Varying reference signal for positioning configurations

Abstract

In one scenario, the BS sends a time-varying RS-P configuration (e.g., UL-SRS-P or SL-SRS-P for DL-PRS or SRS-P) to the UE, including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period. In another scenario, the BS sends a modified SRS-P configuration to the UE, which includes a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event-triggered condition for transitioning between the first and second SRS-P configurations. The UE transmits SRS-P or receives and measures DL-PRS according to the time-varying RS-P configuration or the modified SRS-P configuration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application claims priority to GR application No. 20210100107, filed on February 18, 2021, entitled “VARYING REFERENCE SIGNAL FOR POSITIONING CONFIGURATIONS”, which has been assigned to the assignee of this application and whose entire contents are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The various aspects of this case are broadly related to wireless communication, and more specifically, to the varying configuration of the reference signal (RS-P) used for positioning. Prior Technology

[0003] Wireless communication systems have evolved through several generations, including first-generation analog wireless telephony (1G), second-generation (2G) digital wireless telephony (including temporary 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, internet-enabled wireless services, and fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax). Currently, many different types of wireless communication systems are in use, including cellular and Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems. Known examples of cellular systems include Advanced Cellular Analog Telephone System (AMPS) and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), as well as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

[0004] The fifth-generation (5G) wireless standard, known as New Radio (NR), demands higher data transmission speeds, more connections, better coverage, and other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGC), the 5G standard aims to provide tens of megabits per second (Mbps) of data rate for each of tens of thousands of users, and gigabits per second (Gbps) of data rate for dozens of employees on an office floor. To support large-scale sensor deployments, it should support hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections. Therefore, 5G mobile communications should have significantly improved spectral efficiency compared to the current 4G standard. Furthermore, signal transmission efficiency should be improved, and latency should be greatly reduced compared to the current standard. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following is a simplified overview relating to one or more of the states disclosed herein. Therefore, this overview should not be considered a broad overview relating to all anticipated states, nor should it be considered an identification of key or important elements relating to all anticipated states or a diagram illustrating the scope relating to any particular state. Thus, the sole purpose of the following overview is to provide, in a simplified form, certain concepts relating to one or more states of the apparatus disclosed herein, prior to the detailed description provided below.

[0006] In one embodiment, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: receiving a first time-varying reference signal for positioning (RS-P) configuration from a network element, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; communicating a first RS-P set with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicating a second RS-P set with at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

[0007] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a set of first uplink or sidelink sounding reference signals for positioning (SRS-P) sent by the UE to at least one base station, and the second RS-P set includes a set of second uplink or sidelink SRS-P sent by the UE to at least one base station.

[0008] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first set of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRS) received at the UE from at least one base station, and the second RS-P set includes a second set of DL-PRS received at the UE from at least one base station.

[0009] In some cases, the method includes: after a first time period, sending a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, sending a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0010] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a second time-varying RS-P configuration from a network element, the second time-varying RS-P configuration differing from a first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0012] In some cases, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0013] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0014] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0015] In one embodiment, a method of wireless communication performed by a network element includes: determining a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and transmitting the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0016] In some embodiments, the method includes: communicating a first set of RS-Ps with the UE during a first time period according to a first RS-P configuration; and communicating a second set of RS-Ps with the UE during a second time period according to a second RS-P configuration.

[0017] In some configurations, the first RS-P set includes a first uplink or sidelink detection reference signal (SRS-P) set received from the UE at the base station for positioning, wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set received from the UE at the serving base station.

[0018] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first set of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRSs) sent from the base station to the UE, and the second RS-P set includes a second set of DL-PRSs sent from the base station to the UE.

[0019] In some embodiments, the method includes: after a first time period, receiving a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, receiving a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0020] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0021] In some versions, the method includes sending a second time-varying RS-P configuration to the UE, the second time-varying RS-P configuration differing from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0022] In some cases, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0023] In one embodiment, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: receiving a first varying detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first varying SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; transmitting a first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; determining a switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration based on monitoring of the event triggering condition; transmitting a switch indication to at least one base station; and after transmitting the switch indication, transmitting a second SRS-P set to at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0024] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0025] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0026] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a second modified SRS-P configuration from a network element, the second modified SRS-P configuration differing from a first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0027] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0028] In one embodiment, a method of wireless communication performed by a network element includes: determining a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and transmitting the first change of SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0029] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first SRS-P set from the UE during a first time period according to a first SRS-P configuration; receiving an indication from the UE of a transition from the first SRS-P configuration to a second SRS-P configuration; and after receiving the transition indication, receiving a second SRS-P set from the UE during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0031] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0032] In some cases, the method includes sending a second modified SRS-P configuration to the UE, the second modified SRS-P configuration differing from the first modified SRS-P configuration in one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0033] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0034] In one embodiment, a user equipment (UE) includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: receive a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; communicate a first RS-P set with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicate a second RS-P set with at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

[0035] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a set of first uplink or sidelink detection reference signals (SRS-P) sent by the UE to at least one base station for positioning, and the second RS-P set includes a set of second uplink or sidelink SRS-P sent by the UE to at least one base station.

[0036] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first set of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRSs) received at the UE from at least one base station, and the second RS-P set includes a second set of DL-PRSs received at the UE from at least one base station.

[0037] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to: after a first time period, send a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, send a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0038] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0039] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to receive a second time-varying RS-P configuration from a network element, the second time-varying RS-P configuration differing from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0040] In some cases, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0041] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0042] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0043] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0044] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to send a second time-varying RS-P configuration to the UE, the second time-varying RS-P configuration being different from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0045] In some cases, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0046] In one embodiment, a network element includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and transmit the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0047] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to: communicate a first RS-P set with the UE during a first time period according to a first RS-P configuration; and communicate a second RS-P set with the UE during a second time period according to a second RS-P configuration.

[0048] In some configurations, the first RS-P set includes a set of first uplink or sidelink detection reference signals (SRS-P) received by the base station from the UE for positioning, wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set received by the UE at the serving base station.

[0049] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first set of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRSs) sent from the base station to the UE, and the second RS-P set includes a second set of DL-PRSs sent from the base station to the UE.

[0050] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to: after a first time period, receive a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, receive a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0051] In one embodiment, a UE includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: receive from a network element a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; transmit a first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; determine a switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration based on monitoring of the event triggering condition; transmit a switch indication to at least one base station; and after transmitting the switch indication, transmit a second SRS-P set to at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0052] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0053] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0054] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to receive a second modified SRS-P configuration from a network element, the second modified SRS-P configuration being different from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0055] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0056] In one embodiment, a network element includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine a first change in a detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change in SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and transmit the first change in SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0057] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0058] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to: receive a first SRS-P set from the UE during a first time period according to a first SRS-P configuration; receive an indication from the UE of a transition from the first SRS-P configuration to a second SRS-P configuration; and after receiving the transition indication, receive a second SRS-P set from the UE during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0059] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0060] In some configurations, at least one processor is further configured to send a second modified SRS-P configuration to the UE, the second modified SRS-P configuration being different from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0061] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0062] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0063] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0064] In some embodiments, the method includes components for sending a second time-varying RS-P configuration to the UE, the second time-varying RS-P configuration differing from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0065] In some cases, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0066] In one embodiment, a user equipment (UE) includes: means for receiving a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; means for communicating a first set of RS-P signals with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and means for communicating a second set of RS-P signals with at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

[0067] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a set of first uplink or sidelink detection reference signals (SRS-P) sent by the UE to at least one base station for positioning, and the second RS-P set includes a set of second uplink or sidelink SRS-P sent by the UE to at least one base station.

[0068] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first set of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRSs) received at the UE from at least one base station, and the second RS-P set includes a second set of DL-PRSs received at the UE from at least one base station.

[0069] In some embodiments, the method includes a component for transmitting a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set after a first time period; and a component for transmitting a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set after a second time period.

[0070] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0071] In some embodiments, the method includes components for receiving a second time-varying RS-P configuration from a network element, the second time-varying RS-P configuration differing from a first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0072] In some cases, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0073] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0074] In one configuration, a network element includes: a component for determining a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and a component for transmitting the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a UE.

[0075] In some embodiments, the method includes components for communicating a first set of RS-Ps with the UE during a first time period according to a first RS-P configuration; and components for communicating a second set of RS-Ps with the UE during a second time period according to a second RS-P configuration.

[0076] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a set of first uplink or sidelink detection reference signals (SRS-Ps) received by the base station from the UE for positioning, wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set received by the serving base station from the UE.

[0077] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first set of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRSs) sent from the base station to the UE, and the second RS-P set includes a second set of DL-PRSs sent from the base station to the UE.

[0078] In some embodiments, the method includes components for receiving a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set after a first time period; and components for receiving a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set after a second time period.

[0079] In one embodiment, a UE includes: means for receiving from a network element a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; means for transmitting a first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; means for determining a switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration based on monitoring of the event triggering condition; means for transmitting a switch indication to at least one base station; and means for transmitting a second SRS-P set to at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration after transmitting the switch indication.

[0080] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0081] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0082] In some embodiments, the method includes components for receiving a second modified SRS-P configuration from a network element, the second modified SRS-P configuration differing from a first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0083] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0084] In one embodiment, a network element includes: a component for determining a first change in a detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change in SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and a component for transmitting the first change in SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0085] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0086] In some embodiments, the method includes components for receiving a first SRS-P set from the UE during a first time period according to a first SRS-P configuration; components for receiving from the UE an indication of switching from the first SRS-P configuration to a second SRS-P configuration; and components for receiving a second SRS-P set from the UE during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration after receiving the switching indication.

[0087] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0088] In some versions, the method includes components for sending a second modified SRS-P configuration to the UE, the second modified SRS-P configuration differing from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0089] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0090] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0091] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0092] In some cases, one or more instructions further cause the network element to send a second time-varying RS-P configuration to the UE, which differs from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0093] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0094] In one configuration, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set includes one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to: receive a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; communicate a first RS-P set with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicate a second RS-P set with at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

[0095] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a set of first uplink or sidelink detection reference signals (SRS-P) sent by the UE to at least one base station for positioning, and the second RS-P set includes a set of second uplink or sidelink SRS-P sent by the UE to at least one base station.

[0096] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) set received at the UE from at least one base station, and the second RS-P set includes a second DL-PRS set received at the UE from at least one base station.

[0097] In some states, one or more instructions further cause the UE to: after a first time period, send a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, send a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0098] In some cases, the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0099] In some cases, one or more instructions further cause the UE to receive a second time-varying RS-P configuration from a network element, the second time-varying RS-P configuration being different from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0100] In some cases, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0101] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0102] In one configuration, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set includes one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network element, cause the network element to: determine a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and transmit the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0103] In some configurations, one or more instructions further cause the network element to: communicate with the UE a first RS-P set during a first time period according to a first RS-P configuration; and communicate with the UE a second RS-P set during a second time period according to a second RS-P configuration.

[0104] In some configurations, the first RS-P set includes a first uplink or sidelink detection reference signal (SRS-P) set received from the UE at the base station for positioning, wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set received from the UE at the serving base station.

[0105] In some cases, the first RS-P set includes a first set of downlink positioning reference signals (DL-PRSs) sent from the base station to the UE, and the second RS-P set includes a second set of DL-PRSs sent from the base station to the UE.

[0106] In some configurations, one or more instructions further cause the network element to: after a first time period, receive a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, receive a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0107] In one configuration, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set includes one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, cause the UE to: receive from a network element a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; transmit a first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; determine, based on monitoring of the event triggering condition, to switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration; transmit a switching indication to at least one base station; and, after transmitting the switching indication, transmit a second SRS-P set to at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0108] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0109] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0110] In some cases, one or more instructions further cause the UE to receive a second modified SRS-P configuration from a network element, the second modified SRS-P configuration being different from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0111] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0112] In one configuration, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set includes one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network element, cause the network element to: determine a first change in a Detection Reference Signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change in SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event-triggered condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and transmit the first change in SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0113] In some configurations, network elements include a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0114] In some configurations, one or more instructions further cause the network element to: receive a first SRS-P set from the UE during a first time period according to a first SRS-P configuration; receive an indication from the UE to switch from the first SRS-P configuration to a second SRS-P configuration; and after receiving the switching indication, receive a second SRS-P set from the UE during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0115] In some cases, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition, the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE, the navigation route conditions associated with the UE, the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0116] In some cases, one or more instructions further cause the network element to send a second modified SRS-P configuration to the UE, which differs from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0117] In some cases, the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0118] Based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description, other objects and advantages associated with the states disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0119] The accompanying drawings are provided to help describe the various states of this case, and are provided solely to illustrate the states, not to limit them.

[0120] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system according to various aspects of this case.

[0121] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate exemplary wireless network structures according to various embodiments of this case.

[0122] Figures 3A to 3C are simplified block diagrams of several exemplary configurations of elements that can be used in user equipment (UE), base stations, and network entities, respectively, and are configured to support the communications taught herein.

[0123] Figures 4A and 4B are examples illustrating various frame structures and channels within the frame structures according to this case.

[0124] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary PRS configuration for a cell service area supported by a wireless node.

[0125] Figure 6 illustrates exemplary wireless communication systems according to various aspects of this case.

[0126] Figure 7 illustrates exemplary wireless communication systems according to various aspects of this case.

[0127] Figure 8A is a graph illustrating the change of RF channel response at the receiver over time according to various conditions of this case.

[0128] Figure 8B is a diagram illustrating this kind of separation of clusters in AoD.

[0129] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary timing sequence of RTT measurement signals exchanged between a base station and a UE according to various configurations of this case.

[0130] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary timing sequence of RTT measurement signals exchanged between the base station and the UE according to other states of this case.

[0131] Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system according to various aspects of this case.

[0132] Figure 12 illustrates an exemplary timing diagram of RTT measurement signals exchanged between a base station (e.g., any base station described herein) and a UE (e.g., any UE described herein) according to other forms of this case.

[0133] Figure 13 illustrates an exemplary process of wireless communication according to various forms of this case.

[0134] Figure 14 illustrates an exemplary process of wireless communication according to various forms of this case.

[0135] Figure 15 illustrates an exemplary process of wireless communication according to various forms of this case.

[0136] Figure 16 illustrates an exemplary process of wireless communication according to various forms of this case. Implementation

[0137] Various embodiments of this invention are provided in the following description and related drawings, which are provided for illustrative purposes and to illustrate various examples. Alternative embodiments may be designed without departing from the scope of this invention. Furthermore, in order not to obscure the relevant details of this invention, well-known elements of this invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted.

[0138] The terms "exemplary" and / or "example" are used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any manner described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other manners. Similarly, the term "manner of this case" does not require that all manner of this case include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed.

