EP4690853A1

EP4690853A1 - 5g sidelink positioning bandwidth selection nodes and methods

Info

Publication number: EP4690853A1
Application number: EP24709205.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kai-Erik Sunell; Takayuki Shimizu; Hongsheng Lu; John Kenney; Onur Altintas; Claude Arzelier; Mikko Saily; Stepan Kucera; Faranaz SABOURI-SICHANI; Torsten WILDSCHEK; Taylan SAHIN; Diomidis Michalopoulos
Original assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
Current assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
Priority date: 2023-04-05
Filing date: 2024-02-19
Publication date: 2026-02-11
Also published as: WO2024209809A1; CN120982124A

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, apparatuses, and systems for a node for positioning in a communication. The method includes: determining at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; selecting at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and transmitting one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.

Description

5G SIDELINK POSITIONING BANDWIDTH SELECTION NODES AND METHODS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/457,211, filed on April 5, 2023, entitled “5G SIDELINK POSITIONING BANDWIDTH SELECTION,” the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Field

Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present disclosure relate generally to communications, more specifically, methods, systems, and devices involving nodes for communications, e.g., for positioning in sidelink communications.

Background

A mobile node in a communication, such as a vehicle in a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, needs to obtain timely, accurate positioning information for various purposes, for example, automated driving or requesting for emergency services. The mobile node may request a network node (e.g., a base station) for positioning information and obtain the needed positioning information from the network node, for example, via Uu interface. However, the mobile node may be unable to obtain the positioning information from the network node if the mobile node is located in an out-of-coverage area, for example, in a parking garage or a remote location where connectivity to the network node is intermittent, unreliable, or infeasible. In such cases, the mobile node may obtain the positioning information by exchanging information with another node via a sidelink (SL) communication.

Sidelink positioning may require different bandwidths for sidelink positioning reference signal transmissions for different circumstances. For example, in a V2X scenario, there is a choice between environment types (e.g., highway, urban) where the bandwidth requirements can vary between 20 MHz and 100 MHz depending on the environment and required positioning accuracy. Generally, the sidelink positioning in a highway environment requires less bandwidth than in an urban environment. Therefore, it may be difficult to carry out bandwidth selection choices in real sidelink deployments and determine a suitable bandwidth for transmitting sidelink positioning reference signals while fulfilling different accuracy requirements. Also, there can be different positioning schemes, such as Uu only, SL only, or joint SL/Uu positioning schemes. For the mobile node, it may be difficult to determine a suitable positioning scheme for a given bandwidth for positioning reference signal transmissions. Systems and methods for efficiently and accurately selecting a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme for sidelink positioning are desired.

Summary

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a node for a communication. The node includes a memory storing an instruction; and a processor configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to: determine at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; select at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and transmit one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a second node for a communication. The second node includes a memory storing an instruction; and a processor configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to: receive, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node; obtain the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and transmit, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a method involving a node in a communication. The method includes determining at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; selecting at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and transmitting one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a method involving a second node in a communication. The method includes receiving, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node; obtaining the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and transmitting, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a node for a communication to perform a method. The method includes determining at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; selecting at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and transmitting one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a second node for a communication to perform a method. The method includes receiving, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node; obtaining the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and transmitting, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating positioning in a communication system, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary data structure for selecting a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method involving a node in a communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method involving a second node in a communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a device 500, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings in which the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise represented. The implementations set forth in the following description of exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of systems, apparatuses, and methods consistent with aspects related to the present disclosure as recited in the appended claims.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating positioning in a communication system, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The term “node” is used in this disclosure as a general term which can be user equipment, a relay node, a road side unit, a vehicle, a vehicle mounted module, or a network infrastructure device (e.g., a base station, a relaying device, a wireless router, a controller, an access point). Referring to FIG. 1, a node 102 (e.g., a vehicle) in a communication system may need to obtain or provide accurate positioning information for various purposes. For example, the node 102 may be a vehicle or a vehicle mounted navigation equipment that relies on accurate positioning information for automated driving or self-optimization of network deployments. For another example, the node 102 may be a handheld user equipment or a vehicle that needs to provide timely positioning information to request an emergency service.
In some embodiments, the node 102 may transmit a positioning reference signal (PRS) to a network node (or entity) 104 to request positioning services. The network node 104 may be a network infrastructure node such as a base station that communicates with the node 102. The positioning reference signal transmitted to the network node 104 may include meta data such as a transmission time, radio signal measurement(s) performed by the node 102, and/or a rough location information of the node 102. The rough location information of the node 102 may be determined, for example, by a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) based positioning.
After receiving the positioning reference signal, in some embodiments, the network node 104 may compute the coordinates of the node 102 based on the received positioning reference signal, and transmit positioning information to the node 102. The positioning information may include the calculated coordinates of the node 102. In some embodiments, instead of computing the coordinates for the node 102, the network node 104 may provide assistance information to the node 102 so that the node 102 performs the computation and determines its own coordinates. For example, in an embodiment, the assistance information may be assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) based information. In this embodiment, the network node 104 may have one or more GNSS receivers that continuously receive signals from GNSS satellites. The network node 104 may also have powerful processors or servers to process the received signals. The network node 104 may transmit the processed signal data to the node 102 so that the node 102 can use the data to calculate its own coordinates or perform error correction to improve positioning accuracy. The radio interface for the communication between the node 102 and the network node 104 may be Uu interface as described in 3GPP specifications. In an embodiment, the network node 104 can be any base station currently existing, such as base stations for long term evolution (LTE) or new radio (NR), or base stations for a future generation (6^th generation (6G), 7^th generation (7G), or any other future generation) radio access technology (RAT).
