Patent Description:
Standardization bodies such as Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) are studying potential solutions for efficient operation of wireless communication in new radio (NR) networks. The next generation mobile wireless communication system <NUM>/NR will support a diverse set of use cases and a diverse set of deployment scenarios. The later includes deployment at both low frequencies (e.g. <NUM> of MHz), similar to LTE today, and very high frequencies (e.g. mm waves in the tens of GHz). Besides the typical mobile broadband use case, NR is being developed to also support machine type communication (MTC), ultra-low latency critical communications (URLCC), side-link device-to-device (D2D) and other use cases.

Positioning and location services have been topics in LTE standardization since 3GPP Release <NUM>. An objective was to fulfill regulatory requirements for emergency call positioning. Positioning in NR is proposed to be supported by the example architecture shown in <FIG>. LMF 130A represents the location management function entity in NR. There are also interactions between the LMF 130A and the gNodeB <NUM> via the NRPPa protocol. The interactions between the gNodeB <NUM> and the device (UE) <NUM> are supported via the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol. Other network nodes, such as Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 130B and evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (e-SMLC) 130C, may be involved in positioning support.

Note <NUM>: The gNB 120B and ng-eNB 120A may not always both be present.

Note <NUM>: When both the gNB 120B and ng-eNB 120A are present, the NG-C interface is only present for one of them.

In the legacy LTE standards, the following techniques are supported:.

The NR positioning for Release <NUM>, based on the 3GPP NR radio-technology, is positioned to provide added value in terms of enhanced location capabilities. The operation in low and high frequency bands (i.e. below and above <NUM>) and utilization of massive antenna arrays provide additional degrees of freedom to substantially improve the positioning accuracy. The possibility to use wide signal bandwidth in low and especially in high bands brings new performance bounds for user location for well-known positioning techniques based on OTDOA, U-TDOA, DL-TDOA, Cell-ID or E-Cell-ID etc., utilizing timing measurements to locate a UE.

Until now, accuracy has been the primary positioning performance metric which has been discussed and supported in 3GPP. Emerging applications relying on high-precision positioning technology in autonomous applications (e.g. automotive) have brought with them the need for higher integrity and reliability in addition to high accuracy. The <NUM> service requirements specified in 3GPP TS <NUM> include the need to determine the reliability, and the uncertainty or confidence level, of the position-related data.

In RP-<NUM>, a SI on "New SID on NR Positioning Enhancements" has been discussed in which one of the objectives is to:.

Study solutions necessary to support integrity and reliability of assistance data and position information: [RAN2].

Integrity is referred to as the measure of trust that can be placed in the correctness of information supplied by a navigation system. Integrity includes the ability of a system to provide timely warnings to user receivers in case of failure. Any use case related to positioning in Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) typically requires high integrity performance. Example use cases include V2X, autonomous driving, UAV (drones), eHealth, rail and maritime, emergency and mission critical. In use cases in which large errors can lead to serious consequences such as wrong legal decisions or wrong charge computation, etc., the integrity reporting may become crucial.

<FIG> illustrates an example definition of accuracy, precision, validity, reliability and integrity. It can be assumed that "accuracy" is the same term as "validity" in positioning. Also, terms such as reliability, precision, certainty and confidence level can be used interchangeably. However, integrity requires the evaluation of both accuracy and reliability.

There are several example Integrity KPIs defined below that can help identify different integrity events:
Alert Limit (AL): is the largest error allowable for safe operation.

Time to Alert (TTA): is the maximum allowable elapsed time from the onset of a positioning failure until the equipment announces the alert.

Integrity Risk (IR): is the maximum probability of providing a signal that is out of tolerance without warning the user in a given period of time.

Protection Level (PL): is the statistical error bound computed to guarantee that the probability of the absolute position error exceeding the said number is smaller than or equal to the target integrity risk.

<FIG> illustrates an example Stanford plot in which the possible integrity operations and events can be explained in its different regions.

Nominal Operation is when the Position Error (PE) is less than the Protection Level (PL) which is less than the Alert Limit (AL) (e.g. PE < PL < AL).

Hazardous Operation is when PL < AL < PE.

Integrity Failure is an integrity event that lasts for longer than the TTA and with no alarm raised within the TTA.

Misleading Information (MI) is an integrity event occurring when, the system being declared available, the position error exceeds the protection level but not the alert limit.

Hazardously Misleading Information (HMI) is an integrity event occurring when, the system being declared available, the position error exceeds the alert limit.

Document <CIT> discloses a mobile device that generates position data for a device, receives a first access point position reliability state associated with the first access point, determines a reliability of the position data based on the first access point position reliability state and an estimated location of the first access point, determines a threshold reliability requirement of an application associated with the mobile device, compares the reliability of the position data to the threshold reliability requirement of the application, and provides the position data of the device based on the comparison. A network entity determines access point characteristics associated with an access point, generates a position reliability state for the access point, sends the position reliability state to a mobile device, receives position data associated with the mobile device, and determines a trustworthiness of the position data.