[0139] Those skilled in the art will understand that any of a variety of different techniques and skills can be used to represent the information and signals described below. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips referenced in the following description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, and in part on the appropriate technology, etc.

[0140] Furthermore, many states are described based on sequences of actions to be performed by elements of, for example, computing devices. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuitry (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), program instructions executed by one or more processors, or a combination of both. Moreover, the sequences of actions described herein can be considered entirely contained in any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions, the execution of which will cause or instruct the relevant processor of the device to perform the functions described herein. Therefore, the various states of this application can be embodied in many different forms, all of which are considered to be within the scope of the claimed object. Furthermore, for each state described herein, any corresponding form of such state can be described herein as, for example, logic "configured" to perform the described actions.

[0141] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the terms “user equipment” (UE) and “base station” are not intended to specifically or otherwise limit to any particular radio access technology (RAT). Generally, a UE can be any wireless communication device used by a user to communicate via a wireless communication network (e.g., mobile phone, router, tablet, laptop, consumer asset tracking device, wearable device (e.g., smartwatch, glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR)) headset, etc.), vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.). A UE can be mobile or can (e.g., at certain times) be stationary and can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” can be used interchangeably with “access terminal” or “AT”, “client device”, “wireless device”, “user equipment”, “user terminal”, “user station”, “user terminal” or “UT”, “mobile device”, “mobile terminal”, “mobile station”, or variations thereof. Generally, a UE can communicate with the core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for the UE to connect to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible, such as via wired access networks, wireless local area network (WLAN) networks (e.g., based on the IEEE 802.11 standard), etc.

[0142] A base station can operate based on one of several RATs used to communicate with the UE, depending on the network in which it is deployed, and may be alternatively referred to as an Access Point (AP), Network Node, NodeB, Evolved NodeB (eNB), Next Generation eNB (ng-eNB), New Radio (NR) Node B (also known as gNB or gNodeB), etc. The base station can primarily be used to support the UE's radio access, including supporting the supported UE's data, voice, and / or signaling connections. In some systems, the base station can provide purely edge node signaling capabilities, while in others it can provide additional control and / or network management functions. The communication link through which the UE can send signals to the base station is called an uplink (UL) channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the base station can send signals to the UE is called a downlink (DL) or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). The term Traffic Channel (TCH) used herein can refer to an uplink / reverse or downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0143] The term "base station" can refer to a single physical transmit-receive point (TRP) or multiple physical TRPs, which may or may not be located in the same location. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical TRP, the physical TRP may be the antenna of a base station corresponding to one cell service area (or several cell service area sectors) of the base station. When the term "base station" refers to multiple physical TRPs located in the same location, the physical TRP may be the antenna array of the base station (e.g., in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system or in the case of beamforming at the base station). When the term "base station" refers to multiple physical TRPs not located in the same location, the physical TRP may be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transmission medium) or a remote radio head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to a serving base station). Alternatively, physical base stations not located in the same location may be the serving base station receiving measurement reports from the UE and a neighboring base station where the UE is measuring its reference radio frequency (RF) signal. As used in this article, a TRP is the point at which a base station transmits and receives wireless signals, so references to transmissions from or receptions at a base station should be understood to refer to the specific TRP of that base station.

[0144] In some implementations that support UE positioning, the base station may not support the UE's radio access (e.g., it may not support the UE's data, voice, and / or signal transmission connections), but may instead transmit reference signals to the UE for measurement, and / or receive and measure signals transmitted by the UE. Such a base station may be referred to as a positioning beacon (e.g., when transmitting signals to the UE) and / or a location measurement unit (e.g., when receiving and measuring signals from the UE).

[0145] An "RF signal" comprises electromagnetic waves of a given frequency that transmit information across space between a transmitter and a receiver. As used herein, a transmitter may send a single "RF signal" or multiple "RF signals" to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels, a receiver may receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal. The same transmitted RF signal on different paths between the transmitter and receiver can be referred to as a "multipath" RF signal.

[0146] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system 100 (also referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) may include various base stations 102 and various UEs 104. Base stations 102 may include macrocell service area base stations (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cell service area base stations (low-power cellular base stations). In one configuration, a macrocell service area base station may include an eNB and / or ng-eNB where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an LTE network, or a gNB where the wireless communication system 100 corresponds to an NR network, or a combination of both, and a small cell service area base station may include femtocell service areas, picocell service areas, microcell service areas, etc.

[0147] Base stations 102 can collectively form a RAN and connect to a core network 170 (e.g., an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or a 5G Core (5GC)) via a backhaul link 122, and connect to one or more location servers 172 (which may be part of the core network 170 or external to it) via the core network 170. Among other functions, base stations 102 can perform one or more related functions including transmitting user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), cell service area interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of Non-Access Layer (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), user and equipment tracking, RAN Information Management (RIM), paging, location, and warning message delivery. Base stations 102 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC / 5GC) via a backhaul link 134, which can be wired or wireless.

[0148] Base station 102 can wirelessly communicate with UE 104. Each base station 102 can provide communication coverage for its respective geographic coverage area 110. In one configuration, base station 102 in each geographic coverage area 110 can support one or more cell service areas. A "cell service area" is a logical communication entity (e.g., via some frequency resources, referred to as carrier frequency, component carrier, carrier, frequency band, etc.) used to communicate with a base station and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., Entity Cell Service Area Identifier (PCI), Virtual Cell Service Area Identifier (VCI), Cell Service Area Global Identifier (CGI)) to distinguish cell service areas operating via the same or different carrier frequencies. In some cases, different cell service areas can be configured based on different protocol types that can provide access for different types of UEs (e.g., Machine Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), or others). Because cell service areas are supported by specific base stations, the term "cell service area" can refer to one or both of the logical communication entity and the base station that supports it, depending on the context. In some cases, the term "cell service area" may also refer to the geographic coverage area (e.g., sector) of a base station, provided that the carrier frequency can be detected and used for communication within a portion of the geographic coverage area 110.

[0149] Although the geographic coverage areas 110 of neighboring macrocell service area base stations 102 may partially overlap (e.g., in delivery areas), some geographic coverage areas 110 may substantially overlap with larger geographic coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell service area (SC) base station 102' may have geographic coverage areas 110' that substantially overlap with the geographic coverage areas 110 of one or more macrocell service area base stations 102. A network that includes both small cell and macrocell service area base stations can be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include home eNBs (HeNBs) that can provide service to restricted groups known as Closed Subscriber Groups (CSGs).

[0150] The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (also known as reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 and / or downlink (also known as forward link) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104. The communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link 120 may use one or more carrier frequencies. Carrier allocation may be asymmetrical relative to the downlink and uplink (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to the downlink than to the uplink).

[0151] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) 150 that communicates with WLAN stations (STAs) 152 via a communication link 154 in unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz). When communicating in unlicensed spectrum, the WLAN STA 152 and / or WLAN AP 150 may perform an idle channel assessment (CCA) or listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure before communication to determine whether a channel is available.

[0152] Small cell service area base station 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in unlicensed spectrum, small cell service area base station 102' can employ LTE or NR technology and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum as the WALN AP150. Employing LTE / 5G in unlicensed spectrum can improve access network coverage and / or increase access network capacity. NR in unlicensed spectrum can be referred to as NR-U. LTE in unlicensed spectrum can be referred to as LTE-U, Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), or MulteFire.

[0153] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a millimeter-wave (mmW) base station 180, which can operate at mmW frequencies and / or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with the UE 182. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that contains radio frequency (RF). The EHF frequency range is from 30 to 300 GHz, with wavelengths between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in this band can be referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW can extend to frequencies up to 3 GHz with wavelengths of 100 mm. The ultra-high frequency (SHF) band extends between 3 GHz and 30 GHz and is also known as centimeter waves. Communication using mmW / near-mmW RF bands has high path loss and relatively short range. The mmW base station 180 and the UE 182 can utilize beamforming (transmit and / or receive) on the mmW communication link 184 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range. Furthermore, it will be understood that in alternative configurations, one or more base stations 102 may also use mmW or near-mmW and beamforming for transmission. Therefore, it will be understood that the foregoing descriptions are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the various states disclosed herein.

[0154] Transmit beamforming is a technique that focuses RF signals in a specific direction. Traditionally, when a network node (e.g., a base station) broadcasts an RF signal, it broadcasts the signal in all directions (omnidirectional). Using transmit beamforming, the network node determines the location of a given target device (e.g., a UE) relative to the transmitting network node and projects a stronger downlink RF signal in that specific direction, thus providing the receiving device with a faster (in terms of data rate) and stronger RF signal. To change the directivity of the RF signal during transmission, the network node can control the phase and relative amplitude of the RF signal at each of one or more transmitters broadcasting the RF signal. For example, the network node can use an antenna array (called a "phased array" or "antenna array") that generates a beam of RF waves that can be "steered" to different directions without actually moving the antennas. Specifically, RF currents from the transmitters are fed to the individual antennas with the correct phase relationship, causing the radio waves from the individual antennas to be added together to increase radiation in the desired direction while canceling out radiation in undesired directions.

[0155] Transmit beams can be quasi-co-located, meaning they appear to the same parameters to the receiver (e.g., UE), regardless of whether the transmit antennas of the network nodes are physically co-located. In NR, there are four types of quasi-co-located (QCL) relationships. Specifically, a given type of QCL relationship means that certain parameters of the target reference RF signal on the target beam can be derived from information about the source reference RF signal on the source beam. If the source reference RF signal is type A, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread of the target reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is type B, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and Doppler spread of the target reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is type C, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the Doppler shift and average delay of the target reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel. If the source reference RF signal is of type QCL D, the receiver can use the source reference RF signal to estimate the spatial reception parameters of the target reference RF signal transmitted on the same channel.

[0156] In receive beamforming, a receiver uses a receive beam to amplify an RF signal detected on a given channel. For example, a receiver can increase the gain setting and / or adjust the phase setting of the antenna array in a specific direction to amplify the RF signal received in that direction (e.g., increase the gain level of that RF signal). Therefore, when a receiver is said to be beamforming in a certain direction, it means that the beam gain in that direction is high relative to the beam gain in other directions, or that the beam gain in that direction is the highest compared to the beam gain of all other receive beams available to the receiver in that direction. This results in a stronger received signal strength (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR), etc.) of the RF signal received in that direction.

[0157] The receive beam can be spatially correlated. Spatially correlated means that the parameters of the transmit beam of the second reference signal can be derived from information about the receive beam of the first reference signal. For example, the UE can use a specific receive beam to receive one or more reference downlink reference signals (e.g., Position Reference Signal (PRS), Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), Cell Service Area Specific Reference Signal (CRS), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs), etc.) from the base station. Subsequently, the UE can form a transmit beam for transmitting one or more uplink reference signals (e.g., Uplink Position Reference Signal (UL-PRS), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), PTRS, etc.) to the base station based on the parameters of the receive beam.

[0158] Note that a "downlink" beam can be either a transmit or receive beam, depending on the entity forming it. For example, if a base station is forming a downlink beam to transmit a reference signal to the UE, then the downlink beam is a transmit beam. However, if the UE is forming a downlink beam, then it is a receive beam to receive the downlink reference signal. Similarly, an "uplink" beam can be either a transmit or receive beam, depending on the entity forming it. For example, if a base station is forming an uplink beam, then it is an uplink receive beam, and if the UE is forming an uplink beam, then it is an uplink transmit beam.

[0159] In 5G, the spectrum operated by radio nodes (e.g., base stations 102 / 180, UE 104 / 182) is divided into multiple frequency ranges: FR1 (from 450 to 6000 MHz), FR2 (from 24250 to 52600 MHz), FR3 (above 52600 MHz), and FR4 (between FR1 and FR2). In multi-carrier systems, such as 5G, one of the carrier frequencies is referred to as the "primary carrier," "anchor carrier," "primary serving cell," or "PCell," while the remaining carrier frequencies are referred to as "secondary carriers," "secondary serving cell," or "SCell." In carrier aggregation, the anchor carrier is the carrier operating on the primary frequency (e.g., FR1) used by UE 104 / 182, and the cell serving cell in which UE 104 / 182 performs the initial radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment procedure or initiates the RRC connection re-establishment procedure. The primary carrier carries all common and UE-specific control channels and can be a carrier on a licensed frequency (however, not always). The secondary carrier is a carrier operating on a second frequency (e.g., FR2), which can be configured once an RRC connection is established between UE 104 and the anchor carrier, and can be used to provide additional radio resources. In some cases, the secondary carrier can be a carrier on an unlicensed frequency. The secondary carrier may contain only the necessary signaling information and signals; for example, UE-specific information and signals may not be present on the secondary carrier because the primary uplink and downlink carriers are typically UE-specific. This means that different UEs 104 / 182 within the cell service area can have different downlink primary carriers. The same applies to uplink primary carriers. The network can change the primary carrier of any UE 104 / 182 at any time. This is done, for example, to balance the load on different carriers. Because a "service cell service area" (whether PCell or SCell) corresponds to the carrier frequency / component carrier that a base station is communicating on, the terms "cell service area", "service cell service area", "component carrier", and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0160] For example, still referring to Figure 1, one of the frequencies used by macrocell service area base station 102 can be an anchor carrier (or "PCell"), and other frequencies used by macrocell service area base station 102 and / or mmW base station 180 can be subcarriers ("SCell"). Simultaneous transmission and / or reception on multiple carriers allows UE 104 / 182 to significantly increase its data transmission and / or reception rates. For example, compared to a single 20 MHz carrier, two aggregated 20 MHz carriers in a multi-carrier system would theoretically result in a doubling of the data rate (i.e., 40 MHz).

[0161] The wireless communication system 100 may further include a UE 164, which can communicate with the macrocell service area base station 102 via communication link 120 and / or with the mmW base station 180 via mmW communication link 184. For example, the macrocell service area base station 102 can support PCell and one or more SCells for the UE 164, and the mmW base station 180 can support one or more SCells for the UE 164.

[0162] In the example of Figure 1, one or more Earth-orbiting Satellite Positioning System (SPS) spacecraft (SV) 112 (e.g., satellites) can be used as an independent source of location information for any UE shown (for simplicity, shown as a single UE 104 in Figure 1). UE 104 may include one or more dedicated SPS receivers specifically designed to receive SPS signals 124 from SV 112 for deriving geographic location information. The SPS typically includes a transmitter system (e.g., SV 112) positioned such that the receiver (e.g., UE 104) can determine its location on or above the Earth based at least in part on signals received from the transmitter (e.g., SPS signal 124). Such transmitters typically transmit signals marked with a set number of repeating pseudo-random noise codes. Although the transmitter is typically located in SV 112, it may sometimes be located at a ground control station, base station 102, and / or other UE 104.