In some embodiments, the node 102 may be located in an out-of-coverage area, for example, in a parking garage or a remote location where connectivity to the network node 104 is intermittent, unreliable, or infeasible. In such an out-of-coverage scenario, the node 102 may obtain positioning information by exchanging signals with another node 106 via a sidelink communication. The other node 106 may be identical to or different from the node 102. For example, in some embodiments, the node 102 and the other node 106 may be two vehicles in a V2X communication. In some embodiments, the node 102 may be a vehicle, while the other node 106 may be a handheld user equipment (UE). In some embodiments, the other node 106 may represent multiple sidelink nodes and the node 102 communicates with the multiple nodes using sidelink signals. In a positioning scheme, the node 102 may perform positioning solely based on the sidelink communication with the other node 106, without communicating with the network node 104. In another positioning scheme, the node 102 may perform positioning solely based on the communication with the network node 104 (e.g., via Uu interface), as described above. In another positioning scheme, the node 102 may perform positioning based on both the sidelink communication with the other node 106 and the communication with the network node 104, wherein one example of such a positioning scheme is referred to herein as a joint SL/Uu scheme. The joint SL/Uu scheme allows for the node 102 to receive and make use of positioning reference signals from both the network node 104 and the other node 106.
Sidelink positioning may require different bandwidths for transmitting sidelink positioning reference signals depending on the use case and scenario. For example, in a V2X scenario, there is a choice between environment types where bandwidth requirements can vary between 20 MHz and 100 MHz depending on the environment and required positioning accuracy. The environment types may include highway environment and urban environment. Generally, the sidelink positioning in a highway environment requires less bandwidth than in an urban environment. Therefore, for the node 102, it may be difficult to carry out bandwidth selection choices in real sidelink deployments and determine a needed bandwidth for sidelink positioning reference signal transmissions while fulfilling different accuracy requirements. Also, as described above, there can be different positioning schemes (e.g., Uu only, SL only, joint SL/Uu), and for the node 102, it may be difficult to determine a suitable positioning scheme for a given bandwidth and/or an accuracy requirement. At least some embodiments of the present disclosure address the above-described challenges in selecting a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme. The present disclosure, however, is not limited to either sidelink positioning or selecting a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary data structure for selecting a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the data structure 200 may be a table-like data structure having multiple columns and rows. Each column may represent a parameter related to positioning. The parameters related to positioning may include, but are not limited to, environment type, bandwidth, positioning scheme, positioning accuracy requirement, channel congestion level, and sidelink resource pool type, etc. For the sake of simplicity, the data structure 200 only shows some of these parameters. Each row may represent a content (e.g., a value or a type) corresponding to the parameters at different instances. For example, for the parameter of environment type, data structure 200 includes a content of highway environment at a first instance (the second row) and at a second instance (the third row) and includes a content of an urban environment at a third instance (the fourth row). For the parameter of PRS bandwidth, the data structure 200 includes a content of 20 MHz at the first instance, a content of 40 MHz at the second instance, and a content of 100 MHz at the third instance. For the parameter of accuracy requirement, the data structure 200 includes a content of 1.5 m horizontal at the first instance, a content of 1.0 m horizontal at the second instance, and a content of 0.5 m horizontal at the third instance.
For the sake of simplicity, the data structure 200 is exemplified with two different environment types, i.e., the highway environment and the urban environment. However, the environment types are not so limited. In some embodiments, the data structure 200 may include multiple different environment types, for example, a highway environment, an urban environment, an underground environment, a density level of traffic, an altitude level, and a radio signal interference level, etc. Similarly, for the sake of simplicity, the data structure 200 is exemplified with horizontal accuracy (positioning accuracy in a substantially horizontal direction). However, the accuracy requirement types are not so limited. In some embodiments, the data structure 200 may include several different types of accuracy, e.g., horizontal accuracy, vertical accuracy (positioning accuracy in a substantially vertical direction), or radial accuracy (positioning accuracy at a certain angle with respect to horizontal or vertical direction). In some embodiments, for a given parameter, the data structure 200 may include a plurality of contents that satisfy the same accuracy requirement. For example, for the parameter of PRS bandwidth, the data structure 200 includes 20 MHz and 40 MHz that satisfy the 1.5 m horizontal accuracy.
The data structure 200 may be included in a node, such as the node 102 of FIG. 1. For example, in an embodiment, the data structure 200 may be pre-stored in a memory of the node 102. In an embodiment, the data structure 200 may be pre-configured at the node 102. For example, the data structure 200 may be pre-configured in a subscriber identity unit (SIM), a universal subscriber identity unit (USIM), or a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) of the node 102. In an embodiment, the data structure 200 may be configured by a network node, such as the network node 104 of FIG. 1. For example, the data structure 200 may be configured by the network node via a radio resource control (RRC) signaling or a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE).
The data structure 200 shown in Fig. 2 is exemplified as a table-like data structure. However, the data structure 200 is not so limited. The data structure 200 can be any collection of data values (or types) and mapping among them. For example, the data structure 200 may be a graph, a tree (binary or balanced), an array, a linked list, a heap, a stack, a set, a hash table, a tagged union, or an entity-relationship model, etc.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method involving a node in a communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 3, a method 300 includes a step 302 of determining at least one of: a current environment type associated with a node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node. The node can be any node in a communication system, for example, a user equipment, a network infrastructure node such as a base station, a location management function, a relay node, a road side unit, a vehicle, or a vehicle mounted module. For example, in an embodiment, the node is the node 102 of FIG. 1. The current environment type associated with the node may be represented as a highway environment, an urban environment, an underground environment, a density level of traffic at the environment surrounding the node, an altitude level associated with the node, or a radio signal interference level associated with the node. The current positioning scheme utilized by the node may be a positioning based on a sidelink communication (SL-only scheme), a positioning based on a communication with a network node (Uu-only scheme), or a positioning based on both the sidelink communication and the communication with the network node (joint SL/Uu scheme). The one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node may be measured as at least one of: channel busy ratio (CBR) or channel occupancy ratio (CR) in a sidelink resource pool associated with the node. The one or more current congestion levels of the one or more channels for the node may be represented as at least one of: one or more congestion values, one or more congestion ranges, or one or more congestion thresholds.
