Sidelink positioning architecture for wireless communication

Abstract

Sidelink positioning for wireless communications may be achieved by extending the current LoCation Services (LCS), PROximity based SErvices (ProSe), and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) architectures to include sidelink positioning during New Radio (NR) wireless communications, for example. The existing architecture infrastructures of LCS, ProSe, and V2X may be extended to include additional signaling and / or they may be modified to incorporate communication of sidelink positioning information into existing signaling and / or existing signaling may be modified to carry instructions between user equipment devices (UEs) and between UEs and associated network functions, either directly or via base stations, if applicable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communication including sidelink positioning in wireless communication.

Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems has been increasing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablet computers have become increasingly high-performance. Currently, many mobile devices (i.e., user equipment devices, or UEs) not only support telephone calls, but also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and can operate high-performance applications that utilize these functions. In addition, there are numerous different wireless communication technologies and standards. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (WCDMA, TDS-CDMA), LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), IEEE802.16 (WiMAX), BLUETOOTH TM and so on. Current telecommunications standards that exceed the current International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard are referred to as the 5th generation mobile network or 5th generation wireless system, 3GGP-NR (alternatively, known as 5G-NR or NR-5G representing 5G new radio, and also simply referred to as NR). NR proposes higher capacity for a denser population of mobile broadband users, and also supports ultra-high reliability and massive machine-to-machine communication between devices, as well as low latency and low battery consumption compared to the LTE standard.

[0003] One aspect of a wireless communication system including NR cellular wireless communication involves device-to-device communication including sidelink communication and device positioning during sidelink communication. Thus, improvements in this field are desired.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] This specification presents embodiments of methods and procedures for effective and efficient device positioning for communication devices, such as wireless communication devices, particularly during wireless communication, for example, during device-to-device communication or side-link communication. This specification further presents embodiments of wireless communication systems that include at least wireless communication devices or user equipment devices (UEs), and / or base stations and / or access points (APs) communicating with one another within the wireless communication system.

[0005] To more accurately determine device positioning, the ProSe, V2X, and LCS architectures may be extended to support sidelink device positioning. Therefore, additional signaling may be added, and / or existing signaling may be modified / extended, to incorporate information and instructions for implementing sidelink positioning between multiple UEs.

[0006] For example, in some embodiments, a UE may be configured to send an instruction in a NAS registration request message to the AMF of the core network indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning. The UE may then receive an instruction from the AMF granting permission for the UE to use sidelink positioning. In some cases, the instruction may be received in response to the AMF's decision that the UE is permitted to use sidelink positioning. In some cases, the instruction granting permission for the UE to use sidelink positioning may be received in a NAS registration acceptance message.

[0007] As another example, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured to send an instruction in the ProSe sidelink discovery notification message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning. Sidelink positioning may then be used with the UE. For example, sidelink positioning may be used with the UE in response to a ProSe sidelink discovery notification message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning.

[0008] As a further example, in some embodiments, a UE may be configured to send an instruction in a ProSe sidelink discovery request message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning. The UE may be configured to receive an instruction from a neighboring UE indicating that another UE supports sidelink positioning. The instruction that the neighboring UE supports sidelink positioning may be received in a ProSe discovery response message. In addition, the UE may be configured to decide, in response to the instruction, that the UE and the neighboring UE will use sidelink positioning between them.

[0009] As a further example, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured to send a first instruction via the V5 interface indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning. The UE may be configured to receive a second instruction via the V5 interface from a neighboring UE, such as neighboring UE 106, indicating that the neighboring UE supports sidelink positioning. In addition, the UE may be configured to determine, in response to the first and second instructions, that the UE and the neighboring UE will use sidelink positioning between them.

[0010] As yet another example, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured to transmit first information indicating the UE's side-link positioning reference signal (PRS) capability. The UE may be configured to receive side-link PRS configuration information for the UE. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to transmit one or more side-link PRS according to the side-link PRS configuration information.

[0011] It should be noted that the techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used in conjunction with several different types of devices, including but not limited to base stations, access points, cellular phones, portable media players, tablet computers, wearable devices, and various other computing devices.

[0012] This summary of the invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the features described above are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system according to several embodiments.

[0014] [Figure 2] This figure shows an exemplary base station in communication with an exemplary wireless user equipment (UE) device according to several embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 3] This is an exemplary block diagram of a UE according to several embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 4] This is an illustrative block diagram of a base station according to several embodiments.

[0017] [Figure 5] The following are illustrative simplified diagrams illustrating cellular communication circuits according to several embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 6] The following are exemplary flowcharts for UE sidelink positioning based on an LCS architecture, according to several embodiments. [Figure 7] The following are exemplary flowcharts for UE sidelink positioning based on an LCS architecture, according to several embodiments.

[0019] [Figure 8]Exemplary flowcharts for sidelink positioning permission according to some embodiments are shown.

[0020] [Figure 9] Exemplary flowcharts for UE discovery for sidelink positioning using discovery notification messages according to some embodiments are shown.

[0021] [Figure 10] Exemplary flowcharts for UE discovery for sidelink positioning using discovery request messages according to some embodiments are shown.

[0022] [Figure 11] A block diagram of an example of a call flow for sidelink positioning using the V5 interface according to some embodiments is shown.

[0023] [Figure 12] A block diagram of an example of a call flow for sidelink positioning in wireless communication according to some embodiments is shown.

[0024] The features described herein are capable of various modifications and alternative forms. Specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and scope of the subject matter defined by the appended claims.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Acronyms

[0026] Various abbreviations are used throughout this application. Definitions of the most prominently used acronyms that may appear throughout this application are shown below. · 5GMM: 5G Mobility Management • AF: Application Function • AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function • AMR: Adaptive Multirate • AP: Access Point APN: Access Point Name APR: Application Processor ·BS: Base station • BSSID: Basic Service Set Identifier • CBRS: Citizens Broadband Wireless Service • CBSD: Citizens Broadband Wireless Service Device • CCA: Clear Channel Assessment • CMR: Change Mode Request • CS: Circuit Switching • DL: Downlink (from BS to UE) • DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal • DN: Data Network • DSDS: Dual SIM Dual Standby • DYN: Dynamic ·EDCF: Extended Distributed Collaboration Function eSNPN: Standalone equivalent non-public network • ETSI: European Telecommunications Standards Organization • FDD: Frequency Division Duplexing • FT: Frame type GAA: General Authorization Access • GPRS: General-Purpose Packet Radio Service GSM: Mobile Communications Global System • GTP: GPRS Tunneling Protocol HPLMN: Home Public Land Mobile Network • IC: Within coverage IMS: Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem IoT: Internet of Things • IP: Internet Protocol ITS: Intelligent Transportation Systems • LAN: Local Area Network LBT: Listen Before Talk LCS: Location Services • LMF: Location management function LPP: LTE positioning protocol • LQM: Link Quality Metric LTE: Long-Term Evolution MCC: Mobile Country Code MNO: Mobile Network Operator • MO-LR: Mobile Originate Location Request ·MT-LR: Mobile Terminal Location Request • NAS: Non-accessible layer • NF: Network Function • NG-RAN: Next-Generation Wireless Access Network • NID: Network Identifier • NMF: Network Identifier Management Function • NPN: Non-Public (Cellular) Network • NRF: Network Repository Function • NSI: Network Slice Instance • NSSAI: Network slice selection support information • OOC: Out of Coverage Scope • PAL: Priority Access License • PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDN: Packet Data Network • PDU: Protocol Data Unit • PGW: PDN Gateway • PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network • ProSe: Proximity Services • PRS: Positioning Reference Signal • PSCCH: Physical Sidelink Control Channel • PSFCH: Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel • PSSCH: Physical Sidelink Shared Channel • PSD: Power spectral density • PSS: Primary Sync Signal • PT: Payload Type • PTRS: Phase-following reference signal • QBSS: QoS-Enhanced Basic Service Set • QI: Quality Indicator RA: Registration Accepted • RAT: Wireless Access Technology • RF: Radio frequency • ROHC: Robust Header Compression • RR: Registration Request • RRC: Wireless Resource Control • RSRP: Reference signal received power RTP: Real-time Transport Protocol sameRX: receive / receive • SAS: Spectrum Allocation Server • SD: Slice descriptor SI: System Information SIB: System Information Block • SID: System identification number • SIM: Subscriber identification module SGW: Serving Gateway • SMF: Session management function • SNPN: Standalone Non-Public Network • SSS: Secondary Sync Signal • SUPI: Subscription Permanent Identifier • TBS: Transport Block Size TCP: Transmission Control Protocol ·TDD: Time division duplexing • TDRA: Time Domain Resource Allocation • TPC: Transmit Power Control TX: Send / Send • UAC: Integrated Access Control • UDM: Integrated Data Management • UDR: User Data Repository • UE: User Equipment • UI: User input • UL: Uplink (from UE to BS) UMTS: Universal Mobile Communications System • UPF: User Plane Function • URM: General-purpose resource management URSP:UE Route Selection Policy • USIM: User Subscriber Identification Module • Wi-Fi: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) RAT based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. ·WLAN:Wireless LAN term The following is a glossary of terms that may appear in this specification.

