From SAE J2178-2, PRN means "parameter reference number". It's a a two-byte number that identifies a specific parameter by name, physical unit, size in bytes, and scaling. This concept is compatible with the definition of a PID. This standard describes:
- A method to organize the identifiers into categories
- A way to describe the transformation from binary data to scaled physical units
- A reserved range so the numbers would be identical for any existing 1-byte OBD-II PIDs
- A few specific PRNs as example
The automakers have obviously read this standard. Most of them implement an enhanced/extended diagnostic mode with 2-byte identifiers, but few actually assign enhanced PIDs this way. Overall I don't feel that this section of the standard is very relevant today, or worth reading. Opinions may vary.