Method and device for adaptively using artificial intelligence-based location estimation technique in mobile communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. The present disclosure provides a method and device for artificial intelligence-based terminal location estimation in a mobile communication system.

Description

Method and apparatus for adaptively using an artificial intelligence-based position estimation technique in a mobile communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for artificial intelligence-based terminal location estimation in a mobile communication system.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented not only in frequency bands below 6 GHz ('Sub 6 GHz'), such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5 GHz), but also in ultra-high frequency bands called millimeter waves (mmWave), such as 28 GHz and 39 GHz ('Above 6 GHz'). In addition, for 6G mobile communication technology, which is referred to as a system beyond 5G, implementation in the terahertz band (e.g., the 3 terahertz (3 THz) band at 95 GHz) is being considered to achieve transmission speeds 50 times faster and ultra-low latency reduced to one-tenth compared to 5G mobile communication technology.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, aiming to satisfy service support and performance requirements for enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), technologies such as beamforming and Massive MIMO to mitigate path loss and increase transmission distance in ultra-high frequency bands, support for various numerologies (such as the operation of multiple subcarrier spacings) and dynamic operation of slot formats for the efficient utilization of ultra-high frequency resources, initial access techniques to support multi-beam transmission and broadband, definition and operation of Band-Width Parts (BWP), Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes for high-volume data transmission, new channel coding methods such as Polar Codes for the reliable transmission of control information, and L2 pre-processing (L2 Standardization has been carried out for pre-processing, network slicing which provides a dedicated network specialized for specific services, and other methods.

[0004] Currently, discussions are underway to improve and enhance the performance of the initial 5G mobile communication technology, taking into account the services that the 5G mobile communication technology was intended to support. Additionally, standardization of the physical layer is in progress for technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), which helps autonomous vehicles make driving decisions and enhance user convenience based on their own location and status information transmitted by the vehicle; NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed), which aims for system operation in unlicensed bands to comply with various regulatory requirements; NR terminal low power consumption technology (UE Power Saving); Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), which is direct terminal-satellite communication for securing coverage in areas where communication with the terrestrial network is impossible; and positioning.

[0005] In addition, standardization is underway in the field of wireless interface architecture / protocols for technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for supporting new services through linkage and convergence with other industries, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) which provides nodes for expanding network service areas by integrating wireless backhaul links and access links, Mobility Enhancement including Conditional Handover and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) Handover, and 2-step Random Access (2-step RACH for NR) which simplifies random access procedures. Standardization is also underway in the field of system architecture / services for 5G baseline architectures (e.g., Service based Architecture, Service based Interface) for incorporating Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), which provides services based on the location of the terminal.

[0006] When such 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, connected devices, which are increasing explosively, will be connected to communication networks. Accordingly, it is expected that there will be a need to enhance the functionality and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and to integrate the operation of connected devices. To this end, new research is planned to be conducted on 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction, support for AI services, support for metaverse services, and drone communication using eXtended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

[0007] Furthermore, the advancement of these 5G mobile communication systems encompasses multi-antenna transmission technologies such as new waveforms to guarantee coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and large-scale antennas; metamaterial-based lenses and antennas to improve terahertz band signal coverage; high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum); and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology; as well as Full Duplex technology for enhancing frequency efficiency and system networks in 6G mobile communication technology; AI-based communication technologies that realize system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions; and the realization of services of complexity exceeding the limits of terminal computing capabilities by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. It could serve as a foundation for the development of next-generation distributed computing technologies.

[0008] Meanwhile, in systems utilizing high-frequency bands, technology is required to more accurately estimate the locations of terminals within the network's communication range, depending on various situations such as using a large number of antenna arrays or providing ultra-low latency services.

[0009] Accordingly, one objective of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus and method capable of effectively providing a location estimation service in a next-generation wireless communication system.

[0010] A method of a terminal in a mobile communication system according to an example of the present disclosure for solving the above-mentioned problems may include: receiving auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of the terminal from a location management function (LMF); receiving a location information request message from the LMF; determining whether the AI / ML positioning method is available if information requesting a result of location estimation using an AI / ML positioning method is included in the location information request message; and, if the AI / ML positioning method is not available, transmitting a location information providing message to the LMF as a response to the request message, the message including information regarding the cause of the positioning error.

[0011] In addition, a method of a location management function (LMF) in a mobile communication system according to one example of the present disclosure may include the steps of: transmitting auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of the terminal to a terminal; transmitting a location information request message to the terminal, the message including information requesting a result of a location estimation using an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) positioning method; and receiving a location information provision message from the terminal to the LMF, the message including information regarding the cause of a positioning error, as a response to the request message.

[0012] In addition, in a mobile communication system according to one example of the present disclosure, a terminal may include a transceiver and a control unit that controls the transceiver to receive auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of the terminal from a location management function (LMF), controls the transceiver to receive a location information request message from the LMF, determines whether the AI / ML positioning method is available if information requesting a result of a location estimation using an AI / ML positioning method is included in the location information request message, and if the AI / ML positioning method is not available, controls the transceiver to transmit a location information providing message to the LMF, which includes information regarding the cause of a positioning error, as a response to the request message.

[0013] In addition, in a mobile communication system according to one example of the present disclosure, a location management function (LMF) may include a transceiver and a control unit that controls the transceiver to transmit auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of the terminal to the terminal, and controls the transceiver to transmit a location information request message to the terminal, the control unit which includes information requesting a result of a location estimation using an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) positioning method, and controls the transceiver to receive a location information provision message from the terminal to the LMF, the control unit which includes information regarding the cause of a positioning error, as a response to the request message.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method may be defined that can apply an artificial intelligence-based location estimation technique in conjunction with or optionally with various techniques for location estimation, thereby enabling more accurate estimation of the location of a terminal in a next-generation wireless communication system and effective provision of services.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the structure of an NR system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a wireless protocol structure in an LTE and NR system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a network structure for providing a terminal location estimation service (LoCation Service, hereinafter referred to as LCS) in a next-generation mobile communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the process of performing LCS in a next-generation mobile communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the LPP (LTE Positioning Protocol) message exchange process between a terminal and an LMF (Location Management Function) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a scenario in which a terminal and an LMF perform artificial intelligence-based location estimation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a signaling procedure for artificial intelligence-based terminal location estimation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a block diagram relating to the configuration of a terminal device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a block diagram relating to the configuration of a base station device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the terms described below are defined considering their functions in the present disclosure, and these may vary depending on the intentions or conventions of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0025] The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments provided are merely to ensure that the disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0026] At this point, it will be understood that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be executed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions can be loaded into the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create means to perform the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since these computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory that can be directed toward the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the function in a specific way, the instructions stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item containing instruction means to perform the function described in the flow diagram block(s). Since computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, instructions that perform a series of operation steps on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a process executed by the computer can also provide steps for executing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0027] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or part of code containing one or more executable instructions for executing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks described in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order according to their corresponding functions.

[0028] In this embodiment, the term "part" refers to a software or hardware component such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the "part" performs certain roles. However, the meaning of "part" is not limited to software or hardware. The "part" may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or configured to run one or more processors. Thus, as an example, the "part" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and "parts" may be combined into a smaller number of components and "parts" or further separated into additional components and "parts." In addition, the components and 'parts' may be implemented to utilize one or more CPUs within the device or secure multimedia card. Also, in the embodiments, 'parts' may include one or more processors.

[0029] In describing the present disclosure below, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations will be omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0030] Terms used in the following description to identify connection nodes, terms referring to network entities, terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, terms referring to various identification information, etc., are examples provided for the convenience of explanation. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects having equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0031] In the following description, the terms "physical channel" and "signal" may be used interchangeably with "data" or "control signal." For example, PDSCH (physical downlink shared channel) is a term referring to a physical channel through which data is transmitted, but PDSCH may also be used to refer to data. That is, in this disclosure, the expression "transmits a physical channel" may be interpreted as equivalent to the expression "transmits data or a signal through a physical channel."

[0032] In the present disclosure, upper signaling refers to a signal transmission method transmitted from a base station to a terminal using a physical layer downlink data channel, or from a terminal to a base station using a physical layer uplink data channel. Upper signaling may be understood as radio resource control (RRC) signaling or a media access control (MAC) control element (CE).

[0033] For convenience of explanation, the present disclosure uses terms and names defined in the 3GPP NR (3rd Generation Partnership Project NR (New Radio)) or 3GPP LTE (3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution) standards. However, the present disclosure is not limited by the above terms and names and may be applied equally to systems conforming to other standards. In the present disclosure, gNB may be used interchangeably with eNB for convenience of explanation. That is, a base station described as an eNB may represent a gNB. Additionally, the term terminal may refer to mobile phones, MTC devices, NB-IoT devices, sensors, as well as other wireless communication devices.

[0034] Hereinafter, the base station is an entity that performs resource allocation for terminals and may be at least one of a gNodeB (gNB), eNode B (eNB), NodeB, BS (Base Station), wireless access unit, base station controller, or a node on a network. The terminal may include a UE (User Equipment), MS (Mobile Station), cellular phone, smartphone, computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing communication functions. Of course, it is not limited to the above examples.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the structure of an NR system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, a wireless communication system may be composed of multiple base stations (e.g., gNB (105), ng-eNB (110), ng-eNB (115), gNB (120)), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (125), and a User Plane Function (UPF) (130). A user terminal (User Equipment, hereinafter UE or terminal) (135) can connect to an external network through the base stations (e.g., gNB (105), ng-eNB (110), ng-eNB (115), gNB (120)) and the UPF (130).