[0027] Memory medium – various types of memory devices or storage devices. The term “memory medium” is intended to include, for example, installation media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM; magnetic media such as flash, for example, hard drives, or non-volatile memory such as optical storage, registers, or other similar types of memory elements. The memory medium may also include other types of memory, or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first computer system on which a program is executed, or in a second, different computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system can provide the first computer system with program instructions to be executed. The term “memory medium” may also include two or more memory mediums that may exist in different locations, for example, in different computer systems connected via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (embodied, for example, as computer programs) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0028] Carrier medium - memory media as described above, as well as physical transmission media such as buses and networks, and / or other physical transmission media that transmit signals such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals.

[0029] Programmable hardware elements include various hardware devices comprising multiple programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnectors. Examples include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable object arrays (FPOAs), and complex PLDs (CPLDs). Programmable function blocks can range in granularity from fine-grained (combinatorial logic or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "reconfigurable logic."

[0030] Computer system (or computer) – any of the various types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network equipment, internet appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations of devices. Generally, the term “computer system” may be broadly defined to include any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0031] User equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - any type of computer system device that performs wireless communication. Also called wireless communication devices, many of them are mobile and / or portable. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone®, Android®-based phones), tablet computers such as iPad® and Samsung Galaxy®, gaming devices (e.g., Sony PlayStation®, Microsoft Xbox®, etc.), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS®, PlayStation Portable®, Gameboy Advance®, iPod®), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., drones), unmanned aerial vehicle controllers, etc. Various other types of devices fall into this category if they include Wi-Fi or both cellular and Wi-Fi communication capabilities, and / or other wireless communication capabilities using Short Range Wireless Access (SRAT) technologies such as Bluetooth®. Generally, the term “UE” or “UE device” may be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is capable of wireless communication and may also be portable / mobile.

[0032] Wireless device (or wireless communication device) - various types of computer system devices that perform wireless communication using WLAN communication, SRAT communication, Wi-Fi communication, etc. As used herein, the term “wireless device” may refer to a UE device as defined above, or a stationary device such as a stationary wireless client or wireless base station. For example, a wireless device may be any type of wireless station in an 802.11 system, such as an access point (AP) or client station (UE), or any type of wireless station in a cellular communication system that communicates according to cellular wireless access technology (e.g., 5G NR, LTE, CDMA, GSM), such as a base station or cellular telephone.

[0033] A communication device is any of the various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile) or fixed or permanently installed in a specific location. A wireless device is an example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0034] Base station (BS) - The term "base station" has all of its ordinary meanings and includes at least a radio communication station that is installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a radiotelephone system or a radio system.

[0035] A processor refers to various elements (e.g., circuits) or combinations of elements that can perform functions within a processor-device, for example, within a user equipment device or a cellular network device. A processor may include, for example, a processor and associated memory, a part or circuit of an individual processor core, an entire processor core, a processor array, circuits such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware elements such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and various combinations of the above.

[0036] Channel - The medium used to transmit information from the transmitter to the receiver. It should be noted that the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary according to different radio protocols; therefore, when used herein, the term "channel" is considered to be used in accordance with the standards of the type of device in which it is used. In some standards, channel width can be variable (depending on, for example, device capabilities, bandwidth requirements, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, a WLAN channel can be 22 MHz wide, while a Bluetooth® channel can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different channel definitions. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, e.g., different channels for uplink or downlink, and / or different channels for different uses such as data, control information, etc.

[0037] Bandwidth – The term “bandwidth” encompasses the entire range in the usual sense of the term, including at least the portion of the spectrum (e.g., the radio frequency spectrum) that a channel is used for or set aside for the same purpose. Furthermore, “frequency band” is used to refer to any segment of the frequency domain delimited by lower frequencies and upper frequencies. This term can refer to a radio band or some other segment of the spectrum. Radio communication signals can occupy a range of frequencies that are the means (or place) on which the signal is carried. Such a frequency range is also called the bandwidth of the signal. Thus, bandwidth refers to the difference between the upper and lower frequencies in a continuous band of frequencies. A frequency band may represent one communication channel or may be subdivided into multiple communication channels. The allocation of radio frequency ranges to different uses is a primary function of radio spectrum allocation.

[0038] The term "Wi-Fi" encompasses the full scope of its ordinary meaning, including at least wireless communication networks or RATs that are serviced by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and provide connectivity to the Internet through these access points. Modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name "Wi-Fi." Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are distinct from cellular networks.

[0039] Automatically – This refers to the execution of user input by a computer system (e.g., software run by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuit mechanisms, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without the user directly specifying or performing the action or operation. Therefore, the term “automatically” is in contrast to actions performed or specified manually by the user, where the user provides input and directly executes the action. An automated procedure may be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed “automatically” are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed “manually” with the user specifying each action. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying the information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, selecting radio selections, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, although the computer system must update the form in response to the user action. A form may also be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software run by the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without user input specifying the answers to the fields. As described above, users can invoke form autofill but do not participate in the actual form completion (for example, the user does not manually specify answers in the fields; rather, the answers are completed automatically). This specification provides various examples of actions that are performed automatically in response to actions taken by the user.

[0040] "Approximately" refers to a value that is nearly accurate or precise. For example, "approximately" may refer to a value within 1 to 10 percent of a precise (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "approximately" may mean within 0.1% of a given specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold may be, as desired or as required by the particular application, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc.

[0041] Concurrency refers to parallel execution (execution or performance) in which tasks, processes, or programs are executed with at least partial overlap. For example, concurrent execution may be performed using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on their respective computational elements, or it may be performed using "weak parallelism," where tasks are executed interleaved, for example, by time-sharing multiplexing of execution threads.

[0042] Station (STA) – Here, the term "station" refers to any device capable of communicating wirelessly, for example, using the 802.11 protocol. A station may be a laptop, desktop PC, PDA, access point or Wi-Fi phone, or any type of device similar to a UE. An STA may be fixed, mobile, portable, or wearable. In wireless network terminology, a station (STA) generally broadly includes any device with wireless communication capabilities, and therefore the terms station (STA), wireless client (UE), and node (BS) are often used interchangeably.

[0043] "Configured to" - Various components can be described as "configured to" perform a task. In such contexts, "configured to" is a broad description that generally means "having a structure" that performs a task or a set of tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently performing that task (for example, a set of conductors may be configured to electrically connect two modules to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured to" may be a broad description of a structure that generally means "having a circuit" that performs a task or a set of tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently turned on. Generally, the circuit that forms a structure corresponding to "configured to" may include hardware circuits.

[0044] Transmission scheduling refers to the scheduling of transmissions such as radio transmissions. In some implementations of cellular radio communications, signal and data transmissions may be organized according to specified time units of a particular duration during which the transmission takes place. As used herein, the term “slot” has the full scope of its usual meaning and refers to at least the smallest (or minimum) scheduling time unit of radio communications. For example, in 3GPP LTE, transmissions are divided into radio frames, each radio frame having an equal (time) duration (e.g., 10 ms). A 3GPP LTE radio frame may be further divided into a certain number (e.g., 10) subframes, each subframe having an equal time duration, where the subframe is the smallest (or minimum) scheduling unit, or specified time unit for transmission. Thus, in the 3GPP LTE implementation, a “subframe” can be considered an example of a “slot” as defined above. Similarly, the smallest (or minimum) scheduling time unit for 5G NR (or NR for short) transmissions is called a “slot.” Different communication protocols may also have different names for the smallest (or minimum) scheduling time unit.

[0045] Resources – The term “resource” has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and can refer to frequency and time resources used in radio communications. As used herein, a resource element (RE) refers to a specific quantity or number of resources. For example, in the context of time resources, a resource element may be a time interval of a specific length. In the context of frequency resources, a resource element may be a specific frequency bandwidth, or a specific quantity of frequency bandwidth that may be centered on a specific frequency. As one concrete example, a resource element may refer to a resource unit (for time resources, e.g., a time interval of a specific length) per subcarrier (for frequency resources, e.g., a specific frequency bandwidth that may be centered on a specific frequency). A resource element group (REG) has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and refers to at least a specified number of consecutive resource elements. In some implementations, a resource element group may not include resource elements reserved for reference signals. A control channel element (CCE) refers to a specified number of consecutive REGs. A resource block (RB) refers to a specific number of resource elements consisting of a specified number of subcarriers per specified number of symbols. Each RB may contain a specified number of subcarriers. A Resource Block Group (RBG) refers to a unit containing multiple Resource Blocks (RBs). The number of RBs within a single RBG may vary depending on the system's bandwidth.

[0046] Bandwidth Portion (BWP) - A carrier bandwidth portion (BWP) is a set of connected physical resource blocks selected from a set of connected subsets of a given number of common resource blocks on a given carrier. For downlinks, a UE may have up to a certain number of carrier BWPs (e.g., four BWPs, depending on the specification) and be configured such that one BWP is active per carrier at a given time (depending on the specification). For uplinks, a UE may similarly have up to several carrier BWPs (e.g., four) and be configured such that one BWP is active per carrier at a given time (depending on the specification). If a UE is configured with an auxiliary uplink, the UE may be additionally configured to have up to a specified number of carrier BWPs (e.g., four) in the auxiliary uplink, with one carrier BWP active at a given time (depending on the specification).

