WO2024156174A1

WO2024156174A1 - Method, device and computer program product for wireless communication

Info

Publication number: WO2024156174A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/108180
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yuze LIU; Shilin You; Peilin Liu; Leyi Zhang; Wei Ma
Original assignee: ZTE Corp
Current assignee: ZTE Corp
Priority date: 2023-07-19
Filing date: 2023-07-19
Publication date: 2024-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2026-01-19
Also published as: CN120982121A

Abstract

A wireless communication method is disclosed. The method comprises transmitting, by a first wireless communication terminal to one of second wireless communication terminals, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the one of the second wireless communication terminals is selected among the second wireless communication terminals based on status information of the second wireless communication terminals.

Description

METHOD, DEVICE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

This document is directed generally to wireless communications, and in particular to 5^th generation (5G) communications or 6^th generation (6G) communications.

Sidelink (SL) communication in 5G enables direct wireless communication between devices without relying on a cellular network. It supports ad-hoc networks, allowing devices to exchange data with low latency and high reliability. With features like beamforming and interference management, sidelink communication optimizes signal quality and is ideal for critical communications and proximity-based services. It enhances device-to-device (D2D) connectivity, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, and enables new use cases across industries. Sidelink communication expands communication capabilities beyond cellular networks, unlocking new possibilities for device connectivity and interaction.

However, the procedures for Ranging/SL Positioning service are still a topic to be discussed.

This document relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for a wireless communication.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method. In an embodiment, the wireless communication method includes: transmitting, by a first wireless communication terminal to one of second wireless communication terminals, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the one of the second wireless communication terminals is selected among the second wireless communication terminals based on status information of the second wireless communication terminals.

Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

Preferably, the status information comprises at least one of:

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal has a non-access stratum, NAS, connection,

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is served by a Radio Access Network, RAN,

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is able to act as an SL Positioning server user equipment, UE, or an authorization server, or

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

Preferably, the method further comprises at least one of:

selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether each second wireless communication terminal has a NAS connection;

in response of each second wireless communication terminal having no NAS connection, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether the second wireless communication terminals are served by a RAN;

in response of each second wireless communication terminals not being served by a RAN, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether the second wireless communication terminals are able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server; or

in response of each second wireless communication terminals not being able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether the second wireless communication terminals are able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals having a NAS connection, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals having a NAS connection.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals are served by a RAN, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals are served by a RAN.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal from the second wireless communication terminals, the status information in response to a request for the status information transmitted from the first wireless communication terminal to the second wireless communication terminals.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal from the second wireless communication terminals, the status information of the second wireless communication terminals via a message for a discovery procedure for an SL position-related service.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

storing, by the first wireless communication terminal, a list of the second wireless communication terminals according to a message for a discovery procedure for an SL position-related service, wherein the list is used by the first wireless communication terminal to select the one of the second wireless communication terminals to which the request for the SL position-related service is transmitted.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal from the second wireless communication terminals, a discovery message comprising status information of the second wireless communication terminal

Preferably, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the first wireless communication terminal to the second wireless communication terminals, a discovery message comprising an indication indicating a content of status information requested by the first wireless communication terminal in a discovery response message.

Preferably, the discovery message further comprises an indication indicating at least one of whether the discovery message is encrypted, or an encryption key for the discovery message.

Preferably, the encryption key is further used for encrypting a discovery response message for an SL position-related service transmitted from the second wireless communication terminals to the first wireless communication terminal.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method. In an embodiment, the wireless communication method includes: receiving, by a second wireless communication terminal from a first wireless communication terminal, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the second wireless communication terminal is selected based on status information of the second wireless communication terminal.

Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

Preferably, the status information comprises at least one of:

Preferably, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, the status information in response to a request for the status information transmitted from the first wireless communication terminal to the second wireless communication terminal.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, the status information of the second wireless communication terminal via a message for a discovery procedure for an SL position-related service.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, a discovery message comprising status information of the second wireless communication terminal.

