Method for aggregating downlink positioning reference signals

Abstract

According to certain embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device includes receiving an indication from a network, the indication indicating whether the wireless device is capable of processing two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. The method further includes performing joint processing of the aggregated DL PRS resources based at least in part on the indication indicating that the wireless device is capable of processing the two or more downlink DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource to generate measurements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless networks, and more particularly to aggregating downlink positioning reference signals.

Background Art

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) refers to the partnership of communication standards development organizations that create reports and specifications defining 3GPP technologies.The topics discussed in 3GPP include positioning signals, carrier aggregation (CA), and multi-transmit receive point (TRP) settings, as further summarized below.

[0003] Positioning Signals Positioning has been a topic since 3GPP Release 9 (Rel-9) in the standardization of Long Term Evolution (LTE).The main purpose was initially to meet regulatory requirements for emergency call positioning, but other use cases have become important.An example of such a use case includes positioning related to the Industrial Internet of Things (I-IoT).New Radio (NR) positioning is supported by the architecture shown in FIG. 1.The Location Management Function (LMF) is at the location node in NR.There is also an interaction between the location node and the gNodeB (gNB, the base station in NR) via the NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) protocol.The interaction between the gNodeB and the device is supported by the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, and the location node interfaces with the User Equipment (UE) via the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP).LPP is common to both NR and LTE.Note that in the architecture shown in FIG. 1, it is not necessary for both the gNB and the next-generation eNodeB (ng-eNB) to be present.Also note that in the architecture shown in FIG. 1, when both the gNB and the ng-eNB are present, the NG-C interface exists on only one side.

[0004] The legacy LTE standard supports the following technologies: • Extended Cell ID. Basically, it is cell ID information used to associate a device with the serving area of ​​a serving cell, and it is additional information used to determine a more precise granularity of location. • Auxiliary Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This refers to GNSS information retrieved by a device supported by auxiliary information provided to the device from an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC). • Observation Time-to-Arrival Difference (OTDOA). The device estimates the time difference of reference signals from different base stations and sends it to the E-SMLC for multilattice. • Uplink Time to Arrive (UTDOA). The device is required to transmit a specific waveform whose position is detected by multiple known location measurement units (e.g., eNBs). These measurements are transferred to the E-SMLC for multilattice.

[0005] Several positioning functions were defined in NR Rel-16. For example, a new downlink (DL) reference signal (NR DL positioning reference signal (PRS)) was defined. The main benefit of the NR DL PRS signal compared to LTE DL PRS is the increased bandwidth of resource blocks (RBs), which can be set from 24 to 272, resulting in a significant improvement in time-of-arrival (TOA) accuracy. The NR DL PRS can be set with a comb coefficient of 2, 4, 6, or 12. Comb-12 allows for twice the orthogonal signaling of LTE PRS with comb-6. Beam sweeping is also supported in the NR DL PRS in Rel-16.

[0006] In NR Rel-16, DL PRS is configured separately for each cell. The Location Server (LMF) collects all configurations via the NRPPa protocol before sending Auxiliary Data (AD) messages to the UE via the LPP protocol.

[0007] The Rel-16 NR DL PRS is organized into the following three-level hierarchical structure. • PRS frequency layer: (Possibly) Collects a set of PRS resources with common parameters from multiple base stations. If the two resource sets are on the same frequency layer, ○ Operates with the same subcarrier spacing in the same frequency band. 〇 Having the same comb coefficient 〇 Having the same starting PRB and bandwidth • PRS Resource Set: This corresponds to a collection of PRS beams (resources) all originating from the same TRP. All resources in the same set have the same comb coefficient. • PRS Resources: Corresponds to beams that transmit PRS.

[0008] NR Rel-16 specifies an extension to the NR Uplink (UL) Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The Rel-16 NR SRS for positioning allows for longer signals of up to 12 symbols (compared to 4 symbols in Rel-15) and more flexible placement in slots (only the last 6 symbols in a slot can be used in Rel-15). The Rel-16 NR SRS for positioning also allows for improved TOA measurement range and staggered comb resource element (RE) patterns for more orthogonal signals, based on comb offsets (2, 4, and 8 combs) and cyclic shifts. However, the use of longer cyclic shifts than orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols divided by comb coefficients is not supported by Rel-16, despite the significant advantages of staggered comb arrangement, at least in indoor scenarios. Power control based on neighboring cell synchronization signal blocks (SSB) / DL PRS is supported, as well as spatial pseudo-collocation (QCL) relationships to channel status information reference signals (CSI-RS), synchronization signal blocks (SSB), DL PRS, or other SRS.

[0009] NR Rel-16 specifies the following UE measurements: For example, DL reference signal time difference (RSTD) enables DL arrival time difference (TDOA) positioning. • Multi-cell UE enables receive-transmit (Rx-Tx) time difference measurement, enabling multi-cell round-trip time (RTT) measurement. • Received power of DL PRS reference signal (RSRP)

[0010] NR Rel-16 specifies the following gNB measurements: • Uplink (UL) relative time to arrival (RTOA) (UL-RTOA) effective for UL TDOA positioning. • gNB Rx-Tx time difference effective for multi-cell RTT measurement UL SRS-RSRP • Angle of arrival (AoA) and zenith angle of arrival (ZoA)

[0011] In December 2019, 3GPP initiated a research item on positioning for NR Rel-17. The research item focused on industrial IoT scenarios. One of the objectives of the research item was to investigate high positioning accuracy (horizontal and vertical) under low latency and network efficiency (scalability, reference signal (RS) overhead, etc.). In this regard, 3GPP RAN1 agreed to investigate the aggregation of DL PRS resources and the joint measurement of the aggregated PRS resources in order to improve positioning accuracy. Aggregated PRS resources would allow UEs to process these PRS resources coherently / together to improve positioning accuracy. At the RAN1#102-e meeting in August 2020, the following was agreed:

[0012] agreement: To improve positioning performance in both in-band and inter-band scenarios, Rel-17 will investigate aggregating multiple DL positioning frequency layers in the same or separate frequency bands, taking at least the following into consideration: Scenarios and performance benefits of aggregating multiple DL positioning frequency layers. The impact of channel spacing, timing offset, phase offset, frequency error, and power imbalance between component carriers (CCs) on positioning performance in continuous / discontinuous in-band and inter-band scenarios. Examining the complexity of UE

[0013] Initial results suggest that aggregating and processing multiple PRS resources together may improve positioning accuracy; see R1-2006810, "Potential Enhancements for NR Rel-17 Positioning," 3GPP TSG RAN, WG1 #102-e, August 17-28, 2020.

[0014] Carrier aggregation Carrier aggregation has been used since LTE-Advanced to expand bandwidth and thereby improve bitrate. In NR, gain coverage is also possible using interband carrier aggregation. By aggregating the 5th generation (5G) low band with the 5G high band, high band coverage can be improved by up to 10 dB. Each aggregated carrier is called a component carrier (CC), depending on the capabilities of the UE and / or network (NW), and various combinations / aggregations of NR operating bandwidth and the number of CCs can be achieved.

[0015] The network can configure a UE using carrier aggregation by configuring one or more secondary cells in addition to the primary cell configured during connection establishment. The primary cell plays a vital role in terms of safety (i.e., providing safety inputs) and higher-layer system information (i.e., Non-Accessible Tier (NAS) mobility information such as Tracking Area Identity (TAI)). Secondary cells are used to provide additional downlink radio resources and optional uplink radio resources. An example is described in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 36.331 v16.0.0.

[0016] Multi-TRP A cell can consist of multiple TRPs, each at a separate coordinate system, as shown in Figure 2. This type of configuration is likely to be used in I-IOT scenarios. For example, one cell with 10, 20, or more TRPs may be used to cover all factory holes. This type of scenario should be usable if the serving cell has multiple TRPs at separate coordinate systems for positioning (for example, three separate coordinate systems are required to perform multilateration positioning). [Overview of the Initiative]

[0017] Currently, certain challenges exist. For example, the concept of aggregating downlink PRS to improve positioning accuracy was discussed in RAN1#102-e, but the efficient way to signal aggregation to a UE so that the UE performs PRS aggregation remains unknown in conventional technology. Therefore, efficient signaling of aggregated downlink PRS is an unresolved problem that needs to be solved.

[0018] Certain aspects of this disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other problems. For example, certain embodiments introduce the following signaling for DL-PRS aggregation. · Signaling of aggregated DL PRS resources from the LMF or serving gNB to the UE that can be processed coherently / together · Signaling of aggregated DL PRS resources from the serving gNB or neighboring gNB to the LMF

[0019] Various embodiments are proposed herein to address one or more of the problems disclosed herein.

[0020] According to certain embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device includes receiving an indication from a network. The indication indicates whether the wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. The method further includes jointly processing the aggregated DL PRS resources to generate a measurement value, and the joint processing is performed at least in part based on an indication indicating that the wireless device can process two or more downlink DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource.

[0021] According to certain embodiments, a wireless device includes a power circuit and a processing circuit. The power circuit is configured to supply power to the wireless device. The processing circuit is configured to receive an indication from the network. The indication indicates whether the wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. The processing circuit is configured to perform joint processing of the aggregated DL PRS resources to generate a measurement value. The joint processing is performed at least in part based on an indication indicating that the wireless device can process two or more downlink DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource.

[0022] The foregoing method and / or wireless device may further include any suitable functions, such as one or more of the following functions.

[0023] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that one or more conditions have been met for processing two or more DL PRS resources together.

[0024] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must have been sent from the same TRP.

[0025] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must have been received by the wireless device in the same slot.

[0026] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must have been received by the wireless device in the same symbol.

[0027] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together are limited to a single iteration.

[0028] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must have been received by wireless devices having the same QCL information.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together belong to separate frequency layers.

[0030] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met that two or more DL PRS resources being processed together use the same subcarrier interval.

[0031] Certain embodiments show measurements to a network generated by the combined processing of aggregated DL PRS resources. Certain embodiments show measurements to location nodes. Certain embodiments show measurements to wireless network nodes.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the indication that a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is based on the phase difference between a first carrier associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second carrier associated with a second DL PRS resource. For example, when the phase difference indicates that the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent, the indication indicates that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. In certain embodiments, whether the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent is based on whether their coherence value exceeds a threshold.

[0033] In certain embodiments, an instruction is received from the location node indicating whether the wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together.

[0034] In certain embodiments, an instruction indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is received via NAS signaling.

[0035] In certain embodiments, an indication that a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is received via a positioning protocol or OAM message.

[0036] In certain embodiments, instructions indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together are received from a wireless network node.

[0037] In certain embodiments, an indication that a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is received via RRC signaling.

[0038] In certain embodiments, instructions indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together are received by the DCI.

[0039] In certain embodiments, instructions indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together include a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource. The instructions indicate that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together when the first index is identical to the second index.

[0040] In certain embodiments, an instruction indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is received in the DL PRS resource configuration.

[0041] In certain embodiments, an instruction indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is received at the frequency layer level.

[0042] In certain embodiments, an instruction indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is set at the DL PRS resource set level.

[0043] Certain embodiments transmit network information indicating the maximum number of DL PRS resources that a wireless device can process together.

[0044] According to certain embodiments, the method performed by a network node includes sending instructions to a wireless device. The instructions indicate whether the wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource.

[0045] According to certain embodiments, a network node comprises a power supply circuit and a processing circuit. The power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the network node. The processing circuit is configured to send instructions to a wireless device. The instructions indicate whether the wireless device can process two or more downlink DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource.

[0046] The aforementioned method and / or network node may further include any appropriate functions, such as one or more of the following functions:

[0047] Certain embodiments transmit information to a wireless device regarding one or more conditions that must be met in order to process two or more DL PRS resources together.

[0048] In certain embodiments, one or more conditions include the condition that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must be sent from the same TRP.

[0049] In certain embodiments, one or more conditions include the condition that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must be received by the wireless device in the same slot.

