Narrowband Positioning Reference Signal Detection via Timing Offset Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) wireless communication systems, devices face challenges in detecting Narrowband Positioning Reference Signals (NPRS) due to misalignment of System Frame Numbers (SFN) and subframe numbers between cells, which hinders accurate positioning reference signal measurements.
Innovation Solution
A method where a target device obtains assistance data with timing offset information from a location server to determine the NPRS subframe and sequence, enabling successful detection and measurement of positioning reference signals, thereby reducing the risk of measurement failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If devices attempt to detect NPRS in neighbour cells without timing offset information, then device complexity remains low, but measurement precision deteriorates due to SFN and subframe misalignment between cells
Solution Approach 1:
The location server acts as an intermediary that collects timing offset information from network nodes and provides it to the target device. This mediator approach allows the device to obtain necessary timing synchronization data without having to implement complex timing alignment mechanisms itself, thus improving measurement precision while maintaining low device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Timing offset information is obtained in advance from the location server before NPRS detection is performed. This preliminary acquisition of timing data enables the device to properly synchronize and detect NPRS from neighbour cells without experiencing misalignment issues, resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and device complexity
2Measurement precision
If devices use timing offset information from location server, then positioning accuracy improves, but loss of time increases due to additional data acquisition steps
Solution Approach 1:
The timing offset information is obtained in advance from the location server before the actual NPRS detection process. This preliminary acquisition ensures that when the device performs measurement, it already has the necessary timing synchronization data, avoiding time loss during the measurement process itself while still achieving high positioning accuracy
3Reliability
If devices detect NPRS without assistance data, then ease of operation is maintained, but reliability of positioning measurement deteriorates due to measurement failures
Solution Approach 1:
The location server serves as a mediator that automatically provides timing offset assistance data to the target device. This intermediary approach improves measurement reliability by ensuring proper timing synchronization without requiring the device to manually configure or search for timing parameters, thus maintaining ease of operation while significantly improving measurement success rate
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service positioning where the device automatically receives and uses timing offset information from the location server to perform NPRS detection. This self-service mechanism improves reliability by ensuring proper synchronization while maintaining operational simplicity, as the device handles the process automatically without user intervention
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and apparatus for positioning in a wireless network. One embodiment provides a method, performed by a target device, for enabling detection of a narrowband positioning reference signal, NPRS, location in a radio frame. The method comprises: obtaining (100), from a location server, assistance data related to a neighbour cell in a reference and neighbour cell list, wherein the assistance data comprises timing offset information for the neighbour cell, determining (110) a time of a NPRS subframe for the neighbour cell and/or NPRS sequence based on the timing offset information, measuring (120) a positioning reference signal (PRS) based on the determined time, and reporting (130) the measured PRS to the location server.