RU2802247C1 - Method and device for determining location and communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: wireless communication.

SUBSTANCE: to this end, the position of the UE relative to the serving cell is determined based on the acquired position measurement result of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, the position measurement result indicating the position of the UE relative to the air access network equipment.

EFFECT: fast and accurate switching of user equipment (UE) in non-terrestrial network scenarios due to the rapid change in the position of the satellite relative to the earth.

17 cl, 11 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The present invention relates, without limitation, to the field of wireless communication technology and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for determining location, a communication device, and a data carrier.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Land mobile communications have entered the era of 5th generation (5G) cellular mobile communications, and the integration of satellite communications and 5G terrestrial mobile communications will create a terrestrial-space integrated network. Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) scenarios in 5G cellular mobile networks include 8 enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) scenarios and 2 massive machine type communication (mMTC) scenarios. With large area satellite coverage, operators can provide commercial 5G services in areas with underdeveloped terrestrial network infrastructure and ensure 5G service continuity, especially in scenarios such as emergency communications, maritime communications, aviation communications, and communications along railway lines.

[0003] In non-terrestrial network scenarios, due to the rapid change in the position of the satellite relative to the earth, the time of continuous coverage of the terminal by the same satellite is only ten minutes. For LEO satellites with multiple beams, the continuous coverage time for the same beam is only a few minutes. Therefore, fast and accurate switching is an issue that needs to be considered in non-terrestrial network scenarios.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Thus, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining location, a communication device, and a storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a location determination method is provided. The method is performed by user equipment (UE, user equipment) and includes:

[0006] determining the position of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the obtained position measurement result of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, wherein the position measurement result indicates the position of the UE relative to the air access network equipment.

[0007] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes: receiving location indication information indicating the altitude of the air access network equipment;

[0008] determining the location of the UE relative to the serving cell in accordance with the obtained measurement result of the positioning of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, includes:

[0009] determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[0010] In an embodiment of the invention, determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result includes at least one of the following:

[0011] determining the distance between the UE and the center of the serving cell in accordance with the altitude of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal; And

[0012] determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the altitude of the air access network equipment and the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment.

[0013] In an embodiment of the invention, the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment is determined in accordance with the transit time of the wireless signal.

[0014] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0015] determining whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[0016] In an embodiment of the invention, determining whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell includes one of the following:

[0017] performing cell reselection in response to determining that the UE is in the idle state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold; And

[0018] transmitting an inter-cell handover request to the air access network equipment in response to determining that the UE is in a connected state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[0019] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0020] receiving indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[0021] In an embodiment of the invention, receiving indication information indicative of a distance threshold includes at least one of the following:

[0022] receiving indication information indicating a distance threshold broadcast by the air access network equipment; And

[0023] receiving a radio resource control (RRC) signaling transmitted by an air access network equipment and carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[0024] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0025] transmitting the positioning information of the UE to the air access network equipment, wherein the air access network equipment determines the location of the UE in the serving cell using the positioning information of the UE.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a location determination method is provided. The method is used in air access network equipment and includes:

[0027] transmitting location information indicating the height of the air access network equipment, wherein the location information is configured to determine the location of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[0028] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0029] receiving from the UE a position measurement result of a wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment to the serving cell; wherein the position measurement result indicates the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment; And

[0030] determining the location of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[0031] In an embodiment of the invention, the measurement result of the wireless signal includes: the angle of arrival of the wireless signal and/or the transit time of the wireless signal.

[0032] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0033] Receiving an inter-cell handover request, wherein the inter-cell handover request is transmitted in response to determining that the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[0034] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0035] transmitting indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[0036] In an embodiment of the invention, the transmission of indication information indicating a distance threshold includes at least one of the following:

[0037] broadcasting indication information indicating a distance threshold; And

[0038] transmitting radio resource control (RRC) signaling carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[0039] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0040] receiving UE positioning information; And

[0041] determining the location of the UE in the serving cell in accordance with the center of the serving cell and the positioning information of the UE.

[0042] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[0043] Performing an inter-cell handover on the UE in response to determining that the UE's location in the serving cell satisfies the handover condition.

[0044] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a location determination device is provided. The device is applied in the user equipment (UE) and contains the first module of determining,

[0045] wherein the first determination module is configured to determine the position of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the position measurement result of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, the position measurement result indicating the position of the UE relative to the air access network equipment.

[0046] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0047] a first receiving module, configured to receive location indication information indicating a location altitude of air access network equipment;

[0048] The first definition module contains:

[0049] the first determination sub-module configured to determine the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[0050] In an embodiment of the invention, the first definition submodule comprises at least one of the following:

[0051] a first determination unit, configured to determine a distance between the UE and a serving cell center according to the altitude of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal; And

[0052] A second determination unit configured to determine the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the altitude of the air access network equipment and the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment.

[0053] In an embodiment of the invention, the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment is determined in accordance with the transit time of the wireless signal.

[0054] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0055] A second determination module, configured to determine whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[0056] In an embodiment of the invention, the second determination module comprises one of the following:

[0057] a reselection submodule configured to perform cell reselection in response to determining that the UE is in an idle state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold; And

[0058] A first transmission sub-module configured to transmit an inter-cell handover request to the air access network equipment in response to determining that the UE is in a connected state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[0059] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0060] A second receiving module, configured to receive indication information indicative of a distance threshold.

[0061] In an embodiment of the invention, the second receiving module comprises at least one of the following:

[0062] a first receiving sub-module, configured to receive indication information indicating a distance threshold value broadcast by the air access network equipment; And

[0063] A second receiving submodule, configured to receive a radio resource control (RRC) signaling transmitted by an air access network equipment and carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[0064] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0065] A first transmission module configured to transmit positioning information of the UE, wherein the positioning information is configured to determine, by the air access network equipment, the location of the UE in a serving cell.

[0066] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a position determination device is provided. The device is used in air access network equipment and contains a second transmission module,

[0067] wherein the second transmission module is configured to transmit location information indicating the altitude of the air access network equipment, the location information is configured to locate the UE relative to the serving cell.

[0068] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also includes:

[0069] a third receiving module, configured to receive, from the UE, a position measurement result of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment to the serving cell; wherein the position measurement result indicates the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment; And

[0070] A third determination module, configured to determine the location of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[0071] In an embodiment of the invention, the measurement result of the positioning of the wireless signal includes: the angle of arrival of the wireless signal and/or the transit time of the wireless signal.

