Virtual antenna array capability reporting

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable storage media for virtual antenna array capability reporting, particularly suitable for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). The method includes receiving, at a first device, information from a second device, the information associated with an antenna array arrangement and a sensing resolution related capability of the second device; determining, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for the sensing service are satisfied by the second device; and sending an indication associated with the one or more sensed measurement requirements to a second device based on the determination.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and in particular to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for virtual antenna array capability reporting, especially for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). BACKGROUND

[0002] ISAC is a key technology for the fifth generation advanced (5G-A) and the sixth generation (6G). It involves the integration of communication and sensing functions in a single system to enable efficient sharing of resources. ISAC design allows communication and sensing functions to share the same resources, such as frequency bands and hardware, to improve spectrum efficiency and reduce costs.

[0003] With the widespread deployment of communication infrastructure, such as 5G base stations, integrating sensing functions into communication systems has become a hot topic in recent years. This technology can be widely applied to typical application scenarios such as intelligent transportation, low-altitude airspace, smart life, and smart networks. In order to realize wireless sensing capabilities in the current 5G network, network transformation and upgrading are necessary. SUMMARY

[0004] In a first aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to at least: receive, from a second apparatus, information associated with antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus; determine, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are satisfied by the second apparatus; and transmit, to the second apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements based on the determination.

[0005] In a second aspect, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to: transmit, to a first apparatus, information associated with antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus; receive, from the first apparatus, an indication associated with one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service; and determine, based on the sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus and the indication, an antenna configuration that satisfies communication requirements of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: receiving, at a first apparatus from a second apparatus, information associated with antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus; determining, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are met by the second apparatus; and transmitting, to the second apparatus based on the determination, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: transmitting, from a second apparatus to a first apparatus, information associated with antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus; receiving, from the first apparatus, an indication associated with one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service; and determining, based on the sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus and the indication, an antenna configuration that meets communication requirements of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a first apparatus is provided, comprising: means for receiving, at a first apparatus from a second apparatus, information associated with antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus; means for determining, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are met by the second apparatus; and means for transmitting, to the second apparatus based on the determination, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a second apparatus is provided, comprising: means for transmitting, from a second apparatus to a first apparatus, information associated with antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus; means for receiving, from the first apparatus, an indication associated with one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service; and means for determining, based on the sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus and the indication, an antenna configuration that meets communication requirements of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a computer readable medium is provided, having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, implements the method of the third aspect or the fourth aspect.

[0011] Other features and advantages of the example embodiments will be apparent from the following description of specific embodiments, taken together with the attached drawings, which by way of illustration show principles of embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure are presented in terms of examples and their advantages over known approaches are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 An example environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown; Figure 2 A signaling diagram for virtual antenna array capability reporting is shown in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3 An example diagram showing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO-) ISAC system antenna configuration examples and corresponding virtual array schematics is shown; Figure 4 Examples of transmit (Tx) antenna arrays, receive (Rx) antenna arrays, and virtual antenna arrays are shown in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figures 5A-5D Examples of a categorized set of Tx antenna arrays, Rx antenna arrays, and virtual antenna arrays are shown in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 6 Examples of pluggable antenna array designs are shown in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 A flow diagram of an example method implemented by a first apparatus is shown in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8 A flow diagram of another example method implemented by a second apparatus is shown in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 9 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 10 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Throughout the drawings, identical or similar reference numerals can represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The principles of the example embodiments will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and help the skilled person to understand and implement the example embodiments without implying any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0016] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein can have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0017] References to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., herein indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment need to include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is claimed that, whether explicitly described or not, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to influence such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0018] It should be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0019] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, wherein a list of two or more elements, combined with “and” or “or”, means at least one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0020] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, “responding to A” does not mean that the step is performed immediately after “A” occurs, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0021] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “possessing,” “containing,” and / or “covering” as used herein specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0022] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more or all of the following: Hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implemented with purely analog and / or digital circuits) and A combination of hardware circuitry and software, for example (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) that have software, including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions) and Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portions of microprocessor(s), require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software can not exist when it is not needed for operation.

[0023] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation that includes one or more processors and / or

[0024] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that follows any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Machine Type Communications (eMTC), etc. Further, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocols that are currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development in this field, it is clear to the skilled person that future types of communication technologies and systems can be used to embody the example embodiments. The example embodiments should not be considered to be limited to the aforementioned systems.

[0025] As used herein, the term “network device” refers to a node in a communication network via which terminal devices access the network and receive services therefrom. Depending on the terminology applied, the network device can refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), e.g., a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also referred to as gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low power node (such as a femto, pico), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network device (such as satellite network devices, low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellites), aircraft network devices, etc. In some example embodiments, a low earth orbit (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). In some other example embodiments, part of a radio access network device or all of a radio access network device can be hosted on an air- or space-based NTN vehicle.

[0026] The term “terminal device” refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As examples and not by way of limitation, a terminal device can also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). A terminal device can include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and playback appliance, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop-mounted equipment (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable, a head-mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or

[0027] As used herein, the term "resource", "transmission resource", "resource block", "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource" or "downlink resource" can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as a resource in time domain, a resource in frequency domain, a resource in space domain, a resource in code domain, or any other resource capable of communication, etc. In the following, unless explicitly stated, resources in frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources for describing some example embodiments. Note that example embodiments are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0028] As described above, in order to integrate sensing functions into a communication system, network conversion and upgrade are necessary.

[0029] Communication and sensing fusion enables unified design of communication and sensing functions through signal joint design and / or hardware sharing. The sensing part in communication and sensing fusion can be understood as a wireless sensing technology based on a communication system. It transmits wireless signals to a target area or object, and analyzes the received echo signals to obtain corresponding sensing measurement information.

[0030] Therefore, a wireless communication network has natural wireless sensing capability. Base stations and terminals will have communication and sensing capabilities, thus providing sensing services for various applications. The integration of communication and sensing functions in a single system provides several benefits, including higher spectrum efficiency, lower cost, and better performance.

[0031] The integration of sensing and communication in future wireless systems will enable capabilities beyond communication, such as imaging, mapping, and accurate target detection, identification, and distance / angle / speed estimation. This report shows that positioning, sensing, and imaging functions can be integrated into system design. Sensing is a key enabling technology that integrates the physical world, the biological world, and the network world, thus enabling the transition from the Internet of Things (IoT) to the Internet of Everything (IoE).

