A positioning method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a positioning method and device, which are used to realize positioning of terminal devices in a campus network. In the embodiments of the present application, a first network element is arranged in the campus network, and a second network element is determined for each terminal device. The first network element stores a correspondence between each terminal device and the second network element corresponding to the terminal device. When the first network element receives a positioning message reported by a first terminal device, the positioning message can be routed to the second network element corresponding to the first terminal device according to the correspondence stored in advance, and thus the positioning of the terminal devices in the campus network can be realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, and in particular to a positioning method and device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The application of the fifth generation communication technology (5th generation, 5G) in the campus network (such as enterprise network, campus network, etc.) is a current hot direction. One of the uses of the 5G technology in the campus network is to locate and track the terminal devices in the campus network, especially the indoor terminal devices.

[0003] However, unlike the terminal devices (such as smart phones) commonly seen in 5G networks, the terminal devices commonly seen in campus networks are Internet of Things terminal devices (such as electricity meters, sensors, etc.). The Internet of Things terminal devices are generally characterized by low power consumption and low cost, and usually do not have complete communication functions, which makes the positioning process of the terminal devices in the 5G network unsuitable for the campus network.

[0004] Therefore, how to locate the terminal devices in the campus network is a technical problem that needs to be solved. SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a positioning method and device for locating terminal devices in a campus network.

[0006] In a first aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be executed by a first network element or a chip on the first network element. Taking the method executed by the first network element as an example, the method comprises: receiving, by the first network element, a first message from a second network element, the first message containing a first correspondence relationship between an identifier of a first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; saving, by the first network element, the first correspondence relationship; receiving, by the first network element, a second message from one or more access network devices, wherein the second message contains the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device; and forwarding, by the first network element, the second message to the second network element according to the first correspondence relationship and the identifier of the first terminal device contained in the second message.

[0007] Embodiments of the present application configure a fixed second network element for a first terminal device in a campus network, save the configuration information (i.e. the first correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the second network element) on the first network element, and when the first terminal device reports a positioning message (such as the second message), the first network element can route the positioning message of the first terminal device to the second network element corresponding to the first terminal device according to the first correspondence relationship, thereby realizing the positioning of the terminal devices in the campus network.

[0008] In a possible design, the second message further includes a positioning parameter of the first terminal device. For example, the second message can carry one or more of the following: a positioning capability of the first terminal device, a positioning method of the first terminal device, a positioning accuracy of the first terminal device, a positioning frequency of the first terminal device, and a notification address of a positioning result of the first terminal device.

[0009] In this way, the network can assist in positioning the first terminal device, and the positioning requirement of the first terminal device can be met as much as possible.

[0010] In a possible design, the positioning parameter is an encrypted and / or integrity-protected parameter.

[0011] In this way, only a network element (for example, the second network element) that has the decrypted parameter and / or the integrity-protected parameter can obtain the positioning parameter, the positioning parameter is prevented from being leaked or tampered with during network transmission, and the security of positioning is improved.

[0012] In a possible design, the first network element establishes a signaling connection with each of the one or more access network devices. It should be understood that the signaling connection is a device-granularity signaling connection (for example, an NG-AP connection), that is, the establishment of the connection is independent of a terminal device (user).

[0013] In this way, the first network element and the access network device can communicate without awareness of the terminal device (user).

[0014] In a possible design, the network element type of the first network element is AMF, the network element type of the second network element is AMF, and the network element type of the third network element is LMF. It should be understood that the first network element and the second network element are of the same type, but are not the same network element. Optionally, the first network element is a default AMF.

[0015] In a second aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be executed by the second network element or a chip on the second network element. Taking the method executed by the second network element as an example, the method includes: establishing, by the second network element, a context of the first terminal device, where the context includes an identifier of the first terminal device; sending, by the second network element, a first message to the first network element, where the first message includes a first correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; receiving, by the second network element, a second message from the first network element, where the second message is sent by the first network element to the second network element according to the first correspondence relationship, and the second message includes the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device; and sending, by the second network element, the measurement result in the second message to the third network element, where the third network element is configured to determine location information of the first terminal device according to the measurement result.

[0016] In a third aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be executed by an access network device or a chip on the access network device. Taking the case where the method is executed by the access network device as an example, the method comprises: the access network device receiving a positioning signal sent by a first terminal device, performing measurement on the positioning signal, and obtaining a measurement result; and receiving a third message sent by the first terminal device, the third message containing an identifier of the first terminal device; the access network device generating a second message based on the measurement result and the third message, and sending the second message to a first network element, wherein the second message contains the identifier of the first terminal device and the measurement result.

[0017] In a fourth aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be executed by a first terminal device or a chip on the first terminal device. Taking the case where the method is executed by the first terminal device as an example, the method comprises: the first terminal device sending a positioning signal; and the first terminal device sending a third message, the third message containing an identifier of the first terminal device.

[0018] Optionally, the first terminal device sends the positioning signal and the third message in a broadcast manner.

[0019] The various implementation manners and beneficial effects of the second aspect to the fourth aspect described above can refer to the various implementation manners and beneficial effects of the first aspect described above, which will not be described herein again.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be executed by an access network device or a chip on the access network device. Taking the case where the method is executed by a second network element as an example, the method comprises: the access network device receiving a fourth message from the second network element, wherein the fourth message contains a second correspondence relationship between an address of the second network element and an identifier of the second network element; the access network device receiving a positioning signal sent by a first terminal device, performing measurement on the positioning signal, and obtaining a measurement result; and receiving an eighth message sent by the first terminal device, the eighth message containing an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; the access network device sending a sixth message to the second network element according to the identifier of the second network element in the eighth message and the second correspondence relationship, wherein the sixth message contains the identifier of the first terminal device and the measurement result.

[0021] Embodiments of the present application configure a fixed second network element for a first terminal device in a campus network. When the first terminal device reports a positioning message (i.e., a message related to the positioning of the terminal device, such as the eighth message), the first terminal device carries the identifier of the second network element corresponding to the first terminal device in the positioning message, and then the access network device can route the positioning message to the second network element corresponding to the first terminal device based on the identifier of the second network element, thereby realizing the positioning of the terminal device in the campus network.

[0022] In a possible design, the eighth message further includes a positioning parameter of the first terminal device. For example, the eighth message carries one or more of a positioning capability of the first terminal device, a positioning method of the first terminal device, a positioning accuracy of the first terminal device, a positioning frequency of the first terminal device, and a notification address of a positioning result of the first terminal device.

[0023] In this way, the network can assist in positioning the first terminal device, and the positioning requirement of the first terminal device can be met as much as possible.

[0024] In a possible design, the positioning parameter is a parameter after encryption and / or integrity protection.

[0025] In this way, only a network element (for example, the third network element) that has a decryption parameter and / or an integrity protection parameter can obtain the positioning parameter, so that the positioning parameter is prevented from being leaked or tampered with during network transmission, and the security of positioning is improved.

[0026] In a possible design, the second network element has a signaling connection with each of the one or more access network devices. It should be understood that the signaling connection is a device-granularity signaling connection (an NG-AP connection), that is, the establishment of the connection is independent of a terminal device (user).

[0027] In this way, the second network element can communicate with the access network device without awareness of the terminal device (user).

[0028] In a possible design, the second network element is an AMF, and the third network element is an LMF.

