Methods to enable inter-rat positioning measurements in 6g

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for enabling UE positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals and requested by a positioning node are described, when the UE is served by a 6G radio network node, which may not be aware of the positioning measurements 5 configuration in the UE. Some examples include: methods in the UE to inform the serving 6G radio network node about positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals, including sending essential parameters; and methods in the 6G radio network node for performing one or more operations in response to receiving the message from the UE, to enable the UE to perform the positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals.

Description

P113002W001METHODS TO ENABLE INTER-RAT POSITIONING MEASUREMENTS IN 6GCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED INFORMATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of United States of America priority application No. 63 / 761,618, filed on February 21, 2025, titled “Methods to Enable Inter-RAT Positioning Measurements in 6G.”TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for performing inter-RAT positioning measurements.BACKGROUNDPositioning Architecture

[0003] Before Rel. 16, LTE based positioning was one of the prevalent RAT based positioning solutions available. Starting from the Rel. 16 specification, positioning is also supported in New Radio (NR). Positioning in NR is supported by the architecture shown in FIG. 1. The interactions between the gNodeB and the device are supported via the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, while the location node interfaces with the UE via the LTE positioning protocol (LPP). LPP is a common protocol to both NR and LTE. LMF is the location node in NR. There are also interactions between the location node and the gNodeB via the NRPPa protocol.Location Measurement Indication - General

[0004] FIG. 2 shows the RRC procedure for LTE Inter-RAT PRS measurements in NR from 3GPP TS 38.331. The purpose of this procedure is to indicate to the network that the UE is going to start / stop location related measurements towards E-UTRA or NR which require measurement gaps or start / stop detection of subframe and slot timing towards E-UTRA (eutra-FineTimingDetection) which requires measurement gaps. UE shall initiate this procedure only after successful AS security activation. It is a network decision to configure the measurement gap- Location Measurement Indication - Initiation

[0005] The UE shall:• If and only if upper layers indicate to start performing location measurements towards E-UTRA or NR or start subframe and slot timing detection towards E-UTRA, and the UE requires measurement gaps for these operations while measurement gaps are either not configured or not sufficient:P113002W001o If preconfigured measurement gaps for positioning and posMG-Request are configured and the UE considers that at least one of the preconfigured measurement gaps for positioning is sufficient for the location measurement when activated:■ Trigger the lower layers to initiate the measurement gap activation request using UL MAC CE as specified in TS 38.321 [3];o Else:■ Initiate the procedure to indicate start as specified in clause 5.5.6.3;

[0006] The UE verifies the measurement gap situation only upon receiving the indication from upper layers. If at this point in time sufficient gaps are available, the UE does not initiate the procedure. Unless it receives a new indication from upper layers, the UE is only allowed to further repeat the procedure in the same PCell once per frequency of the target RAT if the provided measurement gaps are insufficient.

[0007] When indication is received from upper layers for performing location measurement and there is pre-configured measurement gap configured (not preconfigured measurement gap for positioning), the UE considers this preconfigured measurement gap to be not sufficient if the measurement gap is not considered to be always activated according to clause 9.1.7.2 of TS 38.133.

[0008] The UE shall:• If and only if upper layers indicate to stop performing location measurements towards E-UTRA or NR or stop subframe and slot timing detection towards E-UTRA:o If there is no activated preconfigured measurement gap for positioning:■ If there is previously triggered UL MAC CE transmission for the measurement gap activation for positioning:• Indicate to the lower layers to cancel the triggered UL MAC CE transmission for the measurement gap activation as specified in TS 38.321 [3];o Else if there is activated preconfigured measurement gap for positioning:■ Trigger the lower layers to deactivate all the activated measurement gap(s) for positioning as specified in TS 38.321 [3].o If there is configured measurement gap used for positioning and the measurement gap is not the activated preconfigured measurement gap for positioning:P113002W001■ Initiate the procedure to indicate stop as specified in 5.5.6.3.

[0009] The UE may initiate the procedure to indicate stop even if it did not previously initiate the procedure to indicate start.Location Measurement Indication - Actions Related to Transmission of LocationMeasurementlndication message

[0010] The UE shall set the contents of LocationMeasurementlndication message as follows:• If the procedure is initiated to indicate start of location related measurements:o If the procedure is initiated for RSTD measurements towards E-UTRA:■ Set the measurementindication to the eutra-RSTD according to the information received from upper layers;o Else if the procedure is initiated for positioning measurement towards NR:■ Set the measurementindication to the nr-PRS-Measurement according to the information received from upper layers;• Else if the procedure is initiated to indicate stop of location related measurements: o Set the measurementindication to the value release',• If the procedure is initiated to indicate start of subframe and slot timing detection towards E-UTRA:o Set the measurementindication to the value eutra-FineTimingDetection;• Else if the procedure is initiated to indicate stop of subframe and slot timing detection towards E-UTRA:o Set the measurementindication to the value release',• Submit the LocationMeasurementlndication message to lower layers for transmission, upon which the procedure ends.SUMMARY

[0011] One embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a UE being served by a 6G serving radio node to perform one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: sending to a network node, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE for inter-RAT PRS measurements; receiving, from the network node, a second message comprising one or more assistance data for help in performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements; detecting, based on the second message, if the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements require gap configuration by the 6G serving radio node; and if gap configuration is not required, then performing the one or more inter-RAT PRSP113002W001measurements; and if gap configuration is required, then performing steps of; requesting from the 6G serving radio node, in a third message, one or more gap configurations; receiving, from the 6G serving radio node, the one or more gap configurations; and performing the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements.

[0012] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a network node for assisting a UE to perform one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from the UE, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE for inter-RAT PRS measurements; and transmitting, to the UE, a second message comprising one or more assistance data for help in performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements.

[0013] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a network node for assisting a UE to perform one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from the UE, a request for one or more gap configurations; identifying one or more gap configurations; and transmitting, to the UE, the one or more gap configurations.

[0014] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a UE served by a 6G serving radio node, for performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: transmitting, to the 6G serving radio node, a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G SIB data; and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0015] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a 6G serving radio node for assisting a UE to perform one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from the UE, a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G SIB data; and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; transmitting, to one or more network nodes, a second message comprising a request for at least one of: the 5G SIB data; and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; receiving, from the one or more network nodes, a third message comprising at least one of: the 5G SIB data; and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; and transmitting, to the UE, at least one of: the 5G SIB data and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0016] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a network node to support a UE performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from a 6G serving radio node, a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G SIB data; and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; andP113002W001transmitting, to the 6G serving radio node, a second message comprising at least one of: the 5G SIB data; and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0017] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a UE served by a 6G serving radio node, for performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: sending, to a network node, a first message comprising an on-demand PRS request; receiving, from the network node, one or more PRS configurations; and performing the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements based at least in part on the one or more PRS configurations.

[0018] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a network node to support a UE, performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from a second network node, a first message comprising a request for a PRS based on a configuration; and sending, to the second network node, a second message comprising one of: an acknowledgement; and a negative acknowledgement; wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the PRS is configured based on the configuration and wherein the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment if the PRS is not configured based on the configuration.

[0019] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a network node to support a UE, performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from the UE, a first message comprising an on-demand PRS request; configuring a PRS based at least in part on a positioning protocol comprising the on-demand PRS request; sending, to a second network node, a second message comprising a request for the PRS as configured; receiving, from the second network node, a third message comprising one of; an acknowledgement; and a negative acknowledgement; and if the third message comprises the acknowledgment, then sending, to the UE, a PRS configuration based at least in part on the PRS.

[0020] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a UE served by a 6G serving radio node, for performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: sending, to a network node, a first message comprising an on-demand PRS request; receiving, from the 6G serving radio node, a measurement gap configuration; receiving, from the network node, a third message comprising a PRS configuration; and performing the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements based at least in part on the measurement gap configuration and / or the PRS configuration.

[0021] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a 6G serving radio node to support a UE performing one or more inter-RAT PRSP113002W001measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from a network node, a first message comprising a suggested measurement gap; sending, to the network node, a second message comprising one of an acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement, wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the suggested measurement gap is accepted by the 6G serving radio node and the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment otherwise; and if the suggested measurement gap is accepted, then sending, to the UE, a third message comprising a measurement gap configuration based at least in part on the suggested measurement gap.

