IP Library Granted Patent US 12,659,111
Granted Patent B2
US 12,659,111 · App. 18/304,177 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Cell-level discontinuous transmission (DTX) and positioning reference signal (PRS) transmissions

Inventors: Marwen Zorgui (San Diego, CA); Mohammed Ali Mohammed Hirzallah (San Diego, CA); Ahmed Attia Abotabl (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04L5/0051H04W76/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,659,111
App. No.
18/304,177
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are techniques for wireless communication. In an aspect, a network device may operate according to a cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) cycle that comprises one or more active times and one or more inactive times. The network device may transmit positioning reference signal (PRS) at one or more scheduled PRS occasions during the cell DTX cycle regardless of whether the one or more scheduled PRS occasions coincide with the one or more inactive times.

Claims (123)

1 . A method of operating a network device that is configured as a cell of a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving discontinuous transmission (DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell-level DTX (cell DTX) cycle from a location server;

operating according to the cell DTX cycle, wherein the cell DTX cycle comprises one or more active times and one or more inactive times; and

transmitting positioning reference signal (PRS) at one or more scheduled PRS occasions during the cell DTX cycle regardless of whether the one or more scheduled PRS occasions coincide with the one or more inactive times.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell DTX cycle is defined in association with:

a transmission-reception point (TRP),

a PRS positioning frequency layer (PFL), or

a PRS resource set.

3 . A network 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:

receiving discontinuous transmission (DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell-level DTX (cell DTX) cycle from a location server;

operate according to the cell DTX cycle, wherein the cell DTX cycle comprises one or more active times and one or more inactive times; and

transmit, via the at least one transceiver, positioning reference signal (PRS) at one or more scheduled PRS occasions during the cell DTX cycle regardless of whether the one or more scheduled PRS occasions coincide with the one or more inactive times.

4 . The network device of claim 3 , wherein the cell DTX cycle is defined in association with:

a transmission-reception point (TRP),

a PRS positioning frequency layer (PFL), or

a PRS resource set.

5 . A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receiving positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle; and

measuring one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information;

wherein:

the cell DTX cycle is a semi-static DTX cycle or a dynamic DTX cycle, and

the cell DTX configuration information is received via:

at least one message from a location server and at least one message from a network device configured as the serving cell, with any conflict resolved based on the at least one message from the network device;

one or more long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) messages from a location server;

one or more radio resource control (RRC), media access control-control element (MAC-CE), downlink control information (DCI), or positioning system information block (Pos-SIB) messages from a network device configured as the serving cell; or

a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the cell DTX cycle is the dynamic DTX cycle, and

an indication of activation or triggering of a DTX configuration based on the cell DTX configuration information is provided by the network device configured as the serving cell via another one or more RRC, MAC-CE, DCI, or Pos-SIB messages.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein an indication of activation or triggering of a PRS behavior configuration based on the PRS behavior information is provided by the network device via the another one or more RRC, MAC-CE, DCI, or Pos-SIB messages for the indication of the activation or triggering of the DTX configuration.

8 . A wireless communication 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, cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receive, via the at least one transceiver, positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle; and

measure one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information;

wherein:

the cell DTX cycle is a semi-static DTX cycle or a dynamic DTX cycle, and

the cell DTX configuration information is received via:

at least one message from a location server and at least one message from a network device configured as the serving cell, with any conflict resolved based on the at least one message from the network device;

one or more long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) messages from a location server;

one or more radio resource control (RRC), media access control-control element (MAC-CE), downlink control information (DCI), or positioning system information block (Pos-SIB) messages from a network device configured as the serving cell; or

a combination thereof.

9 . The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein:

the cell DTX cycle is the dynamic DTX cycle, and

an indication of activation or triggering of a DTX configuration based on the cell DTX configuration information is provided by the network device configured as the serving cell via another one or more RRC, MAC-CE, DCI, or Pos-SIB messages.

10 . The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein an indication of activation or triggering of a PRS behavior configuration based on the PRS behavior information is provided by the network device via the another one or more RRC, MAC-CE, DCI, or Pos-SIB messages for the indication of the activation or triggering of the DTX configuration.

11 . A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receiving positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle;

measuring one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information; and

reporting to a location server that a scheduled PRS measurement is not performed as a corresponding scheduled PRS occasion being, in whole or in part, not transmitted based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the PRS behavior information includes independent PRS behavior configurations for periodic PRS, semipersistent PRS, or aperiodic PRS.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the cell DTX cycle is defined in association with:

a transmission-reception point (TRP),

a PRS positioning frequency layer (PFL), or

a PRS resource set.

14 . A wireless communication 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, cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receive, via the at least one transceiver, positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle;

measure one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information; and

report, via the at least one transceiver, to a location server that a scheduled PRS measurement is not performed as a corresponding scheduled PRS occasion being, in whole or in part, not transmitted based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information.

15 . The wireless communication device of claim 14 , wherein the PRS behavior information includes independent PRS behavior configurations for periodic PRS, semipersistent PRS, or aperiodic PRS.

16 . The wireless communication device of claim 14 , wherein the cell DTX cycle is defined in association with:

a transmission-reception point (TRP),

a PRS positioning frequency layer (PFL), or

a PRS resource set.

17 . A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receiving positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle; and

measuring one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information;

wherein the PRS behavior information is received via:

at least one message from a location server and at least one message from a network device configured as the serving cell, with any conflict resolved based on the at least one message from the location server;

one or more long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) messages from a location server;

one or more radio resource control (RRC), media access control-control element (MAC-CE), downlink control information (DCI), or positioning system information block (Pos-SIB) messages from a network device configured as the serving cell; or

a combination thereof.

18 . A wireless communication 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, cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receive, via the at least one transceiver, positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle; and

measure one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information;

wherein the PRS behavior information is received via:

at least one message from a location server and at least one message from a network device configured as the serving cell, with any conflict resolved based on the at least one message from the location server;

one or more long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) messages from a location server;

one or more radio resource control (RRC), media access control-control element (MAC-CE), downlink control information (DCI), or positioning system information block (Pos-SIB) messages from a network device configured as the serving cell; or

a combination thereof.

19 . A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receiving positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle; and

measuring one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information;

wherein the PRS behavior information indicates that:

based on a scheduled PRS occasion partially overlapping an active time of the cell DTX cycle:

an entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is transmitted,

only a portion of the scheduled PRS occasion that overlaps the active time is transmitted, or

the entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is not transmitted; or

based on a scheduled PRS occasion being entirely within an inactive period of the cell DTX cycle:

an entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is transmitted, or

the entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is not transmitted.

20 . A wireless communication 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, cell-level discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) configuration information that indicates a cell DTX cycle of a serving cell, the cell DTX cycle including one or more active times and one or more inactive times;

receive, via the at least one transceiver, positioning reference signal (PRS) behavior information that indicates how one or more scheduled PRS occasions are handled with respect to the cell DTX cycle; and

measure one or more PRS transmissions based on the cell DTX configuration information and the PRS behavior information;

wherein the PRS behavior information indicates that:

based on a scheduled PRS occasion partially overlapping an active time of the cell DTX cycle:

an entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is transmitted,

only a portion of the scheduled PRS occasion that overlaps the active time is transmitted, or

the entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is not transmitted; or

based on a scheduled PRS occasion being entirely within an inactive period of the cell DTX cycle:

an entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is transmitted, or

the entirety of the scheduled PRS occasion is not transmitted.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2023
From: ZORGUI, MARWEN; HIRZALLAH, MOHAMMED ALI MOHAMMED; ABOTABL, AHMED ATTIA
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 063635/0935 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240356702A1 · Oct 24, 2024
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