Granted Patent B2

US 12,461,187 · App. 17/950,887 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Inventors: Alexander Sirotkin (Hod Hasharon, IL); Haijing Hu (Los Gatos, CA); Seyed Ali Akbar Fakoorian (San Diego, CA); Sudeep Manithara Vamanan (Munich, DE); Zhibin Wu (Los Altos, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

G01S5/0072H04L5/0051H04W24/10

Abstract

Claims (42)

1 . A method performed for side-link (SL) positioning, the method comprising:

sending, to a transmitting UE (Tx UE) and a receiving UE (Rx UE), a request for sidelink (SL) positioning reference signal (PRS) capabilities data;

receiving, from each of the Tx UE and the Rx UE, respective SL PRS capabilities data;

configuring a SL positioning reference signal (PRS) that is based on the SL PRS capabilities data for each of the Tx UE and the Rx UE;

sending data specifying a selected SL PRS configuration to the Tx UE;

receiving an acknowledgement signal from the Tx UE indicating a Tx UE SL PRS configuration that is based on the selected SL PRS configuration; and

providing, to the Rx UE, the Tx UE SL PRS configuration.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the Rx UE, a positioning measurement based on the Tx UE SL PRS configuration.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the SL PRS by a location management function (LMF).

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the SL PRS by gNB.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the SL PRS by a gNB and a LMF, wherein the LMF generates the SL PRS configuration, and wherein the gNB updates at least a portion of the SL PRS configuration.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a gNB sends the request for the SL PRS capabilities data using radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and wherein the gNB sends the capabilities data to a LMF using a new radio positioning protocol A (NRPPa) message.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a LMF sends the request for the SL PRS capabilities data using an LTE positioning protocol (LPP) message.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the LMF provides the SL PRS configuration as part of an LPP provide assistance data message being sent to the Tx UE and/or the Rx UE.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending an LPP message including a SL PRS activation/deactivation request to Tx UE through gNB relay to activate SL PRS transmission; and

causing the UE to initiate SL PRS transmission based on the SL PRS activation/deactivation request.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending a NRPPa message including a SL PRS activation/deactivation request to cause activation or deactivation of SL PRS transmission at UE; and

causing, by a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) of a gNB, the UE to initiate SL PRS transmission based on the SL PRS activation/deactivation request.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SL PRS capabilities data comprises an SL-PRS-ID.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SL PRS capabilities data comprises an absolute radio-frequency channel number (ARFCN).

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SL PRS capabilities data comprises one or more of a starting offset of a resource or a resource set, a resource repetition pattern, an expected SL-PRS measurement value, or a measurement error value.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the SL PRS comprises configuring hybrid positioning, a UE-initiated on-demand SL-PRS request, a multi-path in SL-PRS measurements, RSRP measurement reporting, periodic reporting, a maximum SL PRS bandwidth in MHz, a duration of SL PRS symbols a number of in units of milliseconds a UE can process every given number of milliseconds, or a number of SL PRS resources that the Tx UE or Rx UE processes in a slot.

15 . One or more processors configured to perform side-link (SL) positioning by performing operations comprising:

sending, to a transmitting UE (Tx UE) and a receiving UE (Rx UE), a request for sidelink (SL) positioning reference signal (PRS) capabilities data;

receiving, from each of the Tx UE and the Rx UE, respective SL PRS capabilities data;

configuring a SL positioning reference signal (PRS) that is based on the SL PRS capabilities data for each of the Tx UE and the Rx UE;

sending data specifying a selected SL PRS configuration to the Tx UE;

receiving an acknowledgement signal from the Tx UE indicating a Tx UE SL PRS configuration that is based on the selected SL PRS configuration;

sending, to the Rx UE, the Tx UE SL PRS configuration; and

receiving, from the Rx UE, a positioning measurement based on the Tx UE SL PRS configuration.

16 . The one or more processors of claim 15 , the operations further comprising configuring the SL PRS by a location management function (LMF).

17 . The one or more processors of claim 15 , the operations further comprising configuring the SL PRS by a gNB and a LMF, wherein the LMF generates the SL PRS configuration, and wherein the gNB updates at least a portion of the SL PRS configuration.

18 . The one or more processors of claim 15 , wherein a gNB sends the request for the SL PRS capabilities data using radio resource control (RRC) signaling, and wherein the gNB sends the capabilities data to a LMF using a new radio positioning protocol A (NRPPa) message.

19 . The one or more processors of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

sending an LPP message including a SL PRS activation/deactivation request to Tx UE through gNB relay to activate SL PRS transmission; and

causing the UE to initiate SL PRS transmission based on the SL PRS activation/deactivation request.

20 . The one or more processors of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

sending a NRPPa message including a SL PRS activation/deactivation request to cause activation or deactivation of SL PRS transmission at UE; and

causing, by a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) of a gNB, the UE to initiate SL PRS transmission based on the SL PRS activation/deactivation request.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (16)