# US 2025/0159645 A1 · Methods and apparatus for synchronization for sidelink positioning and sidelink communication sessions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0159645 A1 - Document ID: US20250159645A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/832,860 - Filed: 2022-12-30 - Published: 2025-05-15 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-08 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Alexandros MANOLAKOS; Mukesh KUMAR; Srinivas YERRAMALLI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250159645A1 ## CPC - G01S 5/0205: {Details} - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - G01S 5/01: {Determining conditions which influence positioning, e.g. radio environment, state of motion or energy consumption} - H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others} - H04W 92/18: between terminal devices - 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 - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Sidelink based positioning of a user equipment (UE) using multiple sidelink UEs as anchor nodes is based on the synchronization status of available sidelink UEs. The synchronization reference of each available sidelink UE may be determined, for example, and sidelink UEs are selected for sidelink positioning based on their synchronization references. For example, sidelink UEs that have a common synchronization source and/or have higher synchronization priority level may be selected for sidelink positioning over other sidelink UEs. Additionally, the positioning method used for the sidelink positioning session may be selected based on the synchronization quality of each of the sidelink UEs. If each sidelink UE has a synchronization quality within a range, a time synchronization sensitive positioning method may be selected, but if one or more sidelink UEs have a synchronization quality outside the range, a positioning method that is less time synchronization sensitive may be selected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for supporting sidelink positioning of the UE, comprising: detecting one or more sidelink UEs that are available for sidelink positioning; determining a synchronization reference of each of the one or more sidelink UEs; and selecting sidelink UEs for the sidelink positioning based on the synchronization reference associated with each of the one or more sidelink UEs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the sidelink UEs for the sidelink positioning based on the synchronization reference associated with each of the one or more sidelink UEs comprises selecting sidelink UEs that have a common synchronization reference with a higher priority than sidelink UEs that have different synchronization references. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising performing sidelink positioning with the selected sidelink UEs, comprising: performing first positioning measurements for a first set of sidelink UEs that have the common synchronization reference; and performing second positioning measurements for a second set of sidelink UEs that have a second common synchronization reference after finishing the first positioning measurements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the sidelink UEs for the sidelink positioning based on the synchronization reference associated with each of the one or more sidelink UEs is based on measurement priority levels associated with different types of synchronization references. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the measurement priority levels are defined by priority levels for sidelink data transmission. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the measurement priority levels are different for different positioning methods. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a synchronization reference source with positioning measurements from each of the sidelink UEs; and determining an estimated position of the UE based at least in part on the positioning measurements and the synchronization reference source for each of the sidelink UEs. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a synchronization quality for each of the selected sidelink UEs; and selecting a positioning method for the sidelink positioning with the sidelink UEs based on the synchronization quality for each of the sidelink UEs. ### Claim 9 A user equipment (UE) configured for supporting sidelink positioning of the UE, comprising: a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with entities in a wireless network; at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: detect, via the wireless transceiver, one or more sidelink UEs that are available for sidelink positioning; determine, via the wireless transceiver, a synchronization reference of each of the one or more sidelink UEs; and select sidelink UEs for the sidelink positioning based on the synchronization reference associated with each of the one or more sidelink UEs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The UE of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the sidelink UEs for the sidelink positioning based on the synchronization reference associated with each of the one or more sidelink UEs by being configured to select sidelink UEs that have a common synchronization reference with a higher priority than sidelink UEs that have different synchronization references. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The UE of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform sidelink positioning with the selected sidelink UEs, by being configured to: perform, via the wireless transceiver, first positioning measurements for a first set of sidelink UEs that have the common synchronization reference; and perform, via the wireless transceiver, second positioning measurements for a second set of sidelink UEs that have a second common synchronization reference after finishing the first positioning measurements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The UE of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the sidelink UEs for the sidelink positioning based on the synchronization reference associated with each of the one or more sidelink UEs based on measurement priority levels associated with different types of synchronization references. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The UE of claim 12, wherein the measurement priority levels are defined by priority levels for sidelink data transmission. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The UE of claim 12, wherein the measurement priority levels are different for different positioning methods. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The UE of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, via the wireless transceiver, a synchronization reference source with positioning measurements from each of the sidelink UEs; and determine an estimated position of the UE based at least in part on the positioning measurements and the synchronization reference source for each of the sidelink UEs. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The UE of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: determine a synchronization quality for each of the selected sidelink UEs; and select a positioning method for the sidelink positioning with the sidelink UEs based on the synchronization quality for each of the sidelink UEs. ### Claim 17 A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for supporting sidelink positioning of the UE, comprising: detecting one or more sidelink UEs that are available for sidelink positioning, wherein each sidelink UE is synchronized with a synchronization source; determining a synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs; and selecting a positioning method for the sidelink positioning with the one or more sidelink UEs based on the synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the synchronization quality for the positioning method is different than a synchronization quality requirement for sidelink data transfer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the UE is the synchronization source of the one or more sidelink UEs, and determining the synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs comprises: transmitting reference signals to each of the one or more sidelink UEs; and receiving a report of a signal strength measurement or a synchronization quality measurement, or a time or arrival (TOA) measurement quality of the reference signals from each of the one or more sidelink UEs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein selecting the positioning method for the sidelink positioning with the one or more sidelink UEs based on the synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs comprises: selecting a first positioning method for the sidelink positioning if each of the one or more sidelink UEs have a synchronization quality that is within a first range required for the first positioning method; and selecting a second positioning method for the sidelink positioning if at least one of the one or more sidelink UEs has a synchronization quality that is outside the first range required for the first positioning method and each of the one or more sidelink UEs have a synchronization quality that is within a second range required for the second positioning method. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the first positioning method is a time synchronization sensitive positioning method, and the second positioning method is less time synchronization sensitive than the first positioning method. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting a third positioning method for the sidelink positioning if at least one of the one or more sidelink UEs has a synchronization quality that is outside the first range required for the first positioning method and the second range required for the second positioning method and each of the one or more sidelink UEs have the synchronization quality that is within a third range required for the third positioning method. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the first positioning method comprises a time difference of arrival positioning technique, the second positioning method comprises a round trip time positioning technique, and the third positioning method comprises an angle based positioning technique. ### Claim 24 A user equipment (UE) configured for supporting sidelink positioning of the UE, comprising: a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with entities in a wireless network; at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: detect one or more sidelink UEs that are available for sidelink positioning, wherein each sidelink UE is synchronized with a synchronization source; determine a synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs; and select a positioning method for the sidelink positioning with the one or more sidelink UEs based on the synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The UE of claim 24, wherein the synchronization quality for the positioning method is different than a synchronization quality requirement for sidelink data transfer. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The UE of claim 24, wherein the UE is the synchronization source of the one or more sidelink UEs, and the at least one processor is configured to determine the synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs by being configured to: transmit reference signals to each of the one or more sidelink UEs; and receive a report of a signal strength measurement or a synchronization quality measurement, or a time or arrival (TOA) measurement quality of the reference signals from each of the one or more sidelink UEs. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The UE of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the positioning method for the sidelink positioning with the one or more sidelink UEs based on the synchronization quality for each of the one or more sidelink UEs by being configured to: select a first positioning method for the sidelink positioning if each of the one or more sidelink UEs have a synchronization quality that is within a first range required for the first positioning method; and select a second positioning method for the sidelink positioning if at least one of the one or more sidelink UEs has a synchronization quality that is outside the first range required for the first positioning method and each of the one or more sidelink UEs have a synchronization quality that is within a second range required for the second positioning method. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The UE of claim 27, wherein the first positioning method is a time synchronization sensitive positioning method, and the second positioning method is less time synchronization sensitive than the first positioning method. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The UE of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select a third positioning method for the sidelink positioning if at least one of the one or more sidelink UEs has a synchronization quality that is outside the first range required for the first positioning method and the second range required for the second positioning method and each of the one or more sidelink UEs have the synchronization quality that is within a third range required for the third positioning method. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The UE of claim 29, wherein the first positioning method comprises a time difference of arrival positioning technique, the second positioning method comprises a round trip time positioning technique, and the third positioning method comprises an angle based positioning technique.