[0029] In a sixth aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be executed by a second network element or a chip on the second network element. Taking the method executed by the second network element as an example, the method includes the following steps: the second network element sends a fourth message to one or more access network devices, where the fourth message includes a second correspondence between an address of the second network element and an identifier of the second network element; the second network element receives a fifth message from a third network element, where the fifth message includes a third correspondence between an identifier of a first terminal device and an identifier of the third network element; the second network element saves the third correspondence; the second network element receives a sixth message from the one or more access network devices, where the sixth message includes the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device, and the sixth message is sent by the access network device to the second network element according to the second correspondence; and the second network element sends a seventh message to the third network element according to the third correspondence and the identifier of the first terminal device in the sixth message, where the seventh message includes the measurement result, and the third network element is configured to determine location information of the first terminal device according to the measurement result.

[0030] In a seventh aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be performed by a third network element or a chip on the third network element. Taking the case where the method is performed by the third network element as an example, the method comprises: establishing, by the third network element, a context of a first terminal device, the context containing an identifier of the first terminal device; sending, by the third network element, a fifth message to a second network element, the fifth message containing a third correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the third network element; receiving, by the third network element, a seventh message from the second network element, the seventh message containing a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device, the seventh message being sent by the second network element to the third network element according to the third correspondence relationship; and determining, by the third network element, location information of the first terminal device according to the measurement result.

[0031] In an eighth aspect, a positioning method is provided, which can be performed by a first terminal device or a chip on the first terminal device. Taking the case where the method is performed by the first terminal device as an example, the method comprises: sending, by the first terminal device, a positioning signal; and sending, by the first terminal device, an eighth message, the eighth message containing an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of a second network element.

[0032] Optionally, the first terminal device sends the positioning signal and the eighth message in a broadcast manner.

[0033] The various implementation manners and beneficial effects of the sixth aspect to the eighth aspect described above can refer to the various implementation manners and beneficial effects of the fifth aspect described above, and will not be described herein again.

[0034] In a ninth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, which is located in a first network element, and comprises modules / units for performing the method steps described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect;

[0035] For example, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to enable the first network element to communicate with other network elements; and the processing module is configured to: receive, by the communication module, a first message from a second network element, the first message containing a first correspondence relationship between an identifier of a first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; save the first correspondence relationship; receive, by the communication module, a second message from one or more access network devices, the second message containing the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device; and forward, by the processing module, the second message to the second network element via the communication module according to the first correspondence relationship and the identifier of the first terminal device contained in the second message.

[0036] In a tenth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, which is located in a second network element, and comprises modules / units for performing the method steps described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect;

[0037] Exemplarily, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to communicate with other network elements; the processing module is configured to: establish a context of the first terminal device, wherein the context comprises an identifier of the first terminal device; send, to the first network element via the communication module, a first message comprising a first correspondence between the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; receive, from the first network element via the communication module, a second message, wherein the second message is sent by the first network element to the second network element according to the first correspondence, and the second message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device; and send, to a third network element via the communication module, the measurement result in the second message, wherein the third network element is configured to determine location information of the first terminal device according to the measurement result.

[0038] In a eleventh aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, which is located in an access network device, and comprises modules / units configured to perform the method steps in the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect.

[0039] Exemplarily, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module is configured to: receive, via the communication module, a positioning signal sent by a first terminal device; perform measurement on the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result; receive, via the communication module, a third message sent by the first terminal device, wherein the third message comprises an identifier of the first terminal device; generate a second message based on the measurement result and the third message; and send, to a first network element via the communication module, the second message, wherein the second message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and the measurement result of the first terminal device.

[0040] In a twelfth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, which is located in a first terminal device, and comprises modules / units configured to perform the method steps in the fourth aspect or any possible design of the fourth aspect.

[0041] Exemplarily, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module is configured to: generate a positioning signal and a third message, wherein the third message comprises an identifier of the first terminal device; and send, via the communication module, the positioning signal and the third message.

[0042] In a thirteenth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, which is located in an access network device, and comprises modules / units configured to perform the method steps in the fifth aspect or any possible design of the fifth aspect.

[0043] Exemplarily, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module is configured to: receive a fourth message from a second network element via the communication module, wherein the fourth message comprises a second correspondence between an address of the second network element and an identifier of the second network element; receive a positioning signal sent by a first terminal device via the communication module; perform measurement on the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result; receive an eighth message sent by the first terminal device via the communication module, wherein the eighth message comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; send a sixth message to the second network element via the communication module according to the identifier of the second network element in the eighth message and the second correspondence, wherein the sixth message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and the measurement result.

[0044] In a fourteenth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, which is located in a second network element, and comprises modules / units for performing the method steps in the sixth aspect or any possible design of the sixth aspect.

[0045] Exemplarily, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module is configured to: receive a fourth message from a second network element via the communication module, wherein the fourth message comprises a second correspondence between an address of the second network element and an identifier of the second network element; receive a positioning signal sent by a first terminal device via the communication module; perform measurement on the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result; receive an eighth message sent by the first terminal device via the communication module, wherein the eighth message comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; send a sixth message to the second network element via the communication module according to the identifier of the second network element in the eighth message and the second correspondence, wherein the sixth message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and the measurement result.

[0046] In a fifteenth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, which is located in a third network element, and comprises modules / units for performing the method steps in the seventh aspect or any possible design of the seventh aspect.

[0047] Exemplarily, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to communicate with other network elements; the processing module is configured to: establish a context of the first terminal device, the context comprising an identifier of the first terminal device; send, to a second network element via the communication module, a fifth message, the fifth message comprising a third correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the third network element; receive, from the second network element via the communication module, a seventh message, the seventh message comprising the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device, the seventh message being sent by the second network element to the third network element according to the third correspondence relationship; and determine location information of the first terminal device according to the measurement result.

[0048] In a sixteenth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, the apparatus being located at a first terminal device, and the apparatus comprising modules / units configured to perform the method steps in the eighth aspect or any possible design of the eighth aspect.

[0049] Exemplarily, the apparatus comprises a communication module and a processing module; the communication module is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module is configured to: generate a positioning signal and an eighth message, the eighth message comprising an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of a second network element; and send, via the communication module, the positioning signal and the eighth message.

[0050] In a seventeenth aspect, a positioning apparatus is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory and a communication interface connected to the at least one processor in communication; the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the at least one processor, by executing the instructions stored in the memory, causes the apparatus to perform the method in any one of the first aspect to the eighth aspect.

[0051] In an eighteenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising a program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the method in any one of the first aspect to the eighth aspect to be performed.

[0052] In a nineteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the method in any one of the first aspect to the eighth aspect to be performed.

[0053] In a twentieth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip being coupled with a memory and being configured to read and execute program instructions stored in the memory, so that the method in any one of the first aspect to the eighth aspect is performed.

[0054] In a twenty-first aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0055] a first network element configured to perform the method in the first aspect;

[0056] The second network element is used to perform the method described in the second aspect above;

[0057] An access network device, configured to perform the method described in the third aspect above;

[0058] A terminal device for performing the method described in the fourth aspect above.

[0059] In a twenty-second aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0060] An access network device, configured to perform the method described in the fifth aspect above;

[0061] The second network element is used to perform the method described in the sixth aspect above;

[0062] The third network element is used to perform the method described in the seventh aspect above;

[0063] A terminal device for performing the method described in the eighth aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0064] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the communication protocol stack between the UE and network devices in a 5G network.

[0065] Figure 2 For UE in 5G network based Figure 1 The diagram shows the process of the protocol stack accessing the 5G network.