Preferably, the method further comprises:

receiving, by the second wireless communication terminal from the first wireless communication terminal, a discovery message comprising an indication indicating a content of status information requested by the first wireless communication terminal in a discovery response message; and

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, the discovery response message comprising the content of the status information indicated by the indication in the discovery message.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a first wireless communication terminal. In an embodiment, the first wireless communication terminal includes a communication unit and a processor. The processor is configured to: transmit, via the communication unit to one of second wireless communication terminals, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the one of the second wireless communication terminals is selected among the second wireless communication terminals based on status information of the second wireless communication terminals.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a second wireless communication terminal. In an embodiment, the second wireless communication terminal includes a communication unit and a processor. The processor is configured to: receive, via the communication unit from a first wireless communication terminal, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the second wireless communication terminal is selected based on status information of the second wireless communication terminal.

The present disclosure relates to a computer program product comprising a computer-readable program medium code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a wireless communication method recited in any one of foregoing methods.

The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to providing features that will become readily apparent by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In accordance with various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read the present disclosure that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order and/or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be re-arranged while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in a sample order, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless expressly stated otherwise.

The above and other aspects and their implementations are described in greater detail in the drawings, the descriptions, and the claims.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a schematic diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGs. 9 to 10 show flowcharts of wireless communication methods according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the network functions (NFs) in the 5GC include:

Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) : Manages access and mobility-related functions such as authentication, security, session management, and mobility management for user devices (UE) in the network.

Session Management Function (SMF) : Handles session-related functions such as the establishment, modification, and termination of data sessions for the UE. It ensures efficient data routing and manages Quality of Service (QoS) policies.

User Data Repository (UDR) : Stores and manages user-related data, including subscription and profile information, authentication credentials, and service-related data. It provides the necessary information for various network functions.

Policy Control Function (PCF) : Enforces policy rules and manages QoS for individual users or groups of users. It ensures that network resources are allocated appropriately and that service-level agreements are met.

Network Exposure Function (NEF) : Enables authorized third-party applications and services to access network data and functions securely. It provides standardized interfaces for external service providers to interact with the 5GC.

Network Repository Function (NRF) : Maintains a registry of network functions and their corresponding addresses in the 5GC. It assists in the discovery and selection of network functions during service setup and operation.

Location Retrieval Function (LRF) : Retrieves location information of UEs for location-based services. It provides the necessary positioning data to support services that require location awareness.

Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) : Provides location-based services by retrieving location information from the LRF and delivering it to authorized applications or services.

Location Management Function (LMF) : Manages location-related functions, including tracking the location of UEs, updating location information, and supporting mobility management in the network.

In some embodiments, the 5GC collaborates with the NG-RAN and UE to enable seamless connectivity and advanced services. The NG-RAN provides the wireless access network for UEs, while the 5GC manages the core network functions.

The terms used in some embodiments of the present disclosure are indicated below, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Positioning: A functionality that detects the geographical location and, optionally, the velocity of a mobile terminal.

Ranging: A functionality of determining the distance between two or more UEs and/or the direction of one UE (Target UE) from another UE (Reference UE) via the PC5 interface.

Sidelink Positioning: A functionality that use PC5 to obtain absolute position, relative position, or ranging information for positioning a UE.

SL Positioning Client UE: A third-party UE, distinct from the SL Reference UE and Target UE, that initiates Ranging/Sidelink positioning service requests on behalf of an application. The SL Positioning Client UE does not necessarily need to support Ranging/Sidelink positioning capability, but it establishes communication with the SL Reference UE/Target UE via PC5 or 5GC to transmit the service request and receive the result.

SL Positioning Server UE: A UE that provides functionalities such as method determination, assistant data distribution, and location calculation for Sidelink Positioning and Ranging based services. The SL Positioning Server UE interacts with other UEs over PC5 as needed to determine the Ranging/SL Positioning method, distribute assistant data, and calculate the location of the Target UE. Both the Target UE and SL Reference UE can act as SL Positioning Server UE if they support any of the functionalities.

Target UE: A UE for which the distance, direction, and/or position are measured with the support of one or multiple SL Reference UEs using Sidelink in the Ranging based service and Sidelink positioning.

In some embodiments, ranging-based service provides the distance between two or more UEs and/or the direction of one UE (i.e., Target UE) from another UE (i.e., Reference UE) via the PC5 interface (also referred to as PC5) .

In some embodiments, Sidelink Positioning utilizes the PC5 interface to provide absolute location, relative position, or ranging information of a UE. By using Sidelink Positioning, the location of a Target UE can be determined based on the information obtained from a located UE.