The method 300 includes a step 304 of selecting at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node. In some embodiments, selecting the at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme is based on a mapping of one or more environment types to at least one of: one or more bandwidths, one or more positioning schemes, one or more accuracy requirements, or one or more channel congestions. For example, mapping one or more environment types may be based on mapping information. The mapping information may include, but is not limited to, a data structure, such as the data structure 200 of FIG. 2. Other examples of mapping information may include look-up tables, hard-coded program flow etc. In an embodiment, the mapping information may be pre-configured at the node. In an embodiment, the data structure may be pre-configured at the node. For example, the data structure may be pre-configured in a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), or a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) of the node. In an embodiment, the data structure may be configured by a network node. For example, the data structure may be configured by the network node via an RRC signaling or a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In an embodiment, the data structure may be pre-stored in a memory of the node.
In some embodiments, the node may select at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the data structure and the at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node. Using the data structure 200 as an example, in an embodiment, the node may determine that the current environment type is a highway environment. If the positioning accuracy requirement value in a substantially horizontal direction is equal to or greater than 1.0 m, the node may select instance 2 and use a bandwidth 40 MHz for positioning reference signal transmissions. In another embodiment, the node may determine that the current environment type is an urban environment. If the positioning accuracy requirement value in a substantially horizontal direction is equal to or greater than 0.5 m, the node may select instance 3 and use joint SL/Uu positioning scheme for positioning reference signal transmissions.
In some embodiments, in order to determine the current environment type associated with the node, the node may first determine at least one of: mobility information of the node, position information of the node, or one or more radio signal measurements performed by the node. The mobility information of the node may include at least one of: a velocity of the node, a heading of the node, an elevation of the node, an acceleration of the node, a steering-wheel angle of the node, a path history of the node, or a path prediction of the node. The position information may be coarse position information of the node. The coarse position information may include information of a geographical zone where the node is located. The node may obtain the information of the geographical zone based on at least one of: a GNSS positioning, or cell information obtained from a network. The node may further determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: the mobility information of the node, the coarse position information of the node, or the one or more radio measurements performed by the node. Based on the determined current environment type associated with the node, the node may further select the at least one of the bandwidth allocation or the positioning scheme, for example, using the data structure.
In some embodiments, the node may obtain the mobility information from one or more RRC mobility parameters based on monitoring at least one of: one or more cell selection rates, or one or more cell re-selection rates. For example, monitoring the one or more cell re-selection rates may include monitoring one or more transmit powers of a cell. In some embodiments, the node may obtain the mobility information based on a variation of a reference signal received power (RSRP) measured on one or more reference signals received from a cell. For example, the node may compare the measured variation of the RSRP with a threshold to determine the variation, and based on a result of the comparison, obtain the mobility information. The threshold may be configured by a network node (e.g., the network node 104 of FIG. 1) or pre-configured at the node. In some embodiments, the node may obtain the mobility information based on a number of beam changes within a given time period.
In some embodiments, the node may obtain the mobility information based on information received from one or more sensors included in the node. In an embodiment, the one or more sensors included in the node may be a velocity sensor. In this embodiment, the node may determine a velocity of the node using the velocity sensor and compare the velocity of the node with a threshold velocity. The threshold velocity may be provided via at least one of: a radio protocol configuration parameter, a pre-configuration in a SIM of the node, a pre-configuration in a UICC of the node, or a hard coding in software of the node. If the velocity of the node is greater than or equal to the threshold velocity, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type. On the other hand, if the velocity of the node is smaller than the threshold velocity, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type.
In some embodiments, the node may obtain the mobility information based on the velocity of the node. For example, the node may estimate the velocity of the node based on one or more location changes of the node and one or more time durations associated with the one or more location changes of the node, and obtain the mobility information based on the estimated velocity of the node.
In some embodiments, after obtaining the mobility information, the node may further adjust the mobility information. For example, the node may determine a relative position of the node relative to a center of a current serving cell and adjust the mobility information based on the determined relative position of the node. For another example, the node may determine a relationship between one or more velocities of the node and one or more cell sizes to estimate an actual physical cell density and adjust the mobility information based on an estimated actual physical cell density.
After determining the mobility information of the node, the node may further transmit the mobility information to another node in the communication system. In some embodiments, the node may transmit the mobility information via one or more discovery messages communicated between the node and another node in sidelink discovery phase. In some embodiments, the node may transmit the mobility information via an LTE positioning protocol signaling. For example, the node may transmit the mobility information via the LTE positioning protocol (LPP) by encapsulating the mobility information within the LPP using a sidelink positioning procedures (SLPP) payload, or by including in an extended portion of the LPP.
In some embodiments, the node may determine the current environment type associated with the node based on a determination of a number of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) indications. In response to a determination that the number of NLOS indications determined based on the one or more radio signal measurements is smaller than a threshold number, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type. On the other hand, in response to a determination that the number of NLOS indications determined based on the one or more radio signal measurements is equal to or greater than the threshold number, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type. In some embodiments, the node may estimate a rate at which the NLOS indications arrive or an inter-arrival time of the NLOS indications and compare the estimated rate at which the NLOS indications arrive with a first threshold or compare the estimated inter-arrival time of the NLOS indications with a second threshold. If the estimated rate at which the NLOS indications arrive exceeds the first threshold, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type. If the estimated rate at which the NLOS indications arrive is equal to or smaller than the first threshold, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type. If the estimated inter-arrival time is smaller than the second threshold, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type. If the estimated inter-arrival time of the NLOS indications is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type. The first threshold and the second threshold may be provided via at least one of: a radio protocol configuration parameter, a pre-configuration in a SIM of the node, a pre-configuration in a UICC of the node, or a hard coding in software of the node.