[0022] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a network node to support a UE performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements. The method comprises: receiving, from the UE, a first message comprising an on-demand PRS request; detecting if the UE is in a 6G cell based on a serving cell ID; transmitting, to a 6G serving radio node of the UE, a second message comprising a suggested measurement gap; receiving, from the 6G serving radio node, a third message comprising one of an acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement, wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the suggested measurement gap is accepted by the 6G serving radio node and the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment otherwise; and sending, to the UE, a fourth message comprising a PRS configuration.

[0023] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an indication of the scope of the claimed subject matter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Fig. 1 illustrates an example of positioning architecture in NR;

[0026] Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a location measurement indication from a UE to the network;

[0027] Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a 6G-served UE with 5G PRS;

[0028] Fig. 4 illustrates a sequence flow chart of an embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig. 5 illustrates a sequence flow chart of an embodiment under the present disclosure;P113002W001

[0030] Fig. 6 illustrates a sequence flow chart of an embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig. 7 illustrates a sequence flow chart of an embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig. 8 shows a schematic of a communication system embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig. 9 shows a schematic of a communication system embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0034] Fig. 10 shows a schematic of a user equipment / wireless device embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0035] Fig. 11 shows a schematic of a network node embodiment under the present disclosure; and

[0036] Fig. 12 shows a schematic of a virtualization environment embodiment under the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Before describing various embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the parameters of the particularly exemplified systems, methods, apparatus, products, processes, and / or kits, which may, of course, vary. Thus, while certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail, with reference to specific configurations, parameters, components, elements, etc., the descriptions are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed embodiments. In addition, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments. Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. Additional information may also be found in the documents provided in the Appendix, which provide some examples of where additional info may be included by the UE when requesting a configuration from the serving cell, such as, requesting measurement gaps via RRC for NR PRS measurements requested by the positioning node.

[0038] A few notes regarding terminology.P113002W001

[0039] The term “positioning measurement” may refer to any radio measurement configured, performed, and / or reported for positioning purpose, for example, a received signal power measurement such as RSRP or RSRPP, a received signal quality measurement such as RSRQ or SINR, a pathloss measurement, a timing measurement such as UE Rx-Tx, RTT, ToA, or RSTD, an angular measurement such as AoA, a carrier phase measurement such as RSCP or RSCPD, and a doppler measurement. The positioning measurement may be absolute or relative with respect to a reference. The positioning measurement may also be associated with a positioning method, such as NR E-CID, DL-TDOA, DL-AoD, multi-RTT, and NR SL positioning. Additionally, the positioning measurement may be based on DL, UL, or both DL and UL radio signals (e.g., bidirectional measurements such as UE Rx-Tx time difference).

[0040] In some cases, performing a positioning measurement may further comprise reading system information (SI) and / or broadcast positioning assistance data necessary for the positioning measurement.

[0041] The term “UE” may refer to any type of wireless device communicating with a network node and / or with another UE in a cellular or mobile communication system. Examples of UE are mobile device, target device, device to device (D2D) UE, vehicular to vehicular (V2V), sidelink (SL) UE, machine type UE, MTC UE or UE capable of machine to machine (M2M) communication, PDA, tablet, mobile terminals, smart phone, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, smartphone, Apple® iOS device, iPhone®, iPod Touch®, iPad®, mobile device, digital media player, smartwatch, the Apple TV®, the Apple Watch®, reduced capacity or reduce capability UE, RedCap UE (e.g., with reduced bandwidth capability, reduced processing, single receiver, etc.), NB-IoT UE, and ambient loT UE.

[0042] The terms “LMF” and “positioning node” may be used interchangeably. The LMF may be a core network node or a radio network node.

[0043] The term “radio signal” (RS) may refer to any physical signal or physical channel. Physical signal may also be called reference signals (RS). A 5G or NR radio signal is transmitted by a 5G or NR radio network node or another UE. Some examples of DL physical signals include positioning signals, synchronization signals, PSS, SSS, CSI-RS, DMRS, signals in SSB, discovery reference signals, DRS, CRS, positioning reference signals (PRS), tracking signals, TRS, RLM signals, RLM-RS, beam management signals, BFD-RS, and BM-RS. RS may be periodic, such as an RS occasion carrying one or more RSs that may occur with certain periodicity (e.g., 20 ms, 40 ms). The RS may also be aperiodic. Each SSB may carry NR-PSS, NR-SSS and NR-PBCH in 4 successive symbols. One or multiple SSBs may be transmitted inP113002W001one SSB burst which is repeated with certain periodicity (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms and 160 ms). Other periodicities are possible. The UE may be configured with information about SSB on cells of certain carrier frequency by one or more SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configurations. The SMTC configuration comprises parameters such as SMTC periodicity, SMTC occasion length in time or duration, SMTC time offset wrt reference time (e.g. serving cell’s SFN) etc. Therefore, SMTC occasion may also occur with certain periodicity (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, 160 ms) Other periodicities are possible. The SMTC occasion may contain one or more RSs such as SSBs.

[0044] The term “positioning radio signal” may refer to any radio signal, which can be used for radio measurements, which in turn can be used for positioning purpose. An example is positioning reference signal or PRS, but it can also be other radio signals, as described above. The positioning signal may be configured without UE involvement (such as by network nodes, when the network needs) or may be configured upon the UE’s demand (“on-demand” positioning signals). The positioning signal may be broadcasted, multicasted, or can be UE-specific.

[0045] The term “served by a radio network node” may broadly refer to having an active connection state (e.g., RRC_ACTIVE) or being in an inactive state or camping on a cell controlled by the radio network node (e.g., RRC_INACTIVE or RRC_IDLE).

[0046] As discussed above regarding the prior art, there currently exist certain challenges. For example, reusing at least some 5G positioning features in 6G is very likely to happen, because a positioning feature is:(1) needed in the first release of 6G to, for example, meet operator demands, FCC requirements, ITU-R requirements (positioning performance requirements for IMT-2030 are being specified now to be used for benchmarking networks as 6G); and(2) complicated and time-demanding for standardization, which makes it difficult to introduce this from scratch in 6G already in the first release, when even the basic 6G radio is still not yet complete.

[0047] Also, procedures enabling 5G positioning measurements in 6G do not exist and will have to be standardized (e.g., procedures to request 5G positioning measurements for 6G positioning, procedures to request 6G measurement gaps for performing 5G positioning measurements, etc.).P113002W001

[0048] Additionally, enabling inter-RAT 5G positioning measurements in 6G is not straightforward due to the complexity of 5G and the 5G positioning feature itself as well as because the positioning node is not a part of the RAN. More specific issues include:• Measurement gaps necessary for the measurements may be not yet configured in the UE;• SCS of 5G PRS to be measured by UE is not known to 6G RAT;• 5G PRS length is not known to 6G RAT ;• Measurement window which indicates a subset of PRS resources to be measured is not known to 6G RAT;• Number of PRS samples and if the measurement is periodic or aperiodic, needed for 5G positioning measurements is not known to 6G RAT ;• 5G PRS BW(s) are generally not known to 6G RAT, but may be needed, e.g., for UE BWP configuration, measurement gap configuration;• There can be multiple PRS resources with a set, and there can also be multiple PRS sets

[0049] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Methods and systems for enabling UE positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals and requested by a positioning node are described, when the UE is served by a 6G radio network node, which may not be aware of the positioning measurements configuration in the UE. Some examples include:• Methods in the UE to inform the serving 6G radio network node about positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals, including sending essential parameters • Methods in the 6G radio network node for performing one or more operations in response to receiving the message from the UE, to enable the UE to perform the positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals• Methods and systems to support using SI reading and / or broadcast assistance data for positioning• Methods and systems to support on-demand PRS

[0050] Embodiments may comprise methods to enable UE measurements based on 5G radio signals for positioning purposes (e.g., requested by a positioning node or triggered in the UE), when the UE is served by a 6G radio network node. The methods may comprise interaction between the UE with the 6G radio network facilitating the measurements.