Document "<NPL>, discloses an evaluation of future phase support for SSR, including in particular the need for additional Integrity monitoring. Both SSR (PPP-RTK) and Integrity topics are insufficiently mature to be incorporated into LPP as part of the present Work Item. There appears to be widespread support for extending High Precision Positioning to encompass PPP-RTK when it emerges as a stable proven technology/solution. It has particular advantages for widely deployed mass-market adoption of High Accuracy Positioning. Due to the relatively small number of contributors to this discussion (<NUM> companies) it is difficult to draw firm conclusions. The following proposal was made. Proposal <NUM>: 3GPP should continue work on High Precision Positioning using PPP-RTK beyond Release <NUM>, perhaps targeting Release <NUM> onwards.

Document "<NPL>, discloses a recommendation to address the higher accuracy location requirements resulting from new applications and industry verticals. NR Positioning in Rel-<NUM> should evaluate and specify enhancements and solutions to meet the following exemplary performance targets: (a) For general commercial use cases (e.g., TS <NUM>): sub-meter level position accuracy (< <NUM>), and (b) For IIoT Use Cases (e.g., <NUM>): position accuracy < <NUM>. The target latency requirement is < <NUM>; for some IIoT use cases, latency in the order of <NUM> is desired.

Document "<NPL>, discloses a work item on positioning integrity: <NUM>. Identify Positioning Integrity KPIs for relevant use cases. Identify & study the error sources, threat models, occurrence rates and failure modes requiring Positioning Integrity validation and reporting. Examine existing methodologies and gaps for network-assisted and UE-assisted integrity. Based on the outcome of the study in <NUM>, <NUM> & <NUM>, specify an approach to network-assisted Positioning Integrity in support of high accuracy positioning by extensions to LPP and related network and UE protocols.

Document <CIT> constitutes prior art under Article <NUM>(<NUM>) EPC and may be construed to disclose a method, an apparatus and a device for location service processing, and a medium. The method includes: after receiving a location service request, the location management function sending a QoS index requirement containing integrity to a terminal through a positioning protocol; the terminal performing auxiliary measurement function and integrity auxiliary monitoring according to the index requirement, and returning a measurement value to the location management function; and the location management function performing location estimation and integrity estimation according to the returned measurement value.

It is an object of the present disclosure to obviate or mitigate at least one disadvantage of the prior art.

There are provided systems and methods for generating, configuring and using integrity parameters associated with positioning measurements and calculations.

According to the present disclosure, methods, computer-readable media, a network node and a wireless device according to the independent claims are provided. Developments are set forth in the dependent claims.

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a network node. The method comprises determining an integrity risk, IR, parameter associated with a wireless device, the IR parameter indicating a maximum probability of providing a positioning service that is out of a tolerance range; transmitting, to the wireless device, positioning assistance information and the IR parameter; and receiving, from the wireless device, an estimated position and a protection level, PL, parameter, the PL parameter indicating a statistical error bound computed to guarantee that probability of a position error exceeding the PL is less than or equal to the IR, wherein the method further comprises determining an integrity of the positioning estimation in accordance with the received PL parameter; or the IR parameter is associated with one or more positioning reference signal, PRS; or the IR parameter is determined in accordance with at least one of: a clock drift of the network node; a synchronization error of the network node; a wireless device type; a bandwidth and carrier frequency; an indoor or outdoor classification of the wireless device; a serving cell or serving beam; a speed, acceleration, or sensor information from the wireless device; a previous wireless device experience in a similar condition; an expected Reference Signal Time Difference, RSTD, or RSTD search window; and a co-ordinate of a cell boundary or center.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a network node. The method comprises determining an integrity risk, IR, parameter associated with a wireless device, the IR parameter indicating a maximum probability of providing a positioning service that is out of a tolerance range; transmitting, to the wireless device, positioning assistance information and the IR parameter; and receiving, from the wireless device, an estimated position and a protection level, PL, parameter, the PL parameter indicating a statistical error bound computed to guarantee that probability of a position error exceeding the PL is less than or equal to the IR, wherein the positioning assistance information is one of Observed Time Difference of Arrival, OTDOA, information or Downlink Time Difference of Arrival, DL-TDOA, information.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a network node. The method comprises determining an integrity risk, IR, parameter associated with a wireless device, the IR parameter indicating a maximum probability of providing a positioning service that is out of a tolerance range; transmitting, to the wireless device, positioning assistance information and the IR parameter; and receiving, from the wireless device, an estimated position and a protection level, PL, parameter, the PL parameter indicating a statistical error bound computed to guarantee that probability of a position error exceeding the PL is less than or equal to the IR, further comprising: determining an alert limit, AL, parameter associated with the wireless device, the AL parameter indicating a largest error allowable for safe operation; and transmitting the AL parameter to the wireless device.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising code portions which, when executed on a processor, configure the processor to perform the method according to any one of the first to third aspects.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a network node comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to perform the method according to any one of the first to third aspects.

