Positioning method and apparatus for different time division duplex uplink-downlink configurations

• US 10,531,347 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Han, Jing, Li, Hong, Cui, Jie, Li, Anjian, Xue, Jiantao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Mong-Thuy T
• Application Number:
  US15/614,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 4554221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention discloses a positioning method. When a primary cell PCell and a serving cell SCell that are of user equipment UE have different uplink-downlink configurations at a same subframe location, and the UE does not support simultaneous transmission and reception, the method includes: receiving, by a first device, positioning information of the UE, where the positioning information includes positioning assistance information, or positioning assistance information and a UE identifier, and the positioning assistance information includes at least positioning reference signal PRS information, or PRS information and a Cell ID; determining, by the first device and according to the positioning information, that the UE performs PRS measurement at the same subframe location of the SCell that has same configuration, and avoiding, by the first device, scheduling data or configuring a sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell that have different configurations.

Claims

1. A positioning method for different Time Division Duplex (TDD), uplink-downlink configurations, wherein when a primary cell (PCell) and a serving cell (SCell) for a user equipment (UE) have different uplink-downlink configurations at a same subframe location, and the UE does not support simultaneous transmission and reception, the method comprises:

receiving, by a first device, positioning information of the UE, wherein the positioning information comprises positioning assistance information, or positioning assistance information and a UE identifier, and the positioning assistance information comprises at least positioning reference signal (PRS) information, or PRS information and a Cell ID; and

determining, by the first device and according to the positioning information, that the UE performs a PRS measurement at the same subframe location of the SCell, and configuring a sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell,

wherein the configuring the sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell comprises;

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is a downlink subframe, skipping by the first device, scheduling the downlink subframe;

or

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is an uplink subframe, skipping, by the first device, scheduling the uplink subframe or configuring a sounding signal;

or

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is a special subframe;

skipping, by the first device, scheduling the special subframe.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the first device is a serving base station, the receiving positioning information comprises,

receiving the positioning assistance information sent by the UE;

or

receiving the positioning assistance information and the UE identifier that are sent by a positioning server.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein when the first device is a target base station, the receiving positioning information of the UE comprises:

after the UE hands over from a source base station to the target base station, receiving the positioning assistance information sent by the UE;

or

after the UE hands over front a source base station to the target base station, receiving the UE identifier and the positioning assistance information of the UE that are sent by a positioning server, wherein the UE identifier is sent by the UE to the positioning server;

or

after the UE hands over from a source base station to the target base station, receiving the UE identifier and the positioning assistance information of the UE, that are sent by a positioning server, wherein the UE identifier is sent by the source base station to the positioning server;

or

after the UE hands over from a source base station to the target base station, receiving the UE identifier and the positioning assistance information of the UE that are sent by the source base station, wherein the UE identifier is sent by the source base station to the target base station.

4. A positioning method for different Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink configurations, wherein when a PCell and an SCell for a user equipment (UE) have different uplink-downlink configurations at a same subframe location, and the UE does not support simultaneous transmission and reception, the method comprises:

receiving, by a positioning server, a positioning measurement request sent by the UE;

sending, by the positioning server, positioning assistance information and a UE identifier to a first device, wherein the positioning assistance information comprises at least positioning reference signal (PRS) information, or PRS information and a Cell ID for determining, according to the positioning assistance information, that the UE performs a PRS measurement at the same subframe location of the SCell, and configuring a sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell,

wherein the method further comprises;

after the UE hands over from a source base station to a target base station, receiving, by the positioning server, a serving Cell ID identifier that is sent by the UE and that is obtained after the UE is handed over;

or

after the UE hands over from a source base station to a target base station, receiving, by the positioning server, a serving Cell ID identifier that is sent by the source base station and that is obtained after the UE is handed over.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the positioning server, UE status feedback information sent by the UE.

6. A positioning method for different Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink configurations, wherein when a PCell and an SCell for a user equipment UE have different uplink-downlink configurations at a same subframe location, and the UE does not support simultaneous transmission and reception, the method comprises:

receiving, by the UE, a positioning measurement request;

handing over, by the UE, from a source base station to a target base station; and

sending, by the UE, positioning assistance information of the UE to the target base station, wherein the positioning assistance information comprises at least positioning reference signal (PRS) information, or PRS information and a Cell ID, determining, according to the positioning assistance information, that the UE performs a PRS measurement at the same subframe location of the SCell, and configuring a sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell,

wherein the method further comprises;

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is an uplink subframe, and the UE does not send any data on the uplink subframe, receiving, by the UE, a downlink signal on a subframe that is of the SCell and that is at the same subframe location of the PCell;

or

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is an uplink subframe, and the UE needs to measure a PRS on a subframe that is of the SCell and that is at the same subframe location of the PCell, skipping, by the UE, sending any data on the uplink subframe.