[0050] In certain embodiments, one or more conditions include the condition that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must be received by the wireless device in the same symbol.

[0051] In certain embodiments, one or more conditions include the condition that two or more DL PRS resources processed together must be limited to a single iteration.

[0052] In certain embodiments, one or more conditions include the condition that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must be received by a wireless device having the same QCL information.

[0053] In certain embodiments, one or more conditions include the condition that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must belong to separate frequency layers.

[0054] In certain embodiments, one or more conditions include the condition that two or more DL PRS resources processed together must use the same subcarrier interval.

[0055] In certain embodiments, instructions sent to a wireless device indicate that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. In certain embodiments, the wireless device receives information from the wireless device indicating measurements based on processing two or more DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource.

[0056] In certain embodiments, instructions sent to a wireless device indicate that two or more DL PRS resources cannot be processed together. In certain embodiments, the wireless device receives information from the wireless device indicating a measurement based on processing only one of the two or more DL PRS resources.

[0057] Certain embodiments determine whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. For example, determining whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together is based on the phase difference between a first carrier associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second carrier associated with a second DL PRS resource. Certain embodiments determine that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together when the phase difference indicates that the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent. Certain embodiments determine that two or more DL PRS resources cannot be processed together when the phase difference indicates that the first and second carriers are not sufficiently coherent. For example, whether the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent is based on whether their coherence value exceeds a threshold.

[0058] In certain embodiments, the network node includes a location node.

[0059] In certain embodiments, instructions are sent via NAS signaling.

[0060] In certain embodiments, instructions are sent via a positioning protocol or OAM message.

[0061] In certain embodiments, the network node includes a wireless network node.

[0062] In certain embodiments, instructions are sent via RRC signaling.

[0063] In certain embodiments, instructions are sent by DCI.

[0064] In certain embodiments, the instruction includes a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource. The instruction indicates that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together when the first index is identical to the second index.

[0065] In certain embodiments, the instructions are sent in the DL PRS resource configuration.

[0066] In certain embodiments, the instructions are transmitted at the frequency layer level.

[0067] In certain embodiments, the instructions are set at the DL PRS resource set level.

[0068] In certain embodiments, the instruction indicates that the number of DL PRS resources that can be processed together is less than the maximum number of DL PRS resources that the wireless device can process together. In certain embodiments, the wireless device receives the maximum number of DL resources that the wireless device can process together. In certain embodiments, the maximum number of DL resources that the wireless device can process together is specified in the standard.

[0069] According to certain embodiments, the method performed by a wireless network node includes sending instructions to a location node. The instructions indicate whether two or more downlink DL PRS resources can be processed together as an aggregated DL PRS resource by the wireless device in order to generate a measurement.

[0070] According to certain embodiments, a wireless network node comprises a power supply circuit and a processing circuit. The power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the wireless network node. The processing circuit is configured to send instructions to a location node. The instructions indicate whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together as an aggregated DL PRS resource by the wireless device to generate a measurement.

[0071] The aforementioned method and / or wireless network node may further include any suitable functions, such as one or more of the following functions:

[0072] In certain embodiments, instructions are sent in response to receiving a request from a location node to provide information about a TRP hosted by a wireless network node.

[0073] Certain embodiments determine whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together.

[0074] According to certain embodiments, a method performed by a location node includes receiving instructions from a wireless network node. The instructions indicate whether two or more downlink DL PRS resources can be processed together as an aggregated DL PRS resource by a wireless device in order to generate a measurement. The method includes sending a request to the wireless device to provide DL PRS measurements. This request indicates whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together as an aggregated DL PRS resource.

[0075] According to certain embodiments, the location node comprises a power supply circuit and a processing circuit. The power supply circuit is configured to supply power to the location node. The processing circuit is configured to receive instructions from a wireless network node. The instructions indicate whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together as an aggregated DL PRS resource by a wireless device to generate a measurement. The processing circuit is further configured to send a request to the wireless device to provide DL PRS measurements. This request indicates whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together as an aggregated DL PRS resource.

[0076] The aforementioned method and / or location node may further include any appropriate functions, such as one or more of the following functions:

[0077] In certain embodiments, requests are sent via NAS signaling.

[0078] In certain embodiments, the request is sent via a positioning protocol or OAM message.

[0079] Certain embodiments receive measurement information from a wireless device, which is generated by the wireless device jointly processing aggregated DL PRS resources. Certain embodiments determine the location of the wireless device based at least in part on the measurement information.

[0080] Certain embodiments may offer one or more of the following technical advantages: In certain embodiments, the gNB can use the proposed signaling extension to indicate a DL PRS reference signal whose coherence can be guaranteed, so that the UE can process the DL PRS reference signal coherently / together.

[0081] The benefit of coherent processing / aggregation of DL PRS reference signals, when coherence can be guaranteed, is improved positioning accuracy, as shown in Figure 3. In detail, Figure 3 shows an example of simulation results illustrating the gain in positioning accuracy from carrier aggregation of two coherent carriers. The results also show that the gain decreases if the carriers are not sufficiently coherent. For completely incoherent carriers (random phase differences), the performance of attempts to combine the carriers coherently also decreases. Therefore, it is important to indicate to the UE whether the two carriers are coherent.

[0082] For a better understanding of the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, the following description is then referenced with respect to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0083] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the Release 15 Location Services (LCS) protocol for Next Generation Wireless Access Networks (NG-RAN). [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a multi-TRP in a cell. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of simulation results regarding the effect of inter-carrier phase difference on DL TDOA positioning in an indoor factory under a scenario with sparse clutter and high base station antennas (InF-SH). [Figure 4a] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment of an aggregated DL PRS for a wireless device (e.g., UE). Figure 4 begins with Figure 4a and continues with Figure 4b. [Figure 4b] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment of an aggregated DL PRS for a wireless device (e.g., UE). Figure 4 begins with Figure 4a and continues with Figure 4b. [Figure 5a] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment of a DL PRS aggregated to the UE at the frequency layer level. Figure 5 begins with Figure 5a and continues with Figure 5b. [Figure 5b] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment of a DL PRS aggregated to the UE at the frequency layer level. Figure 5 begins with Figure 5a and continues with Figure 5b. [Figure 6a] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment of DL PRS aggregated to UE at the DL PRS resource set level. Figure 6 begins with Figure 6a and continues with Figure 6b. [Figure 6b] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment of DL PRS aggregated to UE at the DL PRS resource set level. Figure 6 begins with Figure 6a and continues with Figure 6b. [Figure 7] This figure shows the signaling sequence for PRS aggregation for DL-PRS based on the LPP configuration. In some embodiments, "SgNB" represents the serving gNB and "NgNB" represents the neighboring gNB. [Figure 8] This figure shows the signaling sequence for RRC-based configuration for PRS aggregation. In some embodiments, "SgNB" represents the serving gNB and "NgNB" represents the neighboring gNB. [Figure 9] This figure shows a wireless network according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] This figure shows a user device (UE) according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] This figure shows a virtual environment according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] This figure shows a communication network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network, according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] This figure shows a host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station through a partial wireless connection, according to one embodiment. [Figure 14] This figure shows a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 15]This figure shows a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 16] This figure shows a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 17] This figure shows a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 18] This figure shows a method implemented in a wireless device such as a UE, according to some embodiments. [Figure 19] This figure shows a virtualization device according to some embodiments. [Figure 20] This figure shows an example of a method implemented in a wireless device such as a UE, according to some embodiments. [Figure 21] This figure shows an example of a method implemented at a network node according to some embodiments. [Figure 22] This figure shows an example of a method implemented in a wireless network node according to some embodiments. [Figure 23] This figure shows an example of a method implemented at a location node according to some embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0084] In general, all terms used herein shall be interpreted according to their ordinary meanings in the art relating to the subject, unless otherwise explicitly stated and / or implied by the context in which they are used. All references to one / its (a / an / the) element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., shall be openly interpreted as referring to at least one example of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless otherwise explicitly stated. Unless a step is expressly described as following or preceding another step, and / or where it is implied that a step must follow or precede another step, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not need to be performed in the exact order disclosed. Any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may, where appropriate, be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other purposes, features, and advantages of the embodiments included will become apparent from the following description.

[0085] Herein, some of the embodiments intended in this specification will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited only to the embodiments specified herein; rather, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0086] Embodiment 1: Signaling of aggregated downlink PRS to UE In one embodiment, the LMF indicates aggregated downlink (DL) PRS resources to the UE by including an index (for example, the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 as part of the NR-DL-PRS resource) in the DL PRS resource configuration, as shown in Figure 4 (starting with Figure 4a and continuing to Figure 4b to show a first exemplary embodiment of showing aggregated DL PRS to the UE). When two DL PRS resources are configured with the same nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 index value, the UE then performs a measurement and processes the two DL PRS resources coherently / together. In this sense, the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 represents a group of DL PRS resources that can be measured and processed coherently / together. If the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 does not exist, the absence of the index indicates that the UE cannot assume that the corresponding DL PRS resource will be sent coherently along with other configured DL PRS resources.

[0087] In some embodiments, the number N of DL PRS resources that can be measured and processed coherently / together may be 2 or greater. That is, up to N DL PRS resources may have the same nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 index value. In some embodiments, the number of DL PRS resources that the UE can measure and process coherently / together (i.e., the maximum value of N) is the UE capability reported to the gNB by the UE. In some other embodiments, the maximum value of N is fixed in the 3GPP standard.

[0088] The index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 is optional and can have an integer range of 0 to X (where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1). Thus, the value of X determines the number of groups of DL PRS resources that can be measured and processed coherently / together (i.e., the number of groups is X+1). In some embodiments, the value of X is fixed in the 3GPP standard. In some other embodiments, X is the UE capability reported to the gNB by the UE. If a DL PRS resource does not have a set nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 index, this DL PRS resource will not be processed coherently / together with other DL PRS resources.

[0089] In an alternative embodiment, the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 may be set at the frequency layer level. For example, the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 may be set in the NR-DL-PRS-PositioningFrequencyLayer-r16 field as defined in [TS 37.355 V16.2.0]. The UE then processes the two DL PRS resources together when they belong to two separate frequency layers that have the same value for the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17. In some embodiments, only the Nth NR-DL-PRS-Resource-r16 in the dl-PRS-ResourceList-r16 of the Mth NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16 in the NR-DL-PRS-AssistanceDataPerFreq-r16 relating to TRP measured in NR-DL-PRS-AssistanceDataPerFreq-r16 having the same nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 is processed coherently / together with the Nth NR-DL-PRS-Resource-r16 in the dl-PRS-ResourceList-r16 relating to TRP measured in NR-DL-PRS-AssistanceDataPerFreq-r16 having a given nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 index. Figure 5 (starting with Figure 5a and continuing with Figure 5b) shows an exemplary embodiment of the aggregated DL PRS being shown to the UE at the frequency layer level.

[0090] In another alternative embodiment, the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 may be set at the DL PRS resource set level. For example, the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 may be set in the NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16 field. The UE then processes two DL PRS resources together when they belong to two separate DL PRS resource sets that have the same value for the index nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17. In some embodiments, for DL ​​PRS resources from two separate DL PRS resource sets to be processed coherently / together, the number of DL PRS resources in these two DL PRS resource sets must be the same. In some embodiments, only the Nth NR-DL-PRS-Resource-r16 in the dl-PRS-ResourceList-r16 of another NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16 having the same nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 index is processed coherently / together with the Nth NR-DL-PRS-Resource-r16 in the dl-PRS-ResourceSet-r16 of another NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16 having the same nr-DL-PRS-AggregationID-r17 index. Figure 6 (starting with Figure 6a and continuing with Figure 6b) shows an exemplary embodiment of presenting aggregated DL PRS to the UE at the DL PRS resource set level.