In some embodiments, the node may determine the current environment type associated with the node based on a database or a map that includes information of one or more environment types. The database or the map may be stored in the node or outside the node. For example, in an embodiment, the node may obtain the current environment type associated with the node from the database or the map using the coordinates of the node, by performing an enquiry in the database or the map with the coordinates of the node.
In some embodiments, the node may determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: a number of reference signals originated from a network node and detected by the node, or a distribution of received power of the reference signals in the time domain. In an embodiment, the reference signals are positioning reference signals, and the node may determine the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type, in response to at least one of: a determination that the number of reference signals is greater than or equal to a first threshold number, or a determination that a number of reference signals having received power greater than a threshold power is greater than or equal to a second threshold number. The node may further determine the environment type for the current environment associated with the node is a highway environment type, in response to at least one of: a determination that the number of reference signals is smaller than the first threshold number, or a determination that the number of reference signals having received power greater than the threshold power is smaller than the second threshold number. In an embodiment, the reference signals are L3 reference signals, and the mode may determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: a number of the L3 reference signals with a given cell identification (ID), and a power distribution of the L3 reference signals over time. For example, the node may determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type, in response to a determination that a fluctuation level of the L3 reference signals is equal to or smaller than a threshold. The node may further determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type, in response to a determination that the fluctuation level of the L3 reference signals is greater than the threshold.
In some embodiments, the node may determine the current environment type associated with the node based on another node. For example, in some embodiments, the node is a first node of the communication, and the node may transmit, to a second node of the communication, location information of the first node and a request for the current environment type associated with the first node. As a response to the request, the first node may receive, from the second node, the current environment type associated with the first node. The current environment type associated with the first node may be obtained by the second node from a database or a map using the location information of the first node. In an embodiment, the second node may be a network node, such as the network node 104 of FIG. 1, and the current environment associated with the first node may be received as a response message via a downlink signal. In another embodiment, the second node (e.g., the other node 106 of Fig. 1) may be a mobile node, and the current environment type associated with the first node may be received as a response message via a sidelink signal. In some embodiments, the current environment type associated with the first node is configured by the second node or obtained by the second node. The second node may transmit, to the first node, the current environment type associated with the first node via a unicast, a groupcast, or a broadcast.
In some embodiments, the node may include one or more machine learning models and the node may determine the current environment type associated with the node based on the one or more machine learning models. In an embodiment, the node is a first node in the communication and the node may receive, from a second node, at least one of: training data for the one or more machine learning models, or one or more trained machine learning models. The node may further transmit, to a second node, information about one or more trained machine learning models.
In some embodiments, the node may select a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme from the data structure by mapping the determined current environment type associated with the node to an environment type of the one or more environment types included in the data structure at a given accuracy requirement and select a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme that corresponds to the environment type of the one or more environment types included in the data structure at the given accuracy requirement.
In some embodiments, the node may select a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme based on the data structure and the determined one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node. The node may associate the selected bandwidth and/or the positioning scheme with: one or more IDs of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node, or one or more types of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node. The one or more types of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node may include at least one dedicated resource pool that is dedicated for a sidelink positioning, or at least one shared resource pool that is shared between a sidelink communication and the sidelink positioning.
In some embodiments, the one or more positioning schemes included in the mapping information, or included in the data structure, include positioning based on the sidelink communication. The positioning based on the sidelink communication may be performed using at least one of: a round trip time (RTT)-based method, a time difference of arrival (TDOA)-based method, or an angle of arrival (AoA)-based method. In some embodiments, the node may iterate the determining step 302 and selecting step 304 to meet a certain accuracy requirement.
The method 300 includes a step 306 of transmitting one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme. For example, the node may transmit one or more positioning reference signals using the selected bandwidth and/or the selected positioning scheme. In this way, the node may select a required bandwidth and/or positioning scheme using the data structure for transmission of positioning reference signals while satisfying a particular accuracy requirement, thereby increasing efficiency and accuracy of the positioning.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method involving a second node in a communication, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The second node may be a node that communicates with a first node using sidelink signals and assists positioning of the first node, such as the network node 104 or the other node 106 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 4, a method 400 includes a step 402 of receiving, from a first node in the communication, a request for the current environment type associated with the first node. In an embodiment, the second node is a network node, such as the network node 104 of FIG. 1, and receives from the first node, such as the node 102, a request for a current environment type associated with the node 102. In another embodiment, the second node is a node in a sidelink communication, such as the other node 106 of FIG. 1, and receives from the first node, such as the node 102 of FIG. 1, a request for the current environment type associated with the node 102.
The method 400 includes a step 404 of obtaining the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request. For example, in some embodiments, the request for the current environment type associated with the first node may include location information of the first node, and the second node may obtain, from a database or a map, the current environment type associated with the first node using the location information of the first node. The database or the map may be stored in the second node or outside the second node. In some embodiments, the request for the current environment type associated with the first node may include mobility information of the first node, and the second node may determine the current environment type associated with the first node using the mobility information of the first node. In some embodiments, the second node is a network node and configures the current environment type associated with the first node for the first node.
The method 400 includes a step 406 of transmitting, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request. For example, the second node, such as the network node 104 or the other node 106 of FIG. 1, may transmit to the first node the obtained current environment associated with the first node. In some embodiments, the second node is a network node and configures a bandwidth and/or a positioning scheme for the first node.
The methods described in this disclosure may be applied to any uplink/downlink and sidelink communications, for example, LTE or NR or a future generation (6G, 7G, or any future generation) communications. The methods described in this disclosure may also be applied to other systems, for example, the systems that comply with other standards (e.g., the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards).