According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a wireless device. The method comprises receiving, from a network node, positioning assistance information and an integrity risk, IR, parameter, the IR parameter indicating a maximum probability of providing a positioning service that is out of a tolerance range; performing positioning measurements to determine an estimated position of the wireless device; determining a Protection Level, PL, parameter based at least in part on the IR parameter, the PL parameter indicating a statistical error bound computed to guarantee that probability of a position error exceeding the PL is less than or equal to the IR; and transmitting, to the network node, the estimated position and the PL parameter, wherein the method further comprises monitoring (<NUM>) the IR parameter while performing the positioning measurements; or the IR parameter is associated with one or more positioning reference signal, PRS; or the method further comprises monitoring (<NUM>) the IR parameter associated with each PRS to determine which PRS to include in positioning measurements; or the method further comprises receiving an alert limit, AL, parameter, the AL parameter indicating a largest error allowable for safe operation; and monitoring the AL parameter while performing the positioning measurements.

According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a wireless device. The method comprises receiving, from a network node, positioning assistance information and an integrity risk, IR, parameter, the IR parameter indicating a maximum probability of providing a positioning service that is out of a tolerance range; performing positioning measurements to determine an estimated position of the wireless device; determining a Protection Level, PL, parameter based at least in part on the IR parameter, the PL parameter indicating a statistical error bound computed to guarantee that probability of a position error exceeding the PL is less than or equal to the IR; and transmitting, to the network node, the estimated position and the PL parameter, wherein the positioning assistance information is one of Observed Time Difference of Arrival, OTDOA, information or Downlink Time Difference of Arrival, DL-TDOA, information, wherein, optionally, the IR parameter is associated with a complete set of OTDOA or DL-TDOA information.

According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising code portions which, when executed on a processor, configure the processor to perform the method according to the sixth or seventh aspect.

According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless device comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to perform the method according to the sixth or seventh aspect.

Whenever in the following disclosure any of the above-stated aspects (corresponding to the independent claims) is disclosed as "optional" (e.g., due to usage of conjunctive terms, such as "can", "may", "should", etc.), it is nevertheless to be read as "mandatory".

Hereinabove and in the following, "examples" pertain to principles underlying the claimed subject-matter and/or being useful for understanding the claimed subject-matter, while "embodiments" pertain to the claimed subject-matter within the claim scope. Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:.

Whenever in this description an "embodiment" is described, reference is to be made to the above figure list to determine whether this is to be read as "embodiment" or "example".

The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the description and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of the description. Those of ordinary skill in the art, with the included description, will be able to implement appropriate functionality without undue experimentation.

In some embodiments, the non-limiting term "user equipment" (UE) is used and it can refer to any type of wireless device which can communicate with a network node and/or with another UE in a cellular or mobile or wireless communication system. Examples of UE are target device, device to device (D2D) UE, machine type UE or UE capable of machine to machine (M2M) communication, personal digital assistant, tablet, mobile terminal, smart phone, laptop embedded equipped (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, ProSe UE, V2V UE, V2X UE, MTC UE, eMTC UE, FeMTC UE, UE Cat <NUM>, UE Cat M1, narrow band IoT (NB-IoT) UE, UE Cat NB1, etc. Example embodiments of a UE are described in more detail below with respect to <FIG>.

In some embodiments, the non-limiting term "network node" is used and it can correspond to any type of radio access node (or radio network node) or any network node, which can communicate with a UE and/or with another network node in a cellular or mobile or wireless communication system. Examples of network nodes are NodeB, MeNB, SeNB, a network node belonging to MCG or SCG, base station (BS), multi-standard radio (MSR) radio access node such as MSR BS, eNodeB, network controller, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), relay, donor node controlling relay, base transceiver station (BTS), access point (AP), transmission points, transmission nodes, RRU, RRH, nodes in distributed antenna system (DAS), core network node (e.g. MSC, MME, etc.), O&M, OSS, Self-organizing Network (SON), positioning node (e.g. E-SMLC), MDT, test equipment, etc. Example embodiments of a network node are described in more detail below with respect to <FIG>.

In some embodiments, the term "radio access technology" (RAT) refers to any RAT e.g. UTRA, E-UTRA, narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT), WiFi, Bluetooth, next generation RAT (NR), <NUM>, <NUM>, etc. Any of the first and the second nodes may be capable of supporting a single or multiple RATs.

The term "radio node" used herein can be used to denote a wireless device or a network node.