[0051] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, 5G positioning measurements may be configured and requested inP113002W0016G. Also, NR PRS information may be conveyed to the 6G serving node of the UE. Additionally, measurement gaps for the UE in 6G may be configured and adapted for NR PRS measurements. Another technical advantage which may be provided is the performance of NR PRS based measurements by UE served by 6G BS.Scenario

[0052] A UE may be served by a first radio network node comprised in a first RAT and is configured to perform at least one positioning measurement based at least on a radio signal transmitted by a second radio network node in a second RAT (a measurement may be based on transmissions from more than one radio nodes or may be bidirectional based on DL and UL radio signals).• The serving first radio network node may comprise or control a serving cell of the UE, primary cell, PCell, secondary cell, SCell, primary SCG cell, or PSCell.• The first RAT may comprise 6G, the first radio network node may comprise a BS, the second RAT may comprise NR or 5G, the second radio network node may comprise a gNB, and the radio signal may comprise any of: NR PRS, NR SSB, NR CSI-RS, or NR TRS specified in 3GPP TS 38.211.• The UE may be configured to perform the at least one positioning measurement by:o pre-configuration,o a message or command received from a third node (e.g., comprising location management function (LMF) or positioning node; in one example, the third node can comprise a core network node; in another example, the third node can comprise a 6G radio network node not comprising the first radio network node), oro a triggering by the UE, UE higher layers, UE application, or LCS Client in the UE.

[0053] When the UE is configured with the at least one positioning measurement according to the above description, the UE may further perform at least one of the below:• Interact with the first radio network node to facilitate performing the requested positioning measurements, wherein the interaction may comprise: (1) sending at least one message to the first radio network node (e.g., comprising / controlling a 6G serving cell of the UE) in relation to the configured positioning measurement(s) (see Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G Positioning Measurements for details), (2) triggering in the first radio network node an action or operation byP113002W001the sent message (see Methods in the First (6G) Radio Network Node), and (3) receiving in response a configuration message or command from the first radio network node (see Methods in the First (6G) Radio Network Node). If the UE is not in the active RRC state in 6G (e.g., it is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_IN ACTIVE), the UE may initiate establishing the active state in 6G for further interaction for positioning purpose.• Perform the requested positioning measurement (which may also include SI reading or acquiring broadcast assistance data in some examples), which may then be reported to the third node or used in the UE for positioning, and / or• Check the availability of the requested measurements and report them upon their availability to the requesting node (the third node). For example, report as E-CID measurements any of: NR RSRP, NR RSRQ, or NR UE Rx-Tx based on NR radio signals, or report the performed upon the request NR RSTD measurements without interaction (if not needed, if the UE measurement gaps are sufficient, etc.) or with the interaction (if needed, e.g., when the UE needs measurements gap (re)configuration, etc.)Methods to Request / Report 5G inter-RAT Positioning Measurements in 6G

[0054] FIG 4 shows an example of a message flow (400) between the involved entities, where the message sent to the (6G) serving radio node comprises indication of the need for measurement gaps and parameters to enable the (6G) serving radio network node to configure measurement gaps accordingly. In some embodiments, the inter-RAT NR positioning measurements may be triggered in the UE and not by the positioning node. The steps for this example may include:

[0055] In (402), the UE reports capability to a location server on whether it has capability to perform Inter-RAT PRS measurements. The measurement gap indication may comprise sending a first message to the serving radio network node, as described in Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G Positioning Measurements. Optionally, the capability may include whether UE can perform Inter-RAT measurement with or without gap. Optionally, the UE may also include the method or the measurements that it can perform using Inter-RAT (e.g., RSTD (DL-TDOA), RSRP (DL-AoD), RSCP (Carrier Phase measurements)).

[0056] In (404), the LMF provides Assistance data to the UE to be able to perform the Inter-RAT DL-PRS measurements. The Assistance data may include timing differenceP113002W001between NR and 6G cells if known. However, if it is unknown, the LMF may request UE to perform the measurement to obtain the SFN time of NR cell in order to identify the timing difference between NR and 6G cell. The assistance data may also include the NR cell subcarrier spacing (SCS) that has been used along with DL-PRS offset from SFN#0.

[0057] In (406), the UE decides if it requires gap or can perform the measurement without having the gap. If gap configuration is not required, then the UE can move to step (414), below. If gap configuration is required, then optional steps (408) to (412), described below, may be used, followed by step (414).

[0058] In (408), the UE provides a request for the characteristic(s) of gap that is needed or any other assistance needed. Other assistance needed may be, for example, one or more configuration parameters for the UE measurement operation, (re)scheduling of one or more signal transmissions from the 6G serving node to enable the inter-RAT positioning measurements by the UE (e.g., scheduling the UE to not transmit or receive other signals or data when the UE needs to perform the inter-RAT positioning measurements). In an embodiment where the 6G base station may require the characteristic(s), reportable characteristics may include the timing difference between 5G and 6G cell, subcarrier spacing, SFN0 offset of DL PRS transmission. In other embodiments, the 6G base station may provide gap to the UE in advance (preconfigured gap), in which case the UE may judge the suitable gap pattern and request to the base station to activate that.

[0059] In (410), the base station determines gap configuration in the radio network node, which may may comprise performing any operation described in Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G Positioning Measurements.

[0060] In (412), the base station provides the gap or activates any preconfigured gap. Providing the gap configuration may comprise sending a response message to the UE, as described in Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G Positioning Measurements and Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G Positioning Measurements.

[0061] In (414), the UE performs the measurement.

[0062] In (416), the UE may request the gNB to deactivate the gap or stop the gap config. Requesting gap stop may comprise sending a second message by the UE to the serving radio network node indicative of the 5G measurements stop.

[0063] In (418), the UE reports the result to the LMF.Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G Positioning MeasurementsP113002W001

[0064] The UE served by the first (6G) radio network node, upon being configured with the at least one positioning measurement based at least on the 5G radio signal transmitted by the second radio network node, may, in an embodiment, send a message associated with the at least one positioning measurement to the radio network node (its serving radio network node), wherein the message can comprise at least one of the below:• An indication of that the UE is configured to perform or going to stop performing one or more positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals• An indication of the type of the positioning measurement(s) to be performed based on 5G radio signals (e.g., NR RSTD, NR RSCP, NR UE Rx-Tx time difference, NR RSCPD, NR PRS RSRP or RSRPP, NR TDOA, NR multi-RTT, NR E-CID measurements)• An indication that the UE needs an UL (e.g., 5G or 6G) radio signal transmission to perform the positioning measurement based on DL 5G radio signals and the UL radio signals• An indication that the UE needs to acquire timing of the 5G cell• An indication of the UE’s need for on-demand positioning radio signals (see also On- demand (5G) NR PRS for Inter-RAT Measurements with Interaction with 5G gNB) • An indication of the UE’s need for broadcast assistance data for positioning (see also Methods to Support using SI Reading and / or Broadcast Positioning Assistance Data for Positioning Purpose). The indication may also comprise the SI configuration or indicate time resources for the SI reading, to enable the 6G node configure correct gaps.• An indication that the UE needs measurement gaps for one or more positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals. The indication may comprise at least one of:o An indication that the UE needs periodic measurement gapso An indication that the UE needs a certain limited number M of measurement gaps (M can be 1, 2, 3, ...)o Preferred measurement gap pattern for the inter-RAT NR positioning measurements• One or more parameters related to the configuration of 5G radio signals or 5G cell configuration transmitting the 5G radio signals, such as related to its absolute or relative time occurrence or offset (e.g., with respect to 6G timing, relative to 5G or 6G SFNO or other 5G or 6G specific SFN, subframe / slot / symbol boundary), carrier frequency andP113002W001frequency-domain configuration, bandwidth, 5G cell SSB configuration, related to measurement gap configuration needed to receive 5G radio signals. Examples include:o One or more of time window configurations during which the one or more positioning measurements the UE needs to perform, characterized by at least two of: start of the window, end of the window, length of the window, offset of the window, indication of whether the window is periodic or single-shot; different windows may comprise different PRS sets or may be configured for different positioning measurements; the time window may be configured for a specific positioning measurement type, such as carrier phase measurements which have to be performed within such windowso Periodicity of measurement occasions, which may comprise time resources with the 5G radio signals to measureo One or more bandwidths of the 5G radio signals to measure (e.g., in Hz or in PRBs with associated SCS), where the bandwidth may be associated with a carrier frequency or ARFCN and can be any one or more of:■ Total bandwidth of the 5G radio signals to measure■ One or more parts of the wideband 5G radio signal to be measured, e.g., bandwidth per hop for positioning measurements or component bandwidth for bandwidth aggregation for positioning measurements ■ Total aggregated bandwidth or total bandwidth for multiple hops o Two or more carrier frequencies or ARFCN, where the carriers may be linked and associated with the same positioning measurement or with a joint measurement request.o Time A between a first time point tl associated with the first radio network node and a time point t2 associated with the 5G radio signal, where time A can be measured in one or more of: time units (e.g., ms or ps), radio resource units (e.g., radio frames, subframes, slots, symbols, etc.). Time A may:■ Comprise the time between the beginning of SFN 0 of the UE’s (6G) serving cell and SFN 0 of the cell transmitting the 5G radio signal ■ Comprisesequence of {dj = k * L^, i = 1. . A}, where k is an integer number of radio resource units of length , where N- 1 , 2, 3..., Li > Li+1. k can be the largest integer number of radio resources units of longest lengthbetween tl and t2. For example, i=lP113002W001can correspond to radio frames, i=2 can correspond to slots, i=3=N can correspond to symbols. As another example, i=l=N can correspond to symbols. In yet another example, i=l=N can correspond to system radio frames.■ Comprise, or 4, may comprise, a function of or depend on at least one property of the 5G radio signal such as periodicity T, frequency range, and / or SCS of the 5G radio signal■ Comprise measurement gap offset■ Be determined based on a measurement gap timing advance value suitable for measuring the 5G radio signal■ Be associated with, or 4, may be associated with, reference numerology such as SCS of the 6G serving cell or the SCS indicated in the message to the 6G serving cell. In some embodiments, the reference numerology may be pre-defined and not necessarily signaled o One or more measurement gap configuration parameters recommended by the UE for measuring the 5G radio signals, such as measurement gap repetition period or MGRP, measurement gap length or MGL (e.g., msl.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 10, or 20 ms), measurement gap offset, measurement gap timing advance or MGTA (the time before the gap subframe occurrence, e.g., 0,25 ms or 0.5 ms) o A numerology configuration parameter associated with the 5G positioning measurement, such as SCS, CP length. This may impact the measurement gap configuration for the UE performing the positioning measurements based on the 5G radio signals. SCS can also be associated with the fine-timing offset, particularly when the 6G SCS is smaller than the 5G SCS, which may mean 6G slot length is longer and less granular than the 5G slot length, so the time offset to the 5G time resources configured based on the known SCS of the 6G is less accurate and less flexible.o One or more configuration parameters of the 5G radio signal (e.g., ID, periodicity, duration, BW)o One or more of SSB or SMTC configuration parameters associated with the 5G radio signal (e.g., periodicity), which may impact measurement gap configuration

