PREDICTING LOCATION OF UE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

1 . A method for predicting a location of a user equipment (UE) ( 500 ) in a wireless communication network, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by a Near-Real time RAN Intelligent Controller (Near RT RIC) ( 100 ), collated UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ), from an access node ( 1000 ) over an E2 interface, wherein the collated UE measurements is determined based on a plurality of UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ) sent by at least three transmission receipt points (TRPs) ( 600 a - c ) to the access node ( 1000 );

inputting, by the Near RT RIC ( 100 ), the collated UE measurements to a location prediction model ( 184 ) located at the Near RT RIC ( 100 ); and

predicting, by the Near RT RIC ( 100 ), a location of the UE ( 500 ) by the location prediction model ( 184 ) based on the collated UE measurements.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein predicting the location of the UE ( 500 ) by the location prediction model ( 184 ) based on the collated UE measurements comprises predicting at least one of a distance from each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ) and predicting an angle of reception of the SRS at each TRP of at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ).

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein receiving, by the Near RT RIC ( 100 ), the collated UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ), from the access node ( 1000 ) over the E2 interface comprises:

receiving, by each TRP of at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ) ( 600 a - c ), sounding reference signal (SRS) from the UE ( 500 );

determining, by each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ), the UE measurements comprising at least a time of reception of the SRS from the UE ( 500 );

sending, by each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ), the UE measurements to the access node ( 1000 );

receiving, by the access node ( 1000 ), the UE measurements sent by each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c );

determining, by the access node ( 1000 ), the collated UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ) using the received UE measurements;

sending, by the access node ( 1000 ), the collated UE measurements associated with the UE to the Near RT RIC ( 100 ) over the E2 interface; and

receiving, by the Near RT RIC ( 100 ), the collated UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ) from the access node ( 1000 ).

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the training of the location prediction model ( 184 ) located at the Near RT RIC ( 100 ) is performed by Non-Real time RIC ( 200 ) associated with the wireless communication network.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the location prediction model ( 184 ) is performed by Non-Real time RIC ( 200 ) is trained by:

receiving, by the Non-Real time RIC ( 200 ), observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurements indicating an exact location of the UE ( 500 ) from an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Centre (E-SMLC) ( 2000 ) periodically;

receiving, by the Non-Real time RIC ( 200 ), collated UE measurements associated with a plurality of UEs ( 500 a -N) from the Near RT RIC ( 100 ) over A1 interface periodically; and

training, by the Non-Real time RIC ( 200 ), the location prediction model ( 184 ) based on the OTDOA measurements received from the E-SMLC ( 2000 ) and the collated UE measurements associated with the plurality of UEs ( 500 a -N) from the Near RT RIC ( 100 ).

6 . The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprises:

deploying, by the Non-Real time RIC ( 200 ), the location prediction model ( 184 ) at the Near RT RIC ( 100 ) over the A1 interface.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprises:

determining, by the Near RT RIC ( 100 ), at least one of a policy for the UE ( 500 ) and a configuration for the UE ( 500 ) based on location information of the UEs over the E2 interface.

8 . A Near-Real time RAN Intelligent Controller (Near RT RIC) ( 100 ) for predicting a location of a user equipment (UE) ( 500 ) in a wireless communication network, wherein the Near RT RIC ( 100 ) comprises:

a memory ( 120 );

a processor ( 140 ) coupled to the memory ( 120 );

a communicator ( 160 ) coupled to the memory ( 120 ) and the processor ( 140 ); and

a location management controller ( 180 ) coupled to the memory ( 120 ), the processor ( 140 ) and the communicator ( 160 ), and wherein the location management controller ( 180 ) is configured to:

receive collated UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ), from an access node ( 1000 ) over an E2 interface, wherein the collated UE measurements is determined based on a plurality of UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ) sent by at least three transmission receipt points (TRPs) ( 600 a - c ) to the access node ( 1000 );

input the collated UE measurements to a location prediction model ( 184 ) located at the Near RT RIC ( 100 ); and

predict a location of the UE ( 500 ) by the location prediction model ( 184 ) based on the collated UE measurements.

9 . The Near RT RIC ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein predicting the location of the UE ( 500 ) by the location prediction model ( 184 ) based on the collated UE measurements comprises predicting at least one of a distance from each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ) and predicting an angle of reception of the SRS at each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ).

10 . The Near RT RIC ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the collated UE measurements associated with the UE ( 500 ) is generated by the access node ( 1000 ) using UE measurements sent by each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ) connected to the UE ( 500 ) and wherein the UE measurements comprises at least a time of reception of the SRS from the UE ( 500 ).

11 . The Near RT RIC ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the UE measurements is determined by each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ) based on sounding reference signal (SRS) received from the UE ( 500 ) at each TRP of the at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ).

12 . The Near RT RIC ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the training of the location prediction model ( 184 ) located at the Near RT RIC ( 100 ) is performed by Non-Real time RIC ( 200 ) associated with the wireless communication network.

13 . The Near RT RIC ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the location management controller ( 180 ) is further configured to:

determine at least one of a policy for the UE ( 500 ) and a configuration for the UE ( 500 ) based on location information of the UEs over the E2 interface.

14 . A Non-Real time RAN Intelligent Controller (Non RT RIC) ( 200 ) for training a location prediction model ( 184 ) in a wireless communication network, wherein the Non RT RIC ( 200 ) comprises:

a memory ( 220 );

a processor ( 240 ) coupled to the memory ( 220 );

a communicator ( 260 ) coupled to the memory ( 220 ) and the processor ( 240 ); and

a model training controller ( 280 ) coupled to the memory ( 220 ), the processor ( 240 ) and the communicator ( 260 ), and wherein the model training controller ( 280 ) is configured to:

receive observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurements indicating an exact location of a UE ( 500 ) from an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Centre (E-SMLC) ( 2000 ) periodically;

receive collated UE measurements associated with a plurality of UEs ( 500 a -N) from a Near RT RIC ( 100 ) over A1 interface periodically; and

train a location prediction model ( 184 ) based on the OTDOA measurements received from the E-SMLC ( 2000 ) and the collated UE measurements associated with the plurality of UEs ( 500 a -N) from the Near RT RIC ( 100 ).

15 . The Non RT RIC as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the model training controller ( 280 ) is further configured to:

deploy the location prediction model ( 184 ) at the Near RT RIC ( 100 ) over the A1 interface to predict a location of the UE ( 500 ) by the location prediction model ( 184 ) based on the collated UE measurements.

16 . The Non RT RIC as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the location prediction model ( 184 ) predicts the location of the UE ( 500 ) based on the collated UE measurements comprises predicting at least one of a distance from each TRP of at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ) and predicting an angle of reception of the SRS at each TRP of at least three TRPs ( 600 a - c ).