In some embodiments, a UE can be configured to operate in carrier aggregation (CA) implying aggregation of two or more carriers in at least one of downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) directions. With CA, a UE can have multiple serving cells, wherein the term 'serving' herein means that the UE is configured with the corresponding serving cell and may receive from and/or transmit data to the network node on the serving cell e.g. on PCell or any of the SCells. The data is transmitted or received via physical channels e.g. PDSCH in DL, PUSCH in UL, etc. A component carrier (CC) also interchangeably called as carrier or aggregated carrier, PCC or SCC is configured at the UE by the network node using higher layer signaling e.g. by sending RRC configuration message to the UE. The configured CC is used by the network node for serving the UE on the serving cell (e.g. on PCell, PSCell, SCell, etc.) of the configured CC. The configured CC is also used by the UE for performing one or more radio measurements (e.g. RSRP, RSRQ, etc.) on the cells operating on the CC, e.g. PCell, SCell or PSCell and neighboring cells.

In some embodiments, a UE can also operate in dual connectivity (DC) or multi-connectivity (MC). The multicarrier or multicarrier operation can be any of CA, DC, MC, etc. The term "multicarrier" can also be interchangeably called a band combination.

The term "radio measurement" used herein may refer to any measurement performed on radio signals. Radio measurements can be absolute or relative. Radio measurements can be e.g. intra-frequency, inter-frequency, CA, etc. Radio measurements can be unidirectional (e.g., DL or UL or in either direction on a sidelink) or bidirectional (e.g., RTT, Rx-Tx, etc.). Some examples of radio measurements: timing measurements (e.g., propagation delay, TOA, timing advance, RTT, RSTD, Rx-Tx, etc.), angle measurements (e.g., angle of arrival), power-based or channel quality measurements (e.g., path loss, received signal power, RSRP, received signal quality, RSRQ, SINR, SNR, interference power, total interference plus noise, RSSI, noise power, CSI, CQI, PMI, etc.), cell detection or cell identification, RLM, SI reading, etc. The measurement may be performed on one or more links in each direction, e.g., RSTD or relative RSRP or based on signals from different transmission points of the same (shared) cell.

The term "signaling" used herein may comprise any of high-layer signaling (e.g., via RRC or a like), lower-layer signaling (e.g., via a physical control channel or a broadcast channel), or a combination thereof. The signaling may be implicit or explicit. The signaling may further be unicast, multicast or broadcast. The signaling may also be directly to another node or via a third node.

The term "time resource" used herein may correspond to any type of physical resource or radio resource expressed in terms of length of time. Examples of time resources include symbol, time slot, sub-frame, radio frame, TTI, interleaving time, etc. The term "frequency resource" may refer to sub-band within a channel bandwidth, subcarrier, carrier frequency, frequency band. The term "time and frequency resources" may refer to any combination of time and frequency resources.

Some examples of UE operation include: UE radio measurement (see the term "radio measurement" above), bidirectional measurement with UE transmitting, cell detection or identification, beam detection or identification, system information reading, channel receiving and decoding, any UE operation or activity involving at least receiving of one or more radio signals and/or channels, cell change or (re)selection, beam change or (re)selection, a mobility-related operation, a measurement-related operation, a radio resource management (RRM)-related operation, a positioning procedure, a timing related procedure, a timing adjustment related procedure, UE location tracking procedure, time tracking related procedure, synchronization related procedure, MDT-like procedure, measurement collection related procedure, a CA-related procedure, serving cell activation/deactivation, CC configuration/de-configuration, etc..

Note that, in the description herein, reference may be made to the term "cell". However, particularly with respect to <NUM>/NR concepts, beams may be used instead of cells and, as such, it is important to note that the concepts described herein are equally applicable to both cells and beams.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a wireless network <NUM> that can be used for wireless communications. Wireless network <NUM> includes wireless devices, such as UEs 110A-110B, and network nodes, such as radio access nodes 120A-120B (e.g. eNBs, gNBs, etc.), connected to one or more core network nodes <NUM> via an interconnecting network <NUM>. The network <NUM> can use any suitable deployment scenarios. UEs <NUM> within coverage area <NUM> can each be capable of communicating directly with radio access nodes <NUM> over a wireless interface. In some embodiments, UEs <NUM> can also be capable of communicating with each other via D2D communication.

As an example, UE 110A can communicate with radio access node 120A over a wireless interface. That is, UE 110A can transmit wireless signals to and/or receive wireless signals from radio access node 120A. The wireless signals can contain voice traffic, data traffic, control signals, and/or any other suitable information. In some embodiments, an area of wireless signal coverage <NUM> associated with a radio access node <NUM> can be referred to as a cell.

