US-12625274-B2 - Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position acquisition in connected mode

Abstract

Wireless communication devices, systems, and methods related to global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position acquisition during connected mode, including associated protocols and signaling, are provided. For example, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) can include transmitting, to a non-terrestrial network unit, a capability indication, the capability indication indicating the UE is capable of performing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position acquisition during a connected mode connection; receiving, from the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication of whether the non-terrestrial network unit will support the UE performing the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection; and performing, based at least in part on the receiving the indication, the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit.

Inventors

• Ayan Sengupta
• Alberto RICO ALVARINO

Assignees

• QUALCOMM INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230810

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one memory device; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory device and the at least one transceiver, the at least one memory device storing instructions which are executable by the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, to cause the UE to: transmit, to a non-terrestrial network unit, a capability indication, the capability indication indicating the UE is capable of performing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position acquisition during a connected mode connection; receive, via a system information broadcast message from the non-terrestrial network unit and prior to establishing the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication indicating the non-terrestrial network unit will support the UE performing the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection; and perform, based at least in part on the receiving the indication, the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit.
2. 2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the indication further indicates support of a time period associated with GNSS position recovery during the connected mode connection.
3. 3 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE performs the GNSS position acquisition to acquire an updated GNSS position.
4. 4 . The UE of claim 3 , wherein the UE is further configured to: initiate the GNSS position acquisition based on an expiration of an initial GNSS validity associated with the connected mode connection.
5. 5 . The UE of claim 3 , wherein the UE is further configured to: receiver, from the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication of a length of a GNSS position recovery timer.
6. 6 . The UE of claim 5 , wherein the length of the GNSS position recovery timer is based at least in part on the capability indication.
7. 7 . The UE of claim 5 , wherein the UE is further configured to: in response to failing to successfully acquire GNSS positioning before expiration of the GNSS position recovery timer, perform at least one of: transitioning to an idle mode; or declaring a radio link failure.
8. 8 . The UE of claim 3 , wherein the UE is further configured to: receive, from the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication of a GNSS position acquisition gap; and wherein the UE is configured to perform the GNSS position acquisition in part by: initiating the GNSS position acquisition in response to failing to successfully acquire GNSS positioning during the GNSS position acquisition gap.
9. 9 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein: the capability indication includes an indication of a GNSS position acquisition time associated with the UE.
10. 10 . A user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one memory device; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory device and the at least one transceiver, the at least one memory device storing instructions which are executable by the at least one processor, individually or in any combination, to cause the UE to: establish a connected mode connection with a non-terrestrial network unit; receive, via a system information broadcast message from the non-terrestrial network unit and prior to establishing the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position acquisition gap, the indication also indicating the non-terrestrial network unit will support the UE performing a GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection; and perform, during the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit, the GNSS position acquisition during the GNSS position acquisition gap.
11. 11 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the indication of the GNSS position acquisition gap comprises an indication of a reference time duration and an allowable offset relative to the reference time duration.
12. 12 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the UE is further configured to: in response to failing to successfully acquire GNSS positioning during the GNSS position acquisition gap, operate in an idle mode.
13. 13 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the UE is further configured to: in response to failing to successfully acquire GNSS positioning during the GNSS position acquisition gap, declare a radio link failure.
14. 14 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the UE is further configured to: in response to failing to successfully acquire GNSS positioning during the GNSS position acquisition gap, initiate a second GNSS position acquisition.
15. 15 . The UE of claim 14 , further comprising: receiving, from the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication of a length of a GNSS position recovery timer; and wherein the second GNSS position acquisition is based on the length of the GNSS position recovery timer.
16. 16 . A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: transmitting, to a non-terrestrial network unit, a capability indication, the capability indication indicating the UE is capable of performing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position acquisition during a connected mode connection; receiving, via a system information broadcast message from the non-terrestrial network unit and prior to establishing the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication indicating the non-terrestrial network unit will support the UE performing the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection; and performing, based at least in part on the receiving the indication, the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the receiving the indication indicating the non-terrestrial network unit will support the UE performing the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection comprises: receiving the indication indicating support of a time period associated with GNSS position recovery during the connected mode connection.
18. 18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the performing the GNSS position acquisition comprises: acquiring an updated GNSS position.
19. 19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the performing the GNSS position acquisition comprises: initiating the GNSS position acquisition based on an expiration of an initial GNSS validity associated with the connected mode connection.
20. 20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: receiving, from the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication of a length of a GNSS position recovery timer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/371,320, filed Aug. 12, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to methods—and associated devices and systems—for global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position acquisition during connected mode, including associated protocols and signaling. INTRODUCTION Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations (BSs), each simultaneously supporting communications for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). To meet the growing demands for expanded mobile broadband connectivity, wireless communication technologies are advancing from the long term evolution (LTE) technology to a next generation new radio (NR) technology, which may be referred to as 5th Generation (5G). For example, NR is designed to provide a lower latency, a higher bandwidth or a higher throughput, and a higher reliability than LTE. NR is designed to operate over a wide array of spectrum bands, for example, from low-frequency bands below about 1 gigahertz (GHz) and mid-frequency bands from about 1 GHZ to about 6 GHz, to high-frequency bands such as millimeter wave (mmWave) bands. NR is also designed to operate across different spectrum types, from licensed spectrum to unlicensed and shared spectrum. Spectrum sharing enables operators to opportunistically aggregate spectrums to dynamically support high-bandwidth services. Spectrum sharing can extend the benefit of NR technologies to operating entities that may not have access to a licensed spectrum. Some wireless communications systems may support non-terrestrial networks, which may provide broad coverage areas by using high-altitude vehicles (e.g., satellites or other non-terrestrial-based high-altitude equipment) between base stations and UEs and/or by having base stations on board of the high-altitude vehicles (e.g., satellites). The use of high-altitude vehicles provides benefits and challenges for different aspects of wireless communications. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES The following summarizes some aspects of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of the discussed technology. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of the disclosure and is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in summary form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In an aspect of the disclosure, a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) includes transmitting, to a non-terrestrial network unit, a capability indication, the capability indication indicating the UE is capable of performing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) acquisition during a connected mode connection; receiving, from the non-terrestrial network unit, an indication of whether the non-terrestrial network unit will support the UE performing the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection; and performing, based at least in part on the receiving the indication, the GNSS position acquisition during the connected mode connection with the non-terrestrial network unit. Associated devices, systems, means, and/or non-transitory computer readable media having one or more instructions executable by one or more processors of a UE are also provided. In an additional aspect of the disclosure, a method of wireless communication performed by a non-terrestrial network unit includes receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a capability indication, the capability indication indicating the UE is capable of performing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) ac