[0037] In FIG. 1, base stations (e.g., gNB (105), ng-eNB (110), ng-eNB (115), gNB (120)) can provide wireless access to terminals connected to the network as access nodes of a cellular network. That is, the base stations (e.g., gNB (105), ng-eNB (110), ng-eNB (115), gNB (120)) can support the connection between the terminals and the core network (CN, Core network; in particular, the CN of NR (new radio) is referred to as 5GC) by collecting state information such as the buffer state, available transmission power state, and channel state of the terminals to service the traffic of the users and performing scheduling. Meanwhile, in communication, the User Plane (UP), which is related to the transmission of actual user data, and the Control Plane (CP), which is related to connection management, can be configured separately. In this drawing, gNB (105) and gNB (120) use the UP and CP technologies defined in NR technology, and ng-eNB (110) and ng-eNB (115), although connected to 5GC, can use the UP and CP technologies defined in LTE (long term evolution) technology.

[0038] The AMF (125) is a device that is responsible for various control functions as well as mobility management functions for the terminal and is connected to multiple base stations, and the UPF (130) may refer to a type of gateway device that provides data transmission. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the NR wireless communication system may further include a Session Management Function (SMF). The SMF can manage packet data network connections, such as protocol data unit (PDU) sessions provided to the terminal.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a wireless protocol structure in an LTE and NR system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 2, the wireless protocol of the LTE system can be composed of PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) (205)(240), RLC (Radio Link Control) (210)(235), and MAC (Medium Access Control) (215)(230) at the terminal and eNB, respectively.

[0041] PDCP (205)(240) is responsible for operations such as IP (internet protocol) header compression / decompression, and Wireless Link Control (RLC) (210)(235) reconstructs PDCP PDU (Protocol Data Unit) into an appropriate size. MAC (215)(230) is connected to multiple RLC layer devices configured in a terminal and performs the operation of multiplexing RLC PDUs into MAC PDUs and demultiplexing RLC PDUs from MAC PDUs. The physical (PHY) layer (220)(225) performs the operation of channel coding and modulating upper layer data, creating OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) symbols to transmit over the wireless channel, or demodulating OFDM symbols received over the wireless channel and channel decoding them to transmit to the upper layer. In addition, HARQ (Hybrid ARQ (automatic repeat request)) is used at the physical layer for additional error correction, and the receiver transmits a 1-bit acknowledgment of whether the packet sent by the transmitter has been received. This is referred to as HARQ ACK (acknowledgement) / NACK (negative ACK) information. In the case of LTE, downlink HARQ ACK / NACK information regarding uplink data transmission is transmitted via the PHICH (Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator Channel) physical channel; in the case of NR, it is possible to determine whether retransmission is necessary or if a new transmission can be performed through the terminal's scheduling information on the PDCCH (Physical Dedicated Control Channel), which is the channel where downlink / uplink resource allocation is transmitted. This is because asynchronous HARQ is applied in NR.Uplink HARQ ACK / NACK information for downlink data transmission can be transmitted through a physical channel such as PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) or PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel). The PUCCH is generally transmitted in the uplink of the PCell described below, but if the base station supports it, it may additionally be transmitted to the SCell described below to the terminal, which is referred to as the PUCCH SCell.

[0042] Although not shown in this drawing, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer exists above the PDCP layer of the terminal and the base station, respectively, and the RRC layer can exchange connection and measurement-related setting control messages for wireless resource control.

[0043] Meanwhile, the above PHY layer can be composed of one or more frequencies / carriers, and the technology of setting and using multiple frequencies simultaneously is called carrier aggregation (hereinafter referred to as CA). CA technology allows for a significant increase in transmission capacity by the number of secondary carriers by using one or more secondary carriers in addition to the primary carrier, whereas previously only one carrier was used for communication between a terminal (or User Equipment, UE) and a base station (E-UTRAN NodeB, eNB). Meanwhile, in LTE, a cell within a base station that uses the primary carrier is called a primary cell or PCell (Primary Cell), and a cell within a base station that uses a secondary carrier is called a secondary cell or SCell (Secondary Cell).

[0044] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a network structure for providing terminal location estimation services (LoCation Services, hereinafter referred to as LCS) in a next-generation mobile communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3, a network for providing LCS in a next-generation mobile communication system consists of a terminal (300), a base station (NG-RAN Node) (305), an AMF (310), and a LMF (Location Management Function, 315). At this time, the user terminal (300) communicates with the LMF (315) through the base station (305) and the AMF (310), and exchanges information necessary for location estimation. The roles of each component for providing LCS are as follows.

[0046] The terminal (UE) (300) can measure the wireless signal required for location estimation and transmit the result to the LMF (315).

[0047] The base station (305) can perform roles such as transmitting downlink wireless signals necessary for location estimation and measuring uplink wireless signals transmitted by the target terminal.

[0048] The AMF (310) can perform the role of instructing the provision of location services by receiving an LCS Request message from an LCS requester (e.g., an LCS client) and forwarding it to the LMF (315). When the LMF (315) processes the location estimation request and responds to the AMF (310) with the terminal's location estimation result, the AMF (310) can forward the result to the LCS requester.

[0049] The LMF (315) is a device that receives and processes an LCS Request from the AMF (310) and can perform the role of controlling the overall process required for location estimation. For terminal location estimation, the LMF (315) provides auxiliary information necessary for location estimation and signal measurement to the terminal (300) and receives the result value; at this time, the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) can be used as the protocol for data exchange. The LPP can define the message specifications exchanged between the terminal (300) and the LMF (315) for location estimation services. In addition, the LMF (315) can also exchange downlink reference signal (Positioning Reference Signal, hereinafter PRS) setting information and uplink reference signal (Sounding Reference Signal, hereinafter SRS) measurement results with the base station (305) to be used for location estimation. At this time, NRPPa (NR Positioning Protocol A) can be used as a protocol for data exchange, and NRPPa can define the message specifications exchanged between the base station (305) and the LMF (315).

[0050] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the process of performing LCS in a next-generation mobile communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 4, the AMF (405) can confirm a location service request (LCS Request, 420a / 420b / 420c) and then transmit the LCS Request to the LMF (307). Subsequently, the LMF (307) can control the process of exchanging necessary information with the terminal (400) and base station (403) to process the LCS Request (420a / 420b / 420c) and transmit the result value (location estimation result) to the AMF (405). At this time, the LCS execution can be completed by the AMF (405) transmitting the result value for location estimation to the target node that requested the LCS.

[0052] Meanwhile, in the aforementioned steps 420a, 420b, and 420c, the AMF (405) can verify the LCS Request based on the following three types.

[0053] 1. LCS Request (420a) received from external LCS Client (410)

[0054] 2. AMF (405) itself generates / triggers LCS Request (420b)

[0055] 3. LCS Request (420c) received from UE (400)

[0056] The above LCS Request may include the ID (identity) of the LCS target terminal and LCS QoS (Quality of Service) request information (e.g., requirements for location estimation accuracy and latency).

[0057] AMF (405) can request the provision of location estimation services by verifying the LCS Request based on any one of the three types above and sending a Location Service Request message (425) to LMF (407).

[0058] Subsequently, in the NG-RAN Node procedure (430) stage, the LMF (407) can proceed with the procedures necessary for location estimation (e.g., base station PRS configuration, obtaining base station SRS measurement information, etc.) through the exchange of NRPPa messages with the NG-RAN Node (103). Additionally, in the UE procedure stage (435), the LMF (407) can exchange LPP messages with the terminal (400) to obtain necessary information. Through the above process, the LMF (407) can proceed with procedures such as exchanging UE Capability information related to location estimation, transmitting auxiliary information for signal measurement of the terminal, and requesting and obtaining terminal measurement results. When the LMF (407) determines the estimated location of the terminal (400) based on the various measurement results obtained, the LMF (407) can transmit information regarding the determined estimated location to the AMF (405) through a Location Service Response message (440).

[0059] AMF (405) can deliver an LCS Response message (445a / 445b / 445c) to the target that requested / triggered the LCS, and the LCS Response message (445a / 445b / 445c) may include the terminal location estimation result.

[0060] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a detailed LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) message exchange process in the UE Procedure step of FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 5, the process in which the LMF (505) performs procedures such as exchanging terminal capability information (hereinafter referred to as UE Capability) related to location estimation with the terminal (500), transmitting auxiliary information for signal measurement of the terminal, and requesting and obtaining terminal measurement results is illustrated. The purpose and definition of each LPP message exchanged at each stage are as follows.

[0062] LPP Request Capabilities (LMF → UE, 510)

[0063] : LMF (505) can be used to request UE Capability information related to location estimation from the terminal (500). The information included in the message can be defined as shown in [Table 1] below. Requests for common information regardless of the location estimation method (e.g., GNSS (global navigation satellite system), OTDOA (observed time difference of arrival), ECID (enhanced cell ID), etc.) are included in CommonIEsRequestCapabilities, and requests for additional information required for each location estimation method may be included in a separate IE (Information Element) for each method.

[0064]

[0065] LPP Provide Capabilities (UE → LMF, 515)

[0066] : This can be used to transmit UE Capability information requested by the terminal (500) from the LMF (505). The information included in the message can be defined as shown in [Table 2] below. Similar to the LPP Request Capabilities message, common information regardless of the location estimation method is included in commonIEsProvideCapabilities, and information requested for each location estimation method can be included in separate IEs.

