Sensing method and apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a sensing method and device, relates to the technical field of communication, and can improve sensing of a passive target. The method comprises the following steps: a second node receives first information from a first node, the first information comprising sending beam information of the first node and / or receiving beam information of the second node; the second node receives a reference signal and a backwave signal according to the sending beam information and / or the receiving beam information, and performs sensing based on the reference signal and the backwave signal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a sensing method and apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] Radar can be applied to non-contact object detection, to achieve speed measurement, distance measurement, imaging and other functions. When target detection is performed, a radar transmitter transmits an electromagnetic wave, and the electromagnetic wave is received by a radar receiver after being reflected by a target. By analyzing the changes of the transmitted wave and the target reflected wave through signal processing, the speed, distance and other information of the target can be solved, or the target can also be detected, imaged and processed through a correlation algorithm.

[0003] At present, in order to realize the integration of communication and sensing, radar technology can be applied to a wireless local area network (WLAN), and the widely distributed WLAN devices can be used to realize sensing functions, and further realize intrusion detection, behavior recognition, limb movement / gesture recognition, fall detection, key vital sign signal monitoring and other functions. By introducing radar detection technology in the WLAN, the existing network resources can be fully utilized without increasing a large amount of additional overhead. In the future densely deployed WLAN devices, one access point (AP) can cover multiple stations (STAs), and thus the AP can jointly sense a target with multiple STAs. In the existing 802.11az standard, a fine time measurement (FTM) technology is defined, and this technology based on signal flight time for distance measurement or positioning has been widely applied to sensing between active devices. In the standard, the FTM defines two roles: one is an initial station (ISTA) of the FTM, and the other is a response station (RSTA) of the FTM. The technology supports multiple STAs to simultaneously perform FTM measurement to realize positioning of the active devices. The specific process of the FTM is as follows: Figure 1As shown, first, the ISTA establishes an FTM negotiation relationship with the RSTA, and then the RSTA sends a ranging sounding frame to the ISTA. After the ISTA receives the sounding frame, the ISTA replies to the RSTA with an up link null data packet (UL NDP) frame and records a sending time node t1. When the RSTA receives the UL NDP, the RSTA records the receiving time node t2, and replies to the ISTA with a down link ranging null data packet announcement (DL NDPA) frame. Then, the RSTA sends a DL NDP frame to the ISTA at t3, and records a sending time node t3. The ISTA receives the DL NDP frame and records a receiving time node t4. The 802.11az standard defines a parameter round-trip time (RTT) ((t4-t1)-(t3-t2)), and uses the parameter to measure the distance between the RSTA and the ISTA.

[0004] However, the above FTM technology is mainly aimed at the detection between devices, and requires both ends of the detection to have the function of transmitting / receiving electromagnetic waves. In actual environments, various objects need to be measured, and the FTM method cannot meet the sensing detection between passive devices. SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a sensing method and device, which can complete sensing detection such as passive targets.

[0006] To achieve the above object, embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a sensing method, which can be executed by a second node or a component with a function of the second node (such as a chip system of the second node), and includes: receiving, by the second node, first information from a first node, the first information including sending beam information of the first node and / or receiving beam information of the second node; receiving, by the second node, a reference signal and a backwave signal according to the sending beam information and / or the receiving beam information, and performing sensing based on the reference signal and the backwave signal.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the sensing scheme of the embodiment of the present application can realize accurate ranging of the passive target, because the first node can instruct the second node to form a corresponding receiving beam through the first information, so that the second node receives the echo signal and / or the reference signal through the receiving beam. Since the receiving beam is usually aligned with the transmitting beam, the receiving gain can be improved. Moreover, since the scheme does not sense the target based on the time parameter, the time synchronization between the transceiver is not required, thereby reducing the implementation complexity of the transceiver.

[0009] In a possible design, the first information includes transmitting beam information of the first node, and the transmitting beam includes a first transmitting beam and a second transmitting beam for transmitting the illumination signal.

[0010] The second node receives the reference signal according to the transmitting beam information, including: the second node receives the reference signal through the beam corresponding to the first transmitting beam, or receives the reference signal omnidirectionally in space.

[0011] And / or, the second node receives the echo signal according to the transmitting beam information, including: the second node receives the echo signal through the beam corresponding to the second transmitting beam, or receives the echo signal omnidirectionally in space.

[0012] In a possible design, the first information includes receiving beam information of the second node, and the receiving beam includes a first receiving beam for receiving the reference signal and / or a second receiving beam for receiving the echo signal.

[0013] The second node receives the reference signal according to the receiving beam information, including: the second node receives the reference signal through the first receiving beam, or receives the reference signal omnidirectionally in space.

[0014] The second node receives the echo signal according to the receiving beam information, including: the second node receives the echo signal through the second receiving beam, or receives the echo signal omnidirectionally in space.

[0015] In a possible design, the second node receives the first information from the first node, including: the second node receives an NDPA frame from the first node, and the NDPA frame includes the first information.

[0016] In a possible design, the method further includes: the second node receives a first trigger frame from the first node, the first trigger frame being used to trigger the second node to feed back the sensing information; and the second node sends the sensing information to the first node.

[0017] The first trigger frame includes feedback type information, and the feedback type information is used to indicate the type of the sensing information, where the type of the sensing information includes one or more of the following in combination: original information, sensing result of the original information, and signal processing result of the original information.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present application provides a sensing method, which can be performed by a first node or a component having the function of the first node (such as a chip system of the first node), comprising:

[0019] The first node generates one or more first information, and respectively sends the one or more first information to one or more second nodes. The first information includes the sending beam information of the first node, and / or the receiving beam information of the second node.

[0020] In a possible design, the first node sends the first information to the second node, including: the first node sends an NDPA frame to the second node, and the NDPA frame includes the first information.

[0021] In a possible design, the method further includes: the first node respectively sends an illumination signal to the one or more second nodes, and sends a first trigger frame to the one or more second nodes, the first trigger frame being used to trigger the one or more second nodes to feed back sensing information. Then, the first node receives the one or more sensing information from the one or more second nodes, and fuses the one or more sensing information.

[0022] In a third aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a sensing method, which can be performed by a second node or a component having the function of the second node (such as a chip system of the second node), comprising: the second node receives second information from a first node, the second information including the sending beam information of the second node; and the second node sends an illumination signal based on the sending beam information.

[0023] In a possible design, the second node receives the second information from the first node, including: the second node receives a second trigger frame from the first node, and the second trigger frame includes the second information.