[0047] In a multi-cell configuration with multiple radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), the master node is defined as the node that provides control plane connectivity to the core network (radio access node). The master node may be, for example, a master eNB (3GPP LTE) or a master gNB (3GPP NR). In MR-DC, secondary nodes are defined as radio access nodes that do not have control plane connectivity to the core network and provide additional resources to the UE. A master cell group (MCG) is defined as a group of serving cells associated with a master node, including a primary cell (PCell) and optionally one or more secondary cells (SCell). A secondary cell group (SCG) is defined as a group of serving cells associated with a secondary node, including the primary cell of a particular cell, i.e., an SCG (PSCell), and optionally one or more SCells. The UE can typically apply radio link monitoring to a PCell. If the UE is configured with an SCG, the UE can also apply radio link monitoring to a PSCell. Radio link monitoring is generally applied to active BWPs, and the UE does not need to monitor inactive BWPs. The PCell is used to initiate initial access, and the UE can communicate with the PCell and SCell via carrier aggregation (CA). The current modified functionality means that the UE can send and receive data between multiple cells. The UE first connects to the PCell, and once the UE is connected, one or more SCells may be configured for the UE.

[0048] Core Network (CN) – The core network is defined as part of the 3GPP system, independent of the UE's connectivity technology (e.g., radio access technology, RAT). The UE can connect to the core network via a radio access network, i.e., the RAN, which may be specific to the RAN.

[0049] For convenience, various components may be described in this specification as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to perform.” Descriptions of components configured to perform one or more tasks are expressly intended to be exempt from the interpretation of those components under 112, paragraph 6 of the U.S. Patent Act. Figures 1 and 2 - Exemplary Communication System

[0050] Figure 1 shows an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system in several embodiments. Note that the system in Figure 1 is merely one example of a possible system, and embodiments can be implemented in various systems as required.

[0051] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes base stations 102A-102N, which are collectively referred to as base station 102 or base station 102. As shown in Figure 1, base station 102A communicates with one or more user devices 106A-106N through a transmission medium. In this specification, each of the user devices may be referred to as “user equipment” (UE) or UE device. Thus, user devices 106A-106N are referred to as UE or UE device, and are also collectively referred to as UE(single or multiple) 106 or UE106. According to the various embodiments disclosed herein, various of the UE devices can transmit a reference signal.

[0052] Base station 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UE106A~106N. Base station 102A may also be part of network 100 (e.g., among various possibilities, a cellular service provider's core network, a telecommunications network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, a neutral host, or various citizen broadband radio services). It may be equipped to communicate with the Service (CBRS) deployment. Thus, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user devices 106 and / or between user devices 106 and the network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services. The communication area (or coverage area) of base station 106 is sometimes called a “cell”. Note that “cell” can also refer to a logical ID of a given coverage area at a given frequency. In general, any independent cellular radio coverage area can be called a “cell”. In such a case, the base station may be located at a specific junction of three cells. In this uniform topology, This allows service to be provided to three areas with a 120-degree beamwidth, referred to as a cell. Furthermore, in the case of carrier aggregation, each of a small cell, relay, etc., can represent a cell. Therefore, particularly in carrier aggregation, there can be primary and secondary cells that can provide service to at least partially overlapping coverage areas at different frequencies. For example, a base station can provide service to any number of cells, and the cells provided by the base station may or may not be juxtaposed (e.g., remote radio heads). Also, as used herein, from the perspective of the UE, the base station may be considered to represent the network, as far as the UE's uplink and downlink communications are concerned.Therefore, a UE that communicates with one or more base stations in a network may also be interpreted as a UE that communicates with the network, and further, may be considered at least part of a UE that communicates on or through the network.

[0053] The base station(s) 102 and user device(s) 106 may be configured to communicate over a medium using various radio access technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (WCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LAA / LTE-U, 5G-NR (abbreviated as NR), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, and WiMAX. Note that when implemented in the context of LTE, base station(s) 102A may be referred to as "eNodeB" or "eNB" instead. Similarly, note that when implemented in the context of 5G NR, base station(s) 102A may be referred to as "gNodeB" or "gNB" instead. In some embodiments, a base station 102 (e.g., an eNB in ​​an LTE network or a gNB in ​​an NR network) may communicate with at least one UE capable of transmitting reference signals according to the various embodiments disclosed herein. Depending on a given application or specific consideration, for convenience, some of the various different RATs may be functionally grouped according to their overall defining characteristics. For example, all cellular RATs may be collectively considered to represent a first (form / type) RAT, while Wi-Fi communication may be considered to represent a second RAT. In other cases, individual cellular RATs may be considered individually as different RATs. For example, when distinguishing between cellular communication and Wi-Fi communication, “first RAT” may collectively refer to all cellular RATs under consideration, while “second RAT” may refer to Wi-Fi. Similarly, where applicable, different forms of Wi-Fi communication (e.g., above 2.4 GHz and above 5 GHz) may be considered to correspond to different RATs. Furthermore, cellular communications performed according to a given RAT (e.g., LTE or NR) may be distinguished from one another based on the frequency spectrum in which they are performed. For example, LTE or NR communications may be performed on a primary licensed spectrum, as well as secondary spectra such as unlicensed spectra.Overall, the use of various terms and expressions will always be clearly indicated in relation to and within the context of the various applications / embodiments under consideration.

[0054] As shown in the figure, base station 102A may also be equipped to communicate with network 100 (for example, among various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunications network such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Thus, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user devices 106 and / or between user devices 106 and network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services. UE 106 may be able to communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using any or all of the 3GPP cellular communication standards (such as LTE or NR) or the 3GPP2 cellular communication standards (such as the cellular communication standards within the CDMA2000 family of cellular communication standards). Therefore, base stations 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards may be provided as one or more networks of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UE106 and similar devices over a wide geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0055] Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 1, while base station 102A functions as a “serving cell” for UEs 106A-106N, each UE 106 may also receive signals from (or be within communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-102N and / or any other base stations) (which may be referred to as “adjacent cells”). Such cells can also facilitate communication between user devices 106 and / or between user devices 106 and the network 100. Such cells may include “macro” cells, “micro” cells, “pico” cells, and / or cells that provide any other granularity of service area size. For example, base stations 102A-102B illustrated in Figure 1 may be macrocells, while base station 102N may be a microcell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0056] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a "gNB". In some embodiments, the gNB may be connected to a conventional evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or an NR core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more transmission and reception points (TRPs). In addition, UEs capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs in one or more gNBs.

[0057] UE106 may also be configured to communicate using, or instead of, WLAN, BLUETOOTH®, BLUETOOTH® Low-Energy, one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one and / or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), etc. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including three or more wireless communication standards) are also possible. Furthermore, UE106 may also communicate with network 100 through one or more base stations, or through other devices, stations, or appliances that are not expressly indicated but are considered part of network 100. Thus, UE106 communicating with the network may be interpreted as UE106 communicating with one or more network nodes that are considered part of the network. Those network nodes may interact with UE106 to communicate with UE106 and, in some cases, may affect at least some of UE106's communication parameters and / or the use of UE106's communication resources.

[0058] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 1, at least some of the UEs may represent vehicles communicating with each other and vehicles communicating with base station 102, for example, UE106D and UE106E, via cellular communication such as 3GPP LTE and / or 5G-NR communication. In addition, UE106F may represent pedestrians communicating and / or interacting in a similar manner to the vehicles represented by UE106D and 106E. Various embodiments of vehicles communicating within the network illustrated in Figure 1 are disclosed, for example, in the context of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, such as communication specified in a particular version of the 3GPP standard.

[0059] Figure 2 shows an exemplary user device 106 (e.g., one of UE106A to 106N) communicating with a base station 122 and an access point 112 according to several embodiments. UE106 may be a device having both cellular and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer or tablet, or substantially any type of wireless device. UE106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. By executing such stored instructions, UE106 can perform any of the embodiments of the method described herein. Alternatively or in addition, UE106 may include a programmable hardware element, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), configured to perform any of the embodiments of the method described herein, or any part of any of the embodiments of the method described herein. UE106 may be configured to communicate using one of a plurality of wireless communication protocols. For example, UE106 may use CDMA2000, LTE, LTE-A, NR, It may be configured to communicate using two or more of the following: WLAN or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication standards are also possible.