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a device 500, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the device 500 may be a node, such as the node 102 in FIG. 1 (e.g., a node that needs to obtain positioning information). For another example, the device 500 may be a network node, such as the network node 104 of FIG. 1, that communicates with the node 102 via Uu interface and assists positioning of the node 102. For another example, the device 500 may be a node, such as the other node 106 of FIG. 1, that communicates with the node 102 using sidelink signals and assists positioning of the node 102. The device 500 may take any form, including but not limited to, a vehicle, a component mounted in a vehicle, a road side unit, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a server computer, a wireless terminal including a mobile phone, a wireless handheld device, or wireless personal device, or any other form.
Referring to FIG. 5, the device 500 may include an antenna 502 that may be used for transmission or reception of electromagnetic signals to/from network nodes or mobile nodes. The Antenna 502 may include one or more antenna elements and may enable different input-output antenna configurations, for example, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration, multiple input single output (MISO) configuration, and single input multiple output (SIMO) configuration. In some embodiments, the antenna 502 may include multiple (e.g., tens or hundreds) antenna elements and may enable multi-antenna functions such as beamforming. In some embodiments, the antenna 502 is a single antenna.
The device 500 may include a transceiver 504 that is coupled to the antenna 502. The transceiver 504 may be a wireless transceiver at the device 500 and may communicate bi-directionally with a network node or a mobile node. For example, the transceiver 504 may receive/transmit wireless signals from/to a base station via downlink/uplink communication. The transceiver 504 may also receive/transmit wireless signals from/to a UE or a road side unit via sidelink communication. The transceiver 504 may include a modem to modulate the packets and provide the modulated packets to the antenna 502 for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antenna 502.
The device 500 may include a memory 506. The memory 506 may be any type of computer-readable storage medium including volatile or non-volatile memory devices, or a combination thereof. The computer-readable storage medium includes, but is not limited to, non-transitory computer storage media. A non-transitory storage medium may be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Examples of non-transitory storage medium include, but are not limited to, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, etc. A non-transitory medium may be used to carry or store desired program code means (e.g., instructions and/or data structures) and may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In some examples, the software/program code may be transmitted from a remote source (e.g., a website, a server, etc.) using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave. In such examples, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are within the scope of the definition of medium. Combinations of the above examples are also within the scope of computer-readable medium.
The memory 506 may store information related to identities of the device 500 and the signals and/or data received by the antenna 502. The memory 506 may also store post-processing signals and/or data. The memory 506 may also store computer-readable program instructions, mathematical models, and algorithms that are used in signal processing in the transceiver 504 and computations in a processor 508 included as part of the device 500. The memory 506 may further store computer-readable program instructions for execution by the processor 508 to operate the device 500 to perform various functions described in this disclosure. For example, the memory 506 may store instructions for execution by the processor 508 to operate the device 500 to perform the method 300 of Fig, 3 and/or the method 400 of Fig. 4. In some examples, the memory 506 may include a basic input/output system (BIOS) which may control basic hardware or software operation such as the interaction with peripheral components or devices.
The computer-readable program instructions of the present disclosure may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object-oriented programming language, and conventional procedural programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on a computing device as a stand-alone software package, or partly on a first computing device and partly on a second computing device remote from the first computing device. In the latter scenario, the second, remote computing device may be connected to the first computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).
The processor 508 that may include a hardware device with processing capabilities. The processor 508 may include at least one of a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or other programmable logic device. Examples of the general-purpose processor include, but are not limited to, a microprocessor, any conventional processor, a controller, a microcontroller, or a state machine. In some embodiments, the processor 508 may be implemented using a combination of devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration). The processor 508 may receive, from the transceiver 504, downlink signals or sidelink signals and further process the signals. The processor 508 may also receive, from the transceiver 504, data packets and further process the packets. In some embodiments, the processor 508 may be configured to operate a memory using a memory controller. In some embodiments, a memory controller may be integrated into the processor 508. The processor 508 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 506) to cause the device 500 to perform various functions.
The device 500 may include a global positioning system (GPS) 510. The GPS 510 may be used for enabling location-based services or other services based on a geographical position of the device 500 and/or synchronization among nodes. The GPS 510 may receive GNSS signals from a single satellite or a plurality of satellite signals via the antenna 502 and provide a geographical position of the device 500 (e.g., coordinates of the device 500). In some embodiments, the GPS 510 is omitted. In some embodiments, a timer is included.
The device 500 may include an input/output (I/O) device 512 that may be used to communicate a result of signal processing and computation to a user or another device. The I/O device 512 may include a user interface including a display and an input device to transmit a user command to the processor 508. The display may be configured to display a status of signal reception at the device 500, the data stored at the memory 506, a status of signal processing, and a result of computation, etc. The display may include, but is not limited to, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED), a gas plasma display, a touch screen, or other image projection devices for displaying information to a user. The input device may be any type of computer hardware equipment used to receive data and control signals from a user. The input device may include, but is not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a scanner, a digital camera, a joystick, a trackball, cursor direction keys, a touchscreen monitor, or audio/video commanders, etc.
The device 500 may further include a machine interface 514, such as an electrical bus that connects the transceiver 504, the memory 506, the processor 508, the GPS 510, and the I/O device 512.
In some embodiments, the device 500 may be a node for a communication (e.g, a node that needs to obtain positioning information). The processor 508 may be configured or programmed to execute the instructions stored in the memory 506 to determine at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; select at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and transmit one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.
In some embodiments, the device 500 may be a second node in a communication that assists a first node in the communication for positioning. The processor 508 may be configured or programmed to execute the instructions stored in the memory 506 to receive, from the first node, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node; obtain the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and transmit, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.
In some embodiments, the available or current bandwidth allocation or positioning scheme can be used as an input in the decision process. Any of them can be used, possibly combined with the environment type, to select another different entity of bandwidth or positioning scheme.