[0024] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a sensing method, which can be performed by a first node or a component having the function of the first node (such as a chip system of the first node), comprising: the first node generates second information, and sends the second information to a second node, the second information including the sending beam information of the second node.

[0025] In a possible design, the first node sends the second information to the second node, including: the first node sends a second trigger frame to the second node, and the second trigger frame includes the second information.

[0026] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a sensing device, which can be a second node or a component with second node functions (such as a chip system of a second node), comprising: a communication unit for receiving first information from a first node, the first information including transmit beam information of the first node and / or receive beam information of the second node; receiving a reference signal and an echo signal according to the transmit beam information and / or the receive beam information; and a processing unit for performing sensing based on the reference signal and the echo signal.

[0027] In one possible design, the first information includes the transmission beam information of the first node, and the transmission beam includes a first transmission beam and a second transmission beam for transmitting lighting signals.

[0028] A communication unit is used to receive a reference signal according to transmitted beam information, including: receiving the reference signal through the beam corresponding to the first transmitted beam, and receiving the reference signal omnidirectionally in space.

[0029] And / or, a communication unit, configured to receive an echo signal according to transmitted beam information, including: receiving the echo signal via a beam corresponding to a second transmitted beam, or receiving the echo signal omnidirectionally in space.

[0030] In one possible design, the first information includes the receive beam information of the second node, the receive beam including a first receive beam for receiving a reference signal and / or a second receive beam for receiving an echo signal.

[0031] A communication unit is used to receive a reference signal based on received beam information, including: receiving the reference signal via a first received beam, or receiving the reference signal omnidirectionally in space.

[0032] A communication unit is used to receive echo signals according to receiving beam information, including: receiving echo signals through a second receiving beam, or receiving echo signals omnidirectionally in space.

[0033] In one possible design, the communication unit, for receiving first information from the first node, includes: receiving an NDPA frame from the first node, the NDPA frame including the first information.

[0034] In one possible design, the communication unit is also used to receive a first trigger frame from the first node, the first trigger frame being used to trigger the second node to provide feedback sensing information; and to send sensing information to the first node.

[0035] The first trigger frame includes feedback type information, which indicates the type of perceived information. The type of perceived information includes one or more of the following: raw information, the perception result of raw information, and the signal processing result of raw information.

[0036] Sixthly, this application provides a sensing device, which can be a first node or a component with the function of a first node (such as a chip system of a first node), comprising: a processing unit for generating one or more first pieces of information; and a communication unit for transmitting one or more pieces of first information to one or more second nodes respectively. The first information includes transmitting beam information of the first node and / or receiving beam information of the second node.

[0037] In one possible design, the communication unit, used to send first information to the second node, includes: sending an NDPA frame to the second node, the NDPA frame including the first information.

[0038] In one possible design, the communication unit is further configured to send illumination signals to one or more second nodes respectively, and to send a first trigger frame to one or more second nodes, the first trigger frame being used to trigger the one or more second nodes to provide feedback sensing information. The communication unit is also configured to receive one or more pieces of sensing information from one or more second nodes; the processing unit is further configured to fuse the one or more pieces of sensing information.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a sensing device, which can be a second node or a component with second node functions (such as a chip system of the second node), including: a communication unit, configured to receive second information from a first node, the second information including transmission beam information of the second node; and further configured to transmit a lighting signal based on the transmission beam information.

[0040] In one possible design, the communication unit, used to receive second information from the first node, includes: receiving a second trigger frame from the first node, the second trigger frame including the second information.

[0041] Eighthly, this application provides a sensing device, which can be a first node or a component with the function of a first node (such as a chip system of the first node), including: a processing unit for generating second information; and a communication unit for sending the second information to a second node, the second information including the transmission beam information of the second node.

[0042] In one possible design, the communication unit, used to send second information to the second node, includes: sending a second trigger frame to the second node, the second trigger frame including the second information.

[0043] In one possible design of any of the foregoing aspects, the transmit beam information includes a combination of one or more of the following: the number of transmit beams, the beam angle of the transmit beam used to transmit the illumination signal, the initial scan angle of the transmit beam used to transmit the illumination signal, and the scan direction of the transmit beam used to transmit the illumination signal. And / or, the receive beam information includes a combination of one or more of the following: the number of receive beams, the beam angle of the receive beam used to receive the reference signal, the initial scan angle of the receive beam used to receive the echo signal, and the scan direction of the receive beam used to receive the echo signal.

[0044] In any of the above-mentioned possible designs, the NDPA frame may also include one or more of the following combinations: frame type information, frame subtype information, and association identification information.

[0045] The frame type includes a sensing type, and / or the frame subtype includes a sensing subtype; the frame type information is included in the frame control information, or in the sensing token information; the frame subtype information is included in the frame control information, or in the site ...

[0046] In one possible design of any of the above aspects, the first trigger frame includes feedback type information, which is used to indicate the type of perceived information, wherein the type of perceived information includes one or more of the following: raw information, the perception result of raw information, and the signal processing result of raw information.

[0047] In one possible design of any of the above aspects, the first trigger frame further includes a combination of one or more of the following: subtype information of the first trigger frame, type information of the first trigger frame; the subtype of the first trigger frame includes triggering feedback sensing information of the second node. The type of the first trigger frame includes detection sensing.

[0048] In one possible design of any of the above aspects, the second trigger frame may also include a combination of one or more of the following: frame type information and frame subtype information.

[0049] The frame types include sensing type; the frame subtypes include triggering the second node to send a lighting signal.

[0050] Ninthly, this application provides a sensing device for implementing the function of the first node in any of the above aspects, or for implementing the function of the second node in any of the above aspects.

[0051] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a sensing device that has the function of implementing the sensing method of any of the above aspects. This function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0052] Eleventhly, a sensing device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer execution instructions, wherein when the sensing device is running, the processor executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory to cause the sensing device to perform a sensing method as described in any of the preceding aspects.

[0053] In a twelfth aspect, a sensing device is provided, comprising: a processor; the processor is configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading instructions from the memory, to execute a sensing method as described in any of the preceding aspects according to the instructions.

[0054] In a thirteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a sensing device, which can be a chip system including a processor and a memory, for implementing the functions of the methods described in any of the preceding aspects. The chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0055] In a fourteenth aspect, a sensing device is provided, which may be a circuit system including a processing circuit configured to perform a sensing method as described in any of the preceding aspects.

[0056] In a fifteenth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above.

[0057] In a sixteenth aspect, this application also provides a computer program product including instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above.

