or network management functions. A communication link through which a UE may send signals to a base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., a reverse traffic channel, a reverse control channel, an access channel, etc.). A communication link through which a base station may send signals to a UE is called a downlink (DL) or forward link channel (e.g., a paging channel, a control channel, a broadcast channel, a forward traffic channel, etc.). As used herein, the term traffic channel (TCH) can refer to either a UL / reverse traffic channel or a DL / forward traffic channel.

[0028]

[0036] The term "base station" may refer to a single physical transmission point or multiple physical transmission points, which may or may not be collocated. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical transmission point, the physical transmission point may be an antenna of the base station corresponding to the base station's cell. When the term "base station" refers to multiple collocated physical transmission points, the physical transmission point may be an array of antennas of the base station (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or when the base station employs beamforming). When the term "base station" refers to multiple non-collocated physical transmission points, 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). Alternatively, the non-collocated physical transmission points may be a serving base station that receives measurement reports from a UE and a neighbor base station from which the UE is measuring a reference RF signal.

[0029]

[0037] To support UE positioning, two broad classes of location solutions have been defined: control plane and user plane. In the control plane (CP) location, signaling related to positioning and positioning support may be carried over existing network (and UE) interfaces and using existing protocols dedicated to signaling transport. In the user plane (UP) location, signaling related to positioning and positioning support may be carried as part of other data using protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

[0030]

[0038] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) has defined control plane location solutions for UEs using radio access according to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM®) (2G), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) (3G), LTE (4G), and New Radio (NR) for the fifth generation (5G). These solutions are defined in 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS) 23.271 and 23.273 (common part), 43.059 (GSM access), 25.305 (UMTS access), 36.305 (LTE access), and 38.305 (NR access). The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) has similarly defined a UP location solution known as Secure User Plane Location (SUPL::Secure User Plane Location) that can be used to locate UEs accessing any of several radio interfaces supporting IP packet access, such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) with GSM, GPRS with UMTS, or IP access with LTE or NR.

[0031]

[0039] Both CP and UP location solutions may employ a location server (LS) to support positioning. The LS may be part of or accessible from the serving network or home network for the UE, or may simply be accessible via the Internet or a local intranet. When positioning of the UE is required, the LS may initiate a session (e.g., a location session or a SUPL session) with the UE to coordinate location measurements by the UE and determination of the UE's estimated location. During the location session, the location server may request positioning capabilities from the UE (or the UE may provide them without a request), provide assistance data to the UE (e.g., if requested by the UE or unrequested), and request location estimates or measurements from the UE, e.g., for assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), AoD, multi-cell RTT (also known as multi-RTT), and / or enhanced cell ID (ECID) position methods. The assistance data may be used by the UE to collect and measure GNSS and / or PRS signals (e.g., by providing expected characteristics of these signals, such as frequency, expected time of arrival, signal coding, signal Doppler, etc.).

[0032]

[0040] It should be noted that the terms "location measurement," "position measurement," and "positioning measurement" are synonymous and may be used interchangeably. Similarly, the terms "location estimate," "position estimate," and "positioning estimate" are synonymous and may be used interchangeably.

[0033]

[0041] In a UE-based mode of operation, assistance data may also or instead be used by the UE to help determine a location estimate from obtained location measurements (e.g., where the assistance data provides satellite ephemeris data in the case of GNSS positioning, or base station location and other base station characteristics such as PRS timing in the case of terrestrial positioning using, e.g., DL-TDOA, AoD, multi-RTT, etc.).

[0034]

[0042] In the UE-assisted operating mode, the UE may return location measurements to the LS which may determine an estimated location of the UE based on these measurements and possibly also other known or configured data (e.g., satellite ephemeris data for GNSS location, or base station characteristics including base station location and possibly PRS timing in the case of terrestrial positioning using, e.g., DL-TDOA, AoD, multi-RTT, etc.).

[0035]

[0043] In another standalone mode of operation, the UE may perform location-related measurements without positioning assistance data from the LS and may further calculate a location or change in location without positioning assistance data from the LS. Position methods that may be used in the standalone mode include GPS and GNSS (e.g., where the UE obtains satellite orbit data from data broadcast by the GPS and GNSS satellites themselves), and sensors.

[0036]

[0044] For 3GPP CP location, the LS may be an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) in the case of LTE access, a Standalone SMLC (SAS) in the case of UMTS access, a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC) in the case of GSM access, or a Location Management Function (LMF) in the case of 5G NR access. For OMA SUPL location, the LS may be a SUPL Location Platform (SLP) that can act as either: (i) a Home SLP (H-SLP) if it is in or associated with the UE's home network or if it provides the UE with a persistent subscription for location services; (ii) a Discovery SLP (D-SLP) if it is in or associated with some other (non-home) network or is not associated with a network; (iii) an Emergency SLP (E-SLP) if it supports location for UE-initiated emergency calls; or (iv) a Visited SLP (V-SLP) if it is in or associated with the serving network or current local area for the UE.

[0037]

[0045] During the location session, the LS and the UE may exchange messages defined according to some positioning protocol to coordinate the determination of the estimated location. Possible positioning protocols may include, for example, the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) defined by 3GPP in 3GPP TS37.355 and the LPP Extensions (LPPe) protocol defined by OMA in OMA TSs OMA-TS-LPPe-V1_0, OMA-TS-LPPe-V1_1, and OMA-TS-LPPe-V2_0. The LPP and LPPe protocols may be used in combination when an LPP message contains one embedded LPPe message. The combined LPP and LPPe protocols may be referred to as LPP / LPPe. LPP and LPP / LPPe may be used to help support 3GPP control plane solutions for LTE or NR access, in which case LPP or LPP / LPPe messages are exchanged between the UE and the E-SMLC or between the UE and the LMF. LPP or LPPe messages may be exchanged between a UE and an E-SMLC via a serving mobility management entity (MME) and a serving eNodeB for the UE. LPP or LPPe messages may also be exchanged between a UE and an LMF via a serving access and mobility management function (AMF) and a serving NR NodeB (gNB) for the UE. LPP and LPP / LPPe may also be used to help support OMA SUPL solutions for many types of wireless access that support IP messaging (such as LTE, NR, and WiFi), where LPP or LPP / LPPe messages may be exchanged between a SUPL Enabled Terminal (SET), the term used for a UE that uses SUPL, and an SLP, and may be transported within a SUPL message, such as a SUPL POS or SUPL POS INIT message.

[0038]

[0046] An LS and a base station (e.g., an eNodeB for LTE access or a gNodeB for NR access) may exchange messages to enable the LS to (i) obtain positioning (location measurements) for a particular UE from the base station or (ii) obtain location information from the base station that is not related to a particular UE, such as antenna location coordinates for the base station, cells supported by the base station (e.g., cell identity information), cell timing for the base station, and / or parameters for signals transmitted by the base station, such as PRS signals. For LTE access, the LPP A (LPPa) protocol may be used to transfer such messages between a base station that is an eNodeB and an LS that is an E-SMLC. For NR access, the NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) defined in 3GPP TS38.455 may be used to transfer such messages between a base station that is a gNB (gNodeB) and an LS that is an LMF.

[0039]

[0047] During an emergency situation, or in other mission-critical scenarios, or when extremely low latency is required, when a positioning session is initiated, the location server (LS) should receive UE measurements (e.g., GNSS pseudorange, RSTD, RxTx, RSRP) as quickly as possible. When the LS sends LPP request information for measurements to the UE, the UE obtains the requested information, e.g., position measurements, and sends the requested information to the LS, e.g., using an uplink (UL) grant received from a base station. The UL grant may comprise permission from the serving base station for the UE to send an UL message at one or more specific times using specific UL transmission resources (e.g., using a specific UL channel, such as the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a specific frequency, a specific frequency hopping sequence, and / or a specific resource block). If the UE does not already have an UL grant, which is often the case, the UE must send a request for an UL grant using a scheduling request (SR) sent to the base station. The base station must respond and provide the UL grant to the UE before the UE can provide the requested information to the LS. The process of sending a request for and receiving a UL grant can take tens of milliseconds or up to several seconds, and can therefore cause significant delays in providing positioning information to the LS.

[0040]

[0048] Major factors for delay may include network congestion, the presence of sleep cycles, or a poor signal that causes the random access channel (RACH) used by the UE to request an UL grant to fail. For example, RACH failure may occur frequently because the initial RACH power is too low and the power must be adjusted in several attempts to match the required signal quality.

[0041]

[0049] Therefore, to reduce the delay in the UE response to a positioning request, in some implementations, the location server may provide an indication to the serving base station that the positioning session has high priority, for example, when the location server sends the request to the UE. The base station may process the UL grant and send the UL grant to the UE proactively (i.e., in advance), for example, along with the request message from the location server or before the UE is ready to respond to the request. The location server may determine when to recommend that the serving base station proactively provide the UL grant. For example, the location server may provide an indication of the need for a proactive UL grant in high-priority cases, such as in an emergency scenario or when location is needed with very low latency (e.g., for applications for IIoT or for automated UEs). Thus, the UE may send the requested information to the location server without having to wait for a UL grant from the base station, and positioning may therefore be performed quickly.

[0042]

[0050] In some implementations, the location server may also request that the base station send multiple grants for repetition (e.g., for periodic location requests) to the UE, especially when there are poor signal conditions, so that data sent by the UE (e.g., location measurements) are received more quickly and more reliably. In some implementations, the location server may send an indication of the need for prior grants based on, for example, a positioning priority or a response time requirement in a location quality of service (QoS) parameter, or the base station may make a decision (e.g., several repetitions) based on the UE's signal quality, which the base station may obtain through UE measurement reports or UE mobility state that the base station obtains during connection setup, connection resume, or connection re-establishment for the UE.

[0043]

[0051] In some implementations, the UE may send a request for UL permission before the UE is ready to send a response to a positioning request from a location server. For example, the UE may send a request for UL permission to a base station before the UE completes (or starts) the requested positioning measurements. In the case of periodic or triggered positioning, for example, the UE may enter a connected state a few seconds before the UE expects to send measurements and then obtain UL permission from the base station before the UE is ready to send positioning measurements, which may support extremely low latency Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) positioning, where the maximum end-to-end latency may be 10-100 ms.

[0044]

[0052] Figure 1 illustrates an architecture based on a non-roaming 5G NR network for supporting UE positioning using anticipatory UL grants as described herein. Figure 1 illustrates a communication system 100 including a UE 102, sometimes referred to herein as a "target UE" because the UE 102 may be the target of a location request. Figure 1 also illustrates components of a 5G network including a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) 112, including base stations (BSs) sometimes referred to as New Radio (NR) Node Bs or gNBs 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3, and an ng-eNB 114, and a fifth-generation (5G) core network (5GCN) 150 in communication with an external client 130. The 5G network may also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) network, the NG-RAN 112 may also be referred to as an NR RAN or a 5G RAN, and the 5GCN 150 may also be referred to as a Next Generation (NG) Core Network (NGC). Communications system 100 may further utilize information from a space vehicle (SV) 190 for a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, or Beidou, or some other local or regional satellite positioning system (SPS), such as IRNSS, EGNOS, or WAAS. Additional components of communications system 100 are described below. Communications system 100 may include additional or alternative components.

[0045]

[0053] 1 shows a serving gNB 110-1 for a target UE 102, neighbor gNBs 110-2, 110-3, and an ng-eNB 114. A neighbor gNB may be a gNB capable of receiving and measuring an uplink (UL) signal transmitted by the target UE 102 and / or transmitting a downlink (DL) reference signal (RS), e.g., a positioning reference signal (PRS), that may be received and measured by the target UE 102.

[0046]

[0054] The entity in the NG-RAN 112 that transmits the DL PRS to be measured by the target UE 102 for a particular location session is generally referred to as a "transmission point" (TP) and may include one or more of the serving gNB 110-1 and neighbor gNBs 110-2, 110-3, and ng-eNB 114.

[0047]

[0055] The entities in the NG-RAN 112 that receive and measure the UL signals (e.g., RS) transmitted by the target UE 102 for a particular location session are generally referred to as "reception points" (RPs) and may include the serving gNB 110-1 and one or more of the neighbor gNBs 110-2, 110-3, and ng-eNB 114.

[0048]

[0056] It should be noted that FIG. 1 merely provides a generalized illustration of various components, and any or all of those components may be utilized as appropriate, and each of those components may be duplicated or omitted as needed. In particular, while only one UE 102 is shown, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the communications system 100. Similarly, the communications system 100 may include more or fewer SVs 190, gNBs 110-1, 110-2, external clients 130, and / or other components. The illustrated connections connecting the various components in the communications system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, substituted, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality.

[0049]

[0057] 1 illustrates a 5G-based network, similar network implementations and configurations may be used for other communication technologies, such as 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and IEEE 802.11 WiFi. For example, if a wireless local area network (WLAN), e.g., an IEEE 802.11 air interface, is used, the UE 102 may communicate with an access network (AN) as opposed to an NG-RAN; therefore, the component 112 may be referred to herein as an AN or RAN, denoted by the terms “RAN,” “(R)AN,” or “(R)AN 112.” In the case of an AN (e.g., an IEEE 802.11 AN), the AN may be connected (e.g., in the 5GCN 150) to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) (not shown in FIG. 1), which is connected to the AMF 154.

[0050]

[0058] As used herein, the target UE 102 may be an electronic device and may be referred to as a device, a mobile device, a wireless device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station (MS), a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL)-enabled terminal (SET), or by some other name. The target UE 102 may be a standalone device or may be embedded in another device to be monitored or tracked, for example, a factory tool. Moreover, the UE 102 may correspond to a smart watch, digital glasses, a fitness monitor, a smart car, a smart appliance, a cell phone, a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, a PDA, a tracking device, a control device, or some other portable or movable device. The UE 102 may comprise a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network where a user may employ audio, video, and / or data I / O devices and / or body sensors and a separate wireline or wireless modem. Typically, although not necessarily, the UE 102 may support wireless communications using one or more radio access technologies (RATs), such as GSM, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 WiFi (also known as Wi-Fi), Bluetooth (BT), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN 112 and 5GCN 150), etc. The UE 102 may also support wireless communications using a wireless local area network (WLAN), which may connect to other networks (e.g., the Internet) using, for example, a digital subscriber line (DSL) or packet cable.Use of one or more of these RATs may enable UE 102 to communicate with external client 130 (e.g., via elements of 5GCN 150 not shown in FIG. 1 or possibly via Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 160) and / or enable external client 130 to receive location information regarding UE 102 (e.g., via GMLC 160).