In some embodiments, the Ranging/SL Positioning service can be accessed by authorized SL Positioning Client UEs, 5GC NFs, or AFs (application functions) to obtain relative position or distance/direction results between UEs capable of Ranging/SL Positioning. Additionally, authorized 5GC NFs, AFs, or the LCS (Location Services) client can use the service to obtain the absolute position of a Target UE if it is determined that Ranging/SL Positioning is applicable.

In some embodiments, the selection of the SL Reference UE during the Procedures for Ranging/SL Positioning service through PC5 may correspond to certain factors. For instance:

If the Target UE/SL Reference UE has a NAS (Non-access stratum) connection, it means the Target UE/SL Reference UE can receive information from the network.

If the Target UE/SL Reference UE does not have a NAS connection but is served by the RAN, it means the Target UE/SL Reference UE can establish a NAS connection.

If the Target UE/SL Reference UE can act as an authorization server, it means it can provide authorization services.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 2, a Ranging/SL Positioning UE discovery in Model A may be adopted. In some embodiments, the procedure includes at least one of the following configurations.

1. The Announcing UE (Ranging/SL Positioning UE-1) sends a Ranging/SL Positioning Announcement message to one or more Monitoring UEs (in this case, three Monitoring UEs (Ranging/SL Positioning UE-2 to Ranging/SL Positioning UE-4) ) . In some embodiments, the Ranging/SL Positioning Announcement message includes at least one of: the Type of Discovery Message, security protection element, RSPP (Ranging/Sidelink Positioning Protocol) metadata information, and/or the User Information ID of the Announcing UE.

In some embodiments, the Destination Layer-2 ID of the Ranging/SL Positioning Announcement message is used to send the Ranging/SL Positioning Announcement message.

In some embodiments, the Source Layer-2 ID of the Ranging/SL Positioning Announcement message used to send the Ranging/SL Positioning Announcement message is self-assigned by the Announcing UE.

In some embodiments, the Announcing UE sends the Announcement message when it is authorized to assume the corresponding UE role indicated in the RSPP metadata information. In some embodiments, the Announcing UE does not send the Announcement message when it is not authorized to assume the corresponding UE role indicated in the RSPP metadata information.

In some embodiments, for the Announcing UE acting as a Located UE, the Ranging/SL Positioning Announcement message also includes the serving PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) of the Announcing UE.

In some embodiments, the User Information ID of the Announcing UE corresponds to the Announcing UE's Application Layer ID.

In some embodiments, a Monitoring UE determines the Destination Layer-2 ID for signaling reception based on the configuration.

In some embodiments, a Monitoring UE selects the Announcing UE based on the received information from the Announcing UE (UE-1) .

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 3, a Ranging/SL Positioning UE discovery in Model B is adopted. In some embodiments, the procedure includes at least one of the following operations, steps and/or configurations.

1. The Discoverer UE (Ranging/SL Positioning UE-1) sends a Ranging/SL Positioning Solicitation message to one or more Discoveree UEs (in this case, three Monitoring UEs (Ranging/SL Positioning UE-2 to Ranging/SL Positioning UE-4) ) . In some embodiments, the Ranging/SL Positioning Solicitation message includes at least one of: the Type of Discovery Message, security protection element, the User Information ID of the Discoveree UE (optional) , Target Info, User Information ID of the Discoverer UE, and/or RSPP metadata information (optional) .

In some embodiments, the Destination Layer-2 ID of the Ranging/SL Positioning Solicitation message is used to send the Ranging/SL Positioning Solicitation message.

In some embodiments, the Source Layer-2 ID of the Ranging/SL Positioning Solicitation message used to send the Ranging/SL Positioning Solicitation message is self-assigned by the Discoverer UE.

In some embodiments, the Discoveree UE sends the Response message when it is authorized to assume the corresponding UE role indicated in the solicitation message. In some embodiments, the Discoveree UE does not send the Response message when it is not authorized to assume the corresponding UE role indicated in the solicitation message.

In some embodiments, for the discovered role being a Located UE, the Ranging/SL Positioning Response message also includes the serving PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) of the Discoveree UE.

In some embodiments, the User Information ID of the Discoverer UE corresponds to the Discoverer UE's Application Layer ID.

In some embodiments, the User Information ID of the Discoveree UE is used to identify a specific UE that the Discoverer UE would like to discover, and it is identified by the Discoveree UE's Application Layer ID.