[0091] Embodiment 2: Conditions for coherently combining DL PRS resources For two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, certain conditions may need to be met. These conditions may include one or more of the following: • Two or more DL PRS resources must be transmitted from the same TRP. In NR Rel-16, the TRP is represented by dl-PRS-ID [TS 37.355 V16.2.0]. Therefore, in one embodiment, two or more DL PRS resources can be processed coherently / together only if they correspond to the same dl-PRSID value. • Two or more DL PRS resources may need to be received in the same slot by the UE in order to maintain coherence so that they can be processed coherently / together by the UE. Thus, in another embodiment, two or more DL PRS resources may need to be received with the same periodicity and / or slot offset. This means that the dl-PRS-Periodicity-and-ResourceSetSlotOffset-r16 field given to the DL PRS resource set corresponding to each of the two or more DL PRS resources (i.e., NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16) must have the same value. In some other embodiments, for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, the same slot offset value may need to be specified in their DL PRS resource settings (for example, for these two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, the associated dl-PRS-ResourceSlotOffset-r16 field values ​​may need to have the same value). In some other embodiments, two or more DL PRS resources may need to be received by the UE at the same symbol so that they maintain coherence and can be processed coherently by the UE in order to be processed coherently / together. Thus, in these embodiments, for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, their DL PRS resource settings may need to specify the same symbol offset value (for example, for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, the dl-PRS-ResourceSlotOffset-r16 field values ​​associated with them may need to be the same). • In some other embodiments, two or more DL PRS resources may need to be limited to one iteration for them to be processed coherently / together. This means that the dl-PRS-ResourceRepetitionFactor-r16 field is not set in the DL PRS resource set (NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16) corresponding to each of the two or more DL PRS resources. In alternative embodiments, there may be a fixed maximum number of M iterations for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together. max It may need to be restricted to this. In this alternative embodiment, the dl-PRS-ResourceRepetitionFactor-r16 field set in the DL PRS resource set (NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet-r16) corresponding to each of two or more DL PRS resources is M max It must have the following values: In some other embodiments, for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, they may need to be received by the UE using the same QCL information (e.g., the same beam or the same QCL type D source reference signal). Therefore, in these embodiments, for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, the same dl-PRS-QCL-Info-r16 parameter may need to be defined in their DL PRS resource settings (e.g., for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, the dl-PRS-QCL-Info-r16 field values ​​associated with them may need to have the same value for ssb-r16 or dl-PRS-r16). In some other embodiments, two or more DL PRS resources may need to belong to separate frequency layers in order to be processed coherently / together. In some embodiments, two or more DL PRS resources may need to have one or more different parameters in their corresponding nr-DL-PRS-PositioningFrequencyLayer-r16 in order to be processed coherently / together. In some embodiments, for two or more DL PRS resources to be processed coherently / together, the subcarrier intervals associated with them may need to be identical.

[0092] If one or more of the above conditions are not met, the UE will not process two or more DL PRS resources coherently / together. In an alternative embodiment, if one or more of the above conditions are not met, the UE will process only one of the two or more DL PRS resources configured to aggregate (i.e., no coherent / aggregate processing will be performed).

[0093] Embodiment 3: Extension for RRC-configured DL PRS and other reference signals Embodiments 1 and 2 described above are in terms of DL PRS resources configured on the UE by the LMF and the LPP protocol, but Embodiments 1 and 2 may also be applicable when the DL PRS resource is an RRC configured on the UE from the gNB. When the DL PRS resource is configured as an RRC, it is advantageous when multiple TRPs belong to the same serving cell and are controlled by the same gNB. Furthermore, when the DL PRS resource is aperiodic or semi-persistent, some or all of Embodiments 1 and 2 are applicable. In this case, a periodic DL PRS refers to a DL PRS configured at a higher layer and triggered by a field in the Downlink Control Information (DCI). A semi-persistent DL PRS refers to a DL PRS configured at a higher layer and activated / deactivated by a control element (CE) of the Media Access Control (MAC).

[0094] Embodiments 1 and / or 2 may be extended to other reference signals supported for use in positioning measurements (e.g., non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS, tracking reference signals (TRS), etc.). For example, an index may be set in an NZP CSI-RS resource or resource set to indicate whether one or more NZP CSI-RS resources can be processed coherently / together for positioning measurements.

[0095] Embodiment 4: Instructions for DL ​​PRS aggregation from an NG-RAN node to an LMF In NR Rel-16, the LMF sends a request to an NG-RAN node for information about TRPs hosted by the NG-RAN node via the "TRP INFORMATION REQUEST" message [3GPP TS 38.455 V16.1.0]. The NG-RAN node may respond by providing a "TRP INFORMATION RESPONSE" [3GPP TS 38.455 V16.1.0] which may contain information about one or more TRPs hosted by the NG-RAN node. The "TRP Information" information element, which is part of the "TRP INFORMATION RESPONSE," includes PRS settings.

[0096] It is necessary to indicate to the LMF whether one or more DL PRS resources can be sent coherently by the TRP. Therefore, in one embodiment, the PRS Aggregation ID is included at the PRS Resource Set level, as shown in Table 1. If two PRS resource sets have the same value for the PRS Aggregation ID, then two or more PRS resources from the two PRS resource sets can be sent coherently by the TRP. In some embodiments, the maximum value X for the PRS Aggregation ID is fixed in the standard. The PRS Aggregation ID is an optional parameter, and if a particular PRS Resource Set does not include a PRS Aggregation ID, it means that PRS resources from this PRS resource set cannot be aggregated with PRS resources from other PRS resource sets. TIFF0007883996000001.tif255170TIFF0007883996000002.tif255170TIFF0007883996000003.tif133170

[0097] In alternative embodiments, the PRS Resource level includes a PRS Aggregation ID, as shown in Table 2. If two PRS resources have the same PRS Aggregation ID value, the TRP may transmit these two PRS resources coherently. In some embodiments, the maximum value X for the PRS Aggregation ID is fixed in the standard. The PRS Aggregation ID is an optional parameter, and if a particular PRS Resource does not include a PRS Aggregation ID, it means that this PRS resource cannot be aggregated with other PRS resources.

[0098] When LMF configures DL PRS for UE using the LPP protocol, it takes into account the PRS aggregation information provided in this embodiment. TIFF0007883996000004.tif255170TIFF0007883996000005.tif255170TIFF0007883996000006.tif114170

[0099] Embodiment 5: Instructions for cell-based DL PRS aggregation In this embodiment, each gNB configures the primary serving cell and secondary cell for multi-carrier operation for data communication. The gNB / Operational Administration Maintenance (OAM) may record the multi-carrier combinations used for data communication, which may be relayed to the LMF. The OAM may configure or select the same carriers (serving cell and secondary cell) for aggregated transmission of the PRS. This information is relayed to the LMF via NRPPa or by the OAM means. An example of a carrier-aggregated PRS is shown in Table 3. TIFF0007883996000007.tif255170TIFF0007883996000008.tif44170

[0100] When LMF prepares auxiliary data for the UE (LPP), it takes this input into account and configures the UE to perform PRS measurements coherently / together with a wide bandwidth (aggregated bandwidth).

[0101] An example LPP information element for representing "nr-DL-PRS-CarrierAggregationInfo-r17" is provided below, along with a description of the fields. TIFF0007883996000009.tif255170TIFF0007883996000010.tif255170TIFF0007883996 000011.tif154170TIFF0007883996000012.tif255170TIFF0007883996000013.tif64170

[0102] Furthermore, the gNB can broadcast PRS aggregation options to the UE. Essentially, it encapsulates Table 3 for the serving cell and provides the aggregated PRS options (these secondary cells can be combined) via system information broadcast.

[0103] If the UE performs measurements based on both unaggregated and aggregated PRS, the results may be provided as follows. Otherwise, the UE reports, while providing separate results for each measurement performed based on carrier aggregation. TIFF0007883996000014.tif255170TIFF0007883996000015.tif255170TIFF0007883996000016.tif181170

[0104] Signaling Sequence for PRS Aggregation Figure 7 shows a signaling sequence for PRS aggregation for DL-PRS based on an LPP configuration (for example, a signaling sequence for PRS aggregation for DL-PRS based on an LPP configuration, where SgNB represents the serving gNB and NgNB represents the neighboring gNB). The signaling flow in Figure 7 includes the following steps. • The base station (either SgNB or NgNB) provides the configuration to the LMF, enabling aggregated PRS configurations via NRPPa or OAM. LMF acquires UE capabilities regarding aggregated PRS (e.g., support for broadband measurements, supported bandwidth combinations, number of supported carrier aggregations). LMF provides the UE with aggregated PRS settings as supplementary data. The UE performs the measurement based on a broadband / aggregated PRS configuration. • UE provides results based on broadband / aggregated PRS settings to LMF. • LMF calculates location

[0105] The steps described above may include one or more of the embodiments described above in this disclosure.

[0106] A signaling sequence for RRC-based configuration for PRS aggregation (for example, a signaling sequence for RRC-based configuration for PRS aggregation, where SgNB represents the serving gNB and NgNB represents the neighboring gNB) is shown in Figure 8. CSI-RS or other reference signals configured by the gNB may also be used for positioning purposes. The sequence in such cases is shown in Figure 8. The main difference is that RRC provides the aggregated CSI-RS configuration. Combinations of LPP and RRC configurations are shown here. All configurations can be RRC-based. Therefore, the LMF will only provide recommendations based on the measurement results obtained from the UE by LPP. The signaling flow in Figure 8 includes the following steps. • UE provides the serving gNB with the ability to aggregate PRS. • LMF configures non-aggregated PRS settings. • LMF determines the need for broadband measurement and requests it from gNB. gNB configures broadband (aggregated) PRS (CSI-RS) settings. • UE performs broadband measurements UE provides LMF with results based on broadband measurements. • LMF calculates location

[0107] In summary, certain embodiments of the Disclosure provide signaling for aggregated DL PRS resources that can be processed coherently / together from an LMF or serving gNB to a UE. Examples of signaling details include the signaling details of Embodiment 1 (unrelated to, for example, the signaling details of Embodiment 5) and the signaling details of Embodiment 5 (unrelated to, for example, the signaling details of Embodiment 1). For the signaling method of Embodiment 1, certain conditions may need to be met, such as some or all of the conditions described in Embodiment 2, in order for the DL PRS resources to be combined coherently / together. Certain embodiments of the Disclosure provide signaling for aggregated DL PRS resources from a serving gNB or neighboring gNB to an LMF, an example of which is described with respect to the signaling details of Embodiment 4.

[0108] Certain embodiments may relate to one or more of the technical fields, such as positioning, new radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), channel impulse response (CIR), time to arrival (TOA), physical layer, and / or LTE positioning protocol (LPP). Certain embodiments may be implemented in 3GPP standards such as TS 37.355, TS 38.455, TS 38.214, and / or NR Rel-17 (e.g., positioning survey items / work items).

[0109] The subject matter described herein can be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, but the embodiments disclosed herein are described in relation to wireless networks, such as the exemplary wireless network shown in Figure 9. For simplicity, the wireless network in Figure 9 shows only network 106, network nodes 160 and 160b, and WDs 110, 110b, and 110c. In practice, a wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between wireless devices and other communication devices such as fixed telephones, service providers, or any other network nodes or end devices. Of the illustrated components, network node 160 and wireless devices (WDs) 110 are described in more detail. A wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices in order to facilitate wireless devices' access to and / or use of such services by wireless devices.

[0110] A wireless network may comprise and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, and / or wireless network or other similar types of systems. In some embodiments, a wireless network may be configured to operate according to a specific standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, a particular embodiment of a wireless network may implement communication standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards, wireless local area network (WLAN) standards such as the IEEE 802.11 standard, and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0111] Network 106 may comprise one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks for enabling communication between devices.

