System and Method for Network Positioning of Devices in a Beamformed Communications System

A method for device position determination, the method comprising:

• transmitting, by a transmitting device, a beamformed position reference signal (BF-PRS) configuration including at least one of indications of network resources used to convey the BF-PRSs to a receiving device, or a mapping of communications beam identifier to network resource for the transmitting device;
• transmitting, by the transmitting device, BF-PRSs on a plurality of communications beams in accordance with the BF-PRS configuration;
• and
• receiving, by the transmitting device, time difference of arrival (TDOA) feedback for multiple pairs of the BF-PRSs transmitted on the plurality of communications beams.

A receiving device configured to perform measurements and information feedback, the receiving device comprising:

• a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:
• receive beamformed position reference signals (BF-PRSs) on a plurality of communications beams from at least two transmitting devices in accordance with a BF-PRS configuration,
• select at least one communications beam of each transmitting device accordance with a selection criterion,
• identify at least one transmitting device pair from the at least two transmitting devices in accordance with the selected at least one communications beam of each transmitting device, wherein the at least one transmitting device pair comprises one communications beam for each transmitting device in the at least one transmitting device pair,
• perform at least one observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement in accordance with the BF-PRSs on the plurality of communications beams, and
• transmit OTDOA feedback including the at least one OTDOA measurement and including identifiers of selected communications beams of the at least one transmitting device pair.

A first device adapted to perform position determination of a second device, the first device comprising:

• a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:
• receive time difference of arrival (TDOA) feedback from a third receiving device, the TDOA feedback includes at least one TDOA measurement, and identifiers of selected azimuth communications beams associated with the at least one TDOA measurement, and
• determine a location of the second device in accordance with the TDOA feedback.