Low-frequency uplink signal based positioning

A reference signal transfer method for user equipment positioning, the method comprising:

• transmitting, from a user equipment using a first frequency band, a metric message indicative of the user equipment being in a coverage-limited area corresponding to a serving cell;
• receiving, at the user equipment, a positioning signal configuration message in the first frequency band, the positioning signal configuration message indicating a first configuration of a downlink reference signal and a second configuration of an uplink reference signal;
• receiving, at the user equipment using the first frequency band, the downlink reference signal;
• and
• transmitting, from the user equipment using a second frequency band, the uplink reference signal, the second frequency band comprising frequencies below a lowest frequency of the first frequency band.

A user equipment comprising:

• means for transmitting, using a first frequency band, a metric message indicative of the user equipment being in a coverage-limited area corresponding to a serving cell;
• means for receiving a positioning signal configuration message in the first frequency band, the positioning signal configuration message indicating a first configuration of a downlink reference signal and a second configuration of an uplink reference signal;
• means for receiving, using the first frequency band, the downlink reference signal;
• and
• means for transmitting, using a second frequency band, the uplink reference signal, the second frequency band comprising frequencies below a lowest frequency of the first frequency band.

A non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions to cause a processor of a user equipment to:

• transmit, using a first frequency band, a metric message indicative of the user equipment being in a coverage-limited area corresponding to a serving cell;
• receive a positioning signal configuration message in the first frequency band, the positioning signal configuration message indicating a first configuration of a downlink reference signal and a second configuration of an uplink reference signal;
• receive, using the first frequency band, the downlink reference signal;
• and
• transmit, using a second frequency band, the uplink reference signal, the second frequency band comprising frequencies below a lowest frequency of the first frequency band.

A network entity comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory and configured to:
• receive, via the transceiver from a user equipment, a metric message indicative of the user equipment being in a coverage-limited area corresponding to the network entity, the coverage-limited area being an area in which the user equipment is able to receive and measure a downlink signal from the network entity and from which a single instance of an uplink signal transmitted by the user equipment is unable to be received and measured by the network entity;
• determine, based on the metric message, that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area;
• and
• transmit, via the transceiver to a server, a coverage message indicating that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area.

A method for indicating a coverage status of a user equipment, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a network entity from the user equipment, a metric message indicative of the user equipment being in a coverage-limited area corresponding to the network entity, the coverage-limited area being an area in which the user equipment is able to receive and measure a downlink signal from the network entity and from which a single instance of an uplink signal transmitted by the user equipment is unable to be received and measured by the network entity;
• determining, at the network entity and based on the metric message, that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area;
• and
• transmitting, from the network entity to a server, a coverage message indicating that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area.

A network entity comprising:

• means for receiving, from the user equipment, a metric message indicative of the user equipment being in a coverage-limited area corresponding to the network entity, the coverage-limited area being an area in which the user equipment is able to receive and measure a downlink signal from the network entity and from which a single instance of an uplink signal transmitted by the user equipment is unable to be received and measured by the network entity;
• means for determining, based on the metric message, that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area;
• and
• means for transmitting, to a server, a coverage message indicating that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area.

A non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium comprising processor-readable instructions to cause a processor of a network entity to:

• receive, from the user equipment, a metric message indicative of the user equipment being in a coverage-limited area corresponding to the network entity, the coverage-limited area being an area in which the user equipment is able to receive and measure a downlink signal from the network entity and from which a single instance of an uplink signal transmitted by the user equipment is unable to be received and measured by the network entity;
• determine, based on the metric message, that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area;
• and
• transmit, to a server, a coverage message indicating that the user equipment is disposed in the coverage-limited area.