[0112] Network nodes 160 and WD110 comprise various components, which will be described in more detail later. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connectivity in a wireless network. In different embodiments, a wireless network may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0113] In this specification, a network node refers to a configured, deployed, and / or operable device that has the ability to communicate directly or indirectly with wireless devices and / or other network nodes or devices in a wireless network in order to enable and / or provide wireless access to wireless devices, and / or to perform other functions (e.g., management) in a wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points) and base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, node Bs, advanced node Bs (eNBs), and NR node Bs (gNBs)). Base stations can be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, i.e., their transmit power levels), in which case they may also be called femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. Base stations may also be relay nodes or relay donor nodes that control relays. Network nodes may also include one or more (or all) parts of distributed radio base stations, such as centralized digital units and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as remote radio heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna, as in antenna-integrated radios. The distributed radio base station portion is sometimes called a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BS, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmit points, transmit nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordinating entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., mobile exchange stations (MSCs), mobility management entities (MMEs)), operation and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operation support system (OSS) nodes, self-optimized network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and / or minimization of operational tests (MDTs).As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as will be described in more detail later. However, more generally, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is configured, positioned, and / or operational, capable of enabling and / or providing access to a wireless network to wireless devices, or providing any service to wireless devices that have accessed the wireless network.

[0114] In Figure 9, the network node 160 includes a processing circuit 170, a device-readable medium 180, an interface 190, auxiliary equipment 184, a power supply 186, a power circuit 187, and an antenna 162. While the network node 160 shown in the exemplary wireless network of Figure 9 may represent a device including the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise network nodes having different combinations of components. It will be understood that a network node may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Furthermore, although the components of the network node 160 are illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a network node may comprise multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component (for example, the device-readable medium 180 may comprise multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0115] Similarly, network node 160 may consist of multiple physically distinct components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, each having its own distinct components). In certain scenarios where network node 160 has multiple distinct components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the distinct components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such scenarios, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may, in some cases, be considered a single distinct network node. In some embodiments, network node 160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 180 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 162 may be shared by RATs). The network node 160 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for various wireless technologies, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), LTE, New Radio (NR), Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, which are incorporated into the network node 160. These wireless technologies may be integrated within the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within the network node 160.

[0116] The processing circuit 170 is configured to perform any determination, calculation or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) as provided herein by the network node. These operations performed by the processing circuit 170 may include, for example, processing the information acquired by the processing circuit 170 by converting the acquired information to other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making determinations as a result of said processing.

[0117] The processing circuit 170 may comprise one or more combinations of resources, resources, or hardware, software, and / or encoded logic capable of operating to provide network node 160 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 160 components such as a device-readable medium 180. For example, the processing circuit 170 may execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium 180 or in memory within the processing circuit 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 170 may include a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0118] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 170 may include one or more of the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 172 and the baseband processing circuit 174. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 172 and the baseband processing circuit 174 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units such as radio and digital units. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 172 and the baseband processing circuit 174 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0119] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein, as provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device, may be performed by a processing circuit 170 that executes instructions stored in a device-readable medium 180 or memory within the processing circuit 170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit 170 without executing instructions stored in a separate or discrete device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those embodiments, the processing circuit 170 can be configured to perform the described functionality with or without executing instructions stored in a device-readable storage medium. The benefits derived from such functionality are not limited to the processing circuit 170 alone or to other components of the network node 160, but are enjoyed by the network node 160 as a whole, and / or generally by the end user and the wireless network.

[0120] The device-readable medium 180 may include, but is not limited to, any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, persistent memory, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-temporary device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device, for storing information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 170. The device-readable medium 180 may store any appropriate instructions, data, or information, including applications that include one or more computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 170 and used by the network node 160. The device-readable medium 180 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 170 and / or any data received via the interface 190. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 170 and the device-readable medium 180 may be considered to be integrated.

[0121] Interface 190 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 160, network 106, and / or WD 110. As shown in the figure, interface 190 includes a port / terminal 194 for transmitting and receiving data to and from network 106, for example, via a wired connection. Interface 190 also includes a wireless front-end circuit 192, which may be coupled to or, in certain embodiments, part of antenna 162. The wireless front-end circuit 192 includes a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The wireless front-end circuit 192 may be connected to antenna 162 and processing circuit 170. The wireless front-end circuit may be configured to adjust signals communicated between antenna 162 and processing circuit 170. The wireless front-end circuit 192 may receive digital data that will be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The wireless front-end circuit 192 can convert digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filter 198 and / or amplifier 196. The radio signal can then be transmitted via antenna 162. Similarly, upon receiving data, antenna 162 can collect a radio signal which is then converted into digital data by the wireless front-end circuit 192. The digital data can then be passed to processing circuit 170. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0122] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 192; instead, the processing circuit 170 may comprise the radio front-end circuit and be connected to the antenna 162 without the separate radio front-end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuits 172 may be considered part of the interface 190. In yet another embodiment, the interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, the radio front-end circuit 192, and the RF transceiver circuit 172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 190 may communicate with a baseband processing circuit 174 which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0123] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to the wireless front-end circuit 192 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may comprise one or more omnidirectional, sector or panel antennas capable of transmitting / receiving wireless signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals from devices in a specific area, and panel antennas may be lines of site antennas used to transmit / receive wireless signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, the use of multiple antennas may be referred to as MIMO. In certain embodiments, antenna 162 may be separate from the network node 160 and may be connectable to the network node 160 via an interface or port.

[0124] Antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain acquisition operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from wireless devices, other network nodes, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to wireless devices, other network nodes, and / or any other network equipment.

[0125] The power circuit 187 may include, or be connected to, a power management circuit and be configured to supply power to the components of the network node 160 to perform the functionality described herein. The power circuit 187 may receive power from a power supply 186. The power supply 186 and / or the power circuit 187 may be configured to supply power to the various components of the network node 160 in a manner suitable for each component (for example, at the voltage and current levels required for each component). The power supply 186 may be included in or outside of the power circuit 187 and / or the network node 160. For example, the network node 160 may be connectable to an external power supply (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as an electrical cable, thereby allowing the external power supply to power the power circuit 187. As a further example, the power supply 186 may have a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated into the power circuit 187. The battery may provide emergency power in case the external power supply fails. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0126] Alternative embodiments of network node 160 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 9 that may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any functionality necessary to support the functionalities described herein and / or the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 160 may include user interface equipment to enable input of information to and output of information from network node 160. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for network node 160.

[0127] The example shown in Figure 9 includes a network node 160c which may be configured as a location node (such as a location server or LMF). Network node 160c may have any suitable circuitry of network node 160, such as processing circuitry 170, power circuitry 187, and / or other circuitry that enhances the functionality of the location node. Certain circuitry may be omitted from network node 160c. For example, in an embodiment of network node 160c using a wired connection, network node 160c does not need to include wireless front-end circuitry 192, RF transceiver circuitry 172, antenna 162, or other wireless-related circuitry.

[0128] In this specification, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device that is configured, positioned, and / or operable, having the ability to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD may be used herein synonymously with user equipment (UE). Wireless communication may include transmitting / receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information over radio waves. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to a request from the network. Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cell phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, and wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs). Vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices are also included. WDs can support device-to-device (D2D) communication by implementing 3GPP standards such as side-link communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), in which case they may be referred to as D2D communication devices. As yet another specific example, in an IoT (Internet of Things) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or network node.A WD may also be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which in this case might be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As one specific example, a WD may also be a UE implementing the 3GPP NB-IoT (narrow band internet of things) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices include measuring devices such as sensors and power meters, industrial machines, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), or personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD may represent a vehicle or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions related to its operation. Such a WD may represent a wireless connectivity endpoint, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, such a WD may also be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0129] As illustrated, the wireless device 110 includes an antenna 111, an interface 114, a processing circuit 120, a device-readable medium 130, a user interface device 132, an auxiliary device 134, a power supply 136, and a power circuit 137. The WD110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by the WD110, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or sets of chips as the other components within the WD110.

[0130] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and connected to interface 114. In certain alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separate from WD110 and may be connectable to WD110 via an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114, and / or processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform any receive or transmit operations described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from network nodes and / or other WDs. In some embodiments, the wireless front-end circuitry and / or antenna 111 may be considered an interface.

[0131] As illustrated, interface 114 comprises a wireless front-end circuit 112 and an antenna 111. The wireless front-end circuit 112 comprises one or more filters 118 and an amplifier 116. The wireless front-end circuit 112 is connected to the antenna 111 and a processing circuit 120 and is configured to adjust signals communicated between the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120. The wireless front-end circuit 112 may be coupled to the antenna 111 or may be part of the antenna 111. In some embodiments, the WD 110 may not include a separate wireless front-end circuit 112, or the processing circuit 120 may comprise the wireless front-end circuit and be connected to the antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be considered part of interface 114. The wireless front-end circuit 112 may receive digital data that will be sent to other network nodes or WDs via the wireless connection. The wireless front-end circuit 112 may convert digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filter 118 and / or amplifier 116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 111 may collect a radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the wireless front-end circuit 112. The digital data may then be passed to the processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0132] The processing circuit 120 may comprise one or more combinations of resources, resources, or hardware, software, and / or encoded logic capable of operating to provide WD110 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other WD110 components such as the device-readable medium 130. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, the processing circuit 120 may execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium 130 or in memory within the processing circuit 120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0133] As illustrated, the processing circuit 120 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments, the processing circuit 120 of WD110 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126 may reside on separate chips or sets of chips. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the baseband processing circuit 124 and the application processing circuit 126 may be combined within a single chip or set of chips, while the RF transceiver circuit 122 may reside on a separate chip or set of chips. In further alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 and the baseband processing circuit 124 may reside on the same chip or set of chips, while the application processing circuit 126 may reside on a separate chip or set of chips. In further alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126 may be combined within the same chip or set of chips. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 122 may also be part of the interface 114. The RF transceiver circuit 122 may adjust the RF signals of the processing circuit 120.

[0134] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by a processing circuit 120 that executes instructions stored in a device-readable medium 130, which in certain embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit 120 without executing instructions stored in a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, the processing circuit 120 can be configured to perform the described functionality with or without executing instructions stored in a device-readable storage medium. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuit 120 alone or to other components of the WD 110, but are enjoyed by the WD 110 as a whole, and / or generally by the end user and the wireless network.

[0135] The processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any decisions, calculations, or similar operations described herein as being performed by the WD (e.g., certain acquisition operations). These operations, as being performed by the processing circuit 120, may include, for example, processing the acquired information by the processing circuit 120 by converting the acquired information to other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored by the WD 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing.

[0136] The device-readable medium 130 may be operable to store applications and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 120, including one or more computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, etc. The device-readable medium 130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disks), removable storage media (e.g., compact discs (CDs) or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-temporary device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 120. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 120 and the device-readable medium 130 may be considered as an integrated unit.

[0137] The user interface device 132 may provide components that enable a human user to interact with the WD110. Such interaction can take many forms, such as visual, auditory, and tactile. The user interface device 132 may be operable to produce an output to the user and to enable the user to provide input to the WD110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface device 132 installed on the WD110. For example, if the WD110 is a smartphone, the interaction may be via a touchscreen; if the WD110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be via a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an alarm sound (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface device 132 may include an input interface, device, and circuitry, and an output interface, device, and circuitry. The user interface device 132 is configured to enable the input of information to the WD110 and is connected to a processing circuit 120 that enables the processing circuit 120 to process the input information. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensors, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuits. The user interface device 132 is also configured to enable the output of information from the WD110, and to enable the processing circuit 120 to output information from the WD110. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuits. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface device 132, the WD110 may be able to communicate with end users and / or wireless networks, enabling them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0138] The auxiliary device 134 is operable to provide more specific functionality that may not be commonly performed by the WD. This may include specialized sensors for making measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communication, and so on. The inclusion and types of components of the auxiliary device 134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0139] In some embodiments, the power supply 136 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power supplies may also be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a power battery. The WD110 may further include a power circuit 137 for delivering power from the power supply 136 to various parts of the WD110 that require power from the power supply 136 to perform any functionality described or indicated herein. In certain embodiments, the power circuit 137 may include a power management circuit. The power circuit 137 may be operable to receive power from an external power supply additionally or by alternative means, in which case the WD110 may be connectable to the external power supply (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an interface such as an input circuit or an electric power cable. In certain embodiments, the power circuit 137 may also be operable to deliver power from an external power supply to the power supply 136. This may be, for example, for charging the power supply 136. The power circuit 137 can perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications on the power from the power supply 136 to make the power suitable for each component of the WD110 to which it is supplied.

