Systems and methods for handover of 5g location sessions for an ng-ran location management component

A first Central Unit (CU) in a first New Radio (NR) node B (gNB) in a radio access network (RAN) configured to support a location session for a user equipment (UE), the first CU comprising:

• an external interface configured to communicate with one or more of an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), other gNBs in the RAN, other CUs within the other gNBs, and Location Management Components (LMCs) within the other gNBs;
• an internal interface configured to communicate with one or more of an LMC within the first gNB, a Distributed Unit (DU) within the first gNB, and a Transmission Reception Point (TRP) within the first gNB, which may include a Reception Point (RP) and Transmission Point (TP);
• at least one memory;
• at least one processor coupled to the external interface, the internal interface, and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• receive a first positioning message for the UE from a first entity;
• determine a first Location Management Component (LMC);
• store first information for the location session, the first information for the location session including an identity of the first LMC, an identity of the UE and a first identifier for the location session;
• forward the first positioning message towards the first LMC;
• and
• perform a handover of the UE to a second gNB, whereby the second gNB supports a continuation of the location session.

A first Central Unit (CU) in a first New Radio (NR) node B (gNB) in a radio access network (RAN) configured to support a location session for a user equipment (UE), the first CU comprising:

• means for receiving a first positioning message for the UE from a first entity;
• means for determining a first Location Management Component (LMC);
• means for storing first information for the location session, the first information for the location session including an identity of the first LMC, an identity of the UE and a first identifier for the location session;
• means for forwarding the first positioning message towards the first LMC;
• and
• means for performing a handover of the UE to a second gNB, whereby the second gNB supports a continuation of the location session.

A non-transitory storage medium including program code stored thereon, the program code is operable to cause at least one processor in a first Central Unit (CU) in a first New Radio (NR) node B (gNB) in a radio access network (RAN) to support a location session for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• program code to receive a first positioning message for the UE from a first entity;
• program code to determine a first Location Management Component (LMC);
• program code to store first information for the location session, the first information for the location session including an identity of the first LMC, an identity of the UE and a first identifier for the location session;
• program code to forward the first positioning message towards the first LMC;
• and
• program code to perform a handover of the UE to a second gNB, whereby the second gNB supports a continuation of the location session.