[0065] In response to the message sent by the UE to the serving radio network node according to the description above, the radio network node may perform a method such as oneP113002W001described in the Methods in the First (6G) Radio Network Node section and can also respond with a message to the UE.Methods in the First (6G) Radio Network Node

[0066] Based on the received message from the UE, the (6G) serving first radio network node, may perform at least one of the following actions or operations:1. Configure measurement gaps and send the corresponding measurement gap configuration message to the UE to enable the UE to perform the 5G positioning measurements ensuring that, for example:• the measurement gaps match with the necessary 5G radio signals, to enable the positioning measurements based on these radio signals within the measurement gaps)• the measurement gaps have sufficient MGL to cover the necessary 5G radio signals • the necessary number of measurement gaps are configured for the UE• the measurement gap periodicity matches the 5G radio signals periodicity• the measurement gap configuration matches the preferred measurement gap pattern indicated by the UE• the measurements gap configuration matches the 5G SIB or positioning SIB configuration, to enable the UE to read the 5G SI for positioning purpose (see also Methods to Support using SI Reading and / or Broadcast Positioning Assistance Data for Positioning Purpose).2. Configuring DRX in the UE adaptively to the 5G positioning measurements need, to enable the UE to perform the 5G positioning measurements3. Release measurement gaps and send a message to the UE to trigger the release of the earlier configured measurement gaps for positioning measurements, when not needed any more for the positioning measurements4. Reconfigure the already configured measurement gaps in the UE and send the corresponding measurement gap reconfiguration message to adapt to the 5G positioning measurements configuration. This may ensure that, for example:• The measurement gaps match with the necessary 5G radio signals, to enable the positioning measurements based on these radio signals within the measurement gaps)• The measurement gaps have sufficient MGL to cover the necessary 5G radio signalsP113002W001• The necessary number of measurement gaps are configured for the UE• The measurement gap periodicity matches the 5G radio signals periodicity 5. Configure or reconfigure at least one bandwidth part for the UE, e.g., via DCI or RRC, while ensuring that• The 5G measurements match the UE bandwidth part, so that the measurements are performed within the UE bandwidth part, or• A bandwidth part intended for other UE measurements is available when the UE is not performing the 5G radio signals, or• To avoid performing bandwidth part switching procedure when the UE needs to perform positioning measurements based on the 5G radio signals6. Control of disruptions or interruptions in the UE impacting the positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals and sending a control message or command accordingly to, for example, avoid configuring operations which may cause interruptions in the UE when the UE needs to perform the positioning measurements based on the 5G radio signals. Examples of such operations include:• serving cell change, UE RF reconfiguration, serving cell [such as SCell or PSCell] activation / deactivation / addition / release, transitions between active and non-active during DRX, transitions from non-DRX to DRX, measurements which cannot be performed in parallel with the positioning measurements based on the 5G radio signals, SRS antenna port switching or carrier based switching.7. Adapt the scheduling of at least one transmission of a 6G radio signal or data to the UE and sending a control message or command related to the scheduling accordingly to, for example, avoid transmitting when the UE is expected to receive the 5G radio signals for positioning measurements.8. Adapt the scheduling of at least one transmission of a 6G radio signal or data from the UE and sending a control message or command related to the scheduling accordingly to, for example, avoid scheduling the transmission when the UE is expected to receive 5G radio signals for positioning measurements.9. Adapt the overall measurement configuration for the UE (including, for example, RRM measurements, mobility measurements, 6G positioning measurements, sensing measurements), postponing configuring new measurement when the quota can be exceeded, for example, so that no reporting criteria requirement is not exceeded, when the UE is expected to perform 5G positioning measurements (e.g., the UE may be notP113002W001expected to perform more than XI inter-RAT measurements in total including positioning measurements, or the UE may be not expected to perform more than X2 measurements in total over all carrier frequencies, or the UE may be not expected to perform more than X3 measurements in total over NR carrier frequencies, etc.). The serving radio network node may send a control message or command to the UE accordingly.10. Configure 5G radio signal transmissions to enable the UE positioning measurements based on the 5G radio signal (see also item (12))11. If the UE indicates (see also item (12)) the need to perform bidirectional 5G radio measurements, which requires the UE to receive 5G DL radio signals and also needs one of the below:a. the tx timing of the UL transmission of a 5G UL radio signal: the serving 6G radio node may also trigger the 5G UL radio signal transmission scheduling in the UE directly sending a message to the UE or to another (5G) serving node of the UE (the 5G serving node in response may schedule at least one UL transmission in the UE to enable the UE positioning measurements based on 5G radio signals)b. the tx timing of the UL transmission of a 6G UL radio signal: the serving 6G radio node may also trigger the 6G UL radio signal transmission scheduling in the UE directly sending a message to the UE12. Assisting the UE in SI reading and / or receiving broadcast positioning data for positioning measurements (see also Methods to Support Using SI Reading and / or Broadcast Positioning Assistance Data for Positioning Purpose), e.g., configuring the appropriate measurement gaps upon the UE’s request or indication (the indication mays also comprise the SI configuration or indicate time resources for the SI reading, to enable the 6G radio network node to configure correct gaps, or the 6G radio network node can acquire this information from a network node, including positioning node, 0AM, another radio network node) and / or providing partly or fully the SI information or its configuration to the UE.13. Assisting the UE in receiving on-demand PRS for positioning measurements.

[0067] The above operations in the radio network node may comprise sending a message to the UE (the message contents may depend on the operation above), in response to the UE message described in Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G PositioningP113002W001Measurements. For example, a control message or command related to the respective operation may be sent to the UE.Methods to Support using SI Reading and / or Broadcasting Positioning Assistance Data for Positioning Purpose

[0068] In some embodiments, performing a positioning measurement may further comprise reading system information and / or broadcast positioning assistance data necessary for the positioning measurement based on 5G radio signals, as shown by the method (500) in FIG. 5.

