Wireless signal transmission and reception for device-to-device communication

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for sending and receiving wireless signals for device-to-device (D2D) communication, comprising: a first electronic device obtaining reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device, wherein the reference signal beam pattern information is stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information; and the first electronic device determining environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on measurements of the reference signals, the obtained reference signal beam pattern information, and the BPD.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless signal transmission and reception, and in particular to device to device (D2D) communication. Background Art

[0002] In D2D communications, both devices can operate in the millimeter wave frequency band and use analog, digital, or hybrid beamforming to send and receive signals. There is a need to accelerate the beam management process in D2D communications. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention describes wireless signal transmission and reception for device to device (D2D) communication.

[0004] In a first implementation, a method includes: a first electronic device obtains reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device, and then the reference signal beam pattern information is stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; based on the reference signal beam pattern information, multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; the first electronic device determines environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on measurements of the reference signals, the obtained reference signal beam pattern information and the BPD.

[0005] In a second implementation, a first electronic device includes: a non-volatile memory including instructions; one or more hardware processors communicating with the memory, wherein the one or more hardware processors execute the instructions to perform operations including the following: obtaining reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device, and then the reference signal beam pattern information is stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information; and determining environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the obtained reference signal beam pattern information and the BPD.

[0006] In a third implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations including: a first electronic device obtains reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device, and the reference signal beam pattern information is then stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information; the first electronic device determines environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on measurements of the reference signals, the obtained reference signal beam pattern information, and the BPD.

[0007] In a fourth implementation, a method includes: a second electronic device determines indication information indicating multiple beam directions of the second electronic device, and the multiple beam directions are used for receiving or sending between a first electronic device and the second electronic device; receiving or sending the indication information indicating the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device.

[0008] In a fifth implementation, a second electronic device includes: a non-volatile memory including instructions; one or more hardware processors communicating with the memory, wherein the one or more hardware processors execute the instructions to perform operations including the following: determining indication information indicating multiple beam directions of the second electronic device, the multiple beam directions being used for receiving or sending between a first electronic device and the second electronic device; receiving or sending the indication information indicating the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device.

[0009] In a sixth implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes the one or more hardware processors to perform operations including: a second electronic device determining indication information indicating multiple beam directions of the second electronic device, the multiple beam directions being used for receiving or sending between a first electronic device and the second electronic device; receiving or sending the indication information indicating the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device.

[0010] The above implementation can be implemented using the following: a computer-implemented method; a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions to perform the computer-implemented method; a computer-implemented system comprising a computer memory interoperably coupled with a hardware processor, the hardware processor being used to perform the computer-implemented method and the instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0011] The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter of this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will be apparent from the detailed description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary environment for device-to-device (D2D) communication provided by an implementation.

[0013] Figure 2 is a swim lane diagram of an exemplary method for transmitting and receiving wireless signals for D2D communication provided by an implementation.

[0014] Figure 3 is a swim lane diagram of another exemplary method for transmitting and receiving wireless signals for D2D communication provided by an implementation.

[0015] Figure 4 is a diagram of exemplary beam patterns with a common reference direction (CRD) provided by an implementation.

[0016] Figure 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for transmitting and receiving wireless signals for D2D communication provided by an implementation.

[0017] Figure 6is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system provided by an implementation for providing the computing functionality associated with the described algorithms, methods, functions, processes, procedures, and programs.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of an exemplary structure of a terminal described in the present invention provided in an implementation manner.

[0019] Throughout the various drawings, like reference numbers and designations refer to like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following detailed description describes wireless signal transmission and reception for device-to-device (D2D) communications and is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed subject matter in the context of one or more specific implementations.

[0021] Various modifications, alterations, and permutations of the disclosed implementations may be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined may be applied to other implementations and applications without departing from the scope of the invention. In some cases, details not necessary to achieve an understanding of the described subject matter may be omitted so as not to obscure one or more of the described implementations with unnecessary detail, as such details are within the skill of those skilled in the art. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the implementations described or shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described.

[0022] Fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) systems use millimeter wave frequencies (e.g., 28 GHz) to take advantage of larger bandwidths to improve throughput, reduce latency, and increase spatial reuse. In D2D communications, both devices in the D2D communication can operate in the millimeter wave band and use analog, digital, or hybrid beamforming to send and receive signals. By learning the environment through, for example, measurements, reporting, or both, devices in the D2D communication can achieve fast device discovery, beam management, and a satisfactory user experience. Although the present invention has been described from the perspective of D2D communications, the subject matter of this document can be applied to general downlink / uplink communications.

[0023] The present invention describes an exemplary implementation of wireless signal transmission and reception for D2D communication. In the present invention, a first electronic device can obtain reference signal beam pattern information for multiple beam directions from a second electronic device. In some implementations, the first electronic device and the second electronic device can maintain a common beam pattern database (BPD). The first electronic device can determine environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information and the BPD. For example, the environmental information can be used to facilitate data transmission, beam management, or both for future communication sessions between the first electronic device and the second electronic device at a new location within the environment.

[0024] The subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in specific implementations to achieve one or more of the following advantages. First, the described method can enable electronic devices to learn their environment by leveraging peers that maintain the same BPD as the electronic device. Second, the described method can enable electronic devices to use the learned environment to accelerate device discovery, beam management, and beam failure recovery. Third, the user experience can be improved when electronic devices operate at high frequencies in D2D communications. Other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0025] Figure 1 FIG1 is a block diagram of an exemplary environment 100 for device-to-device (D2D) communication provided by an implementation. The exemplary environment 100 includes device A 102, device B 104, an obstacle 106, and a wall 108. For example, device A 102 communicates with device B 104 via a D2D link 110. In some implementations, additional, different, or fewer devices, obstacles, or both may be included in the exemplary environment 100.