[0066] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of locating the UE in a 5G network;

[0067] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a triangulation-based positioning technology.

[0070] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a positioning device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a positioning device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] The terms "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably in the embodiments of the present application. "At least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the associated relationship of associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items, for example, at least one of a, b or c, which can represent: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or b and c, or a and c, or a and b and c.

[0075] In addition, unless otherwise stated, the ordinal numbers "first", "second", etc. mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish a plurality of objects, and are not used to limit the order, time sequence, priority or importance of the plurality of objects. For example, the first priority criterion and the second priority criterion are only used to distinguish different criteria, and do not mean that the contents, priorities or importance of the two criteria are different.

[0076] In addition, the terms "include" and "have" in the embodiments of the present application and claims and drawings are not exclusive. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not limited to the listed steps or modules, and can also include steps or modules that are not listed.

[0077] Reference Figure 1FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication protocol stack of a user equipment (UE) and a network device in a fifth generation (5G) network. The communication protocol stack of the UE includes, from top to bottom, a non-access stratum (NAS) layer, a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, a physical (PHY) layer, and the like. The communication protocol stack of a radio access network (RAN) device includes, from top to bottom, an RRC layer, a PDCP layer, an RLC layer, a MAC layer, a PHY layer, and the like. The communication protocol stack of an access and mobility management function (AMF) includes a NAS layer, and the like. For ease of description, the RAN device can be referred to as a RAN hereinafter.

[0078] Referring to Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a UE accesses a 5G network based on the protocol stack shown in FIG. 1. The process includes the following steps. Figure 1

[0079] S201. The UE sends an attach request message (NAS message) to the AMF, and the AMF receives the attach request message.

[0080] Specifically, the UE first sends an attach request message to a RAN (e.g., a next generation node B (gNB) or a next generation evolved node B (ng-eNB)). The attach request message is a NAS message, and carries UE identification, a request type, and UE capability information. After receiving the attach request message from the UE, the RAN adds the current location information (i.e., a cell ID) of the UE. Then, the RAN forwards the attach request message to the AMF, and provides the current location information of the UE to the AMF.

[0081] S202. After receiving the attach request message, the AMF determines whether to obtain the subscription data of the UE based on the request type carried in the attach request message.

[0082] ​It should be understood that after the AMF receives the attach request message and the location information (i.e., cell ID) provided by the RAN, the AMF also creates a context for the UE, which stores the UE identity, UE location, UE capability, and other information in the UE context.

[0083] S203, the AMF requests the subscription data of the UE from the unified data management (UDM), and the request message carries the UE identity.

[0084] S204, the UDM determines the subscription data of the UE according to the UE identity.

[0085] S205, the UDM sends a subscription data response message to the AMF, which carries the UE subscription data.

[0086] S206, the AMF determines whether to accept the attach request of the UE based on the UE subscription data.

[0087] S207, the AMF sends an attach response message to the UE, which carries the attach request result.

[0088] If the AMF accepts the attach request of the UE, the AMF will carry the tracking area allocated for the UE in the attach response message sent to the UE. The tracking area is a range that allows the UE to move within the area without notifying the network of the specific location. Once the UE leaves the area, it will re-initiate a registration request to the network.

[0089] After the UE accesses the network, the network can provide various service services for the UE, such as location service (LCS). LCS is a capability of 5G network, and 5G network positioning capability is to measure the transmission signal of UE through mobile communication base station (such as gNB or NG-RAN) to calculate the location of UE. The UE (such as smart phone) in 5G network supports various positioning scenarios such as emergency service (such as 110 alarm) and commercial service (such as an application (APP) wants to know the user's location).

[0090] Referring to Figure 3 , after the UE accesses the 5G network, the 5G network performs positioning on the UE, and a flowchart of the positioning process of the 5G network on the UE includes:

[0091] S301, the LCS client sends a positioning request message to the gateway mobile location center (GMLC), which carries the user identity of the UE, the positioning accuracy, etc.

[0092] S302, the GMLC authorizes the positioning request of the LCS client, and forwards the positioning request message to the AMF.

[0093] S303, the AMF checks the subscription data of the UE, determines that the positioning of the UE can be performed, and sends the positioning request to the Location Management Function (LMF).

[0094] S304, the LMF determines the positioning method according to the positioning accuracy.

[0095] S305, the LMF performs the positioning process, which involves interaction with the UE, RAN, etc.

[0096] Specifically, the LMF sends its own identifier or address and the identifier of the UE to the AMF, and the AMF further sends the identifier or address of the LMF and the identifier of the UE to the RAN. Because the RAN locally saves the context of the UE, the RAN can determine the UE to be positioned based on the UE identifier, and then measure the uplink signal or downlink signal of the UE. When the RAN collects the measurement signal of the UE, the measurement signal is reported to the address configured by the LMF.

[0097] S306, the LMF calculates the position of the UE based on the measurement signal.

[0098] S307, the LMF sends a positioning response message to the AMF, and the positioning response message carries the user identifier of the UE and the position of the UE.

[0099] S308, the AMF sends a positioning response message to the GMLC, and the positioning response message carries the user identifier of the UE and the position of the UE.

[0100] S309, the GMLC sends a positioning response message to the GMLC, and the positioning response message carries the user identifier of the UE and the position of the UE.

[0101] From the above Figure 2 and Figure 3 processes, it can be seen that the protocol stack of the UE in the 5G network is based on the complete protocol stack defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), so the UE can access the network and positioning by directly communicating with the AMF.

[0102] 5G technology is applied to the park network (or local network) which is one of the current hot directions. The park network refers to the network covering a specific local area, such as the network covering the enterprise park, campus, airport, railway station, large shopping center or stadium. The UE can access the local gateway through the wireless access network, thereby directly accessing the corresponding local network, avoiding detouring to the external data network, thereby reducing the time delay of accessing the application and the bandwidth of the backbone network. For example, the stadium provides live VR live broadcast, the campus provides park communication, accesses the learning resources in the campus, the enterprise park provides industrial control communication, the shopping mall provides local shopping discount push and real-time location navigation, etc.

[0103] One of the 5G technologies used in the park network is to locate and track the terminal devices in the park, especially the indoor terminal devices. However, the indoor scene business is diverse, for example, the commercial indoor product is best applied to the one-stop process of customer parking, navigation, payment, shopping, and picking up the car, and in some commercial scenarios, it also needs to play the role of consumer guidance; the indoor application in the medical scene needs to involve the functions of user navigation, registration, queuing, and business handling. This requires the indoor map application to have high integration capability or the system itself to cover more functions than traditional applications, so the product needs to move towards intelligence, the data presentation form is more flexible, and the data delivery is more accurate.

[0104] In the park network, the common terminal to be located is not necessarily the common UE (such as a user's smart phone) in the 5G network, for example, the common terminal in the park network is an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal (such as an electric meter, a sensor, etc.). The common feature of the IoT terminal is that the function is very simple, and some even have no communication power consumption but only positioning capability, so as to reduce the power consumption of the terminal and increase the service life. For example, the communication protocol stack of the IoT terminal at least lacks the NAS layer and the RRC layer, so the IoT terminal cannot directly communicate with the AMF. Therefore, in the park network, the network access process (such as the process shown in Figure 2 ) in the 5G technology cannot be followed to access the terminal to the network. Further, since the terminal cannot access the network, the network cannot configure the positioning service parameters for the terminal, for example, the terminal cannot establish a connection with the RAN side to send directional data, the RAN does not have the network management device information, UE context, etc. of the terminal, and when the LMF needs to locate the terminal, the RAN cannot route to the terminal. Therefore, in the park network, the positioning process (such as the process shown in Figure 3 ) in the 5G technology cannot be followed to locate the terminal.