[0163] The use of SPS signal 124 can be enhanced via various satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS), which can be associated with or otherwise used with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems. For example, SBAS may include augmentation systems that provide integrity information, differential correction, etc., such as Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Satellite Navigation Augmentation Service (EGNOS), Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), Global Positioning System (GPS) Assisted Geographic Augmentation Navigation, or GPS and Geographic Augmentation Navigation System (GAGAN). Therefore, as used herein, SPS may include any combination of one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems and / or augmentation systems, and SPS signal 124 may include SPS, similar SPS, and / or other signals associated with such one or more SPS.

[0164] The wireless communication system 100 may further include one or more UEs, such as UE 190, which are indirectly connected to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links (referred to as "sidelinks"). In the example of Figure 1, UE 190 has: a D2D P2P link 192 connected to one of UEs 104 connected to one of base stations 102 (e.g., via which UE 190 indirectly obtains cellular connectivity), and a D2D P2P link 194 connected to a WLAN STA 152 connected to a WLAN AP 150 (via which UE 190 indirectly obtains WLAN-based internet connectivity). In this example, D2D P2P links 192 and 194 may be supported by any well-known D2D RAT, such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), Bluetooth®, etc.

[0165] Figure 2A illustrates an exemplary wireless network architecture 200. For example, the 5GC 210 (also known as the Next Generation Core (NGC)) can functionally be considered as control plane functions 214 (e.g., UE login, authentication, network access, gateway selection, etc.) and user plane functions 212 (e.g., UE gateway functions, access to the data network, IP routing, etc.), which work together to form the core network. A user plane interface (NG-U) 213 and a control plane interface (NG-C) 215 connect the gNB 222 to the 5GC 210, specifically to control plane functions 214 and user plane functions 212. In another configuration, the ng-eNB 224 can also connect to the 5GC 210 via the NG-C 215 to control plane function 214 and the NG-U 213 to user plane function 212. Furthermore, the ng-eNB 224 can communicate directly with the gNB 222 via a backhaul connection 223. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNBs 222, while other configurations include one or more of ng-eNBs 224 and gNBs 222. The gNB 222 or ng-eNB 224 can communicate with the UE 204 (e.g., any UE depicted in Figure 1). Another alternative configuration may include a location server 230, which can communicate with the 5GC 210 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The location server 230 can be implemented as a plurality of independent servers (e.g., physically independent servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each may correspond to a single server. The location server 230 can be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which can connect to the location server 230 via the core network 5GC 210 and / or via the Internet (not shown). In addition, the location server 230 can be integrated into the core network components, or alternatively, it can be located outside the core network.

[0166] Figure 2B illustrates another exemplary wireless network architecture 250. For example, 5GC 260 can be functionally viewed as a control plane function provided by Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 264 and a user plane function provided by User Plane Function (UPF) 262, which cooperate to form the core network (i.e., 5GC 260). User plane interface 263 and control plane interface 265 connect ng-eNB 224 to 5GC 260 and are specifically connected to UPF 262 and AMF 264, respectively. In another configuration, gNB 222 can also connect to 5GC 260 via control plane interface 265 to AMF 264 and user plane interface 263 to UPF 262. Furthermore, ng-eNB 224 can communicate directly with gNB 222 via backhaul connection 223, regardless of whether gNB is directly connected to 5GC 260. In some configurations, the new RAN 220 may have only one or more gNB 222s, while other configurations include one or more of ng-eNB 224 and gNB 222. The gNB 222 or ng-eNB 224 can communicate with UE 204 (e.g., any UE described in Figure 1). The base station of the new RAN 220 communicates with AMF 264 via the N2 interface and with UPF 262 via the N3 interface.

[0167] The AMF 264's functions include login management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception, communication period management (SM) message transmission between UE 204 and the communication period management function (SMF) 266, transparent proxy service for routing SM messages, access authentication and access authorization, SMS service message transmission between UE 204 and the SMS Service Function (SMSF) (not shown), and the Security Anchor Function (SEAF). The AMF 264 also interacts with the Authentication Server Function (AUSF) (not shown) and UE 204, and receives an intermediate key established as a result of the UE 204 authentication process. In the case of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) User Identity Module (USIM)-based authentication, the AMF 264 obtains security materials from the AAUSF. The AMF 264's functions also include Security Context Management (SCM). The SCM receives a key from the SEAF, which it uses to derive a network-specific key for access. The AMF 264 also includes functions such as location service management for regulatory services, transmission of location service messages between UE 204 and Location Management Function (LMF) 270 (which acts as location server 230), transmission of location service messages between new RAN 220 and LMF 270, allocation of Evolved Packet System (EPS) bearer identifiers for interoperability with EPS, and notification of UE 204 mobility events. Furthermore, the AMF 264 also supports functions for non-3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) access networks.

[0168] The functions of UPF 262 include acting as an anchor point for intra / inter-RAT mobility (where applicable), acting as an external Protocol Data Unit (PDU) communication endpoint for interconnection to a data network (not shown), providing packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy rule enforcement (e.g., gating, redirection, traffic manipulation), lawful interception (user plane collection), traffic usage reporting, user plane Quality of Service (QoS) processing (e.g., uplink / downlink rate enforcement, reflected QoS marking in the downlink), uplink traffic verification (mapping of Service Data Stream (SDF) to QoS stream), transport-level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering, and sending and forwarding one or more "end markers" to the source RAN node. UPF 262 can also support the transmission of location service messages between UE 204 and location servers (such as Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP) 272) on the user plane.

[0169] The functions of SMF 266 include communication period management, UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of user plane functions, configuration of traffic guidance in UPF 262 to route traffic to the correct destination, control of policy enforcement and QoS, and downlink data notification. The interface through which SMF 266 communicates with AMF 264 is called the N11 interface.

[0170] Another alternative configuration may include an LMF 270, which can communicate with the 5GC 260 to provide location assistance to the UE 204. The LMF 270 can be implemented as a plurality of independent servers (e.g., physically independent servers, different software modules on a single server, different software modules distributed across multiple physical servers, etc.), or alternatively, each can correspond to a single server. The LMF 270 can be configured to support one or more location services for the UE 204, which can connect to the LMF 270 via the core network 5GC 260 and / or via the Internet (not shown). SLP 272 can support similar functions to LMF 270. However, while LMF 270 can communicate with AMF 264, new RAN 220 and UE 204 via the control plane (e.g., using interfaces and protocols intended to transmit signals to transmit messages instead of voice or data), SLP 272 can communicate with UE 204 and external clients (not shown in Figure 2B) via the user plane (e.g., using protocols intended to carry voice and / or data, such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and / or IP).

[0171] Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate several exemplary components (represented by corresponding blocks) that can be incorporated into UE 302 (which may correspond to any UE described herein), base station 304 (which may correspond to any base station described herein), and network entity 306 (which may correspond to or embody any network functionality described herein, including location server 230 and LMF 270) to support file transfer operations as taught herein. It should be understood that these components can be implemented in different types of devices in different embodiments (e.g., in application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in system-on-a-chip (SoCs), etc.). The illustrated components can also be incorporated into other devices in a communication system. For example, other devices in the system may include components similar to those described to provide similar functionality. Furthermore, a given device may include one or more components. For example, a device may include multiple transceiver components that enable the device to operate on multiple carriers and / or communicate via different technologies.

[0172] UE 302 and base station 304 each include Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) transceivers 310 and 350, respectively, providing components (e.g., components for transmitting, components for receiving, components for measurement, components for tuning, components for suppressing transmission, etc.) for communication via one or more wireless communication networks (not shown), such as NR networks, LTE networks, GSM networks, etc. WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 can be connected to one or more antennas 316 and 356, respectively, for communication with other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations (e.g., eNB, gNB), etc.) via at least one designated RAT (e.g., NR, LTE, GSM, etc.) through a wireless communication medium of interest (e.g., a set of time / frequency resources in a specific spectrum). WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 can be configured differently to transmit and encode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a specified RAT, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 318 and 358 (e.g., messages, indications, information, boot signals, etc.). Specifically, WWAN transceivers 310 and 350 each include one or more transmitters 314 and 354 for transmitting and encoding signals 318 and 358, respectively, and one or more receivers 312 and 352 for receiving and decoding signals 318 and 358, respectively.

[0173] In at least certain circumstances, UE 302 and base station 304 also include one or more short-range radio transceivers 320 and 360, respectively. Short-range radio transceivers 320 and 360 may be connected to one or more antennas 326 and 366, respectively, and provide components (e.g., components for transmitting, components for receiving, components for measurement, components for tuning, components for suppressing transmission, etc.) for communicating with other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations, etc.) via a radio communication medium of interest through at least one designated RAT (e.g., WiFi, LTE-D, Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, Z-Wave®, PC5, Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), Vehicle Environment Radio Access (WAVE), Near Field Communication (NFC), etc.). Short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 can be configured differently to transmit and encode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a specified RAT, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 328 and 368 (e.g., messages, indications, information, boot signals, etc.). Specifically, short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 each include one or more transmitters 324 and 364 for transmitting and encoding signals 328 and 368, respectively, and one or more receivers 322 and 362 for receiving and decoding signals 328 and 368, respectively. As specific examples, short-range wireless transceivers 320 and 360 can be WiFi transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, Zigbee® and / or Z-Wave® transceivers, NFC transceivers, or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to-object (V2X) transceivers.

[0174] In some embodiments, transceiver circuitry including at least one transmitter and at least one receiver may include integrated devices (e.g., transmitter and receiver circuitry embodied as a single communication device), in some embodiments may include separate transmitter and receiver devices, or in other embodiments may be embodied in other ways. In one embodiment, the transmitter may include or be coupled to a plurality of antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array, which allows the respective device to perform transmit "beamforming," as described herein. Similarly, the receiver may include or be coupled to a plurality of antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such as an antenna array, which allows the respective device to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In one embodiment, the transmitter and receiver may share the same plurality of antennas (e.g., antennas 316, 326, 356, 366), such that the respective device can only receive or transmit at a given time, and cannot receive or transmit simultaneously. The wireless communication equipment of UE 302 and / or base station 304 (e.g., one or both of transceivers 310 and 320 and / or 350 and 360) may also include network eavesdropping modules (NLMs) for performing various measurements.

[0175] At least in certain circumstances, UE 302 and base station 304 also include Satellite Positioning System (SPS) receivers 330 and 370. SPS receivers 330 and 370 may be connected to one or more antennas 336 and 376, respectively, and may provide components for receiving and / or measuring SPS signals 338 and 378, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) signals, Galileo signals, BeiDou signals, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC), Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), etc. SPS receivers 330 and 370 may include any suitable hardware and / or software for receiving and processing SPS signals 338 and 378, respectively. SPS receivers 330 and 370 request appropriate information and operations from other systems and use measurements obtained via any suitable SPS algorithm to perform calculations required to determine the location of UE 302 and base station 304.

[0176] Base station 304 and network entity 306 each include at least one network interface 380 and 390, providing components for communicating with other network entities (e.g., components for transmitting, components for receiving, etc.). For example, network interfaces 380 and 390 (e.g., one or more network access ports) can be configured to communicate with one or more network entities via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. In some embodiments, network interfaces 380 and 390 can be implemented as transceivers configured to support wired or wireless signal communication. This communication may include, for example, sending and receiving messages, parameters, and / or other types of information.

[0177] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 also include other elements that can be used in conjunction with the operations disclosed herein. UE 302 includes processor circuitry implementing processing system 332 for providing functions related to, for example, wireless positioning, and for providing other processing functions. Base station 304 includes processing system 384 for providing functions related to, for example, wireless positioning disclosed herein, and for providing other processing functions. Network entity 306 includes processing system 394 for providing functions related to, for example, wireless positioning disclosed herein, and for providing other processing functions. Processing systems 332, 384, and 394 can therefore provide components for processing, such as components for decision-making, components for calculation, components for receiving, components for transmitting, components for indicating, etc. In one embodiment, processing systems 332, 384, and 394 may include, for example, one or more processors, such as one or more general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable logic devices, or processing circuitry or various combinations thereof.

[0178] UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 include memory circuitry that respectively implements memory elements 340, 386, and 396 (e.g., each including a memory device) for maintaining information (e.g., information indicating reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, etc.). Memory elements 340, 386, and 396 can therefore provide components for storage, components for retrieval, components for maintenance, etc. In some cases, UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 may respectively include reference signal (RS-P) modules 342, 388, and 398 for positioning. RS-P modules 342, 388, and 398 may be part of or coupled to processing systems 332, 384, and 394, respectively, and when executed, cause UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functions described herein. In other configurations, RS-P modules 342, 388, and 398 may be external to processing systems 332, 384, and 394 (e.g., part of a modem processing system, integrated with another processing system, etc.). Alternatively, RS-P modules 342, 388, and 398 may be memory modules stored in memory elements 340, 386, and 396, respectively, which, when executed by processing systems 332, 384, and 394 (or a modem processing system, another processing system, etc.), enable UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 to perform the functions described herein. Figure 3A illustrates the possible locations of RS-P module 342, which may be part of WWAN transceiver 310, memory element 340, processing system 332, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component. Figure 3B illustrates the possible locations of RS-P module 388, which may be part of WWAN transceiver 350, memory element 386, processing system 384, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component. Figure 3C illustrates the possible locations of RS-P module 398, which may be part of network interface(s) 390(s), memory element 396, processing system 394, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component.

[0179] UE 302 may include one or more sensors 344 coupled to processing system 332 to provide components for sensing or detecting motion and / or orientation information, independent of motion data derived from signals received by WWAN transceiver 310, short-range wireless transceiver 320, and / or SPS receiver 330. For example, the sensors 344 may include accelerometers (e.g., microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices), gyroscopes, geomagnetic sensors (e.g., compasses), altimeters (e.g., barometric altimeters), and / or any other type of motion detection sensor. Furthermore, the sensors 344 may include a plurality of different types of devices and combine their outputs to provide motion information. For example, the sensors 344 may use a combination of multi-axis accelerometers and orientation sensors to provide the ability to calculate position in 2D and / or 3D coordinate systems.

[0180] In addition, UE 302 includes a user interface 346, providing components for providing instructions to the user (e.g., auditory and / or visual instructions) and / or for receiving user input (e.g., after the user activates sensing devices such as a keyboard, touch screen, microphone, etc.). Although not illustrated, base station 304 and network entity 306 may also include user interfaces.