The interconnecting network <NUM> can refer to any interconnecting system capable of transmitting audio, video, signals, data, messages, etc., or any combination of the preceding. The interconnecting network <NUM> can include all or a portion of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a public or private data network, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a local, regional, or global communication or computer network such as the Internet, a wireline or wireless network, an enterprise intranet, or any other suitable communication link, including combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the network node <NUM> can be a core network node <NUM>, managing the establishment of communication sessions and other various other functionalities for UEs <NUM>. Examples of core network node <NUM> can include mobile switching center (MSC), MME, serving gateway (SGW), packet data network gateway (PGW), operation and maintenance (O&M), operations support system (OSS), SON, positioning node (e.g., Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center, E-SMLC), location server node, MDT node, etc. UEs <NUM> can exchange certain signals with the core network node using the non-access stratum layer. In non-access stratum signaling, signals between UEs <NUM> and the core network node <NUM> can be transparently passed through the radio access network. In some embodiments, radio access nodes <NUM> can interface with one or more network nodes <NUM> over an internode interface.

In some embodiments, radio access node <NUM> can be a "distributed" radio access node in the sense that the radio access node <NUM> components, and their associated functions, can be separated into two main units (or sub-radio network nodes) which can be referred to as the central unit (CU) and the distributed unit (DU). Different distributed radio network node architectures are possible. For instance, in some architectures, a DU can be connected to a CU via dedicated wired or wireless link (e.g., an optical fiber cable) while in other architectures, a DU can be connected a CU via a transport network. Also, how the various functions of the radio access node <NUM> are separated between the CU(s) and DU(s) may vary depending on the chosen architecture.

<FIG> illustrates an example of signaling in wireless network <NUM>. As illustrated, the radio interface generally enables the UE <NUM> and the radio access node <NUM> to exchange signals and messages in both a downlink direction (from the radio access node <NUM> to the UE <NUM>) and in an uplink direction (from the UE <NUM> to the radio access node <NUM>).

The radio interface between the wireless device <NUM> and the radio access node <NUM> typically enables the UE <NUM> to access various applications or services provided by one or more servers <NUM> (also referred to as application server or host computer) located in an external network(s) <NUM>. The connectivity between the UE <NUM> and the server <NUM>, enabled at least in part by the radio interface between the UE <NUM> and the radio access node <NUM>, can be described as an "over-the-top" (OTT) or "application layer" connection. In such cases, the UE <NUM> and the server <NUM> are configured to exchange data and/or signaling via the OTT connection, using the radio access network <NUM>, the core network <NUM>, and possibly one or more intermediate networks (e.g. a transport network, not shown). The OTT connection may be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices or nodes (e.g., the radio access node <NUM>, one or more core network nodes <NUM>, etc.) through which the OTT connection passes may be unaware of the actual OTT connection they enable and support. For example, the radio access node <NUM> may not or need not be informed about the previous handling (e.g., routing) of an incoming downlink communication with data originating from the server <NUM> to be forwarded or transmitted to the UE <NUM>. Similarly, the radio access node <NUM> may not or need not be aware of the subsequent handling of an outgoing uplink communication originating from the UE <NUM> towards the server <NUM>.

Returning to positioning performance metrics, in the conventional positioning support of LTE and NR networks, there is no network assistance in terms of integrity reporting. Therefore, a UE is not capable of assessing its positioning estimation integrity. This can be considered an important parameter when dealing with use cases requiring high reliability of the positioning accuracy.

In some embodiments described herein, the network, based on target device type, capabilities, use case and/or other potential factors can assist a target device in terms of Alert Limit and the Integrity Risk of the positioning reference signals (PRS). Accordingly, the device may compute its Protection Level and estimate its position, and therefore can assess if its position estimation is in nominal operation or not.

Some embodiments herein are described with respect to PRS-based positioning methods, such as OTDOA, for exemplary purposes. However, it will be appreciated that they are also applicable for other RAT-dependent or hybrid positioning methods using reference signals.

<FIG> is an example signaling diagram illustrating the basic signaling steps from the perspective of the network node (e.g. location server <NUM>) and the target device (e.g. UE <NUM>) according to certain embodiments. Network node <NUM> and UE <NUM> can exchange capabilities information related to device integrity (steps <NUM>, <NUM>). The network node <NUM> can select an Alert Limit and/or Integrity Risk for the UE <NUM> (step <NUM>). The Alert Limit and/or Integrity Risk can be associated with one or more PRS(s). The network node <NUM> can then provide the Alert Limit and/or Integrity Risk parameters with OTDOA assistance information to UE <NUM> (step <NUM>). UE <NUM> monitors the Integrity Risk for its PRS(s) and obtains positioning measurements (step <NUM>). The Protection Level can be computed in accordance with the received Integrity Risk parameter (step <NUM>). UE <NUM> can then report the positioning measurements and the computed Protection Level (step <NUM>). Accordingly, the network node <NUM> obtains positioning and/or integrity status (step <NUM>).

In some embodiments, step <NUM> can involve UE <NUM> providing OTDOA results along with uncertainty and quality of measurements. This can be further considered by the network node <NUM> to identify/determine the integrity of the estimated calculated positioning co-ordinates. In some embodiments, UE <NUM> may include additional reports from, for example, a motion-sensor, barometric pressure sensor, etc., which can be further used by the network node <NUM> to determine the integrity of the estimation. If the UE <NUM> has been moving a lot during the measurements), it may lead to an unreliable reading.