As used in this disclosure, use of the term “or” in a list of items indicates an inclusive list. The list of items may be prefaced by a phrase such as “at least one of” or “one or more of.” For example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C includes A or B or C or AB (i.e., A and B) or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used in this disclosure, prefacing a list of conditions with the phrase “based on” shall not be construed as “based only on” the set of conditions and rather shall be construed as “based at least in part on” the set of conditions. For example, an outcome described as “based on condition A” may be based on both a condition A and a condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
In this specification, the terms “comprise,” “include,” or “contain” may be used interchangeably and have the same meaning and are to be construed as inclusive and open-ended. The terms “comprise,” “include,” or “contain” may be used before a list of elements and indicate that at least all of the listed elements within the list exist but other elements that are not in the list may also be present. For example, if A comprises B and C, both {B, C} and {B, C, D} are within the scope of A.
The present disclosure, in connection with the accompanied drawings, describes example configurations that are not representative of all the examples that may be implemented or all configurations that are within the scope of this disclosure. The term “exemplary” should not be construed as “preferred” or “advantageous compared to other examples” but rather “an illustration, an instance or an example.” By reading this disclosure, including the description of the embodiments and the drawings, it will be appreciated by a person of ordinary skills in the art that the technology disclosed herein may be implemented using alternative embodiments. The person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the embodiments, or certain features of the embodiments described herein, may be combined to arrive at yet other embodiments for practicing the technology described in the present disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate examples of the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and devices according to various embodiments. It should be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments.
It is understood that the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and elements, components, materials, or steps described in connection with one example embodiment may be combined with, or eliminated from, other embodiments in suitable ways to accomplish desired design objectives.
Reference herein to “some embodiments” or “some exemplary embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment. The appearance of the phrases “one embodiment” “some embodiments” or “another embodiment” in various places in the present disclosure do not all necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments.
Additionally, the articles “a” and “an” as used in the present disclosure and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word “about” or “approximately” preceded the value of the value or range.
Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.
It is appreciated that certain features of the present disclosure, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the specification, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the specification. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not essential features of those embodiments, unless noted as such.
It will be further understood that various modifications, alternatives, and variations in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of described embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope. Accordingly, the following claims embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the terms of the claims.
Clause 1: A node for a communication, the node comprising:
a memory storing an instruction; and
a processor configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node;
select at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and
transmit one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.
Clause 2: The node of clause 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
perform, based on mapping information, a mapping of one or more environment types to at least one of: one or more bandwidths, one or more positioning schemes, one or more accuracy requirements, or one or more channel congestion levels; and
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the mapping and the at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node.
Clause 3: The node of clause 2, wherein performing the mapping comprises obtaining a data structure that maps the one or more environment types to the at least one of: the one or more bandwidths, the one or more positioning schemes, the one or more accuracy requirements, or the one or more channel congestion levels.
Clause 4: The node of clause 1, wherein the node is a user equipment, a network infrastructure node, a location management function, a relay node, a road side unit, a vehicle, or a vehicle mounted module.
Clause 5: The node of clause 2, wherein the mapping information is pre-stored at the node, pre-configured at the node, or configured by a network node.
Clause 6: The node of clause 2, wherein the mapping information is pre-configured in a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), or a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) of the node.
Clause 7: The node of clause 2, wherein the mapping information is configured by the network node via a radio resource control (RRC) signaling or a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE).
Clause 8: The node of clause 2, wherein the one or more environment types comprise at least one of: a highway environment, an urban environment, an underground environment, a density level of traffic, an altitude level, or a radio signal interference level.
Clause 9: The node of clause 2, wherein the one or more positioning schemes comprise at least one of: a positioning based on a sidelink communication, a positioning based on a communication with a network node, or a positioning based on both the sidelink communication and the communication with the network node.
Clause 10: The node of clause 2, wherein the one or more accuracy requirements comprise at least one of: one or more horizontal accuracy values, one or more vertical accuracy values, or one or more radial accuracy values.
Clause 11: The node of clause 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine at least one of: mobility information of the node, position information of the node, or one or more radio signal measurements performed by the node;
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: the mobility information of the node, the position information of the node, or the one or more radio signal measurements performed by the node; and
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the determined current environment type associated with the node.
Clause 12: The node of clause 11, wherein the mobility information of the node comprises at least one of: a velocity of the node, a heading of the node, an elevation of the node, an acceleration of the node, a steering-wheel angle of the node, a path history of the node, or a path prediction of the node.
Clause 13: The node of clause 11, wherein the position information of the node comprises information of a geographical zone where the node is located, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain the information of the geographical zone based on at least one of: a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning, or cell information obtained from a network node.
Clause 14: The node of clause 11, wherein the node is a first node in the communication, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
transmit, to a second node, the mobility information of the first node via a discovery message or a long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol signaling.
Clause 15: The node of clause 14, wherein the mobility information is transmitted via the LTE positioning protocol signaling (LPP) by encapsulating the mobility information within the LPP using a sidelink positioning procedure payload, or by including the mobility information in an extended portion of the LPP.
Clause 16: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain the mobility information from one or more radio resource control (RRC) mobility parameters based on monitoring of at least one of: one or more cell selection rates, or one or more cell re-selection rates.
Clause 17: The node of clause 16, wherein monitoring the one or more cell re-selection rates comprises monitoring one or more transmit powers of a cell.
Clause 18: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain the mobility information based on a variation of a reference signal received power (RSRP) measured on one or more reference signals received from a cell.
Clause 19: The node of clause 18, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
compare the measured variation of the RSRP with a threshold, the threshold being configured by a network node or pre-configured at the node; and
obtain the mobility information based on a result of the comparison.
Clause 20: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain the mobility information based on a number of beam changes within a given time period.