[0105] In view of this, the embodiments of the present application provide a positioning method and device to realize accessing the PUE in the park network to the network and locating it.

[0106] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0107] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to a scenario in which a park network needs to position a terminal device, for example, real-time tracking and positioning of a terminal device, historical trajectory tracking of a terminal device, warning in a restricted area, active assistance, and the like.

[0108] Referring to Figure 4 A network architecture diagram applicable to the embodiments of the present application is shown. The network includes a terminal device, a RAN, an AMF, an LMF, a GMLC, a network exposure function (NEF), an application function (AF), a UDM, and the like.

[0109] 1) The terminal device (or simply referred to as a terminal) includes the above-mentioned terminal without complete communication function (i.e., a terminal without complete 3GPP-defined protocol stack), such as a PUE that does not support NAS protocol and RRC protocol. Specifically, it can be an IoT device such as an electricity meter, a sensor, a bar code, a radio frequency identification (RFID), a laser scanner, a global positioning system (GPS), and the like.

[0110] It should be noted that, although the embodiments of the present application are used to solve the problem of access to the network and positioning of a terminal without complete communication function in a park network, the same technical solution can also be applied to a general UE (such as a smart phone). Therefore, the terminal device can also include a terminal with complete communication function (i.e., a terminal with complete 3GPP-defined protocol stack). For example, it includes a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, specifically, a device that provides voice to a user, or a device that provides data connectivity to a user, or a device that provides voice and data connectivity to a user. For example, it can be a mobile phone (or called a "cellular" phone), a computer with a mobile terminal device, a portable, pocket, handheld, computer-built-in mobile device, and the like.

[0111] Since this document mainly relates to terminal devices that need to be positioned, the terminal devices in this document can also be collectively referred to as positioning terminal (Positioning UE, PUE). The PUE can be a terminal with an operator-issued SIM card that needs to access the operator network after starting up, and the operator network perceives the information of the device, such as device identity, device location, and device capability, for management of the PUE. The PUE can include the above-mentioned terminal without complete communication function (or terminal without complete set of protocol stack defined by 3GPP) (such as IoT terminal) and the above-mentioned terminal with complete communication function (or terminal with complete set of protocol stack defined by 3GPP) (such as mobile phone). It should be understood that "terminal device" appearing hereinafter can be replaced by "PUE".

[0112] 2) RAN, mainly responsible for collecting the sounding reference signal (SRS) of the terminal device and reporting to the LMF.

[0113] The RAN, for example, includes a base station (e.g., an access point), which can refer to a device that communicates with wireless terminal devices over a one or more cells on an air interface. The network device can be used to convert received air frames to Internet Protocol (IP) packets and vice versa, as a router between the terminal device and the rest of the access network, which can include an IP network. The network device can also coordinate management of properties of the air interface. For example, the network device can include an evolved Node B (eNB or e-NodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) system or an evolved LTE system (LTE-Advanced, LTE-A), or can also include a next generation Node B (gNB) in a fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) system, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited.

[0114] In some embodiments, the base station can be composed of two parts of base band unit (BBU) and active antenna unit (AAU). The BBU provides an external interface connected with a transmission device, a radio frequency module, a base station source, an external clock source, and a network management device, and realizes functions such as signal transmission, base station software automatic upgrade, and received clock. The BBU centrally manages the entire base station system, and completes functions such as uplink and downlink data processing, signaling processing, resource management, and operation and maintenance. The BBU is connected with at least one AAU. The AAU is a collection of a radio frequency unit and an antenna, and provides signal transmission and conversion between the BBU and the antenna, and provides functions such as an antenna function, an electrically adjustable function, a mounting slot, and an interface. There is one or more TRPs on one AAU.

[0115] In one network architecture, a network device can include a central unit (CU), or a distributed unit (DU), or a radio access network device including both CU and DU. In a CU and DU separated base station architecture, one base station can include one CU and one or more DUs. Further, one CU can include one central unit control plane (CU-CP) and one or more central unit user plane (CU-UP). The function split of CU and DU can include but not limited to split according to protocol stack. One possible way is to deploy radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer in CU. Radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), physical layer (PHY) are deployed in DU. Accordingly, the CU has the processing capability of RRC, PDCP and SDAP, and the DU has the processing capability of RLC, MAC and PHY. It is worth noting that the above-mentioned function split is only an example, and there can be other ways of split. For example, the CU includes the processing capability of RRC, PDCP, RLC and SDAP, and the DU has the processing capability of MAC and PHY. For another example, the CU includes the processing capability of RRC, PDCP, RLC, SDAP and part of MAC (e.g. add MAC header), and the DU has the processing capability of PHY and part of MAC (e.g. scheduling). The names of CU and DU can change, as long as the access network nodes that can realize the above-mentioned functions can be regarded as CU and DU in the present application. The CU-CP has the control plane function of the CU, for example, the processing capability of RRC, and the control plane processing capability in PDCP. The CU-UP has the user plane function of the CU, for example, the processing capability of SDAP, and the user plane processing capability in PDCP. The CU and the DU are connected through the F1 interface. The CU-CP and the CU-UP can be connected through the E1 interface, the CU-CP and the DU can be connected through the control plane interface (F1-C) of the F1, and the CU-UP and the DU can be connected through the user plane interface (F1-U) of the F1.

[0116] 3), LMF, mainly used for calculating the position of the terminal device.

[0117] 4), GMLC, mainly used for connecting LMF and LCS client.

[0118] 5), NEF, mainly used for providing network functions to third-party applications.

[0119] 6), AF, mainly used for requesting specific capabilities from the network.

[0120] 7), UDM, mainly used for storing subscription data of terminal devices.

[0121] 8), AMF, mainly used for managing the context of terminal devices.

[0122] It should be understood that the above introduction of each network element (such as RAN, LMF, GMLC, NEF, AF, UDM, AMF, etc.) is only an example and is not limited, and other types of network elements can also be included in the actual communication system. The number of each network element is not limited by the embodiments of the present application. In addition, in the process of standard evolution, the names of the above network elements can change, and the functions performed by the network elements can be further divided or combined, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 1, a positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application includes: Figure 5

[0124] S501, the second network element establishes the context of the first terminal device, which at least contains the identity of the first terminal device.

[0125] Among them, the second network element is responsible for the context management of the first terminal device. For example, the second network element is AMF.

[0126] Since the coverage range of the park network is not as wide as that of the 5G network, and the activity range of the terminal device (such as a robot) in the park network is much smaller than that of the terminal device (such as a mobile phone) in the 5G network, even most of the terminal devices in the park network have little mobility (such as electric meters, sensors, etc.). In view of the above characteristics of the park network, each terminal device in the park network is assigned a fixed second network element in the embodiments of the present application, that is, each second network element serves a fixed terminal device, for example, each second network element provides positioning services for terminal devices located within the preset range of the second network element. Further, the user can manually configure the context of each terminal device on the second network element to which the terminal device belongs.