[0026] The environment surrounding device A 102 and device B 104 may include reflectors and obstacles (or obstructions). For example, the environment may be a residence, office space, community center, or other structure. In some implementations, the size of the environment or the distance between device A 102 and device B 104 may be less than 100 meters, 50 meters, or 10 meters. Reflectors may reflect radio waves. For example, reflectors may include walls (e.g., wall 108), ceilings, floors, and furniture. The position, orientation, and distance of reflectors relative to device A 102 and device B 104 may affect D2D transmissions between device A 102 and device B 104. Obstacles (e.g., obstacle 106) may block radio waves. The direction and distance of obstacles relative to device A 102 and device B 104 may affect D2D transmissions between device A 102 and device B 104.

[0027] In some implementations, knowledge of the environment can be acquired by both device A 102 and device B 104. Device A 102 and device B 104 can be in different locations at different times. For example, if device A 102 is more stationary than device B 104, device A 102 can maintain fine-tuned knowledge of the environment. This knowledge of the environment can be used to facilitate data transmission, beam management, or both for future sessions between device A 102 and device B 104, potentially at new locations within the environment.

[0028] Devices can be, for example, phones, TVs, laptops, keyboards, routers, smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Alexa), smart monitors, or smart cameras. Some devices may be relatively stationary in an environment (e.g., TVs, smart monitors, and routers). Some devices may be frequently moved around the environment (e.g., phones).

[0029] For example, device A 102 (e.g., a television that is typically stationary in a room) can create (or maintain) a reflector environment database (RED) for the environment. If device A 102 is moved to a new room, a new RED can be created. Device A 102 can build the RED based on measurements (e.g., measurements of device B 104's signal), reports (e.g., measurements of device A 102's signal reported by device B 104), or both.

[0030] In some implementations, device A 102, which is at a fixed location, can initiate a measurement / reporting session with device B 104. It is assumed that device B 104 does not move until the measurement / reporting session is complete. If device B 104 moves before the measurement / reporting session is complete, the measurement / reporting session may be terminated (e.g., marked as incomplete). In some implementations, some measurements / reports in the incomplete measurement / reporting session may be partially used to construct a RED. For example, in a measurement session, device B 104 may potentially transmit reference signals from multiple beam directions of device B 104, and device A 102 may perform measurements using the potential multiple beam directions of device A 102. In a reporting session, device A 102 may potentially transmit reference signals from multiple beam directions of device A 102, and device B 104 may perform measurements using the potential multiple beam directions of device B 104 and report the measurements to device A 102.

[0031] Figure 2FIG2 is a swim-lane diagram of an exemplary method 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals for D2D communication, provided in an implementation. For clarity, the following description generally describes method 200 within the context of other figures in this description. However, it will be understood that method 200 can be performed, as appropriate, by any system, environment, software, and hardware, or a combination of such systems, environments, software, and hardware. In some implementations, the various steps of method 200 can be performed in parallel, in combination, in a loop, or in any order.

[0032] At 210, device A 202 initiates a measurement session by sending a control signal (e.g., a reference signal measurement configuration) to device B 204. The control signal may be used to cause device B 204 to send a reference signal. For example, at least one of the reference signal timing, location, or power setting may be configured based on the control signal.

[0033] At 212, device B 204 sends beam pattern information (e.g., an indication of the exact or approximate transmit beam pattern of T_B_1, ..., T_B_N) to device A 202. This may be in the form of an index corresponding to the beam pattern, data indicating beam pattern characteristics (e.g., angle, gain, etc.), or other forms. In some implementations, device B 204 may send the beam pattern information to device A 202 after sending a reference signal to device A 202, rather than before. In some implementations, after receiving the beam pattern information from device B 204, device A 202 may perform measurements using multiple beam directions of device A 202 based on the beam pattern information.

[0034] At 214, device B 204 transmits a reference signal to device A 202. The reference signal can be configured based on the control signal. For example, device B 204 can transmit the reference signal at one or more of a frequency position, a time position, and a power setting of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation based on the control signal. In some implementations, the reference signal can be transmitted by device B 204 from multiple beam directions of device B 204 (e.g., different transmit beam patterns T_B_1, ..., T_B_N).

[0035] In some implementations, if two devices in D2D communication are manufactured by different manufacturers, one device does not notify the other device of its transmit beam pattern, as the implementation details of the beam pattern are typically hidden and unknown to external parties. In some implementations, for indoor D2D communication, the two devices may be manufactured by the same manufacturer. In this case, the two devices may internally share the same beam pattern database (BPD). If one device signals any beam pattern index in the BPD, the other device can use the BPD to learn the corresponding beam pattern. Therefore, the beam pattern information may be in the form of an index.

[0036] For example, device A 202 and device B 204 share (or maintain) the same BPD. In some implementations, the BPD can include a one-to-one mapping between transmit beam patterns and receive beam patterns. For example, a receive beam pattern can be equivalent to / equal to a corresponding transmit beam pattern. After receiving beam pattern information from device B 204 (e.g., learning the indices of the N transmit beam patterns of T_B_1, ..., T_B_N from the BPD), device A 202 can determine a corresponding receive beam pattern that can be used to receive signals sent by device B using each transmit beam pattern (e.g., the N receive beam patterns of R_A_1, ..., R_A_N corresponding to the N transmit beam patterns of T_B_1, ..., T_B_N). Device A 202 then has information about the transmit beam pattern, the corresponding receive beam pattern, and the corresponding signal measurement results (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), etc.) for each reference signal transmitted by device B. For each transmit beam and receive beam pair, the corresponding signal measurement results may include multiple results (e.g., multiple SNRs across multiple frequency tones, multiple RSRPs across multiple frequency tones, etc.). Device A 202 can then use this information to perform environmental calculations. For example, device A 202 may determine that an obstacle exists in a particular direction relative to device A 202. Device A 202 may also determine the distance between the obstacle and device A 202 and the size of the obstacle based on, for example, the receive beam and the direction of the transmit beam blocked by the obstacle. For example, if device A's beam appears blocked over a 10-degree span, the obstacle is likely small or very far away. However, if the same obstacle appears to block the beam from device B over a 90-degree span, the obstacle may actually be larger and / or closer to device B than to device A. Similarly, an unblocked beam between device A and device B separated by, for example, 90 degrees, with an obstacle between them, may indicate one or more reflective objects in the environment. Multiple measurements of multiple beams by a device at multiple locations can be used in this manner to gradually develop a more accurate understanding of the environment using similar techniques. With this understanding of the environment, device A 202 can achieve rapid device discovery and beam management with other devices, including device B 204 moving to different locations, thereby providing a satisfying user experience.