[0032] The functions of sensor fusion allow mobile operators to provide new services, including ultra-precise positioning, tracking, imaging (e.g., for biomedical and security applications), real-time positioning and map construction, pollution or natural disaster monitoring, gesture and activity recognition, defect and material detection, etc. These functions enable future consumer and vertical application scenarios, suitable for various forms of business, such as immersive human-centered communication, industrial automation, network-connected autonomous vehicles and transportation, energy, healthcare / e-health, etc. In summary, improving resolution is crucial in future wireless systems, and there are various methods, such as increasing bandwidth, increasing the aperture size of the antenna aperture, etc., to achieve higher synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging resolution.

[0033] A typical use case of sensing is azimuth measurement and localization of a sensing target, which is closely related to radar. A series of researches have been conducted on phased array radars, including theoretical analysis, application research, hardware design, device manufacturing, and system testing. Early radars with multiple radar elements are mainly phased array radars, which achieve radar beamforming and flexible and fast beam control by adjusting the phase of the transmitted signal of each antenna element in the radar array.

[0034] With the further development of signal processing technology, MIMO radars appear. The characteristic of MIMO radars is that the signals transmitted by each antenna in the array are orthogonal to each other (which can be achieved by time division multiplexing, frequency division multiplexing, Doppler frequency division multiplexing, code division multiplexing, and their combinations). Studies have shown that, compared with phased array radars, MIMO radars can achieve higher detection accuracy and estimation resolution, higher maximum number of identifiable targets, and better clutter suppression capability by utilizing waveform diversity and virtual array characteristics.

[0035] According to the deployment position of the antenna, MIMO radars can be divided into co-located MIMO radars and distributed MIMO radars. In distributed MIMO radars, the antenna spacing is relatively large, generally much larger than half the wavelength of the transmitted signal, and the signal model of the radar often needs to consider the near-field assumption (the signal received by the receiving array is a spherical wave). Compared with co-located MIMO radars, distributed MIMO radars can better utilize the radar cross section (RCS) diversity of the target to improve the target detection performance. Co-located MIMO radars can achieve angle estimation of array-side targets (far-field assumption), while distributed MIMO radars can directly estimate the azimuth coordinates of the target with high precision. From the implementation point of view, the precise synchronization of the antennas in the distributed MIMO radar is a challenge. Subsequently, new radar systems such as phase MIMO radars and beam space MIMO radars appear, which provide more flexible radar signal and antenna configuration schemes, so that the radar can simultaneously utilize the advantages of phased array radars and MIMO radars, while having excellent detection and parameter estimation performance.

[0036] In addition, in order to extend the 5G system architecture to support sensing functionality, it has been proposed that a (new) dedicated sensing management function (SeMF) (which can also be referred to as a sensing function (SF)) can be preferred to avoid design complexity that can result from extending the location management function (LMF).

[0037] Figure 1An example communication environment 100 in which example embodiments can be implemented is shown. In the communication environment 100, a first apparatus 110 communicates with a plurality of apparatuses, including second apparatuses 120-1, 120-2, …, and 120-N (N is an integer greater than or equal to 1). For illustration purposes, the second apparatuses 120-1, 120-2, …, and 120-N can be collectively referred to as “second apparatuses 120” or can be individually referred to as “second apparatus 120”.

[0038] In some example embodiments, the second apparatuses 120 support ISAC. For example, the second apparatus 120-1 (also referred to as a node or device) can be used to sense an object 121 in a sensing region 125. The first apparatus 110 can determine a sensing policy and configuration for the second apparatus 120-1. For example, if a sensing service associated with the object 121 is requested for a sensing region 125 area (e.g., a parking spot, an industrial area, etc.), the first apparatus 110 can determine a sensing policy and / or configuration for the second apparatus 120-1.

[0039] As used herein, the object 121 sensed by the second apparatus 120-1 can be referred to as a “target,” a “sensing target,” or a “sensed target.” The sensing region 125 can be referred to as a “sensing region of interest” or a “sensing region of interest.”

[0040] To sense the object 121, the second apparatus 120-1 can sense the object 121 by transmitting a sensing signal (also referred to as a sensing reference signal (RS)) toward the sensing region 125. The second apparatus 120-1 can detect a reflected echo signal from the object 121. As used herein, the term “echo signal” or “echo sensing signal” can refer to a signal that is passively reflected by the object 121. The second apparatus 120-1 can perform a sensing service associated with the object 121 or perform sensing of the object 121 based on the detected echo signal. As used herein, the second apparatus 120-1 that both transmits the sensing signal 122 and receives the echo signal can be referred to as an apparatus or node that performs Tx and Rx functions for sensing, or as a Tx and Rx node. The Rx function for sensing can also be referred to as a sensing function.

[0041] It should be appreciated that the second apparatuses 120-2, …, 120-N can also be capable of supporting ISAC. For example, a certain second apparatus 120 can perform a sensing service on a respective object. The first apparatus 110 can determine a sensing policy and configuration for the second apparatuses 120-2, …, 120-N.

[0042] As described above, the first device 110 can determine a sensing strategy and / or configuration for the second device 120. An example of the first device 110 can be a SF or a SeMF. The SF or SeMF can configure or manage a sensing service for the second device 120. For example, the SF or SeMF can have knowledge of sensing requirements and be able to manage coordination and scheduling of resources needed for sensing operations.

[0043] In some example embodiments, the SF or SeMF can be implemented at a terminal device, a network device (e.g., a gNB), or a core network (CN) device (e.g., a LMF, etc.).

[0044] In one example, the SF or SeMF can be used as a functional entity in the CN for management of sensing functions. In another example, the SF or SeMF can be used as a sensing management component at the network edge. In another example, the SF or SeMF can be used as a functional entity of a LMF. A dedicated SF or SeMF can be preferred to avoid extension of the LMF. The SF can interact with an access and mobility management function (AMF) to coordinate sensing functions. It can be similar to the LMF interaction with the AMF for location services.

[0045] It should be understood that although Figure 1 The first device 110 in FIG. 1 is shown as being separate from the second device 120, but it is for illustration only and not a limitation. In some example embodiments, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can be implemented as two separate devices. In some other example embodiments, the first device 110 can be collocated with or implemented as part of the second device 120. In such embodiments, the second device 120 can perform the functions of the SF.

[0046] It should be understood that although Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1, the second device 120-1 performs both Tx and Rx functions, but in other example embodiments, the second device 120-1 can perform one of the Tx and Rx functions, while another device or node can perform the other function. For example, the second device 120-1 can be a Tx node that performs the Tx function, or an Rx node (also referred to as a sensing node) that performs the Rx function.

[0047] The second device 120-1 can be a network device or a terminal device that is capable of sensing. For example, the second device 120-1 can be a base station or a gNB in a 5G NR system that communicates with a terminal device, transmits a sensing signal to a sensing target, or receives a backscattered sensing signal from a sensing target. For discussion purposes, some example embodiments are discussed by implementing a network device as an example of the second device 120-1.