[0181] Referring more specifically to processing system 384, in the downlink, IP packets from network entity 306 can be provided to processing system 384. Processing system 384 can implement the functions of the RRC layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer. The processing system 384 can provide RRC layer functions associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., main information blocks (MIBs), system information blocks (SIBs)), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reports; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and delivery support functions; RLC layer functions associated with transmission of upper-layer PDUs, error correction via automatic repeat request (ARQ), connection, segmentation and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction, priority processing, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0182] Transmitter 354 and receiver 352 can implement Layer 1 (L1) functions associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, can include error detection on the transmission channel, forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding of the transmission channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. Transmitter 354 processes the mapping to the signal cluster based on various modulation schemes (e.g., Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), M-Phase Phase Shift Keying (M-PSK), M-QAM). The encoded and modulated symbols can then be split into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot frequency) in the time and / or frequency domains, and then combined using an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a stream of time-domain OFDM symbols. The OFDM symbol stream is spatially precoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from the channel estimator can be used to determine the coding and modulation schemes, as well as for spatial processing. The channel estimates can be derived from the reference signal transmitted by UE 302 and / or channel condition feedback. Subsequently, each spatial stream can be provided to one or more different antennas 356. Transmitter 354 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate an RF carrier for transmission.

[0183] At UE 302, receiver 312 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 316. Receiver 312 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to processing system 332. Transmitter 314 and receiver 312 implement Layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. Receiver 312 can perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial stream destined for UE 302. If multiple spatial streams are assigned to UE 302, they can be combined by receiver 312 into a single OFDM symbol stream. Receiver 312 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to convert the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal includes a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. Symbols and reference signals on each subcarrier are recovered and demodulated by determining the most likely signal clustering point transmitted by base station 304. These soft decisions can be based on channel estimates calculated by a channel estimator. Subsequently, the soft decision is decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted by base station 304 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to processing system 332, which implements Layer 3 (L3) and Layer 2 (L2) functions.

[0184] In the uplink, processing system 332 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from the core network. Processing system 332 is also responsible for error detection.

[0185] Similar to the functions described in the downlink transmission description of base station 304, processing system 332 provides RRC layer functions associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connection, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functions associated with upper-layer PDU transmission, error correction via ARQ, RLC SDU connection, segmentation and reassembly, RLC data PDU resegmentation, and RLC data PDU reordering; and MAC layer functions associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs to transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ), priority processing, and logical channel priority ordering.

[0186] The channel estimate derived from the reference signal or feedback transmitted from base station 304 by the channel estimator can be used by transmitter 314 to select an appropriate coding and modulation scheme and facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by transmitter 314 can be provided to different antennas 316. Transmitter 314 can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate the RF carrier for transmission.

[0187] Uplink transmissions at base station 304 are processed in a manner similar to the receiver function description combined with UE 302. Receiver 352 receives signals via its corresponding antenna 356. Receiver 352 recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to processing system 384.

[0188] In the uplink, processing system 384 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from UE 302. IP packets from processing system 384 can be provided to the core network. Processing system 384 is also responsible for error detection.

[0189] For convenience, in Figures 3A-C, UE 302, base station 304, and / or network entity 306 are shown as including various elements that can be configured according to the various instances described herein. However, it should be understood that the blocks shown may have different functions in different designs.

[0190] The various components of UE 302, base station 304, and network entity 306 can communicate with each other via data buses 334, 382, ​​and 392, respectively. The components of Figures 3A-C can be implemented in various ways. In some embodiments, the components of Figures 3A-C can be implemented in one or more circuits, such as one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors). Here, each circuit can use and / or incorporate at least one memory element for storing information or executable code used by the circuit to provide that function. For example, some or all of the functions represented by blocks 310-346 can be implemented by the processor and(multiple) memory elements of UE 302 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor elements). Similarly, some or all of the functions represented by blocks 350-388 can be implemented by the processor and memory elements of base station 304 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor elements). Furthermore, some or all of the functions represented by blocks 390 to 398 can be implemented by the processor and memory elements of network entity 306 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriately configuring the processor elements). For simplicity, various operations, actions, and / or functions are described herein as being performed by "UE", "base station", "network entity", etc. However, it is understood that such operations, actions, and / or functions can actually be performed by specific elements or combinations of elements of UE 302, base station 304, network entity 306, etc. Such as processing systems 332, 384, 394, transceivers 310, 320, 350 and 360, memory elements 340, 386 and 396, RS-P modules 342, 388 and 398, etc.

[0191] Figure 4A is Figure 400 illustrating an example of a DL frame structure according to various embodiments of this invention. Figure 4B is Figure 430 illustrating an example of a channel within a DL frame structure according to various embodiments of this invention. Other wireless communication technologies may have different frame structures and / or different channels.

[0192] LTE, and in some cases NR, utilizes OFDM on the downlink and single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. However, unlike LTE, NR can also choose to use OFDM on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are often referred to as tones, bins, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Typically, OFDM is used to transmit modulation symbols in the frequency domain, and SC-FDM is used to transmit modulation symbols in the time domain. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing can be 15 kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (resource block) can be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, the nominal FFT size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into sub-bands. For example, a sub-band can cover 1.08 MHz (i.e., 6 resource blocks), and for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, there can be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 sub-bands, respectively.

[0193] LTE supports a single set of parameters (subcarrier spacing, symbol length, etc.). In contrast, NR can support multiple sets of parameters; for example, subcarrier spacings of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 204 kHz or greater are available. Table 1 below lists some of the different parameters for different NR parameter sets. Subcarrier spacing (kHz) Symbols / Time Slots Time slot / subframe Time slot / frame Time slot (ms) Symbol duration (µs) Maximum nominal system bandwidth (MHz) with 4K FFT size 15 14 1 10 1 66.7 50 30 14 2 20 0.5 33.3 100 60 14 4 40 0.25 16.7 100 120 14 8 80 0.125 8.33 400 240 14 16 160 0.0625 4.17 800 Table 1

[0194] In the examples of Figures 4A and 4B, a parameter set of 15 kHz was used. Therefore, in the time domain, a frame (e.g., 10 ms) is divided into 10 equal-sized sub-frames, each 1 ms in size, and each sub-frame includes a time slot. In Figures 4A and 4B, time is represented horizontally (e.g., on the X-axis), increasing from left to right, while frequency is represented vertically (e.g., on the Y-axis), increasing (or decreasing) from bottom to top.

[0195] A resource grid can be used to represent time slots, each of which includes one or more concurrent time resource blocks (RBs) (also called physical RBs (PRBs)) in the frequency domain. The resource grid is further divided into multiple resource elements (REs). An RE can correspond to a symbol length in the time domain and a subcarrier in the frequency domain. In the parameter sets of Figures 4A and 4B, for a normal cyclic prefix, an RB can contain 12 consecutive subcarriers and 7 consecutive symbols in the frequency domain (for DL, OFDM symbols; for UL, SC-FDMA symbols), for a total of 84 REs. For an extended cyclic prefix, an RB can contain 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain and 6 consecutive symbols in the time domain, for a total of 72 REs. The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0196] As shown in Figure 4A, some REs carry DL reference (pilot frequency) signals (DL-RS) for channel estimation at the UE. DL-RS may include demodulation reference signals (DMRS) and channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS), exemplary locations of which are marked "R" in Figure 4A.

[0197] Figure 4B illustrates examples of various channels within a DL subframe of a frame. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) carries DL Control Information (DCI) within one or more Control Channel Elements (CCEs). Each CCE includes nine RE Groups (REGs), and each REG includes four consecutive REs in an OFDM symbol. The DCI carries information about UL resource allocation (persistent and non-persistent) and a description of the DL data transmitted to the UE. Multiple (e.g., up to eight) DCIs can be configured in the PDCCH, and these DCIs can have one of several formats. For example, there are different DCI formats for UL scheduling, non-MIMO DL scheduling, MIMO DL scheduling, and UL power control.

[0198] The UE uses the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) to determine the subframe / symbol timing and entity layer identifier. The UE uses the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) to determine the entity layer cell service area identifier group number and radio frame timing. Based on the entity layer identifier and entity layer cell service area identifier group number, the UE can determine the PCI. Based on the PCI, the UE can determine the location of the aforementioned DL-RS. The Entity Broadcast Channel (PBCH) carrying the MIB can be logically grouped with the PSS and SSS to form an SSB (also known as SS / PBCH). The MIB provides multiple RBs and System Frame Numbers (SFNs) within the DL system bandwidth. The Entity Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) carries user data, broadcast system information not transmitted by the PBCH (such as System Information Blocks (SIBs)), and paging messages.

[0199] In some cases, the DL RS shown in Figure 4A can be a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS). Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary PRS configuration 500 for a cell service area supported by a wireless node (such as base station 102). Figure 5 illustrates how PRS positioning timing is determined by the system frame number (SFN), the cell service area-specific subframe offset (ΔPRS) 552, and the PRS periodicity (TPRS) 520. Typically, the cell service area-specific PRS subframe configuration is defined by a "PRS configuration index" IPRS, which is included in the observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) auxiliary data. The PRS periodicity (TPRS) 520 and the cell service area-specific subframe offset (ΔPRS) are defined based on the PRS configuration index IPRS, as shown in Table 2 below: [PRS] [Configure Index, I , , PRS , ] [PRS] [Periodicity] [, T , ] [, PRS , ] [(Sub-frame)] [PRS] [Subframe offset Δ, PRS , ] [(Sub-frame)] 0 – 159 160 160 – 479 320 480 – 1119 640 1120 – 2399 1280 2400 – 2404 5 2405 – 2414 10 2415 – 2434 20 2435 – 2474 40 2475 – 2554 80 2555-4095 reserve Table 2

[0200] The PRS configuration is defined with reference to the SFN of the cell service area that sends the PRS. For the first sub-frame of N downlink sub-frames of the PRS, including the first PRS positioning time, the PRS instance can satisfy:

[0201] ,

[0202] Where nf is the SFN, 0 ≤ nf ≤ 1023, and ns is the time slot number within the radio frame defined by nf, 0 ≤ ns ≤ 19. It is the PRS period of 520, and ΔPRS is the cell service area-specific subframe offset of 552.

[0203] As shown in Figure 5, the specific subframe offset ΔPRS552 of the cell service area can be defined based on the number of subframes transmitted from system frame number 0 (time slot '0', labeled time slot 550) to the start of the first (subsequent) PRS positioning time. In the example of Figure 5, the number of consecutive positioning subframes (NPRS) in each consecutive PRS positioning time 518a, 518b, and 518c is equal to 4. That is, each shaded block representing PRS positioning time 518a, 518b, and 518c represents four subframes.

[0204] In some cases, when the UE receives the PRS configuration index I PRS in the OTDOA auxiliary data for a specific cell service area, the UE can use Table 2 to determine the PRS period. 520 and PRS subframe offset ΔPRS. Subsequently, when scheduling PRS in the cell service area, the UE can determine the radio frame, subframe, and time slot (e.g., using equation (1)). OTDOA auxiliary data can be determined by, for example, a location server (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270) and includes auxiliary data for the reference cell service area and multiple neighboring cell service areas supported by various base stations.

[0205] Typically, PRS timings from all cell service areas using the same frequency in the network are time-aligned and can have a fixed, known time offset relative to other cell service areas using different frequencies in the network (e.g., cell service area-specific subframe offset 552). In an SFN synchronous network, all radio nodes (e.g., base station 102) can be aligned on frame boundaries and system frame numbers. Therefore, in an SFN synchronous network, all cell service areas supported by various radio nodes can use the same PRS configuration index for any specific frequency of PRS transmission. On the other hand, in an SFN asynchronous network, various radio nodes can be aligned on frame boundaries but not on system frame numbers. Therefore, in an SFN asynchronous network, the PRS configuration index for each cell service area can be configured individually by the network, ensuring that PRS timings are time-aligned.

[0206] If the UE can obtain the cell service area timing (e.g., SFN) of at least one cell service area (e.g., a reference cell service area or a serving cell service area), the UE can determine the timing of the PRS timing for the reference cell service area and the neighboring cell service area used for OTDOA positioning. The timing of other cell service areas can then be deduced by the UE based on, for example, the assumption of overlapping PRS timings from different cell service areas.

[0207] A collection of resource elements used to transmit a PRS is called a "PRS resource". A collection of resource elements can span multiple PRBs in the frequency domain and N (e.g., one or more) consecutive symbols 460 within a time slot 430 in the time domain. In a given OFDM symbol 460, a PRS resource occupies a consecutive PRB. A PRS resource is described by at least the following parameters: PRS resource identifier (ID), sequence ID, comb size -N, resource element offset in the frequency domain, start time slot and start symbol, number of symbols per PRS resource (i.e., duration of the PRS resource), and QCL information (e.g., QCL with other DL reference signals). In some designs, a single antenna port is supported. The comb size indicates the number of subcarriers carrying the PRS in each symbol. For example, a comb size of comb-4 means that every four subcarriers in a given symbol carry the PRS.

[0208] A "PRS resource set" is a collection of PRS resources used to transmit PRS signals, where each PRS resource has a PRS resource ID. Furthermore, PRS resources in a PRS resource set are associated with the same Transmit-Receive Point (TRP). The PRS resource ID in a PRS resource set is associated with a single beam transmitted from a single TRP (where a TRP can transmit one or more beams). That is, each PRS resource in a PRS resource set can be transmitted on a different beam; therefore, a "PRS resource" can also be referred to as a "beam." Note that this does not affect whether the UE knows the TRP and the beam transmitting the PRS. A "PRS timing" is an instance of a periodically repeating time window (e.g., a group of one or more consecutive time slots) in which PRS is expected to be transmitted. PRS timing can also be called "PRS positioning timing," "positioning timing," or simply "timing."

[0209] Note that the terms "Location Reference Signal" and "PRS" may sometimes refer to specific reference signals used for positioning in LTE or NR systems. However, as used herein, unless otherwise stated, the terms "Location Reference Signal" and "PRS" refer to any type of reference signal that can be used for positioning, such as, but not limited to, PRS signals in LTE or NR, navigation reference signals (NRSs) in 5G, transmitter reference signals (TRSs), cell service area specific reference signals (CRSs), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs), primary synchronization signals (PSSs), secondary synchronization signals (SSSs), SSBs, etc.

[0210] SRS is an uplink-only signal that the UE sends to help the base station obtain channel state information for each user. Channel state information describes how the RF signal propagates from the UE to the base station and represents the combined effects of scattering, fading, and power attenuation over distance. The system utilizes SRS for resource scheduling, link availability, massive MIMO, beam management, and more.

[0211] Several enhancements to the previous SRS definition have been proposed for SRS used for positioning (SRS-P), such as new interleaving patterns within SRS resources, new comb types of SRS, new sequences of SRS, a larger number of SRS resource sets per component carrier, and a larger number of SRS resources per component carrier. Furthermore, the parameters "SpatialRelationInfo" and "PathLossReference" will be configured based on DL RS from neighboring TRPs. Additionally, SRS resources can be transmitted outside the effective bandwidth portion (BWP), and one SRS resource can span multiple component carriers. Finally, the UE can transmit from multiple SRS resources used for UL-AoA via the same transmit beam. All of these are additional features of the current SRS framework, which is configured via higher-level RRC signaling (and may be triggered or initiated via MAC control elements (CE) or downlink control information (DCI)).