[0051]

[0059] The UE 102 may enter into a connection with a wireless communication network that may include the NG-RAN 112. In one example, the UE 102 may communicate with the cellular communication network by transmitting wireless signals to or receiving wireless signals from a cellular transceiver in the NG-RAN 112, such as the gNB 110-1. The transceiver provides user plane and control plane protocol termination towards the UE 102 and may be referred to as a base station, base transceiver station, radio base station, radio transceiver, radio network controller, transceiver function, base station subsystem (BSS), extended service set (ESS), or some other suitable terminology.

[0052]

[0060] In particular implementations, the UE 102 may have circuitry and processing resources capable of obtaining location-related measurements. The location-related measurements obtained by the UE 102 may include measurements of signals received from a satellite vehicle (SV) 190 belonging to a satellite positioning system (SPS) or global navigation satellite system (GNSS), such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, or Beidou, and / or may include measurements of signals received from a fixed terrestrial transmitter at a known location (e.g., a gNB). The UE 102, or a gNB 110-1 to which the UE 102 may send measurements, may then obtain a location estimate for the UE 102 based on these location-related measurements using any one of several position methods, such as, for example, GNSS, aided GNSS (A-GNSS), advanced forward link trilateralization (AFLT), observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA), DL-TDOA, WLAN positioning (also referred to as WiFi), or enhanced cell ID (ECID), or a combination thereof. In some of these techniques (e.g., A-GNSS, AFLT, OTDOA, and DL-TDOA), pseudoranges or timing differences may be measured at the UE 102 to three or more terrestrial transmitters (e.g., gNBs) fixed at known locations, or to four or more SV190s with precisely known orbit data, or a combination thereof, based at least in part on pilots, positioning reference signals (PRS), or other positioning-related signals transmitted by transmitters or satellites and received at the UE 102.

[0053]

[0061] 1 may correspond, for example, to Location Management Function (LMF) 152 or Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP) 162 and may be capable of providing positioning assistance data to UE 102 including, for example, information regarding signals to be measured (e.g., expected signal timing, signal coding, signal frequency, signal Doppler), location and identification information of terrestrial transmitters (e.g., gNBs), and / or signal, timing, and orbit information for GNSS SVs to facilitate positioning techniques such as A-GNSS, AFLT, OTDOA, DL-TDOA, and ECID. This facilitation may include improving signal collection and measurement accuracy by UE 102 and, in some cases, enabling UE 102 to calculate its estimated location based on the location measurements. For example, a location server (e.g., LMF152 or SLP162) may include an almanac, also referred to as a base station almanac (BSA), that indicates the locations and identification information of cellular transceivers and / or local transceivers in one or more particular areas, such as a particular venue, and may provide information describing signals transmitted by cellular base stations or APs (e.g., gNBs), such as transmit power and signal timing. The UE 102 may obtain measurements of signal strength (e.g., received signal strength indication (RSSI)) for signals received from the cellular transceiver and / or local transceiver, and / or may obtain signal-to-noise ratio (S / N), reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), time of arrival (TOA), angle of arrival (AOA), angle of departure (AOD), time of reception minus time of transmission (RxTx), reference signal time difference (RSTD), or round-trip signal propagation time (RTT) between the UE 102 and the cellular transceiver (e.g., gNB) or local transceiver (e.g., WiFi access point (AP)).The UE 102 may use these measurements along with assistance data (e.g., terrestrial almanac data or GNSS satellite data such as GNSS almanac and / or GNSS ephemeris information) received from a location server (e.g., LMF 152 or SLP 162) or broadcast by base stations (e.g., gNBs 110-1 to 110-2) in the NG-RAN 112 to determine a location for the UE 102.

[0054]

[0062] In some implementations, a network entity is used to assist in the location of the target UE 102. For example, an entity in the network, such as the gNBs 110-1 through 110-2, may measure UL signals transmitted by the UE 102. The UL signals may include or comprise UL reference signals, such as UL Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) or UL Sounding Reference Signals (SRS). The entity (e.g., the gNBs 110-1 through 110-2) that obtains the location measurements may then forward the location measurements to the UE 102, which may use the measurements to determine RTD for multiple transceiver pairs. Examples of location measurements that may use UL signals include RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, TOA, RxTx, AOA, and RTT.

[0055]

[0063] The estimate of the location of the UE 102 may be referred to as a location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and may be geographic and thus provide location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) for the UE 102 that may or may not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level, height or depth above ground, floor or basement level). Alternatively, the location of the UE 102 may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., as a postal address or as a designation of some point or small area in a building, such as a particular room or floor). The location of the UE 102 may also be expressed as an area or volume (defined either geographically or urbanically) within which the UE 102 is expected to be located with some probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 102 may also be a relative location comprising distance and direction or relative X, Y (and Z) coordinates defined relative to some origin in a known location, which may be defined, for example, geographically, urbanly, or by reference to a point, area, or volume depicted on a map, floor plan, or building plan. The location may be expressed as an absolute location estimate for the UE, such as location coordinates or an address, or as a relative location estimate for the UE, such as distance and direction from a previous location estimate or from a known absolute location. The location of the UE may include a linear velocity, angular velocity, linear acceleration, angular acceleration, angular orientation for the UE, e.g., the orientation of the UE relative to a fixed global or local coordinate system, identification of a trigger event for locating the UE, or some combination thereof. For example, a trigger event may include an area event, a motion event, or a velocity event. An area event may be, for example, the UE moving into, moving out of, and / or remaining within a defined area. A motion event may include, for example, movement of the UE by a threshold straight-line distance or a threshold distance along the UE trajectory.A speed event may include, for example, the UE achieving a minimum or maximum speed, a threshold increase and / or decrease in speed, and / or a threshold change in direction. In the description contained herein, use of the term location may comprise any of these variations unless otherwise specified. When calculating the location of a UE, it is common to determine the values ​​of the local x, y, and possibly z coordinates and then, if necessary, convert the local coordinates to absolute coordinates (e.g., for latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0056]

[0064] 1, pairs of gNBs in the NG-RAN 112 may be connected to each other, for example, directly as shown in FIG. 1 or indirectly via other gNBs 110-1-110-2. Access to the 5G network is provided to the UE 102 via wireless communication between the UE 102 and one or more of the gNBs 110-1-110-2, and the gNBs 110-1-110-2 may provide wireless communication access to the 5GCN 150 for the UE 102 using 5G (e.g., NR). In FIG. 1, the serving gNB for the UE 102 is assumed to be gNB 110-1, although other gNBs (e.g., gNBs 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114) may act as serving gNBs when the UE 102 moves to another location or as secondary gNBs to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to the UE 102. Some gNBs in FIG. 1 (e.g., gNB 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114) may be configured to function as positioning-only beacons that may transmit signals (e.g., directional PRS) to assist in positioning UE 102, but may not receive signals from UE 102 or other UEs.

[0057]

[0065] As mentioned, while FIG. 1 illustrates nodes configured to communicate according to 5G communication protocols, nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols, such as, for example, the LTE protocol, may be used. Such nodes configured to communicate using different protocols may be controlled, at least in part, by the 5GCN 150. Thus, the NG-RAN 112 may include any combination of gNBs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) supporting LTE, or other types of base stations or access points. As an example, the NG-RAN 112 may include one or more next-generation eNBs (ng-eNBs), not shown, that provide LTE wireless access to the UE 102 and connect to entities in the 5GCN 150, such as the AMF 154.

[0058]

[0066] The gNBs 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, and the ng-eNB 114 may communicate with an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 154, which may communicate with a Location Management Function (LMF) 152 for positioning functions. The AMF 154 may support the mobility of the UE 102, including cell changes and handovers, and may participate in supporting signaling connections to the UE 102 and, in some cases, helping to establish and release protocol data unit (PDU) sessions for the UE 102 supported by the UPF 158. Other functions of the AMF 154 may include termination of the control plane (CP) interface from the NG-RAN 112, termination of non-access stratum (NAS) signaling connections from UEs such as the UE 102, NAS ciphering and integrity protection, registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, and access authentication and authorization.

[0059]

[0067] The gNB 110-1 may support positioning of the UE 102 when the UE 102 accesses the NG-RAN 112. The gNB 110-1 may also process location service requests for the UE 102, e.g., received directly or indirectly from the GMLC 160. In some embodiments, a node / system implementing the gNB 110-1 may additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP) 162. It should be noted that in some embodiments, at least a portion of the positioning functionality (including derivation of the location of the UE 102) may be performed at the UE 102 (e.g., using signal measurements on signals transmitted by wireless nodes and assistance data provided to the UE 102).

[0060]

[0068] The GMLC 160 may support location requests for the UE 102 received from the external client 130 and may forward such location requests to the serving AMF 154 for the UE 102. The AMF 154 may then forward the location request to either the gNB 110-1 or the LMF 152, which may obtain one or more location estimates for the UE 102 (e.g., according to a request from the external client 130) and return the location estimate(s) to the AMF 154, which may return the location estimate(s) to the external client 130 via the GMLC 160. The GMLC 160 may contain subscription information for the external client 130 and may authenticate and authorize location requests for the UE 102 from the external client 130. The GMLC 160 may further initiate a location session for the UE 102 by sending a location request for the UE 102 to the AMF 154, and may include identification information for the UE 102 and the type of location being requested (e.g., current location or a periodic or triggered location sequence) in the location request.

[0061]

[0069] 1, external client 130 may be connected to core network 150 via GMLC 160 and / or SLP 162. External client 130 may optionally be connected to core network 150 via Internet 175 and / or to an SLP 164 that is external to 5GCN 150. External client 130 may be a server, a web server, or a user device such as a personal computer, UE, etc.

[0062]

[0070] The LMF 152 and the gNB 110-1 may communicate using the New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa). NRPPa may be defined in 3GPP TS38.455, and NRPPa messages may be transferred between the gNB 110-1 and the LMF 152. Furthermore, the LMF 152 and the UE 102 may communicate using the New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa). NRPPa may be defined in 3GPP TS38.455, and NRPPa messages may be transferred between the gNB 110-1 and the LMF 152. The UE 102 may communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) defined in TS37.355, where LPP messages are transferred between the UE 102 and the LMF 152 via the serving AMF 154 and serving gNB 110-1 for the UE 102. For example, the LPP messages may be transferred between the AMF 154 and the UE 102 using a 5G Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol. The LPP protocol supports Aided GNSS (A-GNSS), Real Time Kinematics (RTK), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA), DL-TDOA, Round Trip Time (RTT), Multi-RTT, and / or LTE. or Extended Cell Identity (ECID). The NRPPa protocol may be used to support positioning of the UE 102 using a network-based location method, such as ECID (when used in conjunction with measurements obtained by or received from the gNBs 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114), and / or may be used by the LMF 152 to obtain location-related information from the gNBs, such as parameters defining positioning reference signal (PRS) transmissions from the gNBs for support of DL-TDOA.

[0063]

[0071] The gNBs 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114 may communicate with the AMF 154 using the Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP), for example, as defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.413, or using a location-specific protocol (referred to herein as LSP1) transported by the NGAP. The NGAP or LSP1 may enable the AMF 154 to request the location of the target UE 102 from the gNB 110-1 for the target UE 102, and may enable the gNB 110-1 to return the location for the UE 102 to the AMF 154.

[0064]

[0072] The gNBs 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114 may communicate with each other using the Xn Application Protocol (XnAP), e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS38.423, or a location-specific protocol transported by XnAP (referred to herein as LSP2), which may differ from LSP1. XnAP or LSP2 may enable one gNB to request another gNB to obtain UL location measurements for a target UE and return the UL location measurements. XnAP or LSP2 may also enable a gNB to request another gNB to transmit a downlink (DL) RS or PRS to enable the target UE 102 to obtain DL location measurements for the transmitted DL RS or PRS. In some embodiments, LSP2 (when used) may be the same as or an extension to NRPPa.

[0065]

[0073] A gNB (e.g., gNB 110-1) may communicate with target UE 102 using a Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS38.331, or using a location-specific protocol transported by RRC (referred to herein as LSP3), which may be different from LSP1 and LSP2. RRC or LSP3 may enable the gNB (e.g., gNB 110-1) to request location measurements of DL RSs or DL ​​PRSs sent by gNB 110-1 and / or by other gNBs 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114 from target UE 102, and to return some or all of those location measurements. The RRC or LSP3 may also enable a gNB (e.g., gNB 110-1) to request that a UL RS or PRS be transmitted to a target UE 102 to enable the gNB 110-1 or other gNBs 110-2, 110-3, or the ng-eNB 114 to obtain UL location measurements of the transmitted UL RS or PRS. In some embodiments, the LSP3 (when used) may be the same as or an extension to the LPP.

[0066]

[0074] In a UE-assisted position method, the UE 102 may obtain location measurements (e.g., RSSI, RxTx, RTT, multi-RTT, AoA, RSTD, RSRP, and / or RSRQ measurements for the gNB 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114 or WLAN AP, or GNSS pseudorange, code phase, and / or carrier phase measurements for SV190) and send those measurements to an entity performing a location server function, e.g., the LMF 152 or the SLP 162, for calculation of a location estimate for the UE 102. In a UE-based position method, the UE 102 may obtain location measurements (e.g., which may be the same as or similar to the location measurements for the UE-assisted position method) and calculate the location of the UE 102 (e.g., with the aid of assistance data received from a location server such as the LMF 152 or the SLP 162). In a network-based location method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB110-1 to 110-2) or APs may obtain location measurements (e.g., RSSI, RTT, AoD, RSRP, RSRQ, RxTx or TOA measurements for signals transmitted by UE102) and / or may receive measurements obtained by UE102 and send those measurements to a location server, e.g., LMF152, for calculation of a location estimate for UE102.