[0037] Figure 3FIG2 is a swim lane diagram of another exemplary method 300 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals for D2D communication, provided by an implementation. For clarity, the following description generally describes method 300 within the context of other figures in this description. However, it will be understood that method 300 can be performed, as appropriate, by any system, environment, software, and hardware, or a combination of such systems, environments, software, and hardware. In some implementations, the various steps of method 300 can be executed in parallel, in combination, in a loop, or in any order.

[0038] At 310, device A 302 initiates a reporting session by sending a control signal (e.g., a reference signal measurement configuration) to device B 304. The control signal may be used to cause device A 302 to transmit a reference signal. For example, at least one of the reference signal type, reference signal timing, frequency location, and transmit power setting may be configured based on the control signal.

[0039] At 312, device A 302 transmits a reference signal to device B 304. The reference signal may be configured based on the control signal. For example, device A 302 may transmit the reference signal at one or more of a frequency position, a time position, and a power setting of OFDM modulation based on the control signal. In some implementations, the reference signal may be transmitted by device A 302 from multiple beam directions of device A 302 (e.g., different transmit beam patterns T_A_1, ..., T_A_N).

[0040] At 314, device B 304 sends beam pattern information (e.g., an indication of the exact or approximate receive beam pattern of R_B_1, ..., R_B_N) used at device B 304 for receiving the reference signal to device A 302. In some implementations, device B 304 may send the beam pattern information to device A 302 after, rather than before, reporting the signal measurement results to device A 302. Furthermore, in some implementations, device B 304 may receive the beam pattern information from device A 302 (e.g., using the control signal at 310) so that device A may already have the information.

[0041] At 316, device B 304 performs measurements using multiple beam directions of device B 304 (e.g., different receive beam patterns R_B_1, ..., R_B_N corresponding to different transmit beam patterns T_A_1, ..., T_A_N) based on the control signal and reports the signal measurements to device A 302. For example, the control signal may indicate to device B 304 the receive beam pattern used for each reference signal, and also correspond to the time when device A 302 used a particular transmit beam pattern. The measurement results may be sent from device B 304 to device A 302.

[0042] In some implementations, if two devices in D2D communication are manufactured by different manufacturers, one device does not notify the other device of its transmit beam pattern, as the implementation details of the beam pattern are typically hidden and unknown to external parties. In some implementations, for indoor D2D communication, the two devices may be manufactured by the same manufacturer. In this case, the two devices can internally share the same beam pattern database (BPD). If one device signals any beam pattern index in the BPD, the other device can know the corresponding beam pattern.

[0043] For example, device A 302 and device B 304 share (or maintain) the same BPD. In some implementations, the BPD may include a mapping relationship (e.g., a one-to-one mapping) between a transmit beam pattern and a receive beam pattern. After receiving the signal measurement results and beam pattern information (e.g., N receive beam patterns of R_B_1, ..., R_B_N) from device B 304, device A 302 has information of the transmit beam pattern, the receive beam pattern, and the corresponding signal measurement results (e.g., RSRP, reference signal reception quality, SNR, etc.). For each transmit beam and receive beam pair, the corresponding signal measurement results may include multiple results (e.g., multiple SNRs on multiple frequency tones, multiple RSRPs on multiple frequency tones, etc.). Device A 302 can then use this information to perform calculations of the environment, as previously described with reference to FIG. Figure 2 For example, device A 302 can determine that an obstacle exists in a specific direction of device A 302. Device A 302 can also determine the distance between the obstacle and device A 302 and the size of the obstacle. With environmental awareness, device A 302 can achieve rapid device discovery and beam management with other devices, including device B 304 moving to different locations, thereby providing a satisfactory user experience.

[0044] In some implementations, only measurement sessions (e.g., Figure 2 In some implementations, only the reporting session (e.g., Figure 3 Method 300 in ) is also sufficient for the device to learn the environment.

[0045] In some implementations, using both a measurement session and a reporting session can be beneficial in enabling the device to learn its environment. For example, both sessions can be used to perform implicit beam calibration and to eliminate errors (or artifacts) caused by imbalances in transmit and receive beams. If a transmit beam has a slight difference between its actual beam pattern (which will directly affect the measurement results) and its nominal beam pattern (contained in the beam pattern database), calculations based on a single session may result in undesirable errors, leading to undesirable beam management inconsistencies or inefficiencies.

[0046] In typical 5G NR communications, the beam pattern is not shared between a transmitter and its corresponding receiver. In this specification, a device may access a common beam pattern database (BPD). In some implementations, a device (e.g., Figure 2 Device B 204 in FIG may have a small, finite number of transmit / receive beams in total. For example, the device may have 4 antenna elements. Each antenna element is controlled by a 2-phase shifter. Therefore, the device is able to form a total of 4^4=256 beams. Some of the 256 beams may be identical. In this case, the BPD may have a maximum of 256 entries. In some implementations, a device (e.g., Figure 3 Device B 304 in FIG3 may have a large number of transmit / receive beams. For example, the device may have 16 antenna elements. Each antenna element is controlled by a 6-phase shifter. Therefore, the device is capable of forming a total of 64^16 beams. Some of these beams may be identical. In this case, having a BPD with 64^16 entries is very difficult, and the size of the BPD depends on the transmit / receive implementation.

[0047] In some implementations, each entry in the BPD may include one or more coefficient values, a beam pattern index, a first beam peak direction / position (e.g., 30 degrees northwest relative to a reference direction), a first beam peak intensity / gain (e.g., 10 dBi), a first beam width (e.g., 20 degrees for a 3 dB beam width), a second beam peak direction / position, a second beam peak intensity / gain, and a second beam width. In some implementations, additional entries at other peak / null values ​​may be included in the BPD to reduce the storage requirements of the BPD and reduce the computational complexity of the environment. One or more coefficient values ​​may be phase shifter values ​​used to form the beam for a particular entry. In some implementations, one or more coefficient values ​​may not be explicitly included in the BPD. The beam direction, beam width, and beam gain may be measured and recorded based on the one or more coefficient values. In some implementations, the beam direction, beam width, and beam gain are explicitly included in the BPD.