[0069] For UE served by a 6G radio network node, reading 5G system information (SI) and / or broadcast positioning assistance data may also require a configuration from the 6G radio network node, e.g., a specific measurement gap configuration, which is suitable for the SI reading and / or acquiring the broadcast positioning assistance data for further performing the positioning measurements based on the 5G radio signals. Hence, the UE may send an indication of the need or request (502) to the 6G radio network node (see also Methods to Inform the 6G Radio Network Node about 5G Positioning Measurements) and receive in response the necessary configuration message or command. Upon receiving the necessary configuration message or command from the 6G radio network node, the UE may perform the positioning measurements based on the 5G radio signals, including reading 5G SI and / or broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0070] The serving 6G base station may:• Retrieve (504) the 5G SIBs / posSIBs or their configurations from 5G gNB and / or optionally retrieve (506) the posSIBs or their configurations from LMF (as shown in FIG.5), and provide (508) the relevant 5G SI information fully or partly to the UE, and / or • assist the UE in reading 5G SIBs / posSIBs to, for example, configure measurement gaps suitable for the 5G SI reading for positioning purpose.Qn-demand (5G) NR PRS for Inter-RAT Measurements with Interaction with 5G gNB

[0071] In some embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 6 with the method (600), the UE may request the LMF to provide PRS configuration, based upon the properties of Inter-RAT measurement requirements, such as:• Fine timing difference between NR (5G) and 6G cells• Configured measurement gap where UE is expected to perform measurementsP113002W001• DRX cycle of 6G cell in RRC Connected and RRC Inactive mode where UE is expected to perform measurement during wake-up durations (active time)

[0072] The LMF may request to the 5G gNB to transmit PRS accordingly and once received, ack provides the configuration to the UE to perform the measurement.

[0073] In (602), the UE may transmit a LPP (or other positioning protocol) On demand PRS Request with fine time difference between NR and 5G cells including measurement gap config information as configured by 6G gNB.

[0074] In (604), the LMF may configure the PRS accordingly (allowing UE for inter-RAT measurement), e.g., based at least in part on a positioning protocol comprising the on-demand PRS request.

[0075] In (606), the LMF may request the PRS accordingly (allowing UE for inter-RAT measurement).

[0076] In (608), the 5G gNB may provide Ack / Nack to the LMF.

[0077] In (610), the LMF may provide PRS Configuration to the UE.

[0078] In (612), the UE may perform Inter-RAT measurements.Qn-demand (5G) NR PRS for Inter-RAT Measurements with Interaction with 6G gNB

[0079] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 with the method (700), the LMF may suggest to 6G gNB the measurement gap that it should configure towards the UE, so that the UE can perform Inter-RAT measurements.

[0080] The LMF may realize that UE is in 6G cell and requires 5G cell PRS based upon the LPP Request. The LMF may then prepare a suitable measurement gap that the UE would need so that the UE will not miss the PRS transmission from 5G cells. This may include considering when the 5G cells / gNBs are transmitting PRS (e.g., in which duration, periodicity).

[0081] The LMF suggests the measurement gap to the serving 6G gNB and the serving 6G gNB provides it to the UE, allowing the UE to perform the positioning measurements.

[0082] In (702), the UE may transmit a LPP (or other positioning protocol) On demand PRS Request to the LMF.

[0083] In (704), the LMF may determine if the UE is in 6G Cell based upon the UE’s serving cell ID.

[0084] In (706), the LMF may suggest measurement gap to 6G gNB (considering as per how 5G gNB is transmitting PRS (e.g., PRS periodicity, duration).

[0085] In (708), the 6G gNB may provide Ack / Nack to the LMF.

[0086] In (710), the 6G gNB may transmit measurement gap to the UE for configurationP113002W001

[0087] In (712), the LMF may provide PRS Configuration to the UE.

[0088] In (714), the UE may perform Inter-RAT measurements.Additional Embodiments

[0089] Figure 8 shows an example of a communication system 4100 in accordance with some embodiments. In the example, the communication system 4100 includes a telecommunications network 4102 that includes an access network 4104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 4106, which includes one or more core network nodes 4108. The access network 4104 includes one or more access network nodes or base stations of various types, access network nodes 4110A and 4110B are depicted (which may be collectively referred to as network nodes 4110), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points (APs). Some embodiments of the access network 4104 may include more than one access network technology. The network nodes 4110 of access network 4104 facilitate direct or indirect connection of wireless devices, also referred to as user equipments (UEs), such as by connecting UEs 4112A, 4112B, 4112C, and 4112D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 4112) to the core network 4106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0090] Moreover, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunications network 4102 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a network node in the telecommunications network 4102 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other network nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any network node in the telecommunications network 4102, including one or more access network nodes 4110 and / or core network nodes 4108.

[0091] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). An ORAN network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaulP113002W001user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN network node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface defined by the 0-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies.

[0092] The network nodes 4110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of one or more UEs 4112 to the core network 4106 over one or more wireless connections. Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 4100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 4100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0093] The UEs 4112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 4110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 4108, 4110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly (e.g., via other devices of telecommunications network 4102) with the UEs 4112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunications network 4102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunications network 4102. More specifically, UEs 4112 may send messages, data, and / or other signals to network nodes 4108, 4110 or other elements of the telecommunications network 4102 by transmitting such signals to the relevant device directly without the signals passing through any intervening devices or by transmitting such signals to the relevant device indirectly through an intervening device (or multiple intervening devices) that then transmit the signal to the relevant device. Similarly, network nodes 4108, 4110 may send messages, data, and other signals to UEs 41122, other network nodes 4108, 4110, and other devices in telecommunications network 4102 directly or indirectly. As one specific example, a core network node 108 may transmit a particular message to a UE 4112 byP113002W001transmitting the message to an access network node 4110 that will then transmit the message to the intended UE 4112. Similarly, a core network node 108 may receive a particular message from a UE 4112 by receiving the message from an access network node 4110 that itself received the message from the UE 4112.

[0094] In the depicted example, the core network 4106 connects elements of the access network 4104 (e.g., one or more of the network nodes 4110) to one or more host computing systems, such as host 4116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 4106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 4108) of various types, one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 4108. Network nodes 4108 are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, access network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 4108. Example core network nodes provide functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDE), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0095] The host 4116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 4104 and / or the telecommunications network 4102. The host 4116 may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 4116 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0096] As a whole, the communication system 4100 of Figure 8 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 4100 may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE),P113002W001and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (Wi-Fi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wi-Max), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, Li-Fi, and / or any low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox. Moreover, the communication system 4100 may be configured to support multiple different standards, protocols, or other rule sets, with individual components supporting all of the relevant rule sets or with different components or sub-systems within the communication system 4100 supporting different standards, protocols, or rule sets.

[0097] As one example, in certain embodiments, access network 4104 may contain some access network nodes 4110 that support 3GPP radio access technologies (RAT), such as LTE or NR, while other access network nodes 4110 support (or the same access network nodes 4110 additionally support) non-3GPP RATs, such as Wi-Fi or a proprietary RAT. As another example, telecommunications network 4102 may support multiple generations of related communication standards (e.g., 4G and 5G 3GPP communication standards) and, as a result, may include an access network 104 and / or a core network 106 that supports multiple different standard generations or may include multiple access networks 104 and / or multiple core networks 106 with individual networks 104, 106 supporting different standard generations.

[0098] Telecommunications network 4102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunications network 4102. For example, the telecommunications network 4102 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs.

[0099] In some examples, one or more of the UEs 4112 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 4104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 4104. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).P113002W001

[0100] In the example, the hub 4114 communicates with the access network 4104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 4112C and / or 4112D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 4110B). In some examples, the hub 4114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 4114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 4106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 4114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 4110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 4114.

[0101] As another example, the hub 4114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 4114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 4114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 4114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 4114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0102] The hub 4114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 4110B. The hub 4114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 4114 and UEs (e.g., UE 4112C and / or 4112D), and between the hub 4114 and the core network 4106. In other examples, the hub 4114 is connected to the core network 4106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 4114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 4104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 4110 while still connected via the hub 4114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 4114 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 4110B. In other embodiments, the hub 4114 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 4110B, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0103] Figure 9 is another example of a communication system 4200 according to some embodiments. As used herein, the communication system 4200 includes multiple access pointsP113002W001(APs) 4210 (with four exemplary APs 4210A, 4210B, 4210C, and 4210D being depicted) and multiple wireless devices, referred to in the context of communication system 4200 as stations (STAs) 4212 (referred to individually as STA 4212A, STA 4212B, STA 4212C, STA 4212D, and STA 4212E). STA 4212A is served by AP 4210A in a first basic service set (BSS) 4220A. STA 4210B and STA 4210C are served by AP 4210B in a second BSS, BSS 4220B. STA 4212D is served by AP 4210C in a third BSS, BSS 4220C. STA 4212E is served by AP 4210D in a fourth BSS, BSS 4220D. Stations 4212 may be non-AP STAs and correspond to various kinds of wireless devices, for example, user terminals, such as mobile or stationary computing devices like smartphones, laptop computers, desktop computers, tablet computers, gaming devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs) for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), or the like. Further, stations 4212 could, for example, correspond to other kinds of equipment like smart home devices, printers, multimedia devices, data storage devices, or the like.