[0212] As mentioned earlier, SRS in NR is a UE-specific configuration reference signal transmitted by the UE for the purpose of probing the uplink radio channel. Similar to CSI-RS, this probing provides different levels of knowledge about the characteristics of the radio channel. At one extreme, SRS can be simply used on the gNB to obtain signal strength measurements, for example, for UL beam management purposes. At the other extreme, SRS can be used on the gNB to obtain detailed amplitude and phase estimates as functions of frequency, time, and space. In NR, compared to LTE, channel probing using SRS supports a more diverse set of use cases (e.g., downlink CSI acquisition based on mutual gNB transmission beamforming (downlink MIMO); uplink CSI acquisition for link adaptability; and codebook / non-codebook-based precoding for uplink MIMO, uplink beam management, etc.).

[0213] Various options can be used to configure SRS. The time / frequency mapping of SRS resources is defined by the following characteristics: Duration N symb SRS — The duration of SRS resources can be 1, 2 or 4 consecutive OFDM symbols within a time slot, while LTE only allows one OFDM symbol per time slot. Start symbol position l 0 — If the resource does not cross the end boundary of the time slot, the start symbol of the SRS resource can be located anywhere within the last 6 OFDM symbols of the time slot. The repetition factor R—for SRS resources configured with frequency hopping, repetition allows the same set of subcarriers to be probed in R consecutive OFDM symbols before the next hop occurs (as used in this paper, "hop" specifically refers to frequency hopping). For example, the value of R is 1, 2, or 4, where R ≤ N symb SRS. Transmission comb spacing KTC and comb offset kTC—SRS resources may occupy resource elements (REs) of the frequency domain comb structure, where the comb spacing is 2 or 4 REs, as in LTE. This structure allows frequency domain multiplexing of different SRS resources of the same or different users on different combs, where the different combs are offset from each other by an integer number of REs. The comb offset is defined relative to the PRB boundary and can take values ​​in the range of 0, 1, ..., KTC-1 REs. Therefore, for comb spacing KTC = 2, there are 2 different combs available for multiplexing if needed, and for comb spacing KTC = 4, there are 4 different combs available. Periodicity and slot offset in periodic / semi-persistent SRS cases. The detection bandwidth within the bandwidth range.

[0214] For low-latency positioning, the gNB can trigger UL SRS-P via DCI (e.g., the transmitted SRS-P may include repetition or beam scanning to enable several gNBs to receive the SRS-P). Alternatively, the gNB can send information to the UE regarding aperiodic PRS transmissions (e.g., this configuration may include PRS information from multiple gNBs to enable the UE to perform timing calculations for positioning (UE-based) or reporting (UE-assisted)). Although the various embodiments of this application relate to DL PRS-based positioning procedures, some or all of these embodiments can also be applied to ULSRS-P-based positioning procedures.

[0215] Note that the terms "detection reference signal," "SRS," and "SRS-P" may sometimes refer to a specific reference signal used for positioning in LTE or NR systems. However, as used herein, unless otherwise stated, the terms "detection reference signal," "SRS," and "SRS-P" refer to any type of reference signal that can be used for positioning, such as, but not limited to, SRS signals in LTE or NR, navigation reference signals (NRSs) in 5G, transmitter reference signals (TRSs), random access channel (RACH) signals used for positioning (e.g., RACH preamble signals, such as Msg-1 in a 4-step RACH procedure or Msg-A in a 2-step RACH procedure), etc.

[0216] 3GPP Rel.16 describes various NR positioning schemes aimed at improving positioning accuracy. These schemes involve measurements associated with one or more UL or DL ​​PRS (e.g., higher bandwidth (BW), FR2 beam scanning, angle-based measurements such as angle of arrival (AoA) and angle of deviation (AoD) measurements, multi-cell service area round-trip time (RTT) measurements, etc.). If latency reduction is a priority, UE-based positioning techniques are typically used (e.g., DL-only techniques without UL location measurement reports). However, if latency is less critical, UE-assisted positioning techniques can be used, which report UE measurement packets to network entities (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270, etc.). By implementing LMF in the RAN, the latency associated with UE-assisted positioning techniques can be reduced to some extent.

[0217] Layer 3 (L3) signal delivery (e.g., RRC or Location Protocol (LPP)) is typically used to transmit reports including location-based data associated with UE-assisted positioning technologies. Compared to Layer 1 (L1 or PHY layer) or Layer 2 (L2 or MAC layer) signal delivery, L3 signal delivery has a relatively high latency (e.g., over 100 ms). In some cases, lower latency (e.g., less than 100 ms, less than 10 ms, etc.) may be required between the UE and RAN for location-based reporting. In such cases, L3 signal delivery may not be able to achieve such low latency levels. L3 signal delivery for positioning measurements can include any combination of the following: One or more TOA, TDOA, RSRP, or Rx-Tx measurements, One or more AoA / AoD measurements (e.g., currently only gNB->LMF reporting DL AoA and UL AoD are agreed upon). One or more multipath reporting measurements, such as per-path ToA, RSRP, AoA / AoD (e.g., currently only per-path ToA is allowed in LTE). One or more motion states (e.g., walking, driving, etc.) and trajectories (e.g., current for the UE), and / or One or more report quality indicators.

[0218] Recently, L1 and L2 signaling has been envisioned for use in conjunction with PRS-based reporting. For example, L1 and L2 signaling are currently used in some systems to transmit CSI reports (e.g., Channel Quality Indicators (CQIs), Precoding Matrix Indicators (PMIs), Layer Indicators (LIs), L1-RSRP, etc.). CSI reports can include a set of fields in a predefined order (e.g., as defined by relevant standards). A single UL transmission (e.g., on a PUSCH or PUCCH) can include multiple reports, referred to herein as "sub-reports," which are arranged according to a predefined priority order (e.g., as defined by relevant standards). In some designs, the predefined order may be based on the associated sub-report periodicity (e.g., aperiodic / semi-persistent / periodic (A / SP / P) on PUSCH / PUCCH), measurement type (e.g., L1-RSRP or not), service cell service area index (e.g., in the case of carrier aggregation (CA),) and reportconfigID. Using a 2-part CSI report, Part 1 of all reports is grouped together, while Part 2 is grouped separately, and each group is encoded individually (e.g., the payload size of Part 1 is fixed based on configuration parameters, while the size of Part 2 is variable and depends on configuration parameters and the associated content of Part 1). According to relevant standards, the number of encoded bits / symbols to be output after encoding and rate matching is calculated based on the number of input bits and a beta factor. A link (e.g., time offset) is defined between the measured RS instance and the corresponding report. In some designs, a CSI-like reporting system using PRS-based measurement data delivered via L1 and L2 signals can be implemented.

[0219] Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 600 according to various embodiments of this invention. In the example of Figure 6, UE 604, which may correspond to any UE described above with respect to Figure 1 (e.g., UE 104, UE 182, UE 190, etc.), is attempting to calculate an estimate of its location, or assisting another entity (e.g., a base station or core network element, another UE, a location server, a third-party application, etc.) in calculating an estimate of its location. UE 604 may wirelessly communicate with a plurality of base stations 602a-d (collectively referred to as base stations 602), which may correspond to any combination of base stations 102 or 180 and / or WLAN AP 150 in Figure 1, using RF signals and standardized protocols to modulate RF signals and exchange information packets. By extracting different types of information from the exchanged RF signals and utilizing the layout of the wireless communication system 600 (i.e., base station locations, geometry, etc.), UE 604 may determine its location, or assist in determining its location in a predefined reference coordinate system. In one configuration, UE 604 can specify its location using a two-dimensional coordinate system; however, the configuration disclosed herein is not limited to this, and a three-dimensional coordinate system can also be used to determine the location if additional dimensions are required. Furthermore, although Figure 6 illustrates one UE 604 and four base stations 602, as will be understood, there can be more UEs 604 and more or fewer base stations 602.

[0220] To support location estimation, base station 602 can be configured to broadcast reference RF signals (e.g., Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), Cell Service Area Specific Reference Signal (CRS), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), synchronization signal, etc.) to UE 604 within its coverage area. This enables UE 604 to measure the timing difference of the reference RF signals between network node pairs (e.g., OTDOA or Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD)) and / or identify the beam that best excites the LOS or shortest radio path between UE 604 and transmitting base station 602. Identifying the LOS / (multiple) shortest path beams is meaningful, not only because such beams can subsequently be used for OTDOA measurement between a pair of base stations 602, but also because identifying such beams can directly provide some location information based on beam direction. Furthermore, such beams can subsequently be used for other location estimation methods requiring accurate ToA, such as methods based on round-trip time estimation.

[0221] As used herein, a "network node" can be base station 602, a cell service area of ​​base station 602, a remote radio head, an antenna of base station 602, wherein the location of the antenna of base station 602 is different from the location of base station 602 itself, or the location of any other network entity capable of transmitting reference signals. Furthermore, as used herein, a "node" can represent a network node or a UE.

[0222] A location server (e.g., location server 230) may send auxiliary data to UE 604, including identification of one or more neighboring cell service areas of base station 602 and configuration information of reference RF signals transmitted by each neighboring cell service area. Alternatively, the auxiliary data may originate directly from base station 602 itself (e.g., in periodically broadcast management burden messages, etc.). Alternatively, UE 604 may detect neighboring cell service areas of base station 602 itself without using auxiliary data. UE 604 (e.g., based in part on auxiliary data, if provided) may measure and (optionally) report OTDOA from various network nodes and / or RSTD between reference RF signals received from network node pairs. Using such measurements and the known location of the measured network node (i.e., base station 602 or the antenna transmitting the reference RF signals measured by UE 604), UE 604 or the location server may determine the distance between UE 604 and the measured network node, thereby calculating the location of UE 604.

[0223] The term "location estimate" is used herein to refer to the location estimate of UE 604, which can be geographical (e.g., may include latitude, longitude, and possible altitude) or urban (e.g., may include street address, building name, or a precise point or area within or near a building or street address, such as a specific entrance to a building, a specific room or suite within a building, or a landmark such as a town square). Location estimate may also be referred to as "location," "fix," "fixed location," "fixed location," "location estimate," "fixed location estimate," or by some other term. Methods for obtaining a location estimate may be collectively referred to as "location," "determining location," or "fixed location." A specific solution used to obtain a location estimate may be referred to as a "location solution." A specific method used to obtain a location estimate as part of a location solution may be referred to as a "location method" or "positioning method."

[0224] The term "base station" can refer to a single physical transmission point or multiple physical transmission points that may or may not be co-located. For example, when the term "base station" refers to a single physical transmission point, the physical transmission point can be the antenna of a base station (e.g., base station 602) corresponding to a cell service area of ​​the base station. When the term "base station" refers to multiple co-located physical transmission points, the physical transmission points can be the antenna array of the base station (e.g., as in a MIMO system or where beamforming is used at the base station). When the term "base station" refers to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, the physical transmission points can be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (connected via a transmission medium to a spatially separated antenna network of a shared source) or a remote radio head (RRH) (a remote base station connected to the serving base station). Alternatively, non-co-located physical transmission points can be the serving base station receiving measurement reports from a UE (e.g., UE 604) and a neighboring base station where the UE is measuring its reference RF signal. Thus, Figure 6 illustrates the configuration of base stations 602a and 602b forming a DAS / RRH 620. For example, base station 602a can be the serving base station of UE 604, and base station 602b can be a neighboring base station of UE 604. Thus, base station 602b can be the RRH of base station 602a. Base stations 602a and 602b can communicate with each other via wired or wireless link 622.

[0225] In order to accurately determine the location of UE 604 using the OTDOA and / or RSTD between the received RF signals from the network node pair, UE 604 needs to measure the reference RF signal received on the LOS path (or the shortest NLOS path if the LOS path is unavailable) between UE 604 and the network node (e.g., base station 602, antenna). However, the RF signal propagates not only through the LOS / shortest path between the transmitter and receiver, but also through many other paths, because the RF signal propagates from the transmitter and is reflected from other objects (such as hills, buildings, water, etc.) on its way to the receiver. Therefore, Figure 6 illustrates multiple LOS paths 610 and multiple NLOS paths 612 between base station 602 and UE 604. Specifically, Figure 6 illustrates base station 602a transmitting via LOS path 610a and NLOS path 612a, base station 602b transmitting via LOS path 610b and two NLOS paths 612b, base station 602c transmitting via LOS path 610c and NLOS path 612c, and base station 602d transmitting via two NLOS paths 612d. As shown in Figure 6, each NLOS path 612 reflects some object 630 (e.g., a building). As will be understood, each LOS path 610 and NLOS path 612 transmitted by base station 602 can be transmitted by different antennas of base station 602 (e.g., as in a MIMO system), or can be transmitted by the same antenna of base station 602 (thus illustrating the propagation of the RF signal). Furthermore, as used herein, the term "LOS path" refers to the shortest path between the transmitter and receiver, and may not be the actual LOS path, but rather the shortest NLOS path.

[0226] In one configuration, one or more base stations 602 can be configured to transmit RF signals using beamforming. In that case, some available beams can focus the transmitted RF signal along the LOS path 610 (e.g., such beams produce the highest antenna gain along the LOS path), while other available beams can focus the transmitted RF signal along the NLOS path 612. A beam with high gain along a certain path and thus focusing the RF signal along that path may still have some RF signal propagating along other paths; the strength of this RF signal naturally depends on the beam gain on the other paths. An "RF signal" includes electromagnetic waves that transmit information through space between a transmitter and a receiver. As used herein, a transmitter can transmit a single "RF signal" or multiple "RF signals" to a receiver. However, as further described below, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals via multipath channels, a receiver can receive multiple "RF signals" corresponding to each transmitted RF signal.

[0227] When base station 602 uses beamforming to transmit RF signals, the beam of interest for data communication between base station 602 and UE 604 will be the beam carrying the RF signal arriving at UE 604 with the highest signal strength (as indicated by, for example, Received Signal Received Power (RSRP) or SINR in the presence of directional interference), while the beam of interest for location estimation will be the beam carrying the RF signal that triggers the shortest path or LOS path (e.g., LOS path 610). In some frequency bands and commonly used antenna systems, these beams will be the same. However, in other frequency bands, such as mmW, a large number of antenna elements can often be used to establish a narrow transmit beam, which may not be the same beam. As described below with reference to Figure 7, in some cases, the signal strength of the RF signal on LOS path 610 may be weaker than that on NLOS path 612 (e.g., due to obstacles), and the RF signal arrives later on NLOS path 612 due to propagation delay.