Clause 21: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine a relative position of the node relative to a center of a current serving cell; and
adjust the mobility information based on the determined relative position of the node.
Clause 22: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine a relationship between one or more velocities of the node and one or more cell sizes to estimate an actual physical cell density; and
adjust the mobility information based on an estimated actual physical cell density.
Clause 23: The node of clause 2, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
map the determined current environment type associated with the node to an environment type of one or more environment types at a given accuracy requirement; and
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme that corresponds to the mapped environment type of the one or more environment types at the given accuracy requirement.
Clause 24: The node of clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node;
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the determined one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node; and
associate the selected at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme with: one or more identifications (IDs) of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node, or one or more types of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node.
Clause 25: The node of clause 24, wherein the one or more types of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node comprise at least one dedicated resource pool that is dedicated for a sidelink positioning, or at least one shared resource pool that is shared between a sidelink communication and the sidelink positioning.
Clause 26: The node of clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the one or more channel congestion levels and the determined one or more current congestion levels of the one or more channels for the node,
wherein the one or more channel congestion levels comprise at least one of: one or more congestion values, one or more congestion ranges, or one or more congestion thresholds.
Clause 27: The node of clause 26, wherein the one or more channel congestion level are measured as at least one of: channel busy ratio (CBR) or channel occupancy ratio (CR).
Clause 28: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain the mobility information from mobility history information associated with a list of a plurality of cells and a time spent in each of the plurality of cells.
Clause 29: The node of clause 9, wherein the one or more positioning schemes comprise the positioning based on the sidelink communication, and the positioning is performed based on at least one of: a round trip time associated with a signal transmission between the node and another node in the sidelink communication, a time difference of arrival associated with the node, or an angle of arrival associated with the node.
Clause 30: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain the mobility information from a plurality of default values, the plurality of default values being configured by a network node, pre-configured at the node, or hardcoded at the node.
Clause 31: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain the mobility information based on information received from one or more sensors included in the node.
Clause 32: The node of clause 31, wherein the one or more sensors included in the node comprise a velocity sensor, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine a velocity of the node using the velocity sensor;
compare the velocity of the node with a threshold velocity;
determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type, in response to a determination that the velocity of the node is greater than or equal to the threshold velocity; and
determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type, in response to a determination that the velocity of the node is smaller than the threshold velocity.
Clause 33: The node of clause 32, wherein the threshold velocity is provided via at least one of: a radio protocol configuration parameter, a pre-configuration in a SIM of the node, a pre-configuration in a UICC of the node, or a hard coding in software of the node.
Clause 34: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
estimate a velocity of the node based on one or more location changes of the node and one or more time durations associated with the one or more location changes of the node; and
obtain the mobility information based on the estimated velocity of the node.
Clause 35: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type, in response to a determination that a number of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) indications determined based on the one or more radio signal measurements is smaller than a threshold number; and
determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type, in response to a determination that the number of NLOS indications determined based on the one or more radio signal measurements is equal to or greater than the threshold number.
Clause 36: The node of clause 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
estimate a rate at which NLOS indications arrive or an inter-arrival time of the NLOS indications;
compare the estimated rate at which the NLOS indications arrive with a first threshold or compare the estimated inter-arrival time of the NLOS indications with a second threshold;
determine that the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type, if the estimated rate at which the NLOS indications arrive is equal to or smaller than the first threshold, or if the estimated inter-arrival time of the NLOS indications is equal to or greater than the second threshold; and
determine that the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type, if the estimated rate at which the NLOS indications arrive is greater than the first threshold, or if the estimated inter-arrival time of the NLOS indications is smaller than the second threshold.
Clause 37: The node of clause 36, wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are provided via at least one of: a radio protocol configuration parameter, a pre-configuration in a SIM of the node, a pre-configuration in a UICC of the node, or a hard coding in software of the node.
Clause 38: The node of clause 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on a database or a map that includes information of one or more environment types, the database or the map being stored in the node or outside of the node.
Clause 39: The node of clause 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: a number of reference signals originated from a network node and detected by the node, or a distribution of received power of the reference signals in a time domain.
Clause 40: The node of clause 39, wherein the reference signals are positioning reference signals, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to determine at least one of:
determine the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type, in response to at least one of: a determination that the number of reference signals is greater than or equal to a first threshold number, or a determination that a number of reference signals having received power greater than a threshold power is greater than or equal to a second threshold number; or
determine the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type, in response to at least one of: a determination that the number of reference signals is smaller than the first threshold number, or a determination that the number of reference signals having received power greater than the threshold power is smaller than the second threshold number.
Clause 41: The node of clause 39, wherein the reference signals are L3 reference signals, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: a number of the L3 reference signals with a given cell ID, and a power distribution of the L3 reference signals over time.
Clause 42: The node of clause 41, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node is a highway environment type, in response to a determination that a fluctuation level of the L3 reference signals is equal to or smaller than a threshold; and
determine the current environment type associated with the node is an urban environment type, in response to a determination that the fluctuation level of the L3 reference signals is greater than the threshold.
Clause 43: The node of clause 1, wherein the node is a first node of the communication, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
transmit, to a second node of the communication, location information of the first node and a request for the current environment type associated with the first node; and
receive, from the second node, the current environment type associated with the first node, the current environment type associated with the first node being obtained by the second node from a database or a map using the location information of the first node.
Clause 44: The node of clause 43, wherein the second node is a network node or a mobile node, and the current environment type associated with the first node is received as a response to the request via a downlink signal from the network node or a sidelink signal from the mobile node.
Clause 45: The node of clause 1, wherein the node is a first node of the communication, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
receive, from a second node of the communication, the current environment type associated with the first node, the current environment type associated with the first node being configured by the second node or obtained by the second node.