[0072] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0073] A fourth receiving module, configured to receive an inter-cell handover request, wherein the inter-cell handover request is transmitted in response to determining that the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[0074] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0075] A third transmission module, configured to transmit indication information indicative of a distance threshold.

[0076] In an embodiment of the invention, the third transmission module comprises:

[0077] a second transmission submodule, configured to broadcast indication information indicating a distance threshold; and/or

[0078] A third transmission submodule configured to transmit radio resource control (RRC) signaling carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[0079] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0080] a fifth receiving module, configured to receive positioning information of the UE; And

[0081] a fourth determination module, configured to determine the location of the UE in the serving cell in accordance with the center of the serving cell and the positioning information of the UE.

[0082] In one embodiment of the invention, the device also contains:

[0083] A handover module configured to perform inter-cell handover on the UE in response to determining that the location of the UE in the serving cell satisfies the handover condition.

[0084] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0085] processor;

[0086] a memory coupled to the processor and comprising a computer readable location program, executing which causes the processor to perform the steps of the location determination method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0087] According to a sixth aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a storage medium on which an executable program is stored is provided. When the executable program is executed by the processor, the steps of the location determination method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect are performed by the processor.

[0088] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for determining location, a communication device, and a storage medium. The UE determines the position of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the obtained position measurement result of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, the position measurement result indicates the position of the UE relative to the air access network equipment. Thus, for mobile air access network equipment such as NTN base stations, the relative position of the UE and the air access network equipment is determined by measuring the wireless signal of the serving cell to further determine the relative position of the UE and the serving cell, thereby improving the location accuracy in the serving cell. cell with UE. In addition, it is possible to accurately determine whether to perform inter-cell handover and reduce the inaccuracy of determining the handover time by using the reception power of the wireless signal and the like.

[0089] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative and explanatory only and do not limit the embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0090] The drawings are included in and form part of the description, correspond to embodiments of the invention, and are used in conjunction with the description to explain the principles of the embodiments of the invention.

[0091] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a communication system according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0092] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating cell handover determination of a corresponding technology according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0093] FIG. 3 is a cell handover determination diagram of another related technology shown according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0094] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a position determination method according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0095] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0096] FIG. 6 is a diagram of another positional relationship shown in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0097] FIG. 7 is a diagram of another positional relationship shown in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0098] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another downlink location according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0099] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a location device shown in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[00100] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of another location device shown in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[00101] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a location device shown in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[00102] Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When reference is made in the following description to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numbers in different drawings refer to the same or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following embodiments of the invention do not represent all implementations that are compatible with the embodiments of the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with aspects of the embodiments of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[00103] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are only intended to describe specific embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. When used in the examples of the present invention and the appended claims, the singular forms are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. It is also to be understood that the combination "and/or" as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more related listed elements.

[00104] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc., may be used in embodiments of the present invention. to describe various information, the information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type. For example, within the spirit of the embodiments of the present invention, the first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" used here can mean "subject to", "when", or "in response to a determination".

[00105] Consider FIG. 1 which shows a block diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on cellular mobile technology, and the wireless communication system may include multiple terminals 11 and multiple base stations 12.

[00106] Terminal 11 may be a device that enables voice and/or data transmission to a user. Terminal 11 may communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (RAN) and may be an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal such as a touch device, a mobile phone (or referred to as a "cellular" phone), and a computer having IoT terminal, and may be a fixed, handheld, handheld, embedded computer, or vehicle-mounted device such as a station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile device, remote station, access point, remote terminal , access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, and user equipment (UE). Alternatively, terminal 11 may be an unmanned aerial vehicle device. Alternatively, the terminal 11 may be a vehicle-mounted device, such as a trip computer with a wireless communication function, or a wireless communication device externally connected to the trip computer. Alternatively, the terminal 11 may be a roadside device such as a street lamp, a traffic light, or other roadside devices with a wireless communication function.

[00107] Base station 12 may be a network side device in a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system may be a 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system, also known as a long term evolution (LTE) system, or the wireless communication system may also be a 5G system, also known as a new radio communication (NR, new) system. radio) or 5G NR system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may also be a next generation system of the 5G system, and the access network in the 5G system may be referred to as a new generation radio access network (NG-RAN, New Generation-Radio Access Network). Alternatively, the wireless communication system may also be an MTC system.

[00108] Base station 12 may be an evolved Node B (eNB) adopted in a 4G system. Alternatively, base station 12 may also be a Node B (gNB) using a centralized and distributed architecture in a 5G system. When the base station 12 adopts a centralized and distributed architecture, it typically includes a centralized unit (CU, centralized unit) and at least two distributed units (DU, distributed unit). The centralized unit is equipped with protocol stacks of the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, the radio link control layer (RLC) and the media access control layer (MAC), and the distributed units are equipped with a protocol stack physical level. The embodiment of the present invention does not limit the specific implementation method of the base station 12.

[00109] A wireless connection may be established between base station 12 and terminal 11 via a wireless air interface. In various embodiments of the invention, the wireless air interface may be a 4G wireless air interface, or the wireless air interface may be a 5G wireless air interface, such as a new air interface; alternatively, the wireless air interface may be a wireless air interface based on the next generation 5G mobile communication network technical standard.

[00110] In some embodiments, an end-to-end connection can also be established between terminals 11, such as in vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios within vehicle-to-all-objects communication.

[00111] In some embodiments of the invention, the above wireless communication system may also include a network control device 13.

[00112] Several base stations 12 are respectively connected to the network control device 13. The network control device 13 may be a core network device in a wireless communication system. For example, the network management device 13 may be a mobility management entity (MME) in an evolved packet core (EPC). Alternatively, the network manager may also be another core network device such as a serving gateway (SGW), a public data network gateway (PGW), a PCRF (policy and charging) function block. rules functional unit) or home subscriber server (HSS, home subscriber server). The implementation of the network management device 13 is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention.

[00113] Objects involved in embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to: air access network equipment supporting cellular mobile communications, such as a base station, and core network equipment.