[0127] ​For example, the second network element can receive the context of the first terminal device manually input by a technician, and save the context of the first terminal device; or the second network element receives configuration information input by the technician, and creates and saves the context of the first terminal device based on the configuration information. In this way, the second network element can achieve the effect of establishing the context for the first terminal device without the need for direct communication with the first terminal device, and then complete the access of the first terminal device to the campus network. It should be understood that only the establishment of the context of one terminal device (i.e., the first terminal device) by one second network element is taken as an example here, and in actual application, the number of second network elements in the campus network can be multiple, and the number of terminal devices served by each second network element can be multiple, and each second network element can establish the context for each terminal device it serves in the above manner.

[0128] Optionally, the context of the first terminal device can further include a decryption parameter and / or an integrity parameter. After receiving the message from the first terminal device, the second network element can use the encryption parameter in the context to decrypt the message, and / or use the integrity parameter in the context to verify the integrity of the message.

[0129] Optionally, the identifier of the first terminal device can be a temporary identity (TID).

[0130] If the campus always uses a fixed identifier for the first terminal device, i.e., a fixed identifier, it will lead to the tracking of the movement trajectory of the first terminal device. Therefore, for each positioning of the first terminal device, the second network element generates a unique temporary identifier for the first terminal device, and the temporary identifier will be invalid after the end of this positioning process. In this way, the location privacy of the first terminal device can be protected.

[0131] Further optionally, the context of the first terminal device further includes a freshness parameter of the first terminal device, and the freshness parameter is used to update the temporary identifier in the context of the first terminal device. Correspondingly, the first terminal device also saves the freshness parameter, so as to ensure that the first terminal device and the second network element update the temporary identifier of the first terminal device synchronously.

[0132] Further optionally, the context of the first terminal device can further include a mobility management area of the first terminal device. The mobility management area is composed of a tracking area (TA) list, indicating that when the first terminal device moves in the area indicated by the list, the first terminal device can not notify the network of the specific TA of the first terminal device.

[0133] S502, the second network element sends a first message to the first network element, and the first network element receives the first message from the second network element, wherein the first message contains a first correspondence relationship between an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element.

[0134] For ease of description, the first correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the second network element can also be described as a first correspondence relationship between the first terminal device and the second network element.

[0135] Here, the identifier of the second network element can be a device identifier of the AMF itself, such as a MAC address, or an identifier specially used for routing the reported positioning message (the positioning message refers to a message related to positioning) of the terminal device to the second network element, such as an AMF routing identifier (AMF Routing ID). The identifier of each second network element in the campus network is unique.

[0136] It should be understood that if one second network element can provide positioning services for multiple terminal devices at the same time, the first network element can receive the correspondence relationship between each terminal device and the second network element from the second network element. In addition, if there are multiple second network elements in the campus network, the first network element can also receive the correspondence relationship between different second network elements and different terminal devices from different second network elements.

[0137] In one possible design, for the correspondence relationship between each terminal device and its corresponding second network element, the second network element corresponding to the terminal device sends a message to the first network element separately. For example, the first message can only carry the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the second network element.

[0138] In another possible design, the second network element can send its correspondence relationship with multiple terminal devices to the first network element. For example, in addition to carrying the identifier of the second network element and the identifier of the first terminal device, the first message can also carry the identifier of the second terminal device, the identifier of the third terminal device, etc., wherein the second terminal device, the third terminal device, and the first terminal device belong to the same second network element, i.e., the second terminal device, the third terminal device, and the first terminal device have a correspondence relationship with the same second network element.

[0139] After the first network element receives the first correspondence relationship, the first network element saves the first correspondence relationship. According to the first correspondence relationship, the first network element can determine that the first terminal device belongs to the second network element, or in other words, the second network element provides positioning services for the first terminal device.

[0140] In a possible design, the first network element can save the correspondence relationship between the plurality of different terminal devices and the corresponding second network elements in a mapping table. Taking the second network element as an example, the AMF, see Table 1 for a plurality of correspondence relationships. As can be seen from Table 1, the AMF to which the terminal device UE1 belongs is AMF1, the AMF to which the terminal device UE2 belongs is AMF2, the AMF to which the terminal device UE3 belongs is AMF3, the AMF to which the terminal device UE4 belongs is AMF3, and so on.

[0141] Table 1

[0142] Terminal device Second network element (taking AMF as an example) UE1 AMF1 UE2 AMF2 … … UE3 AMF3 UE4 AMF3 … …

[0143] The first network element is described in detail as follows:

[0144] The first network element in the embodiment of the present application can be in communication connection with all the second network elements in the campus network (that is, the first network element can communicate with all the second network elements in the campus network, for example, the first network element receives the first correspondence relationship sent by the second network element); the first network element can also be in communication connection with all the RANs in the campus network (that is, the first network element can communicate with all the RANs in the campus network, for example, the first network element receives the measurement result reported by the RAN), and the first network element can receive the positioning message (the positioning message refers to the message related to positioning) sent by any terminal device in the campus network via the RAN. After the first network element receives the message from any terminal device, the first network element can route the message to the second network element corresponding to the terminal device based on the correspondence relationship between the terminal device and the corresponding second network element previously saved.

[0145] It should be understood that the number of the first network elements in the campus network can be one or more, which is not limited in the present application. If the number is one, the first network element can receive the message sent by all the terminal devices in the campus network; if the number is more, the plurality of first network elements can communicate with each other, and each first network element knows the topology of the campus network. When a first network element receives the message of a first terminal device, if the first network element and the second network element corresponding to the first terminal device cannot directly communicate, the first network element can route the message of the first terminal device to another first network element according to the topology of the campus network, and then the another first network element sends the message of the first terminal device to the second network element corresponding to the first terminal device. In the case where the number of the first network elements is more, the plurality of first network elements can be regarded as a whole, that is, the plurality of first network elements as a whole route the message of the first terminal device to the second network element corresponding to the first terminal device according to the first correspondence relationship.

[0146] In a possible design, the first network element is a specified AMF among the plurality of AMFs in the campus network, for example, a default AMF. The default AMF can communicate with all the other AMFs in the campus network and can communicate with all the RANs in the campus network.

[0147] In another possible design, the first network element is a network element separately configured in the campus network and is dedicated to performing the functions performed by the first network element described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0148] S503, the first terminal device sends the positioning signal and the third message.

[0149] Optionally, the first terminal device sends the positioning signal and the third message in a broadcast manner.

[0150] It should be understood that the first terminal device sends the positioning signal first and then sends the third message, and the third message contains the identity of the first terminal device. Optionally, the third message also contains the positioning parameter of the first terminal device.

[0151] For example, the positioning signal can be a sounding reference signal (SRS), and the third message can be a long term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) message.

[0152] The positioning parameter can include one or more of the positioning capability of the first terminal device, the positioning method of the first terminal device, the positioning accuracy of the first terminal device, the positioning frequency of the first terminal device, the notification address (such as the address of the LCS client) of the positioning result of the first terminal device, etc.

[0153] Of course, when generating the third message, the first terminal device can also use encryption parameters to encrypt the third message and / or use integrity protection parameters to protect the integrity of the third message.

[0154] S504, each access network device of the one or more access network devices receives the positioning signal and the third message sent by the first terminal device; each access network device performs measurement on the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result.

[0155] The number of access network devices performing measurement is related to the positioning calculation method used by the campus network, such as the positioning technology based on the triangular relationship, which requires three location-known access network devices to measure the positioning signal of the terminal device. Figure 6 As shown in the schematic diagram of the positioning technology based on the triangular relationship, this positioning method requires simultaneous cooperation of three location-known base stations. In Figure 6 In the above-mentioned positioning technology based on the triangular relationship, the access network devices located at three different directions of the first terminal device perform measurement on the positioning signal sent by the first terminal device. Figure 5 In the flowchart shown in the above-mentioned positioning technology based on the triangular relationship, three access network devices are illustrated, but the number of actual access network devices is not limited to three.