[0067]

[0075] Information provided to the gNB 110-1 by the gNB 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114 using XnAP or LSP2 may include timing and configuration information for PRS transmissions and location coordinates of the gNB 110-2, 110-3, or ng-eNB 114. The gNB 110-1 can then provide some or all of this information to the UE 102 as assistance data in an RRC message or an LSP3 message. The RRC message sent from the gNB 110-1 to the UE 102 may, in some implementations, include an embedded LSP3 message (e.g., an LPP message).

[0068]

[0076] An RRC or LSP3 message sent from the gNB 110-1 to the UE 102 may instruct the UE 102 to do any of a variety of things depending on the desired functionality. For example, the RRC or LSP3 message may include instructions for the UE 102 to obtain measurements for GNSS (or A-GNSS), WLAN, and / or DL-TDOA (or some other location method), or to transmit uplink (UL) signals, such as positioning reference signals, sounding reference signals, or both. In the case of DL-TDOA, the RRC or LSP3 message may instruct the UE 102 to obtain one or more measurements (e.g., RSTD measurements) of PRS signals transmitted within a particular cell supported by a particular gNB. The UE 102 may use those measurements to determine the UE 102's position, for example, using DL-TDOA.

[0069]

[0077] The gNBs in the NG-RAN 112 may also broadcast positioning assistance data to UEs, such as UE 102.

[0070]

[0078] As shown, a session management function (SMF) 156 connects the AMF 154 and the UPF 158. The SMF 156 may have the ability to control both the local UPF and the central UPF within a PDU session. The SMF 156 may manage the establishment, modification, and release of PDU sessions for the UE 102, perform IP address allocation and management for the UE 102, act as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server for the UE 102, and select and control the UPF 158 for the UE 102.

[0071]

[0079] The user plane function (UPF) 158 may support voice and data bearers for the UE 102 and may enable voice and data access for the UE 102 to other networks, such as the Internet 175. The functions of the UPF 158 may include external PDU session points of interconnection to data networks, packet (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP)) routing and forwarding, the user plane portion of packet inspection and policy rule enforcement, quality of service (QoS) handling for the user plane, downlink packet buffering, and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 158 may be connected to the SLP 162 to enable support for the location of the UE 102 using SUPL. The SLP 162 may further be connected to or accessible from the external client 130.

[0072]

[0080] It should be understood that while FIG. 1 shows a network architecture for a non-roaming UE, with preferred and well-known modifications, a corresponding network architecture may be provided for a roaming UE.

[0073]

[0081] In some situations, such as during a positioning session, during an emergency call, in mission-critical scenarios, or in applications for IIoT UEs or automated UEs, it may be desirable for the location server (e.g., LMF 152 or SLP 162) to receive a response to a positioning-related request from the UE 102 as quickly as possible. One source of delay observed in conventional positioning processes is caused by delays in the UE 102 obtaining an UL permission from a base station that is necessary to send the requested positioning information to the location server 152 / 162. For example, if the UE 102 does not already have an UL permission from the base station, the UE 102 sends a request for permission using a scheduling request (SR), and the base station responds with an UL permission. The process of obtaining the necessary UL permission from the base station can require up to several seconds, which is a significant delay, especially in emergency or very low latency situations.

[0074]

[0082] To reduce delays in responding to the location server 152 / 162 with the requested positioning-related information, the location server 152 / 162 can provide an indication to the serving base station that the positioning session has high priority and that the UE 102 should be provided with an UL permission to respond to the request. For example, the location server 152 / 162 can send that indication to the base station, for example, when the location server 152 / 162 sends a request to the UE 102. The base station can process the permission and send the UL permission to the UE before the UE is ready to respond to the request. Thus, when the UE is ready to respond to the request, the UE can send the information using the UL permission already received. The UE therefore does not need to request and wait for an UL permission.

[0075]

[0083] FIG. 2 illustrates a signaling flow 200 depicting various messages sent between components of the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1 during a location session between the UE 102 and the location server 152 / 162, in which the location server 152 / 162 triggers the UL authorization process for the UE 102. For ease of explanation, the flow diagram is described with respect to 5G NR wireless access using the gNB 110; however, signaling flows similar to those in FIG. 2 involving the ng-eNB 114 or an eNB rather than the gNB 110 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be understood that the messages in the signaling flow 200 are provided to illustrate the process of obtaining prior UL authorization for the UE 102 during a positioning session, and that additional messages and actions may be included in the positioning session. In the signaling flow 200, it is assumed that the UE 102 and the location server 152 / 162 communicate using the LPP positioning protocol previously mentioned. The signaling flow 200 may be implemented in the control plane or the user plane.

[0076]

[0084] FIG. 2 shows a procedure by which the location server 152 / 162 provides instructions to the serving gNB 110-1 to provide one or more UL grants to the UE 102.

[0077]

[0085] 2, the location server 152 / 162 sends an LPP request message to the UE 102 (e.g., via the AMF 154 and the gNB 110-1). If the positioning process is performed in the user plane, the request may be sent via SUPL (e.g., via the UPF 158 and the gNB 110-1). The request message may be, for example, a request for information related to positioning. For example, the request message may be a request for the positioning capability of the UE 102, or a request for location information such as positioning measurements from the UE 102, for example, for a UE-assisted positioning process, or a position estimate from the UE 102, for example, for a UE-based positioning process.

[0078]

[0086] In stage 2, the location server 152 / 162 sends a message to the serving gNB 110-1 indicating that the gNB 110-1 should provide an UL grant to the UE 102 for the UE 102 to respond to the location request. The message in stage 2 may be, for example, an NRPPa message and may be sent approximately simultaneously, e.g., before, after, or simultaneously, with the request message in stage 1. In some implementations, prior to stage 2, the location server 152 / 162 may determine whether a proactive UL grant is appropriate based on, for example, the priority level or QoS of the positioning session with the UE 102. For example, the location server 152 / 162 may determine whether it is appropriate to recommend a proactive UL grant from the gNB 110-1 based on, for example, the priority level or QoS of the UE positioning, such as in an emergency scenario, and, if appropriate, sends a message in stage 2. The message sent to the gNB 110-1 in stage 2 may be, for example, an indication of the priority level and / or QoS for the UE positioning. The gNB 110-1 may determine whether the priority level and / or QoS warrant a prior UL grant, e.g., whether the indication of the priority level is greater than a threshold priority level, or whether a response time or latency component of the QoS is less than a threshold level (e.g., 1 second, 100 ms, or 10 ms). For example, the message sent in stage 2 may be an indication that the UE positioning is for an emergency situation or other high-priority scenario, or for an application (e.g., for an IIoT or autonomous UE) with QoS that includes an extremely low latency requirement or component. In other implementations, the message may simply request or recommend that a prior UL grant be provided to the UE 102 without providing an indication of the priority level or QoS. The message may include an indication of the need for multiple grants for repetition, e.g., for periodic location requests.In some implementations, the gNB110-1 may determine whether repetition is necessary and, if so, how many repetitions may be necessary based on the signal quality with the UE102, which the gNB110-1 may obtain through, for example, a measurement report received from the UE102 or the mobility state of the UE102, which the gNB110-1 may obtain during RRC connection setup, RRC connection resumption, or RRC connection re-establishment to the UE102.

[0079]

[0087] In stage 3, the serving gNB 110-1 may send one or more UL grants to the UE 102 in response to the message in stage 2. The UL grants may be provided in a downlink control information (DCI) message, e.g., (DCI format 0_0 / 0_1), at the physical layer or MAC layer. The UL grants may be sent to the UE 102 without a request from the UE 102 and before the UE 102 is ready to send a response to the request message from stage 1, to minimize delay in the UE 102's response.

[0080]

[0088] In stage 3A, the UE 102 may obtain location measurements requested in the message received in stage 1 (e.g., if the message was LPP request location information). Stage 3A is optional and may not be performed, for example, if the message in stage 1 requests UE capability but not location measurements. The location measurements may include measurements of RxTx, AOA, TOA, RSRP, RSTD, GNSS pseudorange, GNSS carrier phase, etc. The UE 102 may also determine a location estimate for the UE 102 using the location measurements and, in some cases, assistance data provided by the location server 152 / 162 at an earlier time (e.g., in a message received in stage 1 or in a message received by the UE 102 prior to stage 1 and not shown in FIG. 2).

[0081]

[0089] In stage 4, the UE 102 may send an LPP response message to the location server 152 / 162 using the UL grant received in stage 3. The LPP response message may be sent to the location server 152 / 162 via the gNB 110-1 and either the AMF 154 (e.g., if the location server 152 / 162 is the LMF 152) or the UPF 158 (e.g., if the location server 152 / 162 is the SLP 162). If the positioning process is performed in the user plane, the response may be sent via SUPL. The response message may, for example, provide the positioning capabilities of the UE 102, for example, when the request message in stage 1 is a request for positioning capabilities. In another example, if the request message in stage 1 is for measurements, the response message may include location information, such as location measurements and / or location estimates obtained in stage 3A.

[0082]

[0090] In stage 5, the serving gNB 110-1 may provide another UL grant to the UE 102, e.g., if message 2 from the location server 152 / 162, in response to receiving and forwarding the LPP response message in stage 4 to the location server 152 / 162, indicates that multiple grants or repetitions are required and / or if the gNB 110-1 determines that repetitions are required, e.g., due to signal quality with the UE 102. The UL grant provided in stage 5 may be provided in a DCI message similar to stage 3.

[0083]

[0091] In stage 6, the UE 102 may provide an additional LPP response message to the location server 152 / 162 using the UL grant received in stage 5. The response message may, for example, be a repeat of a previous response from stage 4, or may be a periodic response, for example, to provide further periodic location measurements (e.g., obtained by the UE 102 after stage 4 and not shown in FIG. 2), if requested in stage 1.

[0084]

[0092] In stage 7, during the positioning session, location server 152 / 162 may send a message to a different gNB 110-2 indicating that UE 102 should be provided with UL permission from gNB 110-2 to respond to the request from stage 1. For example, if periodic location reporting was requested in stage 1, and if UE 102 moves between cells and either is handed over from gNB 110-1 to gNB 110-2 during the positioning session or performs cell reselection to gNB 110-2 (e.g., while in an idle or inactive state), location server 152 / 162 may provide an indication to new gNB 110-2 that UE 102 should be provided with UL permission to respond to the request, similar to the indication provided to initial gNB 110-1, for example, in stage 2. The location server 152 / 162 may become aware of the UE 102's movement to a new cell for gNB 110-2 if the previous LPP response message (e.g., sent in stage 4 or stage 6) indicated a new cell and / or indicated a new gNB 110-2 (e.g., within the previous LPP response message or via instructions provided to the location server 152 / 162 by the AMF 154 or UPF 158 when forwarding the previous LPP response message to the location server 152 / 162).

[0085]

[0093] In alternative implementations, and if UE 102 moves between cells and is handed over from gNB 110-1 to gNB 110-2 during a positioning session, stage 7 may not be performed. Instead, in stage 7A and during the handover from gNB 110-1 to gNB 110-2, gNB 110-1 may provide an indication (e.g., an RRC indication) to the new gNB 110-2 that UE 102 should be provided with UL permission to respond to the request in stage 1. For example, the indication sent in stage 7A may include some or all of the information received by gNB 110-1 in stage 2.

[0086]

[0094] In stage 8, the new gNB 110-2 may send one or more UL grants to the UE 102 in response to a message from stage 7 or stage 7A. The UL grants provided in stage 8 may be provided in a DCI message similar to stage 3.

[0087]

[0095] In step 9, the UE 102 may send an LPP response message to the location server 152 / 162 via the new gNB 110-2 using the UL grant received in step 8. The LPP response message may be, for example, a periodic response to provide further periodic location measurements (e.g., obtained after step 6 and not shown in FIG. 2), if requested, for example, in step 1.

[0088]

[0096] In some implementations, the UE 102, rather than the location server 152 / 162, may send a request for one or more UL permissions before the UE 102 is ready to send a response to a positioning request from the location server. In a conventional positioning process, for example, the UE completes all positioning measurements before requesting UL permission from the base station, which results in a delay in reporting the positioning measurements. In this implementation, the UE 102 may request UL permission from the base station and receive UL permission from the base station before completing the positioning measurements, so that the UE can send positioning measurements (or location estimates) to the location server upon completion without waiting for UL permission. In some implementations, the UE 102 may enter a connected state and request UL permission before the UE 102 is ready to send positioning measurements.

[0089]

[0097] FIG. 3 illustrates a signaling flow 300 depicting various messages sent between components of the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1 during a location session between the UE 102 and the location server 152 / 162, in which the UE 102 triggers an UL authorization process before the UE 102 is ready to provide positioning measurements. The flow diagram is described with respect to 5G NR wireless access using the gNB 110 for ease of explanation, however, signaling flows similar to those in FIG. 3 involving the ng-eNB 114 or an eNB rather than the gNB 110 will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be understood that the messages in the signaling flow 300 are provided to illustrate the process of obtaining prior UL authorization for the UE during a positioning session, and that additional messages and actions may be included in the positioning session. The signaling flow 300 assumes that the UE 102 and the location server 152 / 162 communicate using the LPP positioning protocol previously mentioned. The signaling flow 300 may be implemented in the control plane or the user plane.

[0090]

[0098] Figure 3 shows a procedure by which a UE requests UL permission before it needs UL permission to send a location information message to the serving gNB110-1.

