Real time difference (RTD) reporting for mobile device-based positioning

1. A method of wireless positioning performed by a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a timing synchronization offset parameter for a first cell of a set of cells, wherein the timing synchronization offset parameter represents a difference between a system frame number (SFN) initialization time of the first cell and an SFN initialization time of a reference cell;

receiving a system information block (SIB) from the reference cell, wherein the SIB includes the SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

comparing the SFN initialization time of the reference cell to a previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

based on a difference in an amount of time between the SFN initialization time of the reference cell and the previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell, determining that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed; and

processing the timing synchronization offset parameter for the first cell based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a message including an indication that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the message further indicates the amount of time that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the processing comprises:

adding or subtracting the amount of time that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed to or from the timing synchronization offset parameter.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the mobile device receives the message from a location server.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the mobile device receives the message from a serving cell.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the reference cell is the serving cell, a reference cell for reference signal time difference (RSTD) measurements that is configured for the mobile device or chosen by the mobile device, or a reference cell configured or indicated for purposes of reception of the timing synchronization offset parameter.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the timing synchronization offset parameter and the determining the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed occur within a first time window.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first time window comprises one or more consecutive slots, subframes, or frames.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

updating the timing synchronization offset parameter based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first cell is the reference cell, the method further comprising:

ignoring that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

processing the timing synchronization offset parameter and the SFN initialization time of the reference cell in a configured order.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the configured order comprises an order in which the receiving the timing synchronization offset parameter and determining that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed occurred.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the configured order is based on a reception time of the timing synchronization offset parameter, a transmit time of the timing synchronization offset parameter, or a timestamp associated with the timing synchronization offset parameter.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

based on having already processed the timing synchronization offset parameter, ignoring that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

16. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

based on having already processed the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed, ignoring the received timing synchronization offset parameter.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the first time window is one of a plurality of consecutive time windows, or

the first time window is an only time window having an indefinite duration.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a UE-function of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node.

19. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory;

at least one transceiver; and

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

receive, via the at least one transceiver, a timing synchronization offset parameter for a first cell of a set of cells, wherein the timing synchronization offset parameter represents a difference between a system frame number (SFN) initialization time of the first cell and an SFN initialization time of a reference cell;

receive a system information block (SIB) from the reference cell, wherein the SIB includes the SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

compare the SFN initialization time of the reference cell to a previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

based on a difference in an amount of time between the SFN initialization time of the reference cell and the previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell, determine that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed; and

process the timing synchronization offset parameter for the first cell based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed.

20. The mobile device of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a message including an indication that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

21. The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the message further indicates the amount of time that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

22. The mobile device of claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor being configured to process comprises the at least one processor being configured to:

add or subtract the amount of time that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed to or from the timing synchronization offset parameter.

23. The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the mobile device receives the message from a location server.

24. The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the mobile device receives the message from a serving cell.

25. The mobile device of claim 24 , wherein the reference cell is the serving cell.

26. The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the reception of the timing synchronization offset parameter and the determination of the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed occur within a first time window.

27. The mobile device of claim 26 , wherein the first time window comprises one or more consecutive slots, subframes, or frames.

28. The mobile device of claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

update the timing synchronization offset parameter based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell.

29. The mobile device of claim 26 , wherein:

the first cell is the reference cell, and

the at least one processor is configured to ignore that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

30. The mobile device of claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

process the timing synchronization offset parameter and the SFN initialization time of the reference cell in a configured order.

31. The mobile device of claim 30 , wherein the configured order comprises an order in which reception of the timing synchronization offset parameter and determination that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed occurred.

32. The mobile device of claim 30 , wherein the configured order is based on a reception time of the timing synchronization offset parameter, a transmit time of the timing synchronization offset parameter, or a timestamp associated with the timing synchronization offset parameter.

33. The mobile device of claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

based on having already processed the timing synchronization offset parameter, ignore that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

34. The mobile device of claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

based on having already processed the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed, ignore the received timing synchronization offset parameter.

35. The mobile device of claim 26 , wherein:

the first time window is one of a plurality of consecutive time windows, or

the first time window is an only time window having an indefinite duration.

36. The mobile device of claim 19 , wherein the mobile device is a UE-function of an IAB node.

37. A mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving a timing synchronization offset parameter for a first cell of a set of cells, wherein the timing synchronization offset parameter represents a difference between a system frame number (SFN) initialization time of the first cell and an SFN initialization time of a reference cell;

means for receiving a system information block (SIB) from the reference cell, wherein the SIB includes the SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

means for comparing the SFN initialization time of the reference cell to a previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

means for, based on a difference in an amount of time between the SFN initialization time of the reference cell and the previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell, determining that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed; and

means for processing the timing synchronization offset parameter for the first cell based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed.

38. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

at least one instruction instructing a mobile device to receive a timing synchronization offset parameter for a first cell of a set of cells, wherein the timing synchronization offset parameter represents a difference between a system frame number (SFN) initialization time of the first cell and an SFN initialization time of a reference cell;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to receive a system information block (SIB) from the reference cell, wherein the SIB includes the SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to compare the SFN initialization time of the reference cell to a previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to, based on a difference in an amount of time between the SFN initialization time of the reference cell and the previously received SFN initialization time of the reference cell, determine that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed; and

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to process the timing synchronization offset parameter for the first cell based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed.

39. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory;

at least one transceiver; and

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

receive, via the at least one transceiver, a timing synchronization offset parameter for a first cell of a set of cells, wherein the timing synchronization offset parameter represents a difference between a system frame number (SFN) initialization time of the first cell and an SFN initialization time of a reference cell;

receive a message including an indication that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed; and

process the timing synchronization offset parameter for the first cell based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed, including:

based on having already processed the timing synchronization offset parameter, ignoring that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

40. A method of wireless positioning performed by a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a timing synchronization offset parameter for a first cell of a set of cells, wherein the timing synchronization offset parameter represents a difference between a system frame number (SFN) initialization time of the first cell and an SFN initialization time of a reference cell;

determining whether the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed; and

processing the timing synchronization offset parameter for the first cell based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed,

wherein the receiving the timing synchronization offset parameter and the determining whether the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed occur within a time window, and

wherein the processing the timing synchronization offset parameter includes, based on having already processed the timing synchronization offset parameter, ignoring that the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed.

41. The method of claim 40 , wherein:

the time window is one of a plurality of consecutive time windows, or

the time window is an only time window having an indefinite duration.

42. A method of wireless positioning performed by a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a timing synchronization offset parameter for a first cell of a set of cells, wherein the timing synchronization offset parameter represents a difference between a system frame number (SFN) initialization time of the first cell and an SFN initialization time of a reference cell;

determining whether the SFN initialization time of the reference cell has changed; and

processing the timing synchronization offset parameter for the first cell based on the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed,

wherein the processing the timing synchronization offset parameter includes, based on having already processed the SFN initialization time of the reference cell having changed, ignoring the received timing synchronization offset parameter.