It will be appreciated that some of the positioning-related messages described herein (e.g. request, response, report, acknowledgement, etc.) could be mandated as part of the procedure in some implementations (i.e. not configurable), while in other implementations they can be configurable through signaling.

Some embodiments provide solutions for integrating and evaluating the integrity level of the positioning estimation. Accordingly, the network can assist a device in terms of alert limit and integrity risk for a PRS. The device can assess its positioning estimation and associated integrity level. The device can monitor the integrity risk of each PRS and determine which to select or avoid for obtaining positioning measurement(s). The network can receive the computed PL from the device(s) for future integrity risk estimations.

As discussed, in some embodiments there are three potential integrity parameters which can be set either by the network node or the target device: Alert Limit, Integrity Risk, Protection Level.

The Alert Limit (AL) can be set for each application or use case. Therefore, it can be known by either the location server or the UE or by both, and it can be also shared from one to another by request. The network node can request for device integrity capabilities to understand whether the device is capable of processing the assistance information in this respect. Moreover, the type of UE can help the network to assess the AL for that particular device.

AL is the largest error allowable for safe operation. The AL can be configured in accordance with one or more of the following items:.

The AL can be reported to the device as an assistance data either automatically, when the device responds that it has integrity capability, or by a direct request from the device. A device may have the capability to set the AL by itself as well. In this case the device can report to the network on what AL it has assumed.

The AL reporting can include the following example formats:.

The positioning Integrity Risk (IR) parameter is set by the location server and can be provided to the UE as an assistance information. The IR is the maximum probability of providing a positioning service (e.g. signal, measurement, etc.) that is out of tolerance without warning the user in a given period of time. The network node can set this parameter either for the complete set of assistance data or for each positioning reference signal (PRS) of the suggested reference and neighbor cells separately.

The network node can configure the IR in accordance with one or more of the following parameters:.

The IR can be given either as an overall percentage value or a percentage value for each separate PRS of cells/beams as the OTDOA assistance information.

In some embodiments, the network node can send the AL and IR in one signal. In other embodiments, the network node can only send the IR to the device considering that the AL is assumed by the device.

The device with the OTDOA assistance information starts performing measurements and it can be so that the selection of the cells for OTDOA measurement would be identified based on monitoring the IRs. Further, the Protection Level (PL) can be computed at the device based on the IR received from the network node. PL is the statistical error bound computed to guarantee that the probability of the absolute position error exceeding the PL number is smaller than or equal to the target integrity risk. The device reports this to the network node in the location information reporting together with the computed position estimation or the RSTD measurements in the case of UE-assisted OTDOA positioning.

The PL reporting can include the following example formats:.

<FIG> is a flow chart illustrating a method which can be performed in a wireless device <NUM>, such as a UE as described herein. The method can include:.

In some embodiments the wireless device can compute a Protection Level (PL) parameter based at least in part on the IR parameter received from the network. The PL parameter can indicate a statistical error bound computed to guarantee that the probability of the absolute position error exceeding said PL number is less than or equal to the IR.

Step <NUM>: The wireless device transmits a positioning information report to the network node. The positioning information can include its estimated position (e.g. the OTDOA results) and integrity-related information such as the computed PL parameter.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the wireless device can communicate (e.g. transmit/receive messages) directly with a network node such as location server <NUM>. In other embodiments, messages and signals between the entities may be communicated via other nodes, such as radio access node (e.g. gNB, eNB) <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow chart illustrating a method which can be performed in a network node <NUM>, such as a location server as described herein. The method can include:.

In some embodiments, the network node can determine the integrity (e.g. an "integrity status") of the estimated positioning co-ordinates in accordance with the received positioning information (e.g. the PL parameter).

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the network node <NUM> can communicate (e.g. transmit/receive messages) directly with a target wireless device <NUM>. In other embodiments, messages and signals between the entities may be communicated via other nodes, such as radio access node (e.g. gNB, eNB) <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an example wireless device, UE <NUM>, in accordance with certain embodiments. UE <NUM> includes a transceiver <NUM>, processor <NUM>, and memory <NUM>. In some embodiments, the transceiver <NUM> facilitates transmitting wireless signals to and receiving wireless signals from radio access node <NUM> (e.g., via transmitter(s) (Tx), receiver(s) (Rx) and antenna(s)). The processor <NUM> executes instructions to provide some or all of the functionalities described above as being provided by UE, and the memory <NUM> stores the instructions executed by the
processor <NUM>. In some embodiments, the processor <NUM> and the memory <NUM> form processing circuitry.