[00114] An application scenario for an embodiment of the present invention is that, as shown in FIG. 2, in the terrestrial network system, there is a large difference in the received signal strength measured by the UE at the cell center and at the cell edge, the received signal strength difference can be configured to determine whether the UE is at the cell edge, to further determine whether to reselect cell or switch cell.

[00115] As shown in FIG. 3, in non-terrestrial network systems, due to the longer propagation range, the height of the satellite in low earth orbit (LEO, low earth orbit) can reach 300-1500 kilometers, and the received signal level measured by the UE terminal is almost the same at the center and at the edge honeycombs. If the original 5G NR cell reselection mechanism and the RSRP/RSRQ measurement report mechanism are applied in a non-terrestrial network system, it will be difficult for the terminal UE or NTN base station (gNB) or terrestrial gNB to accurately determine whether the terminal UE is at the cell edge. In the idle state, it is difficult to accurately determine whether a neighbor cell measurement needs to be initiated for a possible cell reselection. In the connected state of the gNB, it is difficult for the NTN or ground gNB to accurately determine whether the cell handover process needs to be initiated.

[00116] As shown in FIG. 4, an embodiment of the invention provides a location method that can be applied to a UE in wireless communication. The location determination method may include:

[00117] Step 401: determining the location of the UE relative to the serving cell in accordance with the measurement result of the positioning of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell; wherein the position measurement result indicates the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment.

[00118] The UE may be a mobile phone terminal or the like that uses cellular mobile network technology for wireless communication. The air access network equipment may be an NTN base station of a cellular mobile network, such as a satellite, or a small base station carried on a high-altitude balloon.

[00119] The result of the measurement may be the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment obtained by the UE based on the measurement of the transmission signal of the air access network equipment in the serving cell. For example, the UE may measure the transit time (TOF, time of flight) of the air access network equipment transmission signal, the angle of arrival, and so on. Depending on the travel time, the distance traveled by the signal between the UE and the air access network, that is, the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment, can be determined.

[00120] As shown in FIG. 3, since the NTN base station signal coverage is relatively fixed in space, the NTN base station signal coverage is cone-shaped. The UE may determine its location relative to the NTN base station based on measurements such as travel time and angle of arrival to further determine the location of the UE in the serving cell.

[00121] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the NTN base station transmits wireless signals to the ground in the air to form a serving cell of the UE on the ground. The center of the serving cell may be the vertical projection point of the NTN base station on the ground. In the coverage area of a cone-shaped signal, the angle between the generatrix of the cone and the base of the cone is β. If the angle of arrival α of the wireless signal received by the UE is greater than or equal to β, the UE is considered to be inside the serving cell. If α is less than β, the UE is considered to be outside the serving cell. Here, the angle β between the generatrix of the cone and the base of the cone can be determined from the beam of the NTN base station.

[00122] The UE may measure the transit time of the signal transmitted by the NTN base station. When an NTN base station transmits a signal, the signal may carry information about the transmission time. The UE may determine the signal propagation time based on the signal reception time and the transmission time in combination with the propagation speed of the signal. As shown in FIG. 6, in a cone-shaped signal coverage area formed by a serving cell, the longest travel time of a signal transmitted by an NTN base station is equal to the length of the generatrix of the cone. If the distance traveled by the wireless signal received by the UE is less than or equal to the length of the generatrix of the cone, then the UE is considered to be inside the serving cell, and if the distance traveled is greater than the length of the generatrix of the cone, then the UE is considered to be outside the serving cell. Here, the length of the generatrix of the cone can be determined from the beam of the NTN base station.

[00123] The determined relationship between the UE and the serving cell may be used to determine if cell switching is necessary, etc. Here, the cell switching may include: performing a cell reselection when the UE is in the idle state, or performing inter-cell handover when the UE is in the connected state.

[00124] Here, the length of the cone generatrix and the value of the angle β may be predetermined, may be broadcast to the UE by the air access network equipment through a system message, or transmitted to the UE by RRC signaling.

[00125] Thus, for mobile air access network equipment such as NTN base stations, the relative location of the UE and the air access network equipment is determined by measuring the wireless signal of the serving cell to further determine the relative position of the UE and the serving cell, thereby improving the accuracy of determination location of the UE in the serving cell. In addition, it is possible to accurately determine whether to perform inter-cell handover and reduce inaccuracy in determining the handover time by using the reception power of the wireless signal, and the like.

[00126] In one embodiment of the invention, the method also includes: receiving location indication information indicating the altitude of the air access network equipment;

[00127] determining the location of the UE relative to the serving cell in accordance with the obtained measurement result of the positioning of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, includes:

[00128] determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[00129] The location indication information may be configured to indicate the location of the air access network equipment, such as the NTN base station, for example, the altitude of the air access network equipment. Here, the altitude of the air access network equipment may be the vertical distance from the air access network equipment to the ground. When an NTN base station, etc. instructs the air access network equipment to transmit signals to the ground, the transmission is usually vertical to the ground, so a circular signal coverage area is formed on the ground. The center of the circular signal coverage area is the elevation point of the aeronautical access network equipment, which is also the center of the cell. Furthermore, even if the air access network equipment does not transmit wireless signals vertically to the ground, the angle at which it transmits wireless signals to the ground may be fixed or change periodically. The angle may be reported to the UE in real time via wireless signaling, or may be known in advance to the air access network equipment or the UE (eg, via a communication protocol). The air access network equipment or UE can obtain the location of the center of the serving cell associated with the air access network equipment according to the angle and height of the air access network equipment to determine the distance of the UE from the center of the serving cell.

[00130] The NTN base station may transmit location guidance information to the UE via a broadcast system message or RRC signaling that carries the location guidance information.

[00131] The NTN base station may directly transmit the location information to the UE, or the ground station of the NTN base station (ie, the ground base station) may transmit the location information to the UE via the NTN base station.

[00132] The UE establishes a communication connection with the NTN base station in the serving cell, and the NTN base station transmits pointing information to the UE to indicate the height of the NTN base station above the ground.

[00133] After the UE determines the height of the NTN base station above the ground, the UE may determine the distance from the UE to the center of the serving cell in accordance with the measurement results such as travel time and signal arrival angle using the Pythagorean theorem.

[00134] Thus, accurate calculation of the distance from the UE to the center of the serving cell can be performed, and the accuracy of the calculation of the distance from the UE to the serving cell can be improved.