[0058] In a seventeenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a system that includes the first node and / or the second node described above. Attached Figure Description

[0059] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation principle of FTM technology provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0060] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0061] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensing device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0062] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensing device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the sensing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 6 This is an exemplary schematic diagram of some beam information provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a scenario for the sensing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 8 A timing diagram illustrating the LOS distance determination process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an NDPA frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating the sensing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 11 A flowchart of the sensing method provided in this application and a structural diagram of the first trigger frame;

[0070] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating the sensing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a scenario for the sensing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 14 A flowchart of the sensing method and a schematic diagram of the structure of the second trigger frame provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0073] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensing device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0074] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects or to distinguish different treatments of the same object, rather than to describe a specific order of objects.

[0075] "At least one" means one or more.

[0076] "Multiple" refers to two or more.

[0077] "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0078] The character " / " generally indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B.

[0079] Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, used in the description of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0080] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0081] In the specification and drawings of this application, the terms "of", "corresponding", and "corresponding" are sometimes used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction is not emphasized, they have the same meaning.

[0082] First, the technical terminology used in the embodiments of this application will be introduced:

[0083] Monostatic Radar: Radars can be classified into monostatic, bistatic, and multistatic radars based on whether the transmitter and receiver are co-located. In monostatic radar, the transmitter and receiver are co-located; in other words, the physical locations of the transmitter and receiver are relatively close, and in some scenarios, they share the same antenna. Monostatic radars have a simple structure and operation, and the signals share a common source, making it easy to achieve transmit-receive synchronization. When a monostatic radar lacks full-duplex capability, it typically uses a switch to switch the transmit and receive circuits for detection. The switching time creates a detection blind zone, making it difficult to detect nearby targets effectively.

[0084] Bistatic / Multistatic Radar: The transmitter and receiver are physically separated, or physically far apart. Theoretically, this type of radar has no detection blind spots and can continuously detect targets, but achieving synchronized transmission and reception is difficult.

[0085] The method described in this application is applied to a joint sensing process among multiple nodes. See also... Figure 2 The above describes the architecture of a communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application. This communication system can be a WLAN system or other systems, such as a V2X communication system, a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication system, a long term evolution (LTE) system, an LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, an LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system such as an NR system, and future communication systems such as a 6G system. The embodiments of this application are not limited to these.

[0086] Some scenarios in the embodiments of this application are... Figure 2 The following example illustrates a scenario within a WiFi communication system. It should be noted that the solutions described in this embodiment can also be applied to other mobile communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced with the names of the corresponding functions in other mobile communication systems.

[0087] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, let's first take... Figure 2 The communication system shown in the figure is used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0088] The communication system includes at least one network device. Figure 2 Two) and / or at least one terminal device are illustrated in the example. Figure 2 Two examples are shown).

[0089] In this embodiment, the network device is a device located on the network side of a communication system and having wireless transceiver functionality, or a chip or chip system that can be installed in the device. This network device includes, but is not limited to, access points (APs) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, such as home gateways, routers, servers, switches, and bridges. Network equipment can also be evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home-evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), radio relay node, radio backhaul node, transmission and reception point (TRP or transmission point, TP), etc. It can also be 5G, such as gNB in ​​a new radio (NR) system, or transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or network nodes that constitute a gNB or transmission point, such as baseband unit (BBU), or distributed unit (DU), roadside unit (RSU) with base station function, etc.

[0090] The aforementioned terminal equipment is for access Figure 2The communication system shown includes a terminal with wireless transceiver capabilities or a chip or chip system that can be installed in the terminal. This terminal device can also be referred to as a user device, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical care, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, vehicle-mounted terminal, RSU with terminal functionality, etc. The terminal device of this application can also be an on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the sensing method provided in this application through the built-in on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit. Typically, a mobile phone can be used as a station to connect to an access point (AP).

[0091] It should be noted that the aforementioned terminal devices, such as mobile phones, can also be used as access points (APs). For example, a mobile phone can enable other mobile phones to access the network through a hotspot. The aforementioned network devices, such as routers, can also be used as stations, for example, by connecting to another uplink network so that mobile phones can obtain uplink network services through that router.

[0092] It should be noted that the sensing method provided in the embodiments of this application can be used for Figure 2 The relationship between any two nodes shown can be between terminal devices, network devices, or between a terminal device and a network device.

[0093] It should be understood that Figure 2 This is a simplified diagram for ease of understanding only. The communication system may also include other network devices and / or other terminal devices. Figure 2 It was not drawn in the middle.

[0094] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of a communication device 200 applicable to the sensing method provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication device 200 can be a terminal device, or a chip or other component with terminal functions applied in a terminal device. Figure 3 As shown, the communication device 200 may include at least one processor 201, a memory 202, and a transceiver 203. There are signal connections between the at least one processor 201, the memory 202, and the transceiver 203, such as a bus connection.

[0095] The following is combined Figure 3 A detailed description of each component of the communication device 200 is provided below:

[0096] Processor 201 is the control center of communication device 200. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, processor 201 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0097] The processor 201 can perform various functions of the communication device 200 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 202 and calling data stored in the memory 202.

[0098] In a specific implementation, as one example, the processor 201 may include one or more CPUs, for example... Figure 3 CPU0 and CPU1 are shown in the diagram.

[0099] In a specific implementation, as one example, the communication device 200 may also include multiple processors, for example... Figure 3 The processors 201 and 204 are shown. Each of these processors can be a single-core processor (CPU) or a multi-core processor (CPU). Here, "processor" can refer to one or more communication devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0100] The memory 202 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage communication device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage communication device capable of storing information and instructions, or it may be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage communication device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 202 may exist independently or may be integrated with the processor 201.

[0101] The memory 202 stores the software program that executes the solution of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 201. Specific implementation methods described above can be found in the following method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0102] Transceiver 203 is used for communication with other communication devices. Of course, transceiver 203 can also be used for communication with a communication network. Transceiver 203 may include a receiving unit to implement the receiving function and a transmitting unit to implement the transmitting function.

[0103] It should be noted that, Figure 3 The structure of the communication device 200 shown does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. Actual communication devices may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0104] Figure 4 Another schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The device includes a radio frequency component and an antenna, enabling the device to communicate with other devices via the radio frequency component and the antenna. The device may also include components implementing media access control (MAC) layer functions and components implementing physical (PHY) layer functions. The device may also include storage components, such as… Figure 3The device may also include a scheduling component for scheduling the device itself or other devices to perform certain functions, such as scheduling other devices to send information. The device may also include a control component and a processing component; the control component controls the operation of the device, and the processing component processes signals. As one possible implementation, the scheduling component, control component, and processing component may be integrated together or configured separately. As another possible implementation, the storage component may be integrated with one or more components, such as the scheduling component, or configured separately.