[0060] UE106 may include one or more antennas for communication using one or more wireless communication protocols conforming to one or more RAT standards, such as those described above. In some embodiments, UE106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication standards. The shared radio may include a single antenna or multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Alternatively, UE106 may include separate transmit chains and / or receive chains (e.g., separate antennas and other wireless mechanism components) for each of the wireless communication protocols configured to use for its communication. Alternatively, UE106 may include one or more radio circuits shared among multiple wireless communication protocols and one or more radios used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE106 may include a radio circuit for communication using LTE, CDMA2000 1xRTT, or NR, and separate radios for communication using Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH®, respectively. Other configurations are also possible. Figure 3 - Block diagram of an exemplary UE

[0061] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an exemplary UE106 according to several embodiments. As shown in the figure, the UE106 may include a system-on-a-chip (SOC) 300 which may include elements / components for various purposes. For example, as shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include one or more processors 302 that can execute program instructions for the UE106, and a display circuit 304 that can perform graphics processing and supply display signals to a display 360. The processor(s) 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 302 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310) and / or locations in other circuits or devices such as the display circuit 304, wireless circuit 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360. The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of a processor(s) 302.

[0062] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may be coupled to various other circuits of the UE 106. For example, the UE 106 may include various types of memory (including, for example, NAND flash 310), a connector interface 320 (for example, for connecting to a computer system), a display 360, and wireless communication circuits (for example, for LTE, LTE-A, NR, CDMA2000, BLUETOOTH®, Wi-Fi, GPS, etc.). The UE device 106 may include at least one antenna (e.g., 335a) and optionally multiple antennas (e.g., illustrated by antennas 335a and 335b) for performing wireless communication with base stations and / or other devices. Antennas 335a and 335b are shown as examples, and the UE device 106 may include fewer or more antennas. Overall, one or more antennas are collectively referred to as antenna(s) 335. For example, the UE device 106 may use one or more antennas 335 to perform wireless communication using the wireless circuit 330. As described above, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards.

[0063] As further described herein, UE106 (and / or base station 102) may include hardware and software components for implementing at least one method for UE106 to transmit a reference signal, according to various embodiments disclosed herein. The processor(s) 302 of the UE device 106 may be configured to perform some or all of the method described herein by, for example, executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium). In other embodiments, the processor(s) 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Furthermore, the processor(s) 302 may be coupled to or interact with other components so that UE106 performs communication according to various embodiments disclosed herein in order to transmit a reference signal, as shown in Figure 3. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the processor(s) 302 may be coupled to and / or interact with other components to facilitate communication with the UE106 in a manner that requests RAT optimization. The processor(s) 302 may also implement various other applications and / or end-user applications that run on the UE106.

[0064] In some embodiments, the wireless circuit 330 may include separate controllers dedicated to controlling the respective communications of various corresponding RATs and / or RAT standards. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the wireless circuit 330 may include a Wi-Fi controller 356, a cellular controller (e.g., an LTE controller and / or an NR controller) 352, and a Bluetooth® controller 354, and according to at least some embodiments, one or more or all of these controllers may be implemented as separate integrated circuits (abbreviated as ICs or chips) that communicate with each other and with the SOC 300 (more specifically with the processor(s) 302). For example, the Wi-Fi controller 356 may communicate with the cellular controller 352 via a cell-ISM link or a WCI interface, and / or the Bluetooth® controller 354 may communicate with the cellular controller 352 via a cell-ISM link or the like. While three separate controllers are illustrated within the wireless circuit 330, other embodiments may have fewer or more similar controllers for various different RATs and / or RAT standards that may be implemented in the UE device 106. For example, at least one exemplary block diagram illustrating several embodiments of the cellular controller 352 is shown in Figure 5 and further described below. Figure 4 - Exemplary base station block diagram

[0065] Figure 4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary base station 102 according to several embodiments. Note that the base station in Figure 4 is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 includes one or more processors 404 capable of executing program instructions for the base station 102. The processors 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processors 404 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450) or to other circuits or devices.

[0066] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. The network port 470 may be configured to connect to a telephone network and provide access to the telephone network to multiple devices, such as UE devices 106, as described in Figures 1 and 2 above. The network port 470 (or additional network ports) may also, or alternatively, be configured to connect to, for example, the cellular network of a cellular service provider's core network. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE devices 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may be connected to the telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (for example, between other UE devices serviced by the cellular service provider).

[0067] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434a, and optionally more antennas (for example, illustrated by antennas 434a and 434b), for performing wireless communication with mobile devices and / or other devices. Antennas 434a and 434b are shown as examples, and base station 102 may include fewer or more antennas. Collectively, one or more antennas, which may include antennas 434a and / or antennas 434b, are collectively referred to as antenna 434 or antenna(s)434. Antenna(s)434 may be configured to operate as a radio transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio circuit 430. Antenna(s)434 communicate with radio 430 via communication chain 432. Communication chain 432 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. The radio circuit 430 may be designed to communicate over a variety of radio telecommunications standards, including but not limited to LTE, LTE-A, 5G-NR (NR), WCDMA, and CDMA2000. The processor(s) 404 of the base station 102 may be configured to enable the base station 102 to communicate with a UE device transmitting a reference signal, as disclosed herein, by executing some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor(s) 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. In the case of a given RAT, such as Wi-Fi, the base station 102 may be designed as an access point (AP), in which case the network port 470 may be implemented to provide access to a wide area network and / or local area network(s), and may include, for example, at least one Ethernet port, and the radio 430 may be designed to communicate in accordance with the Wi-Fi standard.The base station 102 may operate in accordance with various methods disclosed herein to communicate with a mobile device that transmits a reference signal according to various embodiments disclosed herein. Figure 5 - Exemplary Cellular Communication Circuit

[0068] Figure 5 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram illustrating a cellular controller 352 according to several embodiments. Note that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuit in Figure 5 is only one embodiment of a possible cellular communication circuit. Other circuits may include a sufficient number of antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activity using separate antennas, or circuits coupled thereto, or a smaller number of antennas, or circuits coupled thereto, which can be shared among multiple RATs, for example. According to some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 352 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, the communication device 106 may be, among other devices, a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a radio device or radio base station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet, and / or a combination of devices.

[0069] The cellular communication circuit 352 may be coupled (for example, directly or indirectly, in a communicative manner) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-b and 336, as shown in the figure. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 352 may include dedicated receiving chains for multiple RATs (including dedicated processors and / or radios, and / or coupled to dedicated processors and / or radios, for example, directly or indirectly, in a communicative manner) (e.g., a first receiving chain for LTE and a second receiving chain for 5G NR). For example, as shown in Figure 5, the cellular communication circuit 352 may include a first modem 510 and a second modem 520. The first modem 510 may be configured to communicate according to a first RAT, such as LTE or LTE-A, and the second modem 520 may be configured to communicate according to a second RAT, such as 5G NR.

[0070] As shown in the figure, the first modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include a receive circuitry (RX) 532 and a transmit circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0071] Similarly, the second modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include a receiving circuit 542 and a transmitting circuit 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 542 may communicate with a DL front end 560 which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335b.

[0072] In some embodiments, the switch 570 may couple a transmitting circuit 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. In addition, the switch 570 may couple a transmitting circuit 544 to an UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via an antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuit 352 receives a command to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported via a first modem 510), the switch 570 may switch to a first state that allows the first modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including the transmitting circuit 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuit 352 receives a command to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported via a second modem 520), the switch 570 may be switched to a second state that allows the second modem 520 to transmit a signal according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including the transmission circuit 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0073] As described herein, the first modem 510 and / or the second modem 520 may include any of the hardware and software components for performing the various features and techniques described herein. Processors 512, 522 may be configured to perform some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured to perform some or all of the features described herein together with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0074] In addition, as described herein, the processors 512, 522 may include one or more components. Thus, the processors 512, 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processors 512, 522.

[0075] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 352 may include only one transmit / receive chain. For example, the cellular communication circuit 352 may not include the modem 520, RF front end 540, DL front end 560, and / or antenna 335b. In another example, the cellular communication circuit 352 may not include the modem 510, RF front end 530, DL front end 550, and / or antenna 335a. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 352 may also not include the switch 570, and the RF front end 530 or RF front end 540 may communicate directly with, for example, the UL front end 572. Inter-device communication and side-link communication

[0076] Device-to-device (D2D) communication refers to direct communication between user equipment devices (UEs) without transferring data via base stations (BSs) or other higher-level network infrastructure. D2D communication plays a crucial role in improving cellular communication coverage and transmission capacity. An example of D2D communication is provided above with respect to Figure 1, where UE106D and 106E may represent vehicles communicating directly with each other. Various embodiments of vehicles communicating with each other, as illustrated in Figure 1, may be in the context of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, which covers D2D communication such as communications specified by several versions of the 3GPP standard. A D2D-enabled cellular network can be prepared for D2D users to share spectrum resources in two different ways: In-band D2D communication may occur over licensed spectrum, while out-of-band D2D communication may occur over unlicensed spectrum. In-band D2D can be further divided into two categories: the underlay category, where D2D users share the same frequency resources used by cellular users, and the overlay category, where both network-based and D2D communications use orthogonal spectral resources. As the number of cellular users increases, it is becoming difficult to accommodate all users within the limited available spectrum and provide wide bandwidth for high data-rate applications such as online gaming and video sharing. One way to improve the energy efficiency of wireless networks involves the use of relay nodes or relay UEs. Instead of a single long hop from one node to another, various UEs can act as relays strategically deployed / positioned to turn a single long hop into two or more shorter hops. Relay operation is heavily influenced by path loss models and environmental conditions, but has proven effective in reducing path loss and improving D2D communications.

