# US 12,764,698 B2 · Positioning techniques for user equipment in a network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,764,698 B2 - Document ID: US12764698B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/754,495 - Filed: 2021-04-06 - Published: 2024-02-15 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-06 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Seyed Ali Akbar Fakoorian; Chunxuan Ye; Dawei Zhang; Haitong Sun; Hong He; Huaning Niu; Jie Cui; Oghenekome Oteri; Wei Zeng; Yang Tang; Yushu Zhang; Zhibin Wu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12764698B2 ## CPC - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - G01S 5/0236: {Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac} - G01S 5/10: Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements {, e.g. omega or decca systems}(G01S5/12 takes precedence {; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - 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 ## Abstract A location management function (LMF) of a network provides timing errors to user equipment and/or base stations for positioning purposes. The LMF receives an indication of an effective timing error for a downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) positioning technique, wherein the effective timing error is associated with a set of base stations configured to transmit positioning reference signals for the DL-TDOA and provides the effective timing error to a user equipment (UE) performing operations related to the DL-TDOA. ## Claims ### Claim 1 One or more processors of a network component configured to perform operations comprising: receiving an indication of an effective timing error for a downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) positioning technique, wherein the effective timing error is associated with one or more base stations configured to transmit positioning reference signals for the DL-TDOA; providing the effective timing error to a user equipment (UE) performing operations related to the DL-TDOA; and generating, for transmission to the UE, an LTE Position Protocol (LPP) Provide Assistance Data message including an identifier associated with multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) and the effective timing error, wherein the identifier associated with the multiple TRPs and the effective timing error is used for UE-based positioning techniques. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the LPP Provide Assistance Data message further comprises an indication of one of the set of base stations and a panel identification of the one of the set of base stations associated with the effective timing error. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The one or more processors of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: instructing one of the set of base stations to broadcast a system information block (SIB) including the effective timing error, an indication of one of the set of base stations and a panel identification of the one of the set of base stations associated with the effective timing error. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the effective timing error comprises a time stamp indicating one of when the effective timing error is valid or when the effective timing error is to be applied. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the effective timing error comprises one of an absolute value or an accumulated value to be added to a previous provided effective timing error value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from the UE, a LPP Provide Location Information message comprising an indication of a position of the UE, wherein the UE has calculated the position based on the DL-TDOA, and wherein the LPP Provide Location Information message further comprises an indication of whether the position has been calculated based on at least the effective timing error. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from the UE, a LPP Provide Location Information message comprising a received signal time difference (RSTD) measurement performed by the UE based on the DL-TDOA, wherein the LPP Provide Location Information message further comprises an indication of whether the RSTD measurement has been corrected based on at least the effective timing error. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein receiving the effective timing error comprises: receiving, from the UE, a received signal time difference (RSTD) measurement performed by the UE based on the DL-TDOA; receiving, from the UE, a measurement associated with a downlink angle of departure (DL-AOD) positioning technique performed by the UE; and calculating the effective timing error based on at least the RSTD and the measurement associated with the DL-AOD. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The one or more processors of claim 1, wherein the effective timing error is associated with the set of base stations and an antenna panel of each of the set of base stations, wherein the operations further comprise: sending, to the set of base stations, a message indicating the antenna panel from which each of the set of base stations are to transmit the positioning reference signals. ### Claim 10 One or more processor of a network component configured to perform operations comprising: receiving an indication of an effective timing error for an uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) positioning technique, wherein the effective timing error is associated with a set of base stations configured to receive positioning reference signals from a user equipment (UE) for the UL-TDOA; providing the effective timing error to at least one of the set of base stations performing operations related to the UL-TDOA; and generating, for transmission to the UE, an LTE Position Protocol (LPP) Provide Assistance Data message including an identifier associated with multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) and the effective timing error, wherein the identifier associated with the multiple TRPs and the effective timing error is used for UE-based positioning techniques. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The one or more processors of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: generating, for transmission to one of the set of base stations identified as a serving cell, an NR Positioning Protocol A (NRPPa) Positioning Information Request message including the effective timing error. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The one or more processors of claim 10, wherein the effective timing error comprises a time stamp indicating one of when the effective timing error is valid or when the effective timing error is to be applied. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The one or more processors of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from one of the base stations, a NRPPa Measurement Response message comprising a relative time of arrival (RTOA) measurement based on the UL-TDOA, and wherein the NRPPa Measurement Response message further comprises an indication of whether the RTOA has been corrected based on at least the effective timing error. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The one or more processors of claim 10, wherein receiving the effective timing error comprises: receiving, from one of the base stations, a relative time of arrival (RTOA) measurement performed by the base station based on the UL-TDOA; receiving, from the base station, a measurement associated with an uplink angle of arrival (UL-AOA) positioning technique performed by the base station; and calculating the effective timing error based on at least the RTOA and the measurement associated with the UL-AOA. ### Claim 15 One or more processors of a network component configured to perform operations comprising: receiving an indication of an effective timing error for a multi-round trip time (m-RTT) positioning technique, wherein the effective timing error is associated with at least one base station and a user equipment (UE) configured to transmit and receive positioning reference signals for the m-RTT; providing the effective timing error to one of the base station or the UE; and generating, for transmission to the UE, an LTE Position Protocol (LPP) Provide Assistance Data message including an identifier associated with multiple transmission and reception points (TRPs) and the effective timing error, wherein the identifier associated with the multiple TRPs and the effective timing error is used for UE-based positioning techniques. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The one or more processors of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from one of the base station or the UE, a message comprising a time difference measurement associated with the m-RTT, wherein the message further comprises an indication of whether the time difference measurement was corrected using the effective timing error.