[0104] Each of STAs 4212 may connect through a radio link to one of APs 4210. For example, depending on location or channel conditions experienced by a given STA 4212, the STA may select an appropriate AP and BSS for establishing the radio link. The radio link may be based on one or more orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) carriers from a frequency spectrum that is shared on the basis of a contention-based mechanism, e.g., an unlicensed or license exempt band like 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, or the 60 GHz band.

[0105] Each AP 4210 may provide data connectivity to STAs 4212 connected to a particular AP 4210. As illustrated, APs 4210 may be connected to a data network 4230. In this way, APs 4210 may also provide data connectivity between STAs 4212 and other entities, e.g., to one or more servers, service providers, data sources, data sinks, user terminals, or the like. Accordingly, the radio link established between a given STA 4212 and its serving AP 4210 may be used for providing various kinds of services to STA 4212, e.g., a voice service, a multimedia service, or other data service. Such services may be based on applications that are executed on STA 4212 and / or on a device linked to STA 4212. By way of example, Figure 9 illustrates an application service platform 4232 provided in data network 4230. The application(s) executed on STA 4212 and / or on one or more other devices linked to STA 4212 may use the radio link for data communication with one or more other STA 4212 and / or the application service platform 4232, thereby enabling utilization of the corresponding service(s) at STA 4212.

[0106] Figure 10 shows a wireless device 4300, which may be configured to operate in communication system 4100 of Figure 8 or in communication system 4200 of Figure 9. TheP113002W001wireless device 4300 may be alternatively referred to as a UE 4300, like a UE 4112 within the context of communication system 4100, or as a station (STA) 4300 or as a non-access-point station (non-AP STA) 4300, like a STA 4212 within the context of the communication system 4200, in accordance with respective embodiments. As used herein, a wireless device refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Examples of a wireless device include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptopmounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, and wireless terminal. Other examples include any type of UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0107] A wireless device 4300 may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, wireless device 4300 may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, wireless device 4300 may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, wireless device 4300 may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0108] In particular embodiments, wireless device 4300 includes processing circuitry 4302 that is operatively coupled via a bus 4304 to an input / output interface 4306, a power source 4308, a memory 4310, a communication interface 4312, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain embodiments of wireless device 4300 may include all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 10. The level of integration between the components may vary from one embodiment of wireless device 4300 to another. In general, in a particular embodiment of wireless device 4300, processing circuitry 4302, input / output interface 4306, power source 4308, memory 4310, and communication interface 4312 may, in whole or in part, represent or include physical components common to or shared by one or more of the otherP113002W001elements of wireless device 4300. Further, certain embodiments of wireless devices 4300 may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0109] The processing circuitry 4302 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 4310. The processing circuitry 4302 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 4302 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0110] In the example, the input / output interface 4306 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into wireless device 4300. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0111] In some embodiments, the power source 4308 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used to supply power to circuitry or to charge an associated battery. The power source 4308 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 4308 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of wireless device 4300 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Power source 4308 may perform any formatting, converting, or otherP113002W001modification to make accessible power suitable for the respective components of the wireless device 4300 to which power is supplied.

[0112] The memory 4310 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 4310 includes one or more programs 4314, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 4316. The memory 4310 may store, for use by wireless device 4300, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0113] The memory 4310 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card.’ The memory 4310 may allow wireless device 4300 to access instructions, programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 4310, which may be or comprise a device -readable storage medium.

[0114] The processing circuitry 4302 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network via or using the communication interface 4312. The communication interface 4312 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 4322. The communication interface 4312 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another wireless device or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 4318 and / or a receiver 4320 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g.,P113002W001optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 4318 and receiver 4320 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 4322) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0115] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 4312 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0116] In particular embodiments, wireless device 4300 may provide an output of data captured via a sensor, through its communication interface 4312, via a wireless connection to a network node, and / or in any appropriate manner. Data captured by sensors of a wireless device 4300 can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another wireless device 4300. In particular embodiments, such output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0117] As another example, wireless device 4300 comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, wireless device 4300 may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0118] Wireless device 4300, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limitingP113002W001examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. In particular embodiments, wireless device 4300 represents an loT device that comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the example embodiment of wireless device 4300 shown in Figure 10.

[0119] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, wireless device 4300 may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another wireless device and / or a network node. Wireless device 4300 may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, wireless device 4300 may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, wireless device 4300 may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0120] In practice, any number of wireless devices 4300 may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first wireless device 4300 might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second wireless device 4300 that is a remote controller operating the drone. When a user makes changes from the remote controller, the first wireless device 4300 may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second wireless device 4300 can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, wireless device 4300 might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0121] Figure 11 shows a network node 4400 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operableP113002W001to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunications network. In accordance with respective embodiments, network node 4400 may be configured to operate in communication system 4100 of Figure 8, like network nodes 4108 or 4110, or in communication system 4200 of Figure 9, like an AP 4210 or a station 4212. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), O-RAN nodes or components of an O-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[0122] Network nodes 4400 may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. Network node 4400 may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. Network nodes 4400 may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an O-RAN access node) and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0123] Other examples of network nodes 4400 include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0124] In particular embodiments, network node 4400 includes a processing circuitry 4402, a memory 4404, a communication interface 4406, and a power source 4408. In general, in a particular embodiment of network node 4400, processing circuitry 4402, memory 4404, communication interface 4406, and power source 4408 may, in whole or in part, represent or include physical components common to or shared by one or more of the other elements of network node 4400.

[0125] The network node 4400 may be composed of multiple distinct network entities (e.g., a NodeB entity and a RNC entity, or a BTS entity and a BSC entity, etc.), which may each have or utilize their own respective physical components. In certain scenarios in whichP113002W001the network node 4400 comprises multiple such entities (e.g., BTS and BSC), one or more of the separate entities may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 4400 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 4404 or portions of memory 4404 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 4410 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 4400 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 4400, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, Wi-Fi (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 4400.

[0126] The processing circuitry 4402 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other components, such as the memory 4404, to provide network node 4400 functionality.

[0127] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 4402 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 4402 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 4412 and baseband processing circuitry 4414. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 4412 and the baseband processing circuitry 4414 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 4412 and baseband processing circuitry 4414 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0128] The memory 4404 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device -readable and / or computerexecutable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be usedP113002W001by the processing circuitry 4402. The memory 4404 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 4402 and utilized by the network node 4400. The memory 4404 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 4402 and / or any data received via the communication interface 4406. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 4402 and memory 4404 is integrated.

[0129] The communication interface 4406 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data with UEs, other network nodes, and / or any other network equipment. In the illustrated embodiment, communication interface 4406 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 4416 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. In particular embodiments, network node 4300 may be capable of wireless communication and communication interface 4406 may also include radio front-end circuitry 4418 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, an antenna 4410. Particular embodiments of radio front-end circuitry 4418 include filter(s) 4420 and amplifier(s) 4422. The radio front-end circuitry 4418 may be connected to an antenna 4410 and processing circuitry 4402. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 4410 and processing circuitry 4402. The radio front-end circuitry 4418 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio frontend circuitry 4418 may convert the digital data into a radio signal(s) having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 4420 and / or amplifiers 4422. The radio signal(s) may then be transmitted via the antenna 4410. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 4410 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 4418. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 4402. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0130] In certain alternative embodiments, network node 4400 may be capable of wireless communication but does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 4418, instead, the processing circuitry 4402 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 4410. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 4412 is part of the communication interface 4406. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 4406 includes one or more ports or terminals 4416, the radio front-end circuitry 4418, and the RF transceiver circuitry 4412, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communicationP113002W001interface 4406 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 4414, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0131] The antenna 4410 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 4410 may be coupled to the radio frontend circuitry 4418 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 4410 is separate from the network node 4400 and connectable to the network node 4400 through one or more interfaces or ports.

