UTC traceability support for terminal devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12241986-B1
Application number	US-202418893057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2024
Priority date	Oct 13, 2021
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to receive, from a serving access node, a downlink radio resource control message including reference time information for a clock provided by the serving access node and traceability information for enabling traceability of the clock to a reference time standard. The traceability information includes at least information on a clock class indicative of a current status of the clock provided by the serving access node.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to perform:
receiving, from a serving access node of a terminal device, a first downlink radio resource control message comprising reference time information for a clock provided by the serving access node and traceability information for enabling traceability of the clock to a reference time standard, wherein the traceability information comprises at least information on a clock class indicative of a current status of the clock provided by the serving access node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform: storing at least the traceability information or a part thereof to the memory.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the clock class is defined to have a value selected from a set of pre-defined values indicating different statuses of the clock, said set of pre-defined values comprising values indicative of one or more of the following:
the serving access node is locked to a primary reference clock,
the serving access node is in a holdover mode after losing the primary reference clock but still within a designated holdover specification,
the serving access node is locked to a local clock,
the serving access node is in the holdover mode after losing a local clock but still within the designated holdover specification and
the serving access node is in the holdover mode and is no longer within the designated holdover specification.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the designated holdover specification defines at least one or more pre-defined conditions for allowed clock drift.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform, before the receiving:
causing transmitting, from the terminal device to the serving access node, an uplink radio resource control message comprising an indication of preference for time traceability to the reference time standard.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the terminal device comprises a global positioning system receiver and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:
causing performing at least one global positioning system time measurement via the global positioning system receiver from at least one satellite;
receiving, before the transmitting, a SIB9 message from the serving access node, wherein the SIB9 message comprises at least time information acquired by the serving access node from at least one of said at least one satellite for determining a clock of the global positioning system, at least one identifier of said at least one of the at least one satellite and time offset information; and
estimating time uncertainty at the terminal device using a common-view method based on the SIB9 message received from the serving access node and results of said at least one global positioning system time measurement.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the terminal device comprises a global navigation satellite system receiver,
the uplink radio resource control message further comprises a request for global navigation satellite system common-view method information,
said request for global navigation satellite system common-view method information comprises at least information on a global navigation satellite system used by the terminal device and at least one identifier of at least one satellite observable by the terminal device,
the first downlink radio resource control message further comprises global navigation satellite system common-view method configuration information, said global navigation satellite system common-view method configuration information comprising at least global navigation satellite system time measurement timing information and information on at least one of the at least one satellite observable by both the terminal device and the serving access node,
the global navigation satellite system common-view method information comprises at least information on global navigation satellite system time acquired by the serving access node from at least one of the at least one satellite and time offset and/or correction information,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:
causing performing, according to the global navigation satellite system time measurement timing information, at least one global navigation satellite system time measurement via the global navigation satellite system receiver using said at least one of the at least one satellite;
receiving, from the serving access node, a second downlink radio resource control message comprising the global navigation satellite system common-view method information comprising at least information on global navigation satellite system time acquired by the serving access node from the at least one of the at least one satellite and time offset and/or correction information; and
estimating time uncertainty at the terminal device using a common-view method based on the global navigation satellite system common-view method information received from the serving access node and results of said at least one GNSS time measurement.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the uplink radio resource control message comprises a long term evolution positioning protocol request for assistance data for forwarding to a location management function of a core network.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the terminal device comprises a global navigation satellite system receiver,
the uplink radio resource control message comprises a long term evolution positioning protocol request for assistance data for forwarding to a location management function of a core network,
the long term evolution positioning protocol request further comprises a request for global navigation satellite system common-view method information of the serving access node of the terminal device, said request comprising at least information on a global navigation satellite system used by the terminal device and at least one identifier of at least one satellite observable by the terminal device,
the first downlink radio resource control message corresponds to a first long term evolution positioning protocol message originating from the location management function further comprising the global navigation satellite system common-view method configuration information, said global navigation satellite system common-view method configuration information comprising at least global navigation satellite system time measurement timing information and information on at least one of the at least one satellite observable by both the terminal device and the serving access node and
the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:
causing performing, according to the global navigation satellite system time measurement timing information, at least one global navigation satellite system time measurement via the global navigation satellite system receiver using said at least one of the at least one satellite;
receiving, from the location management function via the serving access node, a second long term evolution positioning protocol message comprising at

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Andrés Maldonado Pilar
• Kolding Troels Emil
• Jacobsen Thomas Haaning
• Niemelä Kari Juhani

Classifications

• H04W56/001 Primary

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• G01S19/05

  providing aiding data · CPC title

• G01S19/256 Primary

  relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset · CPC title