LMF Co-hosted Cell Sanity Check for 5G Positioning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing positioning sanity checks in 3GPP networks fail when serving cell information cannot be retrieved from the E-SMLC/LMF database, as they rely on the serving cell shape for verification, and the NR Cell Identity (NCI) format does not allow extraction of the gNBId and cellid without knowing the gNBId length, leading to incomplete location data verification.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a gNBidlength parameter into 3GPP TS 29.572 v16.3 to enable the LMF to decode gNBId information and query cells hosted by the same network node, allowing for an enhanced sanity check using co-hosted cells even when serving cell information is unavailable, by estimating the coverage area based on other cells hosted by the network node.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the existing positioning sanity check based on serving cell shape is used, then positioning verification can be performed when serving cell information is available, but positioning verification fails when serving cell information cannot be retrieved from the database

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning verification reliabilityVSAvoidadaptability to missing serving cell information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces co-hosted cell information as an intermediary substitute when serving cell information is unavailable. The LMF uses coverage area information from co-hosted cells (cells hosted by the same gNB) to perform sanity checks, acting as a mediator that enables positioning verification through alternative data sources when the primary source is missing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter basis for sanity checks from exclusively serving cell information to include co-hosted cell information. By modifying which cell parameters are used for coverage area verification, the system can perform positioning validation even when serving cell data is unavailable, thereby improving reliability under missing information conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If the NR Cell Identity (NCI) format is used without gNBidlength parameter, then the cell identity can be represented, but the gNBId and cellid cannot be extracted for database querying

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation loss in cell identity decodingVSAvoidcomplexity of cell identity structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by including the gNBidlength parameter in advance within the NCI structure. This pre-included parameter enables subsequent extraction of gNBId and cellid without requiring additional signaling or complex parsing logic, preventing information loss while maintaining manageable complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the NCI structure into distinct components: gNBidlength (5 bits), gNBId (variable length based on gNBidlength), and cellid (remaining bits). This segmentation allows systematic extraction and processing of each component, enabling database querying while preserving the flexibility of variable-length gNBId representation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If co-hosted cell information is used for sanity check, then positioning verification can be performed without serving cell information, but the positioning accuracy may be reduced compared to using serving cell information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning successful rateVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by using co-hosted cell information as a subset alternative when serving cell information is unavailable. Rather than requiring complete serving cell data for accurate verification, the system accepts partial coverage area information from co-hosted cells, enabling positioning success at potentially reduced precision levels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS20240298290A1Network action based on co-hosted cells

Publication Date: 2024.09.05 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a network function node is provided. The network node function includes processing circuitry configured to receive a request for performing a network action where the request includes an access network cell identity that includes a network node identifier associated with a network node and a serving cell identifier associated with a serving cell, and a bit length of the network node identifier. The processing circuitry is configured to determine the network node identifier based at least one the bit length of the network node identifier, estimate a respective coverage area for each of the plurality of cells, estimate a coverage area of the serving cell based at least on the estimates of the respective coverage areas of the plurality of cells, and perform the requested network action based at least on the estimated coverage area of the serving cell.