IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,634,867
Granted Patent B2
US 12,634,867 · App. 18/005,331 · Granted May 19, 2026

Association between NR PRS and LTE CRS in dynamic spectrum sharing

Inventors: Alexandros Manolakos (Escondido, CA); Mukesh Kumar (Hyderabad, IN); Srinivas Yerramalli (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W64/00G01S5/0236H04L5/0051G01S2205/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,634,867
App. No.
18/005,331
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of using reference signals from different radio access technologies (RATs) for user equipment (UE) positioning includes, by the UE, receiving assistance data indicating an association between first reference signals of a first RAT and second reference signals of a second RAT in a frequency band, determining that the first reference signals and the second reference signals are deployed in the frequency band based on the assistance data, receiving the first reference signals and the second reference signals in the frequency band from one or more network nodes, determining the association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals based on configuration data, and determining positioning data associated with the location of the UE based on the determined association and both the received first reference signals and the received second reference signals.

Claims (69)

1 . A method of determining a location of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving, by the UE, assistance data indicating transmission of first reference signals of a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and second reference signals of a second RAT in a frequency band;

determining, by the UE based on the assistance data, that the first reference signals and the second reference signals are deployed in the frequency band;

receiving, by the UE from one or more network nodes, the first reference signals and the second reference signals in the frequency band, wherein, for at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) resource block corresponding to the frequency band, resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the first reference signals form a comb pattern with resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the second reference signals, the comb pattern comprising a pattern of consecutive symbols within a slot and having a fully frequency-domain staggered pattern;

determining an association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals based at least in part on configuration data; and

determining, based on both the first reference signals and the second reference signals received from the one or more network nodes and the determined association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals, positioning data associated with the location of the UE.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first RAT is Long-Term Evolution (LTE).

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second reference signals include NR Positioning Reference Signals (PRS), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB).

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second RAT is NR.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving the assistance data comprises:

receiving the assistance data from a serving next generation NodeB (gNB) or a Location Management Function (LMF) server, or

performing an Assistance Data Transfer procedure, or

a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the configuration data is included in an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) configuration, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration, a Medium Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE) configuration, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) configuration, or a combination thereof.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first reference signals include LTE Cell-specific Reference Signals (CRS).

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the assistance data indicates that an NR PRS channel, a Transmission Reception Points (TRPs), or a Frequency layer is associated with the LTE CRS.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the configuration data comprises QCL relationship between an LTE CRS channel for the LTE CRS and an NR PRS channel for NR PRS.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the configuration data indicates that:

the LTE CRS and NR PRS are on a same antenna port, or

the LTE CRS and the NR PRS are on a same antenna port but with a power or phase offset between the LTE CRS and the NR PRS.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data comprises parameters of a downlink PRS channel, the parameters of the downlink PRS channel comprising a subcarrier spacing, a resource bandwidth, the frequency band, an Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN), a comb size of a PRS pattern in a resource block, or a PRS Cyclic Prefix of the downlink PRS channel, or a combination thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data includes:

at least a part of the assistance data received by the UE from a location server,

at least a part of high-layer message received by the UE from a serving gNB, or

at least a part of dynamic message received by the UE from a serving gNB.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals comprises determining the association based on configuration data in the first RAT, the second RAT, or both.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning data associated with the location of the UE comprises reference signal time difference (RSTD), Round Trip signal propagation Time (RTT), Reference Signal Receive Power (RSRP), Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA), Down Link (DL) Angle of Departure (AoD), or UE Rx-Tx time difference, or a combination thereof.

15 . A User Equipment (UE) for determining a location of the UE, the UE comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

receive, via the transceiver, assistance data indicating transmission of first reference signals of a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and second reference signals of a second RAT in a frequency band;

determine that the first reference signals and the second reference signals are deployed in the frequency band;

receive, via the transceiver from one or more network nodes, the first reference signals and the second reference signals in the frequency band, wherein, for at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) resource block corresponding to the frequency band, resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the first reference signals form a comb pattern with resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the second reference signals, the comb pattern comprising a pattern of consecutive symbols within a slot and having a fully frequency-domain staggered pattern;

determine an association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals based at least in part on configuration data; and

determine, based on both the first reference signals and the second reference signals received from the one or more network nodes and the determined association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals, positioning data associated with the location of the UE.