[0091]

[0099] In stage 1, the location server 152 / 162 sends an LPP Request Location Information message to the UE 102 to request that the UE 102 provide, for example, positioning measurements and / or position estimates to the location server 152 / 162. If the positioning process is performed in the user plane, the request may be sent via SUPL. The location server 152 / 162 may request positioning measurements, for example, RSTD, TOA, RxTx, AoA, AoD, etc. The location server 152 / 162 may also indicate whether UE-based or UE-assisted positioning is requested. In some implementations, the location server 152 / 162 may also include a request for location measurements for other position methods that do not use PRS from a cellular base station (e.g., WiFi positioning or A-GNSS positioning) in the LPP Request Location Information message. The request for location information may be a request for triggered or periodic location.

[0092]

[0100] In stage 2, the UE 102 may begin performing positioning measurements, e.g., as requested by the Request Location Information message from stage 1. The positioning measurements may be based on PRS signals from cellular base stations or other positioning methods, e.g., using WiFi access points or using an SPS system.

[0093]

[0101] In stage 3, if the UE 102 is in an idle state, the UE 102 may send an early connection request to the serving gNB 110-1 to enter a connected state with the gNB 110-1. The request for early connection may be sent, for example, using the RRC protocol. The request for early connection may be sent by the UE 102 before completing positioning measurements and therefore before needing a connection to report location information.

[0094]

[0102] In stage 4, the UE 102 sends a request for an UL grant to the serving gNB 110-1. The request for an UL grant may be sent in a scheduling request in a physical layer message on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). The request for an UL grant is sent by the UE 102 prior to completing positioning measurements and therefore prior to needing an UL grant to report location information. In some implementations, the UE 102 may indicate its multiple grants for repetition, e.g., for periodic location requests. In some implementations, after receiving the request for UL grant, gNB110-1 determines whether repetition from UE102 may be necessary (for messages sent by UE102 using the UL grant), and if repetition may be necessary, may determine how many repetitions may be necessary based on, for example, the signal quality with UE102, which gNB110-1 may obtain through measurement reports sent by UE102 or the mobility state of UE102, which gNB110-1 may obtain during connection setup, connection resumption, or connection re-establishment for UE102 (e.g., in phase 3).

[0095]

[0103] In stage 5, the serving gNB 110-1 may send one or more UL grants to the UE 102 in response to the request in stage 4 and / or possibly in response to determining whether a repetition from the UE 102 may be necessary. The UL grants may be provided in a downlink control information (DCI) message, e.g., (DCI format 0_0 / 0_1), at the physical layer or MAC layer. The UL grants may be sent to the UE 102 before the UE 102 is ready to send a response to the request message.

[0096]

[0104] In stage 6, the UE 102 may finish performing the positioning measurements initiated in stage 2. It should be understood that the timing and duration of the positioning measurements shown in stages 2 and 6 are exemplary, and that the UE 102 may initiate the measurements at any time, and the duration of the measurements may be longer or shorter than that shown in Figure 3. However, as shown by the relationship between stages 4 and 6, the request for UL permission sent by the UE 102 in stage 4 is sent before the UE 102 completes the positioning measurements or needs UL permission to send location information to the location server 152 / 162.

[0097]

[0105] In stage 7, the UE 102 may send an LPP response message with the requested location information to the location server 152 / 162 using the UL grant(s) received in stage 5. If the positioning process is performed in the user plane, the response may be sent via SUPL. The LPP response message may be sent to the location server 152 / 162 via the gNB 110-1 and either the AMF 154 (e.g., if the location server 152 / 162 is the LMF 152) or the UPF 158 (e.g., if the location server 152 / 162 is the SLP 162). The location information may include other types of measurements, such as positioning measurements such as RSTD, RxTx, AOA, TOA, RSRP, or using WiFi or SPS measurements obtained by the UE 102, for example, between stages 2 and 6, for a UE-assisted positioning process, or a position estimate from the UE 102 determined using positioning measurements and assistance data provided by the location server 152 / 162, for example, for a UE-based positioning process.

[0098]

[0106] In stage 8, the UE 102 may initiate another set of positioning measurements, for example, in response to a trigger or periodic event, and if triggered or periodic location was requested in stage 1. As in stage 2, the positioning measurements may be based on PRS signals from cellular base stations or other positioning methods, for example, using WiFi access points or using an SPS system.

[0099]

[0107] In step 9, if the UE 102 is in an idle state, the UE 102 may send an early connection request and enter a connected state with the serving gNB 110. As shown in FIG. 3, if the UE 102 moves between cells and is handed over from the gNB 110-1 to the gNB 110-2 or performs cell reselection during a positioning session, the UE 102 may send a request for early connection to the new gNB 110-2. The request for early connection may be sent by the UE 102 before completing positioning measurements and therefore before needing a connection to report location information. Note that if a handover or cell reselection has not occurred, the roles and actions of the gNB 110-2 in FIG. 3 in steps 9, 10, 11, and 13 are performed by the gNB 110-1.

[0100]

[0108] In stage 10, the UE 102 sends a request for an UL grant to the new gNB 110-2, for example, if the UE 102 has been handed over from the gNB 110-1 to the gNB 110-2 or has performed cell reselection. Similar to stage 4, the request for an UL grant may be sent in a scheduling request in a physical layer message on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). The request for an UL grant is sent by the UE 102 prior to completing positioning measurements and therefore prior to needing an UL grant to report location information. In some implementations, the UE 102 may indicate that multiple grants are needed for repetition, e.g., for periodic location requests. In some implementations, the gNB110-2 may determine whether and how many repetitions may be necessary based on the signal quality with the UE102, which the gNB110-2 may obtain, for example, through a measurement report from the UE102 or the mobility state of the UE102, which the gNB110-2 may obtain during connection setup, connection resumption, or connection re-establishment for the UE102.

[0101]

[0109] In stage 11, the new gNB 110-2 may send one or more UL grants to the UE 102 in response to the request in stage 10. Similar to stage 5, the UL grants may be provided in a DCI message, e.g., (DCI format 0_0 / 0_1), at the physical layer or MAC layer. The UL grants may be sent to the UE 102 before the UE 102 is ready to send a response to the request message.

[0102]

[0110] In step 12, the UE 102 may finish performing the positioning measurements initiated in step 8. It should be understood that the timing and duration of the positioning measurements shown in steps 8 and 12 are exemplary, and that the UE 102 may initiate the measurements at any time, and the duration of the measurements may be longer or shorter than that shown in Figure 3. However, as indicated by the relationship between step 10 and step 12, the request for UL permission sent by the UE 102 in step 10 is sent before the UE 102 completes the positioning measurements or needs UL permission to send location information to the location server 152 / 162.

[0103]

[0111] In stage 13, the UE 102 may send an LPP response message with the requested location information to the location server 152 / 162 using the UL grant(s) received in stage 11. The LPP response message may be sent to the location server 152 / 162 via the gNB 110-2 and either the AMF 154 (e.g., if the location server 152 / 162 is the LMF 152) or the UPF 158 (e.g., if the location server 152 / 162 is the SLP 162). If the positioning process is performed in the user plane, the response may be sent via SUPL. The location information may include other types of measurements, such as positioning measurements such as RSTD, RxTx, AOA, TOA, RSRP, or using WiFi or SPS measurements obtained by the UE 102, for example, between steps 8 and 12, for a UE-assisted positioning process, or a position estimate from the UE 102 determined using positioning measurements and assistance data provided by the location server 152 / 162, for example, for a UE-based positioning process.

[0104]

[0112] 4 shows a schematic block diagram illustrating some example features of a UE 400, which may be, for example, the UE 102 shown in FIG. 1, configured for early uplink grant for responding to location service requests as described herein. The UE 400 may implement the message flows shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the process flows shown in FIG. 7, and the accompanying algorithms described herein. The UE 400 may include one or more processors 402, memory 404, an external interface (e.g., a wireless network interface), such as at least one wireless transceiver 410, an SPS receiver 415, and one or more sensors 413, which may be operably coupled to one or more connections 406 (e.g., buses, lines, fibers, links, etc.) to a non-transitory computer-readable medium 420 and memory 404. The SPS receiver 415 may receive and process SPS signals, for example, from the SV 190 shown in FIG. 1. The one or more sensors 413 may be, for example, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that may include one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, magnetometers, etc. The UE 400 may further include additional items not shown, such as, for example, a user interface that may include a display, a keypad such as a virtual keypad on the display, or other input device through which a user may interface with the UE. In some example implementations, all or a portion of the UE 400 may take the form of a chipset or the like.

[0105]

[0113] At least one wireless transceiver 410 may be a transceiver for both the WWAN and WLAN communication systems, or may include separate transceivers for the WWAN and WLAN. The wireless transceiver 410 may include a transmitter 412 and a receiver 414 coupled to one or more antennas 411 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more sidelink channels) wireless signals and converting signals from wireless to wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals to wireless signals. Thus, the transmitter 412 may include multiple transmitters, which may be separate components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 414 may include multiple receivers, which may be separate components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 410 may be configured to communicate signals (e.g., with base stations and access points and / or one or more other devices) according to various radio access technologies (RATs), such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, WiFi Direct® (WiFi-D), Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, etc. New radio may use mm-wave frequencies and / or sub-6 GHz frequencies. The transceiver 410 may be communicatively coupled, e.g., by an optical and / or electrical connection, to a transceiver interface, which may be at least partially integrated with the transceiver 410.

[0106]

[0114] In some embodiments, the UE 400 may include an antenna 411, which may be internal or external. The UE antenna 411 may be used to transmit and / or receive signals that are processed by the wireless transceiver 410. In some embodiments, the UE antenna 411 may be coupled to the wireless transceiver 410. In some embodiments, measurements of signals received (transmitted) by the UE 400 may be performed at the point of connection between the UE antenna 411 and the wireless transceiver 410. For example, measurement points of reference for received (transmitted) RF signal measurements may be the input (output) terminal of the receiver 414 (transmitter 412) and the output (input) terminal of the UE antenna 411. In a UE 400 with multiple UE antennas 411 or an antenna array, the antenna connector may be considered a virtual point representing the aggregate output (input) of the multiple UE antennas. In some embodiments, the UE 400 may measure received signals, including signal strength and TOA measurements, and the raw measurements may be processed by one or more processors 402.

[0107]

[0115] The one or more processors 402 may be implemented using a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. For example, the one or more processors 402 may be configured to perform the functions described herein by implementing one or more instructions or program code 408 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the medium 420 and / or the memory 404. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 402 may represent one or more circuits configurable to perform at least a portion of a data signal computing procedure or process related to the operation of the UE 400.

[0108]

[0116] The medium 420 and / or memory 404 may store instructions or program code 408, which, when executed by one or more processors 402, include executable code or software instructions that cause the one or more processors 402 to operate as a special-purpose computer programmed to perform the techniques disclosed herein. As shown in the UE 400, the medium 420 and / or memory 404 may include one or more components or modules that may be implemented by the one or more processors 402 to perform the methods described herein. While the components or modules are shown as software in the medium 420 executable by the one or more processors 402, it should be understood that the components or modules may be stored in the memory 404 or may be dedicated hardware either within the one or more processors 402 or external to the processor(s).

[0109]

[0117] A number of software modules and data tables may reside in the medium 420 and / or memory 404 and be utilized by the one or more processors 402 to manage both the communications and functionality described herein. It should be appreciated that the organization of the contents of the medium 420 and / or memory 404 shown in the UE 400 is only an example, and thus the functionality of the modules and / or data structures may be combined, separated, and / or structured in different ways depending on the implementation of the UE 400.

[0110]

[0118] The medium 420 and / or memory 404 may include a positioning session module 422 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 402, configures the one or more processors 402 to engage in a positioning session with a location server through a serving base station via the wireless transceiver 410, including receiving a location service request, such as a request for positioning capabilities and a request for location information, such as positioning measurements, e.g., for a UE-assisted positioning process, or a position estimate, e.g., for a UE-based positioning process. The one or more processors 402 are configured to send a response to the location service request, e.g., by providing positioning capabilities and the requested location information using an uplink grant received prior to needing a UL grant to report the location information. The one or more processors 402 may be further configured to receive assistance data. The one or more processors 402 may be further configured to perform requested positioning measurements, which may be, e.g., RxTx, AOA, TOA, RSRP, etc., or other types of measurements, such as those using WiFi or SPS measurements. The one or more processors 402 may be configured to receive periodic location requests. The one or more processors 402 may be further configured to determine a position estimate based on the positioning measurements and the assistance data.

[0111]

[0119] The medium 420 and / or memory 404 may include an early uplink grant request module 424 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 402, configures the one or more processors 402 to send a request for an UL grant to a serving gNB. The one or more processors 402 may be configured to send a request for an UL grant before completing positioning measurements and therefore before needing an UL grant to report location information. The one or more processors 402 may be configured to send a request for a single UL grant or multiple grants for recurrence, e.g., periodic location requests. The one or more processors 402 may be configured to send a request to a new serving base station after a handover during a periodic location session.

[0112]

[0120] The medium 420 and / or the memory 404 may include an early uplink grant reception module 426 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 402, configures the one or more processors 402 to receive an UL grant from a serving gNB. The one or more processors 402 may be configured to receive a single UL grant or multiple grants for recurrence, e.g., periodic location requests.

[0113]

[0121] The medium 420 and / or the memory 404 may include an early connect module 428 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 402, configures the one or more processors 402 to send a request for an early connect before the UE is ready to send location information to a location server when the UE is in idle mode during a positioning session.

[0114]

[0122] The methods described herein may be implemented by various means depending on the application. For example, these methods may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. In a hardware implementation, the one or more processors 402 may be implemented within one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or combinations thereof.

[0115]

[0123] For a firmware and / or software implementation, the methods may be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium tangibly embodying instructions may be used in implementing the methods described herein. For example, software code may be stored in non-transitory computer-readable medium 420 or memory 404 coupled to and executed by one or more processors 402. The memory may be implemented within the one or more processors or external to the one or more processors. The term "memory," as used herein, may refer to long-term memory, short-term memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or any other type of memory, and should not be limited to a specific type or number of memories or the type of medium on which the memory is stored.