[0077] In D2D communication, such as cellular wireless communication, sidelink communication (also known as communication via PC5 links, where PC5 links refer to sidelinks) represents a communication mechanism between devices that is not carried via a base station, such as via an eNB / gNB. In other words, devices can communicate with each other without requiring smooth communication by a base station. In this sense, it can be said that devices are communicating directly with each other. Adaptations of such communication between devices (or between UE / PUEs) involve physical layer designs characterized by minimal design changes compared to previous implementations. Sidelink positioning

[0078] Device positioning, such as determining the position / geolocation of a mobile device, has become an integral part of wireless communication. Various protocols and services have been introduced to support device positioning. For example, the Radio Resource Location Service (LCS) protocol (RRLP) is used in cellular networks to exchange messages between mobile devices and a Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC) to provide geolocation information (SMLC is a network element typically residing within a base station controller that calculates the network-based location of mobile devices). Similarly, Proximity Services (ProSe) is a D2D technology that enables mobile devices to discover and communicate directly with each other. ProSe relies on sidelink communication for direct connectivity between devices and offers several clear benefits, including better scalability, manageability, privacy, security, and battery efficiency.

[0079] Sidelink positioning is being discussed for inclusion in 3GPP standards and is likely to be incorporated into 3GPP Release 18 (Rel-18). Sidelink positioning functionality is likely to support ranging (e.g., measuring the distance between mobile devices or UEs communicating via sidelink) and absolute coordinate estimation (using sidelink signals from multiple UEs). While the topic has been widely discussed, the aspects of the system (e.g., architecture) have not been detailed.

[0080] The embodiments described herein, without limitation, cover various aspects of the proposed side-link positioning architecture (SPA), including extensions / enhancements of current LCS architectures incorporating side-link positioning, extensions / enhancements of ProSe architectures incorporating side-link positioning, and / or extensions / enhancements of V2X architectures.

[0081] Sidelink positioning (as defined, for example, within 3GPP standards) is expected to involve preparing a sidelink positioning reference signal (sidelink PRS) and corresponding sidelink PRS measurements. To provide adequate support for sidelink positioning, the following higher-layer configurations of sidelink positioning may be considered: • Entire message call flow, ·permission, ·discovery, • Ability negotiation, • Sidelink PRS transmit trigger, and / or • Measurement trigger. Extensions to the ProSe architecture

[0082] The 3GPP standard (e.g., TS 23.304, Figure 4.2.1-2) provides an overview of the current ProSe architecture. As detailed in the 3GPP standard (e.g., TS 23.304, Figures 6.3.2.1-1 and 6.3.2.1-2, respectively), there are currently two signaling models for ProSe discovery, Model A and Model B. According to Model A, an informing UE sends an informing message that can be monitored by one or more additional UEs to discover the informing UE. According to Model B, a discovering UE can send a solicitation message that can be detected by one or more discovered UEs, and one or more discovered UEs can send a response message to the discovering UE.

[0083] Various embodiments of the ProSe architecture extension for sidelink positioning can support UE-based positioning in both in-coverage and out-of-coverage modes. Authorization procedures for using sidelink positioning can be performed while in-coverage, and the authorization remains valid even when the UE is subsequently out of coverage.

[0084] An exemplary call flow for sidelink positioning may be as follows, with the proposed extension to the ProSe architecture highlighted below: ●Permission procedures (for using sidelink positioning): ○ UEs that support sidelink positioning are: Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (for example, In the "5GMM capability information element," this function can be indicated in the Non-Access Layer (NAS) registration request message (according to 3GPP TS 24.501), where one of the (current) spare bits is designated to indicate the "sidelink positioning" function. ○ If the UE is permitted to use sidelink positioning (based on its subscription), AMF may, for example, indicate this permission to the UE in a NAS registration acceptance message. , • Discovery procedure (for finding candidate UEs for sidelink positioning): ○ Both Model A and Model B ProSe discovery options may be supported, and the ProSe discovery procedure may be used and may be enhanced with instructions for side-link positioning / side-link positioning. ○ Model A: ■ UEs that send a ProSe PC5 discovery notification message (according to 3GPP TS 24.554) In the transmission, support for sidelink positioning is shown. It is possible to ■ The monitoring UE receiving the notification message knows that it (the monitoring UE) can use side-link positioning with the UE (sending the discovery notification message). ○ Model B: ■ UE1 (the discovering side) indicates support for sidelink positioning within the message. You can send a ProSe PC5 discovery request message. , ■ If UE2 (discovered UE) supports sidelink positioning, then This indicates support for sidelink positioning. ProSe PC5 can send a discovery response message. ■ Both UE1 and UE2 then determine that they can use side-link positioning between them. UE1 establishes a PC5-RRC connection with UE2. ·Competency information exchange: ○ UE1 is, In the UECapabilityEnquirySidelink information element (IE) sent to UE2 This shows the side-link positioning capability and configuration (e.g., side-link PRS bandwidth). ○ In the UECapabilityInformationSidelink IE sent to UE1, UE2 This indicates its side-link positioning capability and configuration (e.g., side-link PRS bandwidth). ·measurement: ○ UE1 is, Using RRCRonfigurationSidelink IE, Request UE2 to send a sidelink PRS. ○ UE1 performs a sidelink PRS measurement (with one or more UEs) and calculates its relative location to one or more UEs.

[0085] The procedure defined above makes it possible to estimate the relative positioning (or distance) between two or more UEs. To support absolute location (e.g., coordinates), distance measurement with several UEs (e.g., at least three UEs) with known coordinates may be used. At least two options for communicating UE coordinates may be defined as follows: · Coordinates are communicated using PC5-RRC signaling and specific IEs, such as UECapabilityEnquirySidelink and UECapabilityInformationSidelink. · Coordinates are communicated using ProSe messages, such as ProSe Direct Link Modification Request / Acceptance and ProSe Direct Link Keep-Alive Request / Response IE. Extension of the V2X architecture

[0086] The 3GPP standard (e.g., TS 23.287, Figure 4.2.1.1-1) provides an overview of the current V2X architecture. Note that the V5 and V1 interfaces are not specified in the 3GPP standard (the V5 interface is defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and the V1 interface is the reference point between V2X application servers within the UE).

[0087] Various embodiments of the V2X architecture extension for sidelink positioning can support UE-based positioning in both in-coverage and out-of-coverage modes. Authorization procedures for using sidelink positioning can be performed while in-coverage, and the authorization remains valid even when the UE is subsequently out of coverage.

[0088] An exemplary call flow for sidelink positioning could be as follows, with the proposed extension to the V2X architecture highlighted below: • Authorization procedures (for using sidelink positioning): ○ Option 1: ■ UEs that support sidelink positioning are: This capability is enabled in the NAS registration request message to AMF (e.g., TS 24.501), For example, as shown in the “5GMM capability information element” (according to TS 24.501), one of the (current) spare bits may be designated to indicate “sidelink positioning” capability. ■ If the UE is permitted to use sidelink positioning (based on its subscription), AMF can indicate this to the UE in the NAS registration acceptance message. , ○ Option 2: ■ Demonstrates side-link positioning capability via V1 reference points (outside the scope of 3GPP standards) using a V2X application server. (Via V5 interface) Discovery procedure for finding candidate UEs for sidelink positioning: ○ To transmit information indicating UE side-link positioning capability, the V2X application protocol may be used via the V5 interface (e.g., ETSI Intelligent Transport Systems, ITS protocol, ○ Option 1- The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) may use the Basic Safety Message. ○ Option 2- The ETSI ITS Cooperative Recognition Basic Service (ETSI EN 302 637-2) may be used. ○ UE1 establishes a PC5-RRC connection with UE2. ○ Competency information exchange: ■ UE1 is, UECapabilityEnquirySidelink sent to UE2 in IE This shows the side-link positioning capability and configuration (e.g., side-link PRS bandwidth). ■ UECapabilityInformationSidelink sent to UE1 in IE, UE2 is This shows the side-link positioning capability and configuration (e.g., side-link PRS bandwidth). ○ Measurement: ■ UE1 is, Using RRCRonfigurationSidelink IE, Request UE2 to send a sidelink PRS. ■ UE1 performs a sidelink PRS measurement (with one or more UEs) and calculates its relative location to one or more UEs.

[0089] Since both the SAE and ETSI ITS V2X application protocols already support the transmission of absolute coordinates (for example, the referencePosition IE in the ETSI ITS Cooperative Recognition Basic Service disclosed in ETSI EN 302 637-2), both ranging and absolute location estimation can be supported. Extension of the LCS architecture

[0090] The 3GPP standard (e.g., TS 23.273, Figure 4.2.2-1) provides an overview of the current LCS architecture. Furthermore, the 3GPP standard (e.g., TS 23.273, Figure 6.1.2-1) describes the Mobile Terminal Location Request (MT-LR) procedure, including the UE positioning subprocedure.