Clause 46: The node of clause 45, wherein the first node receives the current environment type associated with the first node via a unicast, a groupcast, or a broadcast.
Clause 47: The node of clause 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to iterate the determining and the selecting to meet a certain accuracy requirement.
Clause 48: The node of clause 1, wherein the node comprises one or more machine learning models, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on the one or more machine learning models.
Clause 49: The node of clause 48, wherein the node is a first node in the communication, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
receive, from a second node, at least one of: training data for the one or more machine learning models, or one or more trained machine learning models.
Clause 50: The node of clause 48, wherein the node is a first node in the communication, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
transmit, to a second node, information of one or more trained machine learning models.
Clause 51: The node of clause 3, wherein the data structure is a table-like data structure that includes two or more columns, each column indicating a parameter related to node positioning.
Clause 52: The node of clause 1, wherein the one or more signals transmitted using the at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme are one or more positioning reference signals.
Clause 53: A second node for a communication, the second node comprising:
a memory storing an instruction; and
a processor configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
receive, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node;
obtain the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and
transmit, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.
Clause 54: The second node of clause 53, wherein the second node is a network node or a mobile node.
Clause 55: The second node of clause 53, wherein the request for the current environment type associated with the first node comprises location information of the first node, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain, from a database or a map, the current environment type associated with the first node using the location information of the first node.
Clause 56: The second node of clause 55, wherein the database or the map is stored in the second node or outside of the second node.
Clause 57: The second node of clause 53, wherein the request for the current environment type associated with the first node comprises mobility information of the first node, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the first node using the mobility information of the first node.
Clause 58: The second node of clause 53, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
configure the current environment type associated with the first node; and
transmit, to the first node, the configured current environment type associated with the first node.
Clause 59: The second node of clause 53, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
configure, based on the request, at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme for the first node; and
transmit, to the first node, information of the configured at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme for the first node.
Clause 60: A method involving a node in a communication, the method comprising:
determining at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node;
selecting at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and
transmitting one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.
Clause 61: A method involving a second node in a communication, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node;
obtaining the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and
transmitting, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.
Clause 62: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a node for a communication, to perform a method, the method comprising:
determining at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node;
selecting at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and
transmitting one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.
Clause 63: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a second node for a communication, to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node;
obtaining the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and
transmitting, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.

Claims

A node for a communication, the node comprising:
a memory storing an instruction; and
a processor configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node;
select at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and
transmit one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.
The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
perform, based on mapping information, a mapping of one or more environment types to at least one of: one or more bandwidths, one or more positioning schemes, one or more accuracy requirements, or one or more channel congestion levels; and
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the mapping and the at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node.
The node of claim 2, wherein performing the mapping comprises obtaining a data structure that maps the one or more environment types to the at least one of: the one or more bandwidths, the one or more positioning schemes, the one or more accuracy requirements, or the one or more channel congestion levels.
The node of claim 1, wherein the node is a user equipment, a network infrastructure node, a location management function, a relay node, a road side unit, a vehicle, or a vehicle mounted module.
The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine at least one of: mobility information of the node, position information of the node, or one or more radio signal measurements performed by the node;
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: the mobility information of the node, the position information of the node, or the one or more radio signal measurements performed by the node; and
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the determined current environment type associated with the node.
The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node;
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the determined one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node; and
associate the selected at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme with: one or more identifications (IDs) of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node, or one or more types of the one or more sidelink resource pools associated with the node.
The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
select the at least one of the bandwidth or the positioning scheme based on the one or more channel congestion levels and the determined one or more current congestion levels of the one or more channels for the node,
wherein the one or more channel congestion levels comprise at least one of: one or more congestion values, one or more congestion ranges, or one or more congestion thresholds.
The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on a database or a map that includes information of one or more environment types, the database or the map being stored in the node or outside of the node.
The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on at least one of: a number of reference signals originated from a network node and detected by the node, or a distribution of received power of the reference signals in a time domain.
The node of claim 1, wherein the node is a first node of the communication, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
transmit, to a second node of the communication, location information of the first node and a request for the current environment type associated with the first node; and
receive, from the second node, the current environment type associated with the first node, the current environment type associated with the first node being obtained by the second node from a database or a map using the location information of the first node.
The node of claim 1, wherein the node is a first node of the communication, and the processor is further configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
receive, from a second node of the communication, the current environment type associated with the first node, the current environment type associated with the first node being configured by the second node or obtained by the second node.
The node of claim11, wherein the first node receives the current environment type associated with the first node via a unicast, a groupcast, or a broadcast.
The node of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to iterate the determining and the selecting to meet a certain accuracy requirement.
The node of claim 1, wherein the node comprises one or more machine learning models, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
determine the current environment type associated with the node based on the one or more machine learning models.
The node of claim 1, wherein the one or more signals transmitted using the at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme are one or more positioning reference signals.
A second node for a communication, the second node comprising:
a memory storing an instruction; and
a processor configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
receive, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node;
obtain the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and
transmit, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.
The second node of claim 16, wherein the second node is a network node or a mobile node.
The second node of claim 16, wherein the request for the current environment type associated with the first node comprises location information of the first node, and the processor is configured to execute the instruction stored in the memory to:
obtain, from a database or a map, the current environment type associated with the first node using the location information of the first node.
A method involving a node in a communication, the method comprising:
determining at least one of: a current environment type associated with the node, a current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node;
selecting at least one of a bandwidth or a positioning scheme based on at least one of: the current environment type associated with the node, the current positioning scheme utilized by the node, or the one or more current congestion levels of one or more channels for the node; and
transmitting one or more signals using at least one of the selected bandwidth or the selected positioning scheme.
A method involving a second node in a communication, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first node in the communication, a request for a current environment type associated with the first node;
obtaining the current environment type associated with the first node based on the request; and
transmitting, to the first node, the obtained current environment associated with the first node based on the request.