Method and apparatus for muting signaling in a wireless communication network

1. A positioning node for use with a wireless communication network, said positioning node comprising:

one or more processing circuits configured to determine a muting configuration used by one or more base stations for controlling muting of positioning reference signals transmitted at recurring positioning occasions by the one or more base stations to radio equipment in the wireless communication network, the one or more processing circuits being configured to determine the muting configuration from signaling received from the one or more base stations; and

interface circuitry operatively associated with the one or more processing circuits and configured to:

receive the signaling from the one or more base stations; and

send corresponding muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling for receipt by the radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals from the one or more base stations;

wherein the muting configuration information includes a muting occasion parameter indicating positioning occasions to which muting applies; and

wherein each of the positioning occasions comprises two or more consecutive subframes that repeat at a predetermined periodicity.

2. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the interface circuitry is further configured to send muting control signaling to the one or more base stations, to control positioning reference signal muting by the one or more base stations, in accordance with the muting configuration.

3. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the positioning node is configured to generate the muting configuration information to indicate when or how muting will be applied by the one or more base stations, for indicated or known positioning occasions, and to send at least a portion of the muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling, for transmission by the one or more base stations to the radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals.

4. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to control muting of the positioning reference signals in coordinated fashion across two or more cells of a radio access network, wherein the two or more cells are associated with the one or more base stations, and wherein the muting control signaling sent by the positioning node is configured to effect coordinated muting control across the two or more cells.

5. The positioning node of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to coordinate, as across the two or more cells, at least one of the following: a timing or selection of which positioning occasions have muting applied to them; a positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting is applied in one or more positioning occasions; and a number of consecutive subframes to which muting is applied within a given positioning occasion.

6. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the muting configuration information further includes a subframes parameter indicating a number of consecutive subframes within a positioning occasion to which muting applies.

7. A method, implemented by a positioning node, for use within a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

determining a muting configuration, used by one or more base stations for controlling muting of positioning reference signals transmitted at recurring positioning occasions from the one or more base stations to radio equipment in the wireless communication network, from signaling received from the one or more base stations; and

sending muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling for receipt by the radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals;

wherein the muting configuration information includes a muting occasion parameter indicating positioning occasions to which muting applies;

wherein each of the positioning occasions comprise two or more consecutive subframes that repeat at a predetermined periodicity.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sending muting control signaling to the one or more base stations, to control positioning reference signal muting by the one or more base stations, in accordance with the muting configuration.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating the muting configuration information such that it indicates when or how muting will be applied by the one or more base stations, for indicated or known positioning occasions, and sending at least a portion of the muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling, for transmission by the one or more base stations to radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the muting control signaling coordinates muting of the positioning reference signals across two or more cells of the wireless communication network, wherein the two or more cells are associated with the one or more base stations.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the muting control signaling is generated to coordinate at least one of the following across the two or more cells: a timing or selection of which positioning occasions have muting applied to them; a positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting is applied in one or more positioning occasions; and a number of consecutive subframes to which muting is applied within a given positioning occasion.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the muting configuration information further includes a subframes parameter indicating a number of consecutive subframes within a positioning occasion to which muting applies.