[0105] As mentioned above, although existing WLAN devices utilize Time-of-Flight (FTM) technology for sensing, this sensing is typically between active devices and does not enable the detection of passive targets (such as people or trees). Furthermore, since FTM technology is based on signal time-of-flight, the transmitting and receiving ends usually need to be synchronized. When the transmitting and receiving ends are not synchronized, the measurement results are generally poor.

[0106] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a sensing method, which will be described below in conjunction with... Figures 5-14 The sensing method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0107] Figure 5 Flowchart of the sensing method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 This sensing method can be applied to Figure 2 The diagram shows the joint sensing among multiple nodes.

[0108] like Figure 5 As shown, the sensing method includes the following steps:

[0109] S501, The first node generates one or more first pieces of information.

[0110] It should be noted that, Figure 5 The technical solution of this application embodiment is described using the process shown as an example, with the first node as AP, the first node as the lighting end, the second node as STA, and the second node as the sensing end.

[0111] In this embodiment, the WLAN device can be either an illumination device or a sensing device. The illumination device can be called an illumination end, and the sensing device can be called a sensing end. An illumination end is the end that transmits an illumination signal. A portion of the illumination signal (which can be called the illumination signal used to illuminate the target, or the target illumination signal) reaches the target, is reflected by the target to form an echo signal, and a portion of the illumination signal reaches the sensing end via the LOS distance. This portion of the illumination signal (which can be called the direct illumination signal) can serve as a reference signal for the sensing end. A sensing end is the end that receives the echo signal reflected by the target and the reference signal directly reached from the illumination end via the LOS distance. The sensing end can determine the target's motion characteristics, position, and speed based on the relationship between the target echo signal and the reference signal, such as amplitude and phase difference.

[0112] Typically, high-frequency WLAN devices (such as 60GHz, conforming to the 802.11ad / ay standard) possess good beamforming capabilities, capable of forming multiple (≥1) beams. Based on this, this application embodiment introduces the dual-channel architecture of passive radar into the sensing process of a WLAN device for the first time. Specifically, the sensing end forms dual channels, corresponding to a reference signal and an echo signal respectively. The WLAN receiving device receives the reference signal through one channel (referred to as the reference channel) and receives the echo signal through the other channel (referred to as the monitoring channel). Further, the illumination end can form a transmit beam along the LOS distance between the transceiver ends and pointing towards the sensing end, thereby transmitting a direct illumination signal through this transmit beam. Correspondingly, the sensing end can form a receive beam along the LOS distance pointing towards the illumination end. Thus, the sensing end can receive the reference signal through the receive beam on the reference channel, improving the transmission gain. Furthermore, since the target may be moving, the illumination end can also form a transmission beam at a certain initial scanning angle. This transmission beam scans in space along a certain scanning direction, thereby transmitting a target illumination signal with a variable direction to track the moving target and generate echo signals in different directions. Correspondingly, the sensing end forms a receiving beam, allowing it to scan in space along the monitoring channel to receive echo signals. Of course, the sensing end can also receive echo signals omnidirectionally along the monitoring channel.

[0113] The first information is used to instruct the receiving beam of the second node, causing the second node to adjust the receiving beam used to receive the echo signal and / or reference signal, for example, by adjusting the direction of the receiving beam, i.e., performing beam steering, in order to efficiently receive the echo signal and reference signal. Specifically, the first information for a given second node includes the transmitting beam information of the first node and / or the receiving beam information of that second node.

[0114] The transmitted beam information includes one or more of the following: the number of transmitted beams, the beam angle of the transmitted beam used to transmit the illumination signal, the initial scan angle of the transmitted beam used to transmit the illumination signal, and the scan direction of the transmitted beam used to transmit the illumination signal.

[0115] And / or, the received beam information includes one or more of the following combinations: the number of received beams, the beam angle of the received beam for receiving the reference signal, the initial scan angle of the received beam for receiving the echo signal, and the scan direction of the received beam for receiving the echo signal. Wherein, the beam angle of the received beam for receiving the reference signal is along the LOS distance between the first node and the second node and points towards the first node.

[0116] The transmitted beam information may also include other information, such as transmitted beamwidth and / or transmitted beampower, and the received beam information may also include received beamwidth and / or received beampower. This application does not limit the specific content of the transmitted beam information and / or the specific content of the received beam information.

[0117] Among them, see Figure 6 In this embodiment of the application, the beam angle is a concept in three-dimensional space, which can also be called the beam direction. Similarly, the initial scanning angle can also be called the initial scanning direction.

[0118] S502, The first node sends one or more first messages to one or more second nodes respectively.

[0119] Correspondingly, the second node receives the first information from the first node.

[0120] As one possible implementation, the first node sends the first information to the second node, which can be implemented as follows: the first node sends an NDPA frame to the second node, and the NDPA frame includes (or carries) the first information.

[0121] Correspondingly, the second node receives the first information from the first node, which can be specifically implemented as follows: the second node receives the NDPA frame from the first node.

[0122] In this embodiment, the NDPA frame structure is improved to enable the first information to be carried through the NDPA frame. Specifically, the format of the NDPA frame is as follows: Figure 9 As shown.

[0123] NDPA frames include, but are not limited to, such as Figure 9The fields shown include one or more of the following: frame control, duration, receive address (RA), transmit address, sounding dialog token, one or more STA information fields, and frame check sequence (FCS). Fields filled in black are new or improved fields in this embodiment. The following mainly explains the new or improved fields and their corresponding values. As shown in Table 1, each field and its meaning are as follows:

[0124] Table 1

[0125]

[0126]

[0127]

[0128] According to Table 1, in the embodiments of this application, an NDPA frame can be indicated as a Sensing NDPA frame in different ways. One method is to indicate whether an NDPA frame is a Sensing NDPA frame through the frame control information in the frame control field. That is, the frame type information (whether it is a Sensing NDPA frame) is included in the frame control information in the frame control field. In this case, such as... Figure 9 The frame type field shown can be omitted, or it can be included. Alternatively, the value of the frame type field can indicate whether the NDPA frame is a Sensing NDPA frame. That is, frame type information is included in the value of the frame type field for probing the session token information. Alternatively, the value of the frame subtype field can indicate whether the NDPA frame is a Sensing NDPA frame.