[0091] Various embodiments of the LCS architecture extension for sidelink positioning can introduce updated UE positioning subprocedures and support UE-based positioning in in-coverage mode. However, in some cases, some out-of-coverage scenarios using UE-based positioning may be supported. First method

[0092] When both UEs participating in sidelink positioning are within coverage, an extension to the LCS architecture may incorporate a roadside unit (RSU) of the UE type that transmits sidelink PRS. An exemplary call flow for sidelink positioning is shown in Figure 6 and can operate as follows, with the proposed extension to the LCS architecture highlighted below. Note that "NRPPa" refers to "NR Positioning Protocol A," as disclosed in, for example, the 3GPP specification (e.g., TS 38.455).

[0093] In 620, a location management function such as the LMF609 can perform NRPPa transmit / receive point (TRP) capability transfer information exchange with one or more base stations and / or TRPs, such as base stations 102a-d. NRPPa TRP capability transfer information exchange can carry and / or exchange sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) capability information between the LMF and the TRP. Furthermore, in 622, the LMF609 can perform LTE positioning protocol (LPP) capability transfer with UEs such as UE106. LPP capability transfer can carry and / or include sidelink PRS capability information, for example, the LMF609 can exchange sidelink PRS capability information with UE106. Furthermore, the LMF609 can transmit an NRPPa positioning information request 624 to base station 102a. The NRPPa positioning information request 624 can include (and / or carry) a request for sidelink PRS configuration (e.g., bandwidth). In 626, base station 102a may determine resources for UE 106, such as uplink sounding reference signal (SRS) resources and / or sidelink PRS resources. Base station 102a may transmit UE PRS configuration 628 to UE 106. UE PRS configuration message 628 may be a radio resource control (RRC) sidelink PRS configuration message. UE PRS configuration message 628 may include resources for sidelink PRS and / or resource indications. In addition, base station 102a may transmit NRPPa positioning information response 630 to LMF 609. NRPPa positioning information response 630 may include and / or carry / indicate information about the sidelink PRS configuration, such as bandwidth. Furthermore, LMF 609 may transmit NRPPa positioning activation request 632 to base station 102a. NRPPa positioning activation request 632 may include and / or carry / indicate a request to initiate sidelink PRS transmission. The base station 102a may then transmit a PRS activation message 634 to the UE 106. The PRS activation message 634 may be a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) that indicates sidelink PRS transmission activation. At 636, the UE 106 may perform sidelink measurements.For example, UE106 may exchange (e.g., transmit and / or receive) sidelink PRS with one or more neighboring UEs and / or other sidelink devices such as RSUs. Based on the exchange of sidelink PRS to LMF609, UE106 may report measurement results, for example. In some cases, UE106 may perform sidelink measurements in a similar manner to measurements performed in the context of the call flow described above for extensions of the ProSe architecture. Furthermore, if and / or when network-based UE-assisted positioning is supported, the UE may report sidelink PRS measurements to the LMF, for example using LPP. LMF609 may send an NRPPa positioning deactivation request 638 to base station 102a. The NRPPa positioning deactivation request 638 may deactivate sidelink PRS transmission at the UE and / or may be used to deactivate sidelink PRS transmission at the UE. In some cases, for example, when the NRPPa positioning deactivation request 638 is not used by the UE to deactivate sidelink PRS transmission, base station 102a may send a PRS deactivation message 640 to the UE to indicate / command the deactivation of sidelink PRS transmission. In some cases, the PRS deactivation message 640 may be a MAC CE indicating the deactivation of sidelink PRS transmission.

[0094] In some cases, the exemplary call flow for sidelink positioning shown in Figure 6 may correspond to a call flow defined in an LCS architecture with the extensions to the LCS architecture highlighted below: Step 1 (Compatible with LPP capability transfer 622) - LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) capability transfer - It carries sidelink PRS capability information. It is possible to Step 2 (corresponding to message 624) - NRPPa positioning information request - It can carry requests for sidelink PRS configurations (e.g., bandwidth). Step 3a (corresponding to message 628) - RRC Sidelink PRS Configuration Message , Step 4 (corresponding to message 630) - NRPPa positioning information response - It can carry information about the sidelink PRS configuration (e.g., bandwidth). , Step 5a (corresponding to message 632) - NRPPa positioning activation request - It can carry a request to initiate a sidelink PRS transmission. , Step 5b (corresponding to message 634) - MAC CE sidelink PRS transmission activation , • (For example, following step 5c (corresponding to SL measurement 636), UE can perform sidelink measurements (in a similar manner to the measurements performed in the context of call flows described above with respect to the extension of the ProSe architecture). Furthermore, If network-based UE-assisted positioning is supported, the UE can use LPP to report sidelink PRS measurements to the Location Management Function (LMF). Step 9 (corresponding to message 638) - Deactivate NRPPa positioning - Option: This may be used to deactivate UE sidelink PRS transmission, in which case the following 10 steps may be performed afterward. Step 10 (corresponding to message 640) - Optional: If step 9 is executed, the MAC CE sidelink PRS transmission deactivation message (e.g., the command to deactivate sidelink PRS transmission) is sent. . Second method

[0095] In contrast to the first method, the second method allows the LMF to communicate directly with the UE (e.g., via LPP) rather than communicating with the UE through a base station (e.g., gNB; via NRPPa and RRC / MAC CE as described above for the first method). In detail, steps 2-5 described above (e.g., corresponding to signaling 624-634 from Figure 6) are: Sidelink PRS Configuration and Activation Instructions (Information) ) This can be implemented using LPP with enhanced LPP RequestLocationInformation carrying capabilities. .

[0096] For example, Figure 7 shows another exemplary flowchart for UE sidelink positioning based on an LCS architecture according to several embodiments. In 720, a location management function such as LMF609 can perform NRPPa transmit-receive point (TRP) capability transfer information exchange with one or more base stations and / or TRPs, such as base stations 102a-d. NRPPa TRP capability transfer information exchange can carry and / or exchange sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) capability information between the LMF and the TRP. Furthermore, in 722, LMF609 can perform LTE positioning protocol (LPP) capability transfer with UEs such as UE106. LPP capability transfer can carry and / or include sidelink PRS capability information, for example, LMF609 can exchange sidelink PRS capability information with UE106. Furthermore, LMF609 can send a positioning information request 724 to UE106. The positioning information request 724 may include (and / or carry) a request for the sidelink PRS configuration, such as bandwidth, for example, the positioning information request 724 may include and / or be an LPP RequestLocationInformation that carries the sidelink PRS configuration and activation instructions (information). Based on the information in the positioning information request 724, the UE 106 may determine resources such as uplink sounding reference signal (SRS) resources and / or sidelink PRS resources. Furthermore, the LMF 609 may transmit a positioning activation request 726 to the UE 106. The positioning activation request 726 may include and / or carry / indicate a request to initiate sidelink PRS transmission. In 730, the UE 106 may perform sidelink measurements. For example, the UE 106 may exchange (e.g., transmit and / or receive) sidelink PRS with one or more neighboring UEs and / or other sidelink devices such as RSUs. The UE106 can report measurement results, for example, based on the replacement of the sidelink PRS with an LMF609.In some cases, UE106 may perform sidelink measurements in a similar manner to the measurements performed in the context of the call flow described above for extensions of the ProSe architecture. Furthermore, when network-based UE-assisted positioning is supported and / or when, UE may report sidelink PRS measurements to LMF, for example, using LPP. LMF609 may send an NRPPa positioning deactivation request 732 to base station 102a. The NRPPa positioning deactivation request 732 may and / or may be used to deactivate sidelink PRS transmissions at UE. In some cases, for example, when the NRPPa positioning deactivation request 732 is not used to deactivate sidelink PRS transmissions at UE106, base station 102a may send a PRS deactivation message 734 to UE to indicate / command the deactivation of sidelink PRS transmissions. In some cases, the PRS deactivation message 734 may be a MAC CE indicating the deactivation of sidelink PRS transmissions. Third method

[0097] The first method detailed above applies to devices within coverage. For out-of-coverage devices that may not be able to communicate with the LMF, deferred MT-LR (and potentially MO-LR) LCS procedures may be used. When a UE is within coverage, the LCS client indicates events that necessitate a location measurement (e.g., when the first UE, UE1, is in proximity to the second UE, UE2). The postponed LCS procedure can now be initiated. The third method is intended for use with UE-based positioning, and the deferred MT-LR procedure can also be used in conjunction with the first and second methods detailed above. Example Call Flow

[0098] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an example call flow for sidelink positioning authorization according to several embodiments. The call flow shown in Figure 8 can be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated call flow elements may be executed simultaneously, in a different order than those shown, or omitted. Additional call flows may also be executed as desired. As shown in the figure, this call flow may operate as follows:

[0099] In 802, a UE such as UE106 may, in a NAS registration request message, send an instruction to the Core Network Access Mobility and Management Function (AMF) that the UE supports sidelink positioning. This instruction that the UE supports sidelink positioning may be included in the 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) capability information element (IE). In some cases, the 5GMM capability IE may include bits designated to indicate sidelink positioning capability.

[0100] In 804, the UE may subsequently receive instructions from the AMF granting permission for the UE to use sidelink positioning. In some cases, the instructions may be received in accordance with the AMF's decision that the UE is permitted to use sidelink positioning. In some cases, the instructions granting permission for the UE to use sidelink positioning may be received in the NAS registration acceptance message.