[0048] For the purpose of illustration only, some example embodiments are discussed in a single base scenario in which a network device or a terminal device operates as both a Tx node and a sensing node. These example embodiments can generally be applied to other scenarios, such as a double static scenario in which a network device or a terminal device operates as a Tx node and a network device or a terminal device operates as a sensing node, or a multiple static scenario in which a network device or a terminal device operates as a Tx node and multiple network devices and / or terminal devices operate as sensing nodes.

[0049] In the communication environment 100, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can also communicate with a third device 130. For example, the third device 130 can send a request for a sensing service to the first device 110, and obtain a corresponding sensing service from the second device 120. For example, the third device 130 can be implemented as an application device or a sensing server.

[0050] Further, the second device 120 can also communicate with a fourth device 140. For example, the second device 120 can receive a communication signal from the fourth device 140. The third device 140 can be a terminal device, such as a UE, or other mobile device or communication device capable of receiving a communication signal or communication data.

[0051] It should be appreciated that Figure 1 The number of devices and their connections shown in FIG. 1 is for the purpose of illustration only and does not imply any limitation. The communication environment 100 can include any suitable number of devices configured to implement example embodiments. For example, there can be multiple devices or nodes acting as Tx nodes, Rx nodes, or Tx and Rx nodes, each of which can communicate with several mobile devices.

[0052] In the following, for the purpose of illustration, some example embodiments are described in which the second device 120 operates as a network device and the first device 110 operates as an SF. However, in some example embodiments, the operations described in connection with a network device can be implemented at a terminal device or other device, and the operations described in connection with an SF can be implemented at other devices.

[0053] Communications in the communications environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols of first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), etc., wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol that is currently known or later developed. Moreover, communications can utilize any suitable wireless communication techniques, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other techniques that are currently known or later developed.

[0054] As mentioned above, the first device 110 plays a crucial role in coordinating and scheduling resources needed for sensing functions within the first device 110. It handles sensing requests (e.g., from the third device 130), including sensing area, required accuracy and resolution, and allocates the second device 120 to perform the sensing task. However, due to the lack of knowledge of the capabilities of the second device 120, especially in terms of its vertical aperture / horizontal aperture, which leads to different sizes of virtual antenna arrays and to different angles or / and imaging resolution, a challenge arises.

[0055] This lack of knowledge can lead to errors, as the allocated second device 120 can not be able to meet the sensing KPIs due to insufficient aperture to support angular resolution requirements. Additionally, the allocated second device 120 can not be aware of which set of vertical / horizontal antenna combinations to use to meet the sensing requirements. A large antenna array occupied for sensing can lead to resource overhead and degradation of communication functions, while a small antenna array can not meet the KPIs. Moreover, the second device 120 lacks information about the sensing target distance, which hinders the adaptive adjustment of the antenna aperture to adapt to near / far field wave propagation. This limitation can also affect the sensing performance.

[0056] According to example embodiments, the second device 120 reports its antenna array arrangement information and corresponding sensing resolution related capability information to the first device 110. If the first device 110 receives a request for sensing service from the third device 130, the first device 110 determines whether one or more sensing measurement requirements indicated in the request can be fulfilled by the second device 120 based on the reported antenna array arrangement information and corresponding sensing resolution related capability information. If the first device 110 determines that the one or more sensing measurement requirements can be fulfilled by the second device 120, the first device 110 sends an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements to the second device.

[0057] With the knowledge of the capabilities of the second device 120, the first device 110 has the ability to accurately select and instruct the second device 120 with the required aperture for sensing. This effective approach ensures the best sensing resolution performance without imposing excessive resource overhead.

[0058] Figure 2 A signaling diagram 200 for virtual antenna array capability reporting is shown in accordance with some example embodiments. The signaling diagram involves a first device 110 and a plurality of second devices 120 in Figure 1 For purposes of illustration, the signaling diagram 200 will be described with respect to Figure 1 the first device 110 being a SF or SeMF and the second devices 120 being network devices.

[0059] It should be appreciated that although a plurality of second devices 120 are shown in Figure 2 , in some example embodiments, there can be a single second device 120 in the signaling diagram 200. For purposes of discussion, some example embodiments are discussed with the first device 110 being a SF or SeMF and the second device 120 being a network device.

[0060] The SF or SeMF can act as a functional entity within the core network for managing sensing functions, as a sensing management component located at the network edge, or as a functional entity within a network device. It is desirable to have knowledge of sensing requirements and be able to manage coordination and scheduling of resources needed for sensing operations. A network device (e.g., gNB) is a type of base station in a 5G NR system that can be used as both a transmitting (Tx) node and a receiving (Rx) node.

[0061] In some embodiments, the procedures of Figure 2 may be implemented in an ISAC system architecture, which can be based on a single-static architecture in which communications operate in half-duplex mode and sensing operates in full-duplex mode. It should be appreciated that the procedures of Figure 2 may also be implemented in other suitable scenarios or architectures.

[0062] As Figure 2As shown, the second device 120 reports (202) information to the first device 110, which is associated with its sensing resolution related capability and the corresponding antenna array arrangement of the second device 120.

[0063] For example, the second device 120 can report the information upon request by the first device 110, or can proactively prepare and report the information.

[0064] In some embodiments, the information associated with the sensing resolution related capability of the second device 120 and the corresponding antenna array arrangement can include details of the apertures of the Tx antenna array, the Rx antenna array and the virtual antenna array, resulting in different angular resolutions. The capability information can include information related to the angular resolution resulting from the different virtual antenna arrays supported.

[0065] The principle of virtual antenna array sensing for ISAC will now be described. For example, a MIMO-ISAC system is capable of providing both MIMO communication as well as MIMO radar functionality simultaneously. Improvement in sensing accuracy in a MIMO-ISAC system can be achieved by exploiting the concept of virtual arrays in MIMO radar. The system has M Tx antennas with coordinates and N Rx antennas with coordinates .

[0066] Assuming orthogonal signals transmitted from each Tx antenna, each Rx antenna in the receiver employs M matched filters to separate the transmitted signals, resulting in a total of NM received signals. Considering a single far-field point target, the response of the th matched filter in the th receiving antenna can be expressed as: (1) where is the unit vector pointing from the radar transmitter to the point target, and is the reflection coefficient of the target. It can be observed that the phase of the reflected signal is determined by both the transmitting and receiving antennas.