[0129] S503, The first node sends a lighting signal.

[0130] The first node sends multiple lighting signals, see [link to documentation]. Figure 7 In (a), a portion of the illumination signal (such as illumination signal 1) is reflected by the target to form an echo signal, and a portion of the illumination signal (illumination signal 2 and illumination signal 3) can reach one or more second nodes at a LOS distance and serve as reference signals for one or more second nodes respectively.

[0131] S504, The second node receives the reference signal and echo signal according to the transmitted beam information and / or received beam information.

[0132] For example, the transmitting beam and receiving beam, and the corresponding first information, include, but are not limited to, the following cases:

[0133] Case 1, see Figure 7 In (a), the AP does not generate a transmit beam, meaning the AP transmits each illumination signal omnidirectionally. In this case, the first information includes receive beam information to indicate the receive beam of the second node. Specifically, the first information may indicate that the second node has two receive beams, specifying the angle of one receive beam and the initial scanning angle and scanning direction of the other receive beam. Thus, as... Figure 7 As shown in (a), the second node, i.e., the station, forms receiving beam 1 and receiving beam 2 according to the receiving beam information indicated by the first information. Thus, after the AP sends an illumination signal, the station can receive the reference signal through receiving beam 1 at the angle indicated by the first information, and scan in space through receiving beam 2 at the initial scanning angle and scanning direction indicated by the first information, thereby receiving the echo signal. Of course, the second node can also have only one receiving beam (not shown in the figure). For example, the station can form only receiving beam 1 through one or more antennas, receive the reference signal through receiving beam 1, and receive the echo signal omnidirectionally through one or more antennas. Alternatively, the station can form only receiving beam 2 and scan in space to receive the echo signal, receiving the reference signal omnidirectionally.

[0134] Case 2: See Figure 7 (b) or Figure 7 (c) or Figure 7 (d) The AP generates two beams, namely transmit beam 3 and transmit beam 4, and transmits illumination signals through transmit beam 3 and transmit beam 4 respectively.

[0135] As one possible implementation, the first information includes the transmission beam information of the first node, whereby the transmission beam includes a first transmission beam and a second transmission beam for transmitting illumination signals. Receiving a reference signal according to the transmission beam information includes: receiving the reference signal through the beam corresponding to the first transmission beam, or receiving the reference signal omnidirectionally in space. And / or, receiving an echo signal according to the transmission beam information includes: receiving the echo signal through the beam corresponding to the second beam, or receiving the echo signal omnidirectionally in space. That is, the first node can indicate the transmission beam information in the first information, causing the second node to independently determine one or two receiving beams based on the transmission beam information, and receive the reference signal and / or echo signal through one or two receiving beams. Figure 7 (b) or Figure 7 (c) or Figure 7Taking (d) as an example, the first transmitting beam is beam 3, and the second transmitting beam is beam 4. The first information transmitted by the AP can include information about beams 3 and 4, such as the beam angle of beam 3, and the initial scanning angle and scanning direction of beam 4. In this way, the station can determine the receiving beam information based on the information of beams 3 and 4 to adjust the receiving beam. For example, see... Figure 7 In (b), the station determines that two receiving beams need to be formed, namely receiving beam 1 and receiving beam 2. Receiving beam 1 is the receiving beam corresponding to transmitting beam 3, and receiving beam 2 is the receiving beam corresponding to transmitting beam 4. The angle of receiving beam 1 can be determined by the station based on the angle of beam 3, and the initial scanning angle and scanning direction of receiving beam 2 can be determined by the station based on the initial scanning angle and scanning direction of beam 4. In this way, the station can receive the reference signal through receiving beam 1 and the echo signal through receiving beam 2. Of course, the station can also determine that only one receiving beam needs to be formed based on the transmitting beam information, for example... Figure 7 The receiving beam 1 is shown in (c). Thus, the station can receive the reference signal through receiving beam 1 and receive the echo signal omnidirectionally in space. Alternatively, the station can determine for itself which beam needs to be formed. Figure 7 The receiving beam 2 is shown in (d). Thus, the station receives the echo signal through receiving beam 2 and receives the reference signal omnidirectionally in space. Alternatively, the station may determine itself not to form a beam, such as... Figure 7 As shown in (e), the STA receives illumination signals from the space omnidirectionally, including direct signals from the AP and echo signals from the target. Optionally, the STA first needs to demodulate and remodulate the received direct signals to reconstruct a clean reference signal; that is, the reference signal mentioned in this paper can be obtained from the direct signals after some processing. The STA then combines this with the received echo signals for subsequent sensing processing.

[0136] As one possible implementation, the first information includes the receiving beam information of the second node, whereby the receiving beam includes a first receiving beam for receiving a reference signal and / or a second receiving beam for receiving an echo signal. That is, the first node indicates the receiving beam information through the first information, thus eliminating the need for the second node to determine the receiving beam itself. The indicated receiving beam can be one beam, used for receiving the reference signal or for receiving the echo signal. Alternatively, there can be two beams, one for receiving the reference signal and the other for receiving the echo signal. Thus, receiving the reference signal based on the receiving beam information can be specifically implemented as: receiving the reference signal through the first receiving beam, or receiving the reference signal omnidirectionally in space. And / or, receiving the echo signal based on the receiving beam information can be specifically implemented as: receiving the echo signal through the second receiving beam, or receiving the echo signal omnidirectionally in space.Figure 7 (b) or Figure 7 (c) or Figure 8 Taking (d) as an example, the first information sent by the AP may include information about beam 1 and / or beam 2, such as the beam angle of beam 1, the initial scanning angle of beam 2, and the scanning direction. In this way, the station can directly form a receiving beam that meets the conditions according to the AP's instructions, without having to determine the angle and other parameters of the receiving beam itself, thereby accurately receiving the echo signal and / or reference signal on the receiving beam. It is evident that since the station does not need to determine the angle and other parameters of the receiving beam itself, the implementation complexity of the station can be reduced. Here, the receiving beam indicated by the AP can be one, such as beam 1 or beam 2, or it can be two.

[0137] S505, the second node performs sensing based on reference signals and echo signals.

[0138] Specifically, the second node can achieve target velocity and range sensing measurements by analyzing the amplitude and phase deviations between the reference signal and the target echo. The specific implementation process for sensing through reference signal and target echo analysis can be found in existing radar-related technologies, and will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the second node also needs to perform interference cancellation, matched filtering, and coherent accumulation steps to assist in target detection. The specific implementation of interference cancellation, matched filtering, and coherent accumulation can be found in existing technologies, and will not be elaborated here.