In some embodiments, a Discoveree UE determines the Destination Layer-2 ID for signaling reception based on the configuration.

2. The Discoveree UE that matches the Ranging/SL Positioning solicitation message (e.g., RSPP metadata information) responds to the Discoverer UE with the Ranging/SL Positioning Response message. In some embodiments, the Ranging/SL Positioning Response message includes at least one of the Type of Discovery Message, security protection element, RSPP metadata information, and/or the User Information ID of the Discoveree UE.

In some embodiments, the Source Layer-2 ID of the Ranging/SL Positioning Response message is used to send the Ranging/SL Positioning Response message.

In some embodiments, the Destination Layer-2 ID of the Ranging/SL Positioning Response message is set to the Source Layer-2 ID of the received Ranging/SL Positioning Solicitation message.

In some embodiments, the User Information ID of the Discoveree UE corresponds to the Discoveree UE's Application Layer ID.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 4, a procedure for a Service exposure to SL Positioning Client UE via PC5 is illustrated. In some embodiments, the procedure includes at least one of the following operations, steps and/or configurations.

1. When a Ranging/SL Positioning service is triggered, the SL Positioning Client UE may perform a discovery procedure. In some embodiments, the discovery procedure includes at least one of the following:

- When an SL Positioning service is triggered, the client UE attempts to discover the target UE and/or an SL Reference UE. When using Model B discovery, in the Solicitation message, the target UE's user information is included, and the roles of the target UE and SL Reference UE are indicated in the RSPP metadata.

- When a Ranging service is triggered, the client UE tries to discover UE1 and/or UE2. When using Model B discovery, in the Solicitation message, the user information of UE1 and UE2 is included, and the role of the target UE is indicated in the RSPP metadata.

In some embodiments, during the discovery for the SL positioning service, the information of the SL Reference UE is acquired.

2. If the discovery procedure succeeds, the SL Positioning Client UE establishes a PC5 connection with the discovered UE (s) (e.g., UE1, UE2) .

3. The SL Positioning Client UE receives the UE's status information from the discovered UE (s) . In some embodiments, the UE's status information indicates whether the discovered UE (s) has a NAS connection.

In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Client UE may receive a list of SL Reference UEs from the target UE over the PC5 connection.

4. The SL Positioning Client UE transmits an SL Positioning Service Request to one of the discovered UE (s) . In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Client UE selects UE (s) to perform the SL Positioning operation. In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Client UE selects, based on the received UE's status information, (e.g., UE1 and UE2) among the discovered UE (s) to perform the SL Positioning operation. In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Client UE selects, based on the received UE's status information, a UE (e.g., UE1) among the discovered UE (s) to receive the SL Positioning Service Request.

In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Service Request includes at least one of the information of the SL Positioning Client UE, Target UE, and/or SL Reference UE for SL positioning.

In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Service Request includes at least one of the information of the SL Positioning Client UE, UE1, and UE2 for Ranging.

In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Service Request includes both of the above-mentioned information for SL positioning and Ranging.

5. Authorization check for the service request by the client UE may be performed via at least one of the SL Positioning Server UE, 5GC (e.g., LMF) , UE1, and/or UE2.

6. Ranging/SL Positioning operation is performed via at least one of the target UE, SL Reference UE, and/or SL Positioning Server UE or LMF.

In some embodiments, the UE that received the SL Positioning Service Request (UE1) selects the Location Management Function (LMF) or the SL Positioning Server UE based on its status regarding NAS connection.

7. The Ranging/SL Positioning result is provided to the SL Positioning Client UE by UE1.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the SL Positioning UE may obtain the status information of the other UE (s) . The status information of a UE may include at least one of the followings: whether the UE has a NAS connection, whether the UE is served by the RAN, whether the UE can act as an authorization server, and/or whether the UE can find an authorization server.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the SL Positioning UE may select the SL Reference UE based on the UE status information of the candidate UE (s) . For example, the SL Positioning UE may first select the SL Reference UE based on whether the candidate UE (s) has a NAS connection, then based on whether the candidate UE (s) is served by the RAN, then based on whether the candidate UE (s) can act as an authorization server, then based on whether the candidate UE (s) can find (e.g., connect to) an authorization server.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 5, a Ranging/SL Positioning UE discovery in Model A may be adopted. In some embodiments, the procedure includes at least one of the following configurations.