[0048] In some implementations, if the devices are of the same brand, a common BPD can be shared offline between devices (e.g., during the manufacturing phase). In some implementations, a common BPD can be shared online between devices. For example, a device can send its BPD information (e.g., information about its own beam pattern) to another device in a single high-level session (e.g., one-time sharing). A device can also send partial entries of its BPD to another device in multiple sessions (e.g., multiple sharing). The other device can store the received BPD entries and form its own database. Once a common BPD is shared between devices, the device can report only the BPD index to the other device instead of the beam pattern description during a measurement session, a reporting session, or a measurement and reporting session.

[0049] Figure 4 FIG4 is a diagram 400 of exemplary beam patterns with common reference directions (CRDs) provided by implementations. In some implementations, the beam patterns in the BPD may use CRDs to define the directions of the beams. Figure 4 As shown, absolute north can be used as a reference in the azimuth domain (e.g., north reference 402). For example, a device can understand that another device is transmitting using transmit beam pattern 404 in a 45° northeast direction (e.g., indexed by an explicit beam pattern) relative to absolute north (e.g., an implicit reference).

[0050] In some implementations, the gravity-up direction can be used as a reference in the vertical domain. For example, a device can understand that another device is transmitting using transmit beam pattern T_B_1 in a direction 30 degrees upward (e.g., indexed by an explicit beam pattern) relative to the gravity-up direction (e.g., an implicit reference).

[0051] In some implementations, exchanging beam patterns (e.g., via beam pattern indices within a common BPD) can facilitate device discovery, beam management, or both at a fixed orientation. If the devices have different orientations, the beam pattern read from the common BPD using the beam pattern indices needs to be adjusted based on the physical orientation of the devices. Typically, the common BPD is created using a reference orientation that is aligned with the CRD. In some implementations, in addition to the beam pattern indices, the device may also need to send its orientation (e.g., obtained via magnetometer measurements) to another device. Upon receiving the device orientation information (DOI) of the device, the other device can adjust the device's beam pattern appropriately and take this information into account when calculating the environment (e.g., obstacle calculations, reflector calculations, etc.).

[0052] By sharing a common BPD between devices and exchanging beam pattern indices between them, devices can learn about their environment by performing reference signal measurements, receiving reference signal measurement reports from peer devices, or both. This environmental information can help devices accelerate device discovery, beam management, and beam failure recovery, thereby improving the user experience when operating at high frequencies.

[0053] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an exemplary method 500 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals for D2D communication provided by an implementation. For clarity of presentation, the following description generally describes the method 500 in the context of other figures in this description. The method 500 can be implemented by an electronic device, such as Figure 1 Device A 102 is shown. However, it should be understood that, for example, method 500 can be performed by any suitable system, environment, software, and hardware, or a combination of systems, environments, software, and hardware, as appropriate. In some implementations, the various steps of method 500 can be executed in parallel, combined, looped, or in any order.

[0054] Method 500 begins at 502, where a first electronic device obtains reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device. In some implementations, the reference signal beam pattern information can be obtained from the second electronic device. In some implementations, the reference signal beam pattern information can be obtained from a beam pattern database (BPD) stored in the first electronic device. The BPD can be stored in at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device. For example, the first electronic device or the second electronic device can store the BPD. In some implementations, the first electronic device and the second electronic device can both be manufactured by the same manufacturer and share or maintain the same BPD internally. In some implementations, the BPD can include a mapping relationship between a transmit beam pattern and a receive beam pattern. In some implementations, the BPD can include multiple entries. Each of the multiple entries can include at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction, or a beam peak gain.

[0055] In some implementations, the first electronic device may be one of a smart TV, a router, and a smart speaker. The second electronic device may be one of a smartphone and a tablet. In some implementations, the first electronic device may be more stationary than the second electronic device. In some implementations, the first electronic device may communicate with the second electronic device via device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0056] At 504 , a plurality of reference signals according to the reference signal beam pattern information may be received or transmitted between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

[0057] In some implementations, the first electronic device may send a control signal to the second electronic device. The control signal may be used to cause the second electronic device to transmit a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns. The first electronic device may then use multiple receive beam patterns corresponding to the multiple transmit beam patterns to measure the reference signals transmitted by the second electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns.

[0058] In some implementations, the first electronic device may send a control signal to the second electronic device. The control signal may be used to cause the first electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns. The first electronic device may send the reference signal to the second electronic device using multiple transmit beam patterns. The first electronic device may receive beam measurement results from the second electronic device. The beam measurement results may be obtained by the second electronic device measuring the reference signals sent by the first electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns using multiple receive beam patterns corresponding to the multiple transmit beam patterns.

[0059] At 506, the first electronic device determines environmental information surrounding the first and second electronic devices based on the measurement of the reference signal, the acquired reference signal beam pattern information, and the BPD. For example, the first electronic device may determine that an obstacle exists between the first and second electronic devices in the direction of the first electronic device. In some implementations, the first and second electronic devices are stationary when the first electronic device acquires the reference signal beam pattern information and determines the environmental information.

[0060] Figure 6 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 600 for providing computing functions associated with the described algorithms, methods, functions, processes, procedures, and programs. The computer system 600 or more than one computer system 600 may be used to implement the electronic devices previously described in the present invention, such as Figure 1 The device A102 shown in FIG.

[0061] In some aspects, the computer 602 may include a computer. The computer includes an input device and an output device or a graphical user interface (GUI). The input device may be a keypad, keyboard, touch screen, or other device that can receive user information, and the output device transmits information associated with the operation of the computer 602, including digital data, visual information, or audio information (or a combination of information).

