Beam Group Reporting for NR Positioning Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems, particularly in new radio (NR) networks, face challenges in providing robust location services due to increased data traffic and environmental factors, leading to inadequate signaling and communication in indoor and challenging environments.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of beam group reporting for positioning in new radio (NR) wireless communications systems, where a user equipment (UE) selects a subset of Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) resources from a beam group to produce combined Time of Arrival (TOA) measurements for Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) estimates, along with reporting associated parameters such as relative quality and signal strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional radio signaling measurement reporting is used in NR systems, then basic positioning functionality is maintained, but signaling robustness and measurement accuracy deteriorate in indoor and challenging environments due to increased data traffic and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the positioning measurement process by introducing beam group reporting, where the UE reports measurements for multiple PRS resources (beams) grouped together. This segmentation allows the system to handle challenging environments by dividing the overall positioning task into manageable beam-level measurements that can be aggregated for more robust positioning results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by having the UE report only a subset of the most relevant PRS resource measurements (e.g., top N beams with highest signal quality) rather than all possible measurements. This reduces signaling overhead while maintaining positioning accuracy by focusing on the most useful measurements for determining position in challenging environments.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive PRS resource measurements are reported by the UE, then positioning accuracy improves, but signaling overhead and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential positioning information from the full set of PRS resource measurements. The UE identifies and reports only the most relevant beam group measurements (such as those with highest signal quality or strongest contribution to positioning accuracy), thereby reducing signaling overhead while preserving the critical information needed for accurate positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the reporting parameters by introducing beam group-level reporting instead of individual PRS resource reporting. This parameter change aggregates multiple measurements into grouped results, reducing the volume of reported data while maintaining positioning accuracy through the collective information from multiple beams within each group.
3Reliability
If beam group reporting is implemented in NR systems, then TOA measurement quality and positioning robustness improve, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual PRS resource measurements into beam group measurements. By combining the measurement results from multiple beams within a group, the system achieves more robust positioning that is less susceptible to environmental factors, while the UE's processing complexity is managed through standardized measurement and reporting procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for beam group reporting for positioning in new radio (NR) wireless communications systems. In some wireless communications systems, multiple PRS resources, e.g., a beam group, received by a user equipment (UE) from the same network entity may be used to produce a combined Time of Arrival (TOA) measurement for the reference or target to derive an Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD) estimate. The UE provides to a network entity an indication of the PRS resources in the beam group, which may be specifically or generally identified. Additionally, parameters associated with the beam group are provided, such as a relative quality of the TOA measurement for each PRS resource in the subset, a spread of the TOA measurements in the subset, a relative signal strength of each PRS resource in the subset, or a spread of the signal strength in the subset.