[0139] The sensing method provided in this application embodiment involves a second node receiving first information from a first node. This first information includes the first node's transmit beam information and / or the second node's receive beam information. The second node then receives a reference signal and an echo signal based on the transmit and / or receive beam information, and performs sensing based on these signals. Compared to existing technologies that cannot achieve passive target sensing, the sensing scheme of this application embodiment allows the first node to instruct the second node to form a corresponding receive beam, enabling the second node to receive the echo signal and / or reference signal through the receive beam, thus achieving accurate ranging of passive targets. Since the receive beam is typically aligned with the transmit beam, the receiving gain is improved. Furthermore, because this scheme does not rely on time as a parameter for target sensing, time synchronization between the transceiver ends is unnecessary, reducing the implementation complexity of the transceiver end.

[0140] The above steps S501 to S505 can be referred to as the process of the first node and the second node interacting to perform measurement. In some embodiments, before S501, the first node and the second node can also interact to determine whether the current communication link is at LOS distance, so as to facilitate subsequent LOS distance communication. For details, see [link to documentation]. Figure 10The process of determining LOS distance (LOS assessment) includes the following steps:

[0141] a. During the setup phase, the AP sends a beam refinement protocol (BRP) frame to the STA.

[0142] b. In the setup phase, starting from the moment the AP finishes sending the BRP frame, after a short interframe space (SIFS), the STA replies to the AP with a BRP frame.

[0143] It is easy to understand that after the STA receives the BRP frame from the AP, it first replies with a BRP frame to the AP to confirm that the STA wants to participate in the beam optimization process initiated by the AP.

[0144] c. During the training phase, the AP transmits training sequences using different antenna settings via its transmitting antenna.

[0145] Accordingly, the STA receives the training sequence and adjusts the antenna settings of the receiving antenna.

[0146] As one possible implementation, the AP sends a physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU), which includes one or more training (TRN) sequences.

[0147] Each training sequence is associated with the settings of the antenna transmitting that training sequence. Antenna settings include, but are not limited to, the antenna weight vector (AWV) and polarization direction. Training sequences can be, for example, orthogonal sequences, such as complementary Golay sequences or Zadoff-Chu sequences. Optionally, the training sequence may also include at least one of a cyclic prefix and a cyclic suffix to adjust for any tolerable timing errors caused by the channel and hardware.

[0148] For example, the same training sequence is transmitted in multiple training slots, but the antenna settings associated with each training sequence are different, that is, the AWV and / or polarization direction of the antenna is adjusted. Each time it is adjusted, the AP transmits a training sequence with the adjusted AWV and / or polarization direction.

[0149] Typically, the AP sends a training sequence to the STA in a specific polarization direction. If the training sequence arrives at the STA via a LOS distance, the received energy of the training sequence in that polarization direction should be greater than a certain threshold. If the training sequence does not arrive at the STA via a LOS distance but is reflected by obstacles, some energy is lost due to reflection, resulting in a decrease in the received energy of the STA in that polarization direction. Based on this principle, when the STA receives a training sequence, if the received energy in a certain polarization direction is greater than a preset threshold, it indicates that the training sequence arrived at the STA via a LOS distance. Therefore, the STA can determine the settings of the receiving antenna at the LOS distance, such as the AWV of the receiving antenna.

[0150] d. During the feedback phase, the STA sends BRP frames back to the AP.

[0151] The STA can inform the AP of LOS distance information, allowing the AP to determine the transmit antenna settings, such as the transmit antenna's AWV. This provides a reference for antenna settings in subsequent LOS distance communication between the STA and AP.

[0152] In some embodiments, there may also be interaction between the illumination terminal (AP) and the sensing terminal (STA), thereby triggering one or more STAs to provide feedback sensing information. See details below. Figure 11 In section (a), the signaling process between the AP and STA in the feedback procedure includes the following steps S1001 to S1003:

[0153] S1001, The first node sends a first trigger frame to one or more second nodes.

[0154] Correspondingly, the second node receives the first trigger frame from the first node.

[0155] The first trigger frame is used to trigger the second node to provide feedback sensing information.

[0156] Optionally, the first trigger frame includes feedback type information, which indicates the type of perceived information. The type of perceived information includes one or more of the following: raw information, the perceived result of the raw information, and the signal processing result of the raw information. When the first trigger frame does not include feedback type information, i.e., the feedback type information is defaulted, the second node can provide feedback of a default type of perceived information. The default type of perceived information can be one or more of the following: raw information, the perceived result of the raw information, and the signal processing result of the raw information.

[0157] Optionally, the first trigger frame may further include one or more of the following combinations: subtype information of the first trigger frame, type information of the first trigger frame; the subtype of the first trigger frame includes triggering feedback sensing information from the second node. The type of the first trigger frame includes detection sensing.

[0158] The first trigger frame includes, but is not limited to, the following: Figure 10 One or more fields are shown in (a). Among them, the fields filled in black are fields added or improved in the embodiments of this application. The meaning of the added or improved fields is explained below with reference to Table 2. For the specific explanation of other fields, please refer to the prior art, which will not be repeated here.

[0159] Table 2

[0160]

[0161]

[0162] It should be noted that the specific content represented by the bit values ​​in this embodiment can be flexibly set. For example, in the feedback type field, 00 can represent the original data or other values. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0163] As another possible implementation, the frame type information (whether the trigger frame is a Sensing trigger frame) can also be included in the frame control information of the frame control field. In this case, the aforementioned trigger frame type field can be omitted, or it can be omitted.

[0164] As another possible implementation, the frame subtype information (whether the trigger frame is used to trigger peer feedback awareness information) can also be included in the frame control information of the frame control field. In this case, the aforementioned trigger frame subtype field can be omitted, or it can be omitted.

[0165] Specifically, in S1001, after the second node receives the first trigger frame, it reads the field value of the frame control field to know that the first trigger frame is a Sensing trigger, and reads the field value of the trigger frame subtype field to know that the first trigger frame is used to trigger the second node to feedback sensing information. Thus, the second node can execute the following S1002 based on the trigger.

[0166] The current standard supports a single trigger frame triggering feedback sensing information from multiple STAs. This means that the AP can send a single trigger frame to trigger feedback sensing information from multiple STAs at once. Alternatively, the AP can send trigger frames to each STA separately to trigger feedback sensing information from each STA individually.

[0167] S1002, The second node sends sensing information to the first node.