The processor <NUM> can include any suitable combination of hardware to execute instructions and manipulate data to perform some or all of the described functions of a wireless device, such as the functions of UE <NUM> described above. In some embodiments, the processor <NUM> may include, for example, one or more computers, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microprocessors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and/or other logic.

The memory <NUM> is generally operable to store instructions, such as a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, algorithms, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructions capable of being executed by a processor <NUM>. Examples of memory <NUM> include computer memory (for example, Random Access Memory (RAM) or Read Only Memory (ROM)), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory computer-readable and/or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by the processor <NUM> of UE <NUM>.

Other embodiments of UE <NUM> may include additional components beyond those shown in <FIG> that may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the wireless device's functionalities, including any of the functionalities described above and/or any additional functionalities (including any functionality necessary to support the solution described above). As just one example, UE <NUM> may include input devices and circuits, output devices, and one or more synchronization units or circuits, which may be part of the processor <NUM>. Input devices include mechanisms for entry of data into UE <NUM>. For example, input devices may include input mechanisms, such as a microphone, input elements, a display, etc. Output devices may include mechanisms for outputting data in audio, video and/or hard copy format. For example, output devices may include a speaker, a display, etc..

In some embodiments, the wireless device UE <NUM> may comprise a series of modules configured to implement the functionalities of the wireless device described above. Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the wireless device <NUM> may comprise a control module <NUM> for receiving and interpreting control/configuration/capability information, a positioning module <NUM> for performing positioning measurements and calculating an estimated position, and an integrity module <NUM> for monitoring and determining the integrity associated with the positioning measurements.

It will be appreciated that the various modules may be implemented as combination of hardware and software, for instance, the processor, memory and transceiver(s) of UE <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Some embodiments may also include additional modules to support additional and/or optional functionalities.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an exemplary network node <NUM>. The exemplary node can be a location server or an access node, in accordance with certain embodiments. Network node <NUM> may include one or more of a transceiver <NUM>, processor <NUM>, memory <NUM>, and network interface <NUM>. In some embodiments, the transceiver <NUM> facilitates transmitting wireless signals to and receiving wireless signals from wireless devices, such as UE <NUM> (e.g., via transmitter(s) (Tx), receiver(s) (Rx), and antenna(s)). The processor <NUM> executes instructions to provide some or all of the functionalities described above as being provided by network node <NUM>, the memory <NUM> stores the instructions executed by the processor <NUM>. In some embodiments, the processor <NUM> and the memory <NUM> form processing circuitry. The network interface <NUM> can communicate signals to backend network components, such as a gateway, switch, router, Internet, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), core network nodes or radio network controllers, etc..

The processor <NUM> can include any suitable combination of hardware to execute instructions and manipulate data to perform some or all of the described functions of network node <NUM>, such as those described above. In some embodiments, the processor <NUM> may include, for example, one or more computers, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microprocessors, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and/or other logic.

The memory <NUM> is generally operable to store instructions, such as a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, algorithms, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructions capable of being executed by a processor <NUM>. Examples of memory <NUM> include computer memory (for example, Random Access Memory (RAM) or Read Only Memory (ROM)), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory computer-readable and/or computer-executable memory devices that store information.

In some embodiments, the network interface <NUM> is communicatively coupled to the processor <NUM> and may refer to any suitable device operable to receive input for node <NUM>, send output from node <NUM>, perform suitable processing of the input or output or both, communicate to other devices, or any combination of the preceding. The network interface <NUM> may include appropriate hardware (e.g., port, modem, network interface card, etc.) and software, including protocol conversion and data processing capabilities, to communicate through a network.

Other embodiments of network node <NUM> can include additional components beyond those shown in <FIG> that may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the node's functionalities, including any of the functionalities described above and/or any additional functionalities (including any functionality necessary to support the solutions described above). The various different types of network nodes may include components having the same physical hardware but configured (e.g., via programming) to support different radio access technologies, or may represent partly or entirely different physical components.

Processors, interfaces, and memory similar to those described with respect to <FIG> may be included in other network nodes (such as UE <NUM>, radio access node <NUM>, etc.). Other network nodes may optionally include or not include a wireless interface (such as the transceiver described in <FIG>).

In some embodiments, the network node <NUM>, may comprise a series of modules configured to implement the functionalities of the network node described above. Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the network node <NUM> can comprise a transceiver module <NUM> for transmitting and receiving positioning-related messages, such as capability requests/responses, positioning information and reports, and an integrity module <NUM> for determining integrity-related parameter(s) associated with a device and for determining the integrity associated with an estimated position of the device.

It will be appreciated that the various modules may be implemented as combination of hardware and software, for instance, the processor, memory and transceiver(s) of network node <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Some embodiments may also include additional modules to support additional and/or optional functionalities.

Turning now to <FIG>, some network nodes (e.g. UEs <NUM>, radio access nodes <NUM>, core network nodes <NUM>, etc.) in the wireless communication network <NUM> may be partially or even entirely virtualized. As a virtualized entity, some or all the functions of a given network node are implemented as one or more virtual network functions (VNFs) running in virtual machines (VMs) hosted on a typically generic processing node <NUM> (or server).

