Sidelink Positioning Protocol Message Structure for UE Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current sidelink positioning protocols (SLPP) face challenges in conveying position method capabilities, resource allocation, support for multiple UEs, forward compatibility, configuration references, and common time references, which affect the accuracy and efficiency of sidelink positioning.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves exchanging SLPP messages between UEs to convey capabilities, resource allocations, and assistance data, enabling support for multiple UEs and ensuring forward compatibility. Specifically, UEs exchange SLPP Provide Capabilities messages, request updates on changed capabilities, and use common time references to determine propagation delay and relative location.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If SLPP messages are exchanged to convey position method capabilities and resource allocations, then positioning accuracy is improved, but message complexity and overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidmessage complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The SLPP message structure is designed to carry multiple types of information (positioning capabilities, resource allocations, assistance data, location information) in a unified framework, allowing single messages to serve multiple positioning functions and reducing the need for separate specialized messages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Positioning information is divided into distinct components (capabilities, resource allocations, assistance data, location information) that can be selectively included in SLPP messages based on specific positioning needs, allowing receivers to process only relevant portions and reducing overall complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If SLPP support for multiple UEs is implemented, then positioning versatility is improved, but coordination complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning versatilityVSAvoidcoordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A location server acts as an intermediary that receives positioning measurements from multiple UEs, performs centralized computation, and returns location information, thereby simplifying the coordination complexity that would otherwise exist in fully distributed multi-UE positioning scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The SLPP protocol framework is designed to support both UE-based and UE-assisted positioning modes, allowing the same message structures to serve single-UE and multi-UE positioning scenarios, enhancing versatility without requiring separate protocol stacks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If common time reference is established among UEs, then propagation delay determination accuracy is improved, but time synchronization requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepropagation delay accuracyVSAvoidtime synchronization

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The location server serves as a common time reference intermediary, providing timing information to multiple UEs based on network-synchronized sources, thereby enabling accurate propagation delay determination without requiring direct peer-to-peer time synchronization between all UE pairs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Time reference information is established and distributed by the location server before positioning measurements are taken, ensuring that all UEs operate with synchronized time bases in advance, which simplifies the timing coordination during actual positioning operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Productivity

If SLPP messages include comprehensive capabilities and assistance data, then positioning efficiency is improved, but message size and transmission overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning efficiencyVSAvoidmessage size

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

SLPP messages include only the subset of positioning capabilities and assistance data that are relevant to the specific positioning scenario and UE capabilities, avoiding transmission of unnecessary information while maintaining positioning efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The message structure is designed to accommodate variable content based on positioning mode and UE capabilities, allowing comprehensive information to be included when needed while supporting compact versions for simpler scenarios, thereby optimizing the balance between efficiency and overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250151014A1Sidelink positioning enhancement and optimization

Publication Date: 2025.05.08 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Techniques are disclosed for performing positioning using a sidelink (SL) positioning protocol (SLPP). Techniques address SLPP issues related to conveying user equipment (UE) position method capabilities, SL PRS resource allocation, UE support of multiple other UEs, SLPP forward compatibility, SL PRS configuration reference, and SLPP common time reference. Techniques of enabling SLPP common time reference may further provide for the determination of propagation delay and/or relative location of UEs performing positioning using SLPP.