[0116]

[0124] If implemented in firmware and / or software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or program code 408 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as medium 420 and / or memory 404. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with data structures and computer-readable media encoded with computer program code 408. For example, non-transitory computer-readable media with program code 408 stored thereon may include program code 408 for supporting early uplink grants for responding to location service requests in a manner consistent with disclosed embodiments. Non-transitory computer-readable media 420 include physical computer storage media. A storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code 408 in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer; disk and disc, as used herein, include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically and discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0117]

[0125] In addition to being stored on the computer-readable medium 420, the instructions and / or data may be provided as signals on a transmission medium contained in a communications device. For example, a communications device may include a wireless transceiver 410 having signals indicative of instructions and data. The instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. That is, the communications device includes a transmission medium with signals indicative of information to perform the disclosed functions.

[0118]

[0126] Memory 404 may represent any data storage mechanism. Memory 404 may include, for example, primary memory and / or secondary memory. Primary memory may include, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, etc. While shown in this example as being separate from one or more processors 402, it should be understood that all or a portion of the primary memory may be provided within one or more processors 402 or, in some cases, co-located / coupled with one or more processors 402. Secondary memory may include, for example, the same or similar type of memory as the primary memory and / or one or more data storage devices or systems, such as, for example, disk drives, optical disk drives, tape drives, solid-state memory drives, etc.

[0119]

[0127] In some implementations, the secondary memory may be operatively capable of receiving, or possibly configurable to couple to, a non-transitory computer-readable medium 420. Thus, in some example implementations, the methods and / or apparatuses presented herein may take the form, in whole or in part, of a computer-readable medium 420, which may include computer-implementable program code 408 stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors 402, may be operatively enabled to perform all or a portion of the example operations described herein. The computer-readable medium 420 may be part of the memory 404.

[0120]

[0128] 5 shows a schematic block diagram illustrating some example features of a location server 500, e.g., the LMF 152 or the SLP 162 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, configured to support early uplink grant for a UE to respond to a location service request, as described herein. The location server 500 may implement the message flows shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the process flows shown in FIG. 8, and the algorithms described herein. The location server 500 may include one or more processors 502, memory 504, and an external interface 516 (e.g., a wireline or wireless network interface to a base station and / or an entity in a core network), which may be operably coupled to, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium 520 and one or more connections 506 (e.g., a bus, a line, a fiber, a link, etc.) to the memory 504. In some example implementations, all or a portion of the location server 500 may take the form of a chipset or the like.

[0121]

[0129] The one or more processors 502 may be implemented using a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. For example, the one or more processors 502 may be configured to perform the functions described herein by implementing one or more instructions or program code 508 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the medium 520 and / or the memory 504. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 502 may represent one or more circuits configurable to perform at least a portion of data signal computing procedures or processes related to the operation of the location server 500.

[0122]

[0130] The medium 520 and / or memory 504 may store instructions or program code 508, which, when executed by one or more processors 502, include executable code or software instructions that cause the one or more processors 502 to operate as a special-purpose computer programmed to perform the techniques disclosed herein. As shown in location server 500, the medium 520 and / or memory 504 may include one or more components or modules that may be implemented by the one or more processors 502 to perform the methods described herein. While the components or modules are shown as software in the medium 520 executable by the one or more processors 502, it should be understood that the components or modules may be stored in the memory 504 or may be dedicated hardware either within or external to the one or more processors 502.

[0123]

[0131] A number of software modules and data tables may reside in the medium 520 and / or memory 504 and be utilized by the one or more processors 502 to manage both the communications and functionality described herein. It should be appreciated that the organization of the contents of the medium 520 and / or memory 504 as shown in the location server 500 is exemplary only, and thus the functionality of the modules and / or data structures may be combined, separated, and / or structured in different ways depending on the implementation of the location server 500.

[0124]

[0132] The medium 520 and / or memory 504 may include a positioning session module 522 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 502, configures the one or more processors 502 to engage in a positioning session with a UE through a serving base station via the external interface 516, including sending a location service request, such as a request for positioning capabilities and a request for location information, such as positioning measurements, e.g., for a UE-assisted positioning process, or a position estimate, e.g., for a UE-based positioning process. The one or more processors 502 are configured to receive a response to the location service request, e.g., including receiving positioning capabilities and requested location information from the UE. The one or more processors 502 may be configured to send and receive messages for periodic location sessions. The one or more processors 502 may be further configured to send assistance data. The one or more processors 502 may be further configured to determine a position estimate for the UE based on received positioning measurements, such as RxTx, AOA, TOA, RSRP, or other types of measurements, such as those using WiFi or SPS measurements.

[0125]

[0133] The medium 520 and / or memory 504 may include an early uplink grant module 524 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 502, configures the one or more processors 502 to send, via the external interface 516, a message to a serving base station for the UE to trigger an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a location service request. The one or more processors 502 are configured to send the message to trigger the grant before the UE needs an UL grant, i.e., before the UE is ready to send a response to the request. For example, the message may be sent approximately simultaneously with the request sent to the UE. The message may provide the base station with a priority level for the positioning session or may request or recommend early UL grant for the UE without an indication of the priority level. The message may indicate whether multiple grants are needed for recurrence, e.g., for periodic location requests. The one or more processors 502 may be configured to send a second message to a different serving base station when the UE is handed off to that serving base station, e.g., during a periodic location session.

[0126]

[0134] The methods described herein may be implemented by various means depending on the application. For example, these methods may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. In a hardware implementation, the one or more processors 502 may be implemented within one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or combinations thereof.

[0127]

[0135] For a firmware and / or software implementation, the methods may be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium tangibly embodying instructions may be used in implementing the methodologies described herein. For example, software code may be stored in non-transitory computer-readable medium 520 or memory 504 coupled to and executed by one or more processors 502. The memory may be implemented within the one or more processors or external to the one or more processors. The term "memory," as used herein, may refer to long-term, short-term, volatile, non-volatile, or any other type of memory, and should not be limited to a specific type or number of memories or the type of medium on which the memory is stored.

[0128]

[0136] If implemented in firmware and / or software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or program code 508 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the medium 520 and / or the memory 504. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with a data structure and computer-readable media encoded with a computer program 508. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium with program code 508 stored thereon may include program code 508 for supporting early uplink grant for a UE to respond to a location service request in a manner consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The non-transitory computer-readable medium 520 includes a physical computer storage medium. A storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code 508 in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer; disk and disc, as used herein, include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically and discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0129]

[0137] In addition to being stored on the computer-readable medium 520, the instructions and / or data may be provided as signals on a transmission medium contained in a communications device. For example, the communications device may include an external interface 516 having signals 1224 indicative of instructions and data. The instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. That is, the communications device includes a transmission medium with signals indicative of information to perform the disclosed functions.

[0130]

[0138] Memory 504 may represent any data storage mechanism. Memory 504 may include, for example, primary memory and / or secondary memory. Primary memory may include, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, etc. While shown in this example as being separate from one or more processors 502, it should be understood that all or a portion of the primary memory may be provided within one or more processors 502 or, in some cases, co-located / coupled with one or more processors 502. Secondary memory may include, for example, the same or similar type of memory as the primary memory and / or one or more data storage devices or systems, such as, for example, disk drives, optical disk drives, tape drives, solid-state memory drives, etc.

[0131]

[0139] In some implementations, the secondary memory may be operatively capable of receiving, or possibly configurable to couple to, a non-transitory computer-readable medium 520. Thus, in some example implementations, the methods and / or apparatuses presented herein may take the form, in whole or in part, of a computer-readable medium 520, which may include computer-implementable code 508 stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors 502, may be operatively enabled to perform all or a portion of the example operations described herein. The computer-readable medium 520 may be part of the memory 504.

[0132]

[0140] 6 shows a schematic block diagram illustrating some example features of a base station 600, e.g., the gNB 110 in FIG. 1, enabled to support early uplink grant for a UE to respond to a location service request as described herein. The base station 600 may be an eNB, a gNB (e.g., the gNB 110), or an ng-eNB (e.g., the ng-eNB 114). The base station 600 may implement the message flows shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the process flows shown in FIG. 9, and the accompanying algorithms described herein. The base station 600 may include one or more processors 602, which may be operatively coupled to one or more connections 606 (e.g., buses, lines, fibers, links, etc.) to a non-transitory computer-readable medium 620 and a memory 604, the memory 604, an external interface (e.g., a wireless network interface) that may include a transceiver 610, and a communication interface 616 (e.g., a wireline or wireless network interface to other base stations and / or entities in the core network, such as a location server, directly or via one or more intervening entities). The base station 600 may further include additional items not shown, such as a user interface, which may include, for example, a display, a keypad such as a virtual keypad on the display, or other input device through which a user may interface with the base station. In some example implementations, all or a portion of the base station 600 may take the form of a chipset or the like. The transceiver 610 may include, for example, a transmitter 612 enabled to transmit one or more signals over one or more types of wireless communication networks and a receiver 614 for receiving one or more signals transmitted over the one or more types of wireless communication networks.The communication interface 616 may be a wired or wireless interface capable of connecting to network entities such as other base stations in the RAN or the location servers shown in FIG. 1 , e.g., the LMF 152 or SLP 162 through various entities such as the AMF 154 or UPF 158.

[0133]

[0141] In some embodiments, the base station 600 may include an antenna 611, which may be internal or external. The antenna 611 may be used to transmit and / or receive signals processed by the transceiver 610. In some embodiments, the antenna 611 may be coupled to the transceiver 610. In some embodiments, measurements of signals received (transmitted) by the base station 600 may be performed at the point of connection between the antenna 611 and the transceiver 610. For example, the measurement points of reference for received (transmitted) RF signal measurements may be the input (output) terminal of the receiver 614 (transmitter 612) and the output (input) terminal of the antenna 611. In a base station 600 with multiple antennas 611 or an antenna array, the antenna connector may be considered a virtual point representing the aggregate output (input) of the multiple antennas. In some embodiments, the base station 600 may measure received signals, including signal strength and TOA measurements, and the raw measurements may be processed by one or more processors 602.

[0134]

[0142] The one or more processors 602 may be implemented using a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. For example, the one or more processors 602 may be configured to perform the functions described herein by implementing one or more instructions or program code 608 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the medium 620 and / or the memory 604. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 602 may represent one or more circuits configurable to perform at least a portion of data signal computing procedures or processes related to the operation of the base station 600.

[0135]

[0143] The medium 620 and / or memory 604 may store instructions or program code 608, which, when executed by one or more processors 602, include executable code or software instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors 602, cause the one or more processors 602 to operate as a special-purpose computer programmed to perform the techniques disclosed herein. As shown in base station 600, the medium 620 and / or memory 604 may include one or more components or modules that may be implemented by the one or more processors 602 to perform the methods described herein. While the components or modules are shown as software in the medium 620 executable by the one or more processors 602, it should be understood that the components or modules may be stored in memory 604 or may be dedicated hardware either within or external to the one or more processors 602. Several software modules and data tables may reside in the medium 620 and / or memory 604 and be utilized by the one or more processors 602 to manage both the communications and functionality described herein. It should be appreciated that the organization of the contents of the medium 620 and / or memory 604 shown in the base station 600 is merely exemplary, and thus the functionality of the modules and / or data structures may be combined, separated, and / or structured in different ways depending on the implementation of the base station 600.

[0136]

[0144] The medium 620 and / or memory 604 may include a positioning session module 622 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 602, configures the one or more processors 602 to engage in a positioning session with the UE and a location server via the external interface (the transceiver 610 and the communication interface 616). For example, the one or more processors 602 may be configured to receive a location service request message from the location server and forward the location service request message to the UE, e.g., in an LPP message or a SUPL message. The one or more processors 602 are further configured to receive a location service response message from the UE and forward the location service response message to the location server, e.g., in an LPP message or a SUPL message.

[0137]

[0145] The medium 620 and / or memory 604 may include an early uplink grant request module 624 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 602, configures the one or more processors 602 to receive a message that triggers an early UL grant for the UE. The message may be received from either a location server or the UE. The message may indicate a priority level for the UE positioning session, such as whether the positioning session is for an emergency scenario. The one or more processors 602 may be configured to determine whether the priority level warrants an early UL grant, e.g., whether the indication of the priority level is greater than a threshold priority level. The one or more processors 602 may be configured to receive a message simply requesting or recommending that an early UL grant be provided to the UE and to accept or reject the request, e.g., based on network load. The message may include an indication of the need for multiple grants for repetition, e.g., periodic location requests. The one or more processors 602 may be configured to determine whether repetition is necessary and, if so, how many repetitions may be necessary based on signal quality with the UE, which may be obtained, for example, through measurement reports or mobility state from connection setup, connection resumption, or re-establishment with the UE.

[0138]

[0146] The medium 620 and / or the memory 604 may include an early uplink grant transmission module 626 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 602, configures the one or more processors 602 to send an early UL grant to the UE, i.e., before the UE needs an UL grant to respond to a location service request. The one or more processors 602 may be configured to send a single UL grant or multiple grants for recurring, e.g., periodic, location requests.

[0139]

[0147] The medium 620 and / or the memory 604 may include an early connect module 628 that, when implemented by the one or more processors 602, configures the one or more processors 602 to receive a request for an early connect before the UE is ready to send location information to a location server when the UE is in idle mode during a positioning session.

[0140]

[0148] The methods described herein may be implemented by various means depending on the application. For example, these methods may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. In a hardware implementation, the one or more processors 602 may be implemented within one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or combinations thereof.

[0141]

[0149] For a firmware and / or software implementation, the methods may be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium tangibly embodying instructions may be used in implementing the methodologies described herein. For example, software code may be stored in non-transitory computer-readable medium 620 or memory 604 coupled to and executed by one or more processors 602. The memory may be implemented within the one or more processors or external to the one or more processors. The term “memory,” as used herein, may refer to long-term, short-term, volatile, non-volatile, or any other type of memory, and should not be limited to a specific type or number of memories or the type of medium on which the memory is stored.