Processing node <NUM> generally comprises a hardware infrastructure <NUM> supporting a virtualization environment <NUM>.

The hardware infrastructure <NUM> generally comprises processing circuitry <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, and communication interface(s) <NUM>.

Processing circuitry <NUM> typically provides overall control of the hardware infrastructure <NUM> of the virtualized processing node <NUM>. Hence, processing circuitry <NUM> is generally responsible for the various functions of the hardware infrastructure <NUM> either directly or indirectly via one or more other components of the processing node <NUM> (e.g. sending or receiving messages via the communication interface <NUM>). The processing circuitry <NUM> is also responsible for enabling, supporting and managing the virtualization environment <NUM> in which the various VNFs are run. The processing circuitry <NUM> may include any suitable combination of hardware to enable the hardware infrastructure <NUM> of the virtualized processing node <NUM> to perform its functions.

In some embodiments, the processing circuitry <NUM> may comprise at least one processor <NUM> and at least one memory <NUM>. Examples of processor <NUM> include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphical processing unit (GPU), and other forms of processing unit. Examples of memory <NUM> include, but are not limited to, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). When processing circuitry <NUM> comprises memory <NUM>, memory <NUM> is generally configured to store instructions or codes executable by processor <NUM>, and possibly operational data. Processor <NUM> is then configured to execute the stored instructions and possibly create, transform, or otherwise manipulate data to enable the hardware infrastructure <NUM> of the virtualized processing node <NUM> to perform its functions.

Additionally, or alternatively, in some embodiments, the processing circuity <NUM> may comprise, or further comprise, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more complex programmable logic device (CPLDs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other forms of application-specific and/or programmable circuitry. When the processing circuitry <NUM> comprises application-specific and/or programmable circuitry (e.g., ASICs, FPGAs), the hardware infrastructure <NUM> of the virtualized processing node <NUM> may perform its functions without the need for instructions or codes as the necessary instructions may already be hardwired or preprogrammed into processing circuitry <NUM>. Understandably, processing circuitry <NUM> may comprise a combination of processor(s) <NUM>, memory(ies) <NUM>, and other application-specific and/or programmable circuitry.

The communication interface(s) <NUM> enable the virtualized processing node <NUM> to send messages to and receive messages from other network nodes (e.g., radio network nodes, other core network nodes, servers, etc.). In that sense, the communication interface <NUM> generally comprises the necessary hardware and software to process messages received from the processing circuitry <NUM> to be sent by the virtualized processing node <NUM> into a format appropriate for the underlying transport network and, conversely, to process messages received from other network nodes over the underlying transport network into a format appropriate for the processing circuitry <NUM>. Hence, communication interface <NUM> may comprise appropriate hardware, such as transport network interface(s) <NUM> (e.g., port, modem, network interface card, etc.), and software, including protocol conversion and data processing capabilities, to communicate with other network nodes.

The virtualization environment <NUM> is enabled by instructions or codes stored on memory <NUM> and/or memory <NUM>. The virtualization environment <NUM> generally comprises a virtualization layer <NUM> (also referred to as a hypervisor), at least one virtual machine <NUM>, and at least one VNF <NUM>. The functions of the processing node <NUM> may be implemented by one or more VNFs <NUM>.

Some embodiments may be represented as a software product stored in a machine-readable medium (also referred to as a computer-readable medium, a processor-readable medium, or a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein). The machine-readable medium may be any suitable tangible medium including a magnetic, optical, or electrical storage medium including a diskette, compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc read only memory (DVD-ROM) memory device (volatile or non-volatile), or similar storage mechanism. The machine-readable medium may contain various sets of instructions, code sequences, configuration information, or other data, which, when executed, cause processing circuitry (e.g. a processor) to perform steps in a method according to one or more embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other instructions and operations necessary to implement the described embodiments may also be stored on the machine-readable medium. Software running from the machine-readable medium may interface with circuitry to perform the described tasks.

Claim 1:
A method performed by a network node (<NUM>), the method comprising:
determining (<NUM>, <NUM>) an integrity risk, IR, parameter associated with a wireless device (<NUM>), the IR parameter indicating a maximum probability of providing a positioning service that is out of a tolerance range;
transmitting (<NUM>, <NUM>), to the wireless device, positioning assistance information and the IR parameter; and
receiving (<NUM>, <NUM>), from the wireless device, an estimated position and a protection level, PL, parameter, the PL parameter indicating a statistical error bound computed to guarantee that probability of a position error exceeding the PL is less than or equal to the IR,
wherein:
- the IR parameter is associated with one or more positioning reference signal, PRS; or
- the IR parameter is determined in accordance with at least one of: a synchronization error of the network node; a serving beam.