[0168] The first node receives one or more sensing information from one or more second nodes.

[0169] It is easy to understand that when there are multiple STAs, they can feed back sensing information in the form of time division, frequency division, wavelength division, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and other methods.

[0170] For example, see Figure 11 In section (b), the timing diagram shows the process of AP triggering STA feedback of sensing information through the first trigger frame.

[0171] Specifically, the second node reads the feedback type field of the first trigger frame to determine the type of perception information that needs to be fed back, and feeds back the corresponding type of perception information according to the instruction.

[0172] S1003, The first node fuses one or more pieces of perceived information.

[0173] In this embodiment, fusing multiple sensing information can increase spatial gain and improve the final sensing accuracy. For example, when locating the same target, multiple STAs send their respective positioning information to the AP. The AP comprehensively considers the various positioning information and fuses them to obtain the final positioning result. Here, fusion can refer to various algorithms, such as weighted summation, various algorithms that derive a single value from multiple values, etc., and this embodiment is not limited to these.

[0174] In this embodiment, the specific timing of S1001 execution is not limited. Optionally, S1001 can be executed after S505, or it can be executed immediately after the AP sends the lighting signal, i.e., after executing S503, triggering the STA to provide feedback on sensing information. In this way, the STA can immediately provide feedback on sensing information after sensing, without waiting for the AP to trigger feedback. Alternatively, the AP can also execute S1001 at other times; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0175] In the embodiments of this application, see Figure 8 In section (b), the complete perception process includes Figure 5 The LOS assessment process shown is as follows: Figure 10 The measuring process shown, and Figure 12 The feedback process shown in (a) or (b).

[0176] The above description primarily uses the AP as the illumination terminal and the STA as the sensing terminal to illustrate the sensing method of this application. The following description uses the second node STA as the illumination terminal and the first node AP as the sensing terminal to illustrate another sensing method of this application. For details, please refer to... Figure 14 The sensing method includes the following steps:

[0177] S1201, The first node generates the second information.

[0178] Correspondingly, the second node receives the second information from the first node.

[0179] The second information includes the transmission beam information of the second node, enabling the second node to form a transmission beam according to the second information and transmit the illumination signal. The transmission beam information includes one or more of the following combinations: the number of transmission beams, the beam angle of the transmission beam used to transmit the illumination signal, the initial scan angle of the transmission beam used to transmit the illumination signal, and the scan direction of the transmission beam used to transmit the illumination signal. The beam angle of the transmission beam used to transmit the direct illumination signal is along the LOS distance between the first node and the second node and points towards the first node.

[0180] S1202, The first node sends the second information to the second node.

[0181] Correspondingly, the second node receives the second information from the first node.

[0182] The first node sends second information to the second node, including: the first node sending a second trigger frame to the second node, the second trigger frame including the second information. Correspondingly, the second node receives second information from the first node, including: the second node receiving a second trigger frame from the first node, the second trigger frame including the second information.

[0183] The second trigger frame also includes one or more of the following combinations: frame type information and frame subtype information. The frame type includes a sensing type; the frame subtype includes triggering the second node to send a lighting signal.

[0184] As one possible implementation, one structure of the second trigger frame is as follows: Figure 14 As shown in (a). The structure of the second trigger frame is similar to that of the first trigger frame described above, and will not be repeated here. Unlike the first trigger frame, since the second trigger frame is used to trigger the transmission beam of the second node, the second trigger frame includes... Figure 12 The fields shown in (a) include the number of beams, beam angle, initial beam scanning angle, and beam scanning direction.

[0185] The meaning of some fields in the second trigger frame is explained below with reference to Table 3.

[0186] Table 3

[0187]

[0188]

[0189] S1203, The second node sends a lighting signal based on the transmitted beam information.

[0190] Specifically, after receiving the second trigger frame, the second node reads the trigger frame subtype field in the second trigger frame to know that the second trigger frame is used to trigger the transmission of the lighting signal, and reads the beam-related fields (such as the number of beams and the beam angle) to know the information of the transmission beam used to transmit the lighting signal. Then, the second node forms a transmission beam or transmits the lighting signal omnidirectionally according to the instructions of the second trigger frame.

[0191] S1204. The first node receives the reference signal and the echo signal, and performs sensing based on the reference signal and the echo signal.

[0192] Figure 13 In the corresponding technical solution, the AP instructs multiple STAs to transmit illumination signals according to certain beaming rules, such as instructing STAs to adjust their transmission beams to enable the AP to perform dual-channel sensing. Specifically, the AP forms a receiving beam aligned with the transmission beam, thereby receiving echo signals and reference signals through the receiving beam, and sensing based on the echo signals and reference signals.

[0193] The STA's transmission beam can be, but is not limited to, the scenarios shown in Table 4:

[0194] Table 4

[0195]

[0196] Accordingly, the receiving beam of the AP can be, but is not limited to, such as Figure 13 (a) or Figure 13 (b) or Figure 13 (c) or Figure 13 (d) or Figure 13 Several scenarios are described in (e). The embodiments in this application are not limited to these. Figure 12 In (e), the AP receives signals omnidirectionally, including direct signals from the STA and echo signals from the target. First, the received signals need to be demodulated and remodulated to reconstruct a clean reference signal, and then combined with the received signals for subsequent processing.

[0197] Figure 14 The corresponding process can be called the measuring process. For STA lighting and AP sensing, see [link / reference]. Figure 12 In section (b), the complete perception process includes Figure 12The measuring and LOS assessment processes are shown below. The specific implementation of LOS assessment can be found above and will not be repeated here.

[0198] use Figure 15 The sensing method shown allows the first node to instruct the second node to form a corresponding transmission beam via the second information carried in the first trigger frame. This enables the second node to transmit an illumination signal through the transmission beam, thus aligning the transmission and reception beams and improving the reception gain of the sensing end. Furthermore, since this scheme does not rely on time as a parameter for sensing the target, time synchronization between the transceiver ends is unnecessary, reducing the implementation complexity of the transceiver end.

[0199] It should be noted that in the above processes, when the first node is an AP, the second node can also be an AP. Alternatively, the first node can also be a STA, in which case the second node can be either an AP or a STA.

[0200] It is understood that the network element in the embodiments of this application includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to achieve the above-mentioned functions. Based on the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the technical solution of the embodiments of this application.