0. The UEs (e.g., Ranging/SL Positioning UE-1 to Ranging/SL Positioning UE-4) get keys for protecting the discovery message. In some embodiments, the keys may be obtained from the network or Application or can be pre-configured. In some embodiments, some types of security can be used to protect the restricted discovery messages when the restricted discovery messages are transferred over the PC5 interface between the UEs.

In some embodiments, an integrity protection is provided by appending a Message Integrity Code (MIC) as in Open Discovery. In some embodiments, the MIC is calculated in the sending UE using a received Discovery User Integrity Key (DUIK) and may either be checked at the receiving UE using the supplied DUIK or at the ProSe (Proximity Service) Function using the DUIK.

In some embodiments, a scrambling protection may be used to ensure that there is no relationship between the discovery messages sent by a particular UE, i.e., to prevent tracking of a UE over time. In some embodiments, a scrambling keystream is calculated from the Discovery User Scrambling Key (DUSK) and the UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) based counter associated with the discovery slot.

In some embodiments, a message-specific confidentiality may be used to provide a confidentiality protection for a part of the discovery message. In some embodiments, message-specific confidentiality may be used either when some UEs use the same DUSK or if it is desired to obfuscate a part of the discovery message from some of the UEs that are allowed to discover the UE. In some embodiments, a keystream is calculated from the Discovery User Confidentiality Key (DUCK) , the content of the message and the UTC-based counter associated with the discovery slot.

In some embodiments, the RSPP metadata information may include at least one of the followings: whether the Announcing UE has a NAS connection, whether the Announcing UE is served by RAN, whether the Announcing UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, and/or whether the Announcing UE can find an SL Positioning server UE and/or an authorization server.

In some embodiments, the security protection element may indicate at least one of: whether the Announcement message (e.g., the RSPP metadata) is protected and/or the key used for protecting the Announcement message. In some embodiments, the Announcement message (e.g., the RSPP metadata) may be protected by the keys (e.g., DUIK, DUSK, or DUCK) received in operation 0 described above.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 6, a Ranging/SL Positioning UE discovery in Model B may be adopted. In some embodiments, the procedure includes at least one of the following operations, steps and/or configurations.

In some embodiments, the RSPP metadata information may be used for getting status information from the other UEs. In some embodiments, the RSPP metadata information may indicate which information the Discoverer UE wants to get. In some embodiments, the RSPP metadata information may include at least one of the followings: a request about whether the Discoveree UE has a NAS connection, a request about whether the Discoveree UE is served by the RAN, a request about whether the Discoveree UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, and/or a request about whether the Discoveree UE can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

In some embodiments, based on the indication or the request received from step 1 described above, the RSPP metadata information may include at least one of the followings: whether the Discoveree UE has a NAS connection, whether the Discoveree UE is served by a RAN, whether the Discoveree UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, and/or whether the Discoveree UE can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

In some embodiments, the RSPP metadata is protected based on the indication in the security protection element received in step 1 described above.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 7, a procedure for a Service exposure to SL Positioning Client UE via PC5 is illustrated. In some embodiments, the procedure includes at least one of the following operations, steps and/or configurations.

- When a Ranging service is triggered, the client UE tries to discover UE1 to UEn, in which n is an integer. When using Model B discovery, in the Solicitation message, the user information of UE1 to UEn is included, and the role of the target UE is indicated in the RSPP metadata.

In some embodiments, during the discovery for the SL positioning service, the status information of the SL Reference UEs (e.g., UE1 to UEn) is acquired by the SL Positioning Client UE. In some embodiments, the status information may include at least one of the followings: whether the corresponding SL Reference UE has NAS connection, whether the corresponding SL Reference UE was served by a RAN, whether corresponding the SL Reference UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, and/or whether the corresponding SL Reference UE can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

In some embodiments, the discovery can be performed by using the procedures corresponding to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, and details in this regard will not be repeated herein.

2. If the discovery procedure succeeds, the SL Positioning Client UE establishes a PC5 connection with the discovered UE (s) (e.g., UE1 to UEn) .