[0062] The computer 602 can function as a client, a network component, a server, a database or other persistent storage, or any other component (or combination thereof) of a computer system for performing the subject matter described herein. The computer 602 is shown communicatively coupled to a network 630. In some implementations, one or more components of the computer 602 can be configured to operate in a cloud-based environment, a local environment, a global environment, or other environments (or combinations thereof).

[0063] At a high level, the computer 602 is an electronic computing device that can be used to receive, send, process, store, or manage data and information associated with the subject matter described. According to some implementations, the computer 602 can also include an application server, an email server, a web server, a cache server, a streaming data server, or other server (or combination of servers) or be able to establish a communication connection with them.

[0064] Computer 602 can receive requests from client applications (e.g., executing on another computer 602) over network 630 and respond to the received requests by processing the received requests using an appropriate software application or applications. Additionally, requests can be sent to computer 602 from internal users (e.g., from a command console or through other appropriate access methods), external or third parties, other automated applications, and any other appropriate entity, person, system, or computer.

[0065] Each component of computer 602 can communicate using system bus 603. In some implementations, any or all components of computer 602, hardware or software (or a combination of both), can be connected to each other or to interface 604 via system bus 603 using application programming interface (API) 612 or business layer 613 (or a combination of API 612 and business layer 613). API 612 can include specifications for routines, data structures, and object classes. API 612 can be language-independent or language-dependent and refer to a complete interface, a single function, or even a set of APIs. Business layer 613 provides software services to computer 602 or other components (whether or not shown) capable of establishing a communication connection with computer 602. All service consumers can access the functionality of computer 602 using the business layer. Software services, such as those provided by service layer 613, provide reusable, defined functionality through defined interfaces. For example, the interface can be software written in JAVA, C++, or other suitable languages, thereby providing data in extensible markup language (XML) format or other suitable format. Although API 612 or business layer 613 is shown as an integrated component of computer 602, alternative implementations can show API 612 or business layer 613 as a separate component associated with other components in computer 602 or other components capable of establishing a communication connection with computer 602. In addition, any or all portions of API 612 or business layer 613 can be implemented as a submodule of another software module, enterprise application, or hardware module without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0066] Computer 602 includes interface 604. Although Figure 6 One interface 604 is shown, but two or more interfaces 604 may be used depending on the specific needs, requirements, or specific implementation of the computer 602. The interface 604 is used by the computer 602 to communicate with other systems connected to a network 630 (whether or not shown) in a distributed environment. Generally, the interface 604 includes logic encoded in software or hardware (or a combination of software and hardware) and can be used to communicate with the network 630. More specifically, the interface 604 can include software that supports one or more communication protocols associated with the communication, so that the network 630 or the hardware of the interface can be used to transmit physical signals within and outside the computer 602 shown.

[0067] Computer 602 includes processor 605. Although Figure 6One processor 605 is shown, but two or more processors may be used depending on the particular needs, requirements, or particular implementation of the computer 602. Generally, the processor 605 executes instructions and operates on data to perform the operations of the computer 602 and any algorithms, methods, functions, procedures, processes, and programs described herein.

[0068] Computer 602 also includes a database 606 that can store data for computer 602 or other components that can be connected to network 630 (whether shown or not) (or a combination of both). For example, database 606 can be an in-memory database, a traditional database, or another type of database that stores data consistent with the present invention. In some implementations, database 606 can be a combination of two or more different database types (e.g., a hybrid in-memory database and traditional database) depending on the specific needs, requirements, or specific implementation of computer 602 and the described functionality. Although Figure 6 One database 606 is shown, but two or more databases (of the same type or a combination of types) may be used depending on the particular needs, requirements, or particular implementation and described functionality of the computer 602. Although the database 606 is shown as being integral to the computer 602, in alternative implementations, the database 606 may be external to the computer 602.

[0069] The computer 602 also includes memory 607, which can store data for the computer 602 or other components that can be connected to the network 630 (whether shown or not) (or a combination of both). For example, the memory 607 can be random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), optical storage, magnetic storage, etc., which stores data consistent with the present invention. In some implementations, the memory 607 can be a combination of two or more different types of memory (e.g., a combination of RAM and magnetic storage) depending on the specific needs, requirements, or specific implementation of the computer 602 and the described functionality. Although Figure 6 One memory 607 is shown, but two or more memories 607 (of the same type or a combination of types) may be used depending on the particular needs, requirements, or particular implementation and described functionality of the computer 602. While the memory 607 is shown as being integral to the computer 602, in alternative implementations the memory 607 may be external to the computer 602.

[0070] Application 608 is an algorithmic software engine that provides functionality, particularly functionality described herein, based on the specific needs, requirements, or specific implementation of computer 602. For example, application 608 may be implemented as one or more components, modules, or applications. Furthermore, although illustrated as a single application 608, application 608 may be implemented as multiple applications 608 on computer 602. Furthermore, although application 608 is illustrated as being integral to computer 602, in alternative implementations, application 608 may be external to computer 602.

[0071] The computer 602 may also include a power supply 614. The power supply 614 may include rechargeable or non-rechargeable batteries, which may be configured to be user-replaceable or non-user-replaceable. In some implementations, the power supply 614 may include power conversion or management circuitry (including recharging, standby, or other power management functions). In some implementations, the power supply 614 may include a power plug to allow the computer 602 to be plugged into a wall outlet or other power source, for example, to power the computer 602 or charge a rechargeable battery.

[0072] There may be any number of computers 602 associated with the computer system including computer 602 or external to the computer system, each computer 602 communicating via network 630. Furthermore, the terms "client," "user," and other appropriate terms may be used interchangeably without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention contemplates that many users may use one computer 602, or that one user may use multiple computers 602.

[0073] Figure 7 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary structure of a terminal 700 described in the present invention, provided in an implementation manner. Terminal 700 includes a receiving circuit 702, a determining circuit 704, and a transmitting circuit 706. In some implementations, terminal 700 may further include one or more circuits for performing any one or a combination of steps described in the present invention.

[0074] The receiving circuit 702 is configured to receive a reference signal sent by another terminal using multiple receive beam patterns.