[0156] S505, each access network device generates a second message based on the measurement result and the third message, and sends the second message to the first network element; the first network element receives the second message from the one or more access network devices.

[0157] Specifically, the second message generated by each access network device carries the measurement result obtained by the access network device, and the identifier of the first terminal device. Optionally, the second message also carries the positioning parameter of the first terminal device.

[0158] Optionally, before S505, the first network element can also establish a signaling connection with each of the one or more access network devices. The signaling connection is a device-granularity signaling connection (NG-AP connection), that is, the establishment of the connection is independent of the terminal device (user). The establishment process of the signaling connection can be initiated by the access network device or by the first network element, and the present application does not make any limitation. For example, the access network device sends a request message to the first network element, the request message carrying the identifier (RAN ID) of the access network device, the cell information (such as cellID) covered by the access network device, etc., and the first network element returns a response message to the access network device after receiving the request message, the response message carrying the identifier (such as default AMF ID) of the first network element; or for example, the first network element sends a request message to the access network device, the request message carrying the identifier (such as default AMF ID) of the first network element, and the access network device returns a response message to the first network element after receiving the request message, the response message carrying the identifier (RAN ID) of the access network device, the cell information (such as CellID) covered by the access network device, etc. The specific implementation mode refers to the 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.413 protocol.

[0159] S506, the first network element forwards the second message to the second network element according to the first correspondence relationship and the identifier of the first terminal device contained in the second message; and the second network element receives the second message from the first network element.

[0160] It should be understood that if only one access network device sends the second message to the first network element, the first network element forwards the second message to the second network element; if multiple access network devices send the second message to the first network element, the first network element can forward the second message sent by each access network device to the second network element respectively, or the first network element can generate one message based on multiple second messages after receiving the multiple second messages, and forward the one message to the second network element, and the present application does not make any limitation.

[0161] S507, the second network element sends the measurement result in the second message to the third network element, and the third network element receives the measurement result.

[0162] The third network element is configured to calculate the position of the terminal device. For example, the third network element is an LMF, and the second network element sends the positioning parameters and the measurement results to the third network element in an LMF service message.

[0163] Optionally, the second message also carries the positioning parameters of the first terminal device, and the second network element sends the positioning parameters of the first terminal device to the third network element.

[0164] Optionally, if the second message is an encrypted message, the second network element decrypts the second message using the encryption parameters in the context of the first terminal device after receiving the second message; if the second message is an integrity-protected message, the second network element verifies the integrity of the second message using the integrity protection parameters in the context of the first terminal device after receiving the second message. After decryption and / or integrity verification, the second network element sends the positioning parameters, measurement results, etc. in the second message to the third network element.

[0165] S508. The third network element calculates the position information of the first terminal device according to the positioning parameters and the measurement results.

[0166] The positioning parameters can be reported by the first terminal device (for example, the third message carries the positioning parameters in S503), pre-stored by the third network element, obtained by the third network element from other network elements, or pre-agreed by the network and the first terminal device, which is not limited in the present application.

[0167] For example, the positioning method of the first terminal device in the positioning parameters is a time difference of arrival (TDOA) positioning method. The third network element can draw a hyperbola with the two access network devices as the focus and the distance difference as the major axis by comparing the absolute time difference of the positioning signals arriving at any two access network devices. The third network element can draw at least two curves according to the distance difference between the first terminal device and at least three access network devices. The intersection of the at least two hyperbolas can be obtained by calculating the intersection of the at least two curves, and the position information of the first terminal device can be obtained.

[0168] S509. The third network element sends the position information of the first terminal device to the LCS client, and the LCS client receives the position information of the first terminal device.

[0169] For example, the position information of the first terminal device is sent to the LCS client in a multi-access edge computing (MEC) interface message.

[0170] Optionally, after S509, the second network element and the first terminal device update the temporary identifier of the first terminal device according to the freshness parameter saved locally, respectively, to protect the location privacy of the first terminal device.

[0171] As can be seen from the above, when the capability of the terminal to be positioned (such as the first terminal device) is simplified (such as not supporting the complete protocol stack defined by 3GPP), a fixed second network element is configured for each terminal device, and a first network element is configured in the campus network. When any terminal device reports a positioning message (for example, the third message), the first network element can route the positioning message of the terminal device to the second network element corresponding to the terminal device according to the correspondence between the terminal device and the second network element corresponding thereto, thereby realizing positioning of the terminal device.

[0172] Referring to Figure 7 , a flowchart of another positioning method provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown. Unlike the method shown in Figure 5 , in the present embodiment, the first network element is not required to be set, and the user context is configured on the third network element. The specific flow of the method includes:

[0173] S701, the second network element sends a fourth message to one or more access network devices, each access network device in the one or more access network devices receiving the fourth message from the second network element, wherein the fourth message contains a second correspondence between the address of the second network element and the identifier of the second network element.

[0174] Among them, the second network element is a network element that can establish a communication connection with the access network device. For example, the second network element is an AMF.

[0175] Here, the identifier of the second network element can be the device identifier of the AMF itself, such as the MAC address, or an identifier specially used for routing the reported positioning message (positioning message refers to the message related to positioning) of the terminal device to the second network element, such as the AMF routing identifier (AMF Routing ID). The identifier of each second network element in the campus network is unique.

[0176] It should be understood that multiple second network elements and multiple access network devices can be deployed in the campus network. Before S701, each network element establishes a signaling connection with at least one access network device. The signaling connection is a device-level signaling connection (NG-AP connection), which is independent of the terminal device (user). The establishment process of the signaling connection can be initiated by the access network device or by the second network element, and the present application does not make any limitation. The specific implementation mode can refer to the 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.413 protocol.

[0177] After the access network device receives the second correspondence relationship between the address of the second network element and the identifier of the second network element, the second correspondence relationship can be saved, and subsequently the address of the second network element corresponding to the identifier of the second network element can be determined according to the second correspondence relationship, or the identifier of the second network element corresponding to the address of the second network element can be determined according to the second correspondence relationship.

[0178] S702, the third network element establishes a context of the first terminal device, and the context contains an identifier of the first terminal device.

[0179] The third network element is configured to calculate the position of the first terminal device. For example, the third network element is an LMF.

[0180] Based on the characteristics of the campus network (the coverage range is smaller than that of the 5G network, and the activity range of the terminal device is small), the embodiments of the present application allocate a fixed third network element to each terminal device in the campus network, that is, each third network element serves a fixed terminal device, for example, each third network element provides positioning services for terminal devices located within the preset range of the second network element. Further, the user can manually configure the context of the terminal device on the third network element to which the terminal device belongs. The method for the user to configure the context on the third network element can refer to the method for the user to configure the context on the second network element in S501.

[0181] Optionally, the identifier of the first terminal device can be a temporary identifier.

[0182] Further optionally, the context of the first terminal device can further contain a decryption parameter, an integrity parameter, or a freshness parameter. The specific meanings of the parameters can refer to the related description above, and will not be described here.

[0183] S703, the third network element sends a fifth message to the second network element, and the second network element receives the fifth message from the third network element, and the fifth message contains a third correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the third network element.

[0184] For ease of description, the third correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the third network element can also be described as the third correspondence relationship between the first terminal device and the third network element.