[0142]

[0150] If implemented in firmware and / or software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or program code 608 on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the medium 620 and / or the memory 604. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with a data structure and computer-readable media encoded with computer program code 608. For example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium with program code 608 stored thereon may include program code 608 for supporting early uplink grant for a UE to respond to a location service request in a manner consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The non-transitory computer-readable medium 620 includes a physical computer storage medium. A storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code 608 in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer; disk and disc, as used herein, include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically and discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0143]

[0151] In addition to being stored on the computer-readable medium 620, the instructions and / or data may be provided as signals on a transmission medium contained in a communications device. For example, a communications device may include a transceiver 610 having signals indicative of instructions and data. The instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. That is, the communications device includes a transmission medium with signals indicative of information to perform the disclosed functions.

[0144]

[0152] Memory 604 may represent any data storage mechanism. Memory 604 may include, for example, primary memory and / or secondary memory. Primary memory may include, for example, random access memory, read-only memory, etc. While shown in this example as being separate from one or more processors 602, it should be understood that all or a portion of the primary memory may be provided within one or more processors 602 or, in some cases, co-located / coupled with one or more processors 602. Secondary memory may include, for example, the same or similar type of memory as the primary memory and / or one or more data storage devices or systems, such as, for example, disk drives, optical disk drives, tape drives, solid-state memory drives, etc.

[0145]

[0153] In some implementations, the secondary memory may be operatively capable of receiving, or possibly configurable to couple to, a non-transitory computer-readable medium 620. Thus, in some example implementations, the methods and / or apparatuses presented herein may take the form, in whole or in part, of a computer-readable medium 620, which may include computer-implementable program code 608 stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors 602, may be operatively enabled to perform all or a portion of the example operations described herein. The computer-readable medium 620 may be part of the memory 604.

[0146]

[0154] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for an example method 700 for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), such as the UE 102 shown in FIG. 1, performed by the UE in a manner consistent with the disclosed implementation.

[0147]

[0155] At block 702, the UE receives a request for location information from a location server (e.g., LMF 152 or SLP 162), e.g., as described in stage 1 of Figure 2 or stage 1 of Figure 3. The means for receiving a request for location information from a location server may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as a positioning session module 422, as shown in Figure 4.

[0148]

[0156] At block 704, the UE receives an uplink grant from a base station (e.g., serving gNB 110-1) before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server, e.g., as described in step 3 of FIG. 2 or step 5 of FIG. 3. The uplink grant may be received, for example, in a downlink control information (DCI) message. Means for receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server may include, for example, the wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as an early uplink grant receiving module 426 shown in FIG. 4.

[0149]

[0157] In block 706, the UE sends the location information to the location server using an uplink grant, e.g., as described in step 4 of Figure 2 or step 7 of Figure 3. Means for sending the location information to the location server using an uplink grant may include, for example, the wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as the positioning session module 422 shown in Figure 4.

[0150]

[0158] In one implementation, for example, an uplink grant from a base station may be received before the UE completes positioning measurements, e.g., as described in stage 4 of FIG. 2 or stage 6 of FIG. 3. In one implementation, the location information may comprise the positioning measurements, e.g., as described in stage 4 of FIG. 2 or stage 7 of FIG. 3. In one implementation, the UE may determine a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, e.g., as described in stage 4 of FIG. 2 or stage 7 of FIG. 3, where the location information comprises the position estimate. Means for determining a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, where the location information comprises the position estimate, may include, for example, one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as positioning session module 422 shown in FIG. 4.

[0151]

[0159] In one implementation, the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the UE may receive a periodic uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, e.g., as described in steps 3, 5, and 8 of Figure 2 or steps 5 and 11 of Figure 3, and may send the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant, e.g., as described in steps 4, 6, and 9 of Figure 2 or steps 7 and 13 of Figure 3. Means for receiving a periodic uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server may include, for example, the wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as an early uplink grant receiving module 426 shown in Figure 4. The means for sending periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as a positioning session module 422, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0152]

[0160] In one implementation, the UE receives the uplink grant from the base station in response to a message sent from the location server to the base station to trigger an uplink grant for the UE, e.g., as described in step 2 of FIG. 2. In some implementations, the request for location information may be a request for periodic location information, and the UE may receive the uplink grant from the second base station before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server. The uplink grant from the second base station may be received in response to either a second request for uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station, e.g., as described in steps 7 and 8 of FIG. 2, or an indication of UL grant sent from the base station to the second base station during handover of the UE from the base station to the second base station. The uplink grant from the second base station may alternatively be received in response to an indication of UL grant sent from the base station to the second base station during handover of the UE from the base station to the second base station, e.g., as described in steps 7A and 8 of FIG. 2. The UE may then send periodic location information to the location server using an uplink grant, e.g., as described in step 9 of Figure 2. Means for receiving an uplink grant from the second base station in response to a second request for an uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server may include, e.g., wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 404 and / or medium 420 in UE 400, such as early uplink grant receiving module 426 shown in Figure 4. Means for sending periodic location information to the location server using an uplink grant may include, e.g., wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 404 and / or medium 420 in UE 400, such as positioning session module 422 shown in Figure 4.

[0153]

[0161] In one implementation, the UE may send a request for uplink grant to the base station before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server, e.g., as described in stage 4 of FIG. 3, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to the request for uplink grant. Means for sending a request for uplink grant to the base station before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to the request for uplink grant, may include, e.g., the wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as the early uplink grant request module 424 shown in FIG. 4. In one implementation, the UE may further send a request for early connection before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server, e.g., as described in stage 3 of FIG. 3. The means for sending a request for early connect before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server may include, for example, the wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as the early connect module 428 shown in FIG. 4. In one example, the request for location information may be a request for periodic location information, and the UE may send a request for an uplink grant to the base station each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, e.g., as described in steps 4 and 10 of FIG. 3, and send the periodic location information to the location server using an uplink grant, e.g., as described in steps 7 and 13 of FIG. 3.Means for sending a request for an uplink grant to the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as an early uplink grant request module 426, as shown in FIG. 4. Means for sending periodic location information to the location server using an uplink grant may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 410 and one or more processors 402 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 404 and / or medium 420 in the UE 400, such as a positioning session module 422, as shown in FIG.

[0154]

[0162] In one implementation, the request for location information may be received via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and the location information may be sent via the LPP. In another implementation, the request for location information may be received via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), and the location information may be sent via the SUPL.

[0155]

[0163] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart for an example method 800 for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), such as the user equipment (UE) 102 shown in FIG. 1, performed by a location server, such as the LMF 152 or the SLP 162 shown in FIG. 1, in a manner consistent with the disclosed implementation.

[0156]

[0164] In block 802, the location server sends a request for information related to location services to the UE, e.g., as described in step 1 of Figure 2. Means for sending a request for information related to location services to the UE may include, for example, the external interface 516 and one or more processors 502 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 504 and / or medium 520 in the location server 500, such as the positioning session module 522 shown in Figure 5.

[0157]

[0165] In block 804, the location server sends a message to the base station to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request, e.g., as described in step 2 of FIG. 2. The uplink grant from the base station is received by the UE, e.g., before the UE is ready to send a response to the request. For example, the message to induce an uplink grant may be sent in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) message. Means for sending a message to the base station to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request may include, e.g., the external interface 516 and one or more processors 502 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 504 and / or medium 520 in the location server 500, such as an early uplink grant module 524 shown in FIG. 5.

[0158]

[0166] In block 806, the location server receives a response from the UE to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant, e.g., as described in stage 4 of FIG. 2. For example, in one implementation, the request related to location services may be a request for UE capabilities, and the response to the request may be a capabilities response. In one implementation, the request for information related to location services may be a request for location information, and the response to the request may be location information. The location information may include, e.g., positioning measurements by the UE. The location information may include, e.g., a position estimate generated by the UE. Means for receiving a response from the UE to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant may include, e.g., the external interface 516 and one or more processors 502 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 504 and / or medium 520 in the location server 500, such as positioning session module 522 shown in FIG. 5.

[0159]

[0167] In one implementation, the request for information related to location services may be a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for triggering an uplink grant for the UE may include a message for triggering uplink grant repetitions for responding to the request for periodic location information. In one implementation, the location server may send to the second base station a second message for triggering uplink grant repetitions for responding to the request for periodic location information, for example, when the UE is handed off to or performs cell reselection to the second base station, as described in step 7 of FIG. 2. Means for sending to the second base station a second message for triggering uplink grant repetitions for responding to the request for periodic location information when the UE is handed off to the second base station may include, for example, the external interface 516 and one or more processors 502 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 504 and / or medium 520 in the location server 500, such as early uplink grant module 524 shown in FIG.

[0160]

[0168] In one implementation, a request for information related to location services may be sent via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and a response to the request may be received via the LPP. In another implementation, a request for information related to location services may be sent via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), and a response to the request may be received via the SUPL.

[0161]

[0169] FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart for an example method 900 for supporting location services for a UE, such as a user equipment (UE) 102 shown in FIG. 1, implemented by a base station, such as a gNB 110 shown in FIG. 1, in a manner consistent with the disclosed implementation.

[0162]

[0170] In block 902, the base station receives a message to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server (e.g., LMF 152 or SLP 162) for information related to location services, e.g., as described in step 2 of Figure 2 or step 4 of Figure 3. Means for receiving a message to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to location services may include, for example, the wireless transceiver 610 or communication interface 616 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 604 and / or medium 620 in the base station 600, such as an early uplink grant request module 624 shown in Figure 6.

[0163]

[0171] In block 904, the base station sends an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to location services, e.g., as described in step 3 of FIG. 2 or step 5 of FIG. 3. The uplink grant may be sent to the UE before the UE completes positioning measurements. Means for sending an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to location services may include, for example, the wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 604 and / or medium 620 in the base station 600, such as an early uplink grant transmission module 626 shown in FIG. 6.

[0164]

[0172] In block 906, the base station receives and forwards to the location server a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant, e.g., as described in step 4 of Figure 2 or step 7 of Figure 3. Means for receiving and forwarding to the location server a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant may include, e.g., wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 604 and / or medium 620 in base station 600, such as positioning session module 622 shown in Figure 6.

[0165]

[0173] In one implementation, the request related to location services may be a request for UE capabilities, and the response to the request may be a capability response. In another implementation, the request for information related to location services may be a request for location information, and the response to the request may be location information. The location information may include, for example, positioning measurements by the UE. The location information may include, for example, a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0166]

[0174] In one implementation, the message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE may be received from a location server, e.g., as described in step 2 of Figure 2. For example, the message to trigger an uplink grant may be received in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) message. The request for information related to location services may be a request for periodic location information, where the message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE may be a message to trigger uplink grant repetition, and the base station may send a periodic uplink grant to the UE, e.g., as described in steps 3, 5, and 8 of Figure 2 or steps 5 and 11 of Figure 3, and may receive the periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forward the periodic location information to the location server, e.g., as described in steps 4, 6, and 9 of Figure 2 or steps 7 and 13 of Figure 3. The means for sending periodic uplink grants to the UE may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 604 and / or medium 620 in the base station 600, such as an early uplink grant sending module 626, as shown in FIG. 6. The means for receiving periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forwarding the periodic location information to the location server may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 604 and / or medium 620 in the base station 600, such as a positioning session module 622, as shown in FIG.

[0167]

[0175] In one implementation, the message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE may be a request for uplink grant received from the UE, e.g., as described in stage 4 of FIG. 3. For example, the request for uplink grant may be received in a physical layer message, and the uplink grant may be sent in a downlink control information (DCI) message. The base station may receive a request for early connection from the UE, e.g., as described in stage 3 of FIG. 3. Means for receiving a request for early connection from the UE may include, for example, the wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in the memory 604 and / or medium 620 in the base station 600, such as an early connection module 628 shown in FIG. 6. The request for location information may be a request for periodic location information, and the base station may receive from the UE a request for an uplink grant to respond to the request for periodic location information, e.g., as described in step 4 of Figure 3, send the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for periodic location information, e.g., as described in step 5 of Figure 3, and receive and forward to the location server a response to the request for periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant, e.g., as described in step 7 of Figure 3. Means for receiving from the UE a request for an uplink grant to respond to the request for periodic location information may include wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 604 and / or medium 620 in base station 600, such as early uplink grant request module 624, as shown in Figure 6.Means for sending an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for periodic location information may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 604 and / or medium 620 in the base station 600, such as an early uplink grant sending module 626 as shown in FIG. 6. Means for receiving and forwarding a response to the request for periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant to the location server may include, for example, a wireless transceiver 610 and one or more processors 602 with dedicated hardware or implementing executable code or software instructions in memory 604 and / or medium 620 in the base station 600, such as a positioning session module 622 as shown in FIG.

[0168]

[0176] In one implementation, the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE may be an indication of an uplink grant received from a second base station, wherein the UE is handed off from the second base station to the base station.

[0169]

[0177] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0170]

[0178] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0171]

[0179] The various example logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0172]

[0180] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in software modules executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software modules may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., UE). Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0173]

[0181] In one or more exemplary aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. As used herein, disk and disc include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically and discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0174]

[0182] In view of this description, embodiments may include different combinations of features. Example implementations are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0175]

[0183] Clause 1. A method implemented by a user equipment (UE) for supporting location services for the UE, the method comprising: receiving a request for location information from a location server; receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; and sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0176]

[0184] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received before the UE completes positioning measurements.

[0177]

[0185] Clause 3. The method of clause 2, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements.

[0178]

[0186] Clause 4. The method of clause 2, further comprising determining a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, wherein the location information comprises the position estimate.

[0179]

[0187] Clause 5. The method of any of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the method further comprises receiving a periodic uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0180]

[0188] Clause 6. The method of any of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to a message sent from the location server to the base station for inducing an uplink grant for the UE.