[0140] Figure 10 shows one embodiment of a UE in various forms described herein. In this specification, a user device or UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Rather, a UE may represent a device intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but which may not be associated with a specific human user, or may not initially be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but which may be related to or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart electricity meter). UE2200 may also be any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including NB-IoT UEs, machine-type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs. As shown in Figure 10, the UE200 is an example of a WD configured for communication using one or more communication standards published by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As previously stated, the terms WD and UE can be used synonymously. Therefore, although Figure 10 is a UE, the components discussed herein are equally applicable to WDs, and vice versa.

[0141] In Figure 10, the UE200 includes a memory 215 including an input / output interface 205, a radio frequency (RF) interface 209, a network connection interface 211, a random access memory (RAM) 217, a read-only memory (ROM) 219, and a storage medium 221, a communication subsystem 231, a power supply 213, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, and a processing circuit 201 linked to operate. The storage medium 221 includes an operating system 223, an application program 225, and data 227. In other embodiments, the storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. Certain UEs may use all the components shown in Figure 10, or only a subset of those components. The level of integration between components may vary depending on the UE. Furthermore, certain UEs may include multiple instances of components such as multiple processors, memory, transceivers, transmitters, and receivers.

[0142] In Figure 10, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 201 may be configured to implement one or more stored programs, general-purpose processors, or any combination thereof, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.), any sequential state machines capable of executing machine instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in memory, programmable logic with appropriate firmware, a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, or any combination thereof. For example, the processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a format suitable for use by a computer.

[0143] In the illustrated embodiment, the input / output interface 205 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or both an input and an output device. The UE200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 205. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from the UE200. The output device may be a speaker, sound card, video card, display, monitor, printer, actuator, emitter, smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE200 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information within the UE200. Input devices may include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, digital video camera, webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for sensing user input. The sensors may be, for example, accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt sensors, force sensors, magnetometers, light sensors, proximity sensors, other similar sensors, or any combination thereof. For example, the input devices may be accelerometers, magnetometers, digital cameras, microphones, and light sensors.

[0144] In Figure 10, the RF interface 209 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers, and antennas. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to provide a communication interface to network 243a. Network 243a may include wired and / or wireless networks, such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), computer networks, wireless networks, telecommunications networks, other similar networks, or any combination thereof. For example, network 243a may include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to include receiver and transmitter interfaces used to communicate with one or more other devices over a communication network using one or more communication protocols such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface 211 may implement receiver and transmitter functionality suitable for communication network links (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or they may be implemented separately in other ways.

[0145] RAM 217 may be configured to interface with processing circuit 201 via bus 202 for storing or caching data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as operating systems, application programs, and device drivers. ROM 219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 201. For example, ROM 219 may be configured to store immutable low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input and output (I / O), startup, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard stored in non-volatile memory. Storage medium 221 may be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, or flash drive. In one example, storage medium 221 may be configured to include an operating system 223, application programs 225 such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine or another application, and data files 227. The storage medium 221 can store one or a combination of various operating systems for use by the UE200.

[0146] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as RAID (redundant array of independent disk), floppy disk drives, flash memory, USB flash drives, external hard disk drives, thumb drives, pen drives, key drives, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drives, internal hard disk drives, Blu-ray optical disc drives, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drives, external mini-dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAMs), external microDIMM SDRAMs, smart card memory such as subscriber identity modules or removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) modules, other memories, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 may enable the UE200 to access, offload, or upload computer-executable instructions, application programs, etc., stored on temporary or non-temporary memory media. Products that utilize communication systems, etc., can be tangibly implemented in a storage medium 221 that may include a device-readable medium.

[0147] In Figure 10, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with network 243b using the communication subsystem 231. Networks 243a and 243b may be one or more identical networks or one or more different networks. The communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with network 243b. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device having wireless communication capabilities, such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN) using one or more communication protocols such as IEEE 802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), or WiMAX. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 to implement transmitter or receiver functionality suitable for a RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation). Furthermore, the transmitter 233 and receiver 235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or they may be implemented separately.

[0148] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field wireless communication, location-based communication such as the use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) for determining location, other similar communication functions, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 243b may include wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field wireless network. The power supply 213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE200.

[0149] The features, benefits, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of the UE200, or may be divided across multiple components of the UE200. Furthermore, the features, benefits, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Furthermore, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components via the bus 202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that, when executed by the processing circuit 201, perform the corresponding function described herein. In yet another example, the functionality of any of such components may be divided between the processing circuit 201 and the communication subsystem 231. In yet another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, while computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0150] Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram showing a virtualization environment 300 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means the creation of a device or a virtual version of a device, which may include the virtualization of hardware platforms, storage devices and network resources. In this specification, virtualization can be applied to nodes (e.g., virtualized base stations or virtualized radio access nodes) or devices (e.g., UEs, wireless devices or any other type of communication devices) or their components, and relates to implementation forms in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines or containers running on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0151] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 300 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes 330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not wireless access nodes or do not require wireless connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may then be fully virtualized.

[0152] This functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 320 (which may also be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) that are operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 320 run in a virtualized environment 300 that provides hardware 330 comprising a processing circuit 360 and memory 390. The memory 390 includes instructions 395 that can be executed by the processing circuit 360, thereby enabling the applications 320 to operate to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0153] The virtualization environment 300 includes a general-purpose or dedicated network hardware device 330 comprising one or more processors or processing circuits 360 in a set, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuit including digital or analog hardware components or dedicated processors. Each hardware device may include memory 390-1, which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuits 360. Each hardware device may also include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370, also known as network interface cards, which include a physical network interface 380. Each hardware device may also include non-temporary, persistent, machine-readable storage media 390-2 in which software 395 is stored, and / or instructions executable by the processing circuits 360. Software 395 may include any type of software, including software for creating one or more instances of virtualization layer 350 (also called hypervisors), software for running virtual machines 340, and software that enables it to perform the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation to some embodiments described herein.

[0154] A virtual machine 340 comprises virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may run on a corresponding virtualization layer 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual appliance 320 may be implemented in one or more of the virtual machines 340, and the implementation may take different forms.

[0155] During operation, the processing circuit 360 runs software 395 to create an instance of the hypervisor or virtualization layer 350, sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The virtualization layer 350 may present a virtual operating platform to the virtual machine 340 that appears as networking hardware.

[0156] As shown in Figure 11, the hardware 330 may be a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 330 may be equipped with an antenna 3225 and may implement several functions through virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 330 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., within a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)) managed via a management and orchestration (MANO) 3100 that coordinates a number of hardware nodes and oversees, in particular, the lifecycle management of application 320.

[0157] Hardware virtualization is sometimes referred to as network function virtualization (NFV) in certain contexts. NFV can be used to integrate numerous network equipment types into industry-standard, high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that may reside in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0158] In relation to NFV, a virtual machine 340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs the program as if it were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 340, and the portion of the hardware 330 on which it runs, forms a separate virtual network element (VNE), whether it is hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by other virtual machines 340 and their virtual machines.

[0159] Furthermore, in relation to NFV, the Virtual Network Function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions that run on one or more virtual machines 340 at the top of the hardware networking infrastructure 330, and corresponds to application 320 in Figure 11.

[0160] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, may be connected to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 can communicate directly with hardware nodes 330 via one or more suitable network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0161] In some embodiments, some signaling may be affected by the use of a control system 3230, which may be used for communication between the hardware node 330 and the wireless unit 3200.

[0162] Referring to Figure 12, according to one embodiment, the communication system includes a telecommunications network 410, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, comprising an access network 411, such as a radio access network, and a core network 414. The access network 411 comprises a plurality of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c is connectable to the core network 414 via a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in coverage area 413c may be configured to be wirelessly connected to or paged by a corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in coverage area 413a is wirelessly connectable to a corresponding base station 412a. Although multiple UEs 491 and 492 are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only one UE is within the coverage area or where only one UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0163] The telecommunications network 410 itself is connected to a host computer 430, which may be implemented as a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server in hardware and / or software, or as a processing resource within a server farm. The host computer 430 may be owned or under the control of a service provider, or may be operated by or for a service provider. The connections 421 and 422 between the telecommunications network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430, or via an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one of a public network, a private network, or a hosted network, or a combination of two or more of these, and the intermediate network 420 may be a backbone network or the internet, if any, and specifically, the intermediate network 420 may comprise two or more subnets (not shown).

[0164] The overall communication system in Figure 12 enables connectivity between the connected UEs 491, 492 and the host computer 430. The connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and the connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling over the OTT connection 450, using the access network 411, the core network 414, an optional intermediate network 420 and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 450 can be transparent in the sense that participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes are unaware of the routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, base station 412 may not be aware of, or does not need to be aware of, the past routing of incoming downlink communications with data originating from host computer 430 that will be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, base station 412 does not need to be aware of the future routing of outbound uplink communications initiated from UE491 to host computer 430.

[0165] An exemplary implementation of one embodiment of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the previous paragraph is described here with reference to Figure 13. In the communication system 500, the host computer 510 includes hardware 515, including a communication interface 516 configured to set up and maintain wired or wireless connections to the interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 500. The host computer 510 further includes processing circuitry 518 which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. Specifically, the processing circuitry 518 may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) configured to execute instructions. The host computer 510 further includes software 511 which is stored in or accessible by the host computer 510 and executable by the processing circuitry 518. The software 511 includes a host application 512. The host application 512 may be capable of operating to provide services to remote users, such as the UE 530 connected via an OTT connection 550 which terminates at the host computer 510. In providing a service to a remote user, the host application 512 may provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 550.

[0166] The communication system 500 further includes a base station 520, which is provided in the telecommunications system and includes hardware 525 that enables it to communicate with a host computer 510 and a UE 530. The hardware 525 may include a communication interface 526 for setting up and maintaining wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 500, and a radio interface 527 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection 570 with a UE 530 located within a coverage area (not shown in Figure 13) served by the base station 520. The communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 to the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be direct, or the connection 560 may pass through the core network of the telecommunications system (not shown in Figure 13) and / or through one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 525 of the base station 520 further includes a processing circuit 528 which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) configured to execute instructions. The base station 520 further has software 521 which is stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0167] The communication system 500 further includes the already referenced UE 530. Its hardware 535 may include a radio interface 537 configured to set up and maintain a wireless connection 570 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 further includes a processing circuit 538 which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or a combination thereof (not shown) configured to execute instructions. The UE 530 further includes software 531 stored in or accessible by the UE 530 and executable by the processing circuit 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 may be able to operate to serve human or non-human users through the UE 530 with the support of a host computer 510. On the host computer 510, a running host application 512 may communicate with the running client application 532 via an OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. In providing services to a user, the client application 532 can receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 can transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application 532 can interact with the user and generate the user data it provides.

[0168] It should be noted that the host computer 510, base station 520, and UE 530 shown in Figure 13 may be similar to or identical to the host computer 430, one of the base stations 412a, 412b, and 412c, and one of the UEs 491 and 492, respectively, in Figure 12. That is, the internal workings of these entities may be as shown in Figure 13, and independently, the surrounding network topology may be as in Figure 12.

[0169] In Figure 13, the OTT connection 550 is depicted abstractly to illustrate communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 via the base station 520, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and precise routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, which may be configured to be hidden from the UE 530, the service provider operating host computer 510, or both. While the OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure can further determine whether it dynamically changes the routing (for example, based on network load balancing considerations or reconfigurations).

[0170] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 follows the teachings of the embodiments described through this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550, in which the wireless connection 570 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can improve positioning accuracy (horizontal and vertical) in situations of low latency and network efficiency (scalability, reference signal (RS) overhead, etc.).