[0132] The antenna 4410, communication interface 4406, and / or the processing circuitry 4402 may be configured to perform some or all of the receiving operations and / or obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 4400. Any information, data and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 4410, the communication interface 4406, and / or the processing circuitry 4402 may be configured to perform some or all of the transmitting or sending operations described herein as being performed by the network node 4400. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0133] The power source 4408 provides power to the various components of network node 4400 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 4408 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 4400 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 4400 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 4408. As a further example, the power source 4408 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0134] Embodiments of the network node 4400 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 11 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 4400 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 4400 and to allow output of information from the network node 4400. This may allow a user toP113002W001perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 4400.

[0135] Figure 12 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 4500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 4500 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as an access network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which a virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 4500 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface.

[0136] Applications 4502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0137] Hardware 4504 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 4506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VM 4508A and VM 4508B (which may be collectively referred to as VMs 4508), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 4506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to one or more of the VMs 4508.

[0138] The VMs 4508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by virtualization layer 4506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 4502 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 4508, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of theP113002W001hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0139] In the context of NFV, each of the VMs 4508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, nonvirtualized machine. Each of the VMs 4508, and that part of hardware 4504 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more of the VMs 4508 on top of the hardware 4504 and corresponds to an application 4502.

[0140] Hardware 4504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 4504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 4504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 4510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 4502. In some embodiments, hardware 4504 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 4512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0141] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxesP113002W001located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0142] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device -readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally. Example Embodiments

[0143] Provided below are a variety of possible example embodiments under the present disclosure. These embodiments are provided by way of example only, and are non-limiting to the various teachings and embodiments and functionalities discussed herein.

[0144] Group A Embodiments

[0145] Embodiment 1 : A method performed by a UE being served by a 6G serving radio node, to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: sending a first message comprising the capability of the UE for inter-RAT PRS measurements; identifying, based on a second message, whether the inter-RAT positioning measurement requires a gap or any other involvement of the UE’s 6G serving radio node, wherein the second message comprises assistance data from a positioning node or PRS configuration for the inter-RAT positioning measurements, which is different from the 6G serving radio node, wherein the assistance data enables the UE to perform inter-RAT PRS measurements; sending a third message comprising a request for one or more characteristics of the gap if the gap is needed or any other assistanceP113002W001needed from the 6G serving radio node; performing the inter-RAT positioning measurement; sending a fourth message comprising instructions to stop the gap or indication of stopping the inter-RAT positioning measurements; and sending a fifth message comprising the results from performing the inter-RAT positioning measurement.

[0146] Embodiment 2: The method of embodiment 1, wherein the third message further comprises a time configuration associated with the PRS to be received for the inter-RAT positioning measurements.

[0147] Embodiment 3: The method of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the first message further comprises whether the UE can perform an inter-RAT PRS measurement with or without a gap.

[0148] Embodiment 4: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the first message further comprises the measurements the UE can perform using inter-RAT.

[0149] Embodiment 5: The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein the one or more characteristics of the gap comprise one or more of: a timing difference between a new radio, NR, cell and a 6G cell; a subcarrier spacing; and an SFN0 offset of DL PRS transmission.

[0150] Embodiment 6: A method performed by a positioning node to perform an inter-RAT positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising: sending a first message comprising assistance data from the positioning node or PRS configuration for the inter-RAT positioning measurement, which is different from the 6G serving radio node, wherein the assistance data enables a user equipment, UE, to perform inter-RAT positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements.

[0151] Embodiment 7: The method of embodiment 6, wherein the assistance data comprises a timing difference between one or more new radio, NR, cells and one or more 6G cells.

[0152] Embodiment 8: The method of embodiment 6, wherein the first message further comprises a request for the UE to perform a measurement to obtain a system frame number, SFN, time of one or more new radio, NR, cells.

[0153] Embodiment 9: The method of any of embodiments 6 to 8, wherein the positioning node is a node from a core network or a radio access network, RAN.

[0154] Embodiment 10: A method (400) performed by a network node (4110 A) to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: identifying (410) a gap configuration in the network node; and sending (412) the gap configuration.

[0155] Group B EmbodimentsP113002W001

[0156] Embodiment 11: A method (500) performed by a user equipment (4112A), UE, served by a 6G serving radio node, to support performing an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising: sending (502) a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G system information block, SIB, data, and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0157] Embodiment 12: A method (500) performed by a first network node (4110A) to support performing an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: sending (504) a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G system information block, SIB, data, and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; receiving (504), from a second network node (4110B), a second message comprising the 5G SIB data; and sending (508) a third message comprising the 5G SIB data.

[0158] Embodiment 13: The method of embodiment 12, wherein the second message further comprises the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data, and wherein the third message further comprises the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0159] Embodiment 14: The method of embodiment 12, further comprising one or more of the following: sending (506) a fourth message comprising a request for the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; and receiving (506), from a positioning node (4108), a fifth message comprising the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data, wherein the third message further comprises the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0160] Embodiment 15: The method of embodiment 12, wherein the positioning node is a node from a core network or a radio access network, RAN.

[0161] Embodiment 16: A method (500) performed by a second network node (4110B) to support performing an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: receiving (504), from a first network node (4110A), a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G system information block, SIB, data, and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; and sending (504) a second message comprising the 5G SIB data.

[0162] Embodiment 17: The method of embodiment 16, wherein the second message further comprises the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0163] Embodiment 18: A method (500) performed by a positioning node (4108) to support performing an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: receiving (506), from a first network node (4110A), a first message comprising a request for 5G broadcast positioning assistanceP113002W001data; and sending (506) a second message comprising the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

[0164] Embodiment 19: The method of embodiment 18, wherein the positioning node is a node from a core network or a radio access network, RAN.

[0165] Group C Embodiments

[0166] Embodiment 20: A method (600) performed by a user equipment (4112A), UE, being served by a 6G serving radio node, to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: sending (602) a first message comprising a long-term evolution, LTE, positioning protocol, LPP, on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request; receiving (610), from a positioning node (4108), a positioning reference signal, PRS, configuration; and performing (612) the inter-RAT positioning measurement based on the PRS.

[0167] Embodiment 21 : A method (600) performed by a network node (4110B) to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: receiving (606), from a positioning node (4108), a first message comprising a request for a position reference signal, PRS, based on a configuration; and sending (608) a second message comprising one of an acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement, wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the PRS is configured based on the configuration and the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment otherwise.

[0168] Embodiment 22: The method of embodiment 21, wherein the positioning node is a node from a core network or a radio access network, RAN.

[0169] Embodiment 23: A method (600) performed by a positioning node (4108) to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: receiving (602), from a user equipment (4112A), UE, a first message comprising a long-term evolution, LTE, positioning protocol, LPP, on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request; configuring (604) a PRS based on the LPP, the positioning node comprising the PRS; sending (606) a second message comprising a request for the PRS as configured; receiving (608), from a network node (4110B), a third message comprising one of an acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement; and sending (610), if the third message comprises the acknowledgement, a PRS configuration based on the PRS.

[0170] Group D EmbodimentsP113002W001

[0171] Embodiment 24: A method (700) performed by a user equipment (4112A), UE, being served by a 6G serving radio node, to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: sending (702) a first message comprising a long-term evolution, LTE, positioning protocol, LPP, on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request; receiving (710) a second message comprising a suggested measurement gap or a time-domain configuration allowing the UE to receive the on-demand PRS; receiving (712) a third message comprising a PRS configuration; and performing (714) the inter- RAT positioning measurement based on the suggested measurement gap or the time-domain configuration and the PRS configuration.

[0172] Embodiment 25: A method (700) performed by a network node (4110 A) to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: receiving (706) a first message comprising a suggested measurement gap; sending (708) a second message comprising one of an acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement, wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the suggested measurement gap is accepted by the network node and the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment otherwise; and sending (710), if the suggested measurement gap is accepted by the network node, a third message comprising the suggested measurement gap.

[0173] Embodiment 26: A method (700) performed by a positioning node (4108) to perform an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the method comprising one or more of the following: receiving (702), from a user equipment (4112A), UE, a first message comprising a long-term evolution, LTE, positioning protocol, LPP, on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request; identifying (704) if the UE is in a 6G cell based on a serving cell identification, ID, the UE comprising the serving cell ID; sending (706) a second message comprising a suggested measurement gap; and sending (712) a third message comprising a PRS configuration.