[0067]

[0068] LPP requestAssistanceData(UE → LMF, 517)

[0069] : It can be used to request information from the LMF (505) that is necessary or helpful for measuring the wireless signal used to estimate the location of the terminal (500). The information included in the message can be defined as shown in [Table 3] below. Common information regardless of the location estimation method is included in commonIEsRequestAssistanceData, and information requested for each location estimation method can be included in separate IEs.

[0070]

[0071] LPP ProvideAssistanceData(LMF → UE, 520)

[0072] : LMF (505) may be used to provide information that is necessary or helpful for measuring wireless signals used by the terminal (500) to estimate its location. The information included in the message may be defined as shown in [Table 4] below. Common information regardless of the location estimation method is included in commonIEsProvideAssistanceData, and information provided for each location estimation method may be included in separate IEs.

[0073]

[0074] LPP Request Location Information (LMF → UE, 525)

[0075] : The LMF (505) can be used to request the terminal (500) to measure the signal required for location estimation and the result of the location estimation. After determining which location estimation method to use, which measurement the terminal must perform for this purpose, and how to respond to the result, the LMF (505) can transmit the relevant information to the terminal (500) by including it in the message. The information included in the message can be defined as shown in [Table 5] below.

[0076]

[0077] LPP Provide Location Information(UE → LMF, 530)

[0078] : It can be used to transmit the measurement results and location estimation results that the terminal (500) received from the LMF (505) to the LMF (505). The information included in the message can be defined as shown in [Table 6] below.

[0079]

[0080] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a scenario in which a terminal and an LMF perform artificial intelligence-based location estimation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 6, the terminal (600) can perform location estimation using an artificial intelligence (or machine learning) based location estimation model (630). The location estimation model (630) may be a model that receives as input result values ​​(633) of measuring DL-PRS (Down link Positioning Reference Signal, 108) received by the terminal (600) from a plurality of base stations / TRPs (Transmission Reception Points, 607), and provides location information (635) of the terminal (600) as output. At this time, the result value (633) of measuring the DL-PRS may refer to at least one combination of Time-domain CIR (channel impulse response), PDP (Power delay profile), or DP (Delay profile), etc., obtained by the terminal (600) measuring the DL-PRS transmitted by each TRP (607). For reference, each measurement information may include the following information.

[0082] * Time-domain CIR (channel impulse response): Includes delay, power, and phase measurement information upon DL-PRS reception.

[0083] * PDP (Power delay profile): Includes delay and power measurement information upon DL-PRS reception.

[0084] * DP(Delay profile): Contains delay measurement information upon DL-PRS reception.

[0085] Accordingly, the label data required to train the above-mentioned location estimation model may consist of the result value of measuring the DL-PRS (hereinafter referred to as Part A for ease of explanation) and the actual location of the terminal at the time of measurement (hereinafter referred to as Part B for ease of explanation). In this specification, training data and label data may be used interchangeably. Alternatively, training data may be understood as being composed of multiple label data. In this case, each of the multiple label data may be understood as a training data sample.

[0086] The LMF (605) can request / instruct the terminal (600) to perform artificial intelligence-based location estimation through the LPP Request Location Information (610) message. Subsequently, the terminal (600) can measure the DL-PRS (608) received from multiple base stations / TRPs (Transmission Reception Points, 607) and use the resulting values ​​as input values ​​for the AI ​​model (630) used for artificial intelligence-based location estimation. Subsequently, the terminal (600) can obtain the estimated location of the terminal (600) through the output value of the model (630). Then, the terminal (600) can report / provide the estimated location information obtained through the artificial intelligence-based location estimation technique (e.g., AI-POS) to the LMF (605) through the LPP Provide Location Information message.

[0087] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a signaling procedure for artificial intelligence-based terminal location estimation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] Using FIG. 7, the operation of a terminal (700) and an LMF (705) performing artificial intelligence-based location estimation through LPP message exchange according to an example of the present disclosure can be explained. In this case, the artificial intelligence-based location estimation may be defined in LPP signaling as a separate technique (e.g., AI-POS) different from existing location estimation techniques (e.g., DL-TDOA (time difference of arrival), DL-AoD (angle of departure), etc.).

[0089] The terminal (700) and the LMF (705) can exchange terminal capability information related to various location estimation techniques, including artificial intelligence (AI)-based location estimation techniques. Subsequently, the LMF (705) can provide the terminal (700) with assistance data regarding multiple location estimation techniques, including AI-based location estimation techniques. Here, the assistance data consists of information necessary for the terminal to estimate its own location using each location estimation technique, and may include DL-PRS transmission setting information transmitted by each TRP and location information of each TRP. Subsequently, the LMF (705) can instruct the terminal (700) to estimate its location in UE-based mode (in other words, a mode in which the terminal estimates its own location). Afterward, the terminal (700) can estimate the location of the terminal using one of the available location estimation techniques and report the result value to the LMF (705). If the terminal (700) determines that it is impossible to perform artificial intelligence-based location estimation or that the performance of the location estimation is poor, the terminal (700) may perform a UE autonomous fallback operation to decide to use another existing location estimation technique (fallback) on its own, without separate instructions from the LMF (705). Alternatively, the terminal (700) may help instruct the LMF (705) to use another location estimation technique (fallback) by reporting to the LMF (705) the situation where it is impossible to perform artificial intelligence-based location estimation or that the performance of the location estimation is poor. Specific signaling procedures for performing the operations described above will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 7.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 7, in step 710, the LMF (705) may request terminal capability information regarding one or more location estimation techniques from the terminal (700) through the LPP RequestCapabilities message. More specifically, the LMF (705) may request the terminal (700) to report terminal capability information related to the location estimation technique by including an IE (e.g., XXXX-RequestCapabilities IE) corresponding to each location estimation technique (e.g., XXXX) in the LPP message. As described above, the LMF (705) may request the terminal (700) to report terminal capability information related to the AI-based location estimation technique by including an IE (e.g., AI-POS-RequestCapabilities IE) corresponding to the AI-based location estimation technique (e.g., AI-POS) in the LPP message. The LMF (705) may request terminal capability information regarding a plurality of location estimation techniques, including the AI-based location estimation technique, from the terminal (700).

[0091] In step 715, the UE (700) can report terminal capability information for one or more location estimation techniques to the LMF (705) via the LPP Provide Capabilities message. At this time, the terminal (700) can report terminal capability information for each of the location estimation techniques requested by the LMF (705) in step 710. More specifically, the terminal (700) can report terminal capability information related to a location estimation technique to the LMF (705) by including an IE (e.g., XXXX-ProvideCapabilities IE) corresponding to each location estimation technique (e.g., XXXX) in the LPP message. For reference, if the terminal (700) includes an IE corresponding to a specific location estimation technique in the LPP Provide Capabilities message, the LMF (705) can determine that the terminal (700) is a terminal that supports the location estimation technique. In reporting an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal (700) may report to the LMF (705) by including at least one of the terminal capability information described below within an IE (e.g., AI-POS-ProvideCapabilities IE) corresponding to the AI-based location estimation technique (e.g., AI-POS).

[0092] - AI-POS-Mode: An indicator indicating which mode the AI-based position estimation technique can be supported in. One or more of the following modes may be indicated in the form of a BIT STRING (e.g., BIT STRING {standalone(0), ue-based(1), ue-assisted(2)}).

[0093] * Standalone: ​​This may refer to a mode where the terminal performs location estimation autonomously without the involvement (assistance) of the LMF.

[0094] * UE-based: This may refer to a mode in which the terminal performs location estimation autonomously through the involvement (assistance) of the LMF.

[0095] * UE-assisted: This may refer to a mode that supports the LMF in performing location estimation of the terminal through assistance from the terminal (e.g., measuring DL-PRS or transmitting SRS).

[0096] - UE autonomous fallback: An indicator indicating whether the terminal can perform the UE autonomous fallback operation, as described below in step 741. It may be provided as a 1-bit indicator of the form Boolean or ENUMERATED.

[0097] - Fallback: An indicator indicating whether the terminal can perform a fallback operation using a different technique instead of using an AI-based location estimation technique, as described below in step 757. It may be provided as a 1-bit indicator of the form Boolean or ENUMERATED.

[0098] - Performance monitoring: An indicator indicating whether the terminal can perform a performance monitoring operation and report the result to the LMF, as described below in steps 751 and 753. It may be provided as a 1-bit indicator in the form of Boolean or ENUMERATED.

[0099] In step 720, the LMF (705) may provide assistance data regarding one or more location estimation techniques to the terminal (700) through an LPP Provide Assistance Data message. At this time, the LMF (705) may provide assistance data regarding the location estimation technique(s) that the terminal (700) reported as supporting in step 715. More specifically, the LMF (705) may provide assistance data related to the location estimation technique to the terminal (700) by including an IE (e.g., XXXX-ProvideAssistanceData IE) corresponding to each location estimation technique (e.g., XXXX) in the LPP message. Here, the assistance data is information necessary for the terminal (700) to estimate the location of the terminal using each location estimation technique, and may include DL-PRS transmission setting information transmitted by each TRP and location information of each TRP. Regarding the AI-based location estimation technique, LMF (705) may provide the terminal (700) with at least one of the auxiliary information described below by including it in an IE (e.g., AI-POS-ProvideAssistanceData IE) corresponding to the AI-based location estimation technique (e.g., AI-POS).