3. The SL Positioning Client UE stores a list of SL Reference UEs (e.g., UE1 to UEn) .

4. Before the SL Positioning UE sends the SL Positioning Service request to an SL Reference UE (e.g., UE1) , if the SL Positioning Client UE does not get the status information of the SL Reference UE (e.g., UE1) from step 1 described above, the SL Positioning Client UE sends a UE status request to the SL Reference UE (e.g., UE1) . In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Client UE selects the SL Reference UE (e.g., UE1) , to which the UE status request is transmitted, based on the list of SL Reference UEs. For example, the SL Positioning Client UE may select the SL Reference UE (e.g., UE1) on the top of the list. In some embodiments, the UE Status request message indicates the specific information the SL Positioning UE intends to obtain. The specific information includes at least of one of: whether the SL Reference UE has a NAS connection, whether the SL Reference UE is served by a RAN, whether the SL Reference UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, and/or whether the SL Reference UE can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

5. The SL Reference UE (e.g., UE1) transmits its status information to the SL Positioning Client UE in response to the UE Status request message. In some embodiments, the status information includes at least one of the followings: whether the SL Reference UE has a NAS connection, whether the SL Reference UE is served by a RAN, whether the SL Reference UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, and/or whether the SL Reference UE can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.

4a. If the SL Reference UE (e.g., UE1) responds its status information in that the SL Reference UE does not have a NAS connection, the SL Positioning Client UE may select a next SL Reference UE (UE2/. . . /UEn) and sends a UE status request to the next SL Reference UE (UE2/. . . /UEn) .

5a. Said next SL Reference UE transmits its status information to the SL Positioning Client UE in response to the UE Status request message. In some embodiments, the status information includes at least one of the followings: whether said next SL Reference UE has a NAS connection, whether said next SL Reference UE is served by a RAN, whether said next SL Reference UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, and/or whether said next SL Reference UE can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server. The step 4a and 5a can repeat to get information from more than one of UE2 to UEn.

6. The SL Positioning Client UE transmits an SL Positioning Service Request to a selected one of the SL Reference UEs.

In some embodiments, the SL Positioning Client UE selects one of the SL Reference UEs has a NAS connection. In some embodiments, if all the SL Reference UEs do not have NAS connection, the SL Positioning Client UE select one of the SL Reference UEs which is served by the RAN. In some embodiments, if the SL Positioning Client UE does not have the information about which UE is served by the RAN, the SL Positioning Client UE can get the UE status information from the SL Reference UEs (e.g., UE 1 to UEn) (e.g., as described in steps 4, 5, 4a, 5a) .

In some embodiments, if all the SL Reference UEs are not served by the RAN, the SL Positioning Client UE selects a UE which can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server. In some embodiments, if the SL Positioning Client UE does not have the information about which UE can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, the SL Positioning Client UE can get the UE status information from the SL Reference UEs (e.g., UE 1 to UEn) (e.g., as described in steps 4, 5, 4a, 5a) .

In some embodiments, if all the SL Reference UEs can act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, the SL Positioning Client UE selects a UE which can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server. In some embodiments, if the SL Positioning Client UE does not have the information about can find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, the SL Positioning Client UE can get the UE status information from the SL Reference UEs (e.g., UE 1 to UEn) (e.g., as described in steps 4, 5, 4a, 5a) .

7. Authorization check for the service request by the client UE may be performed via at least one of the SL Positioning Server UE, 5GC (e.g., LMF) , and/or one or more of UE1 to UEn.

8. Ranging/SL Positioning operation is performed via at least one of the target UE, SL Reference UE, and/or SL Positioning Server UE or LMF.

9. The Ranging/SL Positioning result is provided to the SL Positioning Client UE by UE1.

In the paragraphs below, details will be described along with some examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to the example below.

FIG. 8 relates to a diagram of a wireless communication terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless communication terminal 30 may be a tag, a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, an electronic book or a portable computer system and is not limited herein. The wireless communication terminal 30 may be used to implement the Announcing UE, the Monitoring UE, the Discoverer UE, the Discoveree UE, the SL Positioning Client UE, and/or the SL Reference UE described in this disclosure. The wireless communication terminal 30 may include a processor 300 such as a microprocessor or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) , a storage unit 310 and a communication unit 320. The storage unit 310 may be any data storage device that stores a program code 312, which is accessed and executed by the processor 300. Embodiments of the storage code 312 include but are not limited to a subscriber identity module (SIM) , read-only memory (ROM) , flash memory, random-access memory (RAM) , hard-disk, and optical data storage device. The communication unit 320 may a transceiver and is used to transmit and receive signals (e.g., messages or packets) according to processing results of the processor 300. In an embodiment, the communication unit 320 transmits and receives the signals via at least one antenna 322 or via wiring.