[00135] In one embodiment of the invention, determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result includes at least one of the following:

[00136] determining the distance between the UE and the center of the serving cell in accordance with the height of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal; And

[00137] determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the altitude of the air access network equipment and the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment.

[00138] As shown in FIG. 7, provided that the altitude of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment are known, the distance between the UE and the serving cell center can be determined based on trigonometric functional relationships, and the like.

[00139] As shown in FIG. 6, the UE may determine the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment according to its own positioning information and the position of the air access network equipment such as satellites obtained from the ephemeris table. For example, the positioning information of the UE is acquired through satellite positioning systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), or using the approximate location of the terminal reported by the base station or other network equipment. . Knowing the altitude of the air access network equipment and the transmission distance between the air access network equipment and the UE, the distance between the UE and the serving cell center can be determined based on the Pythagorean theorem.

[00140] Thus, accurate calculation of the distance from the UE to the center of the serving cell can be performed, and the accuracy of the calculation of the distance from the UE to the serving cell can be improved.

[00141] In one embodiment of the invention, the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment is determined in accordance with the transit time of the wireless signal.

[00142] The UE may measure the transit time of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment. The air access network equipment may carry information about the transmission time of the wireless signal in the wireless signal, and the UE determines the travel time of the wireless signal according to the reception time and the transmission time of the wireless signal. The UE may determine the wireless signal range according to the wireless signal travel time, that is, the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment.

[00143] In one embodiment of the invention, the method may include:

[00144] according to the position of the UE relative to the serving cell, determining whether to perform the neighbor cell measurement, or determining the frequency of performing the neighbor cell measurement.

[00145] For example, when it is determined that the UE is located at a certain distance from the edge of the serving cell based on the location of the UE relative to the serving cell (e.g., the distance between the UE and the edge of the cell is less than a threshold), the UE may be configured to perform neighbor cell measurement, or The UE may be configured to increase the frequency of neighbor cell measurements. Since the UE is further from the edge of the serving cell and closer to the center of the serving cell, the frequency of neighbor cell measurements may gradually decrease, or when the UE is within a certain range from the center of the serving cell, no neighbor cell measurement is performed. Thus, a reduction in the power consumption of the terminal is achieved.

[00146] In one embodiment of the invention, the method may include:

[00147] determining whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[00148] Here, it can be determined whether to perform handover between cells according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[00149] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the difference between the angle of arrival α of the wireless signal and the angle of arrival β is smaller than the angle threshold, it is determined that the UE is close to the edge of the serving cell, and inter-cell handover can be performed.

[00150] As shown in FIG. 6, if the propagation distance of the wireless signal received by the UE is less than the length of the generatrix of the cone, and the difference between the length of the generatrix of the cone and the transmission distance of the wireless signal is less than a predetermined threshold distance, it is determined that the UE is close to the edge of the serving cell, and handover can be performed between honeycombs.

[00151] Here, the angle threshold and the predetermined distance threshold may be predetermined, may be broadcast to the UE by the air access network equipment via a system message, or transmitted to the UE by RRC signaling.

[00152] When the UE is in a connected state, if necessary to perform inter-cell handover, it may send an inter-cell handover request to the air access network equipment, and the air access network equipment determines whether to perform inter-cell handover.

[00153] When the UE is in the idle state, if it is determined that the UE is close to the serving cell edge, inter-cell handover may be performed and the UE may decide to perform cell reselection. When the UE performs cell reselection, it may first perform neighbor cell radio measurement, and the UE may determine the neighbor cell whose radio signal measurement satisfies the inter-cell handover condition as a new random access serving cell.

[00154] In one embodiment of the invention, determining whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell includes one of the following:

[00155] performing cell reselection in response to determining that the UE is in the idle state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold; And

[00156] transmitting an inter-cell handover request to the air access network equipment in response to determining that the UE is in a connected state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[00157] The UE may determine the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the altitude of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment. Alternatively, the UE may determine the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the altitude of the air access network equipment and the distance between the air access network equipment and the UE.

[00158] When the UE is in the idle state, if the UE determines that the distance between the UE and the center of the serving cell exceeds the distance threshold, it may determine that the UE is close to the edge of the serving cell, and inter-cell handover may be performed. In this case, the UE may decide to perform cell reselection. When the UE performs cell reselection, it may first perform neighbor cell radio measurement, and the UE may determine the neighbor cell whose radio signal measurement value satisfies the handover condition as a new random access serving cell.

[00159] When the UE is in a connected state, if the UE determines that the distance between the UE and the center of the serving cell exceeds the distance threshold, it may determine that the UE is close to the edge of the serving cell, and inter-cell handover may be performed. The UE may send a handover request to the air access network equipment, and the air access network equipment may determine whether to perform inter-cell handover. The air access network equipment may initiate the cell handover process by instructing the UE to perform a measurement of the radio signal of neighboring cells. According to the measurement results of the wireless signal of the neighbor cells reported by the UE, a neighbor cell that satisfies the conditions is selected as a new serving cell for the UE.

[00160] In one embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[00161] receiving indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[00162] The NTN base station may transmit indication information indicating a distance threshold to the UE; the ground station of the NTN base station may also forward indication information indicating the distance threshold to the UE via the NTN base station.

[00163] In one embodiment, receiving indication information indicative of a distance threshold includes at least one of the following:

[00164] receiving indication information indicating a distance threshold broadcast by the air access network equipment; And

[00165] Receiving a radio resource control signaling transmitted by an air access network equipment and carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[00166] The air access network equipment may use a system message to carry indication information indicative of a distance threshold and transmit the system message to the UE. The UE in the idle state or in the connected state may receive a system message containing indication information indicating a distance threshold to determine the distance threshold.

[00167] The air access network equipment may use RRC signaling to carry indication information indicating a distance threshold. The UE in the connected state may receive RRC signaling containing indication information indicating a distance threshold to determine the distance threshold. Here, the RRC signaling may include: RRC measurement configuration signaling.

[00168] In one embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[00169] transmitting positioning information of the UE, wherein the positioning information is configured to determine, by the air access network equipment, the location of the UE in the serving cell.

[00170] The UE may periodically report positioning information to air access network equipment such as an NTN base station, and an NTN base station and the like. may determine the positioning information reported by the UE as the location of the UE, and compare it with the location information of the center of the serving cell to determine whether the UE is at the edge of the serving cell. If the UE is located at the edge of the serving cell, an inter-cell handover process may be initiated.