[0100] - DL-PRS configuration information (nr-DL-PRS-AssistanceData): Configuration information required to receive DL-PRS transmitted by one or more TRPs at one or more positioning frequency layers. Note that DL-PRS configuration information can be used commonly across multiple positioning techniques. Therefore, if DL-PRS configuration information is already included in auxiliary information corresponding to another positioning technique, the corresponding configuration information may be omitted from auxiliary information corresponding to an AI-based positioning technique. However, if only some of the DL-PRS configuration information included in another positioning technique can be used in an AI-based positioning technique, a separate field (e.g., SelectedDL-PRS-IndexList) to indicate this may be included in the said auxiliary information. The said field (SelectedDL-PRS-IndexList) may indicate whether the DL-PRS configuration information included in another positioning technique can also be used in an AI-based positioning technique in units of frequency / TRP / DL-PRS resource set / DL-PRS resource.

[0101] - Position Estimation / Calculation Information (nr-PositionCalculationAssistance): Position information and beam configuration information for TRPs transmitting DL-PRS required for the terminal to estimate its position in UE-based mode.

[0102] - Associated ID: In the above dl-PRS configuration information and location / estimation calculation information, TRP and DL-PRS resources may be indicated at the index level. However, the mapping relationship between the actual physical TRP and DL-PRS resources and the index may change whenever the LMF sends a new LPP ProvideAssistanceData message. When the mapping relationship changes in this way, the terminal may not be able to use a model that measured and trained DL-PRS based on previously provided auxiliary information when measuring DL-PRS using new auxiliary information with a new mapping relationship. However, since only the LMF can identify the mapping relationship, the terminal cannot determine whether the mapping relationship has changed or is maintained when receiving new auxiliary information, nor can it determine whether the previously trained model can still be used. To solve this problem, the LMF may define an ID value (e.g., associated ID) to indicate (verify) the mapping relationship between a physical TRP and DL-PRS resource at a specific point in time and an index (e.g., dl-PRS-ID, nr-DL-PRS-ResourceSetID, etc.). In this case, when the LMF (705) provides DL-PRS configuration information to the terminal via an LPP Provide Assistance Data message, the LMF may also provide the associated ID value. If the associated ID value in the assistance information provided by the LMF (705) is the same as the value provided in the previous assistance information, the terminal (700) may understand that TRPs having the same index (e.g., dl-PRS-id) in the two assistance information are physically mapped to the same TRP.In other words, the terminal can determine that the time AI-based location estimation model, which was learned by measuring DL-PRS based on existing auxiliary information, can continue to be used even in situations where DL-PRS is measured based on new auxiliary information.

[0103] In step 725, the terminal (700) may report to the LMF (705) whether the AI-based location estimation technique can be used / operated (i.e., applicability) through the LPP Provide Capabilities message. To this end, a new 1-bit indicator may be defined to indicate whether the AI-based location estimation technique is applicable (applicable or not-applicable) and included in the LPP message. Alternatively, terminal capability information (e.g., AI-POS-ProvideCapabilities IE and AI-POS-Mode indicators, etc.) used in step 715 to indicate whether the terminal can support the AI-based location estimation technique may be reused to indicate the applicability. In this case, from the perspective of the LMF, the capability / supportability of the AI-based location estimation technique and the applicability of the AI-based location estimation technique may not be distinguished in terms of signaling. However, depending on the time at which the LMF receives the terminal capability information, it can distinguish whether the capability information indicates whether an AI-based location estimation technique is supported or whether an AI-based location estimation technique is applicable. More specifically, the LMF can understand that the terminal capability information within the LPP UECapabilityInformation message initially transmitted by the terminal after the LPP session between the terminal and the LMF is opened in step 715 indicates whether an AI-based location estimation technique is supported. On the other hand, the terminal capability information within the LPP UECapabilityInformation message transmitted by the terminal after the LMF provides auxiliary information regarding the AI-based location estimation technique in step 720 indicates whether an AI-based location estimation technique is applicable.Meanwhile, the above terminal can determine whether the AI-based location estimation technique of the terminal is applicable based on a combination of at least one of the following conditions.

[0104] - Whether the terminal has an AI / ML model that can be used to apply specific AI / ML-based location estimation functions.

[0105] - Whether the model that the terminal has for a specific AI / ML-based location estimation function is available in the current terminal environment. In other words, whether the environment in which the model was trained matches / is similar / corresponds / is customized to the current terminal environment. This may depend on the auxiliary information provided by the LMF in step 720 (e.g., DL-PRS transmission setting information per associated ID and TRP).

[0106] In step 730, the LMF (705) can request / instruct the terminal (700) to estimate and report the location based on the UE-based mode through the LPP RequestLocationInformation message.

[0107] In other words, the LMF (705) can instruct / request the terminal (700) to estimate the location in UE-based mode and report the result value by including the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE within the LPP RequestLocationInformation message and setting the value of the locationInformationType field included in the IE to 'locationEstimateRequired' or 'locationEstimatePreferred'. At this time, the LMF (705) may include requirements for location estimation accuracy and latency (e.g., QoS) within the message. The QoS information may include the following information.

[0108] - Position Estimation Accuracy (Horizontal / Vertical Accuracy): Information indicating the requirements for the uncertainty and confidence of the horizontal / vertical position estimated by the terminal. For example, the error range may be given in units such as millimeters, centimeters, or meters, and the confidence may be set as a probability.

[0109] - ResponseTime: Information indicating the requirement for the delay time from when the terminal receives the LPP RequestLocationInformation until it responds by including the location estimation result in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message.

[0110] When the terminal (700) receives a request / instruction to estimate and report location in UE-based mode as described above, the terminal (700) can estimate the location of the terminal by selecting one of one or more location estimation techniques / methods that receive auxiliary information through the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message of step 720. If the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message transmitted by the LMF (705) in step 720 contains only auxiliary information corresponding to one location estimation technique, the terminal (700) can estimate the location using that location estimation technique. If the location cannot be estimated using that location estimation technique, the terminal (700) can respond to the LMF (705) by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message in step 743 or 753 below.

[0111] In another embodiment, if the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message transmitted by the LMF (705) in step 720 contains auxiliary information corresponding to a plurality of location estimation techniques, including an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal (700) can estimate the location using one of the location estimation techniques. At this time, at least one of the following methods may be used as a method for determining which location estimation technique the terminal (700) selects.

[0112] - Method 1 (Method left to terminal implementation): When the terminal is requested / instructed to estimate location and report results in UE-based mode through the LPP RequestLocationInformation message transmitted by the LMF in step 730, it may arbitrarily select one of the location estimation techniques that included the corresponding IE (e.g., XXXX-ProvideCapabilities IE) in the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message transmitted by the LMF in step 720 and use it for location estimation. For example, the terminal may consider the QoS information (in other words, requirements for location estimation accuracy and latency) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message in step 730 and select a location estimation technique that can satisfy the requirements.

[0113] - Method 2 (Method in which an LMF enforces the use of an AI-based location estimation technique): The LMF may instruct / force the terminal to use an AI-based location estimation technique through the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. For reference, since the LMF may possess more information than the terminal necessary to determine which location estimation technique to use, Method 2 takes this into account and is intended to allow the LMF to directly determine whether the use of an AI-based location estimation technique is necessary and to instruct the terminal. One of the following methods may be used for the LMF instructing / forcering the terminal to use an AI-based location estimation technique according to the example of the present invention.

[0114] * Method 2-1 (Introduction of a new indicator): A separate indicator (e.g., ai-EstimatedRequired) that instructs / enforces the use of an AI-based location estimation technique may be included within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message. If the indicator is set / included in the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE, the terminal must estimate the location using an AI-based location estimation technique if possible and respond / report the result value as an LMF. If the location cannot be estimated using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in Step 753.

[0115] * Method 2-2 (Addition of a type to the existing LocationInformationType field that instructs / forces the use of AI-based location estimation techniques): A separate type (e.g., locationAi-EstimateRequired) that instructs / forces the use of AI-based location estimation techniques may be newly defined as the setting value of the LocationInformationType field included in CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE within the LPP RequestLocationInformation message. The LMF may set the value of the LocationInformationType field to the new type (locationAi-EstimateRequired) while instructing the terminal to perform UE-based mode location estimation via the LPP RequestLocationInformation message in step 730. In this case, the terminal must estimate the location using AI-based location estimation techniques whenever possible and respond / report the result. If location estimation is not possible using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may respond to LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 753.

[0116] The above methods 2-1 and 2-2 can be introduced into the standard as shown in [Table 7] below.

[0117]

[0118] * Method 2-3 (Inclusion of IE corresponding to AI-based location estimation technique in LPP RequestLocationInformation message): An IE corresponding to an AI-based location estimation technique included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message (e.g., AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation IE) may be included. Alternatively, an indicator that compels / instructs the use of an AI-based location estimation technique may be included within the IE. If the IE is included in the message, or if the indicator is set / included in the IE, the terminal must, if possible, estimate the location using an AI-based location estimation technique and respond / report the result value to the LMF. If the location cannot be estimated using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in Step 753.

[0119] - Method 3 (Allowing UE autonomous fallback by setting a high priority for the use of AI-based location estimation techniques): The LMF may instruct / force the terminal to use AI-based location estimation techniques preferentially through the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. To this end, one of the following methods may be used.