In an embodiment, the storage unit 310 and the program code 312 may be omitted and the processor 300 may include a storage unit with stored program code.

The processor 300 may implement any one of the steps in exemplified embodiments on the wireless communication terminal 30, e.g., by executing the program code 312.

The communication unit 320 may be a transceiver. The communication unit 320 may as an alternative or in addition be combining a transmitting unit and a receiving unit configured to transmit and to receive, respectively, signals to and from a wireless communication node or another wireless communication terminal.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication terminal 30 may be used to perform the operations of the Announcing UE, the Monitoring UE, the Discoverer UE, the Discoveree UE, the SL Positioning Client UE, and/or the SL Reference UE described in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the processor 300 and the communication unit 320 collaboratively perform the operations described in this disclosure. For example, the processor 300 performs operations and transmit or receive signals, message, and/or information through the communication unit 320.

A wireless communication method is also provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the wireless communication method may be performed by using a wireless communication terminal (e.g., a UE) . In an embodiment, the wireless communication terminal may be implemented by using the wireless communication terminal 30 described in this disclosure, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 9, in an embodiment, the wireless communication method includes: transmitting, by a first wireless communication terminal to one of second wireless communication terminals, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the one of the second wireless communication terminals is selected among the second wireless communication terminals based on status information of the second wireless communication terminals.

Details in this regard can be ascertained with reference to the paragraphs above, and will not be repeated herein.

Referring to FIG. 10, in an embodiment, the wireless communication method includes: receiving, by a second wireless communication terminal from a first wireless communication terminal, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the second wireless communication terminal is selected based on status information of the second wireless communication terminal.

In some embodiments, the first wireless communication terminal used in the present disclosure may indicate the Announcing UE, the Monitoring UE, the Discoverer UE, the Discoveree UE, or the SL Positioning Client UE described above.

In some embodiments, the second wireless communication terminal used in the present disclosure may indicate the Announcing UE, the Monitoring UE, the Discoverer UE, the Discoveree UE, or the SL Reference UE described above.

In some embodiments, the message for the discovery procedure used in the present disclosure may indicate the Ranging and Sidelink positioning Response message or the Ranging and Sidelink positioning Announcement message described above.

In some embodiments, the discovery message used in the present disclosure may indicate the Ranging and Sidelink positioning Announcement message described above.

In some embodiments, the discovery response message used in the present disclosure may indicate the Ranging and Sidelink positioning Response message described above.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or configuration, which are provided to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand exemplary features and functions of the present disclosure. Such persons would understand, however, that the present disclosure is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any one of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

It is understood that, in the present disclosure, the term “and/or” or symbol “/” may include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. For example, A and/or B and/or C includes any and all combinations of one or more of A, B, and C, including A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and a combination of A and B and C. Likewise, A/B/C includes any and all combinations of one or more of A, B, and C, including A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and a combination of A and B and C.

It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first, " "second, " and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals can be represented using any one of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits and symbols, for example, which may be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

A skilled person would further appreciate that any one of the various illustrative logical blocks, units, processors, means, circuits, methods and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two) , firmware, various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which can be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or a "software unit” ) , or any combination of these techniques.

To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, units, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure. In accordance with various embodiments, a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, unit, etc. can be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein. The term “configured to” or “configured for” as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refers to a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, unit, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed and/or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

Furthermore, a skilled person would understand that various illustrative logical blocks, units, devices, components and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) that can include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP) , an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, units, and circuits can further include antennas and/or transceivers to communicate with various components within the network or within the device. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein. If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium.

Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

In this document, the term "unit" as used herein, refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose of discussion, the various units are described as discrete units; however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more units may be combined to form a single unit that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be employed in embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description has described embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the present disclosure. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logic elements, or controllers, may be performed by the same processing logic element, or controller. Hence, references to specific functional units are only references to a suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of the claims. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims below.