[0174] Embodiment 27: The method of embodiment 26, wherein the positioning node is a node from a core network or a radio access network, RAN.

[0175] Group E Embodiments

[0176] Embodiment 28: A user equipment (4112A), UE, being served by a 6G serving radio node, for enabling an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, comprising: processing circuitry (4302) configured to perform any of the operations of any of embodiments 1^1, 9416, and 19; and a power source (4308) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.P113002W001

[0177] Embodiment 29: A network node (4110A) for enabling an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (4402) configured to perform any of the operations of any of embodiments 8, 10-12, and 20; a power source circuitry (4408) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0178] Embodiment 30: A network node (4110B) for enabling an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (4402) configured to perform any of the operations of any of embodiments 13, 14, and 17; a power source circuitry (4408) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0179] Embodiment 31: A positioning node (4108) for enabling an inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning measurement in 6G, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (4402) configured to perform any of the operations of any of embodiments 5-7, 15, 18, and 21; a power source circuitry (4408) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0180] Embodiment 32: The method of embodiment 25, wherein the positioning node is a node from a core network or a radio access network, RAN.

Claims

P113002W001CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method (400) performed by a user equipment, UE (4112A), being served by a 6G serving radio node (4110A), to perform one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:sending (402), to a network node (4108), a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE for inter-RAT PRS measurements;receiving (404), from the network node, a second message comprising one or more assistance data for help in performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements;detecting (406), based on the second message, if the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements require gap configuration by the 6G serving radio node; andif gap configuration is not required, then performing (414) the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements; andif gap configuration is required, then performing steps of;requesting (408) from the 6G serving radio node, in a third message, one or more gap configurations;receiving (412), from the 6G serving radio node, the one or more gap configurations; andperforming (414) the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:transmitting, to the 6G serving radio node, a request to stop the gap.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:indicating, to the network node, one or more results of the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third message further comprises a time configuration associated with the PRS to be received for the one or more inter-RAT positioning measurements.

5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first message comprises an indication of whether the UE can perform an inter-RAT PRS measurement with or without a gap.P113002W0016. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first message further comprises an indication of one or more measurements the UE can perform using inter-RAT.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the one or more gap configurations comprise one or more of: a timing difference between a new radio, NR, cell and a 6G cell; a subcarrier spacing; and an System Frame Number 0, SFNO, offset of downlink, DE, PRS transmission.

8. A method (400) performed by a network node (4108) for assisting a user equipment, UE (4112A), to perform one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (402), from the UE, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE for inter-RAT PRS measurements; andtransmitting (404), to the UE, a second message comprising one or more assistance data for help in performing one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:receiving, from the UE, one or more results of the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the one or more assistance data comprises a timing difference between one or more new radio, NR, cells and one or more 6G cells.

11. The method of any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the second message further comprises a request for the UE to perform a measurement to obtain a system frame number, SFN, time of one or more new radio, NR, cells.

12. A method (400) performed by a network node (4110A) for assisting a user equipment, UE (4112A), to perform one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (408), from the UE, a request for one or more gap configurations; identifying (410) one or more gap configurations; andtransmitting (412), to the UE, the one or more gap configurations.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:P113002W001receiving, from the UE, a request to stop the gap.

14. A method (500) performed by a user equipment, UE, (4112A) served by a 6G serving radio node, for performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:transmitting (502), to the 6G serving radio node, a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G system information block, SIB, data; and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:receiving, from the 6G serving radio node, at least one of: the 5G SIB data; and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

16. A method (500) performed by a 6G serving radio node (4110A) for assisting a user equipment, UE, to perform one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (502), from the UE, a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G system information block, SIB, data; and 5G broadcast positioning assistance data;transmitting (504), to one or more network nodes (4110B), a second message comprising a request for at least one of: the 5G SIB data; and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data;receiving (504), from the one or more network nodes (4110B), a third message comprising at least one of: the 5G SIB data; and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data; andtransmitting (508), to the UE, at least one of: the 5G SIB data and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more network nodes comprise at least one of: a node from a core network; a node from a radio access network, RAN.

18. A method (500) performed by a network node (4110B) to support a user equipment, UE (4112A), performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (506), from a 6G serving radio node (4110A), a first message comprising a request for at least one of: 5G system information block, SIB, data; and 5G broadcastP113002W001positioning assistance data; andtransmitting (508), to the 6G serving radio node (4110A), a second message comprising at least one of: the 5G SIB data; and the 5G broadcast positioning assistance data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the network node comprises at least one of: a node from a core network; a node from a radio access network, RAN; a positioning node; a location management function, LMF; a 5G node.

20. A method (600) performed by a user equipment, UE, (4112A) served by a 6G serving radio node, for performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:sending (602), to a network node (4108), a first message comprising an on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request;receiving (610), from the network node, one or more PRS configurations; and performing (612) the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements based at least in part on the one or more PRS configurations.

21. A method (500) performed by a network node (4110B) to support a user equipment, UE (4112A), performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (606), from a second network node (4108), a first message comprising a request for a position reference signal, PRS, based on a configuration; andsending (608), to the second network node, a second message comprising one of: an acknowledgement; and a negative acknowledgement;wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the PRS is configured based on the configuration and wherein the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment if the PRS is not configured based on the configuration.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second network node comprises at least one of: a node from a core network; a node from a radio access network, RAN; a positioning node; a location management function, LMF.P113002W00123. A method (600) performed by a network node (4108) to support a user equipment, UE (4112A), performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (602), from the UE, a first message comprising an on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request;configuring (604) a PRS based at least in part on a positioning protocol comprising the on-demand PRS request;sending (606), to a second network node (4110B), a second message comprising a request for the PRS as configured;receiving (608), from the second network node, a third message comprising one of; an acknowledgement; and a negative acknowledgement; andif the third message comprises the acknowledgment, then sending (610), to the UE, a PRS configuration based at least in part on the PRS.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the network node comprises at least one of: a node from a core network; a node from a radio access network, RAN; a positioning node; a location management function, LMF.

25. A method (700) performed by a user equipment, UE, (4112A) served by a 6G serving radio node, for performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:sending (702), to a network node (4108), a first message comprising an on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request;receiving (710), from the 6G serving radio node, a measurement gap configuration; receiving (712), from the network node, a third message comprising a PRS configuration; andperforming (714) the one or more inter-RAT PRS measurements based at least in part on the measurement gap configuration and / or the PRS configuration.

26. A method (700) performed by a 6G serving radio node (4110A) to support a user equipment, UE (4112A), performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (706), from a network node (4108), a first message comprising a suggested measurement gap;P113002W001sending (708), to the network node, a second message comprising one of an acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement, wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the suggested measurement gap is accepted by the 6G serving radio node and the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment otherwise; andif the suggested measurement gap is accepted, then sending (710), to the UE, a third message comprising a measurement gap configuration based at least in part on the suggested measurement gap.

27. A method (700) performed by a network node (4108) to support a user equipment, UE (4112A), performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, the method comprising:receiving (702), from the UE, a first message comprising an on-demand positioning reference signal, PRS, request;detecting (704) if the UE is in a 6G cell based on a serving cell identification, ID; transmitting (706), to a 6G serving radio node (4110A) of the UE, a second message comprising a suggested measurement gap;receiving (708), from the 6G serving radio node, a third message comprising one of an acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement, wherein the second message comprises the acknowledgement if the suggested measurement gap is accepted by the 6G serving radio node and the second message comprises the negative acknowledgment otherwise; and sending (712), to the UE, a fourth message comprising a PRS configuration.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the network node comprises at least one of: a node from a core network; a node from a radio access network, RAN; a positioning node; a location management function, LMF.

29. A user equipment, UE, (4300) for performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS, measurements, comprising:processing circuitry (4302) configured to perform any of the operations of any of embodiments 1-7, 14-15, 20 and 25; anda power source (4308) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

30. A network node (4400) for supporting a user equipment, UE (4300), performing one or more inter-radio access technology, inter-RAT, positioning reference signal, PRS,P113002W001measurements, the network node comprising:processing circuitry (4402) configured to perform any of the operations of any of embodiments 8-13, 16-19, 21-24, and 26-28;a power source circuitry (4408) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

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