16 . The UE of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the first reference signals in which the first RAT comprises Long-Term Evolution (LTE).

17 . The UE of claim 16 , wherein, to receive the second reference signals, the one or more processors are configured to receive NR Positioning Reference Signals (PRS), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB).

18 . The UE of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the second reference signals in which the second RAT comprises NR.

19 . The UE of claim 18 , wherein, to receive the assistance data, the one or more processors are configured to:

receive the assistance data from a serving next generation NodeB (gNB) or a Location Management Function (LMF) server, or

perform an Assistance Data Transfer procedure, or

a combination thereof.

20 . The UE of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain the configuration data from an LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) configuration, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration, a Medium Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE) configuration, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) configuration, or a combination thereof.

21 . The UE of claim 18 , wherein, to receive the first reference signals, the one or more processors are configured to receive LTE Cell-specific Reference Signals (CRS).

22 . The UE of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain, from the assistance data, an indication that an NR PRS channel, a Transmission Reception Points (TRPs), or a Frequency layer is associated with the LTE CRS.

23 . The UE of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain, from the configuration data, a QCL relationship between an LTE CRS channel for the LTE CRS and an NR PRS channel for NR PRS.

24 . The UE of claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain, from the configuration data, an indication that:

the LTE CRS and NR PRS are on a same antenna port, or

the LTE CRS and the NR PRS are on a same antenna port but with a power or phase offset between the LTE CRS and the NR PRS.

25 . The UE of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain, from the configuration data, parameters of a downlink PRS channel, the parameters of the downlink PRS channel comprising a subcarrier spacing, a resource bandwidth, the frequency band, an Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN), a comb size of a PRS pattern in a resource block, or a PRS Cyclic Prefix of the downlink PRS channel, or a combination thereof.

26 . The UE of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain, from the configuration data:

at least a part of the assistance data received by the UE from a location server,

at least a part of high-layer message received by the UE from a serving gNB, or

at least a part of dynamic message received by the UE from a serving gNB.

27 . The UE of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals based on configuration data in the first RAT, the second RAT, or both.

28 . The UE of claim 15 , wherein, to determine the positioning data associated with the location of the UE, the one or more processors are configured to determine reference signal time difference (RSTD), Round Trip signal propagation Time (RTT), Reference Signal Receive Power (RSRP), Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA), Down Link (DL) Angle of Departure (AoD), or UE Rx-Tx time difference, or a combination thereof.

29 . An apparatus for determining a location of a User Equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving assistance data indicating transmission of first reference signals of a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and second reference signals of a second RAT in a frequency band;

means for determining that the first reference signals and the second reference signals are deployed in the frequency band;

means for receiving, from one or more network nodes, the first reference signals and the second reference signals in the frequency band, wherein, for at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) resource block corresponding to the frequency band, resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the first reference signals form a comb pattern with resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the second reference signals, the comb pattern comprising a pattern of consecutive symbols within a slot and having a fully frequency-domain staggered pattern;

means for determining an association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals based at least in part on configuration data; and

means for determining, based on both the first reference signals and the second reference signals received from the one or more network nodes and the determined association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals, positioning data associated with the location of the UE.

30 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for determining a location of a User Equipment (UE), the instructions comprising code for:

receiving assistance data indicating transmission of first reference signals of a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and second reference signals of a second RAT in a frequency band;

determining that the first reference signals and the second reference signals are deployed in the frequency band;

receiving, from one or more network nodes, the first reference signals and the second reference signals in the frequency band, wherein, for at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) resource block corresponding to the frequency band, resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the first reference signals form a comb pattern with resource elements of the at least one OFDM resource block corresponding to the second reference signals, the comb pattern comprising a pattern of consecutive symbols within a slot and having a fully frequency-domain staggered pattern;

determining an association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals based at least in part on configuration data; and

determining, based on both the first reference signals and the second reference signals received from the one or more network nodes and the determined association between the first reference signals and the second reference signals, positioning data associated with the location of the UE.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2023
From: MANOLAKOS, ALEXANDROS; KUMAR, MUKESH; YERRAMALLI, SRINIVAS
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 062371/0406 →
Priority Claims (1)
IN 202041042299 · Sep 29, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230269694A1 · Aug 24, 2023
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