[0171] Measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of improving monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors in one or more embodiments. Optional network functionality may further exist for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 in response to variations in measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 may be implemented in the software 511 and hardware 515 of the host computer 510, or in the software 531 and hardware 535 of the UE 530, or both. In embodiments, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in or in connection with a communication device through which the OTT connection 550 passes, and the sensor may participate in the measurement procedures by supplying values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software 511, 531 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration does not need to affect the base station 520, and may not be known to or perceptible to the base station 520. Such procedures and functionalities are known and may be implemented in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurements may include occupied UE signaling to facilitate measurements of the host computer 510, such as throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements can be implemented by having software 511 and 531 send messages, specifically empty or "dummy" messages, while using the OTT connection 550, which monitors propagation time, errors, etc.

[0172] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing how one embodiment is implemented in a communication system. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. For simplicity, only Figure 14 will be referenced in this section. In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In a substep 611 (optional) of step 610, the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 630 (optional), the base station transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 640 (also optional), the UE executes a client application related to the host application executed by the host computer.

[0173] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and an UE, which may be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. For simplicity, only references to the drawings in Figure 15 will be included in this section. In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional substep (not shown), the host computer provides user data by running a host application. In step 720, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. The transmission may pass through a base station, as taught in the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 730 (optionally), the UE receives the user data carried in its transmission.

[0174] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing how one embodiment is implemented in a communication system. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and an UE, which may be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. For simplicity, only a reference to the drawing in Figure 16 will be included in this section. In step 810 (optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or by other means, in step 820, the UE provides user data. In substep 821 of step 820 (optional), the UE provides user data by running a client application. In substep 811 of step 810 (optional), the UE runs a client application that provides user data in response to received input data provided by the host computer. In providing user data, the client application being run may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, in substep 830 (optional), the UE begins transmitting the user data to the host computer. In step 840 of the method, the host computer receives user data transmitted from the UE, according to the teachings of the embodiments described through this disclosure.

[0175] Figure 17 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. For simplicity, only a reference to the drawing in Figure 17 will be included in this section. In step 910 (optional), the base station receives user data from the UE, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 920 (optional), the base station begins transmitting the received user data to the host computer. In step 930 (optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0176] Any suitable step, method, feature, function, or benefit disclosed herein may be performed via one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may comprise several of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuits, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuits may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. Program code stored in memory may include program instructions that execute one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, and instructions that implement one or more of the technologies described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuits may be used to cause the respective functional units to implement the corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0177] Figure 18 illustrates a method according to a particular embodiment. In certain embodiments, the method may be performed by a wireless device (e.g., wireless device 110 such as the UE 200 discussed above). The method begins with step 1802, which involves receiving instructions from a network. The instructions indicate whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. The method proceeds to step 1804, which determines whether DL PRS aggregation should be performed, at least in part, based on the instructions received from the network. In some embodiments, this determination is further based on whether one or more conditions for performing DL PRS aggregation have been met (see, for example, the description above of Embodiment 2: Conditions for Coherently Combining DL PRS Resources). The method proceeds to step 1806, which involves performing one or more DL PRS measurements. Performing measurements involves performing DL PRS aggregation, at least in part, based on instructions indicating that DL PRS resources can be processed together. DL PRS aggregation involves processing at least two DL PRS resources together. The method proceeds to step 1808, where one or more DL PRS measurements are shown to the network.

[0178] Figure 19 shows a schematic block diagram of apparatus 1900 in a wireless network (for example, the wireless network shown in Figure 9). The apparatus may be implemented as a wireless device or network node (for example, wireless device 110 or network node 160 shown in Figure 9). Apparatus 1900 is operable to perform the exemplary method described with reference to Figure 18, and optionally any other process or method disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the method in Figure 18 does not necessarily have to be performed by apparatus 1900 alone. At least some operations of the method can be performed by one or more other entities.

[0179] The virtual device 1900 may comprise a processing circuit, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware, which may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuit may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc., and may be configured to execute program code stored in memory. In some embodiments, the program code stored in memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the interface unit 1902, the configuration unit 1904, the measurement unit 1906, and any other suitable units of the device 1900 to perform functions corresponding to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0180] As shown in Figure 19, the apparatus 1900 includes an interface unit 1902, a configuration unit 1904, and a measurement unit 1906. The interface unit 1902 is configured to communicate messages between a wireless device and a network node. The configuration unit 1904 is configured to determine and apply the settings used by the wireless device. The measurement unit 1906 is configured to measure DL PRS. In one example, in certain embodiments, the interface unit 1902 receives a request from the wireless device to perform a DL PRS measurement. The request includes instructions indicating whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. The interface unit 1902 provides instructions to the configuration unit 1904. The configuration unit 1904 determines, at least in part, whether the measurement unit 1906 should be configured to process two or more DL PRS resources together, and if so, which DL PRS resources. In one example, the instructions may include a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource. The configuration unit 1904 may determine that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together, at least partially based on the fact that the first index is identical to the second index. In some embodiments, this determination may further depend on whether one or more conditions for performing DL PRS aggregation are met (see, for example, the description above of Embodiment 2: Conditions for Coherently Combining DL PRS Resources). The measurement unit 1906 performs a measurement based on the configuration.For example, the measurement unit may process two or more DL PRS resources together (if configured to do so) or process only one of the DL PRS resources (unless configured to process two or more DL PRS resources together, for example, based on instructions from the network, or because one or more conditions for coherently combining DL PRS resources are not met). The measurement unit 1906 may provide measurement values ​​to the interface unit 1902, and the interface unit 1902 may communicate the measurement values ​​to the network.

[0181] The term "unit" may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices, and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solids and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions that perform the respective tasks, procedures, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions as described herein.

[0182] In some embodiments, a computer program, a computer program product, or a computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, implement one of the embodiments disclosed herein. In further examples, the instructions are transmitted by signals or carriers, are executable on a computer, and, when executed, implement one of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0183] Embodiment Group A Implementation 1. A method performed by a wireless device: - A method that includes receiving instructions from the network indicating whether two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources can be processed together. 2. The method of Embodiment 1, further comprising determining whether DL PRS aggregation should be performed based at least in part on instructions received from the network. 3. The method of Embodiment 1 or 2, further comprising performing one or more DL PRS measurements. 4. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein performing a measurement includes performing a DL PRS aggregation at least in part on instructions indicating that DL PRS resources can be processed together. 5. The method of Embodiment 4, wherein performing DL PRS aggregation includes processing at least two of the DL PRS resources together. 6. The method of Embodiment 4 or 5, further based on determining that one or more conditions have been met for processing at least two DL PRS resources together to perform DL PRS aggregation. 7. The method of Embodiment 6, wherein at least one of the conditions requires that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together are transmitted from the same transmit / receive point (TRP). 8. The method of Embodiment 6 or 7, wherein at least one of the conditions requires that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together are received by a wireless device in the same slot. 9. Any method of Embodiments 6 to 8, wherein at least one of the conditions requires that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together are received by a wireless device in the same symbol. 10. Any method of Embodiments 6 to 9, wherein at least one of the conditions requires that two or more DL PRS resources processed together are limited to a single iteration. 11. Any method of Embodiments 6 to 10, wherein at least one of the conditions is required that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together are received by a wireless device having the same QCL information. 12. Any method of Embodiments 6 to 11, wherein at least one of the conditions requires that two or more DL PRS resources processed together belong to separate frequency layers. 13. Any method of Embodiments 6 to 12, wherein at least one of the conditions is required that two or more DL PRS resources processed together are processed using the same subcarrier interval. 14. Any method of Embodiments 6 to 13, which includes avoiding the execution of DL PRS aggregation (e.g., processing only one of the DL PRS resources) on the basis that performing the measurement does not satisfy at least one of one of the following conditions. 15. The method of Embodiment 3, which includes avoiding the execution of DL PRS aggregation (for example, processing only one of the DL PRS resources) based on instructions indicating that the measurement should not be performed together. 16. Any method of Embodiments 3 to 15, further comprising showing one or more DL PRS measurements on the network. 17. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 16, wherein the indication of whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together is based on the phase difference between a first carrier associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second carrier associated with a second DL PRS resource. 18. The method of Embodiment 17, wherein the instruction indicates that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together when the phase difference indicates that the first carrier and the second carrier are sufficiently coherent (e.g., perfectly coherent). 19. The method of Embodiment 17, wherein the instruction indicates that two or more DL PRS resources cannot be processed together when the phase difference indicates that the first carrier and the second carrier are not sufficiently coherent (e.g., completely incoherent). 20. The method of Embodiment 18 or 19, wherein whether the first carrier and the second carrier are sufficiently coherent is based on whether the coherence value exceeds a threshold. 21. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 20, wherein instructions are received from a location node (e.g., a location server, LMF). 22. Any method from Embodiments 1 to 21, wherein instructions are received by Non-Accessible Tier (NAS) signaling. 23. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 22, wherein the instruction is received by a positioning protocol (e.g., LPP, NRPPa) or OAM. 24. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 20, wherein instructions are received from a wireless network node (e.g., a base station such as an eNB or gNB). 25. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 20 or 24, wherein instructions are received by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. 26. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 20 or 24, wherein instructions are received by downlink control information (DCI). 27. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 26, comprising a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource, wherein the instruction indicates that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together when the first index is identical to the second index. 28. Any method from Embodiments 1 to 27, wherein instructions are received in the DL PRS resource configuration. 29. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 27, wherein instructions are received at the frequency layer level. 30. Any method from Embodiments 1 to 27, wherein the instruction is set at the DL PRS resource set level. 31. Any method of Embodiments 1 to 30, further comprising sending network information indicating the maximum number of DL PRS resources that can be processed together by wireless devices. 32. Any method of the previous embodiment, further including: - Providing user data, - Transferring user data to a host computer by transmitting it to a base station.