[0120] * Method 3-1 (Introduction of a new indicator): The CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message may include a separate indicator (e.g., ai-EstimatedPreferred) that instructs / forces the use of AI-based location estimation techniques. If the above separate indicator is set / included in the IE, the terminal must estimate the location using AI-based location estimation techniques whenever possible and respond / report the result value to the LMF. If location estimation cannot be performed using AI-based location estimation techniques, the terminal may arbitrarily select one of other location estimation techniques (e.g., location estimation techniques containing corresponding auxiliary information within the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message in step 720) to perform location estimation and report the result to the LMF.

[0121] * Method 3-2 (Addition of a type to the existing LocationInformationType field that instructs / forces the use of AI-based location estimation techniques): A separate type (e.g., locationAi-EstimatePreferred) that instructs / forces the use of AI-based location estimation techniques may be newly defined as the setting value of the LocationInformationType field included in CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE within the LPP RequestLocationInformation message. The above LMF may set the value of the LocationInformationType field to the new type (locationAi-EstimatePreferred) while instructing the terminal to perform UE-based mode location estimation via the LPP RequestLocationInformation message in step 730. In this case, the terminal must estimate the location using AI-based location estimation techniques whenever possible and respond / report the result value to the above LMF. If location estimation cannot be performed using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may randomly select one of other location estimation techniques (e.g., location estimation techniques that include corresponding auxiliary information within the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message in step 720) to perform location estimation and report the result to the LMF.

[0122] The above methods 3-1 and 3-2 can be introduced into the standard as shown in [Table 8] below.

[0123]

[0124] * Method 3-3 (Inclusion of IE corresponding to AI-based location estimation technique in LPP RequestLocationInformation message): An IE corresponding to an AI-based location estimation technique included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message (e.g., AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation IE) may be included. Alternatively, an indicator instructing the use of an AI-based location estimation technique may be included within the IE. If the IE is included in the message, or if the indicator is set / included in the IE, the terminal must estimate the location using an AI-based location estimation technique whenever possible and respond / report the result value to the LMF. If location estimation cannot be performed using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may arbitrarily select one of other location estimation techniques (e.g., location estimation techniques including auxiliary information corresponding to the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message in step 720) to perform location estimation and report the result to the LMF.

[0125] - Method 4 (Determine whether to allow UE autonomous fallback based on LMF settings)

[0126] : The above LMF can instruct the terminal, through the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730, whether to instruct / enforce the use of an AI-based location estimation technique (to prohibit UE autonomous fallback) or to prioritize it (to allow UE autonomous fallback). To this end, one of the following methods may be used.

[0127] * Method 4-1 (Introduction of a new indicator): Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a separate field (e.g., AI-Type) may be included to indicate whether to instruct / enforce (prohibit UE autonomous fallback) or prioritize (allow UE autonomous fallback) the use of an AI-based location estimation technique. If the field is set / included as a type that allows UE autonomous fallback (e.g., ai-EstimatedPreferred), the terminal must estimate the location using an AI-based location estimation technique if possible and respond / report the result value to the LMF. If location estimation cannot be performed using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may arbitrarily select one of other location estimation techniques (e.g., location estimation techniques containing auxiliary information corresponding to the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message in step 720) to perform location estimation and report the result to the LMF. On the other hand, if the above field is set / included as a type that does not allow UE autonomous fallback (e.g., ai-EstimatedRequired), the terminal should, if possible, use an AI-based location estimation technique to estimate the location and respond / report the result value to the LMF. If the location cannot be estimated using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 753.

[0128] * Method 4-2 (Addition of a type to the existing LocationInformationType field to instruct whether to allow or disallow UE autonomous fallback when using AI-based location estimation techniques): A separate type (e.g., locationAi-EstimatePreferred) that instructs / forces the use of AI-based location estimation techniques (allowing UE autonomous fallback) may be newly defined as the setting value of the LocationInformationType field included in CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation within the LPP RequestLocationInformation message. The LMF may set the value of the LocationInformationType field to the new type (locationAi-EstimatePreferred) while instructing the terminal to perform UE-based mode location estimation via the LPP RequestLocationInformation message in step 730. In this case, the terminal must estimate the location using AI-based location estimation techniques whenever possible and respond / report the result to the LMF. If location estimation cannot be performed using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may randomly select one of other location estimation techniques (e.g., location estimation techniques that include corresponding auxiliary information within the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message in step 720) to perform location estimation and report the result to the LMF.

[0129] Alternatively, a separate type (e.g., locationAi-EstimateRequired) that instructs / forces the use of an AI-based location estimation technique may be newly defined as the setting value of the LocationInformationType field included in CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE within the LPP RequestLocationInformation message. The LMF may set the value of the LocationInformationType field to the new type (locationAi-EstimateRequired) while instructing the terminal to perform UE-based mode location estimation via the LPP RequestLocationInformation message in step 730. In this case, the terminal must estimate the location using an AI-based location estimation technique if possible and respond / report the result value to the LMF. If the terminal is unable to estimate the location using an AI-based location estimation technique, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 753.

[0130] The above methods 4-1 and 4-2 can be introduced into the standard as shown in [Table 9] below.

[0131]

[0132] - Method 5 (Method where LMF directly specifies the fallback location estimation technique):

[0133] The above LMF can instruct the terminal, through the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730, to use alternative location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) when the terminal cannot use an AI-based location estimation technique. To this end, one of the following methods may be used.

[0134] * Method 5-1 (Specify one target location estimation technique for fallback)

[0135] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field may be included to indicate one of the location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) to be used instead when the AI-based location estimation technique cannot be used. If the terminal cannot use the AI-based location estimation technique, it may estimate the location using the indicated location estimation technique and report the result to the LMF.

[0136] * Method 5-1 (Specify one target location estimation technique for fallback)

[0137] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field (e.g., AI-UE-Fallback) may be included to indicate one of the location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) to be used instead when the AI-based location estimation technique cannot be used. If the terminal cannot use the AI-based location estimation technique, it may estimate the location using the indicated location estimation technique and report the result to the LMF. If location estimation fails even with other location estimation techniques, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 743.

[0138] * Method 5-2 (Instructs multiple fallback target location estimation techniques)

[0139] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field (e.g., AI-UE-Fallback) may be included to indicate multiple location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) to be used instead when the AI-based location estimation technique cannot be used. If the terminal cannot use the AI-based location estimation technique, it may arbitrarily select and use a possible technique among the indicated location estimation techniques to estimate the location and report the result to the LMF. If location estimation fails even with other location estimation techniques, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 743.

[0140] * Method 5-3 (Instructs multiple fallback target location estimation techniques with priorities)

[0141] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field (e.g., AI-UE-Fallback) may be included to indicate multiple location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) to be used instead when the AI-based location estimation technique cannot be used, in order of priority. If the terminal cannot use the AI-based location estimation technique, it may select and use the indicated location estimation techniques in order of priority to estimate the location and report the result to the LMF. If location estimation fails even with other location estimation techniques, the terminal may attempt location estimation using the location estimation technique corresponding to the next highest priority. If location estimation fails despite utilizing all location estimation techniques, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 743. In this case, the above field (AI-UE-Fallback) can be defined in the form of a list containing multiple position estimation techniques in order of highest priority.

[0142] The above methods 5-1, 5-2, and 5-3 can be implemented in the standard as shown in [Table 10] below.

[0143]

[0144]

[0145] Depending on whether the terminal is allowed to select and use another location estimation technique on its own when it is difficult to use the AI-based location estimation technique in step 730 above (hereinafter referred to as UE autonomous fallback for ease of explanation), the subsequent location estimation procedure may be divided into the following two cases.

[0146] -Case 1 (where UE autonomous fallback is allowed / configured, 740): If the LMF allows UE autonomous fallback to the terminal according to the various methods described in step 730 above (e.g., methods 3, 4, and 5), the terminal may estimate its location using another location estimation method and report the result to the LMF if it determines that it is difficult to use the AI ​​location estimation method. For reference, when UE autonomous fallback is allowed (740), the terminal decides on its own to use another location estimation method in situations where the use of the AI-based location estimation method is impossible, and by reporting the location estimation result according to the other location estimation method to the LMF, the delay time required for the LMF to determine the location of the terminal can be reduced compared to the case where UE autonomous fallback is not allowed (750). Specific step-by-step signaling procedures for this can be described as follows.

[0147] More specifically, in step 741, the terminal may determine whether to perform location estimation using an AI-based location estimation technique and report the result, or to perform location estimation using another location estimation technique (fallback) and report the result as an LMF. In other words, the terminal according to the example of the present disclosure may determine whether a UE autonomous fallback operation is necessary. At this time, the terminal may decide to perform a UE autonomous fallback operation if at least one of the following conditions applies.

[0148] * Condition 1: Cases where AI-based location estimation techniques are not applicable. In other words, cases where there is no model available for AI-based location estimation techniques, or cases where there is insufficient computational power or memory available for AI-based location estimation techniques, or cases where the environment is not conducive to using the AI-based location estimation model currently possessed by the terminal based on the auxiliary information (DL-PRS transmission configuration information and Associated ID) provided by the LMF in Step 720 above (for example, cases where the TRP and DL-PRS settings at the time the terminal's AI model was trained differ from the TRP and DL-PRS settings at the current time).

