Granted Patent B2

US 12,562,868 · App. 18/041,382 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Inventors: Chang-Sik Choi (Seoul, KR); Stelios Stefanatos (San Diego, CA); Shuanshuan Wu (San Diego, CA); Kapil Gulati (Belle Mead, NJ)

Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated

H04L5/0051H04W74/0816H04W74/085

Abstract

Claims (75)

1 . A method for device location estimation comprising, at a first wireless communication device:

transmitting a first group formation broadcast message associated with a first positioning group comprising a first plurality of wireless communication devices including the first wireless communication device;

receiving a second group formation broadcast message associated with a second positioning group comprising a second plurality of wireless communication devices including a second wireless communication device, the second positioning group being associated with a channel occupancy time (CoT) in a sidelink channel, the CoT comprising transmission opportunities configured to be used by the second plurality of wireless communication devices for communicating reference signals;

initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group; and the method further comprising:

determining a first duration for transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication device;

determining a second duration for transmission of reference signals by the second plurality of wireless communication device; and

confirming that the first duration of transmission of reference signals is less than the CoT minus the second duration of transmission of reference signals, prior to the initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the transmission of the reference signals by first plurality of wireless communication devices comprises:

at the first wireless communication device, sending a first reference signal in an ordered sequence of reference signals to be sent from the first plurality of wireless communication devices, using a first one of the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

at the first wireless communication device, prior to sending the first reference signal, broadcasting a group association broadcast message specifying an order of transmission for the ordered sequence of reference signals to be sent from the first plurality of wireless communication devices.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the transmission of the reference signals by first plurality of wireless communication devices is performed in response to a sensor-based trigger.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor-based trigger is based on a frequency of received reference signals from the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sensor-based trigger is based on one or more received power measurements associated with one or more reference signals received from the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the transmission of the reference signals by first plurality of wireless communication devices is performed in response to a network-based trigger.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

coordinating with the second wireless communication device to establish sharing of the CoT between the first plurality of wireless communication devices and the second plurality of wireless communication device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a start time for the CoT is based on a back-off time selected from an interval based on (a) a count of a number of reference signals associated with the first plurality of wireless communication devices and (b) a count of a number of reference signals associated with the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

independently establishing sharing of the CoT between the first plurality of wireless communication devices and the second plurality of wireless communication device, without coordinating with the second wireless communication device.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a start time of the CoT is based on a back-off time selected from an interval based on a count of a number of reference signals associated with the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a successful clear channel assessment (CCA), prior to the initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference signals support round trip time (RTT) measurements between (a) at least one wireless communication device in the first plurality of wireless communication devices and (b) at least one wireless communication device in the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

communicating with the second wireless communication device using a separate channel.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the separate channel is positioned within an Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) frequency band.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sidelink channel is positioned within an unlicensed spectrum.

17 . A first wireless communication device in a wireless communication network, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the wireless transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:

transmit, using the wireless transceiver, a first group formation broadcast message associated with a first positioning group comprising a first plurality of wireless communication devices including the first wireless communication device;

receive, using the wireless transceiver, a second group formation broadcast message associated with a second positioning group comprising a second plurality of wireless communication devices including a second wireless communication device, the second positioning group being associated with a channel occupancy time (CoT) in a sidelink channel, the CoT comprising transmission opportunities configured to be used by the second plurality of wireless communication devices for communicating reference signals;

initiate transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group; wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a first duration for transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication device;

determine a second duration for transmission of reference signals by the second plurality of wireless communication device; and

confirm that the first duration of transmission of reference signals is less than the CoT minus the second duration of transmission of reference signals, prior to the initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

18 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to initiate the transmission of the reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices by:

at the first wireless communication device, sending a first reference signal in an ordered sequence of reference signals to be sent from the first plurality of wireless communication devices, using a first one of the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

19 . The first wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

prior to sending the first reference signal, broadcast a group association broadcast message specifying an order of transmission for the ordered sequence of reference signals to be sent from the first plurality of wireless communication devices.

20 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

initiate the transmission of the reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices in response to a sensor-based trigger.

21 . The first wireless communication device of claim 20 , wherein the sensor-based trigger is based on a frequency of received reference signals from the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

22 . The first wireless communication device of claim 20 , wherein the sensor-based trigger is based on one or more received power measurements associated with one or more reference signals received from the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

23 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

initiate the transmission of the reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices in response to a network-based trigger.

24 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

coordinate with the second wireless communication device to establish sharing of the CoT between the first plurality of wireless communication devices and the second plurality of wireless communication device.

25 . The first wireless communication device of claim 24 , wherein a start time for the CoT is based on a back-off time selected from an interval based on (a) a count of a number of reference signals associated with the first plurality of wireless communication devices and (b) a count of a number of reference signals associated with the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

26 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

independently establish sharing of the CoT between the first plurality of wireless communication devices and the second plurality of wireless communication device, without coordinating with the second wireless communication device.

27 . The first wireless communication device of claim 26 , wherein a start time of the CoT is based on a back-off time selected from an interval based on a count of a number of reference signals associated with the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

28 . The first wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

perform a successful clear channel assessment (CCA), prior to the initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

29 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the reference signals support round trip time (RTT) measurements between (a) at least one wireless communication device in the first plurality of wireless communication devices and (b) at least one wireless communication device in the second plurality of wireless communication devices.

30 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

communicate with the second wireless communication device using a separate channel.

31 . The first wireless communication device of claim 30 , wherein the separate channel is positioned within an Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) frequency band.

32 . The first wireless communication device of claim 17 , wherein the sidelink channel is positioned within an unlicensed spectrum.

33 . A first wireless communication device in a wireless communication network, comprising:

means for transmitting a first group formation broadcast message associated with a first positioning group comprising a first plurality of wireless communication devices including the first wireless communication device;

means for receiving a second group formation broadcast message associated with a second positioning group comprising a second plurality of wireless communication devices including a second wireless communication device, the second positioning group being associated with a channel occupancy time (CoT) in a sidelink channel, the CoT comprising transmission opportunities configured to be used by the second plurality of wireless communication devices for communicating reference signals;

means for initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group; wherein the first wireless communication device further comprising:

means for determining a first duration for transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication device;

means for determining a second duration for transmission of reference signals by the second plurality of wireless communication device; and

means for confirming that the first duration of transmission of reference signals is less than the CoT minus the second duration of transmission of reference signals, prior to the initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

34 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions therein for execution by one or more processing units, comprising instructions to:

transmit a first group formation broadcast message associated with a first positioning group comprising a first plurality of wireless communication devices including the first wireless communication device;

receive a second group formation broadcast message associated with a second positioning group comprising a second plurality of wireless communication devices including a second wireless communication device, the second positioning group being associated with a channel occupancy time (CoT) in a sidelink channel, the CoT comprising transmission opportunities configured to be used by the second plurality of wireless communication devices for communicating reference signals; and

initiate transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group; wherein the instructions further comprising instructions to:

determine a first duration for transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication device;

determine a second duration for transmission of reference signals by the second plurality of wireless communication device; and

confirm that the first duration of transmission of reference signals is less than the CoT minus the second duration of transmission of reference signals, prior to the initiating transmission of reference signals by the first plurality of wireless communication devices using the additional transmission opportunities within the CoT associated with the second positioning group.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (22)