Claims

A wireless communication method comprising:

transmitting, by a first wireless communication terminal to one of second wireless communication terminals, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the one of the second wireless communication terminals is selected among the second wireless communication terminals based on status information of the second wireless communication terminals.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the status information comprises at least one of:

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal has a non-access stratum, NAS, connection,

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is served by a Radio Access Network, RAN,

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is able to act as an SL Positioning server user equipment, UE, or an authorization server, or

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.
The wireless communication method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one of:

selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether each second wireless communication terminal has a NAS connection;

in response of each second wireless communication terminal having no NAS connection, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether the second wireless communication terminals are served by a RAN;

in response of each second wireless communication terminals not being served by a RAN, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether the second wireless communication terminals are able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server; or

in response of each second wireless communication terminals not being able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals based on whether the second wireless communication terminals are able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.
The wireless communication method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals having a NAS connection, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals having a NAS connection.
The wireless communication method of claim 3 or 4, further comprising:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals are served by a RAN, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals are served by a RAN.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 3 to 5, further comprising:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to act as an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 3 to 6, further comprising:

in response to a part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server, selecting the one of the second wireless communication terminals among the part of the second wireless communication terminals being able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal from the second wireless communication terminals, the status information in response to a request for the status information transmitted from the first wireless communication terminal to the second wireless communication terminals.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal from the second wireless communication terminals, the status information of the second wireless communication terminals via a message for a discovery procedure for an SL position-related service.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 9, further comprising:

storing, by the first wireless communication terminal, a list of the second wireless communication terminals according to a message for a discovery procedure for an SL position-related service, wherein the list is used by the first wireless communication terminal to select the one of the second wireless communication terminals to which the request for the SL position-related service is transmitted.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal from the second wireless communication terminals, a discovery message comprising status information of the second wireless communication terminal.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first wireless communication terminal to the second wireless communication terminals, a discovery message comprising an indication indicating a content of status information requested by the first wireless communication terminal in a discovery response message.
The wireless communication method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the discovery message further comprises an indication indicating at least one of whether the discovery message is encrypted, or an encryption key for the discovery message.
The wireless communication method of claim 13, wherein the encryption key is further used for encrypting a discovery response message for an SL position-related service transmitted from the second wireless communication terminals to the first wireless communication terminal.
A wireless communication method comprising:

receiving, by a second wireless communication terminal from a first wireless communication terminal, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the second wireless communication terminal is selected based on status information of the second wireless communication terminal.
The wireless communication method of claim 15, wherein the status information comprises at least one of:

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal has a non-access stratum, NAS, connection,

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is served by a Radio Access Network, RAN,

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is able to act as an SL Positioning server user equipment, UE, or an authorization server, or

information on whether a corresponding second wireless communication terminal is able to find an SL Positioning server UE or an authorization server.
The wireless communication method of 15 or 16, further comprising:

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, the status information in response to a request for the status information transmitted from the first wireless communication terminal to the second wireless communication terminal.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 15 to 17, further comprising:

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, the status information of the second wireless communication terminal via a message for a discovery procedure for an SL position-related service.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 15 to 18, further comprising:

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, a discovery message comprising status information of the second wireless communication terminal.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 15 to 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the second wireless communication terminal from the first wireless communication terminal, a discovery message comprising an indication indicating a content of status information requested by the first wireless communication terminal in a discovery response message; and

transmitting, by the second wireless communication terminal to the first wireless communication terminal, the discovery response message comprising the content of the status information indicated by the indication in the discovery message.
The wireless communication method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the discovery message further comprises an indication indicating at least one of whether the discovery message is encrypted, or an encryption key for the discovery message.
The wireless communication method of claim 21, wherein the encryption key is further used for encrypting a discovery response message for an SL position-related service transmitted from the second wireless communication terminals to the first wireless communication terminal.
A first wireless communication terminal, comprising:

a communication unit; and

a processor configured to: transmit, via the communication unit to one of second wireless communication terminals, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the one of the second wireless communication terminals is selected among the second wireless communication terminals based on status information of the second wireless communication terminals.
The first wireless communication terminal of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to perform a wireless communication method of any of claims 2 to 14.
A second wireless communication terminal, comprising:

a communication unit; and

a processor configured to: receive, via the communication unit from a first wireless communication terminal, a request for a sidelink, SL, position-related service, wherein the second wireless communication terminal is selected based on status information of the second wireless communication terminal.
The second wireless communication terminal of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to perform a wireless communication method of any of claims 16 to 22.
A computer program product comprising a computer-readable program medium code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a wireless communication method recited in any one of claims 1 to 22.