[00171] The present invention also discloses a neighbor cell measurement method that can be applied to a UE. The method includes: determining a UE's location relative to a serving cell associated with an air access network equipment; according to the location of the UE with respect to the serving cell, it is determined whether to perform the neighbor cell measurement, or the frequency of the neighbor cell measurement is determined. For example, when it is determined that the UE is located at a certain distance from the edge of the serving cell according to the position of the UE relative to the serving cell (for example, the distance between the UE and the edge of the cell is less than a threshold value), the UE may perform a neighbor cell measurement, or the UE may increase the frequency of measurements neighboring cells. If the UE is further from the edge of the serving cell and closer to the center of the serving cell, the frequency of neighbor cell measurements may gradually decrease, or when the UE is within a certain range from the center of the serving cell, no neighbor cell measurement is performed. Thus, a reduction in the power consumption of the terminal is achieved.

[00172] As shown in FIG. 8, this embodiment of the invention provides a position determination method that can be applied to air access network equipment for wireless communication. The method may include:

[00173] Step 801: transmitting location information indicating the altitude of the air access network equipment, where the location information is configured to locate the UE relative to the serving cell.

[00174] The UE may be a mobile phone terminal or the like that uses mobile cellular network technology for wireless communication. The air access network equipment may be an NTN base station of a cellular mobile network, such as a satellite, or a small base station carried on a high-altitude balloon.

[00175] The result of the measurement may be the positional relationship between the UE and the air access network equipment obtained by the UE based on the measurement of the transmission signal of the air access network equipment in the serving cell. For example, the UE may measure the transit time (TOF, time of flight) of the air access network equipment transmission signal, the angle of arrival, and so on.

[00176] The location indication information may be configured to indicate the position of the air access network equipment, such as the NTN base station, for example, the altitude of the air access network equipment. Here, the altitude of the air access network equipment may be the vertical distance from the air access network equipment to the ground. When an NTN base station, etc. instructs the air access network equipment to transmit signals to the ground, the transmission is usually vertical to the ground, so a circular signal coverage area is formed on the ground. The center of the circular signal coverage area is the elevation point of the aeronautical access network equipment, which is also the center of the cell.

[00177] The NTN base station may transmit location guidance information to the UE via a broadcast system message or RRC signaling that carries the location guidance information.

[00178] An NTN base station may directly transmit location information to a UE, or a ground station of an NTN base station (ie, a terrestrial base station) may transmit location information to a UE via an NTN base station.

[00179] The UE establishes a communication connection with the NTN base station in the serving cell, and the NTN base station transmits pointing information to the UE to indicate the height of the NTN base station above the ground.

[00180] After the UE determines the height of the NTN base station above the ground, the UE may determine the distance from the UE to the center of the serving cell in accordance with the measurement results such as the transit time and the angle of arrival of the signal, using the Pythagorean theorem.

[00181] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the NTN base station transmits wireless signals to the ground in the air to form a serving cell of the UE on the ground. The center of the serving cell may be the vertical projection point of the NTN base station on the ground. In the signal coverage area in the form of a cone, the angle between the generatrix of the cone and the base of the cone is equal to β. If the angle of arrival α of the wireless signal received by the UE is greater than or equal to β, the UE is considered to be inside the serving cell. If α is less than β, the UE is considered to be outside the serving cell. Here, the angle β between the generatrix of the cone and the base of the cone can be determined from the beam of the NTN base station.

[00182] The UE may measure the transit time of the signal transmitted by the NTN base station. When an NTN base station transmits a signal, the signal may carry information about the transmission time. The UE may determine the signal propagation time based on the signal reception time and the transmission time in combination with the propagation speed of the signal. As shown in FIG. 6, in the cone-shaped signal coverage area formed by the serving cell, the longest travel time of the signal transmitted by the NTN base station is equal to the length of the generatrix of the cone. If the travel distance of the wireless signal received by the UE is less than or equal to the length of the generatrix of the cone, then the UE is considered to be inside the serving cell, and if the span distance is greater than the length of the generatrix, then the UE is considered to be outside the serving cell. Here, the length of the generatrix of the cone can be determined from the beam of the NTN base station.

[00183] As shown in FIG. 7, provided that the altitude of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment are known, the distance between the UE and the serving cell center can be determined based on trigonometric functional relationships, and the like.

[00184] As shown in FIG. 6, the UE may determine the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment according to its own positioning information and the position of the air access network equipment such as satellites obtained from the ephemeris table. Knowing the altitude of the air access network equipment and the transmission distance between the air access network equipment and the UE, the distance between the UE and the serving cell center can be determined based on the Pythagorean theorem.

[00185] Thus, accurate calculation of the distance from the UE to the center of the serving cell can be performed, and the accuracy of the calculation of the distance from the UE to the serving cell can be improved.

[00186] In one embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[00187] receiving from the UE a position measurement result of a wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment to the serving cell; wherein the position measurement result indicates the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment; And

[00188] determining the location of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[00189] The UE may transmit the measurement to the base station, and the base station may locate the UE in the serving cell.

[00190] The air access network equipment can determine the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment based on measurement results such as signal travel time and angle of arrival, as well as the height of the air access network equipment using the Pythagorean theorem, etc. The method for air access network equipment to determine the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment is similar to the method for determining the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment and will not be repeated here.

[00191] Thus, accurate calculation of the distance from the UE to the center of the serving cell can be performed, and the accuracy of the calculation of the distance from the UE to the serving cell can be improved.

[00192] In one embodiment of the invention, the measurement result of the wireless signal includes: the angle of arrival of the wireless signal and/or the transit time of the wireless signal.

[00193] In one embodiment of the invention, the measurement result of the wireless signal includes: the angle of arrival of the wireless signal and/or the transit time of the wireless signal.

[00194] As shown in FIG. 7, provided that the altitude of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment are known, the distance between the UE and the serving cell center can be determined based on trigonometric functional relationships, and the like.

[00195] As shown in FIG. 6, the UE may determine the straight-line distance (wireless range) between the UE and the air access network equipment according to the transit time of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment. Knowing the altitude of the air access network equipment and the transmission distance between the air access network equipment and the UE, the distance between the UE and the serving cell center can be determined based on the Pythagorean theorem.