[0067] In other words, the target response in equation (1) is equivalent to the response obtained from an array with NM antennas, where the antenna positions of the equivalent array can be expressed as: (2) In this case, the array with NM antennas can be referred to as a virtual array.

[0068] Reference is now made to Figure 3which depicts a schematic of the configuration of a MIMO-ISAC system with M=3 and N=4 (i.e. 3 Tx antennas in the Tx node array 310 and 4 Rx antennas in the Rx array 320) and the corresponding virtual array 330.

[0069] It will become clear from the following description how the orthogonality (cross-correlation) between the signals transmitted by each Tx antenna will affect the effective number of array elements in the virtual array and, in turn, the flexibility of the signal processing at the receiver side and the angular resolution.

[0070] In a practical deployment of a MIMO-ISAC system, an array of NM non-overlapping virtual antennas can be constructed using only N+M physical antennas by carefully setting the positions of the Tx antenna elements and the Rx antenna elements. Since virtual arrays typically result in a larger array aperture, they can achieve a better angular resolution.

[0071] In a more general scenario, there are L targets, assuming some correlation between the transmitted signals from the transmit antennas, the received signal of a MIMO-ISAC system after range-Doppler filtering (assuming time delay and Doppler compensation have been performed at the receiver) can be represented as: (3) where includes the reflection coefficients and reflection delays of the th target, while is the length of the transmitted signal.

[0072] (4) (5) (6) (7) A(0) is an N x M matrix representing the steering vector of the MIMO-ISAC system. Equations (5) and (6) represent the steering vectors of the receive array and the transmit array, where and are the signal propagation delays with respect to the reference points of the transmit array and the receive array, respectively.

[0073] The correlation matrix of the transmitted signals from the transmit antennas can be represented as: (8) where, represents the correlation coefficient of the transmitted signal between the th transmit antenna and the th transmit antenna.

[0074] The maximum likelihood estimate for the parameter θ can be obtained based on equation (3) using the vector of NMx1.

[0075] (9) Using the Kronecker product where denotes the Kronecker product. In general, to simplify the complexity of the receiver algorithm, it is desirable that η is statistically independent and a sufficient statistic.

[0076] Performing eigenvalue decomposition on the covariance matrix of the transmitted signals, we have where is the eigenvector matrix, and is the eigenvalue matrix. Therefore, the actual transmitted signals can be viewed as a linear transformation of a set of orthogonal signals .

[0077] (10) Substituting equation (3) and considering we obtain: (11) Similarly, equation (9) becomes: (12) where (13) Therefore, the dimension of the equivalent virtual steering vector is NMx1.

[0078] For a phased array radar, where the signals from each Tx antenna are coherent, the matrix contains only one non-zero eigenvalue, therefore (14) and (15) In this case, the effective number of array elements in the virtual array is only N.

[0079] For a MIMO-ISAC system, where the signals transmitted by each Tx antenna are perfectly orthogonal, and in this case (16) As mentioned above, the orthogonality (cross-correlation) between the signals sent by each Tx antenna will affect the effective number of array elements in the virtual array of a MIMO-ISAC system (or the effective virtual array aperture size). This in turn will affect the flexibility of the signal processing and the angular resolution at the receiver side.

[0080] Reference is now made to back to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the information associated with the sensing resolution related capabilities of the second device 120 and corresponding antenna array arrangement reported (202) from the device 120 to the first device 110 can include information on the highest capability of the angular resolution provided. This can include supported values for vertical aperture and horizontal aperture, as well as maximum vertical dimension and maximum horizontal dimension for at least one of a transmit antenna array, a receive antenna array, a virtual antenna array, or other antenna configuration related information.

[0081] Figure 4 An example of a TX antenna array, a Rx antenna array, and a virtual antenna array is shown. In this case, the reported information can include maximum vertical aperture values and maximum horizontal aperture values for the Tx antenna 410 and the Rx antenna 420, denoted as , , , and maximum vertical dimension and maximum horizontal dimension for the virtual antenna array 430, denoted as and .

[0082] In some other embodiments, in addition to the highest capability, the report can also include information on different levels or categories of angular resolution capabilities, such as low resolution, medium resolution, and high resolution. This can include different vertical aperture values and horizontal aperture values for sensing, as well as corresponding vertical dimension and horizontal dimension for a virtual antenna array.

[0083] Figures 5A-5D An example is shown, where the report can include a set of vertical aperture values and horizontal aperture values for four levels (levels 1 to 4, each associated with antenna array arrangements 510 to 540, respectively), denoted as , , , where i = 1, 2, 3, 4, corresponding to the number of levels (1 to 4) supported for different levels of angular resolution results, the four levels being implemented by applying different number of antennas at different locations. The report can also include information on the vertical dimension and horizontal dimension for a virtual antenna array, denoted as and .

[0084] In some other embodiments, the antenna array is pluggable, allowing different combinations within a large antenna panel. In this case, the report can include the aperture size or virtual aperture size for each combination, even with the same total number of antennas. The report can include a set of vertical and horizontal aperture values achieved by different combination methods. The report can also include information on the vertical and horizontal dimensions for the virtual antenna array.

[0085] Figure 6 An example of a pluggable antenna array design is shown. As shown, the example antenna array arrangement includes 16 RF chains reused by the communication and sensing Tx 610 and 8 RF chains for the sensing Rx 620. The phase MIMO design of the Tx 610 includes 2 sub-arrays (sub-array 611 and sub-array 612), each with 32 antennas and non-overlapping. In this case, a virtual antenna array 630 can be formed.

[0086] Another example antenna array arrangement includes 16 RF chains reused by the communication and sensing Tx 640 and 8 RF chains for the sensing Rx 650. The phase MIMO design of the Tx 610 includes 3 sub-arrays (sub-array 641, sub-array 642, and sub-array 643), each with 24 antennas and overlapping. In this case, a virtual antenna array 660 can be formed.

[0087] As mentioned above, the reported information can include at least one of: a maximum vertical aperture and / or a maximum horizontal aperture of the Tx / Rx antenna array, a set of vertical apertures and / or horizontal apertures of the Tx / Rx antenna array supported for sensing (e.g., associated with different angular resolution results), a maximum vertical aperture and / or a maximum horizontal aperture of the virtual antenna array, or a set of vertical apertures and / or horizontal apertures of the virtual antenna array supported for sensing (e.g., associated with different angular resolution results).

[0088] Now referring back to Figure 2 , the first device 110 can receive (204) a sensing request for a sensing service from a third device 130, which can be considered as an application device or a sensing server. The sensing request can indicate at least one or more sensing measurement requirements for the sensing service.