[0184] Group B Implementation 33. A method that is performed by a network node: - A method including sending an instruction to a wireless device indicating whether two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources can be processed together. 34. A method of Embodiment 33, further comprising sending information to a wireless device about one or more conditions that must be met in order to process at least two of the DL PRS resources together. 35. The method of Embodiment 34, wherein one or more conditions include at least one of the conditions from any of the Group A Embodiments 7 to 13. 36. Any method of embodiment 33 to 35, further comprising receiving instructions for one or more DL PRS measurements from a wireless device. 37. The method of Embodiment 36, which indicates that an instruction sent to a wireless device may process two or more DL PRS resources together, and the measurement is based on the wireless device processing two or more DL PRS resources together. 38. The method of Embodiment 36, wherein the instructions sent to the wireless device indicate that two or more DL PRS resources cannot be processed together, and the measurement is based on the wireless device processing only one of the two or more DL PRS resources. 39. Any method of embodiment 33 to 38, further comprising determining whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. 40. The method of Embodiment 39, wherein determining whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together is based on the phase difference between a first carrier associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second carrier associated with a second DL PRS resource. 41. The method of Embodiment 40, wherein it is determined that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together when the phase difference indicates that the first carrier and the second carrier are sufficiently coherent (e.g., perfectly coherent). 42. The method of Embodiment 40, wherein it is determined that two or more DL PRS resources cannot be processed together when the phase difference indicates that the first carrier and the second carrier are not sufficiently coherent (e.g., completely incoherent). 43. The method of Embodiment 41 or 42, wherein whether the first carrier and the second carrier are sufficiently coherent is based on whether the coherence value exceeds a threshold. 44. Any method of Embodiments 33 to 43, wherein the network node comprises a location node (e.g., a location server, LMF). 45. Any method of embodiments 33 to 44, wherein instructions are sent by non-accessible tier (NAS) signaling. 46. ​​Any method of Embodiments 33 to 45, wherein the instruction is transmitted by a positioning protocol (e.g., LPP, NRPPa) or OAM. 47. Any method of Embodiments 33 to 43, wherein the network comprises wireless network nodes (base stations such as eNBs or gNBs). 48. A method of any of embodiments 33 to 43 or embodiment 47, wherein instructions are transmitted by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. 49. A method of any of embodiments 33 to 43 or embodiment 37, wherein instructions are sent by downlink control information (DCI). 50. Any method of Embodiments 33 to 49, wherein the instruction includes a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource, and the first index is identical to the second index, indicating that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together. 51. Any method of Embodiments 33 to 50, wherein the instruction is sent in DL PRS resource configuration. 52. Any method of embodiments 33 to 50, wherein the instruction is transmitted at the frequency layer level. 53. Any method of Embodiments 33 to 50, wherein the instruction is set at the DL PRS resource set level. 54. Any method of Embodiments 33 to 53, wherein the instruction indicates that the number of DL PRS resources that can be processed together is less than the maximum number of DL PRS resources that the wireless device can process together. 55. The method of Embodiment 54, further comprising receiving from a wireless device the maximum number of DL resources that the wireless device can process together. 56. The method of Embodiment 54, wherein the maximum number of DL resources that wireless devices can process together is specified by the standard. 57. A method performed by a radio network node (e.g., an NG-RAN node, base station, eNB, gNB, SgNB, NgNB) that includes: - sending an instruction to a location node (e.g., a location server, LMF) indicating whether two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources can be processed together. 58. The method of Embodiment 57, wherein instructions are sent in response to receiving a request from a location node to provide information about transmit / receive points (TRPs) hosted by wireless network nodes. 59. A method of Embodiment 57 or 58, further comprising determining whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together (see, for example, Embodiments 40 to 43). 60. A method performed by a location node (e.g., a location server, LMF): - Receiving instructions from a radio network node indicating whether two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources can be processed together, - A method comprising sending a request to a wireless device for providing DL PRS measurements, the request indicating whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. 61. A method according to embodiment 60, wherein the request is sent by NAS signaling. 62. The method of Embodiment 60 or 61, wherein the request is sent by a positioning protocol (e.g., LPP, NRPPa) or OAM. 63. Any method of any embodiment 60 to 62, further comprising receiving a DL PRS measurement from a wireless device and determining the location of the wireless device based at least in part on the DL PRS measurement. 64. Any method of the previous embodiment, further including the following: - Obtaining user data, - Transferring user data to a host computer or wireless device.

[0185] Group C Embodiment 65. Wireless devices comprising the following: - A processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A, - A power supply circuit configured to provide power to a wireless device. 66. A base station having the following: - A processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group B, - A power supply circuit configured to supply power to a base station. 67. User equipment (UE) comprising the following: - An antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals, - A wireless front-end circuit connected to the antenna and processing circuit, configured to adjust the signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit, - A processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A, - An input interface connected to a processing circuit and configured to allow information input to the UE to be processed by the processing circuit, - An output interface connected to a processing circuit and configured to output information from the UE processed by the processing circuit, - A battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to supply power to the UE. 68. A computer program which includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments. 69. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments. 70. A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium or carrier containing a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments. 71. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments. 72. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments. 73. A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium or carrier containing a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments. 74. A communication system including a host computer equipped with the following: - A processing circuit configured to provide user data, - A communication interface configured to transfer user data to a cellular network for transmission to user devices (UEs). - The cellular network comprises a base station having a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the base station being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group B. 75. A communication system of the previous embodiment, further including a base station. 76. The communication systems of the previous two embodiments further include a UE, where the UE is configured to communicate with a base station. 77. Communication systems of the previous three embodiments, therefor: - The host computer's processing circuitry is configured to run the host application, thereby providing user data, and, - The UE (User Environment) includes processing circuits configured to run the host application and associated client applications. 78. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment (UE), the method comprising: - Providing user data on the host computer, - The host computer initiates a transmission of user data to the UE via a cellular network equipped with a base station, where the base station performs one of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group B. 79. A method of the previous embodiment, further comprising transmitting user data at a base station. 80. The methods of the two preceding embodiments, in which user data is provided on the host computer by running the host application, further include running the host application and associated client applications on the UE. 81. User equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a base station, comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to perform the preceding three embodiments. 82. A communication system including a host computer, comprising the following: - A processing circuit configured to provide user data, - A communication interface configured to transfer user data to a cellular network for transmission to user devices (UEs). - The UE comprises a wireless interface and processing circuitry, and the components of the UE are configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A. 83. The communication system of the previous embodiment, where the cellular network further includes a base station configured to communicate with the UE. 84. The communication systems of the previous two embodiments, therefor: - The host computer's processing circuitry is configured to run the host application, thereby providing user data, and, - The UE's processing circuitry is configured to run the host application and its associated client applications. 85. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment (UE), the method comprising: - Providing user data on the host computer, - The host computer initiates a transmission of user data to the UE via a cellular network equipped with a base station, whereupon the UE performs one of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A. A method of the previous embodiment, further comprising receiving user data from a base station in 86.UE. 87. A communication system including a host computer equipped with the following: - A communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a user device (UE) transmitted to a base station. - The UE comprises a wireless interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the UE is configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A. A communication system of the previous embodiment, further including 88.UE. 89. A communication system of the previous two embodiments, further comprising a base station, wherein the base station includes a radio interface configured to communicate with a UE and a communication interface configured to transfer user data carried by a transmission from the UE to the base station to a host computer. 90. Communication systems of the previous three embodiments, therefor: - The host computer's processing circuitry is configured to run the host application, and, - The UE's processing circuitry is configured to run the host application and associated client applications, thereby providing user data. 91. The communication systems of the previous four embodiments, therefor: - The host computer's processing circuit is configured to run the host application, thereby providing the requested data, and, - The UE's processing circuitry is configured to run the host application and associated client applications, thereby providing user data in response to request data. 92. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment (UE), the method comprising: - The host computer receives user data transmitted from the UE to the base station, and the UE then performs one of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A. A method of the previous embodiment, further comprising providing user data to a base station in 93.UE. 94. Methods of the previous two embodiments, further including the following: - In the UE, the client application is executed and the user data that will be sent by it is provided, - Running client applications and associated host applications on a host computer. 95. Methods of the previous three embodiments, further including the following: - In UE, running a client application and - In the UE, this involves receiving input data for the client application, which is provided on the host computer by running the client application and its associated host application. - The user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data. 96. A communication system including a host computer having a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, wherein the base station comprises a radio interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the base station configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group B. 97. A communication system of the previous embodiment, further including a base station. 98. Communication systems of the previous two embodiments, further including an UE, where the UE is configured to communicate with a base station. 99. Communication systems of the previous three embodiments, therefor: - The host computer's processing circuitry is configured to run the host application. - The UE is configured to run the host application and its associated client applications, thereby providing user data that will be received by the host computer. 100. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment (UE), the method comprising: - In the host computer, the base station receives user data from the base station that originates from a transmission received from the UE, and the UE then performs one of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A. 101. A method of the previous embodiment, further comprising receiving user data from a UE at a base station. 102. The methods of the previous two embodiments, further comprising, at the base station, initiating the transmission of received user data to the host computer.

[0186] Figure 20 shows an example of a method performed by a wireless device, such as wireless device 110 or UE 200. In certain embodiments, the wireless device includes processing circuitry (such as processing circuitry 120 or processor 201) configured to perform the method. For example, the processing circuitry may be configured to execute a computer program that includes instructions for each of the steps of the method.

[0187] In certain embodiments, the method begins with step 2002 of receiving instructions from a network. The instructions indicate whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. The wireless device may receive instructions from any suitable node in the network, such as a location node (e.g., a location server or LMF) or a radio network node (e.g., a base station such as a gNB or eNB). Instructions may be received by NAS signaling, or by OAM messages, RRC signaling, DCI, or other suitable types of signaling according to a positioning protocol. As an example, a location node may communicate instructions by NAS signaling according to a positioning protocol. As another example, a radio network node may communicate instructions by RRC signaling or DCI.

[0188] Examples of instructions that may be received from the network in step 2002 are described above with respect to "Embodiment 1: Signaling aggregated downlink PRS to UE" (for example, describing an embodiment in which a location node sends instructions to a wireless device), "Embodiment 3: Extension to RRC-configured DL PRS and other reference signals" (for example, describing an embodiment in which a wireless network node sends instructions to a wireless device), "Embodiment 4: DL PRS aggregation instructions from NG-RAN node to LMF" (for example, describing an embodiment in which a location node receives information from an NG-RAN node and sends instructions to a wireless device based on this information), and "Embodiment 5: Cell-based DL PRS aggregation instructions" (for example, describing an embodiment in which a location node receives information from a gNB and sends instructions to a wireless device based on this information).

[0189] In certain embodiments, instructions indicating whether a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together include a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource. The instructions indicate that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together when the first index is identical to the second index. The instructions indicate that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource cannot be processed together when the first index is different from the second index.

[0190] The instructions indicate whether the wireless device can handle two or more DL PRS resources together, which may be set to some appropriate level, such as DL PRS resource setting, frequency layer level, or DL ​​PRS resource set level.

[0191] In certain embodiments, the indication that a wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together is based on the phase difference between a first carrier associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second carrier associated with a second DL PRS resource. For example, when the phase difference indicates that the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent, the indication indicates that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. In certain embodiments, whether the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent is based on whether their coherence value exceeds a threshold.

[0192] In certain embodiments, information is sent to the network (e.g., a location node or a wireless network node) indicating the maximum number of DL PRS resources that the wireless device can process together. This information may be sent before step 2002. The network can use this information to determine and indicate the number of DL PRS resources that the wireless device can process together as aggregated DL PRS resources. Thus, the instruction received in step 2002 may indicate the maximum number or a number less than the maximum number of DL PRS resources that the wireless device can process together.

[0193] Continuing the explanation of Figure 20, the method proceeds to step 2004, where it performs aggregate processing of the aggregated DL PRS resources to generate measurements. Aggregation of DL PRS resources can be distinguished from simply averaging multiple measurements from separate DL PRS resources, as it involves aggregate processing of DL PRS resources to generate measurements. The aggregate processing in step 2004 is performed at least in part based on the instructions in step 2002, which indicate that a wireless device can process two or more downlink DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. The method proceeds to step 2006, where it presents the measurements generated by the aggregate processing of the aggregated DL PRS resources in step 2004 to the network. In certain embodiments, the wireless device presents the measurements to a location node in the network (e.g., a location server or LMF), for example, by non-access hierarchical signaling. In other embodiments, the measurements are presented to a wireless network node in the network (e.g., a wireless network node can send measurements to a location node).

[0194] In certain embodiments, the execution of joint processing may further depend on determining that one or more conditions for processing two or more DL PRS resources together have been met. Examples of conditions are described above in relation to "Embodiment 2: Conditions for Coherently Combining DL PRS Resources." For example, the execution of joint processing may further depend on determining that one or more of the following conditions have been met: • A condition requiring that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together be sent from the same TRP. • A condition requiring that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together be received by a wireless device in the same slot. • A condition requiring that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together be received by a wireless device in the same symbol. A condition requiring that two or more DL PRS resources being processed together be limited to a single iteration. A condition requiring that two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together be received by wireless devices having the same QCL information. • A condition requiring that two or more DL PRS resources being processed together belong to separate frequency layers. • A condition requiring two or more DL PRS resources being processed together to use the same subcarrier interval.

[0195] Figure 21 shows an example of a method performed by a network node, such as network node 160. Examples of network nodes include wireless network nodes (e.g., base stations, eNBs, gNBs, etc.) or location nodes (e.g., location servers, LMFs, etc.). In certain embodiments, the network node includes a processing circuit (e.g., processing circuit 170) configured to perform the method. For example, the processing circuit may be configured to execute a computer program containing instructions that perform any of the steps of the method.