[0075] The determination circuit 704 is configured to determine environment information around the terminal and another terminal.

[0076] The transmitting circuit 706 is configured to transmit a control signal to another terminal. The control signal may be used to configure a reference signal transmitted by the other terminal using a plurality of transmit beam patterns.

[0077] Implementations of the described subject matter may include one or more features, alone or in combination.

[0078] In a first implementation, a method includes: a first electronic device obtains reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device, and then the reference signal beam pattern information is stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; based on the reference signal beam pattern information, multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; the first electronic device determines environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on measurements of the reference signals, the obtained reference signal beam pattern information and the BPD.

[0079] The above and other described implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0080] The first feature can be combined with any one of the following features, wherein multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information: the first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send reference signals using multiple transmit beam patterns; and the first electronic device uses multiple receive beam patterns to measure the reference signals sent by the second electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns.

[0081] The second feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information: the first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmission beam patterns; the first electronic device sends the reference signal to the second electronic device using the multiple transmission beam patterns; the first electronic device receives a beam measurement result from the second electronic device, wherein the beam measurement result is obtained by the second electronic device measuring the reference signal sent by the first electronic device using the multiple transmission beam patterns using the multiple reception beam patterns.

[0082] A third feature, which may be combined with any of the above or following features, is characterized in that the BPD comprises a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries comprising at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction, or a beam peak gain.

[0083] The fourth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device determines the environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device, including: determining that there is an obstacle between the first electronic device and the second electronic device in the direction of the first electronic device.

[0084] The fifth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device includes one of a smart TV, a router and a smart speaker, the second electronic device includes one of a smart phone and a tablet computer, and the first electronic device and the second electronic device are fixed when obtaining the reference signal beam pattern information and determining the environmental information.

[0085] The sixth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device communicates with the second electronic device through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0086] In a second implementation, a first electronic device includes: a non-volatile memory including instructions; one or more hardware processors communicating with the memory, wherein the one or more hardware processors execute the instructions to perform operations including the following: obtaining reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device, and then the reference signal beam pattern information is stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information; and determining environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on measurements of the reference signals, the obtained reference signal beam pattern information and the BPD.

[0087] The above and other described implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0088] The first feature can be combined with any one of the following features, wherein multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information: a control signal is sent to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send reference signals using multiple transmit beam patterns; and the reference signals sent by the second electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns are measured using multiple receive beam patterns.

[0089] The second feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information: a control signal is sent to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns; the reference signal is sent to the second electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns; and a beam measurement result is received from the second electronic device, wherein the beam measurement result is obtained by the second electronic device measuring the reference signal sent by the first electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns using the multiple receive beam patterns.

[0090] A third feature, which may be combined with any of the above or following features, is characterized in that the BPD comprises a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries comprising at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction, or a beam peak gain.

[0091] The fourth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein determining the environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes: determining that there is an obstacle between the first electronic device and the second electronic device in the direction of the first electronic device.

[0092] The fifth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device includes one of a smart TV, a router and a smart speaker, the second electronic device includes one of a smart phone and a tablet computer, and the first electronic device and the second electronic device are fixed when obtaining the reference signal beam pattern information and determining the environmental information.

[0093] The sixth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device communicates with the second electronic device through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0094] In a third implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations including: a first electronic device obtains reference signal beam pattern information associated with multiple beam directions of a second electronic device, and the reference signal beam pattern information is then stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information; the first electronic device determines environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on measurements of the reference signals, the obtained reference signal beam pattern information, and the BPD.

[0095] The above and other described implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0096] The first feature can be combined with any one of the following features, wherein multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the reference signal beam pattern information: the first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send reference signals using multiple transmit beam patterns; and the first electronic device uses multiple receive beam patterns to measure the reference signals sent by the second electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns.

[0097] The second feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein multiple reference signals are received or sent between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information: the first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmission beam patterns; the first electronic device sends the reference signal to the second electronic device using the multiple transmission beam patterns; the first electronic device receives a beam measurement result from the second electronic device, wherein the beam measurement result is obtained by the second electronic device measuring the reference signal sent by the first electronic device using the multiple transmission beam patterns using the multiple reception beam patterns.

[0098] A third feature, which may be combined with any of the above or following features, is characterized in that the BPD comprises a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries comprising at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction, or a beam peak gain.

[0099] The fourth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device determines the environmental information around the first electronic device and the second electronic device, including: determining that there is an obstacle between the first electronic device and the second electronic device in the direction of the first electronic device.

[0100] The fifth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device includes one of a smart TV, a router and a smart speaker, the second electronic device includes one of a smart phone and a tablet computer, and the first electronic device and the second electronic device are fixed when obtaining the reference signal beam pattern information and determining the environmental information.

[0101] The sixth feature can be combined with any one of the above or following features, wherein the first electronic device communicates with the second electronic device through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0102] In a fourth implementation, a method includes: a second electronic device determines indication information indicating multiple beam directions of the second electronic device, and the multiple beam directions are used for receiving or sending between a first electronic device and the second electronic device; receiving or sending the indication information indicating the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device.

[0103] The above and other described implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0104] The first feature can be combined with any one of the following features, wherein the first electronic device stores a beam pattern database (BPD) including beam pattern information.

[0105] The second feature, which can be combined with any one of the above or following features, is characterized in that the BPD includes multiple entries, each entry of the multiple entries includes at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction or a beam peak gain.

[0106] In a fifth implementation, a second electronic device includes: a non-volatile memory including instructions; one or more hardware processors communicating with the memory, wherein the one or more hardware processors execute the instructions to perform operations including the following: determining indication information indicating multiple beam directions of the second electronic device, the multiple beam directions being used for receiving or sending between a first electronic device and the second electronic device; receiving or sending the indication information indicating the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device.

[0107] The above and other described implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0108] The first feature can be combined with any one of the following features, wherein the first electronic device stores a beam pattern database (BPD) including beam pattern information.