[0089] In some embodiments, the sensing request can indicate a sensing service type, such as SAR imaging, intrusion detection, gesture recognition, positioning, UAV tracking, etc. In addition, the sensing request can also indicate one or more sensing performance / quality indicators, such as angle, velocity, ranging resolution and accuracy; latency; periodicity; refresh frequency, etc.

[0090] In some other embodiments, the sensing request can also indicate a geometry or location of the sensing target, e.g., a home, a venue, a factory, etc.; a sensing range of interest and / or a sensing scene environment, such as indoor, outdoor, line-of-sight (LoS), non-line-of-sight (NLoS), urban, rural, etc.

[0091] Upon receiving the sensing request, the first apparatus 110 can determine (206) whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for the sensing service can be fulfilled by the second apparatus 120 based on the reporting information from the second apparatus 120, in particular one or more sensing performance / quality indicators (which can also be referred to as key performance indicators (KPIs)) such as sensing resolution or sensing accuracy.

[0092] For example, the first apparatus 110 can decide whether the one or more sensing measurements can be fulfilled by taking into account, e.g., the aperture capability of the second apparatus 120, near / far field information associated with the sensing target. The one or more sensing measurements can at least include a required vertical / horizontal aperture or a required virtual antenna array size to achieve a required sensing resolution or accuracy.

[0093] For example, the near / far field information can include a geometry or location of the sensing target, a sensing distance associated with the sensing target, and / or a sensing range of interest.

[0094] Generally, far field and near field imaging are two different techniques for millimeter wave (mmWave) imaging that use mmWave signals to obtain high resolution images of a target. The main difference between the two techniques is the distance between the target and the imaging system.

[0095] In far field mmWave imaging, the target is positioned at a distance that is significantly larger than the wavelength of the mmWave signals. This allows the mmWave signals to be treated as plane waves, and the image formation is based on Fourier transform techniques. Far field mmWave imaging is commonly used for remote sensing, security screening, and automotive radar applications.

[0096] On the other hand, in near field mmWave imaging, the target is located at a distance that is much smaller than the wavelength of the mmWave signals. In this case, the image formation requires more complex techniques, such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Near field mmWave imaging is commonly used for medical applications, such as breast cancer detection or non-destructive testing for structural analysis.

[0097] The resolution of both far field and near field mmWave imaging can depend on several factors, including the wavelength of the mmWave signals used for imaging, the size of the antenna array or detector array, and the distance between the target and the imaging system.

[0098] The angular resolution equation for near-field millimeter-wave SAR imaging and the angular resolution for the far field can be described as follows: Rn= D * λ / (2 * L * sin(θ)) (17) Rf = D * λ / (2 * sin(θ)) (18) Where λ represents the wavelength of the millimeter-wave radar; θ represents the angle between the radar beam and the normal to the target surface; D represents the length of the synthetic aperture (usually the length of the antenna array); and L represents the distance from the target scene.

[0099] The key difference between near-field and far-field millimeter-wave SAR imaging is that, in the near-field case, the resolution depends on the distance from the target scene (L), while in the far-field case, the resolution is mainly determined by the radar wavelength and the angle (θ) between the radar beam and the normal to the target surface.

[0100] For example, the second device 120 can support different vertical and horizontal dimensions for the virtual antenna array, denoted as three levels of vertical length for the virtual antenna array. , , ,,in < < ; and the three levels of horizontal length used for virtual antenna arrays. , , ,in < < Target distance If it can be considered as near field, then the required vertical angular resolution KPI is The required horizontal angle resolution KPI is The minimum vertical and horizontal lengths of the virtual antenna array are expressed as follows: as well as And assuming the angle between the radar beam and the target surface is 90 degrees, as well as It can be calculated using the following formula: (19) (20) The first device 110 can compare the minimum required aperture with different support apertures in the set and make a decision for the second device 120 whether the KPI can or cannot be met. For example, if < < , > then the first device 110 can infer that the sensing measurement requirements for the second device 120 can be fulfilled when applying / and .

[0101] In this case, in some embodiments, the one or more sensing measurements can be the minimum vertical length and horizontal length of the virtual antenna array, denoted as and . In some other embodiments, the one or more sensing measurements can be the minimum length in the supported aperture set that fulfills and (e.g. and ).

[0102] Then, if the first device 110 determines that the one or more sensing measurement requirements can be fulfilled by the second device 120, the first device 110 can send (208) an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements to the second device 120.

[0103] In some embodiments, the indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements can comprise one or more sensing performance / quality indicators, i.e. KPIs, such as a sensing resolution indicator or a sensing accuracy and far-field / near-field information, such as target distance information.

[0104] Furthermore, in some other embodiments, the indication can also comprise the antenna array configuration (including Tx antenna array, Rx antenna array and / or virtual antenna array) required to fulfill the minimum requirements of the third device 130, such as the required minimum vertical length (aperture) and horizontal length (aperture) of the virtual antenna array , , the required minimum vertical length (aperture) and horizontal length (aperture) of the Tx / Rx antenna array , , 、 , the minimum vertical length (aperture) and horizontal length (aperture) of the virtual antenna array in the supported set of the gNB , , and / or the minimum vertical length (aperture) and horizontal length (aperture) of the Tx / Rx antenna array in the supported set of the gNB , , 、 .

[0105] The indication can also include one or more specific / proposed antenna array configurations (including Tx antenna array, Rx antenna array, and / or virtual antenna array), such as a set of possible vertical length (aperture) and horizontal length (aperture) of the Tx / Rx antenna array and / or a set of possible vertical length (aperture) and horizontal length (aperture) of the virtual antenna array.

[0106] Based on the indication, the second device 120 can determine 210 a suitable Tx antenna array and / or Rx antenna array for forming a virtual antenna array. In addition, the second device 120 can also take into account the required communication functionality of itself. This means making the decision from both sensing and communication aspects.

[0107] From the sensing aspect, in some embodiments, the second device 120 can determine a suitable Tx antenna array and / or Rx antenna array for forming a virtual antenna array based on a minimum required aperture. The second device 120 can adaptively apply one vertical aperture and / or horizontal aperture higher than the minimum requirement.

[0108] In some other embodiments, the second device 120 can determine a suitable Tx antenna array and / or Rx antenna array for forming a virtual antenna array based on KPIs (e.g., sensing resolution and accuracy) that can have target distance related information. The second device 120 can consider near-field / far-field scenarios to autonomously determine one combination of vertical aperture and / or horizontal aperture to meet the KPIs.

[0109] In addition, the second device 120 can determine a suitable Tx antenna array and / or Rx antenna array for forming a virtual antenna array based on one or more specific Tx antenna array configurations and / or Rx antenna array configurations, including such as one or more specified aperture configurations. The second device 120 can directly apply the indicated aperture for sensing measurement.

