# US 12,003,977 B2 · Uplink assisted positioning reference signal beam management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,977 B2 - Document ID: US12003977B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/173,362 - Filed: 2021-02-11 - Published: 2022-08-11 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-11 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Jingchao Bao; Sony Akkarakaran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003977B2 ## CPC - G01S 5/0236: {Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac} - H04W 16/28: using beam steering - H04L 5/0048: {Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091)} - H04L 5/005: {of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals} - H04W 24/10: Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - H04W 64/006: {with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination} - H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques are provided for managing positioning reference signals in communication networks. A method of measuring downlink positioning reference signals includes transmitting one or more uplink positioning reference signals, receiving downlink positioning reference signal configuration information associated at least in part with the one or more uplink positioning reference signals, and measuring one or more downlink positioning reference signals based at least in part on the downlink positioning reference signal configuration information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of measuring downlink positioning reference signals, comprising: transmitting one or more uplink positioning reference signals via one or more corresponding transmission beams; receiving downlink positioning reference signal configuration information including beam pairing information and schedule information configured to remove incompatible downlink positioning reference signals based at least in part on measurements of the one or more uplink positioning reference signals and the one or more corresponding transmission beams obtained by one or more wireless nodes; and measuring one or more downlink positioning reference signals based at least in part on the downlink positioning reference signal configuration information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a location based at least in part on measurement values associated with the one or more downlink positioning reference signals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting assistance data including uplink positioning reference signal beam information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein measuring the one or more downlink positioning reference signals includes determining at least one of a time of arrival or a reference signal received power (RSRP) for at least one downlink positioning reference signal of the one or more downlink positioning reference signals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein measuring the one or more downlink positioning reference signals includes receiving a first downlink positioning reference signal of the one or more downlink positioning reference signals transmitted by a first wireless node, receiving a second downlink positioning reference signal of the one or more downlink positioning reference signals transmitted by a second wireless node, and determining a time difference of arrival based on a time of arrival for the first downlink positioning reference signal and a time of arrival for the second downlink positioning reference signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signals utilize a first bandwidth and the one or more downlink positioning reference signals utilize a second bandwidth that is different from the first bandwidth. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the first bandwidth is less than the second bandwidth. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signals utilize a first frequency layer and the one or more downlink positioning reference signals utilize a second frequency layer that is different from the first frequency layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more downlink positioning reference signals are quasi co-located with the one or more uplink positioning reference signals. ### Claim 10 A method of providing downlink positioning reference signals, comprising: receiving one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values associated with a user equipment from one or more wireless nodes, wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values were received via one or more corresponding transmission beams; determining a downlink positioning reference signal configuration including beam pairing information and schedule information configured to remove incompatible downlink positioning reference signals based at least in part on the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values and the one or more corresponding transmission beams obtained by the one or more wireless nodes; and providing the downlink positioning reference signal configuration to the one or more wireless nodes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising performing an outlier rejection process on the one or more uplink positioning signal measurement values. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving assistance data including uplink positioning reference signal beam information from the user equipment, and determining the downlink positioning reference signal configuration based at least in part on the assistance data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values include at least one of an angle of arrival, a signal strength, or a time of arrival. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values are associated with a first bandwidth, and the downlink positioning reference signal configuration includes downlink positioning reference signals configured for transmission with a second bandwidth that is different from the first bandwidth. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the first bandwidth is less than the second bandwidth. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values are associated with uplink positioning reference signals transmitted in a first frequency layer, and the downlink positioning reference signal configuration includes downlink positioning reference signals configured for transmission in a second frequency layer that is different from the first frequency layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the first frequency layer comprises lower frequencies than the second frequency layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more wireless nodes includes the user equipment. ### Claim 19 An apparatus, comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, and configured to: transmit one or more uplink positioning reference signals via one or more corresponding transmission beams; receive downlink positioning reference signal configuration information including beam pairing information and schedule information configured to remove incompatible downlink positioning reference signals based at least in part on measurements of the one or more uplink positioning reference signals and the one or more corresponding transmission beams obtained by one or more wireless nodes; and measure one or more downlink positioning reference signals based at least in part on the downlink positioning reference signal configuration information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a location based at least in part on measurement values associated with the one or more downlink positioning reference signals. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit assistance data including uplink positioning reference signal beam information. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine at least one of a time of arrival or a reference signal received power (RSRP) for at least one downlink positioning reference signal of the one or more downlink positioning reference signals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signals utilize a first bandwidth and the one or more downlink positioning reference signals utilize a second bandwidth that is different from the first bandwidth. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the one or more downlink positioning reference signals are quasi co-located with the one or more uplink positioning reference signals. ### Claim 25 An apparatus, comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, and configured to: receive one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values associated with a user equipment from one or more wireless nodes, wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values were received via one or more corresponding transmission beams; determine a downlink positioning reference signal configuration including beam pairing information and schedule information configured to remove incompatible downlink positioning reference signals based at least in part on the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values and the one or more corresponding transmission beams obtained by the one or more wireless nodes; and provide the downlink positioning reference signal configuration to the one or more wireless nodes. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform an outlier rejection process on the one or more uplink positioning signal measurement values. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive assistance data including uplink positioning reference signal beam information from the user equipment, and determine the downlink positioning reference signal configuration based at least in part on the assistance data. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the one or more uplink positioning reference signal measurement values include at least one of an angle of arrival, a signal strength, or a time of arrival.