Methods for positioning reference signal (PRS) activity reporting

1 . A method for a positioning node that is external to but communicatively coupled with a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of user equipment (UEs) via one or more of a plurality of RAN nodes, measurements made by the respective UEs on positioning reference signals (PRS) transmitted by a plurality of transmission reception points (TRPs), with each TRP being associated with one of the plurality of RAN nodes; and

sending, to the plurality of RAN nodes, respective PRS activity reports that include information about measurements made by the UEs on PRS transmitted by TRPs associated with the respective RAN nodes, wherein each PRS activity report also includes one or more of the following sets of information associated with each particular one of the PRS resource sets in the list:

a first set of information including:

identifiers of PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set; and

one or more of the following associated with each particular one of the PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource; and

a second set of information including:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power (RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource set, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource set.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the method further comprises receiving, from the plurality of UEs, updated measurements made by the UEs on PRS transmitted by the plurality of TRPs;

sending respective PRS activity reports comprises sending periodic PRS activity reports to each of the plurality of RAN nodes; and

each periodic PRS activity report is based on updated measurements received by the positioning node before sending the periodic PRS activity report.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the following applies:

sending the periodic PRS activity reports is based on one of the following:

a single request, from each of the plurality of RAN nodes, for PRS activity reports; or

a configuration received from an operations/administration/maintenance (OAM) function associated with the RAN; and

sending the periodic PRS activity reports comprises stopping the sending after a particular number of periodic PRS activity reports is sent to each of the RAN nodes, wherein the particular number is based on one of the following:

a predetermined or configured number; or

a period of the periodic PRS activity reports and a predetermined or configured reporting duration.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining positioning assistance data based on the respective action reports received from the plurality of RAN nodes, wherein the positioning assistance data includes indications of active PRS associated with each of the TRPs; and

broadcasting, via the plurality of RAN nodes, the positioning assistance data in at least one cell of the RAN.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the positioning assistance data broadcast in each cell includes an indication that the RAN node serving the cell is capable of on-demand activation of PRS in the cell.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the method further comprises receiving, from the plurality of RAN nodes, respective action reports indicating updated PRS transmission configurations for TRPs associated with the respective RAN nodes; and

each of the updated PRS transmission configurations indicates one or more PRS that has been activated or deactivated responsive to a PRS activity report from the positioning node.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following applies:

each PRS activity report includes a list of PRS resource sets that can be configured by the RAN node or by TRPs associated with the RAN node; and

the information included in the PRS activity report is on beam-level or is aggregated to a resource set level.

8 . A method for a radio access network (RAN) node associated with one or more transmission reception points (TRPs), the method comprising:

receiving, from a positioning node external to the RAN, one or more PRS activity reports that include information about measurements made by a plurality of user equipment (UEs) on positioning reference signals (PRS) transmitted by TRPs associated with the RAN node; and

determining updated PRS transmission configurations for the associated TRPs based on the one or more received PRS activity reports, wherein each PRS activity report also includes one or more of the following sets of information associated with each particular one of the PRS resource sets in the list:

a first set of information including:

identifiers of PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set; and

one or more of the following associated with each particular one of the PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power (RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource; and

a second set of information including:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power (RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource set, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource set.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:

receiving one or more PRS activity reports comprises receiving periodic PRS activity reports from the positioning node; and

each periodic PRS activity report is based on updated UE measurements received by the positioning node before sending the periodic PRS activity report.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein one or more of the following applies:

receiving the periodic PRS activity reports is responsive to one of the following:

a single request from the RAN node for PRS activity reports; or

a configuration by an operations/administration/maintenance (OAM) function associated with the RAN; and

only a particular number of periodic PRS activity reports are received, wherein the particular number is based on one of the following:

a predetermined or configured number; or

a period of the periodic PRS activity reports and a predetermined or configured reporting duration.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising sending, to the positioning node, an action report indicating the updated PRS transmission configurations for the associated TRPs.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein determining updated PRS transmission configurations comprises:

determining whether to deactivate any of the PRS corresponding to the measurements;

determining whether to activate transmission of other PRS by the associated TRPs; and

activating or deactivating PRS transmissions by the associated TRPs, in accordance with the determinations.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the updated PRS transmission configurations indicates one or more PRS that has been activated or deactivated responsive to the one or more received PRS activity reports.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the method further comprises receiving, from the positioning node in response to the action report, positioning assistance data for broadcast in a cell served by the RAN node; and

the positioning assistance data includes indications of active PRS transmissions by one or more of the TRPs associated with the RAN node.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the positioning assistance data includes an indication that the RAN node is capable of on-demand activation of PRS in the cell.

16 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each PRS activity report includes a list of PRS resource sets that can be configured by the RAN node or TRPs associated with the RAN node.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the information included in the PRS activity report is on beam-level or is aggregated to a resource set level.

18 . A positioning node configured for operation external to but communicatively coupled with a radio access network (RAN), the positioning node comprising communication interface circuitry and processing circuitry that are operatively coupled and are configured to:

receive, from a plurality of user equipment (UEs), measurements made by the respective UEs on positioning reference signals (PRS) transmitted by a plurality of transmission reception points (TRPs), with each TRP being associated with one of a plurality of RAN nodes; and

send, to the plurality of RAN nodes, respective PRS activity reports that include information about measurements made by the UEs on PRS transmitted by TRPs associated with the respective RAN nodes, wherein each PRS activity report also includes one or more of the following sets of information associated with each particular one of the PRS resource sets in the list:

a first set of information including:

identifiers of PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set; and

one or more of the following associated with each particular one of the PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource; and

a second set of information including:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power (RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource set, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource set.

19 . A radio access network (RAN) node associated with one or more transmission reception points (TRPs), the RAN node comprising communication interface circuitry and processing circuitry that are operatively coupled and are configured to:

receive, from a positioning node associated with the RAN, one or more PRS activity reports that include information about measurements made by a plurality of user equipment, UEs, on positioning reference signals (PRS) transmitted by TRPs associated with the RAN node; and

determine updated PRS transmission configurations for the associated TRPs based on the one or more received PRS activity reports, wherein each PRS activity report also includes one or more of the following sets of information associated with each particular one of the PRS resource sets in the list:

a first set of information including:

identifiers of PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set; and

one or more of the following associated with each particular one of the PRS resources within the particular PRS resource set:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power (RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource; and

a second set of information including:

a number of UEs that have reported reference signal received power (RSRP) above a threshold for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported RSRP for the particular PRS resource set,

average reported reference signal received quality (RSRQ) for the particular PRS resource set, and

any quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships for the particular PRS resource set.