[0181]

[0189] Clause 7. The method of clause 6, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the method further comprises receiving an uplink grant from the second base station before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant, wherein receiving the uplink grant is in response to either a second request for uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station or an indication of UL grant sent from the base station to the second base station during handover of the UE from the base station to the second base station.

[0182]

[0190] Clause 8. The method of any of clauses 1 to 7, further comprising sending a request for uplink authorization to the base station before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server, wherein the UE receives an uplink authorization from the base station in response to the request for uplink authorization.

[0183]

[0191] Clause 9. The method of clause 8, further comprising sending a request for early connection before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server.

[0184]

[0192] Clause 10. The method of clause 9, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the method further comprises sending a request for an uplink grant to the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0185]

[0193] Clause 11. The method of any of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the request for location information is received via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) and the location information is sent via the LPP.

[0186]

[0194] Clause 12. The method of any of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the request for location information is received via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the location information is sent via SUPL.

[0187]

[0195] Clause 13. The method of any of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the uplink grant is received in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0188]

[0196] Clause 14. A user equipment (UE) configured to support location services for the UE, comprising: a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with other entities in a wireless network; at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive, via the wireless transceiver, a request for location information from a location server; receive, via the wireless transceiver, an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; and send, via the wireless transceiver, the location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0189]

[0197] Clause 15. The UE of clause 14, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received before the UE completes positioning measurements.

[0190]

[0198] Clause 16. The UE of clause 15, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements.

[0191]

[0199] Clause 17. The UE of clause 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, and wherein the location information comprises the position estimate.

[0192]

[0200] Clause 18. A UE as described in any of clauses 14 to 17, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, via the wireless transceiver, a periodic uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server; and send, via the wireless transceiver, the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0193]

[0201] Clause 19. A UE according to any of clauses 14 to 18, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to a message sent from the location server to the base station for inducing an uplink grant for the UE.

[0194]

[0202] Clause 20. The UE of clause 19, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, in response to a second request for an uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station, via the wireless transceiver, an uplink grant from the second base station before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server; and send, via the wireless transceiver, the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0195]

[0203] Clause 21. A UE as described in any of clauses 14 to 20, wherein at least one processor is further configured to send, via the wireless transceiver, a request for an uplink grant to a base station before the UE is ready to send location information to a location server, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to the request for uplink grant.

[0196]

[0204] Clause 22. The UE of clause 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send, via the wireless transceiver, a request for early connection before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server.

[0197]

[0205] Clause 23. The UE of clause 22, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: send, via the wireless transceiver, a request for an uplink grant to the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server; and send, via the wireless transceiver, the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0198]

[0206] Clause 24. The UE of any of clauses 14 to 23, wherein the request for location information is received via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) and the location information is sent via the LPP.

[0199]

[0207] Clause 25. The UE of any of clauses 14 to 23, wherein the request for location information is received via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the location information is sent via the SUPL.

[0200]

[0208] Clause 26. The UE of any of clauses 14 to 25, wherein the uplink grant is received in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0201]

[0209] Clause 27. A user equipment (UE), configured to support location services for the UE, comprising: means for receiving a request for location information from a location server; means for receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; and means for sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0202]

[0210] Clause 28. The UE of clause 27, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received before the UE completes positioning measurements.

[0203]

[0211] Clause 29. The UE of clause 28, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements.

[0204]

[0212] Clause 30. The UE of clause 28, further comprising means for determining a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, wherein the location information comprises the position estimate.

[0205]

[0213] Clause 31. A UE as described in any of clauses 27 to 30, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and further comprising means for receiving a periodic uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and means for sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0206]

[0214] Clause 32. A UE according to any of clauses 27 to 31, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to a message sent from the location server to the base station for inducing an uplink grant for the UE.

[0207]

[0215] Clause 33. The UE of clause 32, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and further comprising: means for receiving an uplink grant from the second base station before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server; and means for sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant, wherein receiving the uplink grant is in response to either a second request for uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station or an indication of UL grant sent from the base station to the second base station during handover of the UE from the base station to the second base station.

[0208]

[0216] Clause 34. A UE as described in any of clauses 27 to 33, further comprising means for sending a request for uplink permission to a base station before the UE is ready to send location information to a location server, wherein the UE receives an uplink permission from the base station in response to the request for uplink permission.

[0209]

[0217] Clause 35. The UE of clause 34, further comprising means for sending a request for early connection before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server.

[0210]

[0218] Clause 36. The UE of clause 35, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and further comprising means for sending a request for an uplink grant to the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and means for sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0211]

[0219] Clause 37. The UE of any of clauses 27 to 36, wherein the request for location information is received via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) and the location information is sent via the LPP.

[0212]

[0220] Clause 38. The UE of any of clauses 27 to 36, wherein the request for location information is received via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the location information is sent via the SUPL.

[0213]

[0221] Clause 39. The UE of any of clauses 27 to 38, wherein the uplink grant is received in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0214]

[0222] Clause 40. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon, the program code operable to configure at least one processor in a user equipment (UE) to support location services for the UE, the program code comprising instructions for receiving a request for location information from a location server; receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; and sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0215]

[0223] Clause 41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 40, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received before the UE completes positioning measurements.

[0216]

[0224] Clause 42. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 41, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements.

[0217]

[0225] Clause 43. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 41, further comprising instructions for determining a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, wherein the location information comprises the position estimate.

[0218]

[0226] Clause 44. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 40 to 43, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the program code further comprises instructions for receiving a periodic uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0219]

[0227] Clause 45. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 40 to 44, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to a message sent from the location server to the base station for inducing an uplink grant for the UE.

[0220]

[0228] Clause 46. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 45, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the program code further comprises instructions for receiving an uplink grant from the second base station before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant, wherein receiving the uplink grant is in response to either a second request for uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station or an indication of UL grant sent from the base station to the second base station during handover of the UE from the base station to the second base station.

[0221]

[0229] Clause 47. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 40 to 46, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for sending a request for an uplink grant to the base station before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server, wherein the UE receives an uplink grant from the base station in response to the request for uplink grant.

[0222]

[0230] Clause 48. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 47, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for sending a request for early connection before the UE is ready to send location information to the location server.

[0223]

[0231] Clause 49. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 48, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the program code further comprises instructions for sending a request for an uplink grant to the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send the periodic location information to the location server, and sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant.

[0224]

[0232] Clause 50. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 40 to 49, wherein the request for location information is received via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) and the location information is sent via the LPP.

[0225]

[0233] Clause 51. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 40 to 49, wherein the request for location information is received via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the location information is sent via the SUPL.

[0226]

[0234] Clause 52. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 40 to 51, wherein the uplink grant is received in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0227]

[0235] Clause 53. A method, implemented by a location server, for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), comprising: sending a request to the UE for information related to the location services; sending a message to a base station to elicit an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request; and receiving a response from the UE to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant.

[0228]

[0236] Clause 54. The method of clause 53, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received by the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request.

[0229]

[0237] Clause 55. The method of any of clauses 53 or 54, wherein the request related to location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0230]

[0238] Clause 56. The method of any of clauses 53 or 54, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0231]

[0239] Clause 57. The method of clause 56, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0232]

[0240] Clause 58. The method of clause 56, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0233]

[0241] Clause 59. The method of any of clauses 53 to 58, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for triggering an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for triggering uplink grant repetition in response to the request for periodic location information.

[0234]

[0242] Clause 60. The method of clause 59, wherein the method further comprises sending a second message to the second base station to trigger uplink grant repetition to respond to the request for periodic location information when the UE is handed off to or performs cell reselection to the second base station.

[0235]

[0243] Clause 61. The method of any of clauses 53 to 60, wherein a request for information related to location services is sent via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and a response to the request is received via the LPP.

[0236]

[0244] Clause 62. The method of any of clauses 53 to 60, wherein a request for information related to location services is sent via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and a response to the request is received via the SUPL.

[0237]

[0245] Clause 63. The method of any of clauses 53 to 62, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is sent in a New Radiolocation Protocol A message.

[0238]

[0246] Clause 64. A location server configured to support location services for user equipment (UE), comprising: an external interface configured to communicate with other entities in a wireless network; at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the external interface and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: send, via the external interface, a request for information related to location services to the UE; send, via the external interface, a message to a base station to elicit an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request; and receive, via the external interface, a response to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant from the UE.

[0239]

[0247] Clause 65. The location server of clause 64, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received by the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request.

[0240]

[0248] Clause 66. The location server of either clause 64 or 65, wherein the request relating to the location service comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0241]

[0249] Clause 67. The location server of either clause 64 or 65, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0242]

[0250] Clause 68. The location server of clause 67, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0243]

[0251] Clause 69. The location server of clause 67, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0244]

[0252] Clause 70. A location server as described in any of clauses 64 to 69, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition in response to the request for periodic location information.

[0245]

[0253] Clause 71. The location server of Clause 70, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send, via the external interface, a second message to the second base station to trigger uplink grant repetition to respond to the request for periodic location information when the UE is handed off to or performs cell reselection to the second base station.

[0246]

[0254] Clause 72. A location server according to any of clauses 64 to 71, wherein a request for information relating to location services is sent via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and a response to the request is received via the LPP.

[0247]

[0255] Clause 73. A location server according to any of clauses 64 to 71, wherein a request for information relating to location services is sent via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and a response to the request is received via the SUPL.

[0248]

[0256] Clause 74. The location server according to any of clauses 64 to 73, wherein the message for inducing the uplink authorization is sent in a New Radio Location Protocol A message.

[0249]

[0257] Clause 75. A location server configured to support location services for a user equipment (UE), the location server comprising: means for sending a request for information related to the location service to the UE; means for sending a message to a base station to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request; and means for receiving from the UE a response to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant.

[0250]

[0258] Clause 76. The location server of clause 75, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received by the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request.

[0251]

[0259] Clause 77. The location server of either clause 75 or 76, wherein the request relating to the location service comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0252]

[0260] Clause 78. The location server of either clause 75 or 76, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0253]

[0261] Clause 79. The location server of clause 78, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0254]

[0262] Clause 80. The location server of clause 78, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0255]

[0263] Clause 81. A location server as described in any of clauses 75 to 80, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition in response to the request for periodic location information.

[0256]

[0264] Clause 82. The location server of clause 81, further comprising means for sending a second message to the second base station to trigger uplink grant repetition to respond to the request for periodic location information when the UE is handed off to or performs cell reselection to the second base station.

[0257]

[0265] Clause 83. A location server according to any of clauses 75 to 82, wherein a request for information relating to location services is sent via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and a response to the request is received via the LPP.

[0258]

[0266] Clause 84. A location server according to any of clauses 75 to 82, wherein a request for information relating to location services is sent via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and a response to the request is received via the SUPL.

[0259]

[0267] Clause 85. The location server according to any of clauses 75 to 84, wherein the message for inducing the uplink authorization is sent in a New Radio Location Protocol A message.

[0260]

[0268] Clause 86. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon, the program code operable to configure at least one processor in a location server to support location services for user equipment (UE), the program code comprising instructions for sending a request for information related to the location services to the UE, sending a message to a base station to elicit an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request, and receiving a response from the UE to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant.

[0261]

[0269] Clause 87. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 86, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received by the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request.

[0262]

[0270] Clause 88. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of either clause 86 or 87, wherein the request related to location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0263]

[0271] Clause 89. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of either clause 86 or 87, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0264]

[0272] Clause 90. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 89, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0265]

[0273] Clause 91. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 89, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0266]

[0274] Clause 92. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any of clauses 86 to 91, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition in response to the request for periodic location information.

[0267]

[0275] Clause 93. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 92, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for sending a second message to the second base station to trigger uplink grant repetitions to respond to the request for periodic location information when the UE is handed off to or performs cell reselection to the second base station.

[0268]

[0276] Clause 94. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 86 to 93, wherein a request for information related to location services is sent via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and a response to the request is received via the LPP.

[0269]

[0277] Clause 95. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any of clauses 86 to 93, wherein a request for information relating to location services is sent via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), and a response to the request is received via the SUPL.

[0270]

[0278] Clause 96. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 86 to 95, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is sent in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A message.

[0271]

[0279] Clause 97. A method, implemented by a base station, for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service; sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send the response to the request for information related to the location service; and receiving and forwarding to the location server the response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0272]

[0280] Clause 98. The method of clause 97, wherein the uplink grant is sent to the UE before the UE completes the positioning measurements.

[0273]

[0281] Clause 99. The method of any of clauses 97 or 98, wherein the request related to location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0274]

[0282] Clause 100. The method of any of clauses 97 or 98, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0275]

[0283] Clause 101. The method of clause 100, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0276]

[0284] Clause 102. The method of clause 100, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0277]

[0285] Clause 103. The method of any of clauses 97 to 102, wherein a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is received from a location server.

[0278]

[0286] Clause 104. The method of clause 103, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition, and the method further comprises sending the periodic uplink grant to the UE, receiving the periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant, and forwarding the periodic location information to the location server.

[0279]

[0287] Clause 105. The method of clause 103, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is received in a New Radiolocation Protocol A message.

[0280]

[0288] Clause 106. The method of any of clauses 97 to 105, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is a request for an uplink grant received from the UE.

[0281]

[0289] Clause 107. The method of clause 106, further comprising receiving a request for early connection from the UE.

[0282]

[0290] Clause 108. The method of clause 106, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, the method further comprising receiving a request from the UE for an uplink grant to respond to the request for periodic location information, sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send the response to the request for periodic location information, and receiving and forwarding to the location server the response to the request for periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0283]

[0291] Clause 109. The method of any of clauses 106 to 108, wherein the request for an uplink grant is received in a physical layer message and the uplink grant is sent in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0284]

[0292] Clause 110. The method of any of clauses 97 to 109, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is an indication of an uplink grant received from a second base station, and wherein the UE is handed off to the base station from the second base station.