[0110] From the communication aspect, all the determinations of antenna array aperture made by the second device 120 can take into account the communication functionality: applying beamforming to enhance the ability of radar to detect and track targets while meeting the required transmit power and communication signal-to-interference ratio (SINR).

[0111] As an example, for Figure 6The ISAC system shown, the phased-array MIMO radar approach is applied using an antenna panel 610 with 64 antennas, which can be divided into 2 waveforms with 32 antennas each, each subarray (subarray 611 and subarray 612) meeting the communication SINR. The beamforming process can be performed separately for each waveform: based on the desired direction of the beam, the appropriate phase shifts are calculated for each subarray, then the signals from each subarray are combined to create a coherent signal in the desired direction. The number of antennas in the subarray, the number and configuration of waveforms, the overlap between subarrays can be taken into account in this step.

[0112] After determining the appropriate Tx and / or Rx antenna arrays for forming a virtual antenna array based on the indication and both sensing and communication aspects, the second device 120 can perform sensing measurements and then report (212) the measurement results to the first device 110. It can measure in a single-base mode, where the second device 120 acts as both a Tx node and a Rx node, or in a double-base mode, where it works with another device (e.g., a network device, a terminal device) closer to the target than the distance between the Tx node and the Rx node.

[0113] In this way, with the knowledge of the capabilities of the second device 120, the first device 110 has the ability to accurately select and instruct the second device 120, which has the required aperture for sensing. This effective approach ensures the best sensing resolution performance without imposing excessive resource overhead.

[0114] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example method 700 implemented at a first device 110, such as a SF or SeMF, is shown in accordance with some example embodiments. For purposes of discussion, the method 800 will be described from the perspective of the first device 110 in Figure 1 The method 800 will be described from the perspective of the first device 110 in

[0115] At block 710, the first device 110 receives information from a second device, the information being associated with an antenna array arrangement of the second device and a related capability of sensing resolution.

[0116] At block 720, the first device 110 determines, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are satisfied by the second device.

[0117] At block 730, the first device 110 sends an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements to the second device based on the determination.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the information comprises at least one of: information about one or more transmit antenna arrays of the second device, information about one or more receive antenna arrays of the second device, information about one or more virtual antenna arrays of the second device, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a transmit antenna array for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a receive antenna array for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a virtual antenna array for sensing, a respective sensing resolution associated with one or more antenna arrays, or a rank or a classification of a respective sensing resolution.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 can further receive, from a third device, a request for a sensing service; and obtain, from the request, one or more sensing measurement requirements for the sensing service.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the request further comprises at least one of: a type of the sensing service, a geometry or a location of a sensing target, a sensing range of interest, or a sensing scene environment.

[0121] In some example embodiments, the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprises at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, one or more accuracy indicators associated with the sensing service quality, or a sensing distance associated with the sensing target.

[0122] In some example embodiments, if the one or more sensing measurement requirements are determined to be satisfied based on the received information, the first device 110 can further transmit, to the second device, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements, the indication comprising at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, or one or more accuracy indicators associated with the sensing service quality, a sensing distance associated with the sensing target, or a minimum required aperture configuration of at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements, or one or more further possible aperture configurations of the at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements; or relevant information of one or more ranks or classifications associated with a sensing resolution of the at least one antenna array.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the at least one antenna array comprises at least one of: one or more transmit antenna arrays, or one or more receive antenna arrays, or one or more virtual antenna arrays.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 is a sensing function, and the second device is a network equipment.

[0125] Figure 8A flowchart illustrating an example method 800 implemented at a second apparatus 120, such as a network device, is shown in accordance with some example embodiments. For discussion purposes, the method 800 will be described from the perspective of the second apparatus 120. Figure 1 The method 800 will be described from the perspective of the second apparatus 120 in the network device 100 in FIG. 1.

[0126] At block 810, the second apparatus 120 sends information to the first apparatus, the information being associated with the second apparatus’s antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities.

[0127] At block 820, the second apparatus 120 receives from the first apparatus an indication associated with one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service.

[0128] At block 830, the second apparatus 120 determines, based on the second apparatus’s sensing resolution related capabilities and the indication, an antenna configuration that satisfies the second apparatus’s communication requirements and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the information includes at least one of: information about one or more transmit antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information about one or more receive antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information about one or more virtual antenna arrays of the second apparatus, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations for transmit antenna arrays for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations for receive antenna arrays for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations for virtual antenna arrays for sensing, a respective sensing resolution associated with one or more antenna arrays, or a tier or classification of a respective sensing resolution.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements includes at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, or one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing service quality, a sensing distance associated with a sensing target, or a minimum required aperture configuration of at least one antenna array for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements, or one or more other possible aperture configurations of at least one antenna array for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements; or relevant information of one or more tiers or classifications associated with sensing resolution of at least one antenna array.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the at least one antenna array includes at least one of: one or more transmit antenna arrays, or one or more receive antenna arrays, or one or more virtual antenna arrays.

[0132] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 can also determine the transmit antenna array and the receive antenna array for forming a virtual antenna array that satisfies the communication requirements of the second device and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0133] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 can determine the antenna configuration that satisfies the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprises determining the antenna configuration that satisfies at least one of: a minimum required aperture configuration for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements, a specific aperture configuration for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements, one or more key performance indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, or a sensing distance associated with a sensing target.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 can determine the antenna configuration that satisfies the communication requirements of the second device comprises determining the antenna configuration is capable of: beamforming, a required transmit power, and a required communication signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprises at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, or a sensing distance associated with a sensing target.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 is a sensing function and the second device is a network equipment.

[0137] In some example embodiments, a first device (e.g., the first device 110 in Figure 1 ) capable of performing any of the methods 700 can include means for performing the corresponding operations of the methods 700. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means can be implemented in firmware or software modules. The first device can be implemented as or included in the first device 110 in Figure 1 .

[0138] In some example embodiments, the first device comprises: means for receiving, at the first device from a second device, information associated with an antenna array arrangement and a sensing resolution related capability of the second device; means for determining, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are satisfied by the second device; and means for transmitting, to the second device based on the determination, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the information comprises at least one of: information about one or more transmit antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information about one or more receive antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information about one or more virtual antenna arrays of the second apparatus, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a transmit antenna array for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a receive antenna array for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a virtual antenna array for sensing, a respective sensing resolution associated with one or more antenna arrays, or a rank or classification of a respective sensing resolution.