[0196] In certain embodiments, the method begins with step 2102 of determining whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. For example, determining whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together may be based on the phase difference between a first carrier associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second carrier associated with a second DL PRS resource. In certain embodiments, it is determined that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together if the phase difference indicates that the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent. In certain embodiments, it is determined that two or more DL PRS resources cannot be processed together if the phase difference indicates that the first and second carriers are not sufficiently coherent. For example, whether the first and second carriers are sufficiently coherent is based on whether their coherence value exceeds a threshold.

[0197] Certain embodiments determine whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together based on information received from another network node. For example, a location node may determine whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together based on information received from an NG-RAN (see, for example, "Embodiment 4: Instructions for DL ​​PRS Aggregation from an NG-RAN Node to an LMF" above) or a gNB (see, for example, "Embodiment 5: Instructions for Cell-Based DL PRS Aggregation" above).

[0198] Certain embodiments determine whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together, at least in part, based on the maximum number of DL PRS resources that a wireless device can process together. Certain embodiments receive from a wireless device the maximum number of DL resources that the wireless device can process together. Certain embodiments determine the maximum number of DL resources that the wireless device can process together based on the standard.

[0199] The method proceeds to step 2104, where an instruction is sent to the wireless device. The instruction indicates whether the wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. The instruction may be sent by NAS signaling, and may be sent by OAM messages, RRC signaling, DCI, or other appropriate type of signaling according to the positioning protocol. As an example, a location node may communicate the instruction by NAS signaling according to the positioning protocol. As another example, a radio network node may communicate the instruction by RRC signaling or DCI. As yet another example, a radio network node may communicate the instruction to a wireless device via a location node (the radio network node communicates the instruction to the location node, and the location node communicates the instruction to the wireless device). The instruction indicates whether the wireless device can process two or more DL PRS resources together that can be set to some appropriate level, such as DL PRS resource setting, frequency layer level, or DL ​​PRS resource set level. In certain embodiments, the instruction indicates that the number of DL PRS resources that can be processed together is less than the maximum number of DL PRS resources that the wireless device can process together. In certain embodiments, the instruction sent in step 2104 includes a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource. When the first index is identical to the second index, the instruction indicates that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together (or, when the first index is different from the second index, the instruction indicates that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource cannot be processed together). Further examples of instructions sent from a network node to a wireless device are described above with respect to step 2002 in Figure 20, for example (for example, the network node provides a reverse signal flow between the wireless device and the network node).

[0200] The method involves sending information to a wireless device in step 2106 regarding one or more conditions that must be met in order to process two or more DL PRS resources together. Examples of such conditions are described above, for example, in "Embodiment 2: Conditions for Coherently Combining DL PRS Resources" and with reference to Figure 20.

[0201] The method, in step 2108, receives information from the wireless device. The information represents a measurement. For example, if the instruction sent to the wireless device in step 2104 indicates that two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together, the information received in step 2108 may represent a measurement based on the wireless device processing two or more DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. If the instruction sent to the wireless device in step 2104 indicates that two or more DL PRS resources cannot be processed together, the information received in step 2108 may represent a measurement based on the wireless device processing only one of the two or more DL PRS at a time (as opposed to aggregate processing). The measurement shown in step 2108 may be used to determine the location or position of the wireless device.

[0202] Figure 22 shows an example of a method performed by a radio network node, such as a network node 160 that implements a base station (e.g., an eNB or gNB). In certain embodiments, the radio network node includes a processing circuit (e.g., processing circuit 170) configured to perform the method. For example, the processing circuit may be configured to execute a computer program containing instructions that perform any of the steps of the method.

[0203] In certain embodiments, the method begins with step 2202, receiving a request from a location node to provide information about a TRP hosted by a wireless network node. The method proceeds to step 2204, determining whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together. This step may be similar to step 2102 in Figure 21. The method proceeds to step 2206, sending an instruction to the location node indicating whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together by a wireless device as an aggregated DL PRS resource to generate a measurement. See, for example, "Embodiment 4: Instruction for DL ​​PRS Aggregation from NG-RAN Node to LMF" or "Embodiment 5: Instruction for Cell-Based DL PRS Aggregation" above. The location node may use the instruction received from the wireless network node to indicate to the wireless device whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together.

[0204] The method in Figure 22 may optionally include additional steps described herein as steps performed by a wireless network node, such as communicating one or more conditions for processing two or more DL PRS together to a location node or wireless device. Examples of conditions are described above, for example, with respect to Figure 20.

[0205] Figure 23 shows an example of a method implemented by a location server or a location node such as network node 160c that implements LMF. In certain embodiments, the location node includes processing circuitry configured to implement the method. For example, the processing circuitry may be configured to execute a computer program containing instructions that perform any of the steps of the method.

[0206] In certain embodiments, the method begins at step 2302 with receiving, from a wireless network node, an indication as to whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together by a wireless device as an aggregated DL PRS resource to generate a measurement value. In certain embodiments, the method may prompt the wireless network node to send the indication, for example, by sending a request to the wireless network node to provide information regarding a TRP hosted by the wireless network node. Examples of indications that may be received by a location node include those described above in "Embodiment 4: Indication of DL PRS Aggregation from NG-RAN Node to LMF" or "Embodiment 5: Indication of Cell-based DL PRS Aggregation". In certain embodiments, when the DL PRS resources are sufficiently coherent, the information indicates that the DL PRS resources can be processed together.

[0207] The method proceeds to step 2304 and sends a request to the wireless device to provide DL PRS measurement values. The request indicates whether two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together as an aggregated DL PRS resource (e.g., based on information received by the location node from the wireless network node in step 2302). Examples of indications that may be sent to the wireless device are those described above with respect to step 2002 of FIG. 20 (e.g., the location node provides a reverse signal flow between the wireless device and the network node / location node).

[0208] The method proceeds to step 2306, receives from the wireless device information indicative of measurement values generated by the wireless device jointly processing the aggregated DL PRS resources, and then proceeds to step 2308 to determine the location of the wireless device based at least in part on the information indicative of measurement values received in step 2306.

[0209] The method of FIG. 23 may optionally include additional steps described herein as steps performed by a location node, such as communicating to the wireless device one or more conditions for processing two or more DL PRSs together. Examples of conditions are described above, for example, with respect to FIG. 20.

[0210] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure address the problem of signaling to a wireless device a plurality of DL PRS resources that can be processed together (coherently) by the wireless device for positioning purposes. The signaling to the wireless device can be from a wireless network node (such as a serving gNB or eNB) or a location node (such as a location server or LMF). In certain embodiments, the plurality of DL PRSs can be from different frequency layers or different component carriers (such as in the case of carrier aggregation), even if from the same transmission point. The present disclosure proposes several embodiments. As an example, in certain embodiments, a wireless network node sets an index for each DL PRS resource for the wireless device. DL PRS resources having the same index value can be processed together (coherently) by the wireless device. There are various options for setting the index. For example, the index can be set in a frequency layer, a component carrier, or a DL PRS resource set. DL PRS resources associated with a frequency layer, a component carrier, or a PRS resource set having the same index value can be processed together (coherently) by the wireless device. As another example, certain embodiments use other RSs, such as SSB / CSI-RS, for this purpose (instead of DL PRS). As another example, in certain embodiments, instead of being signaled from the wireless network node to the wireless device, the information may be provided by the wireless network node to a location node, and the location node takes this information into account when setting the DL PRS for the wireless device.

[0211] Modifications, additions, or omissions to the systems and apparatus described herein may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Components of the systems and apparatus may be integrated or separated. Furthermore, the operation of the systems and apparatus may be performed by more components, fewer components, or other components. In addition, the operation of the systems and apparatus may be performed using any appropriate logic, including software, hardware, and / or other logic. As used in this document, “each” refers to each component of a set or each component of a subset of a set. As used in this document, “based on” means “at least partially based on” unless another meaning is clearly shown and / or suggested by the context in which it is used.

[0212] Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the methods described herein. The methods may include more steps, fewer steps, or other steps. In addition, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0213] While this disclosure has described certain embodiments, modifications and substitutions of embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description of embodiments does not limit this disclosure. Other modifications, substitutions, and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless device, Receiving instructions from the network (2002), the instructions indicating whether the wireless device can process two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources received in the same time slot together as an aggregated DL PRS resource, To generate a measurement value, perform a joint processing of the aggregated DL PRS resources (2004), wherein the joint processing is performed at least in part on receiving the two or more DL resources in the same time slot and on the instruction indicating that the wireless device can process the two or more downlink DL PRS resources together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. A method that includes this.

2. The method according to claim 1, further relating to determining that one or more conditions for processing two or more DL PRS resources together have been met, that the joint processing described above is to be performed.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further relating to determining that the condition that the two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must have been transmitted from the same transmission / reception point (TRP) is met, thereby enabling the execution of the joint processing.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further relating to determining that the condition is met that the two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must have been received by the wireless device in the same time slot, wherein performing the joint processing is further based on that determination.

5. The method according to claim 4, further relating to determining that the condition that the two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together have been received by the wireless device in the same symbol within the same time slot is met, thereby enabling the execution of the joint processing.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further relating to determining that the condition that the two or more DL PRS resources processed together must be limited to one iteration is met, thereby enabling the execution of the joint processing.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further relating to determining that the condition is met that the two or more DL PRS resources processed together must have been received by the wireless device using the same pseudo-collocation (QCL) information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein performing the joint processing is further based on determining that the condition that the two or more DL PRS resources to be processed together must belong to separate frequency layers is met.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further relating to determining that the condition that the two or more DL PRS resources processed together must use the same subcarrier interval is met, wherein performing the joint processing is further based on determining that the condition is met.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising showing the measured values ​​generated by the joint processing of the aggregated DL PRS resources to the network (2006).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the measured value is shown for a location node.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the measured value is shown to a wireless network node.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together is based on a phase difference between a first carrier associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second carrier associated with a second DL PRS resource.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the instruction indicates that the two or more DL PRS resources can be processed together when the phase difference indicates that the first carrier and the second carrier are sufficiently coherent.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein whether the first carrier and the second carrier are sufficiently coherent is based on whether the coherence value exceeds a threshold.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together is received from the location node.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together is received by non-accessible tier (NAS) signaling.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together is received by a positioning protocol or an Operations Administration Maintenance (OAM) message.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together is received from a wireless network node.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or claim 19, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together is received by radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or claim 19, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together is received by downlink control information (DCI).

22. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the instruction indicating whether the wireless device can process the two or more DL PRS resources together includes a first index associated with a first DL PRS resource and a second index associated with a second DL PRS resource, and when the first index is identical to the second index, it indicates that the first DL PRS resource and the second DL PRS resource can be processed together.

23. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising sending network information indicating the maximum number of DL PRS resources that the wireless device can process together.

24. A method performed by a network node, comprising sending an instruction to the wireless device indicating whether the wireless device can process two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources received in the same time slot together as an aggregated DL PRS resource (2104).

25. A method performed by a wireless network node, A method comprising sending an instruction to a location node indicating whether two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources received in the same time slot can be processed together by a wireless device as an aggregated DL PRS resource in order to generate a measurement (2206).

26. A wireless device (110), A power supply circuit (137) configured to supply power to the wireless device, The system comprises a processing circuit (120) and the processing circuit, The wireless device receives an instruction from the network indicating whether it can process two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources received in the same time slot together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. The joint processing of the aggregated DL PRS resources is performed at least partially based on the following: receiving the two or more DL resources in the same time slot to generate measurements, and the instruction indicating that the wireless device can process the two or more downlink DL PRS resources received in the same time slot together as an aggregated DL PRS resource. A wireless device (110) is configured to do so.

27. Wireless network nodes (160, 160b), A power supply circuit (187) configured to supply power to the wireless network node, The system comprises a processing circuit (170) and the processing circuit, A wireless network node (160, 160b) is configured to send an instruction to a location node indicating whether two or more downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) resources received in the same time slot can be processed together by a wireless device as an aggregated DL PRS resource in order to generate a measurement.

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