[00196] Thus, accurate calculation of the distance from the UE to the center of the serving cell can be performed, and the accuracy of the calculation of the distance from the UE to the serving cell can be improved.

[00197] In one embodiment of the invention, the method may include:

[00198] according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell, it is determined whether to tell the UE to perform the neighbor cell measurement or to tell the UE to increase the frequency of performing the neighbor cell measurement.

[00199] For example, when it is determined that the UE is located at a certain distance from the serving cell edge based on the UE's location relative to the serving cell (e.g., the distance between the UE and the cell edge is less than a threshold), the UE may be configured to perform neighbor cell measurement, or The UE may be configured to increase the frequency of neighbor cell measurements. If the UE is further from the edge of the serving cell and closer to the center of the serving cell, the frequency of neighbor cell measurements by the UE may gradually decrease, or if the UE is within a certain range from the center of the serving cell, the UE does not perform any neighbor cell measurements. Thus, a reduction in the power consumption of the terminal is achieved.

[00200] In an embodiment, the air access network equipment may use control signaling, such as RRC signaling or DCI signaling, to indicate whether the UE is performing a neighbor cell measurement or to carry information related to how often the UE performs a neighbor cell measurement. For example, the information may indicate a specific frequency for the UE to perform a neighbor cell measurement, or indicate an offset value that the UE should increase or decrease with respect to the current neighbor cell measurement frequency, or indicate the UE to increase or decrease the neighbor cell measurement frequency by a certain step.

[00201] In one embodiment of the invention, the method may include:

[00202] Receiving an inter-cell handover request, wherein the inter-cell handover request is transmitted in response to determining that the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[00203] When the UE is in the idle state, if the UE determines that the distance between the UE and the center of the serving cell exceeds the distance threshold, it may determine that the UE is close to the edge of the serving cell, and inter-cell handover may be performed. In this case, the UE may decide to perform cell reselection. When the UE performs cell reselection, it may first perform a neighbor cell radio measurement, and the UE may determine the neighbor cell whose radio signal measurement satisfies the handover condition as a new random access serving cell.

[00204] In an embodiment of the invention, the method also includes: transmitting indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[00205] The NTN base station may transmit indication information indicating a distance threshold to the UE; the ground station of the NTN base station may also forward indication information indicating the distance threshold to the UE via the NTN base station.

[00206] In an embodiment of the invention, the transmission of indication information indicating a distance threshold includes at least one of the following:

[00207] broadcasting indication information indicating a distance threshold; And

[00208] transmitting radio resource control (RRC) signaling carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[00209] The air access network equipment may use the system message to carry indication information indicative of the distance threshold and broadcast the system message to the UE. The UE in the idle state or in the connected state may receive a system message containing indication information indicating a distance threshold to determine the distance threshold.

[00210] The air access network equipment may use RRC signaling to carry indication information indicating a distance threshold. The UE in the connected state may receive RRC signaling containing indication information indicating a distance threshold to determine the distance threshold. Here, the RRC signaling may include: RRC measurement configuration signaling.

[00211] In one embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[00212] receiving UE positioning information; And

[00213] determining the location of the UE in the serving cell in accordance with the center of the serving cell and the positioning information of the UE.

[00214] The UE may periodically report positioning information to air access network equipment such as an NTN base station, and an NTN base station and the like. may determine the positioning information reported by the UE as the location of the UE, and compare it with the location information of the center of the serving cell to determine whether the UE is at the edge of the serving cell. If the UE is located at the edge of the serving cell, an inter-cell handover process may be initiated.

[00215] In one embodiment of the invention, the method also includes:

[00216] Performing an inter-cell handover on the UE in response to determining that the UE's location in the serving cell satisfies the handover condition.

[00217] When the air access network equipment determines that the UE is located at the edge of a serving cell, the air access network equipment may initiate a cell handover procedure and instruct the UE to perform neighbor cell radio measurement. Based on the neighbor cell wireless signal measurement results reported by the UE, a neighbor cell that satisfies the conditions is selected as a new serving cell for the UE.

[00218] The present invention also discloses a neighbor cell measurement method that can be applied to air access network equipment. The method includes: determining, by the air access network equipment, the location of the UE relative to a serving cell associated with the air access network equipment; according to the location of the UE with respect to the serving cell, it is determined whether to perform the neighbor cell measurement, or the frequency of the neighbor cell measurement is determined. For example, when it is determined that the UE is located at a certain distance from the serving cell edge according to the UE's location relative to the serving cell (e.g., the distance between the UE and the cell edge is less than a threshold), the UE may be configured to perform neighbor cell measurement, or the UE may be configured to increase the frequency of neighbor cell measurements. If the UE is further from the edge of the serving cell and closer to the center of the serving cell, the frequency of neighbor cell measurements may gradually decrease, or if the UE is within a certain range from the center of the serving cell, no neighbor cell measurement is performed. Thus, a reduction in the power consumption of the terminal is achieved.

[00219] In an embodiment, the air access network equipment may use control signaling, such as RRC signaling or DCI signaling, to indicate whether the UE performs a neighbor cell measurement or to carry information related to how often the UE performs a neighbor cell measurement. For example, the information may indicate a specific frequency for the UE to perform a neighbor cell measurement, or indicate an offset value that the UE should increase or decrease with respect to the current neighbor cell measurement frequency, or indicate the UE to increase or decrease the neighbor cell measurement frequency by a certain step.

[00220] The following is a specific example in combination with any of the above described embodiments of the invention:

[00221] The NTN cell boundary determination mechanism is as follows:

[00222] 1: In the scenario where the beam moves with the satellite, the satellite transmits satellite altitude information to the coverage area and takes the cell center as a reference point for the UE;

[00223] 2: The UE can calculate the distance between the UE and the cell center reference point using the real-time position information in the ephemeris, the satellite altitude information, and the angle of arrival and reception angle information received by the UE, as shown in fig. 2;

[00224] 3: In the connected state of the gNB, the NTN or ground gNB configures a location threshold for cell boundary determination for the UE by RRC measurement configuration signaling. There are the following ways to determine if the UE is at the cell edge:

[00225] Periodic reporting method: An end UE periodically reports location information to the NTN gNB or ground gNB, and the NTN gNB or ground gNB compares the reported location information with the cell center location information to determine if the UE is at the cell edge;

[00226] Event triggered reporting method: when the distance difference between the UE and the location reference point at the center of the cell exceeds the location threshold, it is determined that the UE is at the cell edge, and the terminal UE reports the cell edge indication information.