[0140] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus can further comprise: means for receiving, from a third apparatus, a request for a sensing service; and means for obtaining, from the request, one or more sensing measurement requirements for the sensing service.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the request further comprises at least one of: a type of the sensing service, a geometry or a location of a sensing target, a sensing range of interest, or a sensing scene environment.

[0142] In some example embodiments, the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprise at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, one or more accuracy indicators associated with the sensing service quality, or a sensing distance associated with the sensing target.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus can further comprise means for sending, to the second apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements if it is determined, based on the received information, that the one or more sensing measurement requirements are met, the indication comprising at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, or one or more accuracy indicators associated with the sensing service quality, a sensing distance associated with the sensing target, or a minimum required aperture configuration of at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements, or one or more further possible aperture configurations of at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements, or related information of at least one antenna array of one or more ranks or classifications associated with a sensing resolution.

[0144] In some example embodiments, the at least one antenna array comprises at least one of: one or more transmit antenna arrays, or one or more receive antenna arrays, or one or more virtual antenna arrays.

[0145] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus is a sensing function, and the second apparatus is a network device.

[0146] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises means for performing the operations of the method 700 or other operations in some example embodiments of the second apparatus 110. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the performance of the second apparatus.

[0147] In some example embodiments, a second apparatus (e.g., the second apparatus 120 in Figure 1 some example embodiments, the second apparatus 120 in Figure 1 some example embodiments, the second apparatus 120 in

[0148] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus comprises means for sending, from the second apparatus to the first apparatus, information associated with the antenna array arrangement and sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus; means for receiving, from the first apparatus, an indication associated with one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service; and means for determining, based on the sensing resolution related capabilities of the second apparatus and the indication, an antenna configuration that satisfies the communication requirements of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the information comprises at least one of: information about one or more transmit antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information about one or more receive antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information about one or more virtual antenna arrays of the second apparatus, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a transmit antenna array for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a receive antenna array for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of a virtual antenna array for sensing, a respective sensing resolution associated with one or more antenna arrays, or a rank or a classification of a respective sensing resolution.

[0150] In some example embodiments, the indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprises at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, or one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing service quality, a sensing distance associated with a sensing target, or a minimum required aperture configuration of at least one antenna array for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements, or one or more other possible aperture configurations of at least one antenna array for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements; or relevant information of one or more ranks or classifications associated with a sensing resolution of at least one antenna array.

[0151] In some example embodiments, the at least one antenna array comprises at least one of: one or more transmit antenna arrays, or one or more receive antenna arrays, or one or more virtual antenna arrays.

[0152] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus 120 can further comprise means for determining a transmit antenna array and a receive antenna array for forming a virtual antenna array that satisfies the communication requirements of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

[0153] In some example embodiments, determining an antenna configuration that satisfies the one or more sensing measurement requirements can further comprise means for determining an antenna configuration that satisfies at least one of: a minimum required aperture configuration for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements, a specific aperture configuration for implementing the one or more sensing measurement requirements, one or more key performance indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, or a sensing distance associated with a sensing target.

[0154] In some example embodiments, the means for determining an antenna configuration that satisfies the communication requirements of the second apparatus can further comprise determining that the antenna configuration is capable of: beamforming, a required transmit power, and a required communication signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio.

[0155] In some example embodiments, the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprise at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, or a sensing distance associated with a sensing target.

[0156] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus is a sensing function and the second apparatus is a network device.

[0157] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises means for performing other operations in the method 800 or some example embodiments of the second apparatus 120. In some example embodiments, the means comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause performance of the second apparatus.

[0158] Figure 9 is a simplified block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing example embodiments. The device 900 can be provided to implement a communication device, for example, the first apparatus 110 or the second apparatus 120 as shown in Figure 1 FIG. 9. As shown, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910, one or more memories 920 coupled to the processors 910, and one or more communication modules 940 coupled to the processors 910.

[0159] The communication module 940 is for bidirectional communication. The communication module 940 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary to communicate with other network elements. In some example embodiments, the communication module 940 can include at least one antenna.

[0160] As non-limiting examples, the processor 910 can be of any type suitable to the local technical network and can include one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) and processors based on multi-core processor architectures, as non-limiting examples. The device 900 can have multiple processors such as a special-purpose integrated circuit chip that is time-slaved to a clock of a synchronous host processor.

[0161] The memory 920 can include one or more non-transitory memories and one or more transitory memories. Examples of non-transitory memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 924, electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD), an optical disk, a laser disk, and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of transitory memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 922 and other volatile memory that does not persist when power is off.

[0162] The computer program 930 includes computer-executable instructions executed by the associated processor 910. The instructions of the program 930 can include instructions for performing the operations / actions of some example embodiments. The program 930 can be stored in a memory, such as the ROM 924. The processor 910 can perform any suitable action and processing by loading the program 930 into the RAM 922.

[0163] Example embodiments can be implemented through the program 930 so that the device 900 can perform any process of the present disclosure as discussed with reference to Figures 3-8 Example embodiments can also be implemented through hardware or through a combination of software and hardware.

[0164] In some example embodiments, the program 930 can be tangibly embodied in a computer readable medium, which can include other storage devices in the device 900, such as in the memory 920 or accessible by the device 900. The device 900 can load the program 930 from the computer readable medium into the RAM 922 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer readable medium can include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as a ROM, an EPROM, flash memory, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, and the like. The term "non-transitory," as used herein with respect to a medium, is merely to indicate that the medium is tangible, i.e., is a physical rather than a signal per se, and does not necessarily mean that the data stored thereon is immutably stored, e.g., RAM vs. ROM.

[0165] Figure 10 An example of a computer readable medium 1000, which can be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disk, is shown. The program 930 is stored on the computer readable medium 1000.

[0166] In general, the various embodiments can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software which can be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device, although the embodiments are not limited thereto. While various aspects of an embodiment can be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that these forms of representation are used by those skilled in the art to facilitate discussion of the several aspects as non-limiting examples. The terms "block," "device," "system," "technology" or "method" as used herein, are meant to be broad, and can encompass hardware, software, firmware, special- purpose circuits, or logic that performs the specified function(s).

[0167] Some example embodiments also provide at least one computer program product which is tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium such as a non-transitory computer readable medium. The computer program product includes instructions that are executable by a device having a physical or virtual processor to perform any of the methods described above. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, or the like that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as desired in various embodiments. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules can be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

[0168] Program code for carrying out operations can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can execute entirely on a computing device's or controller's processor(s), or a remote computer or server, as appropriate. The program code can be embodied in one or more computer readable media, which can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computing device or controller. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media can comprise 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 carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computing device or controller. Also, functional computer programs, code, and code segments for accomplishing the present disclosure can be downloaded via computer networks or networks such as the Internet, Intranet, Extranet, or a local network.

