Method and apparatus for power and processing savings for positioning reference signals transmitted in beams

A mobile device configured for supporting positioning of the mobile device in a wireless network, comprising:

• a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate in the wireless network;
• at least one memory;
• at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• receive, using the wireless transceiver, positioning reference signals (PRS) transmitted in a plurality of beams from a base station, wherein less than a full set of resources for the PRS in each beam is used to receive the PRS;
• select a predetermined number of beams from the plurality of beams;
• and
• receive, using the wireless transceiver, the PRS from the selected beams using the full set of resources for the PRS produced by each selected beam.

A mobile device configured for supporting positioning of the mobile device in a wireless network, comprising:

• means for receiving positioning reference signals (PRS) transmitted in a plurality of beams from a base station, wherein less than a full set of resources for the PRS in each beam is used to receive the PRS;
• means for selecting a predetermined number of beams from the plurality of beams;
• and
• means for receiving the PRS from the selected beams using the full set of resources for the PRS produced by each selected beam.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including program code stored thereon, the program code is operable to configure at least one processor in a mobile device for supporting positioning of the mobile device in a wireless network, comprising:

• program code to receive positioning reference signals (PRS) transmitted in a plurality of beams from a base station, wherein less than a full set of resources for the PRS in each beam is used to receive the PRS;
• program code to select a predetermined number of beams from the plurality of beams;
• and
• program code to receive the PRS from the selected beams using the full set of resources for the PRS produced by each selected beam.