7. A positioning apparatus for different Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink configurations, comprising:

a processor, configured to determine that a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary cell (SCell) that are of user equipment (UE) have different uplink-downlink configurations at a same subframe location, and the UE does not support simultaneous transmission and reception; and

a receiver, configured to receive positioning information of the UE according to a result determined by the processor, wherein the positioning information comprises positioning assistance information, or positioning assistance information and a UE identifier, and the positioning assistance information comprises at least positioning reference signal (PRS) information, or PRS information and a Cell ID;

wherein the processor is further configured to determine, according to the positioning assistance information received by the receiver, that the UE performs a PRS measurement at the same subframe location of the SCell, and configure a sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is a downlink subframe, skip scheduling the downlink subframe;

or

if a subframe at the same subframe location if the PCell is an uplink subframe, skip scheduling the uplink subframe or configuring a sounding signal;

or

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is a special subframe, skip scheduling the special subframe.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the apparatus is a serving base station, the receiver is specifically configured to:

receive the positioning assistance is sent by the UE;

or

receive the positioning assistance information and the UE identifier that are sent by a positioning server.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the apparatus is a target base station, the receiver is specifically configured to:

after the UE hands over from a source base station to the target base station, receive the positioning assistance information sent by the UE;

or

after the UE hands over from a source base station to the target base station, receive the UE identifier and the positioning assistance information of the UE that are sent by a positioning server, wherein the UE identifier is sent by the UE to the positioning server;

or

after the UE hands over from a source base station to the target base station, receive the UE identifier and the positioning assistance information of the UE that are sent by a positioning server, wherein the UE identifier is sent by the source base station to the positioning server;

or

after the UE hands over from a source base station to the target base station, receive the UE identifier and the positioning assistance information of the UE that are sent by the source base station, wherein the UE identifier is sent by the source base station to the target base station.

10. A positioning apparatus for different Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink configurations, comprising:

a processor, configured to determine that a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary cell (SCell) for a user equipment (UE) have different uplink-downlink configurations at a same subframe location, and the UE does not support simultaneous transmission and reception; and

a transmitter, configured to send a positioning measurement request to the UE according to a result determined by the processor;

wherein;

the transmitter is configured to send positioning information comprising positioning assistance information and a UE identifier to a first device, wherein the positioning assistance information comprises at least positioning reference signal (PRS) information, or PRS information and a Cell ID, for determining, according to the positioning information, that the UE performs a PRS measurement at the same subframe location of the SCell, and avoids scheduling data or configuring a sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell,

wherein the apparatus further comprises;

a receiver, configured to;

after the UE hands over from a source base station to a target base station, receive a serving Cell ID identifier that is sent by the UE and that is obtained after the UE is handed over;

or

after the UE hands over from a source base station to a target base station, receiving a serving Cell ID identifier that is sent by the source base station and that is obtained after the UE is handed over.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive UE status feedback information sent by the UE.

12. A positioning apparatus for different Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink configurations, comprising:

a processor, configured to;

determine that a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary cell (SCell) for a user equipment (UE) have different uplink-downlink configurations at a same subframe location, and the UE does not support simultaneous transmission and reception; and

hand over from a source base station to a target base station;

a receiver, configured to receive a positioning measurement request according to a result determined by the processor; and

a transmitter, configured to send positioning assistance information of the target base station to the target base station, wherein the positioning assistance information comprises at least positioning reference signal (PRS) information, or PRS information and a Cell ID, for determining, according to the positioning information, that the UE performs a PRS measurement at the same subframe location of the SCell, and configuring a sounding signal sounding at the same subframe location of the PCell and the SCell,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

if a subframe at the same subframe location if the PCell is an uplink subframe, and the UE does not send and data on the uplink subframe, receive a downlink signal on a subframe that is of the SCell and that is at the same subframe location of the PCell;

or

if a subframe at the same subframe location of the PCell is an uplink subframe, and the UE needs to measure a PRS on a subframe that is of the SCell and that is at the same subframe location of the PCell, skip sending any data on the uplink subframe.