[0228] Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 700 according to various embodiments of this invention. In the example of Figure 7, UE 704 (which may correspond to UE 604 in Figure 6) is attempting to calculate an estimate of its location, or assisting another entity (e.g., a base station or core network element, another UE, a location server, a third-party application, etc.) in calculating an estimate of its location. UE 704 may wirelessly communicate with base station 702 (which may correspond to one of base stations 602 in Figure 6) using RF signals and standardized protocols for modulation of RF signals and exchange of information packets.

[0229] As shown in Figure 7, base station 702 uses beamforming to transmit multiple beams 711-715 of RF signals. Each beam 711-715 can be formed and transmitted by the antenna array of base station 702. Although Figure 7 illustrates base station 702 transmitting five beams 711-715, as will be understood, there may be more or fewer beams, beam shapes such as peak gain, width, and sidelobe gain may differ between the transmitted beams, and some beams may be transmitted by different base stations.

[0230] A beam index can be configured for each of the plurality of beams 711-715 to distinguish RF signals associated with one beam from those associated with another. Furthermore, the RF signal associated with a particular beam among the plurality of beams 711-715 can carry a beam index indicator. The beam index can also be derived from the transmission time of the RF signal (e.g., frame, time slot, and / or OFDM symbol number). The beam index indicator can be, for example, a three-bit field used to uniquely distinguish up to eight beams. If two different RF signals with different beam indices are received, this indicates that the RF signals were transmitted using different beams. If two different RF signals share a common beam index, this indicates that the different RF signals were transmitted using the same beam. Another way to describe the use of the same beam to transmit two RF signals is that the antenna(s)(s) for transmitting the first RF signal and the antenna(s) for transmitting the second RF signal are quasi-co-located in space.

[0231] In the example of Figure 7, UE 704 receives NLOS data stream 723 of RF signals transmitted on beam 713 and LOS data stream 724 of RF signals transmitted on beam 714. Although Figure 7 illustrates NLOS data stream 723 and LOS data stream 724 as single lines (dashed and solid lines, respectively), as will be understood, due to, for example, the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multipath channels, NLOS data stream 723 and LOS data stream 724 may each comprise multiple rays (i.e., "clusters") by the time they reach UE 704. For example, clusters of RF signals are formed when electromagnetic waves are reflected from multiple surfaces of an object, and the reflections arrive at the receiver (e.g., UE 704) from approximately the same angle, each propagating a few wavelengths (e.g., centimeters) more or less than the others. A "cluster" of received RF signals typically corresponds to a single transmitted RF signal.

[0232] In the example of Figure 7, NLOS data stream 723 is not initially directed to UE 704, although it can be understood that it might be, as in Figure 6, an RF signal along NLOS path 612. However, it is reflected by reflector 740 (e.g., a building) and reaches UE 704 without obstruction, thus it may still be a relatively strong RF signal. In contrast, LOS data stream 724 is directed to UE 704, but it passes through obstacles 730 (e.g., vegetation, buildings, hills, destructive environments such as clouds or smoke), which may significantly reduce the RF signal. It can be understood that although LOS data stream 724 is weaker than NLOS data stream 723, LOS data stream 724 will reach UE 704 before NLOS data stream 723 because it follows the shorter path from base station 702 to UE 704.

[0233] As mentioned above, the beam of interest for data communication between the base station (e.g., base station 702) and the UE (e.g., UE 704) is the beam carrying the RF signal that arrives at the UE with the highest signal strength (e.g., the highest RSRP or SINR), while the beam of interest for location estimation is the beam carrying the RF signal that activates the LOS path and has the highest gain along the LOS path among all other beams (e.g., beam 714). That is, even if beam 713 (NLOS beam) weakly activates the LOS path (due to the propagation characteristics of the RF signal, even if it is not focused along the LOS path), the weak signal (if any) of the LOS path of beam 713 may not be reliably detected (compared to the path from beam 714), resulting in a larger error in performing positioning measurements.

[0234] While the beam of interest used for data communication and the beam of interest used for location estimation may be the same for some frequency bands, they may not be the same for other frequency bands such as mmW. Thus, referring to Figure 7, where UE 704 participates in a data communication session with base station 702 (e.g., where base station 702 is the serving base station of UE 704), rather than simply attempting to measure a reference RF signal transmitted by base station 702, the beam of interest used for the data communication session could be beam 713 because it carries an unobstructed NLOS data stream 723. However, the beam of interest used for location estimation would be beam 714 because it carries the strongest LOS data stream 724, although obstructed.

[0235] Figure 8A is a graph 800A illustrating the RF channel response of a receiver (e.g., UE 704) according to the present case. Under the channel shown in Figure 8A, the receiver receives a first cluster of two RF signals at the channel breakpoint at time T1, a second cluster of five RF signals at time T2, a third cluster of five RF signals at time T3, and a fourth cluster of four RF signals at time T4. In the example of Figure 8A, since the first cluster of RF signals arrives first at time T1, it is assumed to be a LOS data stream (i.e., a data stream arriving via LOS or the shortest path) and can correspond to LOS data stream 724. The third cluster at time T3 consists of the strongest RF signals and can correspond to NLOS data stream 723. From the transmitter side, each cluster of received RF signals can include a portion of RF signals transmitted at different angles; therefore, each cluster can be said to have a different angle of deviation (AoD) from the transmitter. Figure 8B is Figure 800B illustrating this cluster separation in AoD. RF signals transmitted in AoD range 802a may correspond to one cluster in Figure 8A (e.g., "Cluster 1"). And RF signals transmitted in AoD range 802b may correspond to different clusters in Figure 8A (e.g., "Cluster 3"). Note that although the AoD ranges of the two clusters illustrated in Figure 8B are spatially isolated, the AoD ranges of some clusters may partially overlap, even if such clusters are temporally separated. This may occur, for example, when two separate buildings located at the same AoD from the transmitter reflect signals to the receiver. Note that although Figure 8A illustrates clusters with 2 to 5 channel taps (or "peaks"), as will be understood, clusters may have more or fewer channel taps than shown.

[0236] RAN1 NR can define UE measurements for DL ​​reference signals applicable to NR positioning (e.g., for service, reference, and / or neighbor cell service areas), including DL reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurements for NR positioning, DL RSRP measurements for NR positioning, and UE Rx-Tx (e.g., hardware group delay from signal reception at the UE receiver to response signal transmission at the UE transmitter, such as time difference measurements for NR positioning, like RTT).

[0237] RAN1 NR can define gNB measurements based on UL reference signals suitable for NR positioning, such as relative UL time of arrival (RTOA) for NR positioning, UL AoA measurements for NR positioning (e.g., including azimuth and zenith angles), UL RSRP measurements for NR positioning, and gNB Rx-Tx (e.g., the hardware group delay from signal reception at the gNB receiver to response signal transmission at the gNB transmitter, e.g., time difference measurements for NR positioning, such as RTT).

[0238] Figure 9 is a diagram 900 illustrating an exemplary timing diagram of RTT measurement signals exchanged between base station 902 (e.g., any base station described herein) and UE 904 (e.g., any UE described herein) according to various embodiments of this case. In the example of Figure 9, base station 902 sends an RTT measurement signal 910 (e.g., PRS, NRS, CRS, CSI-RS, etc.) to UE 904 at time t1. The RTT measurement signal 910 has a propagation delay T Prop as it travels from base station 902 to UE 904. At time t2 (ToA of the RTT measurement signal 910 at UE 904), UE 904 receives / measures the RTT measurement signal 910. After some UE processing time, UE 904 sends an RTT response signal 920 at time t3. After the propagation delay T Prop, base station 902 receives / measures the RTT response signal 920 from UE 904 at time t 4 (ToA of the RTT response signal 920 at base station 902).

[0239] To identify the ToA (e.g., t2) of a reference signal (e.g., RTT measurement signal 910) transmitted by a given network node (e.g., base station 902), the receiver (e.g., UE 904) first jointly processes all resource elements (REs) on the channel through which the reference signal was transmitted by the transmitter and performs an inverse Fourier transform to convert the received reference signal to the time domain. This time-domain transformation of the received reference signal is called the estimation of the Channel Energy Response (CER). The CER plots the peak values ​​on the channel over time, and therefore the earliest "significant" peak should correspond to the ToA of the reference signal. Typically, the receiver will use a noise-related quality threshold to filter out spurious local peaks, thus potentially correctly identifying significant peaks on the channel. For example, the receiver can choose a ToA estimate that is the earliest local maximum of the CER, which is at least X dB higher than the median of the CER and a maximum Y dB lower than the dominant peak on the channel. The receiver determines the CER for each reference signal from each transmitter in order to determine the ToA for each reference signal from different transmitters.

[0240] In some designs, the RTT response signal 920 can explicitly include the difference between time t3 and time t2 (i.e., 912). Using this measurement and the difference between time t4 and time t1 (i.e., 922), base station 902 (or other positioning entities, such as location server 230, LMF 270) can calculate the distance to UE 904 as follows: Where c is the speed of light. Although not explicitly shown in Figure 9, additional sources of delay or error may be due to UE and gNB hardware group latency in location positioning.

[0241] Various location-related parameters can affect power consumption at the UE. Knowing these parameters can be used to estimate (or model) UE power consumption. By accurately modeling UE power consumption, various power-saving features and / or performance enhancement features can be predictively utilized to improve the user experience.

[0242] Additional sources of delay or error are due to hardware group delays between the UE and gNB for location positioning. Figure 10 illustrates an exemplary timing diagram of RTT measurement signals exchanged between a base station (gNB) (e.g., any base station described herein) and a UE (e.g., any UE described herein) according to various embodiments of this invention. Figure 10 is similar to Figure 9 in some respects. However, in Figure 10, the hardware group delay between the UE and gNB is illustrated with respect to 1002-1008 (which is primarily due to internal hardware delays between the baseband (BB) element and the antenna (ANT) at the UE and gNB). As will be understood, path-specific or beam-specific delays on both the Tx and Rx sides can affect RTT measurements. Hardware group delays such as those in 1002-1008 can lead to timing and / or calibration errors, which can affect RTT and other measurements (such as TDOA, RSTD, etc.), thereby affecting positioning performance. For example, in some designs, a 10 nanosecond error can introduce a 3-meter error in the final positioning.

[0243] Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 1100 according to various embodiments of this invention. In the example of Figure 11, UE 1104 (which may correspond to any UE described herein) is attempting to calculate an estimate of its location, or assisting another entity (e.g., a base station or core network element, another UE, a location server, a third-party application, etc.) in calculating an estimate of its location via a multi-RTT positioning scheme. UE 1104 may use RF signals and standardized protocols for the modulation and packet exchange of RF signals to conduct wireless communication with a plurality of base stations 1102-1, 1102-2, and 1102-3 (collectively referred to as base station 1102, and which may correspond to any base station described herein). By extracting different types of information from the exchanged RF signals and utilizing the layout of the wireless communication system 1100 (i.e., the location, geometry, etc. of the base stations), UE 1104 may determine its location in a predefined reference coordinate system, or assist in determining its location. In one configuration, UE 1104 can specify its location using a two-dimensional coordinate system; however, the configuration disclosed herein is not limited to this, and a three-dimensional coordinate system can also be used to determine the location if additional dimensions are required. Furthermore, although Figure 11 illustrates one UE 1104 and three base stations 1102, as will be understood, there may be more UE 1104s and more base stations 1102.

[0244] To support location estimation, base station 1102 can be configured to broadcast reference RF signals (e.g., PRS, NRS, CRS, TRS, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS, etc.) to UE 1104 within its coverage area so that UE 1104 can measure the characteristics of such reference RF signals. For example, UE 1104 can measure the ToA of a specific reference RF signal (e.g., PRS, NRS, CRS, CSI-RS, etc.) transmitted by at least three different base stations 1102, and can use an RTT positioning method to report such ToA (and additional information) back to the serving base station 1102 or another positioning entity (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270).

[0245] In one scenario, although described as UE 1104 measuring a reference RF signal from base station 1102, UE 1104 may also measure a reference RF signal from one of multiple cell service areas supported by base station 1102. Specifically, UE 1104 measures reference RF signals transmitted from cell service areas supported by base station 1102, and at least two other reference RF signals measured by UE 1104 to perform RTT procedures may originate from cell service areas supported by base station 1102 that are different from the first base station 1102 and may have good or poor signal strength at UE 1104.

[0246] To determine the location (x, y) of UE 1104, the entity determining UE 1104's location needs to know the location of base station 1102, which can be represented in a reference coordinate system as (xk, yk), where k = 1, 2, 3 in the example of Figure 11. If the location of UE 1104 is determined by one of the base stations 1102 (e.g., the serving base station) or by UE 1104 itself, the location of the relevant base station 1102 can be provided to the serving base station 1102 or UE 1104 by a location server (e.g., location server 230, LMF 270) that knows the network geometry. Alternatively, the location server can use the known network geometry to determine the location of UE 1104.

[0247] UE 1104 or the corresponding base station 1102 can determine the distance (dk, where k = 1, 2, 3) between UE 1104 and the corresponding base station 1102. In one state, the RTT 1110, which determines the signals exchanged between UE 1104 and any base station 1102, can be performed and converted into distance (dk). As discussed further below, RTT technology can measure the time between transmitting a signal to deliver a message (e.g., a reference RF signal) and receiving a response. Such methods can use calibration to remove any processing delays. In some environments, it can be assumed that the processing delays of UE 1104 and base station 1102 are the same. However, this assumption may not hold true in practice.

[0248] Once each distance dk is determined, the UE 1104, base station 1102, or positioning server (e.g., positioning server 230, LMF 270) can determine the position (x, y) of the UE 1104 using various known geometric techniques, such as trilateration. As can be seen from Figure 11, the position of the UE 1104 is ideally located at the common intersection of three semicircles, each defined by a radius dk and a center (xk, yk), where k = 1, 2, 3.

[0249] In some cases, additional information can be obtained in the form of the angle of arrival (AoA) or angle of deviation (AoD) defining the direction of a straight line (e.g., it can be in the horizontal plane or in three dimensions) or the possible range of directions (e.g., the range of directions from the location of base station 1102 for UE 1104). The intersection of two directions at or near a point (x, y) can provide another position estimate for UE 1104.

[0250] Location estimation (e.g., for UE 1104) can be represented by other names, such as location estimation, location, position, location pinpoint, pinpoint, etc. Location estimation can be geodetic and include coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and possible altitude), or it can be urban and include street addresses, postal addresses, or some other verbal description of the location. Location estimation can be further defined relative to some other known location or in absolute terms (e.g., using latitude, longitude, and possible altitude). Location estimation may include anticipated errors or indeterminacy (e.g., by including an area or volume within which the location is expected to be contained at a specified or preset confidence level).