[0149] * Condition 2: When the result of performance monitoring for the AI-based location estimation technique is a failure. In other words, when the performance (or accuracy) of the AI-based location estimation technique does not meet the required level. In this case, the error value between the AI-based estimated location and the actual correct location (an error value expressed in millimeters, centimeters, or meters) may be used as the performance monitoring metric. If the error value exceeds a specific monitoring threshold, the terminal determines the performance monitoring result as a 'fail' (in other words, determines that the result of the AI-based location estimation cannot be trusted / reported) and may perform a UE autonomous fallback operation. If the error value does not exceed the monitoring threshold, the terminal determines the performance monitoring result as a 'pass' (in other words, determines that the result of the AI-based location estimation can be trusted / reported) and may continue to perform the AI-based location estimation technique operation.

[0150] In order to calculate the error value used as a performance evaluation judgment indicator in the above performance evaluation operation, the location of the terminal must be provided to the terminal. To this end, the LMF (705) may include the location information of the terminal identified by the LMF within the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message of step 720 or the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. To this end, a new field (e.g., targetUE-Location) may be introduced / included within the LPP message.

[0151] Additionally, LMF (705) may include an error threshold (Monitoring threshold) used for performance evaluation judgment in the performance evaluation operation within the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message of step 720 or the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. To this end, a new field (e.g., MonitoringThresh) may be introduced / included within the LPP message. Alternatively, the location estimation accuracy (horizontal / vertical accuracy) within the QoS information included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730 may be reused as the error threshold (Monitoring threshold) used for performance evaluation judgment in the performance evaluation operation.

[0152] Additionally, repeating the above performance evaluation operation every time the terminal performs location estimation using an AI-based location estimation technique may generate unnecessary load (energy consumption, heat generation, etc.) from the terminal's perspective. Therefore, the terminal may perform the above performance evaluation operation only when requested by the LMF. To this end, the LMF may include an indicator to direct the performance evaluation operation within the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. To this end, a new 1-bit indicator may be introduced / defined in the LPP message. If the indicator to direct the evaluation operation is included / configured within the LPP message of step 730, the terminal may perform a performance evaluation of the AI-based location estimation technique and report the result value to the LMF by including it in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message of step 743 below. The performance evaluation result value may be defined in one of the following two ways.

[0153] * Method 1: The above performance evaluation result value can be set to one of Pass, Fail, or Unavailable. For reference, if the terminal does not receive the correct location required for performance evaluation from the LMF, or if the terminal fails to secure the correct location on its own using existing location estimation techniques, the performance evaluation result value may be set to 'Unavailable'. By having the terminal report the performance evaluation result as either 'Fail' or 'Unavailable', the LMF can more accurately determine whether the use of AI-based location estimation techniques is necessary.

[0154] * Method 2: A performance evaluation indicator (i.e., a position estimation error value) may be used as the result of the above performance evaluation. In this case, the result of the above performance evaluation may be defined as one of the indices indicating an error value in units of millimeter, centimeter, or meter. The mapping relationship between each index and the error value may be specified in the standard. By doing so, the signaling load between the LMF and the terminal can be reduced.

[0155] The above methods 1 and 2 may be introduced into the standard as shown in [Table 11] below. For reference, the examples in [Table 11] below assume that the above performance evaluation results are included in the Common IE (CommonIEsProvideLocationInformation IE), but in reality, the above evaluation results may be included in the IE corresponding to the AI-based location estimation technique (AI-POS-ProvideLocationInformation IE).

[0156]

[0157] In step 743, the terminal (700) can report the location estimation result to the LMF (705) via the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message. If UE autonomous fallback is allowed, the terminal may determine on its own that it is using a method other than the AI-based location estimation method for location estimation, making it difficult for the LMF to determine which method was used to obtain the location estimation value provided by the terminal. Furthermore, this may make it difficult for the LMF to set a more suitable location estimation method for the terminal in the future. Therefore, when the terminal reports the location estimation result to the LMF via the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, it may report by including an indicator (Method 1) indicating whether an AI-based location estimation method was used to obtain the location estimation result value, or an indicator (Method 2) indicating the location estimation method used to obtain the location estimation result value. Methods 1 and 2 may be introduced into the standard as shown in [Table 12] below.

[0158]

[0159] Additionally, if the terminal uses a location estimation technique other than an AI-based location estimation technique through a UE autonomous fallback operation, the terminal may include a field (e.g., FallbackCause) to indicate the reason for the fallback operation within the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message and transmit it to the LMF. The FallbackCause field may indicate one of the values ​​such as 'NotApplicable' or 'Performance Monitoring Fail'. In this case, 'NotApplicable' may be set when corresponding to UE autonomous fallback condition 1 described in step 741, and 'Performance Monitoring Fail' may be set when corresponding to UE autonomous fallback condition 2 described in step 741.

[0160] -Case 2: (If UE autonomous fallback is not allowed / configured, 750): If the LMF does not allow UE autonomous fallback to the terminal according to the various methods described in step 730 above (e.g., methods 2, 4), the terminal may request the LMF to perform a fallback action to another location estimation method (an action instructing the use of another location estimation method) without further performing location estimation if it determines that it is difficult to use the AI ​​location estimation method. Subsequently, the LMF (105) may instruct the terminal (100) to use a method other than the AI-based location estimation method for location estimation.

[0161] In step 751, the terminal (700) can determine whether to request a change in the location estimation method to another location estimation method (hereinafter referred to as "fallback" for ease of explanation) by having the LMF (705) perform location estimation using an AI-based location estimation method and report the result to the LMF (705). In other words, the terminal (700) can determine whether a fallback operation is necessary. More specifically, if at least one of the following conditions applies, the terminal determines that a fallback operation is necessary and may request a fallback operation from the LMF.

[0162] * Condition 1: Cases where AI-based location estimation techniques are not applicable. In other words, cases where there is no model available for AI-based location estimation techniques, or cases where there is insufficient computational power or memory available for AI-based location estimation techniques, or cases where the environment is not conducive to using the AI-based location estimation model currently possessed by the terminal based on the auxiliary information (DL-PRS transmission configuration information and Associated ID) provided by the LMF in Step 720 above (for example, cases where the TRP and DL-PRS settings at the time the terminal's AI model was trained differ from the TRP and DL-PRS settings at the current time).

[0163] In this case, instead of including the location estimation result within the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message in step 753 below, the terminal may include information indicating the cause of the location estimation failure (LocationFailureCause IE). More specifically, by setting the LocationFailureCause IE value to 'requestedMethodNotApplicable', the terminal may inform the LMF that the application / use of the AI-based location estimation technique instructed by the LMF in step 730 is impossible. Through this, the terminal may indirectly request a fallback action from the LMF.

[0164] * Condition 2: When the result of performance monitoring for the AI-based location estimation technique is 'fail'. In other words, when the performance (or accuracy) of the AI-based location estimation technique does not meet the required level. In this case, the error value between the AI-based estimated location and the actual correct location (an error value expressed in millimeters, centimeters, or meters) may be used as the performance monitoring metric. If the error value exceeds a specific monitoring threshold, the terminal determines the performance monitoring result as 'fail' (in other words, determines that the result of the AI-based location estimation cannot be trusted / reported) and may request a fallback action from the LMF. If the error value does not exceed the monitoring threshold, the terminal determines the performance monitoring result as 'pass' (in other words, determines that the result of the AI-based location estimation can be trusted / reported) and may not request a fallback action from the LMF.

[0165] In order to calculate the error value used as a performance evaluation judgment indicator in the above performance evaluation operation, the location of the terminal must be provided to the terminal. To this end, the LMF (705) may include the location information of the terminal identified by the LMF within the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message of step 720 or the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. To this end, a new field (e.g., targetUE-Location) may be introduced / included within the LPP message.

[0166] Additionally, LMF (705) may include an error threshold (Monitoring threshold) used for performance evaluation judgment in the performance evaluation operation within the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message of step 720 or the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. To this end, a new field (e.g., MonitoringThresh) may be introduced / included within the LPP message. Alternatively, the location estimation accuracy (horizontal / vertical accuracy) within the QoS information included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730 may be reused as the error threshold (Monitoring threshold) used for performance evaluation judgment in the performance evaluation operation.

[0167] Additionally, repeating the above performance evaluation operation every time the terminal performs location estimation using an AI-based location estimation technique may generate unnecessary load (energy consumption, heat generation, etc.) from the terminal's perspective. Therefore, the terminal may perform the above performance evaluation operation only when requested by the LMF. To this end, the LMF may include an indicator to direct the performance evaluation operation within the LPP RequestLocationInformation message of step 730. To this end, a new 1-bit indicator may be introduced / defined in the LPP message. If the indicator to direct the evaluation operation is included / configured within the LPP message of step 730, the terminal may perform a performance evaluation of the AI-based location estimation technique and report the result value to the LMF by including it in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message of step 753 below. The performance evaluation result value may be defined in one of the following two ways.

[0168] * Method 1: The above performance evaluation result value can be set to one of Pass, Fail, or Unavailable. For reference, if the terminal does not receive the correct location required for performance evaluation from the LMF, or if the terminal fails to secure the correct location on its own using existing location estimation techniques, the performance evaluation result value may be set to 'Unavailable'. By having the terminal report the performance evaluation result as either 'Fail' or 'Unavailable', the LMF can more accurately determine whether the use of AI-based location estimation techniques is necessary.

[0169] * Method 2: A performance evaluation indicator (i.e., a position estimation error value) may be used as the result of the above performance evaluation. In this case, the result of the above performance evaluation may be defined as one of the indices indicating an error value in units of millimeter, centimeter, or meter. The mapping relationship between each index and the error value may be specified in the standard. By doing so, the signaling load between the LMF and the terminal can be reduced.

