IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,659,922
Granted Patent B2
US 12,659,922 · App. 18/554,097 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Reference location device capability configuration

Inventors: Srinivas Yerramalli (San Diego, CA); Alexandros Manolakos (Escondido, CA); Mukesh Kumar (Hyderabad, IN)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W64/006H04L5/0051H04W60/00H04W72/231
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,659,922
App. No.
18/554,097
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are provided for configuring a user equipment (UE) to operate as a reference node. An example method of operating a user equipment as a reference node includes providing an indication of one or more reference node configuration options to a network entity, the one or more reference node configuration options comprising a registration configuration option indicating the user equipment is registered on a network as a reference node and a regular user equipment, receiving an indication to obtain positioning measurements based on the one or more reference node configuration options, obtaining one or more positioning measurements, and reporting the one or more positioning measurements to a positioning entity.

Claims (53)

1 . A method of operating a user equipment as a reference node, comprising:

providing an indication of one or more reference node configuration options to a network entity, the one or more reference node configuration options comprising a registration configuration option indicating the user equipment is registered on a network as a reference node and a regular user equipment;

receiving an indication to obtain positioning measurements based on the one or more reference node configuration options, wherein the indication to obtain positioning measurements includes an on-demand request via a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) configured to activate the user equipment as a reference node;

obtaining one or more positioning measurements; and

reporting the one or more positioning measurements to a positioning entity.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a data processing configuration option indicating a decode rate of the user equipment.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a multiple measurement configuration option indicating the user equipment is configured to obtain multiple positioning measurements simultaneously.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a frequency band configuration option indicating one or more frequency bands to utilize for obtaining the one or more positioning measurements.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a measurement gap period configuration option indicating a measurement gap period for obtaining the one or more positioning measurements.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a sounding reference signal for positioning configuration option indicating the user equipment will transmit a sounding reference signal for positioning during a measurement gap period.

7 . A method of operating a user equipment as a reference node, comprising:

providing an indication of one or more reference node configuration options to a network entity, the one or more reference node configuration options comprising a registration configuration option indicating the user equipment is registered on a network as a reference node and a regular user equipment;

receiving an indication to obtain positioning measurements based on the one or more reference node configuration options;

obtaining one or more positioning measurements; and

reporting the one or more positioning measurements to a positioning entity,

wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a prioritized positioning reference signal configuration option indicating that the user equipment will prioritize receiving positioning reference signals over radio resource management messages.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a background mode configuration option indicating the user equipment will only report the one or more positioning measurements when there is relative signal loss of 3 decibels or greater compared to a prior measurement.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the indication to obtain the positioning measurements based on the one or more reference node configuration options includes a time duration.

10 . A method for instructing a user equipment to operate in a reference node mode, comprising:

receiving reference node configuration options from the user equipment, wherein the reference node configuration options include a prioritized positioning reference signal configuration option indicating that the user equipment will prioritize receiving positioning reference signals over radio resource management messages;

providing an instruction to the user equipment to operate as a reference node based at least in part on the reference node configuration options; and

receiving one or more reference signal measurement values from the user equipment.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reference node configuration options include a data processing configuration option indicating a decode rate of the user equipment.

12 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reference node configuration options include a multiple measurement configuration option indicating the user equipment is configured to obtain multiple positioning measurements simultaneously.

13 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reference node configuration options include a registration configuration option indicating the user equipment is registered on a network as a reference node and a regular user equipment simultaneously.

14 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reference node configuration options include a frequency band configuration option indicating one or more frequency bands the user equipment will utilize to obtain positioning measurements.

15 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reference node configuration options include a measurement gap period configuration option indicating a measurement gap period for obtaining the one or more positioning measurements.

16 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reference node configuration options include a sounding reference signal for positioning configuration option indicating the user equipment will transmit a sounding reference signal for positioning during a measurement gap period.

17 . The method of claim 10 wherein the reference node configuration options include a background mode configuration option indicating the user equipment will only report positioning measurements when there is relative signal loss of 3 decibels or greater compared to a prior measurement.

18 . The method of claim 10 wherein the instruction to the user equipment to operate as the reference node includes a time duration.

19 . The method of claim 10 wherein the instruction to the user equipment to operate as the reference node is included in at least one of a radio resource control message, a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE), and a downlink control information message.

20 . The method of claim 10 further comprising providing an instruction to the user equipment to operate in a regular user equipment mode.

21 . An apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

at least one transceiver;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, and configured to:

provide an indication of one or more reference node configuration options to a network entity, the one or more reference node configuration options comprising a registration configuration option indicating the apparatus is registered on a network as a reference node and a regular user equipment;

receive an indication to obtain positioning measurements based on the one or more reference node configuration options, wherein the indication to obtain positioning measurements includes an on-demand request via a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) configured to activate the user equipment as a reference node;

obtain one or more positioning measurements; and

report the one or more positioning measurements to a positioning entity.

22 . The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a data processing configuration option indicating a decode rate of the apparatus.

23 . The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a multiple measurement configuration option indicating the apparatus is configured to obtain multiple positioning measurements simultaneously.

24 . The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the one or more reference node configuration options further comprise a frequency band configuration option indicating one or more frequency bands to utilize for obtaining the one or more positioning measurements.

25 . An apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

at least one transceiver;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, and configured to:

receive reference node configuration options from a user equipment, wherein the reference node configuration options include a prioritized positioning reference signal configuration option indicating that the user equipment will prioritize receiving positioning reference signals over radio resource management messages;

provide an instruction to the user equipment to operate as a reference node based at least in part on the reference node configuration options; and

receive one or more reference signal measurement values from the user equipment.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the reference node configuration options include a sounding reference signal for positioning configuration option indicating the user equipment will transmit a sounding reference signal for positioning during a measurement gap period.

27 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the instruction to the user equipment to operate as the reference node includes a time duration.

28 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide an instruction to the user equipment to operate in a regular user equipment mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2023
From: YERRAMALLI, SRINIVAS; MANOLAKOS, ALEXANDROS; KUMAR, MUKESH
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 065137/0596 →
Priority Claims (1)
GR 20210100380 · Jun 10, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240373399A1 · Nov 7, 2024
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