[0251] Figure 12 is a diagram 1200 illustrating an exemplary timing of RTT measurement signals exchanged between a base station (e.g., any base station described herein) and a UE (e.g., any UE described herein) according to other states of this case. Specifically, 1202-1004 of Figure 12 represent the frame delay portions associated with the Rx-Tx difference measured at the gNB and the UE, respectively.

[0252] As will be understood from the above disclosure, the NR native positioning technologies supported in 5G NR include DL-only positioning schemes (e.g., DL-TDOA, DL-AoD, etc.), UL-only positioning schemes (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-AoA), and DL+UL positioning schemes (e.g., RTT with one or more neighboring base stations, or multiple RTTs). Furthermore, 5G NR Rel-16 also supports Enhanced Cellular Service Area ID (E-CID) based on Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements.

[0253] As mentioned above, PRS is defined for NR positioning to enable the UE to detect and measure more neighboring TRPs. Multiple PRS configurations are supported to achieve various PRS deployments (e.g., indoor, outdoor, sub-6 GHz, mmW). PRS supports beam scanning to support PRS beam operation. UE-assisted and UE-based location calculations are supported in Rel.16 and Rel.17. Furthermore, positioning is supported in RRC-connected, RRC-idle, and RRC-inactive modes. Examples of the configuration of the reference signal used for positioning are shown in Table 3, as follows: [DL / UL] [Reference Signal Type] [UE] [Measurement Type] [Positioning Technology] Rel.16 DL PRS DL RSTD DL-TDOA Rel.16 DL PRS DL PRS RSRP DL-TDOA, DL-AoD, Multiple RTT Rel.16 DL PRS / Rel.16 UL SRS-P UE Rx-Tx time difference Multiple RTT Rel. 15 SSB / CSI-RS for RRM SS-RSRP (RSRP for RRM), SS-RSRQ (for RRM), CSI-RSRP (for RRM), CSI-RSRQ (for RRM) E-CID Table 3: Configuration of Positioning Reference Signals

[0254] In NR, a frequency layer refers to a cluster of frequency domain resources with shared characteristics such as shared SCS and cyclic prefix (CP) over the same bandwidth. For TDOA, a single TRP reference is defined across multiple frequency layers. A single TRP reference can be specified in the location assistance (AD) data from network communication to the UE.

[0255] As mentioned earlier, in the current NR specification, DL-PRS and SRS-P (e.g., UL-PRS or Sidelink PRS (SL-PRS)) are defined in a hierarchical manner, with parameters such as resource sets, resources within the corresponding resource sets, multiple instances or repetitions of each resource, etc. In Rel.16, once a DL-PRS resource is configured, it does not change over time, while SRS-P resources can be configured and disabled by the gNB on demand. In Rel.18, DL-PRS or SRS-P configurations can be modified in various ways. For example, DL-PRS or SRS-P configurations can be turned on and off, and parameters of the DL-PRS or SRS-P configurations can be changed based on dynamic requests from applications or location servers (e.g., LMFs). In another instance, the UE can recommend sets of enhancement parameters to the gNB and / or LMF that can be used (e.g., to improve accuracy, reduce latency, etc.). In another instance, the UE can be configured with more than one DL-PRS or SRS-P configuration, wherein a particular DL-PRS or SRS-P configuration is activated or deactivated as needed via a signal from the gNB.

[0256] The various forms in this case are therefore for time-varying RS-P configurations (e.g., DL-PRS or SRS-P, such as UL-SRS-P or SL-SRS-P) including multiple RS-P configurations, each associated with a different time period. Such forms can provide various technical advantages, such as improved positioning and / or latency associated with positioning used for UE location estimation, especially in scenarios where positioning environments at different times can be reliably predicted.

[0257] Figure 13 illustrates an exemplary process 1300 of wireless communication according to various states of this invention. In one state, process 1300 can be performed by UE 302.

[0258] At 1310, UE 302 (e.g., receiver 312 or 322, etc.) receives a first time-varying RS-P configuration from a network element (e.g., serving base station, LMF, location server, or a combination thereof, such as an LMF in a RAN), which includes a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period.

[0259] At 1320, UE 302 (e.g., receiver 312 or 322, transmitter 314 or 324, etc.) communicates a first RS-P set with at least one base station (e.g., serving base station and one or more neighboring base stations, one or more TRPs associated with each respective base station, etc.) during a first time period according to a first RS-P configuration.

[0260] At 1330, UE 302 (e.g., receiver 312 or 322, transmitter 314 or 324, etc.) communicates a second RS-P set with at least one base station during a second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

[0261] Figure 14 illustrates an exemplary process 1400 of wireless communication according to various embodiments of this invention. In one embodiment, process 1400 may be performed by network elements (e.g., a serving base station such as BS 304, an LMF, a location server, or a combination thereof, such as an LMF in a RAN).

[0262] At 1405, a network element (e.g., processing system 384 or 394, RS-P module 388 or 398, etc.) determines a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, which includes a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period.

[0263] At 1410, network elements (e.g., network interface 380 or 390, data bus 382, ​​transmitter 354 or 364, etc.) send the first time-varying RS-P configuration to the UE.

[0264] At 1420, a network element (e.g., receiver 352 or 362, transmitter 354 or 364, etc.) may optionally communicate with the UE via a first RS-P set during a first time period, according to a first RS-P configuration. Communication at 1420 is optional and can be performed in scenarios where the network element corresponds to a base station.

[0265] At 1430, network elements (e.g., receiver 352 or 362, transmitter 354 or 364, etc.) may optionally communicate with the UE during a second time period according to a second RS-P configuration. Communication at 1430 is optional and can be performed in scenarios where the network element corresponds to a base station.

[0266] Referring to Figures 13-14, in some designs, the first RS-P set may correspond to a first uplink or sidelink SRS-P set transmitted by the UE to at least one base station, and the second RS-P set may correspond to a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set transmitted by the UE to at least one base station. In other designs, the first RS-P set may correspond to a first DL-PRS set received at the UE from at least one base station, and the second RS-P set may correspond to a second DL-PRS set received at the UE from at least one base station. In an instance specific to a DL-PRS scenario, the UE may transmit a first measurement report based on measurements of the first DL-PRS set by the UE after a first time period (e.g., to the serving gNB), and the UE may further transmit a second measurement report based on measurements of the second DL-PRS set by the UE after a second time period.

[0267] Referring to Figures 13-14, in some designs, the time-varying RS-P configuration may further include a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period. In other words, the number of RS-P configurations for each time-varying RS-P configuration is not limited to two (2), but may include any number of RS-P configurations. In some designs, two or more of the RS-P configurations may be the same, except that they are associated with different time periods (e.g., time-varying RS-P configurations may alternate between RS-P configurations, such as RS-P#1, followed by RS-P#2, followed by RSP#1, etc.). In some designs, the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration may differ in one or more RS-P configuration parameters, such as RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0268] Referring to Figures 13-14, in some designs, the network (e.g., LMF) can configure time-varying RS-P parameters based on predictive information. These time-varying RS-P parameters indicate that a first RS-P configuration will provide superior positioning performance (e.g., accuracy, latency, etc.) during a first time period, and a second RS-P configuration will provide superior positioning performance (e.g., accuracy, latency, etc.) during a second time period. In some cases, periodic and / or predictable motion in an environment (e.g., an industrial environment, such as a factory) may change the optimal set of parameters for the DL-PRS or SRS-P parameters. For example, if it takes 30 seconds for a UE to complete a cycle on a conveyor belt, the UE may periodically change its preferred parameters to match the environment. In at least one context of this application, the network can learn this behavior and predict and optimize the UE configuration to match this environment. In another scenario, the UE may be on a train, and different points along the train route may have different optimal DL-PRS or SRS-P configurations. In the context of at least one pattern in this case, the network can provide a time-varying configuration for the UE based on its experience with previous UEs on the same train route. In another scenario, a time-varying configuration roughly dependent on the route can be provided for vehicles on the road (e.g., the network can optimize the search for service areas of cells that have become more distant). In yet another scenario, a massive satellite constellation may be moving rapidly relative to the UE. In an example, the UE can be instructed to monitor signals corresponding to the pattern from the satellites (e.g., from the UE's perspective, these satellites typically move much faster than GPS satellites). Due to the size of the constellation involved, the UE can be instructed to monitor in a time-varying manner via a time-varying RS-P configuration, rather than indicating a complete list.

[0269] Referring to Figures 13-14, in some designs, the network (e.g., LMF) may initially be unaware of the optimized RS-P configuration. At this stage, the network can configure the UE to report based on multiple RS-P configurations (or the most intensive RS-P configuration), and subsequently modify (e.g., optimize) the time-varying RS-P configuration over time. In some designs, the network may also learn from multiple UEs (e.g., federated learning) and aggregate this information. In some designs, even after the network has configured the time-varying RS-P configuration, it may update the time-varying RS-P configuration (e.g., over multiple cycles of a train route) to match changing environments.

[0270] Although Figures 13-14 specifically address time-varying RS-P configurations, in other designs, variable RS-P configurations can be established, whereby the RS-P configuration changes in an event-triggered manner rather than a time-triggered manner. This approach can provide various technical advantages, such as improved positioning and / or latency associated with positioning used for UE location estimation, especially in scenarios where positioning environments at different times cannot be reliably predicted.

[0271] Figure 15 illustrates an exemplary process 1500 of wireless communication according to various embodiments of this invention. In one embodiment, process 1500 may be performed by UE 302.

[0272] At 1510, UE 302 (e.g., receiver 312 or 322, etc.) receives a first change SRS-P configuration from a network element (e.g., serving base station, LMF, location server, or a combination thereof, such as an LMF in a RAN), which includes a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration.

[0273] At 1520, UE 302 (e.g., transmitter 314 or 324, etc.) transmits a first SRS-P set to at least one base station (e.g., serving base station and one or more neighboring base stations, one or more TRPs associated with each respective base station, etc.) during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration.

[0274] At point 1530, UE 302 (e.g., processing system 332, RS-P module 342, etc.) determines to switch from a first SRS-P configuration to a second SRS-P configuration based on monitoring of event triggering conditions. This state can be compared with some conventional methods in which the network (rather than the UE) determines to initiate a handover from one SRS-P configuration to another.

[0275] At 1540, UE 302 (e.g., transmitter 314 or 324, etc.) sends a switching instruction to at least one base station.

[0276] At 1550, after transmitting the switching instruction, UE 302 (e.g., transmitter 314 or 324, etc.) transmits a second SRS-P set to at least one base station during the second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0277] Figure 16 illustrates an exemplary process 1600 of wireless communication according to various embodiments of this invention. In one embodiment, process 1400 may be performed by network elements (e.g., a serving base station such as BS 304, an LMF, a location server, or a combination thereof, such as an LMF in a RAN).

[0278] At 1605, a network element (e.g., processing system 384 or 394, RS-P module 388 or 398, etc.) determines a first change in the detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change in SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration.

[0279] At 1610, network components (e.g., network interface 380 or 390, data bus 382, ​​transmitter 354 or 364, etc.) send the first change SRS-P configuration to the UE.

[0280] At 1620, a network element (e.g., receiver 352 or 362, etc.) optionally receives a first SRS-P set from the UE during a first time period according to a first SRS-P configuration. Reception at 1620 is optional and can be performed in scenarios where the network element corresponds to a base station.

[0281] At 1630, the network element (e.g., receiver 352 or 362, etc.) optionally receives from the UE an indication to switch from a first SRS-P configuration to a second SRS-P configuration. Reception at 1630 is optional and can be performed in scenarios where the network element corresponds to a base station.

[0282] At 1640, after receiving the switching instruction, BS 304 (e.g., receiver 352 or 362, etc.) optionally receives a second SRS-P set from the UE during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration. Reception at 1640 is optional and can be performed in scenarios where the network element corresponds to a base station.

[0283] Referring to Figures 15-16, in some designs, at least one event triggering condition includes the UE's motion condition (e.g., if the UE's motion exceeds a threshold, a denser SRS-P configuration is used, and if the UE's motion does not exceed the threshold, a less dense SRS-P configuration is used), the UE's location, the channel characteristics associated with the UE (e.g., if the UE is in a high-noise area, a denser SRS-P configuration is used, and if the UE is in a low-noise area, a less dense UE configuration is used), the navigation route conditions associated with the UE (e.g., some parts of the route may be configured with a denser SRS-P configuration than other parts), the satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0284] Referring to Figures 15-16, in some designs, the BS can send a second time-varying RS-P configuration, which differs from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or combinations thereof. In some designs, the first and second RS-P configurations differ in RS-P resource sets, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or combinations thereof.

[0285] As can be seen in the detailed description above, different features are grouped together in the examples. This manner of disclosure should not be construed as an intention for the exemplary clauses to have more features than expressly mentioned in each clause. Rather, the various forms of this document may include fewer features than those of the single example clause disclosed. Therefore, the following clauses should be considered as included in the specification, where each clause can be considered a separate instance on its own. Although each dependent clause may refer in the clause to a specific combination with one of the other clauses, the form of the dependent clause is not limited to that specific combination. It should be understood that other example clauses may also include combinations of the form of the dependent clause with the subject matter of any other dependent or independent clause, or any feature combined with other dependent and independent clauses. The various forms of this document expressly include such combinations unless expressly stated or it can be readily inferred that a particular combination is not intentional (e.g., contradictory forms, such as defining an element as both an insulator and a conductor). Furthermore, it is also intended that the various forms of the clauses be included in any other independent clause, even if that clause does not directly depend on the independent clause.

[0286] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0287] Clause 1. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving from a network element a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; communicating a first RS-P set with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicating a second RS-P set with at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

[0288] Clause 2. The method according to Clause 1, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first uplink or sidelink detection reference signal (SRS-P) set for positioning transmitted by the UE to at least one base station, and wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set transmitted by the UE to at least one base station.

[0289] Clause 3. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 2, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRSs) set received at the UE from at least one base station, and wherein the second RS-P set includes a second DL-PRS set received at the UE from at least one base station.

[0290] Clause 4. The method according to any one of Clauses 2 to 3 further includes: after a first time period, sending a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, sending a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0291] Clause 5. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4, wherein the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0292] Clause 6. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 5 further includes: receiving a second time-varying RS-P configuration from a network element, the second time-varying RS-P configuration being different from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or combinations thereof.

[0293] Clause 7. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0294] Clause 8. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0295] Clause 9. A method of wireless communication performed by a network element, comprising: determining a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and transmitting the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0296] Clause 10. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0297] Clause 11. The method according to any one of Clauses 9 to 10 further includes: communicating a first set of RS-Ps with the UE during a first time period according to a first RS-P configuration; and communicating a second set of RS-Ps with the UE during a second time period according to a second RS-P configuration.