[0170] In step 753, the terminal (700) can report the location estimation result to the LMF (705) via the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message. At the same time, if the terminal determines that a fallback operation is required because conditions 1 and 2 described in step 751 are satisfied, it may include an indicator (e.g., ai-fallback) in the LPP message to request a fallback operation from the LMF. Alternatively, if condition 1 described in step 751 is satisfied and the terminal determines that the AI-based location estimation technique cannot be used (i.e., that the technique is 'not applicable'), the terminal may include an indicator (e.g., ai-applicability) in the LPP message to indicate that the AI-based location estimation technique is not applicable.

[0171] The two indicators above (ai-fallback and ai-applicability) can be introduced into the standard as shown in [Table 13] below.

[0172]

[0173] Alternatively, if it is determined that a fallback operation is necessary because conditions 1 and 2 described in step 751 above are satisfied, the terminal may request a fallback operation and include a field (e.g., FallbackCause) to indicate the reason within the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message and transmit it to the LMF. The FallbackCause field may indicate one of the values ​​such as 'NotApplicable' or 'Performance Monitoring Fail'. In this case, 'NotApplicable' may be set when it corresponds to condition 1 for determining the need for a fallback described in step 751 above, and 'Performance Monitoring Fail' may be set when it corresponds to condition 2 for determining the need for a fallback described in step 751 above.

[0174] Additionally, if the terminal is instructed to perform a performance evaluation in step 730, it may report to the LMF including the performance evaluation result value as described in step 751 within the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message.

[0175] In step 755, LMF (705) can determine a fallback to a method other than the AI-based location estimation method based on the information included in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message of the terminal in step 753 (e.g., an indicator requesting fallback, a performance evaluation result value, the applicability of the AI-based location estimation method, etc.).

[0176] In step 757, the LMF (705) can instruct the terminal (700) to fallback to use a location estimation technique other than the AI-based location estimation technique through the LPP RequestLocationInformation message. To instruct the fallback action, the LMF (705) may use a combination of at least one of the following methods.

[0177] * Method 1 (Instruct fallback)

[0178] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field (e.g., AI-Fallback) may be included to instruct the use of a method other than an AI-based location estimation method. If the above indicator is set / included, the terminal may arbitrarily select one of the location estimation methods other than an AI-based location estimation method (e.g., location estimation methods containing auxiliary information corresponding to the LPP ProvideAssistanceData message in step 720) to perform location estimation and report the result as an LMF.

[0179] * Method 2 (indicates one target location estimation technique for fallback)

[0180] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field (e.g., AI-UE-Fallback) may be included to indicate one of the location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) to be used instead of the AI-based location estimation technique. If the above indicator is set / included, the terminal may estimate the location using the indicated location estimation technique instead of the AI-based location estimation technique and report the result to the LMF. If location estimation fails with another location estimation technique, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 759.

[0181] * Method 3 (indicates multiple fallback target location estimation techniques)

[0182] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field (e.g., AI-UE-Fallback) may be included to indicate multiple location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) to be used instead of the AI-based location estimation technique. If the above indicator is set / included, the terminal may estimate the location by arbitrarily selecting and using a possible technique among the indicated location estimation techniques instead of the AI-based location estimation technique, and report the result to the LMF. If location estimation fails even with other location estimation techniques, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 759.

[0183] * Method 4 (indicates multiple fallback target location estimation techniques with priorities)

[0184] : Within the CommonIEsRequestLocationInformation IE (or the IE corresponding to AI-POS, AI-POS-RequestLocationInformation) included in the LPP RequestLocationInformation message, a field (e.g., AI-UE-Fallback) may be included to indicate multiple location estimation techniques (fallback target location estimation techniques) to be used instead of the AI-based location estimation technique, according to priority. If the above indicator is set / included, the terminal may select and use the indicated location estimation techniques according to priority to estimate the location and report the result to the LMF. If location estimation fails even with other location estimation techniques, the terminal may attempt location estimation using the location estimation technique corresponding to the next priority. If location estimation fails even when utilizing all location estimation techniques, the terminal may respond to the LMF by including error information (e.g., LocationFailureCause) in the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message, as described below in step 759. In this case, the above field (AI-UE-Fallback) can be defined in the form of a list containing multiple position estimation techniques in order of highest priority.

[0185] The above methods 1, 2, 3, and 4 can be implemented in the standard as shown in [Table 14] below.

[0186]

[0187] In step 759, the terminal (700) can report the location estimation result to the LMF (705) through the LPP ProvideLocationInformation message.

[0188] FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating a terminal device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0189] Referring to FIG. 8, the terminal may include an RF (Radio Frequency) processing unit (810), a baseband processing unit (820), a storage unit (830), and a control unit (840). The configuration of the terminal is not limited to the exemplary configuration shown in FIG. 8 and may include fewer or more configurations than the configuration shown in FIG. 8.

[0190] The RF processing unit (810) can perform functions for transmitting and receiving signals through a wireless channel, such as signal band conversion and amplification. For example, the RF processing unit (810) can up-convert a baseband signal provided by the baseband processing unit (820) into an RF band signal and then transmit it through an antenna, and can down-convert an RF band signal received through an antenna into a baseband signal. For example, the RF processing unit (810) may include a transmission filter, a reception filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a DAC (digital to analog converter), an ADC (analog to digital converter), etc., but is not limited to these examples. Although only one antenna is shown in FIG. 8, the terminal may be equipped with multiple antennas. Additionally, the RF processing unit (810) may include multiple RF chains. Furthermore, the RF processing unit (810) may perform beamforming. For beamforming, the RF processing unit (810) can adjust the phase and magnitude of each of the signals transmitted and received through multiple antennas or antenna elements. Additionally, the RF processing unit (810) can perform MIMO (multiple input multiple output) and can receive multiple layers when performing MIMO operation.

[0191] The baseband processing unit (820) can perform conversion functions between baseband signals and bit sequences according to the physical layer specifications of the system. For example, when transmitting data, the baseband processing unit (820) can generate complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit sequence. Additionally, when receiving data, the baseband processing unit (820) can restore the received bit sequence by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal provided by the RF processing unit (810). For example, in the case of following the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) method, when transmitting data, the baseband processing unit (820) can generate complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit sequence, map the generated complex symbols to subcarriers, and then construct OFDM symbols through inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) operations and cyclic prefix (CP) insertion. Additionally, upon receiving data, the baseband processing unit (820) can divide the baseband signal provided by the RF processing unit (810) into OFDM symbol units, restore the signals mapped to subcarriers through a fast Fourier transform (FFT) operation, and then restore the received bit sequence through demodulation and decoding.

[0192] The baseband processing unit (820) and the RF processing unit (810) can transmit and receive signals as described above. Accordingly, the baseband processing unit (820) and the RF processing unit (810) may be referred to as a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a transmitting and receiving unit, or a communication unit. Furthermore, at least one of the baseband processing unit (820) and the RF processing unit (810) may include a plurality of communication modules to support a plurality of different wireless access technologies. Additionally, at least one of the baseband processing unit (820) and the RF processing unit (810) may include different communication modules to process signals of different frequency bands. For example, different wireless access technologies may include wireless LAN (e.g., IEEE 802.11), cellular network (e.g., LTE), etc. In addition, different frequency bands may include super high frequency (SHF) bands (e.g., 2 NRHz, NRHz) and millimeter wave (e.g., 60 GHz) bands. The terminal can transmit and receive signals with the gNB using the baseband processing unit (820) and the RF processing unit (810), and the signals may include control information and data.

[0193] The storage unit (830) can store data such as basic programs, application programs, and setting information for the operation of the terminal. For example, the storage unit (830) can store data information such as basic programs, application programs, and setting information for the operation of the terminal. In addition, the storage unit (830) can provide the stored data upon a request from the control unit (840).

[0194] The storage unit (830) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD. Additionally, the storage unit (830) may be composed of a plurality of memories. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit (830) may store a program for performing a handover method according to the present disclosure.

[0195] The control unit (840) can control the overall operations of the terminal. For example, the control unit (840) can transmit and receive signals through the baseband processing unit (820) and the RF processing unit (810).

[0196] Additionally, the control unit (840) can write and read data to the storage unit (830). To this end, the control unit (840) may include at least one processor. For example, the control unit (840) may include a communication processor (CP) that performs control for communication and an application processor (AP) that controls upper layers such as applications. Also, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit (840) may include a multi-connection processing unit (842) configured to process a process operating in a multi-connection mode. Additionally, at least one component within the terminal may be implemented as a single chip.

[0197] FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating a base station device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0198] The base station of Fig. 9 may be included in the aforementioned network.

[0199] As illustrated in FIG. 9, the base station may include an RF processing unit (910), a baseband processing unit (920), a backhaul communication unit (930), a storage unit (940), and a control unit (950). The configuration of the base station is not limited to the exemplary configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, and the base station may include fewer or more configurations than the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9. The RF processing unit (910) may perform functions for transmitting and receiving signals through a wireless channel, such as signal band conversion and amplification. For example, the RF processing unit (910) may up-convert a baseband signal provided by the baseband processing unit (920) into an RF band signal and then transmit it through an antenna, and may down-convert an RF band signal received through an antenna into a baseband signal. For example, the RF processing unit (910) may include a transmission filter, a reception filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a DAC, an ADC, etc. In FIG. 9, only one antenna is shown, but the RF processing unit (910) may be equipped with multiple antennas. Additionally, the RF processing unit (910) may include multiple RF chains. Furthermore, the RF processing unit (910) may perform beamforming. For beamforming, the RF processing unit (910) may adjust the phase and magnitude of each of the signals transmitted and received through multiple antennas or antenna elements. The RF processing unit (910) may perform down-to-down MIMO operation by transmitting one or more layers.