[0185] It should be understood that if one third network element can simultaneously provide positioning services for multiple terminal devices, the second network element can receive a correspondence relationship between each terminal device and the second network element from the first network element. If there are multiple third network elements in the campus network, the second network element can also receive different correspondence relationships between different third network elements and different terminal devices from different third network elements.

[0186] In a possible design, for the correspondence between each terminal device and its corresponding third network element, the third network element corresponding to the terminal device separately sends a message to the second network element. For example, the fifth message can only carry the identifier of the first terminal device, the identifier of the third network element.

[0187] In another possible design, the third network element can send its correspondence with multiple terminal devices to the second network element. For example, the fifth message can carry the identifier of the second terminal device, the identifier of the third terminal device, and the like in addition to the identifier of the third network element and the identifier of the first terminal device, where the second terminal device, the third terminal device, and the first terminal device belong to the same third network element, that is, the second terminal device, the third terminal device, and the first terminal device have a correspondence with the same third network element.

[0188] After receiving the third correspondence, the second network element saves the third correspondence. According to the third correspondence, the second network element can determine that the first terminal device belongs to the third network element, or that the third network element provides positioning services for the first terminal device.

[0189] In a possible design, the second network element can save the correspondence between multiple different terminal devices and their corresponding third network elements in the form of a mapping table. Taking the third network element as an LMF for example, see Table 2 for multiple correspondences. As shown in Table 1, the LMF to which the terminal device UE1 belongs is LMF1, the LMF to which the terminal device UE2 belongs is LMF2, the LMF to which the terminal device UE3 belongs is LMF3, the LMF to which the terminal device UE4 belongs is LMF4, and so on.

[0190] Table 2

[0191]

[0192]

[0193] It should be understood that the LMF serving a terminal device at each moment can be only one, but a terminal device can be configured with multiple LMFs at the same time, and the terminal device can be served by different LMFs at different moments.

[0194] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the order of S701 and S702-S703. In other words, S701 can be executed before S702, or after S703, or while S702-S703 are executed.

[0195] S704, the first terminal device sends a positioning signal and an eighth message.

[0196] Optionally, the first terminal device broadcasts the positioning signal and the eighth message.

[0197] It should be understood that the first terminal device broadcasts the positioning signal first, and then broadcasts the eighth message. The eighth message contains the identity of the first terminal device and the identity of the second network element serving the first terminal device. Optionally, the eighth message also carries the positioning parameters of the first terminal device.

[0198] For example, the positioning signal can be SRS, and the eighth message can be a long-term evolution positioning protocol (LPP) message.

[0199] The positioning parameters can include one or more of the positioning capability of the first terminal device, the positioning method of the first terminal device, the positioning accuracy of the first terminal device, the positioning frequency of the first terminal device, and the notification address of the positioning result of the first terminal device.

[0200] Optionally, the first terminal device can also use encryption parameters to encrypt the third message and / or use integrity protection parameters to protect the integrity of the third message when generating the third message.

[0201] S705, each access network device in the one or more access network devices receives the positioning signal and the eighth message sent by the first terminal device; each access network device performs measurement on the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result.

[0202] The measurement process performed by the access network device can refer to the related description in S504 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0203] S706, each access network device sends a sixth message to the second network element according to the identity of the second network element in the eighth message and the second correspondence relationship, and the second network element receives the sixth message from the one or more access network devices.

[0204] Specifically, each access network device includes the identity of the first terminal device and the measurement result in the sixth message according to the measurement result, the identity of the first terminal device in the eighth message; then, according to the identity of the second network element carried in the eighth message and the second correspondence relationship, the address of the second network element is found, and the sixth message is sent to the second network element. Optionally, the eighth message and the sixth message also contain the positioning parameters of the first terminal device.

[0205] S707, the second network element sends a seventh message to the third network element according to the third correspondence relationship and the identity of the first terminal device in the sixth message, and the third network element receives the seventh message from the second network element; the seventh message contains the measurement result.

[0206] If only one access network device sends the sixth message to the second network element, the second network element can directly forward the sixth message to the third network element (the seventh message is the sixth message); if multiple access network devices all send the sixth message to the second network element, the second network element can forward the sixth message sent by each access network device to the second network element respectively (the seventh message is the sixth message), or the second network element can generate one seventh message based on multiple sixth messages after receiving the multiple sixth messages, and then forward the seventh message to the second network element, which is not limited by the present application.

[0207] S708, the third network element determines the location information of the first terminal device according to the positioning parameter and the measurement result.

[0208] If the seventh message is an encrypted message, the third network element decrypts the seventh message using the encryption parameter in the context of the first terminal device after receiving the seventh message; if the seventh message is a message protected by integrity, the third network element verifies the integrity of the seventh message using the integrity protection parameter in the context of the first terminal device after receiving the seventh message. After decryption and / or integrity verification, the third network element determines the location information of the first terminal device according to the positioning parameter and the measurement result of the first terminal device.

[0209] The positioning parameter can be reported by the first terminal device (such as the eighth message carrying the positioning parameter in S704), can be pre-stored by the third network element, can be obtained by the third network element from other network elements, or can be pre-agreed by the network and the first terminal device, which is not limited by the present application.

[0210] The third network element determines the location information of the first terminal device according to the positioning parameter and the measurement result can refer to the related description of S509 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0211] S709, the third network element sends the location information of the first terminal device to the LCS client, and the LCS client receives the location information of the first terminal device.

[0212] The specific implementation method of S709 can refer to the specific implementation method of S510 described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0213] Optionally, after S709, the third network element and the first terminal device update the temporary identifier of the first terminal device according to the freshness parameter saved locally respectively, so as to protect the location privacy of the first terminal device.

[0214] It can be known from the above that, when the capability of a terminal to be positioned (such as the first terminal device) is simplified (such as not supporting a complete protocol stack defined by 3GPP), a fixed second network element is configured for each terminal device, any terminal device carries the identifier of the second network element corresponding to the terminal device in a positioning message (a message related to positioning of the terminal device, for example, the eighth message) when reporting the positioning message, and then the access network device can route the positioning message to the second network element corresponding to the terminal device based on the identifier of the second network element in the positioning message, and then the positioning of the terminal device is realized.

[0215] Referring to Figure 8 , based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides a positioning device 800, the device 800 comprises a communication module 801 and a processing module 802; wherein the communication module 801 can communicate with other network elements or devices, and the processing module 802 can execute the method steps executed by any network element or device in the embodiments shown in Figure 5 or Figure 7 by controlling the communication module 801.

[0216] For example, when the device 800 is located on the first network element in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 , the communication module 801 is used for the first network element to communicate with other network elements; the processing module 802 is used for: receiving a first message from a second network element through the communication module 801, the first message comprising a first correspondence relationship between an identifier of a first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; saving the first correspondence relationship; receiving a second message from one or more access network devices through the communication module 801, wherein the second message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device; and forwarding the second message to the second network element through the communication module 801 according to the first correspondence relationship and the identifier of the first terminal device contained in the second message.

[0217] For example, when the device 800 is located on the second network element in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 , the communication module 801 is used for the second network element to communicate with other network elements; the processing module 802 is used for: establishing a context of a first terminal device, wherein the context comprises an identifier of the first terminal device; sending a first message to a first network element through the communication module 801, the first message comprising a first correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; receiving a second message from the first network element through the communication module 801, the second message being sent to the second network element by the first network element according to the first correspondence relationship, wherein the second message comprises the identifier of the first terminal device and a measurement result of a positioning signal sent by the first terminal device; and sending the measurement result in the second message to a third network element through the communication module 801, the third network element being used for determining position information of the first terminal device according to the measurement result.

