SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SUPPORTING UPLINK AND DOWNLINK POSITIONING PROCEDURES IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20200137715A1
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: EDGE, Stephen William, FISCHER, Sven, OPSHAUG, Guttorm Ringstad, BHUSHAN, Naga, AKKARAKARAN, Sony
• Granted Patent: US 12,041,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0081 Transmission between base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A position of a user equipment (UE) may be determined using downlink based solutions (e.g. OTDOA), uplink based solutions (e.g. UTDOA), or combined downlink and uplink based solutions (e.g. RTT). The serving gNBs may request neighboring gNBs to produce downlink reference signal transmissions to a target UE and/or measure uplink reference signal transmissions from the target UE. The serving gNB may receive the uplink reference signal measurements from neighboring gNBs and obtain an own uplink reference signal measurement and forward to the UE or another network entity all the uplink reference signal measurements. The UE may use the uplink reference signal measurements, along with the UE'"'"'s own downlink reference signal measurements to determine RTTs. The serving gNBs or another entity may keep the uplink reference signal measurements and may determine RTTs after receiving the downlink reference signal measurements from the UE.

Claims

1. A method for determining a position of a user equipment (UE) performed by the UE, the method comprising:

receiving from a serving gNBs assistance data for a plurality of gNBs, which includes the serving gNBs;

transmitting to the plurality of gNBs uplink reference signals;

receiving from the serving gNBs uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of gNBs, wherein the serving gNBs received the uplink reference signal measurements from other gNBs in the plurality of gNBs;

determining the position of the UE based on the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of gNBs and the assistance data for the plurality of the gNBs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the position for the UE uses Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating downlink reference signals measurements for downlink reference signals received from the plurality of gNBs;

wherein determining the position of the UE is further based on the downlink reference signals measurements for the downlink reference signals received from the plurality of gNBs.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the position of the UE comprises

determining a round trip time (RTT) for each gNBs in the plurality of gNBs using the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of gNBs and the downlink reference signals measurements for the downlink reference signals received from the plurality of gNBs;

and

performing multilateration with the RTT for each gNBs and a location of each gNBs received in the assistance data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to the serving gNBs a request for location;

wherein the serving gNBs generates and transmits to the UE the assistance data for the plurality of gNBs in response to the request for location.

6. A user equipment (UE) configured for determining a position of the UE, the method comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with gNBs;

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the transceiver and the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to;

receive via the transceiver from a serving gNBs assistance data for a plurality of gNBs, which includes the serving gNBs;

transmit via the transceiver to the plurality of gNBs uplink reference signals;

receive via the transceiver from the serving gNBs uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of gNBs, wherein the serving gNBs received the uplink reference signal measurements from other gNBs in the plurality of gNBs; and

determine the position of the UE based on the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of gNBs and the assistance data for the plurality of the gNBs.

7. The UE of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the position for the UE using Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA).

8. The UE of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate downlink reference signals measurements for downlink reference signals received from the plurality of gNBs via the transceiver;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the position of the UE based further on the downlink reference signals measurements for the downlink reference signals received from the plurality of gNBs.

9. The UE of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the position of the UE by being configured to:

determine a round trip time (RTT) for each gNBs in the plurality of gNBs using the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of gNBs and the downlink reference signals measurements for the downlink reference signals received from the plurality of gNBs; and

perform multilateration with the RTT for each gNBs and a location of each gNBs received in the assistance data.

10. The UE of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit via the transceiver to the serving gNBs a request for location;

wherein the serving gNBs generates and transmits to the UE the assistance data for the plurality of gNBs in response to the request for location.

11. A method for determining a position of a user equipment (UE) performed by a serving gNBs for the UE, the method comprising:

receiving a location request for the UE from another entity;

determining a plurality of neighbor gNBs;

sending a request to each neighbor gNBs in the plurality of neighbor gNBs to increase downlink reference signal transmissions and to measure uplink reference signal transmissions from the UE;

generating assistance data for the plurality of neighbor gNBs;

transmitting the assistance data for the plurality of neighbor gNBs to the UE;

receiving an uplink reference signal transmission from the UE;

generating an uplink reference signal measurement for the uplink reference signal transmission;

receiving one or more uplink reference signal measurements from each neighbor gNBs in the plurality of neighbor gNBs, wherein the one or more uplink reference signal measurements are generated from uplink reference signal transmissions from the UE to the neighbor gNBs;

generating location information based on the uplink reference signal measurement from the serving gNBs and the one or more uplink reference signal measurements from the neighbor gNBs; and

transmitting the location information to the other entity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the location information is a location measurement message that includes the uplink reference signal measurement from the serving gNBs and the one or more uplink reference signal measurements from the neighbor gNBs, and wherein the location measurement message is transmitted to the UE for determination of the position of the UE.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determination of the position of the UE is performed by the UE using Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA).