[00227] 4: In the idle state of the gNB, the NTN or the ground gNB configures a location threshold for cell boundary determination for the UE via broadcast signaling or RRC measurement configuration signaling. When the distance difference between the UE and the location reference point at the center of the cell is larger than the location threshold, it is determined that the UE is at the edge of the cell, and neighbor cell measurement is initiated;

[00228] In the idle state, it is judged whether the UE is in the edge region of the cell or in the center region of the cell by setting different location thresholds. When the UE is considered to be in the cell edge region, the UE initiates neighbor cell measurements. When the UE is considered to be in the center area of a cell, the UE may not perform neighbor cell measurements to reduce power consumption, as shown in FIG. 3.

[00229] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a positioning device that is used in a first wireless communication node. Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a location apparatus 100 provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the device 100 includes a first determination module 110,

[00230] wherein the first determination module 110 is configured to determine the location of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the obtained position measurement result of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, the position measurement result indicating the position of the UE relative to the air access network equipment.

[00231] In one embodiment, device 100 also includes:

[00232] the first receiving module 120, configured to receive position indication information indicating the altitude of the air access network equipment;

[00233] the first definition module 110 includes:

[00234] the first determination sub-module 111, configured to determine the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[00235] In one embodiment of the invention, the first definition submodule 111 comprises:

[00236] the first determiner 1111, configured to determine the distance between the UE and the center of the serving cell in accordance with the altitude of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal; and/or

[00237] A second determiner 1112 configured to determine the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the height of the air access network equipment and the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment.

[00238] In one embodiment of the invention, the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment is determined in accordance with the transit time of the wireless signal.

[00239] In one embodiment, device 100 also includes:

[00240] A second determining module 130 configured to determine whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[00241] In one embodiment, the second determination module 130 comprises one of the following:

[00242] a reselection sub-module 131, configured to perform cell reselection in response to determining that the UE is in an idle state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold; And

[00243] A first transmission sub-module 132 configured to send an inter-cell handover request to the air access network equipment in response to determining that the UE is in a connected state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[00244] In one embodiment, device 100 also includes:

[00245] The second receiving module 140, configured to receive indication information indicative of a distance threshold.

[00246] In one embodiment, the second receiving module 140 comprises:

[00247] a first receiving sub-module 141 configured to receive indication information indicative of a distance threshold broadcast by the air access network equipment; and/or

[00248] A second receiving sub-module 142 configured to receive radio resource control signaling transmitted by air access network equipment and carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[00249] In one embodiment, device 100 also includes:

[00250] the first transmission module 150 configured to transmit positioning information of the UE, the positioning information configured to determine, by the air access network equipment, the location of the UE in the serving cell.

[00251] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a positioning device that is used in airborne wireless access network equipment. Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a location device 200 provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, the device 200 includes a second transmission module 210,

[00252] Wherein, the second transmission module 210 is configured to transmit location information indicating the altitude of the air access network equipment, where the location information is configured to determine the location of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[00253] In one embodiment, the device 200 also includes:

[00254] a third receiving module 220, configured to receive from the UE a position measurement result of a wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment to the serving cell; wherein the position measurement result indicates the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment; And

[00255] A third determining module 230 configured to determine the location of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the location indication information and the position measurement result.

[00256] In one embodiment of the invention, the measurement result of the positioning of the wireless signal includes: the angle of arrival of the wireless signal and/or the transit time of the wireless signal.

[00257] In one embodiment, the device 200 also includes:

[00258] A fourth receiving module 240 configured to receive an inter-cell handover request, wherein the inter-cell handover request is transmitted in response to determining that the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold.

[00259] In one embodiment, the device 200 also includes:

[00260] A third transmission module 250 configured to transmit indication information indicative of a distance threshold.

[00261] In one embodiment of the invention, the third transmission module 250 comprises:

[00262] a second transmission sub-module 251 configured to broadcast indication information indicating a distance threshold; and/or

[00263] A third transmission sub-module 252 configured to transmit radio resource control (RRC) signaling carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold.

[00264] In one embodiment, the device 200 also includes:

[00265] the fifth receiving module 260, configured to receive positioning information of the UE; And

[00266] A fourth determination module 270, configured to locate the UE in the serving cell according to the serving cell center and the positioning information of the UE.

[00267] In one embodiment, the device 200 also includes:

[00268] A handover module 280 configured to perform inter-cell handover on the UE in response to determining that the UE's location in the serving cell satisfies the handover condition.

[00269] In an embodiment, the first determination module 120, the first reception module 120, the second determination module 130, the second reception module 140, the first transmission module 150, the second transmission module 210, the third reception module 220, the third determination module 230, the fourth module 240 reception, the third transmission module 250, the fifth reception module 260, the fourth determination module 270, and the handover module 280, and so on. can be implemented by one or more central processing units (CPU, central processing unit), graphic processors (GPU, graphics processing unit), baseband processors (BP, baseband processor), specialized integrated circuits (ASIC, application-specific integrated circuit), DSP, programmable logic device (PLD), complex programmable logic device (CPLD), field programmable gate array (FPGA), general processors, controllers, microcontrollers (MCU, Microcontroller unit ), microprocessors or other electronic components to carry out the method described above.

[00270] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a location device 3000 shown in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. For example, device 3000 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcast terminal, messaging device, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness device, personal digital assistant, and the like.

[00271] As shown in FIG. 11, device 3000 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 3002, a memory 3004, a power component 3006, a multimedia component 3008, an I/O audio component, an input/output (I/O) interface 3012, a sensor component 3014, and a communication component 3016.

[00272] The processing component 3002 typically manages all operations of the device 3000, such as operations related to display, phone calls, communication, camera operations, and recording operations. Processing component 3002 may include one or more processors 3020 for executing instructions for performing all or part of the steps of the method described above. In addition, the processing component 3002 may include one or more modules that provide interaction between the processing component 3002 and other components. For example, the processing component 3002 may include a multimedia module for enabling interaction between the multimedia component 3008 and the processing component 3002.