[0101] Figure 9 shows a block diagram of an example call flow for sidelink positioning using discovery notification messages, according to several embodiments. The call flow shown in Figure 9 can be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated call flow elements may be executed simultaneously, in a different order than those shown, or omitted. Additional call flows may also be executed as desired. As shown in the figure, this call flow may operate as follows:

[0102] In 902, a UE such as UE106 may send an instruction in the ProSe sidelink discovery notification message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning.

[0103] In 904, sidelink positioning may subsequently be used with the UE. For example, sidelink positioning may be used with the UE in response to a ProSe sidelink discovery notification message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning.

[0104] Figure 10 shows a block diagram of an example call flow for sidelink positioning using discovery request messages, according to several embodiments. The call flow shown in Figure 10 can be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated call flow elements may be executed simultaneously, in a different order than shown, or omitted. Additional call flows may also be executed as desired. As shown in the figure, this call flow may operate as follows:

[0105] In 1002, a UE such as UE106 may send an instruction in the ProSe sidelink discovery request message that the UE supports sidelink positioning.

[0106] In 1004, the UE may receive an instruction in the ProSe discovery response message from a neighboring UE, such as neighboring UE 106, that another UE supports sidelink positioning. The instruction that a neighboring UE supports sidelink positioning may be received in the ProSe discovery response message.

[0107] In 1006, the UE and the neighboring UE may, in accordance with instructions, decide that the UE and the neighboring UE will use sidelink positioning between them.

[0108] In some cases, a UE may establish a sidelink radio resource control (RRC) connection with a neighboring UE, for example, depending on the decision of the UE and the neighboring UE to use sidelink positioning between them. In some cases, the UE may transmit first information about its sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities to the neighboring UE and receive second information about the neighboring UE's sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities from the neighboring UE. The first information may be contained in the UECapabilityEnquirySidelink information element (IE). The second information may be contained in the UECapabilityInformationSidelink IE. In some cases, the UE may request the neighboring UE to transmit a sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS). In addition, the UE may perform a sidelink PRS measurement at least in part on the transmitted PRS and calculate the relative position of the UE with respect to at least the neighboring UE. The relative position may be at least in part on the sidelink PRS measurement. In some cases, the UE may communicate coordinates corresponding to the UE's absolute position via one or more sidelink radio resource control signaling or ProSe messages. In some cases, coordinates may be included in one of the following: CapabilityEnquirySidelink information element (IE), UECapabilityInformationSidelink IE, ProSe Direct Link Modification Request IE, ProSe Direct Link Modification Acceptance IE, ProSe Direct Link Keep-Alive Request IE, and / or ProSe Direct Link Keep-Alive Response IE.

[0109] Figure 11 shows a block diagram of an example call flow for sidelink positioning using the V5 interface, according to several embodiments. The call flow shown in Figure 11 can be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated call flow elements may be executed simultaneously, in a different order than shown, or omitted. Additional call flows may also be executed as desired. As shown in the figure, this call flow may operate as follows:

[0110] In 1102, a UE such as UE106 may transmit a first instruction via the V5 interface indicating that the UE supports side-link positioning. In some cases, the first instruction may be transmitted in and / or via a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Basic Safety message. In some cases, the first instruction may be transmitted in and / or via a European Telecommunications Standards Institute Intelligent Transport Systems Cooperative Awareness Basic Service message.

[0111] In 1104, the UE may receive a second instruction from a neighboring UE, such as neighboring UE 106, via the V5 interface, indicating that the neighboring UE supports sidelink positioning. In some cases, the second instruction may be received in and / or via an SAE Basic Safety message. In some cases, the second instruction may be received in and / or via a European Telecommunications Standards Institute Intelligent Transport Systems Cooperative Awareness Basic Service message.

[0112] In 1106, the UE may decide, in accordance with the first and second instructions, that the UE and neighboring UEs use side-link positioning between them.

[0113] In some cases, a UE may establish a sidelink radio resource control (RRC) connection with a neighboring UE, for example, depending on the decision of the UE and the neighboring UE to use sidelink positioning between them.

[0114] In some cases, a UE may transmit first information to a neighboring UE regarding the UE's sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities. Furthermore, the UE may receive second information from the neighboring UE regarding the neighboring UE's sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities. In addition, the UE may use the RRC reconstructed sidelink information element to request that the neighboring UE transmit a sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS). Moreover, the UE may perform a sidelink PRS measurement at least in part based on the transmitted PRS and, for example, calculate the UE's relative position to the neighboring UE at least in part based on the sidelink PRS measurement.

[0115] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of an example call flow for sidelink positioning in wireless communication according to several embodiments. The call flow shown in Figure 12 can be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figure, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the illustrated call flow elements may be executed simultaneously, in a different order than shown, or omitted. Additional call flows may also be executed as desired. As shown in the figure, this call flow may operate as follows:

[0116] In 1202, a UE such as UE106 may transmit first information indicating the UE's sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) capability. In some cases, a UE may transmit first information in Long-Term Evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) communication.

[0117] In 1204, the UE may receive sidelink PRS configuration information for the UE. Sidelink PRS configuration information may be received in response to the UE transmitting the first information. Sidelink PRS configuration information may be received in at least one of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) sidelink PRS configuration message and / or LPP communication.

[0118] In 1206, the UE may transmit one or more sidelink PRS according to the sidelink PRS configuration information.

[0119] In some cases, a UE may receive a sidelink PRS transmit activation via at least one of the medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) and / or LPP communication. Furthermore, the UE may transmit one or more sidelink PRS in at least part of response to having received the sidelink PRS transmit activation. In some cases, the sidelink PRS transmit activation may be received in the MAC CE based at least part of information about the UE's sidelink PRS configuration carried in the New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) positioning information response message. In such cases, the UE may receive the sidelink PRS transmit activation in the MAC CE in at least part of response to an NRPPa positioning activation request carrying a request to initiate a sidelink PRS transmit.

[0120] In some cases, the UE may receive sidelink PRS configuration information in the RRC sidelink PRS configuration message, at least in part, in response to an NRPPa information request that carries a request for sidelink PRS configuration.

[0121] In some cases, a UE may perform sidelink PRS measurements of sidelink PRS transmitted by other UEs (e.g., by neighboring UEs). In such cases, the UE may report the sidelink PRS measurements to the Location Management Function (LMF) using and / or via LPP.

[0122] In some cases, the UE may receive a command in the MAC CE to deactivate sidelink PRS transmissions. In such cases, the UE may stop transmitting one or more PRSs, at least in part, in response to receiving the command.

[0123] In some cases, the UE may send an instruction to the Core Network Access Mobility and Management Function (AMF) in the Network Access Layer (NAS) registration request message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning. This instruction may be included in the 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) capability information element (IE). In some cases, the 5GMM capability IE may include bits designated to indicate sidelink positioning capability. The UE may then receive an instruction from the AMF granting permission for the UE to use sidelink positioning. In some cases, this instruction may be received in response to the AMF's decision that the UE is permitted to use sidelink positioning. In some cases, the instruction granting permission for the UE to use sidelink positioning may be received in the NAS registration acceptance message.

[0124] In some cases, the UE may send an instruction in the ProSe sidelink discovery notification message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning. Furthermore, sidelink positioning may then be used with the UE. For example, sidelink positioning may be used with the UE in response to a ProSe sidelink discovery notification message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning.

[0125] In some cases, a UE may send an instruction in a ProSe sidelink discovery request message indicating that the UE supports sidelink positioning. Furthermore, the UE may receive an instruction from a neighboring UE, such as neighboring UE 106, in a ProSe discovery response message indicating that another UE supports sidelink positioning. The instruction that a neighboring UE supports sidelink positioning may be received in a ProSe discovery response message. In addition, the UE and neighboring UE may decide, in response to the instruction, that the UE and neighboring UE will use sidelink positioning between them. In some cases, the UE may establish a sidelink radio resource control (RRC) connection with a neighboring UE, for example, in response to the decision that the UE and neighboring UE will use sidelink positioning between them. In some cases, the UE may send first information regarding the UE's sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities to a neighboring UE and receive second information from the neighboring UE regarding the neighboring UE's sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities. The first information may be contained in the UECapabilityEnquirySidelink information element (IE). The second information may be contained in the UECapabilityInformationSidelink IE. In some cases, a UE may require a neighboring UE to transmit a Sidelink Positioning Reference Signal (PRS). In addition, the UE may perform a Sidelink PRS measurement at least in part based on the transmitted PRS to calculate the relative position of the UE to at least a neighboring UE. The relative position may be at least in part based on the Sidelink PRS measurement. In some cases, the UE may communicate coordinates corresponding to the UE's absolute position via one or more Sidelink Radio Resource Control signaling or ProSe messages. In some cases, the coordinates may be included in one of the following: CapabilityEnquirySidelink information elements (IE), UECapabilityInformationSidelink IE, ProSe DirectLink Modification Request IE, ProSe DirectLink Modification Acceptance IE, ProSe DirectLink Keep-Alive Request IE, and / or ProSe DirectLink Keep-Alive Response IE.

