Downlink positioning reference signal in multi-beam systems

1. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

identifying a quasi co-location relationship indicating that one or more antenna ports of a plurality of base stations used to transmit reference signals are quasi co-located with one or more antenna ports of the plurality of base stations used to transmit positioning reference signals;

receiving, from the plurality of base stations, the reference signals at the UE;

determining a set of receive beams for the UE to use to receive the positioning reference signals based at least in part on the received reference signals and the identified quasi co-location relationship;

receiving, from a base station, a positioning protocol signal comprising an indication of a set of cell identifiers corresponding to cells that support at least a first type of positioning reference signals; and

receiving, based at least in part on the received set of cell identifiers, the positioning reference signals at the UE using the determined set of receive beams, wherein a position of the UE is determined based at least in part on the received positioning reference signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the set of receive beams for the UE to use to receive the positioning reference signals comprises:

measuring a signal strength of the reference signals; and

the method further comprising identifying the set of receive beams based at least in part on the measured signal strength and the identified quasi co-location relationship.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the base station, system information that includes an indication of the quasi co-location relationship.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quasi co-location relationship is pre-configured.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring for positioning reference signals from one or more of the cells based at least in part on the received set of cell identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the positioning reference signals comprises:

receiving, at the UE, a second reference signal from a second cell and a third reference signal;

determining a second receive beam and a third receive beam for the UE to use to receive positioning reference signals; and

receiving a second positioning reference signal using the determined second receive beam and a third positioning reference signal using the determined third receive beam.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference signals comprise synchronization signals, or channel state indication reference signals (CSI-RSs) for tracking, or CSI-RSs for beam management, or CSI-RSs for radio resource management, or physical broadcast channel (PBCH) demodulation reference signals (DMRSs), or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the reference signals are synchronization signals comprising primary synchronization signals (PSSs), or secondary synchronization signals (SSSs), or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quasi co-location relationship comprises a Doppler shift, or a Doppler spread, or an average delay, or a delay spread, or one or more spatial parameters, or a combination thereof.

10. A method for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

identifying a quasi co-location relationship indicating that one or more antenna ports of a plurality of base stations used to transmit reference signals are quasi co-located with one or more antenna ports of the plurality of base stations used to transmit positioning reference signals;

transmitting an indication of the quasi co-location relationship; and

transmitting, to the UE, a positioning protocol signal comprising an indication of a set of cell identifiers corresponding to cells that support at least a first type of positioning reference signals comprising the positioning reference signals.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting a reference signal and a positioning reference signal based at least in part on the transmitted indication of the quasi co-location relationship.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the reference signals comprise synchronization signals, or channel state indication reference signals (CSI-RSs) for tracking, or CSI-RSs for beam management, or CSI-RSs for radio resource management, or physical broadcast channel (PBCH) demodulation reference signals (DMRSs), or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reference signals are synchronization signals comprising primary synchronization signals (PSSs), or secondary synchronization signals (SSSs), or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein transmitting the indication of the quasi co-location relationship comprises:

transmitting a system information that includes the indication of the quasi co-location relationship.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

transmitting a set of cell identifiers for cells that transmit positioning reference signals.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein the quasi co-location relationship comprises a Doppler shift, or a Doppler spread, or an average delay, or a delay spread, or one or more spatial parameters, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:

identify a quasi co-location relationship indicating that one or more antenna ports of a plurality of base stations used to transmit reference signals are quasi co-located with one or more antenna ports of the plurality of base stations used to transmit positioning reference signals;

receive the reference signals at the UE;

determine a set of receive beams for the UE to use to receive the positioning reference signals based at least in part on the received reference signals and the identified quasi co-location relationship;

receive, from a base station, a positioning protocol signal comprising an indication of a set of cell identifiers corresponding to cells that support at least a first type of positioning reference signals; and

receive, based at least in part on the received set of cell identifiers, the positioning reference signals at the UE using the determined set of receive beams wherein a position of the UE is determined based at least in part on the received positioning reference signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein determining the set of receive beams for the UE to use to receive the positioning reference signals comprises:

measuring a signal strength of the reference signals; and

the instructions are further executable to identify the set of receive beams based at least in part on the measured signal strength and the identified quasi co-location relationship.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

receive, from the base station, system information that includes an indication of the quasi co-location relationship.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the quasi co-location relationship is pre-configured.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

monitor for positioning reference signals from one or more of the cells based at least in part on the received set of cell identifiers.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein receiving the positioning reference signals comprises:

receiving, at the UE, a second reference signal from a second cell and a third reference signal from a third cell;

determining a second receive beam and a third receive beam for the UE to use to receive positioning reference signals; and

receiving a second positioning reference signal using the determined second receive beam and a third positioning reference signal using the determined third receive beam.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the reference signals comprise synchronization signals, or channel state indication reference signals (CSI-RSs) for tracking, or CSI-RSs for beam management, or CSI-RSs for radio resource management, or physical broadcast channel (PBCH) demodulation reference signals (DMRSs), or a combination thereof.

24. An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:

identify a quasi co-location relationship indicating that one or more antenna ports of a plurality of base stations used to transmit reference signals are quasi co-located with one or more antenna ports of the plurality of base stations used to transmit positioning reference signals;

transmit an indication of the quasi co-location relationship; and

transmit, to the UE, a positioning protocol signal comprising an indication of a set of cell identifiers corresponding to cells that support at least a first type of positioning reference signals comprising the positioning reference signals.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

transmit a reference signal and a positioning reference signal based at least in part on the transmitted indication of the quasi co-location relationship.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein transmitting the indication of the quasi co-location relationship comprises:

transmitting a system information that includes the indication of the quasi co-location relationship.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

transmit a set of cell identifiers for cells that transmit positioning reference signals.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein reference signals comprise synchronization signals, or channel state indication reference signals (CSI-RSs) for tracking, or CSI-RSs for beam management, or CSI-RSs for radio resource management, or physical broadcast channel (PBCH) demodulation reference signals (DMRSs), or a combination thereof.

29. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving, from a base station, system information comprising an indication of a quasi co-location relationship wherein configurations of one or more antenna ports of a plurality of base stations used to transmit synchronization signals during a mobility procedure are quasi co-located with one or more antenna ports of the plurality of base stations used to transmit positioning reference signals;

receiving, from the plurality of base stations, the synchronization signals at the UE;

determining a set of receive beams for the UE to use to receive the positioning reference signals based at least in part on the received synchronization signals and the indicated quasi co-location relationship; and

receiving, from the plurality of base stations using the set of receive beams, the positioning reference signals, wherein a position of the UE based at least in part on the received positioning reference signals.

30. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of base stations comprises one or more serving base stations, one or more neighboring base stations, or a combination thereof.