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE;

wherein the determination of the position of the UE is performed by the UE using round trip time (RTT) for signals determined using the uplink reference signal measurements and downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from the downlink reference signal transmissions.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the other entity is the UE and wherein the assistance data is generated and transmitted to the UE in response to the location request.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the location information is a location measurement message that includes the uplink reference signal measurement from the serving gNBs and the one or more uplink reference signal measurements from the neighbor gNBs, and wherein the location measurement message is transmitted to a network entity.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE; and

receiving from the UE downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from downlink reference signals received by the UE;

wherein the location measurement message further includes the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the location information comprises determining the position of the UE by the serving gNBs based on the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of neighbor gNBs.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE; and

receiving from the UE downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from downlink reference signals received by the UE;

wherein determining the position of the UE is further based on the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the position of the UE comprises:

determining a round trip time (RTT) for each gNBs using the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each gNBs and the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE; and

performing multilateration with the RTT for each gNBs and a known location of each gNBs.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE; and

receiving downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from downlink reference signals received by the UE;

wherein generating the location information comprises determining a round trip time (RTT) for each gNBs using the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each gNBs and the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE.

22. A gNBs configured for determining a position of a user equipment (UE) comprising:

at least one external interface configured to communicate with the UE, with other gNBs and with entities in a wireless network;

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one external interface and the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to;

receive a location request for the UE from another entity;

determine a plurality of neighbor gNBs;

send a request to each neighbor gNBs in the plurality of neighbor gNBs to increase downlink reference signal transmissions and to measure uplink reference signal transmissions from the UE;

generate assistance data for the plurality of neighbor gNBs;

transmit via the at least one external interface the assistance data for the plurality of neighbor gNBs to the UE;

receive via the at least one external interface an uplink reference signal transmission from the UE;

generate an uplink reference signal measurement for the uplink reference signal transmission;

receive via the at least one external interface one or more uplink reference signal measurements from each neighbor gNBs in the plurality of neighbor gNBs, wherein the one or more uplink reference signal measurements are generated from uplink reference signal transmissions from the UE to the neighbor gNBs;

generate location information based on the uplink reference signal measurement from the serving gNBs and the one or more uplink reference signal measurements from the neighbor gNBs; and

transmit via the at least one external interface the location information to the other entity.

23. The gNBs of claim 22, wherein the location information is a location measurement message that includes the uplink reference signal measurement from the serving gNBs and the one or more uplink reference signal measurements from the neighbor gNBs, and wherein the location measurement message is transmitted to the UE for determination of the position of the UE.

24. The gNBs of claim 23, wherein the determination of the position of the UE is performed by the UE using Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UTDOA).

25. The gNBs of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit via the external interface downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE;

wherein the determination of the position of the UE is performed by the UE using round trip time (RTT) for signals determined using the uplink reference signal measurements and downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from the downlink reference signal transmissions.

26. The gNBs of claim 23, wherein the other entity is the UE and wherein the assistance data is generated and transmitted to the UE in response to the location request.

27. The gNBs of claim 22, wherein the location information is a location measurement message that includes the uplink reference signal measurement from the serving gNBs and the one or more uplink reference signal measurements from the neighbor gNBs, and wherein the location measurement message is transmitted to a network entity.

28. The gNBs of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit via the external interface downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE; and

receive from the UE via the external interface downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from downlink reference signals received by the UE;

wherein the location measurement message further includes the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE.

29. The gNBs of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the location information by being configured to determine the position of the UE by the serving gNBs based on the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each of the plurality of neighbor gNBs.

30. The gNBs of claim 29, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit via the external interface downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE; and

receive from the UE via the external interface downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from downlink reference signals received by the UE;

wherein the position of the UE is further based on the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE.

31. The gNBs of claim 30, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the position of the UE by being configured to:

determine a round trip time (RTT) for each gNBs using the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each gNBs and the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE; and

perform multilateration with the RTT for each gNBs and a known location of each gNBs.

32. The gNBs of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit via the external interface downlink reference signals to be measured by the UE; and

receive via the external interface downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE from downlink reference signals received by the UE;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the location information by being configured to determine a round trip time (RTT) for each gNBs using the uplink reference signal measurements measured by each gNBs and the downlink reference signals measurements measured by the UE.