[0201] This application embodiment can divide network elements into functional units according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. It should be noted that the unit division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0202] Figure 15 A schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The communication device 700 can exist in software form or as a chip usable in a device. For example, the communication device can be the aforementioned first node or second node, or a component having the function of a first node, or a component having the function of a second node (such as a chip system). The communication device 700 includes a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 703. Optionally, the communication unit 703 can also be divided into a transmitting unit (not included in the above). Figure 15(shown in) and receiving unit (not shown in) Figure 5 (As shown in the diagram). The transmitting unit supports the communication device 700 in sending information to other network elements. The receiving unit supports the communication device 700 in receiving information from other network elements.

[0203] Optionally, the communication device 700 may also include a storage unit 701 for storing the program code and data of the communication device 700, and the data may include, but is not limited to, raw data or intermediate data.

[0204] If the communication device 700 is the first node mentioned above, the processing unit 702 can be used to support the execution of the first node. Figure 5 The S501, etc., and / or other processes used in the scheme described herein. Communication unit 703 is used to support communication between the first node and other network elements (such as the aforementioned second node, etc.), for example, supporting the first node to perform... Figure 5 S502, S503, etc.

[0205] If the communication device 700 is the second node mentioned above, the processing unit 702 can be used to support the execution of the second node. Figure 5 The S505, etc., and / or other processes used in the scheme described herein. Communication unit 703 is used to support communication between the second node and other network elements (such as the first node mentioned above), for example, supporting the second node to perform... Figure 3 S504, etc.

[0206] In one possible approach, the processing unit 702 may be a controller or Figure 3 The processor 201 or processor 204 shown may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processing unit (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc. The communication unit 703 may be... Figure 3 The transceiver 203 shown can also be a transceiver circuit, etc. The storage unit 701 can be... ​ The memory 202 shown.

[0207] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments can be implemented entirely or partially by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state drives (SSDs)).

[0208] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, or indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units, and may be electrical or other forms.

[0209] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network devices (e.g., terminal devices). Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0210] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each functional unit can exist independently, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software functional units.

[0211] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium, such as a computer floppy disk, hard disk, or optical disk, and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0212] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A sensing method, characterized in that, include: The second node receives first information from the first node, the first information including the first node's transmit beam information; The transmitted beam information includes: the beam angle of the first transmitted beam used to transmit the first illumination signal, the initial scanning angle and scanning direction of the second transmitted beam used to transmit the second illumination signal; the first illumination signal arrives at the second node from the first node in the line-of-sight direction to form a reference signal; the second illumination signal is emitted from the first node and reflected by the target to form an echo signal; the second node receives the reference signal through the beam corresponding to the first transmitted beam; The second node receives the echo signal through the beam corresponding to the second transmitted beam, or receives the echo signal omnidirectionally in space; The second node performs sensing based on the reference signal and the echo signal.

2. The sensing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second node receives first information from the first node, including: the second node receives an NDPA frame from the first node, the NDPA frame including the first information.

3. The sensing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The NDPA frame also includes one or more of the following combinations: frame type information, frame subtype information, and association identification information; The frame type includes a sensing type, and / or the frame subtype includes a sensing subtype; the frame type information is included in the frame control information, or in the sensing dialogue token information; the frame subtype information is included in the frame control information, or in the site information; the association identifier is configured to a preset value, and the association identifier is used to indicate the beam setting; the frame subtype is also used to indicate dual-channel sensing, and the dual channels correspond to the reference signal and the echo signal, respectively.

4. The sensing method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second node receives a first trigger frame from the first node, and the first trigger frame is used to trigger the second node to feed back sensing information; The second node sends sensing information to the first node; The first trigger frame includes feedback type information, which is used to indicate the type of perceived information. The type of perceived information includes one or more of the following: raw information, the perception result of raw information, and the signal processing result of raw information.

5. The sensing method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first trigger frame further includes one or more of the following combinations: sub-type information of the first trigger frame, type information of the first trigger frame; the sub-type of the first trigger frame includes triggering feedback perception information of the second node; the type of the first trigger frame includes detection perception.

6. A sensing method, characterized in that, include: The first node generates one or more first pieces of information; The first node sends the one or more first messages to one or more second nodes respectively; Wherein, the first information includes the transmission beam information of the first node; the transmission beam information includes: the beam angle of the first transmission beam used to transmit the first illumination signal, the initial scanning angle and scanning direction of the second transmission beam used to transmit the second illumination signal; the first illumination signal arrives at the second node from the first node in the line-of-sight direction, forming a reference signal; the second illumination signal is emitted from the first node and reflected by the target to form an echo signal; the reference signal is received by the second node through the beam corresponding to the first transmission beam, and the echo signal is received by the second node through the beam corresponding to the second transmission beam, or omnidirectionally in space; the reference signal and the echo signal are used for sensing.

7. The sensing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first node sends first information to the second node, including: the first node sends an NDPA frame to the second node, the NDPA frame including the first information.

8. The sensing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The NDPA frame also includes one or more of the following combinations: frame type information, frame subtype information, and association identification information; The frame type includes a sensing type, and / or the frame subtype includes a sensing subtype; the frame type information is included in the frame control information, or in the sensing dialogue token information; the frame subtype information is included in the frame control information, or in the site information; the association identifier is configured to a preset value, and the association identifier is used to indicate the beam setting; the frame subtype is also used to indicate dual-channel sensing, and the dual channels correspond to the reference signal and the echo signal, respectively.

9. The sensing method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first node sends lighting signals to one or more second nodes respectively; The first node sends a first trigger frame to the one or more second nodes, the first trigger frame being used to trigger the one or more second nodes to feed back sensing information; The first node receives one or more sensing information from the one or more second nodes; The first node fuses the one or more pieces of perceived information.

10. The sensing method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first trigger frame includes feedback type information, which is used to indicate the type of perceived information. The type of perceived information includes one or more of the following: raw information, the perception result of raw information, and the signal processing result of raw information.

11. The sensing method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first trigger frame further includes one or more of the following combinations: sub-type information of the first trigger frame, type information of the first trigger frame; the sub-type of the first trigger frame includes triggering feedback perception information of the second node; the type of the first trigger frame includes detection perception.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, Used to perform the sensing method according to any one of claims 1-5, or to perform the sensing method according to any one of claims 6-11.

13. A chip system, characterized in that, The device includes a processor coupled to a memory storing program instructions. When the processor executes the program instructions stored in the memory, the sensing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5 is implemented, or the sensing method as described in any one of claims 6 to 11 is implemented.

14. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, It includes a program or instructions that, when executed, implement the sensing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, or implement the sensing method as described in any one of claims 6 to 11.

Images