[0109] The second feature, which can be combined with any one of the above or following features, is characterized in that the BPD includes multiple entries, each entry of the multiple entries includes at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction or a beam peak gain.

[0110] In a sixth implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes the one or more hardware processors to perform operations including: a second electronic device determining indication information indicating multiple beam directions of the second electronic device, the multiple beam directions being used for receiving or sending between a first electronic device and the second electronic device; receiving or sending the indication information indicating the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; and receiving or sending multiple reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the multiple beam directions of the second electronic device.

[0111] The above and other described implementations may each optionally include one or more of the following features.

[0112] The first feature can be combined with any one of the following features, wherein the first electronic device stores a beam pattern database (BPD) including beam pattern information.

[0113] The second feature, which can be combined with any one of the above or following features, is characterized in that the BPD includes multiple entries, each entry of the multiple entries includes at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction or a beam peak gain.

[0114] The subject matter and implementation of the functional operations described in this specification may be implemented in digital electronic circuits, tangibly embodied computer software or firmware, computer hardware, including in the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in a combination of one or more thereof. The implementation of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions, which are encoded in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable computer storage medium to be executed by a data processing device or to control the operation of the data processing device. Alternatively or in addition, the program instructions may be encoded in an artificially generated propagation signal (e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal) that is generated to encode information and thereby transmit it to a suitable receiver device for execution by a data processing device. The computer storage medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access storage device, or a combination of computer storage media.

[0115] The terms "real time," "real fast time (RFT)," "near(ly) real-time (NRT)," "quasi-real time," or similar terms (as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art) mean that an action and a response are close in time such that an individual perceives the action and the response to occur substantially simultaneously. For example, the time difference between the response to the display of data (or the activation of a display) following the individual's action to access the data may be less than 1 millisecond, less than 1 second, or less than 5 seconds. While the requested data need not be displayed (or activated for display) immediately, the requested data may still be displayed (or activated for display) without any intentional delay, given the processing limitations of the computing system and the time required to collect, accurately measure, analyze, process, store, or transmit the data.

[0116] The terms "data processing apparatus", "computer" or "electronic computer equipment" (or equivalents understood by those skilled in the art) refer to data processing hardware and include various devices, equipment and machines for processing data, such as a programmable processor, a computer or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus may also be or also include a dedicated logic circuit, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In some implementations, the data processing apparatus or dedicated logic circuit (or a combination of data processing apparatus or dedicated logic circuit) may be hardware-based or software-based (or a combination of hardware and software). The apparatus may optionally include code that creates an execution environment for a computer program, such as code that constitutes a combination of processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system or an execution environment. The present invention contemplates the use of a data processing apparatus with or without a traditional operating system, such as LINUX, UNIX, WINDOWS, MAC OS, ANDROID, IOS or any other suitable traditional operating system.

[0117] A computer program (which may also be referred to or described as a program, software, software application, module, software module, script, or code) may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may (but need not) correspond to a file in a file system. A program may be stored in a portion of a file that includes other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the relevant program, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files storing one or more modules, subroutines, or portions of code). A computer program may be deployed for execution in one computer or in multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. Although the various portions of the program shown in the various figures are shown as separate modules that implement various features and functions through various objects, methods, or other processes, the program may alternatively include many submodules, third-party services, components, libraries, etc., as appropriate. Conversely, the features and functions of the various components may be combined into a single component as appropriate. The threshold used to make the computational determination may be determined statically, dynamically, or both statically and dynamically.

[0118] The methods, processes, or logic flows described herein may be performed by one or more programmable computers executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The methods, processes, or logic flows may also be performed by, and apparatus may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, such as a CPU, FPGA, or ASIC.

[0119] A computer suitable for executing a computer program can be based on a general or special microprocessor, based on a general and special microprocessor, or any other type of CPU. Typically, the CPU receives instructions and data from a ROM or random access memory (RAM) or both. The essential elements of a computer are a CPU for executing instructions and one or more storage devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer also includes one or more large-capacity storage devices (such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks) for storing data, or is operably coupled to one or more large-capacity storage devices for storing data to receive data from the large-capacity storage device and / or send data to the large-capacity storage device. However, a computer does not necessarily have such devices. In addition, a computer can be embedded in other devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile audio or video players, game consoles, global positioning systems (GPS) receivers, or portable storage devices (such as universal serial bus (USB) flash drives), etc.

[0120] Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data (transitory or non-transitory, as the case may be) include nonvolatile memory, media, and storage devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; CD-ROM, DVD+ / –R, DVD-RAM, and DVD-ROM disks. Memory can store a variety of objects or data, including caches, categories, frameworks, applications, backup data, tasks, web pages, web page templates, database tables, repositories for storing dynamic information, and any other suitable information, including any parameters, variables, algorithms, instructions, rules, constraints, or references. Memory can also include any other suitable data, such as logs, policies, security or access data, report files, and other data. The processor and memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated into, special-purpose logic circuitry.

[0121] To interact with a user, implementations of the subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computer having a display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED), or plasma monitor, for displaying information to the user, as well as a keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse, trackball, or trackpad, for providing input to the computer. Input can also be provided to the computer using a touch screen, such as a pressure-sensitive tablet surface, a multi-touch screen using capacitive or electrical sensing, or other types of touch screens. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual, auditory, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, voice, or tactile input. Furthermore, a computer can interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device used by the user, such as by sending a web page to a web browser on a user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

[0122] The term "graphical user interface" or "GUI" may be used in the singular or plural to describe one or more graphical user interfaces and each display of a particular graphical user interface. Thus, a GUI may refer to any graphical user interface, including but not limited to a web browser, a touch screen, or a command line interface (CLI), that processes information and efficiently presents the results of that information to a user. Typically, a GUI may include multiple user interface (UI) elements, some or all of which are associated with a web browser, such as interactive fields, drop-down lists, and buttons. These and other UI elements may be related to or represent the functionality of a web browser.