[00273] Memory 3004 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on device 3000. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method running on device 3000, contact data, phone book data, messages, images, videos, and the like. . The memory 3004 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM). , erasable programmable read only memory), programmable read only memory (PROM), read only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic or optical disk, or a combination of both. The power component 3006 provides power to the various components of the device 3000.

[00274] Power component 3006 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with power generation, control, and distribution in device 3000.

[00275] The media component 3008 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 3000 and the user. In some embodiments of the invention, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD, liquid crystal display) and a touch panel (TP, touch panel). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input from a user. The touchpad includes one or more touch sensors for recognizing taps, swipes, and gestures on the touchpad. The touch sensor can not only determine the touch or slide boundary, but also determine the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments of the invention, the media component 3008 includes a front camera and/or a rear camera. When the device 3000 is in an operating mode, such as a photo or video mode, the front camera and/or the rear camera can receive external media. Both the front and rear cameras can be a fixed lens system or have focus and optical zoom capability.

[00276] The audio component 3010 is configured to output and/or input audio signals. For example, audio component 3010 includes a microphone (MIC) that is configured to receive external audio signals when device 3000 is in operating modes such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in the memory 3004 or transmitted via the communication component 3016. In some embodiments of the invention, the audio component 3010 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[00277] The input/output interface 3012 provides an interface between the processing component 3002 and a peripheral interface module, which may be a keyboard, control wheel, button, or the like. These buttons may include, but are not limited to: a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

[00278] The sensors component 3014 includes one or more sensors to provide an assessment of the status of various aspects of the device 3000. For example, the sensors component 3014 can determine the open/closed state of the device 3000, the relative position of components such as the display and keyboard of the device 3000, the sensors component 3014 as well. may detect a change in the position of the device 3000 or a component of the device 3000, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 3000, the orientation of the device 3000, or the acceleration/deceleration and temperature changes of the device 3000. The sensors component 3014 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without physical contact with them. The sensor component 3014 may also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component 3014 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[00279] The communication component 3016 is configured to provide wired or wireless communication between the device 3000 and other devices. Device 3000 may access wireless networks based on communication standards such as Wi-Fi, 2G or 3G, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment of the invention, communication component 3016 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast control system via a broadcast channel. In an embodiment, communication component 3016 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module for providing near field communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology. ) and other technologies.

[00280] In an embodiment, device 3000 may be programmed with one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs). device), programmable logic devices (PLD, programmable logic device), field programmable gate array (FPGA), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors or other implementation of an electronic component to perform the methods described above.

[00281] An embodiment of the invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, such as a memory 3004 containing instructions that can be executed by the processor 3020 of the device 3000 to implement the method described above. For example, a computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical storage device, and the like.

[00282] Other implementations of embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the description and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any modifications, uses or adaptations of the embodiments of the present invention, so long as these modifications, uses or adaptations follow the general principles of the embodiments of the present invention and include principles in the art that are not disclosed by the embodiments of the present invention and represent general knowledge or known technical means. The description and examples are to be considered as illustrative only, and the scope and spirit of the embodiments of the invention are defined by the following claims.

[00283] It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made within the spirit of the invention. The scope of the embodiments of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

Claims (42)

1. A location determination method performed by a user equipment (UE) and including: determining a position of the UE with respect to the serving cell according to the obtained position measurement result of a wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, wherein the position measurement result indicates the position of the UE with respect to the air access network equipment; And receiving position indication information indicating the altitude of the air access network equipment; while determining the location of the UE relative to the serving cell in accordance with the obtained measurement result of the positioning of the wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment in the serving cell, includes: determining a distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the location indication information and the position measurement result includes at least one of the following: determining a distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the height of the air access network equipment and the angle of arrival of the wireless signal; And determining the distance between the UE and the serving cell center according to the altitude of the air access network equipment and the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance between the UE and the air access network equipment is determined in accordance with the wireless signal travel time. 4. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, also including: determining whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether to perform inter-cell handover according to the location of the UE relative to the serving cell includes one of the following: performing cell reselection in response to determining that the UE is in the idle state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold; And transmitting an inter-cell handover request to the air access network equipment in response to determining that the UE is in a connected state and the distance between the UE and the serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold. 6. The method according to p. 5, also including: receiving indication information indicating a distance threshold value. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the indication information indicative of the distance threshold includes at least one of the following: receiving indication information indicating a distance threshold value broadcast by the air access network equipment; And receiving radio resource control (RRC) signaling transmitted by the air access network equipment and carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold. 8. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, also including: transmitting the positioning information of the UE to the air access network equipment, wherein the air access network equipment determines the location of the UE in the serving cell using the positioning information of the UE. 9. The method of determining the location, performed by the equipment of the air access network and including: transmitting location information indicating a location altitude of the air access network equipment, wherein the location information is configured to determine the location of a user equipment (UE) relative to a serving cell; receiving from the UE a position measurement result of a wireless signal transmitted by the air access network equipment to the serving cell, the position measurement result indicating the location of the UE relative to the air access network equipment; And determining the location of the UE relative to the serving cell according to the location indication information and the position measurement result. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless signal position measurement result includes at least one of the wireless signal arrival angle or the wireless signal transit time. 11. The method according to claim 9, also including: receiving an inter-cell handover request, wherein the inter-cell handover request is transmitted in response to determining that a distance between the UE and a serving cell center exceeds a distance threshold. 12. The method according to p. 11, also including: transmitting indication information indicating a distance threshold. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the indication information indicative of the distance threshold includes at least one of the following: broadcasting indication information indicating a distance threshold; And transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) signaling carrying indication information indicating a distance threshold. 14. The method according to any one of paragraphs. 9-13, also including: receiving positioning information of the UE; And determining the location of the UE in the serving cell according to the center of the serving cell and the positioning information of the UE. 15. The method according to claim 14, also including: performing an inter-cell handover on the UE in response to determining that the location of the UE in the serving cell satisfies the handover condition. 16. Communication device, comprising: CPU; a memory connected to the processor and storing a computer-readable program for determining the location, the execution of which ensures that the processor performs the steps of the method for determining the location according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8. 17. A storage medium on which an executable program is stored, the execution of which by the processor ensures that the processor performs the steps of the method for determining the location according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8.