[0126] In some cases, a UE may transmit a first instruction via the V5 interface indicating that the UE supports side-link positioning. In some cases, the first instruction may be transmitted in and / or via an SAE Basic Safety message. In some cases, the first instruction may be transmitted in and / or via a European Telecommunications Standards Institute Intelligent Transport Systems Cooperative Awareness Basic Service message. The UE may receive a second instruction via the V5 interface from a neighboring UE, such as neighboring UE106, indicating that the neighboring UE supports side-link positioning. In some cases, the second instruction may be received in and / or via an SAE Basic Safety message. In some cases, the second instruction may be received in and / or via a European Telecommunications Standards Institute Intelligent Transport Systems Cooperative Awareness Basic Service message. In addition, the UE may decide, in response to the first and second instructions, that the UE and neighboring UEs will use sidelink positioning between them. In some cases, the UE may establish a sidelink radio resource control (RRC) connection with the neighboring UE, for example, in response to the decision that the UE and the neighboring UE will use sidelink positioning between them. In some cases, the UE may transmit first information to the neighboring UE regarding the UE's sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities. Furthermore, the UE may receive second information from the neighboring UE regarding the neighboring UE's sidelink positioning configuration and capabilities. Furthermore, the UE may use the RRC reconfigured sidelink information element to request that the neighboring UE transmit a sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS).In addition, the UE may perform a sidelink PRS measurement based at least partially on the transmitted PRS, and, for example, calculate the relative position of the UE to at least neighboring UEs based at least partially on the sidelink PRS measurement.

[0127] It should be fully understood that the use of personally identifiable information should adhere to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to the user.

[0128] Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in any of the following forms. For example, in some embodiments, the present invention may be implemented as a method executed by a computer, a computer-readable memory medium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the present invention can be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices, such as ASICs. In other embodiments, the present invention can be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs.

[0129] In some embodiments, a non-temporary computer-readable memory medium (e.g., a non-temporary memory element) stores program instructions and / or data, and the program instructions may be configured to cause a computer system, when executed by that computer system, to execute, for example, any embodiment of the method described herein, a combination of embodiments of the method described herein, a subset of embodiments of the method described herein, or a combination of such subsets.

[0130] In some embodiments, the device (e.g., UE) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium (or memory elements), the memory medium storing program instructions, and the processor being configured to read and execute program instructions from the memory medium, the program instructions being executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of the various forms.

[0131] Although the embodiments described above are in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art if the above disclosure is fully understood. The following claims are intended to be construed as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. User equipment (UE), At least one antenna, At least one radio, configured to perform cellular communication using at least one radio access technology (RAT), The system comprises one or more processors coupled to at least one wireless device, and the one or more processors and the at least one wireless device are configured to communicate. The one or more processors mentioned above, The UE transmits first information indicating its sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) capability, the first information being indicated in bits included in a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) capability information element (IE), the UE's sidelink PRS capability indicating that the UE supports the sidelink positioning procedure. The side link PRS configuration information for the UE is received, and the side link PRS configuration information of the UE is received in response to the transmission of the first information. A user equipment device (UE) configured to transmit one or more sidelink PRSs according to the aforementioned sidelink PRS configuration information.

2. The side link PRS configuration information of the aforementioned UE is, Radio Resource Control (RRC) sidelink PRS configuration message, or Received via at least one of the following: Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) communications, The UE according to claim 1.

3. The one or more processors mentioned above, It is further configured to receive sidelink PRS transmission activation, and one or more sidelink PRS transmits in response to the reception of the sidelink PRS transmission activation. The UE according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned side link PRS transmission activation is, Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), or Received via at least one of the following: Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) communications, The UE as described in claim 3.

5. The sidelink PRS transmission activation is received in the media access control (MAC) control element (CE) based on information about the sidelink PRS configuration of the UE carried in the New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPPa) positioning information response message. The UE as described in claim 3.

6. The one or more processors mentioned above, In response to an NRPPa positioning activation request that carries a request to initiate sidelink PRS transmission, the MAC CE is further configured to receive the sidelink PRS transmission activation. The UE according to claim 5.

7. The sidelink PRS configuration information of the UE is received in a radio resource control (RRC) sidelink PRS configuration message in response to a New Radio Positioning Protocol A (NRPPPa) information request that carries a request for sidelink PRS configuration. The UE according to claim 1.

8. The one or more processors described above are: Perform sidelink PRS measurements of sidelink PRS transmitted by other UEs. The system is further configured to report the sidelink PRS measurements to the Location Management Function (LMF) using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) based communication. The UE according to claim 1.

9. The one or more processors mentioned above, In the Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), a command is received to deactivate sidelink PRS transmission. The system is further configured to interrupt the transmission of one or more PRSs in response to receiving the aforementioned command. The UE according to claim 1.

10. The first information is transmitted in Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) communication. The UE according to claim 1.

11. It is a device, Memory and At least one processor communicating with the memory, which transmits first information indicating sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) capability, the first information being indicated by bits included in a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) capability information element (IE), the sidelink PRS capability indicating support for sidelink positioning procedures, In response to the transmission of the first information, the side link PRS configuration information associated with the device is transmitted. Radio Resource Control (RRC) sidelink PRS configuration message, or Generate an instruction to be received via at least one of the following: Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Positioning Protocol (LPP) communications, A processor configured to generate instructions for transmitting one or more sidelink PRS according to the sidelink PRS configuration information, A device equipped with the following features.

12. The aforementioned at least one processor, In a Non-Access Layer (NAS) registration request message to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a command is generated to send an instruction to support sidelink positioning. The system is further configured to receive instructions from the AMF granting permission to use sidelink positioning based on a decision that sidelink positioning is permitted, and these instructions are received via a NAS registration acceptance message. The apparatus according to claim 11.

13. The aforementioned indication for sidelink positioning support is included in the 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) Capability Information Element (IE), the 5GMM Capability IE includes bits designated to indicate sidelink positioning capability. The apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The aforementioned at least one processor, The Proximity Services (ProSe) sidelink discovery notification message is further configured to generate an instruction to send a support signal for sidelink positioning. The apparatus according to claim 11.

15. A method for sidelink positioning in wireless communication, User equipment (UE) Transmitting first information indicating the sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS) capability of the UE, wherein the first information is indicated in bits included in a 5G Mobility Management (5GMM) capability information element (IE), and the sidelink PRS capability of the UE indicates that the UE supports the sidelink positioning procedure. Sidelink PRS configuration information for the UE, wherein the sidelink PRS configuration information of the UE receives sidelink PRS configuration information received in response to the transmission of the first information, Transmitting one or more sidelink PRS according to the aforementioned sidelink PRS configuration information, Methods that include...

16. The aforementioned UE, In a Proximity Services (ProSe) sidelink discovery request message, the UE transmits a first instruction indicating that it supports sidelink positioning, In response from a neighboring UE, a second instruction is received via a ProSe discovery response message indicating that the neighboring UE supports sidelink positioning, In accordance with the first and second instructions, it is decided to use side-link positioning with the neighboring UE, To exchange sidelink positioning configurations and capabilities with the neighboring UE via the UECapabilityEnquirySidelink information element (IE), The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

17. The aforementioned UE, Requesting the neighboring UE to transmit a sidelink positioning reference signal (PRS), Based on the transmitted PRS, a side link PRS measurement is performed. Based on the side link PRS measurement, the relative position of the UE with respect to at least the neighboring UE is calculated, The further includes communicating coordinates corresponding to the absolute position of the UE via one or more sidelink wireless resource control signaling or ProSe messages, wherein the coordinates are CapabilityEnquirySidelink information element (IE), UECapabilityInformationSidelink IE, ProSe direct link correction request IE, ProSe accepts direct link correction for IE. ProSe Direct Link Keep-Alive Request IE, or ProSe Direct Link Keep-Alive Response IE, included in at least one of the following: The method according to claim 16.

18. The aforementioned UE, On the V5 interface, transmit a first instruction for sidelink positioning support via at least one of the following: the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Basic Safety Message or the European Telecommunications Standards Institute's Advanced Road Traffic Systems Coordinated Recognition Basic Service Message. The neighboring UE receives a second instruction from the V5 interface via at least one of the following: a SAE Basic Safety Message or an English: European Telecommunications Standards Association Advanced Road Traffic Systems Coordination Recognition Basic Service Message, indicating that the neighboring UE supports sidelink positioning. In accordance with the first and second instructions, it is decided to use side-link positioning with the neighboring UE, In accordance with the decision to use sidelink positioning with the neighboring UE, a sidelink radio resource control (RRC) connection is established with the neighboring UE, The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

19. The aforementioned UE, To exchange side-link positioning configurations and capabilities with the aforementioned neighboring UE, The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

20. The aforementioned UE, Requesting the neighboring UE to transmit a sidelink PRS using the Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration sidelink information element, Based on the transmitted PRS, a side link PRS measurement is performed. Based on the side link PRS measurement, the relative position of the UE with respect to at least the neighboring UE is calculated, The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

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