[0123] Implementations of the subject matter described herein may be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a data server), or includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or includes a front-end component (e.g., a client computer with a graphical user interface or a web browser), through which a user may interact with an implementation of the subject matter described herein, or any combination of one or more such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system may be interconnected by any form or medium of wired or wireless digital data communication (or combination of data communications), such as a communications network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (LAN), a radio access network (RAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WIMAX), a wireless local area network (WLAN) (e.g., using 802.11a / b / g / n or 802.20 (or a combination of 802.11x and 802.20 or other protocols consistent with the present invention), all or a portion of the Internet, or any other communication system (or combination of communication networks) at one or more locations. For example, the network can communicate Internet Protocol (IP) packets, Frame Relay frames, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells, voice, video, data, or other suitable information (or combination of communication types) between network addresses.

[0124] A computing system may include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises from computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0125] Although this specification includes many specific implementation details, these details should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of any invention or the scope of what is claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be unique to a particular implementation of a particular invention. Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented individually in multiple implementations or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although previously described features may be described as functioning in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, in some cases one or more features in the claimed combination may be removed from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to subcombinations or variations of subcombinations.

[0126] A specific implementation of the present subject matter has been described. Other implementations, variations, and permutations of the described implementations are within the scope of the following claims and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Although operations are described in a particular order in the drawings or claims, this should not be construed as requiring that the operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or that all illustrated operations (some operations may be considered optional) be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking or parallel processing (or a combination of multitasking and parallel processing) may be advantageous and may be performed as appropriate.

[0127] Furthermore, the separation or integration of various system modules and components in the previously described implementations should not be understood as requiring such separation or integration in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0128] Therefore, the exemplary implementations described above do not define or limit the present invention. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0129] Furthermore, any claimed implementation is deemed applicable to at least one computer-implemented method; a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for performing said computer-implemented method; and a computer-implemented system comprising a computer memory interoperably coupled to a hardware processor for performing the computer-implemented method and said instructions stored on said non-transitory computer-readable medium.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, characterized in that include: The first electronic device obtains reference signal beam pattern information associated with a plurality of beam directions of the second electronic device, and then the reference signal beam pattern information is stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information; The first electronic device determines, based on measurements of the multiple reference signals, the acquired reference signal beam pattern information, and the BPD, that an obstacle exists between the first electronic device and the second electronic device in a direction of the first electronic device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information includes: The first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the second electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns; The first electronic device measures the reference signal transmitted by the second electronic device using the plurality of transmit beam patterns using a plurality of receive beam patterns.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information includes: The first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns; The first electronic device transmits the reference signal to the second electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns; The first electronic device receives a beam measurement result from the second electronic device, wherein the beam measurement result is obtained by the second electronic device measuring the reference signal sent by the first electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns using the multiple receive beam patterns.

4. The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The BPD includes a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries including at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction, or a beam peak gain.

5. The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first electronic device includes one of a smart TV, a router, and a smart speaker, and the second electronic device includes one of a smart phone and a tablet computer. The first electronic device and the second electronic device are fixed when acquiring the reference signal beam pattern information and determining the environmental information.

6. The computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first electronic device communicates with the second electronic device through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

7. A first electronic device, characterized in that: include: Non-transitory memory, including instructions; One or more hardware processors in communication with the memory, wherein the one or more hardware processors execute the instructions to perform operations including: Acquiring reference signal beam pattern information associated with a plurality of beam directions of a second electronic device, and then storing the reference signal beam pattern information in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information; Based on the measurement of the multiple reference signals, the acquired reference signal beam pattern information, and the BPD, it is determined that an obstacle exists between the first electronic device and the second electronic device in the direction of the first electronic device.

8. The first electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information includes: sending a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the second electronic device to send a reference signal using a plurality of transmit beam patterns; The reference signal transmitted by the second electronic device using the plurality of transmit beam patterns is measured using a plurality of receive beam patterns.

9. The first electronic device according to claim 7, wherein: Receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information includes: Sending a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns; transmitting the reference signal to the second electronic device using the plurality of transmit beam patterns; A beam measurement result is received from the second electronic device, wherein the beam measurement result is obtained by the second electronic device measuring the reference signal sent by the first electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns using the multiple receive beam patterns.

10. The first electronic device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The BPD includes a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries including at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction, or a beam peak gain.

11. The first electronic device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The first electronic device includes one of a smart TV, a router, and a smart speaker, and the second electronic device includes one of a smart phone and a tablet computer. The first electronic device and the second electronic device are fixed when acquiring the reference signal beam pattern information and determining the environmental information.

12. The first electronic device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The first electronic device communicates with the second electronic device through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, characterized in that: The computer instructions, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations including: The first electronic device obtains reference signal beam pattern information associated with a plurality of beam directions of the second electronic device, and then the reference signal beam pattern information is stored in a beam pattern database (BPD) of the first electronic device; receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information; The first electronic device determines, based on measurements of the multiple reference signals, the acquired reference signal beam pattern information, and the BPD, that an obstacle exists between the first electronic device and the second electronic device in a direction of the first electronic device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein: Receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information includes: The first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the second electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns; The first electronic device measures the reference signal transmitted by the second electronic device using the plurality of transmit beam patterns using a plurality of receive beam patterns.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein: Receiving or sending a plurality of reference signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the reference signal beam pattern information includes: The first electronic device sends a control signal to the second electronic device, wherein the control signal is used to enable the first electronic device to send a reference signal using multiple transmit beam patterns; The first electronic device transmits the reference signal to the second electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns; The first electronic device receives a beam measurement result from the second electronic device, wherein the beam measurement result is obtained by the second electronic device measuring the reference signal sent by the first electronic device using the multiple transmit beam patterns using the multiple receive beam patterns.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: The BPD includes a plurality of entries, each of the plurality of entries including at least one of a beam index, a beam peak direction, or a beam peak gain.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: The first electronic device includes one of a smart TV, a router, and a smart speaker, and the second electronic device includes one of a smart phone and a tablet computer. The first electronic device and the second electronic device are fixed when acquiring the reference signal beam pattern information and determining the environmental information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: The first electronic device communicates with the second electronic device through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

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