Hierarchical Positioning for Low Cost and Low Power Asset Tracking

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including computer program code,
• the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• clustering by a transmission-reception point multiple user equipment into a group of user equipment;
• configuring by the transmission-reception point selected ones of the user equipment in the group to be head user equipment,
• configuring by the transmission-reception point user equipment not selected as head user equipment to be group user equipment, wherein the group user equipment are configured to send signals or calculated information used for positioning of the group user equipment to head user equipment instead of to the transmission-reception point;
• receiving, at the transmission-reception point and from the head user equipment, calculated information that was calculated by the head user equipment from the signals or calculated information used for positioning of the group user equipment;
• and
• forwarding by the transmission-reception point the calculated information from the head user equipment toward a network node for position determination of the group user equipment.

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

• the signals for positioning of the group user equipment to head user equipment are first signals;
• the head user equipment are configured to send to the transmission-reception point second signals used for positioning of the head user equipment and the group user equipment;
• the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• determining time of arrival information for the head user equipment based on the second signals;
• and
• sending by the transmission-reception point the time of arrival information toward the network node for position determination of the head user equipment.

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including computer program code,
• the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, at a user equipment and from a transmission-reception point, configuration indicating the user equipment is to be a head user equipment, indicating that group user equipment are to send signals used for positioning of the group user equipment to corresponding head user equipment;
• transmitting by the head user equipment first sounding reference signals toward the transmission-reception point and the group user equipment;
• receiving, by the head user equipment and from one of the group user equipment,
• second sounding reference signals for positioning of the one group user equipment;
• calculating by the head user equipment information for positioning of the one group user equipment, the calculating based at least on the sending the first sounding reference signals and the receiving the sounding reference signals;
• and
• sending by the head user equipment the calculated information toward the transmission-reception point for forwarding to a network node for position determination of the group user equipment.

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including computer program code,
• the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, at a user equipment and from a transmission-reception point, configuration indicating the user equipment is to be a group user equipment, the config indicating that the group user equipment is to transmit signals for positioning of the group user equipment to corresponding head user equipment instead of to the transmission-reception point;
• and
• transmitting, by the group user equipment and to the head user equipment, signals for positioning of the group user equipment.