[0298] Clause 12. The method according to Clause 11, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first uplink or sidelink detection reference signal (SRS-P) set received from the UE at the base station for positioning, wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set received from the UE at the serving base station.

[0299] Clause 13. The method according to any one of Clauses 11 to 12, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRSs) set transmitted from the base station to the UE, and wherein the second RS-P set includes a second DL-PRS set transmitted from the base station to the UE.

[0300] Clause 14. The method according to Clause 13 further includes: after a first time period, receiving a first measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a first DL-PRS set; and after a second time period, receiving a second measurement report based on measurements by the UE to a second DL-PRS set.

[0301] Clause 15. The method according to any one of Clauses 9 to 14, wherein the time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

[0302] Clause 16. The method according to Clause 15 further includes: sending a second time-varying RS-P configuration to the UE, the second time-varying RS-P configuration being different from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or combinations thereof.

[0303] Clause 17. The method according to any one of Clauses 9 to 16, wherein the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0304] Clause 18. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving from a network element a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; transmitting a first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; determining a switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration based on monitoring of the event triggering condition; transmitting a switch indication to at least one base station; and, after transmitting the switch indication, transmitting a second SRS-P set to at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0305] Clause 19. The method pursuant to Clause 18, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0306] Clause 20. The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 19, wherein at least one event triggering condition includes motion conditions of the UE, location of the UE, channel characteristics associated with the UE, navigation route conditions associated with the UE, satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0307] Clause 21. The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 20 further includes: receiving a second modified SRS-P configuration from a network element, the second modified SRS-P configuration being different from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

[0308] Clause 22. The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 21, wherein the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

[0309] Clause 23. A method of wireless communication performed by a network element, comprising: determining a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and transmitting the first change of SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

[0310] Clause 24. The method pursuant to Clause 23, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

[0311] Clause 25. The method according to any one of Clauses 23 to 24 further comprises: receiving a first SRS-P set from the UE during a first time period according to a first SRS-P configuration; receiving an indication from the UE to switch from the first SRS-P configuration to a second SRS-P configuration; and after receiving the switching indication, receiving a second SRS-P set from the UE during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

[0312] Clause 26. The method according to any one of Clauses 23 to 25, wherein at least one event triggering condition includes motion conditions of the UE, location of the UE, channel characteristics associated with the UE, navigation route conditions associated with the UE, satellite cluster conditions associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

[0313] Clause 27. The method according to any one of Clauses 23 to 26 further includes: sending a second modified SRS-P configuration to the UE, the second modified SRS-P configuration being different from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or combinations thereof.

[0314] Clause 28. The method of Clause 27, wherein the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of the SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor or a combination thereof.

[0315] Clause 29. An apparatus comprising a memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the memory and the at least one processor being configured to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 28.

[0316] Clause 30. An apparatus comprising a component for performing the method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 28.

[0317] Clause 31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions including at least one instruction for causing a computer or processor to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 28.

[0318] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0319] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the various forms disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative elements, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally according to their function. Whether this function is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functions in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this document.

[0320] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the various states disclosed herein can be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, individual gate or transistor logic, individual hardware element, or any combination designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor can be any general-purpose processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0321] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described herein can be directly embodied in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module can reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage media known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, allowing the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal (e.g., a UE). Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can reside as separate components in the user terminal.

[0322] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, such functionality may be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Computer-readable medium includes computer storage media and communication media, including any media that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. Storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. For example (but not limitingly), such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that can be used to carry or store required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, any connection is properly referred to as computer-readable medium. For example, if software is reflected from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are all included in the definition of media. As used herein, magnetic disks and optical disks include CDs, laser discs, optical discs, DVDs, floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where magnetic disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0323] While the foregoing disclosure provides an illustrative representation of the case, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of the case as defined by the appended claims. The functions, steps, and / or actions of the method claims according to the present case do not need to be performed in any particular sequence. Furthermore, although elements of the case may be described or claimed in the singular, plural forms are contemplated unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0324] 100: Wireless Communication System 102:Base station 102': Small Cell Service Area Base Station 104: User Equipment 110: Geographical coverage area 110': Geographical coverage area 112: Satellite Positioning System (SPS) Spacecraft (SV) 120: Communication Link 122: Backload Link 124: SPS signal 134: Backload Link 150: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Point (AP) 152: WLAN station 154: Communication Link 164:UE 170: Core Network 172: Location Server 180: Millimeter wave (mmW) base station 182: User Equipment 184:mmW communication link 190:UE 192: D2D P2P Link 194: D2D P2P Link 200: Wireless Network Architecture 204:UE 210:5GC 212: User plane function 213: User-defined interface (NG-U) 214: Control Plane Functions 215: Control Plane Interface (NG-C) 220: New RAN 222:gNB 223: Reload Link 224:ng-eNB 230: Location Server 250: Wireless Network Structure 260: 5G Core 262: User plane function 263: User Interface 264: Access and Mobility Management Functions 265: Control Plane Interface 266: Communication Management Function (SMF) 270: Location Management Function (LMF) 272: Safe User Plane Positioning (SUPL) Positioning Platform (SLP) 302:UE 304:Base station 306: Network Entity 310: Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) Transceiver 312: Receiver 314: Transmitter 316: Antenna 318: Signal 320: Short-range wireless transceiver 322: Receiver 324: Transmitter 326: Antenna 328: Signal 330: Satellite Positioning System (SPS) Receiver 332: Processing System 334: Data Bus 336: Antenna 338: SPS signal 340: Memory Components 342: Reference Signal (RS-P) Module 344: Sensor 346: User Interface 350: Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) Transceiver 352: Receiver 354: Transmitter 356: Antenna 358: Signal 360: Short-Range Wireless Transceiver 362: Receiver 364: Transmitter 366: Antenna 368: Signal 370: Satellite Positioning System (SPS) Receiver 376: Antenna 378: SPS signal 380: Network Interface 382: Data Bus 384: Processing System 386: Memory element 388: Reference Signal (RS-P) Module 390: Network Interface 392: Data Bus 394: Processing System 396: Memory Components 398: Reference Signal (RS-P) Module 400: DL frame structure 430: Channel 500:PRS Configuration 518a: PRS Positioning Timing 518b: PRS positioning timing 518c: PRS positioning timing 520: PRS period T_PRS 550: Time Slot 552: Subframe Offset 600: Wireless Communication System 602a: Base Station 602b: Base Station 602c: Base Station 604:UE 610a: LOS path 610b: LOS path 610c:LOS path 612a: NLOS path 612b: NLOS path 612c: NLOS path 612d: NLOS path 622: Wired or wireless link 630: Object 700: Wireless Communication System 702:Base station 704:UE 711: Beam 712: Beam 713: Beam 714: Beam 715: Beam 723: NLOS Data Stream 724:LOS Data Stream 730: Obstacles 800A: Curve Graph 800B: Cluster Separation 802a:AoD range 802b: AoD range 900: Timing 902:Base station 904:UE 910: RTT measurement signal 912: Time Difference 920: RTT response signal 922: Time Difference 1000: Timing 1002: Hardware Group Latency 1004: Hardware Group Latency 1006: Hardware Group Latency 1008: Hardware Group Latency 1100: Wireless Communication System 1102-1:Base station 1102-2:Base station 1102-3:Base station 1200: Timing 1202: Frame Delay Section 1300: Process 1310: Operation 1320: Operation 1330: Operation 1400: Process 1405: Operation 1410: Operation 1420: Operation 1430: Operation 1500: Process 1510: Operation 1520: Operation 1530: Operation 1540: Operation 1550: Operation 1600: Process 1605: Operation 1610: Operation 1620: Operation 1630: Operation 1640: Operation CSI-RS: Channel Status Information Reference Signal DAS / RRH: Distributed Antenna System / Remote Radio Headend DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH: Entity Downlink Shared Channel PSS: Main Synchronization Signal RB: Resource Block RTT: Measurement signal SSB: Synchronization Signal Block SSS: Subsynchronization Signal t1: Time t2: time t3: Time t4: Time

[0325] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising the steps of: receiving a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; communicating a first RS-P set with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicating a second RS-P set with the at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first uplink or sidelink detection reference signal (SRS-P) set for positioning transmitted by the UE to the at least one base station, and wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set transmitted by the UE to the at least one base station.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) set received at the UE from the at least one base station, and wherein the second RS-P set includes a second DL-PRS set received at the UE from the at least one base station.

4. The method as described in claim 3 further includes the following steps: after the first time period, sending a first measurement report based on measurements of the first DL-PRS set by the UE; and after the second time period, sending a second measurement report based on measurements of the second DL-PRS set by the UE.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further includes the following steps: receiving a second time-varying RS-P configuration from the network element, the second time-varying RS-P configuration differing from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of wireless communication performed by a network element, comprising the steps of: determining a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and transmitting the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

11. The method as described in claim 9 further includes the following steps: communicating a first set of RS-Ps with the UE during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicating a second set of RS-Ps with the UE during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

12. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first uplink or sidelink detection reference signal (SRS-Ps) set for positioning received from the UE at a base station, wherein the second RS-P set includes a second uplink or sidelink SRS-P set received from the UE at the base station.

13. The method as described in claim 11, wherein the first RS-P set includes a first downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRSs) set transmitted from a base station to the UE, and wherein the second RS-P set includes a second DL-PRS set transmitted from the base station to the UE.

14. The method as described in claim 13 further includes the following steps: after the first time period, receiving a first measurement report based on measurements of the first DL-PRS set by the UE; and after the second time period, receiving a second measurement report based on measurements of the second DL-PRS set by the UE.

15. The method as described in claim 9, wherein the first time-varying RS-P configuration further includes a third RS-P configuration associated with a third time period.

16. The method as described in request item 15 further includes the following steps: sending a second time-varying RS-P configuration to the UE, the second time-varying RS-P configuration being different from the first time-varying RS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or combinations thereof.

17. The method as described in claim 9, wherein the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

18. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising the steps of: receiving from a network element a first variation of a detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first variation of the SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; transmitting a first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; determining, based on monitoring of the event triggering condition, a switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration; transmitting an indication of the switch to the at least one base station; and, after transmitting the switch indication, transmitting a second SRS-P set to the at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

19. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

20. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the at least one event triggering condition includes a motion condition of the UE, a location of the UE, a channel characteristic associated with the UE, a navigation route condition associated with the UE, a satellite cluster condition associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

21. The method as described in claim 18 further includes the following steps: receiving a second modified SRS-P configuration from the network element, the second modified SRS-P configuration differing from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more RS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

22. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

23. A method of wireless communication performed by a network element, comprising the steps of: determining a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and transmitting the first change of SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

24. The method as described in claim 23, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

25. The method as described in claim 23 also includes: According to the first SRS-P configuration, a first SRS-P set is received from the UE during a first time period; The UE receives an indication to switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration; and after receiving the switching indication, the UE receives a second SRS-P set during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

26. The method as described in claim 23, wherein the at least one event triggering condition includes a motion condition of the UE, a location of the UE, a channel characteristic associated with the UE, a navigation route condition associated with the UE, a satellite cluster condition associated with the UE, or a combination thereof.

27. The method as described in request item 23 further includes the following steps: sending a second modified SRS-P configuration to the UE, the second modified SRS-P configuration being different from the first modified SRS-P configuration in terms of one or more SRS-P configuration parameters, one or more associated time periods, or a combination thereof.

28. The method as described in claim 27, wherein the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration differ in terms of SRS-P resource set, SRS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

29. A user equipment (UE) comprising: One memory; At least one transceiver; At least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: receive from a network element a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; communicate with at least one base station a first RS-P set during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicate with the at least one base station a second RS-P set during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

30. The UE as described in request item 29, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

31. A network element, comprising: One memory; At least one transceiver; At least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and transmit the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

32. The network element as described in claim 31, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

33. A user equipment (UE) comprising: One memory; At least one transceiver; At least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: receive from a network element a first change of probe reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; transmit a first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; determine, based on monitoring of the event triggering condition, to switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration; transmit an indication of the switch to the at least one base station; and after transmitting the switch indication, transmit a second SRS-P set to the at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

34. The UE as described in claim 33, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

35. A network element, comprising: One memory; At least one transceiver; At least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: determine a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and transmit the first change of SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

36. The network element as described in claim 35, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

37. A user equipment (UE) comprising: A means for receiving a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; a means for communicating a first set of RS-Ps with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and a means for communicating a second set of RS-Ps with the at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

38. The UE as described in request item 37, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

39. A network element, comprising: A component for determining a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and a component for transmitting the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

40. The network element as described in claim 39, wherein the first RS-P configuration and the second RS-P configuration differ in terms of RS-P resource set, RS-P resources, periodicity, repetition factor, or a combination thereof.

41. A user equipment (UE) comprising: The device includes components for receiving a first variation of a detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first variation of the SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; components for transmitting a first SRS-P set to at least one base station according to the first SRS-P configuration during a first time period; components for determining a switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration based on monitoring of the event triggering condition; components for transmitting an indication of the switch to the at least one base station; and components for transmitting a second SRS-P set to the at least one base station according to the second SRS-P configuration during a second time period after transmitting the switch indication.

42. The UE as described in request item 42, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

43. A network element, comprising: A component for determining a first change in a detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change in SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; and a component for transmitting the first change in SRS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

44. The network element as described in claim 43, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set, the instruction set including one or more instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to: receive a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning from a network element, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; communicate a first RS-P set with at least one base station during the first time period according to the first RS-P configuration; and communicate a second RS-P set with the at least one base station during the second time period according to the second RS-P configuration.

46. ​​The nontransitory computer-readable media as described in claim 45, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

47. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instruction sets, the instruction sets including one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network element, cause the network element to: determine a first time-varying reference signal (RS-P) configuration for positioning, the first time-varying RS-P configuration including a first RS-P configuration associated with a first time period and a second RS-P configuration associated with a second time period; and transmit the first time-varying RS-P configuration to a user equipment (UE).

48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in claim 47, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

49. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an instruction set, the instruction set including one or more instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, cause the UE to: receive from a network element a first change of detection reference signal (SRS-P) configuration for positioning, the first change of SRS-P configuration including a first SRS-P configuration, a second SRS-P configuration, and at least one event triggering condition for switching between the first SRS-P configuration and the second SRS-P configuration; transmit the first SRS-P set to at least one base station during a first time period according to the first SRS-P configuration; determine, based on monitoring of the event triggering condition, to switch from the first SRS-P configuration to the second SRS-P configuration; transmit an indication of the switch to the at least one base station; and after transmitting the switch indication, transmit a second SRS-P set to the at least one base station during a second time period according to the second SRS-P configuration.

50. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in claim 49, wherein the network element includes a serving base station, a location management function (LMF), a location server, or a combination thereof.

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