[0169] Computer program code or related data, in one embodiment, can be embodied on any suitable carrier medium that is accessible by a device, apparatus, or processor, and can be executed by a processor to implement the various processes and operations described herein. Examples of carrier media include, but are not limited to, electronic signals, computer- readable storage media, and the like.

[0170] A computer readable medium can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable medium can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of a computer readable storage medium can include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0171] Moreover, while operations can be depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such order, unless otherwise specifically stated, and one or more additional operations can be employed, or the order of the operations can be varied, and / or portions of operations can be performed in parallel. Additionally, with regard to flowcharts or other descriptions of processes, it should be understood that the various processes were not necessarily presented in any particular order and that one process described subsequent to another process is not necessarily to be construed as requiring that second process be performed after the first process in order to implement the overall process. It is also noted that while certain embodiments can be implemented in fully functioning computers or controllers, other embodiments can be implemented in other types of hardware, software, firmware, or digital electronic circuitry. Embodiments implemented using wired logic can be configured to operate using one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Embodiments implemented using wireless logic can be configured to operate using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Embodiments implemented using software can be configured to operate using one or more microprocessors or controllers.

[0172] While example embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, it will be apparent that the example embodiments are not limited to the specific form described. Rather, the specific form is to provide an example of the example embodiments.

Claims

1. A first apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, said at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus at least to: receive, from a second apparatus, information associated with an antenna array arrangement and a sensing resolution related capability of the second apparatus; determine, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are fulfilled by the second apparatus; and transmit, to the second apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements based on the determination.

2. The first apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of: information on one or more transmit antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information on one or more receive antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information on one or more virtual antenna arrays of the second apparatus, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of transmit antenna arrays for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of receive antenna arrays for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of virtual antenna arrays for sensing, a respective sensing resolution associated with the one or more antenna arrays, or a level or a classification of the respective sensing resolution.

3. The first apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is caused to: receive, from a third apparatus, a request for the sensing service; and obtain, from the request, the one or more sensing measurement requirements for the sensing service.

4. The first apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the request further comprises at least one of: a type of the sensing service, a geometry or a location of a sensing target, a sensing range of interest, or a sensing scene context.

5. The first apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprise at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing service quality, or a sensing distance associated with the sensing target.

6. The first apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus is caused to: if it is determined, based on the received information, that the one or more sensing measurement requirements are fulfilled, transmit, to the second apparatus, the indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements, the indication comprising at least one of: the one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing service quality, or the one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing service quality, the sensing distance associated with the sensing target, a minimum required aperture configuration of at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements, or one or more other possible aperture configurations of the at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements; or ​ information on one or more levels or categories of sensing resolution associated with the one or more antenna arrays.

7. The first apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one antenna array comprises at least one of: one or more transmit antenna arrays, or one or more receive antenna arrays, or one or more virtual antenna arrays.

8. The first apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first apparatus is a sensing function and the second apparatus is a network device.

9. A second apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to: send, to a first apparatus, information associated with an antenna array arrangement of the second apparatus and a sensing resolution related capability of the second apparatus; receive, from the first apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service; and determine, based on the sensing resolution related capability of the second apparatus and the indication, an antenna configuration that satisfies a communication requirement of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

10. The second apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information comprises at least one of: information on one or more transmit antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information on one or more receive antenna arrays of the second apparatus, information on one or more virtual antenna arrays of the second apparatus, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of transmit antenna arrays for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of receive antenna arrays for sensing, one or more vertical aperture configurations and / or horizontal aperture configurations of virtual antenna arrays for sensing, a respective sensing resolution associated with the one or more antenna arrays, or a level or category of the respective sensing resolution.

11. The second apparatus of claim 9, wherein the indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprises at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, or one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, the sensing distance associated with the sensing target, or a minimum required aperture configuration of at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements, or one or more other possible aperture configurations of the at least one antenna array for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements; or information on one or more levels or categories of sensing resolution associated with the one or more antenna arrays.

12. The second apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one antenna array comprises at least one of: one or more transmit antenna arrays, or one or more receive antenna arrays, or one or more virtual antenna arrays. ​ ​ 13. The second apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the second apparatus is caused to: determine a transmit antenna array and a receive antenna array for forming a virtual antenna array that satisfies the communication requirements of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

14. The second apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second apparatus is caused to: determine the antenna configuration that satisfies the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprises determining an antenna configuration that satisfies at least one of: a minimum required aperture configuration for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements, a specific aperture configuration for fulfilling the one or more sensing measurement requirements, the one or more key performance indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, or the sensing distance associated with the sensing target.

15. The second apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second apparatus is caused to: determine the antenna configuration that satisfies the communication requirements of the second apparatus comprises determining that the antenna configuration is capable of: beamforming, a required transmit power, and a required communication signal to interference ratio.

16. The second apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the one or more sensing measurement requirements comprise at least one of: one or more resolution indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, one or more accuracy indicators associated with a sensing quality of service, or a sensing distance associated with the sensing target.

17. The second apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 16, wherein the first apparatus is a sensing function and the second apparatus is a network device.

18. A method comprising: receiving, at a first apparatus, information from a second apparatus, the information being associated with an antenna array arrangement of the second apparatus and a sensing resolution related capability; determining, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are satisfied by the second apparatus; and transmitting, to the second apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements based on the determination.

19. A method comprising: transmitting, from a second apparatus, information to a first apparatus, the information being associated with an antenna array arrangement of the second apparatus and a sensing resolution related capability; receiving, from the first apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service; and determining, based on the sensing resolution related capability of the second apparatus and the indication, an antenna configuration that satisfies communication requirements of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

20. A first apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a first apparatus, information from a second apparatus, the information being associated with an antenna array arrangement of the second apparatus and a sensing resolution related capability; means for determining, based at least on the information, whether one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service are satisfied by the second apparatus; and means for transmitting, to the second apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements based on the determination. ​ ​ 21. A second apparatus, comprising: means for sending, from the second apparatus to a first apparatus, information associated with an antenna array arrangement of the second apparatus and a sensing resolution related capability; means for receiving, from the first apparatus, an indication associated with the one or more sensing measurement requirements for a sensing service; and means for determining, based on the sensing resolution related capability of the second apparatus and the indication, an antenna configuration that satisfies a communication requirement of the second apparatus and the one or more sensing measurement requirements.

22. A computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to perform the method of claim 18 or the method of claim 19.

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