Device and method to improve horizontal and vertical positioning accuracy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12225495-B2
Application number	US-202017099969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2020
Priority date	Jan 26, 2015
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

User equipment (UE), an enhanced NodeB (eNB) and method of improving positioning accuracy and enabling vertical domain positioning of the UE are generally described. The UE may receive a prsInfo control signal having at least one PRS configuration and subsequently a plurality of Reference Signals (RSs). The RSs may have a first Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) pattern in a first set of PRS subframes and a second PRS pattern in a second set of PRS subframes received prior to a subsequent first set of PRS subframes. The RSs may have a vertical positioning RS and a lateral positioning RS. The UE may measure PRS resource elements (REs), each having a PRS, in the first and second PRS pattern. The UE may transmit a measurement of the PRS in the first and second PRS pattern. The patterns may enable horizontal and vertical positioning to be determined.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising:
a transceiver; and
processing circuitry coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
decode a positioning protocol message, from a location server, comprising positioning reference signal (PRS) information for a cell for use in performing measurements of time difference of arrival (TDOA), wherein the PRS information comprises a first PRS information element, wherein the first PRS information element includes a first PRS configuration and a second PRS configuration for the cell, wherein the first and second PRS configurations have respective periodicities and respective offsets.

2. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
decode first PRSs based on the first PRS configuration and second PRSs based on the second PRS configuration.

3. The user equipment of claim 2 , wherein the first PRSs and the second PRSs are decoded in consecutive downlink subframes, wherein the consecutive downlink subframes exclude one or more subframes, wherein each of the one or more subframes comprises at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

4. The user equipment of claim 2 , wherein the first PRSs and second PRSs are associated with different antenna ports of a base station.

5. The user equipment of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
encode, for transmission to a base station, measurements based on the first and second PRSs.

6. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the first and second PRSs are quasi-co-located.

7. The user equipment of claim 1 , wherein the first PRS configuration comprises a legacy PRS configuration, wherein the second PRS configuration comprises a non-legacy PRS configuration.

8. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to cause a user equipment (UE) device to:
decode a positioning protocol message, from a location server, comprising positioning reference signal (PRS) information for a cell for use in performing measurements of time difference of arrival (TDOA), wherein the PRS information comprises a first PRS information element, wherein the first PRS information element includes a first PRS configuration and a second PRS configuration for the cell, wherein the first and second PRS configurations have respective periodicities and respective offsets.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE device to:
decode first PRSs based on the first PRS configuration and second PRSs based on the second PRS configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first PRSs and the second PRSs are decoded in consecutive downlink subframes, wherein the consecutive downlink subframes exclude one or more subframes, wherein each of the one or more subframes comprises at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first PRSs and second PRSs are associated with different antenna ports of a base station.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE device to:
encode, for transmission to a base station, measurements based on the first and second PRSs.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first and second PRSs are quasi-co-located.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first PRS configuration comprises a legacy PRS configuration, wherein the second PRS configuration comprises a non-legacy PRS configuration.

15. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to cause a user equipment (UE) device to:
decode a positioning protocol message, from a location server, comprising positioning reference signal (PRS) information for a cell for use in performing measurements of observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA), wherein the PRS information comprises at least a first PRS information element and a second PRS information element, wherein the first PRS information element includes a first PRS configuration index for the cell, wherein the second PRS information element includes a second PRS configuration index for the cell.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE device to:
decode first PRSs based on a first PRS configuration indicated by the first PRS configuration index; and
decode second PRSs based on a second PRS configuration indicated by the second PRS configuration index.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first PRSs and the second PRSs are decoded in consecutive downlink subframes, wherein the consecutive downlink subframes exclude one or more subframes, wherein each of the one or more subframes comprises at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first PRSs and second PRSs are associated with different antenna ports of a base station.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the UE device to:
encode, for transmission to a base station, measurements based on the first and second PRSs.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first and second PRS configurations have respective periodicities and respective offsets.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Han Seunghee
• Bashar Shafi
• Zhu Yuan
• Tang Yang

Classifications

• H04W56/001

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• G01S5/0236

  Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac · CPC title

• G01S5/12

  by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial · CPC title

• G01S5/10

  Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements {, e.g. omega or decca systems}(G01S5/12 takes precedence {; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308}) · CPC title

• G01S5/0036

  of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station · CPC title