[0285]

[0293] Clause 111. A base station configured to support location services for user equipment (UE), comprising: an external interface configured to communicate with other entities in a wireless network; at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the external interface and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive, via the external interface, a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service; send, via the external interface, the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location service; and receive, via the external interface, a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forward it to the location server.

[0286]

[0294] Clause 112. The base station of clause 111, wherein the uplink grant is sent to the UE before the UE completes the positioning measurements.

[0287]

[0295] Clause 113. The base station of either clause 111 or 112, wherein the request related to location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0288]

[0296] Clause 114. The base station of either clause 111 or 112, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0289]

[0297] Clause 115. The base station of clause 114, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0290]

[0298] Clause 116. The base station of clause 114, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0291]

[0299] Clause 117. The base station according to any of clauses 111 to 116, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is received from a location server.

[0292]

[0300] Clause 118. The base station of clause 117, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: send, via an external interface, the periodic uplink grant to the UE; receive, via the external interface, the periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant; and forward the periodic location information to the location server.

[0293]

[0301] Clause 119. The base station of clause 117, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is received in a New Radiolocation Protocol A message.

[0294]

[0302] Clause 120. The base station according to any of clauses 111 to 119, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is a request for an uplink grant received from the UE.

[0295]

[0303] Clause 121. The base station of clause 120, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive, via the external interface, a request for early connection from the UE.

[0296]

[0304] Clause 122. The base station of clause 121, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, via the external interface, from the UE, a request for an uplink grant for responding to the request for periodic location information; send, via the external interface, the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for periodic location information; and receive, via the external interface, the response to the request for periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forward it to the location server.

[0297]

[0305] Clause 123. The base station of any of clauses 120 to 122, wherein the request for an uplink grant is received in a physical layer message and the uplink grant is sent in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0298]

[0306] Clause 124. The base station of any of clauses 111 to 123, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is an indication of an uplink grant received from a second base station, and wherein the UE is handed off from the second base station to the base station.

[0299]

[0307] Clause 125. A base station configured to support location services for a user equipment (UE), comprising: means for receiving a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service; means for sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location service; and means for receiving and forwarding to the location server the response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0300]

[0308] Clause 126. The base station of clause 125, wherein the uplink grant is sent to the UE before the UE completes positioning measurements.

[0301]

[0309] Clause 127. The base station of either clause 125 or 126, wherein the request related to location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0302]

[0310] Clause 128. The base station of either clause 125 or 126, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0303]

[0311] Clause 129. The base station of clause 128, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0304]

[0312] Clause 130. The base station of clause 128, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0305]

[0313] Clause 131. The base station according to any of clauses 125 to 130, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is received from a location server.

[0306]

[0314] Clause 132. The base station of clause 131, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition, and further comprising means for sending the periodic uplink grant to the UE, and means for receiving the periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forwarding the periodic location information to the location server.

[0307]

[0315] Clause 133. The base station of clause 131, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is received in a New Radiolocation Protocol A message.

[0308]

[0316] Clause 134. The base station according to any of clauses 125 to 133, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is a request for an uplink grant received from the UE.

[0309]

[0317] Clause 135. The base station of clause 134, further comprising means for receiving a request for early connection from the UE.

[0310]

[0318] Clause 136. The base station of clause 134, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, further comprising means for receiving from the UE a request for an uplink grant for responding to the request for periodic location information, means for sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for periodic location information, and means for receiving and forwarding to the location server a response to the request for periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0311]

[0319] Clause 137. The base station of any of clauses 134 to 136, wherein the request for an uplink grant is received in a physical layer message and the uplink grant is sent in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0312]

[0320] Clause 138. The base station of any of clauses 125 to 137, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is an indication of an uplink grant received from a second base station, and wherein the UE is handed off from the second base station to the base station.

[0313]

[0321] Clause 139. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon, the program code operable to configure at least one processor in a base station to support location services for user equipment (UE), the program code comprising instructions for receiving a message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service, sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send the response to the request for information related to the location service, and receiving and forwarding to the location server the response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0314]

[0322] Clause 140. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 139, wherein the uplink grant is sent to the UE before the UE completes positioning measurements.

[0315]

[0323] Clause 141. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of either clause 139 or 140, wherein the request related to location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

[0316]

[0324] Clause 142. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of either clause 139 or 140, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

[0317]

[0325] Clause 143. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 142, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE.

[0318]

[0326] Clause 144. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 142, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE.

[0319]

[0327] Clause 145. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 139 to 144, wherein a message to trigger an uplink grant for the UE is received from a location server.

[0320]

[0328] Clause 146. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 145, wherein the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition, and the program code further comprises instructions for sending the periodic uplink grant to the UE, receiving periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant, and forwarding the periodic location information to the location server.

[0321]

[0329] Clause 147. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 145, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is received in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A message.

[0322]

[0330] Clause 148. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 139 to 147, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is a request for an uplink grant received from the UE.

[0323]

[0331] Clause 149. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 148, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for receiving a request for an early connection from a UE.

[0324]

[0332] Clause 150. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clause 148, wherein the request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the program code further comprises instructions for receiving from the UE a request for an uplink grant for responding to the request for periodic location information, sending the uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for periodic location information, and receiving and forwarding to the location server a response to the request for periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant.

[0325]

[0333] Clause 151. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 148 to 150, wherein the request for an uplink grant is received in a physical layer message and the uplink grant is sent in a downlink control information (DCI) message.

[0326]

[0334] Clause 152. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of any of clauses 139 to 151, wherein the message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE is an indication of an uplink grant received from a second base station, and wherein the UE is handed off from the second base station to the base station.

[0327]

[0335] While the above disclosure sets forth exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The functions, steps and / or actions of the method claims in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Furthermore, although elements of the present disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The inventions described in the claims of the present application as originally filed are set forth below. [C1] 1. A method, implemented by a user equipment (UE), for supporting location services for the UE, comprising: receiving a request for location information from a location server; receiving an uplink grant from a base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant; A method comprising: [C2] The method of C1, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received before the UE completes positioning measurements. [C3] The method of C2, wherein the location information comprises the positioning measurements. [C4] The method of C2, further comprising determining a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, wherein the location information comprises the position estimate. [C5] The request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the method further comprises: receiving an uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server; sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant; The method of C1, further comprising: [C6] The method of C1, wherein the UE receives the uplink grant from the base station in response to a message sent from the location server to the base station for inducing the uplink grant for the UE. [C7] The request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the method further comprises: receiving an uplink grant from a second base station before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server, wherein receiving the uplink grant is in response to either a second request for the uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station or an indication of an uplink grant sent from the base station to the second base station during handover of the UE from the base station to the second base station. sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant; The method of C6, further comprising: [C8] sending a request for the uplink grant to the base station before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server, wherein the UE receives the uplink grant from the base station in response to the request for the uplink grant. The method of C1, further comprising: [C9] sending a request for early connection before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; The method of C8, further comprising: [C10] The request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the method further comprises: sending a request for the uplink grant to the base station each period before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server; sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant; The method of C9, further comprising: [C11] The method of claim 1, wherein the request for location information is received via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and the location information is sent via LPP. [C12] The method of C1, wherein the request for location information is received via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the location information is sent via SUPL. [C13] The method of C1, wherein the uplink grant is received in a downlink control information (DCI) message. [C14] a user equipment (UE) configured to support location services for the UE; a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with other entities in a wireless network; At least one memory; at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory; wherein the at least one processor: receiving a request for location information from a location server via the wireless transceiver; receiving an uplink grant from a base station via the wireless transceiver before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; sending the location information to the location server using the uplink grant via the wireless transceiver; A user equipment (UE) configured to perform the following: [C15] The UE of C14, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received before the UE completes positioning measurements. [C16] The UE of C15, wherein the location information comprises the positioning measurements. [C17] The UE of C15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a position estimate based on the positioning measurements, and the location information comprises the position estimate. [C18] The request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the at least one processor: receiving, via the wireless transceiver, an uplink grant from the base station at each period before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server; sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant via the wireless transceiver; The UE of C14, further configured to: [C19] The UE of C14, wherein the UE receives the uplink grant from the base station in response to a message sent from the location server to the base station for inducing the uplink grant for the UE. [C20] The request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the at least one processor: receiving, via the wireless transceiver, an uplink grant from a second base station before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server, wherein receiving the uplink grant is in response to either a second request for the uplink grant sent from the location server to the second base station, or an indication of uplink grant sent from the base station to the second base station during handover of the UE from the base station to the second base station. sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant via the wireless transceiver; 19. The UE of claim 19, further configured to: [C21] The at least one processor: sending a request for the uplink grant to the base station via the wireless transceiver before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server, wherein the UE receives the uplink grant from the base station in response to the request for the uplink grant; The UE of C14, further configured to: [C22] The at least one processor: sending a request for early connection via the wireless transceiver before the UE is ready to send the location information to the location server; The UE of C21, further configured to: [C23] The request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the at least one processor: sending a request for the uplink grant to the base station via the wireless transceiver each period before the UE is ready to send periodic location information to the location server; sending the periodic location information to the location server using the uplink grant via the wireless transceiver; The UE of C22, further configured to: [C24] The UE of C14, wherein the request for location information is received via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) and the location information is sent via LPP. [C25] The UE of C14, wherein the request for location information is received via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the location information is sent via SUPL. [C26] The UE of C14, wherein the uplink grant is received in a downlink control information (DCI) message. [C27] 1. A method for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: sending a request for information related to the location services to the UE; sending a message to a base station to induce an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request; receiving a response from the UE to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant; A method comprising: [C28] The method of C27, wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received by the UE before the UE is ready to send the response to the request. [C29] The method of C27, wherein the request related to the location service comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capability response. [C30] The method of C27, wherein the request for information related to the location service comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information. [C31] The method of C30, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE. [C32] The method of C30, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE. [C33] the request for information related to the location services comprises a request for periodic location information; The method of C27, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition to respond to the request for periodic location information. [C34] The method comprises: sending a second message to the second base station to trigger uplink grant repetitions to respond to the request for periodic location information when the UE is handed off to or performs cell reselection to the second base station; The method of C33, further comprising: [C35] The method of C27, wherein the request for information related to the location service is sent via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and the response to the request is received via LPP. [C36] 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the request for information related to the location service is sent via a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) and the response to the request is received via SUPL. [C37] The method of C27, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is sent in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A message. [C38] 1. A method, implemented by a base station, for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service; sending an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location services; receiving a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forwarding it to the location server; A method comprising: [C39] The method of C38, wherein the uplink grant is sent to the UE before the UE completes positioning measurements. [C40] The method of C38, wherein the request related to the location service comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response. [C41] The method of C38, wherein the request for information related to the location service comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information. [C42] The method of C41, wherein the location information comprises positioning measurements by the UE. [C43] The method of C41, wherein the location information comprises a position estimate generated by the UE. [C44] The method of C38, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant for the UE is received from the location server. [C45] the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and the message for initiating the uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for initiating uplink grant repetition, and the method further comprises: sending an uplink grant to the UE; receiving periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forwarding the periodic location information to the location server; The method of C44, further comprising: [C46] The method of C44, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is received in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A message. [C47] The method of C38, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant for the UE is a request for uplink grant received from the UE. [C48] The method of C47, further comprising receiving a request for early connection from the UE. [C49] The request for location information comprises a request for periodic location information, and the method further comprises: receiving a request for the uplink grant from the UE in response to the request for periodic location information; sending an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send the response to the request for periodic location information; receiving and forwarding to the location server the response to the request for periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant; The method of C47, further comprising: [C50] The method of C47, wherein the request for an uplink grant is received in a physical layer message and the uplink grant is sent in a downlink control information (DCI) message. [C51] The method of claim 38, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant for the UE is an indication of an uplink grant received from a second base station, and the UE is handed off from the second base station to the base station.

Claims

1. 1. A method, implemented by a location server, for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), comprising: sending a request for information related to the location services to the UE; sending a message to a base station to trigger an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request; receiving from the UE a response to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink grant from the base station is received by the UE before the UE is ready to send the response to the request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for information related to the location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for information related to the location service comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

5. the request for information related to the location services comprises a request for periodic location information; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetitions to respond to the request for periodic location information.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for information related to the location services is sent via a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP), and the response to the request is received via an LPP.

7. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for information related to the location services is sent via Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), and the response to the request is received via SUPL.

8. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant is sent in a New Radio Positioning Protocol A message.

9. 1. A method, implemented by a base station, for supporting location services for a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from a location server for information related to the location service, wherein the message for inducing the uplink grant for the UE is received from the location server; sending an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location services; receiving a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forwarding it to the location server; A method comprising:

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the uplink grant is sent to the UE before the UE completes positioning measurements.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the request for information related to the location services comprises a request for capabilities of the UE, and the response to the request comprises a capabilities response.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the request for information related to the location service comprises a request for location information, and the response to the request comprises the location information.

13. the request for information related to location services comprises a request for periodic location information, and the message for inducing the uplink grant for the UE comprises a message for inducing uplink grant repetition, and the method further comprises: sending an uplink grant to the UE; receiving periodic location information sent from the UE using the uplink grant and forwarding the periodic location information to the location server; The method of claim 9 further comprising:

14. 1. A location server configured to support location services for user equipment (UE), comprising: means for sending a request for information related to the location services to the UE; means for sending a message to a base station to trigger an uplink grant for the UE to respond to the request; means for receiving from the UE a response to the request sent by the UE using the uplink grant; A location server comprising:

15. 1. A base station configured to support location services for a user equipment (UE), comprising: means for receiving, from a location server, a message for inducing an uplink grant for the UE to respond to a request from the location server for information related to the location service; means for sending an uplink grant to the UE before the UE is ready to send a response to the request for information related to the location services; means for receiving and forwarding to the location server a response to the request for information sent from the UE using the uplink grant; A base station comprising:

Images