[0200] The baseband processing unit (920) can perform conversion functions between baseband signals and bit sequences according to physical layer specifications. For example, when transmitting data, the baseband processing unit (920) can generate complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit sequence. Additionally, when receiving data, the baseband processing unit (920) can restore the received bit sequence by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal provided by the RF processing unit (910). For example, in the case of an OFDM method, when transmitting data, the baseband processing unit (920) can generate complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit sequence, map the generated complex symbols to subcarriers, and then construct OFDM symbols through IFFT operations and CP insertion. Additionally, upon receiving data, the baseband processing unit (920) can divide the baseband signal provided by the RF processing unit (910) into OFDM symbol units, restore the signals mapped to subcarriers through FFT operations, and then restore the received bit sequence through demodulation and decoding. The baseband processing unit (920) and the RF processing unit (910) can transmit and receive signals as described above. Accordingly, the baseband processing unit (920) and the RF processing unit (910) may be referred to as a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a transmitting and receiving unit, a communication unit, or a wireless communication unit. A base station can transmit and receive signals with a terminal using the baseband processing unit (920) and the RF processing unit (910), and the signal may include control information and data.

[0201] The backhaul communication unit (930) can provide an interface for communicating with other nodes within the network. For example, the backhaul communication unit (930) can convert a bit sequence transmitted from the main base station to another node, e.g., an auxiliary base station, a core network, etc., into a physical signal, and convert a physical signal received from another node into a bit sequence.

[0202] The storage unit (940) can store data such as basic programs, application programs, and configuration information for the operation of the main station. For example, the storage unit (940) can store information about a bearer assigned to a connected terminal, measurement results reported from the connected terminal, etc. Additionally, the storage unit (940) can store information that serves as a criterion for determining whether to provide or discontinue multiple connections to the terminal. Furthermore, the storage unit (940) can provide the stored data upon a request from the control unit (950). The storage unit (940) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD. Additionally, the storage unit (940) may be composed of multiple memories. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit (940) may store a program for performing a handover according to the present disclosure.

[0203] The control unit (950) can control the overall operations of the main station. For example, the control unit (950) can transmit and receive signals through the baseband processing unit (920) and the RF processing unit (910) or through the backhaul communication unit (930). Additionally, the control unit (950) can write and read data to and from the storage unit (940). To this end, the control unit (950) may include at least one processor. Also, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit (950) may include a multi-connection processing unit (952) configured to process a process operating in a multi-connection mode.

[0204] Methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0205] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided for storing one or more programs (software modules). One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. One or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of this disclosure.

[0206] Such programs (software modules, software) may be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, ROM (Read Only Memory), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage devices, Compact Disc-ROM (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs), or other forms of optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes. Alternatively, they may be stored in memory composed of some or all of these. Additionally, each constituent memory may include multiple units.

[0207] Additionally, the above program may be stored on an attachable storage device that can be accessed via a communication network such as the Internet, Intranet, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide LAN (WLAN), or Storage Area Network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure through an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on a communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0208] In the present disclosure, the terms “computer program product” or “computer readable medium” are used to collectively refer to media such as memory, a hard disk installed in a hard disk drive, and signals. These “computer program product” or “computer readable medium” are configurations provided in a method for reporting terminal capability in a wireless communication system according to the present disclosure.

[0209] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory storage medium' simply means that it is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, a 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is stored temporarily.

[0210] According to one embodiment, the method according to the various embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0211] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, the components included in the invention are expressed in a singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the situation presented for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components; even if a component is expressed in the plural form, it may be composed of a singular form, or even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed of a plural form.

[0212] Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples provided to facilitate the explanation of the technical content of the present disclosure and to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that other variations based on the technical concept of the present disclosure are possible. Furthermore, each of the above embodiments may be combined and operated together as needed. For example, parts of one embodiment of the present disclosure and another embodiment may be combined to operate a base station and a terminal. In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to other communication systems, and other variations based on the technical concept of the embodiments may also be possible. For example, the embodiments may be applied to LTE systems, 5G, NR systems, or 6G systems, etc. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. In a method of a terminal in a mobile communication system, A step of receiving auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of the terminal from an LMF (location management function); A step of receiving a location information request message from the above LMF; If information requesting the result of position estimation using an AI (artificial intelligence) / ML (machine learning) positioning method is included in the location information request message, a step of determining whether the AI / ML positioning method is available; and A method of a terminal characterized by including the step of, if the above AI / ML positioning method is not available, transmitting a location information providing message to the above LMF in response to the above request message, the message including information about the cause of the positioning error.

2. In Paragraph 1, The step of determining whether the above AI / ML positioning method is applicable is determined based on at least one of the auxiliary information or the availability of a model for AI / ML positioning at the terminal, and The above auxiliary information includes settings for a DL (downlink)-PRS (positioning reference signal) for each of at least one TRP (transmission reception point), and A method of a terminal characterized by the information regarding the cause of the above error indicating that the use of the above AI / ML positioning method is impossible.

3. In Paragraph 1, Receiving a capability information request message from the above LMF, requesting the capability of a terminal for at least one positioning method; and The method further includes the step of transmitting a capability information providing message to the above LMF in response to the capability information request message, the message indicating the capability of the terminal for each of the at least one positioning method. A method of a terminal characterized in that the above-mentioned at least one positioning method includes the above-mentioned AI / ML positioning method.

4. In Paragraph 1, A method of a terminal characterized by further including the step of transmitting a capability information providing message to the LMF, which includes information indicating a change in availability, when the availability of the AI / ML positioning method changes after transmitting the location information providing message.

5. In Paragraph 1, A method of a terminal characterized in that, when it is determined that the above AI / ML positioning method is available, the above location information providing message further includes information indicating that the estimated location information and the method for the above estimated location information are the above AI / ML positioning method.

6. In the method of the LMF (location management function) in a mobile communication system, A step of transmitting auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of said terminal to a terminal; A step of transmitting a location information request message to the above terminal, the message including information requesting the result of a location estimation using an AI (artificial intelligence) / ML (machine learning) positioning method; and A method of an LMF characterized by including the step of receiving a location information providing message from the terminal to the LMF, which includes information about the cause of the positioning error, in response to the request message.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above auxiliary information includes settings for a DL (downlink)-PRS (positioning reference signal) for each of at least one TRP (transmission reception point), and A method of LMF characterized by the information regarding the cause of the above error indicating that the use of the above AI / ML positioning method is not possible.

8. In Paragraph 6, A method of LMF characterized by further including the step of receiving a capability information providing message from the terminal, after receiving the location information providing message, the message including information indicating a change in the availability of the AI / ML positioning method.

9. In a terminal of a mobile communication system, Transmitter / receiver; and A terminal characterized by comprising a control unit that controls the transceiver to receive auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of the terminal from a location management function (LMF), controls the transceiver to receive a location information request message from the LMF, determines whether the AI / ML positioning method is available if information requesting the result of a location estimation using an AI / ML positioning method is included in the location information request message, and if the AI / ML positioning method is not available, controls the transceiver to transmit a location information providing message to the LMF, which includes information regarding the cause of a positioning error, as a response to the request message.

10. In Paragraph 9, The control unit determines whether an AI / ML positioning method is applicable based on at least one of the auxiliary information or the availability of a model for AI / ML positioning at the terminal, and The above auxiliary information includes settings for a DL (downlink)-PRS (positioning reference signal) for each of at least one TRP (transmission reception point), and A terminal characterized by the information regarding the cause of the above error indicating that the use of the above AI / ML positioning method is not possible.

11. In Paragraph 9, A terminal characterized in that the control unit controls the transceiver to transmit a capability information providing message containing information indicating a change in availability to the LMF when the availability of the AI / ML positioning method changes after transmitting the location information providing message.

12. In Paragraph 9, A terminal characterized in that, when it is determined that the above AI / ML positioning method is available, the location information providing message further includes information indicating that the estimated location information and the method for the estimated location information are the above AI / ML positioning method.

13. In the location management function (LMF) of a mobile communication system, Transmitter / receiver; and An LMF characterized by comprising a control unit that controls the transceiver to transmit auxiliary information for a positioning procedure of the terminal to the terminal, controls the transceiver to transmit a position information request message to the terminal, the message including information requesting a result of position estimation using an AI (artificial intelligence) / ML (machine learning) positioning method, and controls the transceiver to receive a position information provision message from the terminal to the LMF, the message including information regarding the cause of a positioning error, as a response to the request message.

14. In Paragraph 13, The above auxiliary information includes settings for a DL (downlink)-PRS (positioning reference signal) for each of at least one TRP (transmission reception point), and LMF characterized by the information regarding the cause of the above error indicating that the use of the above AI / ML positioning method is not possible.

15. In Paragraph 13, The LMF is characterized in that the control unit controls the transceiver to receive a capability information providing message from the terminal, after receiving the location information providing message, the capability information providing message including information instructing a change in the availability of the AI / ML positioning method.

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