[0218] Exemplarily, when the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to enable the first terminal device to communicate with other network elements or devices; and the processing module 802 is configured to: generate the positioning signal and the third message, the third message containing the identity of the first terminal device; and send the positioning signal and the third message through the communication module 801. Figure 5 Exemplarily, when the apparatus 800 is located on the access network device, the communication module 801 is configured to enable the access network device to communicate with other network elements or devices; and the processing module 802 is configured to: receive the positioning signal sent by the first terminal device through the communication module 801; perform measurement on the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result; receive the third message sent by the first terminal device through the communication module 801, the third message containing the identity of the first terminal device; generate the second message based on the measurement result and the third message; and send the second message to the first network element through the communication module 801, the second message containing the identity of the first terminal device and the measurement result of the first terminal device.

[0219] Exemplarily, when the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to enable the first terminal device to communicate with other network elements or devices; and the processing module 802 is configured to: generate the positioning signal and the third message, the third message containing the identity of the first terminal device; and send the positioning signal and the third message through the communication module 801. Figure 5

[0220] Exemplarily, when the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to enable the first terminal device to communicate with other network elements or devices; and the processing module 802 is configured to: generate the positioning signal and the third message, the third message containing the identity of the first terminal device; and send the positioning signal and the third message through the communication module 801. Figure 7 Exemplarily, when the apparatus 800 is located on the access network device, the communication module 801 is configured to enable the access network device to communicate with other network elements or devices; and the processing module 802 is configured to: receive the fourth message from the second network element through the communication module 801, the fourth message containing a second correspondence relationship between the address of the second network element and the identity of the second network element; receive the positioning signal sent by the first terminal device through the communication module 801; perform measurement on the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result; receive the eighth message sent by the first terminal device through the communication module 801, the eighth message containing the identity of the first terminal device and the identity of the second network element; and send the sixth message to the second network element through the communication module 801 according to the identity of the second network element in the eighth message and the second correspondence relationship, the sixth message containing the identity of the first terminal device and the measurement result.

[0221] Exemplarily, when the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to enable the first terminal device to communicate with other network elements or devices; and the processing module 802 is configured to: generate the positioning signal and the third message, the third message containing the identity of the first terminal device; and send the positioning signal and the third message through the communication module 801. Figure 7 ​When the apparatus 800 is located on the second network element, the communication module 801 is configured to communicate with other network elements; the processing module 802 is configured to: send, to one or more access network devices, a fourth message containing a second correspondence relationship between an address of the second network element and an identifier of the second network element, by means of the communication module 801; receive, from a third network element, a fifth message containing a third correspondence relationship between an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the third network element, by means of the communication module 801; save the third correspondence relationship; receive, from the one or more access network devices, a sixth message containing the identifier of the first terminal device and measurement results of positioning signals sent by the first terminal device, by means of the communication module 801, the sixth message being sent to the second network element by the access network device according to the second correspondence relationship; and send, to the third network element, a seventh message containing the measurement results, by means of the communication module 801, according to the third correspondence relationship and the identifier of the first terminal device in the sixth message, the third network element being configured to determine location information of the first terminal device according to the measurement results.

[0222] For example, when the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module 802 is configured to: generate a positioning signal and an eighth message containing an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; and send the positioning signal and the eighth message, by means of the communication module 801. Figure 7 When the apparatus 800 is located on the third network element, the communication module 801 is configured to communicate with other network elements; the processing module 802 is configured to: establish a context of the first terminal device, the context containing the identifier of the first terminal device; send, to the second network element, a fifth message containing a third correspondence relationship between the identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the third network element, by means of the communication module 801; receive, from the second network element, a seventh message containing measurement results of positioning signals sent by the first terminal device, by means of the communication module 801, the seventh message being sent to the third network element by the second network element according to the third correspondence relationship; and determine location information of the first terminal device according to the measurement results.

[0223] For example, when the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module 802 is configured to: generate a positioning signal and an eighth message containing an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; and send the positioning signal and the eighth message, by means of the communication module 801. Figure 7 When the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module 802 is configured to: generate a positioning signal and an eighth message containing an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; and send the positioning signal and the eighth message, by means of the communication module 801.

[0224] It should be understood that all relevant contents of the steps involved in the above method embodiments can be cited from the function description of the corresponding functional modules, which will not be repeated here.

[0225] For example, when the apparatus 800 is located on the first terminal device, the communication module 801 is configured to communicate with other network elements or devices; the processing module 802 is configured to: generate a positioning signal and an eighth message containing an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the second network element; and send the positioning signal and the eighth message, by means of the communication module 801. Figure 9Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides a positioning device 900, including: at least one processor 901; and a communication interface 903 communicatively connected to the at least one processor 901; the at least one processor 901 executes instructions stored in a memory 902, causing the device to perform operations through the communication interface 903. Figure 5 or Figure 7 The method steps performed by any network element or device in the illustrated embodiment.

[0226] Optionally, the memory 902 is located outside the device 900.

[0227] Optionally, the device 900 includes the memory 902, which is connected to the at least one processor 901, and stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor 901.

[0228] Optionally, the memory 902 is located outside the device 900.

[0229] Optionally, the device 900 includes the memory 902, which is connected to the at least one processor 901, and stores instructions executable by the at least one processor 901. (See attached image) Figure 9 The dashed line indicates that memory 902 is optional for device 900.

[0230] The processor 901 and the memory 902 can be coupled through an interface circuit or integrated together; no restriction is imposed here.

[0231] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the processor 901, memory 902, and communication interface 903. This application embodiment... Figure 9 The processor 901, memory 902, and communication interface 903 are connected via a bus 904. Figure 9 The connections between other components are shown in bold and are for illustrative purposes only, not as limiting information. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 9 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0232] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc. When implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, implemented by reading software code stored in memory.

[0233] The processor can be, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or the like. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or the processor can be any conventional processor, etc.

[0234] It should be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), an Electrically EPROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a Random Access Memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0235] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated in the processor.

[0236] It should be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0237] Referring to Figure 10 , based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides a chip 1000, which can be used to execute the method steps performed by any network element or device in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 or Figure 7 . The chip 1000 comprises:

[0238] at least one input interface (Input(s)) 1001, a logic circuit 1002, and at least one output interface (Output(s)) 1003.

[0239] Optionally, the logic circuit 1002 described above can be a chip, an encoder, an encoding circuit, or other integrated circuits that can implement the method of the present application.

[0240] Based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which comprises a program or instructions, when the program or instructions run on a computer, causes the method steps performed by any network element or device in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 or Figure 7 to be executed.

[0241] Based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which comprises instructions, when the instructions run on a computer, causes the method steps performed by any network element or device in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 or Figure 7 to be executed.

[0242] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Therefore, the present application can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0243] The present application is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the method, device (system), and computer program product according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and the combination of flows and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing devices to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the computer or other programmable data processing devices produce a device that implements the flow Figure 1 flow or multiple flows and / or blocks Figure 1means for performing the function specified by the block or blocks.

[0244] These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the flow Figure 1 flow or flows and / or blocks Figure 1 means for performing the function specified by the block or blocks.

[0245] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the flow Figure 1 flow or flows and / or blocks Figure 1 steps of means for performing the function specified by the block or blocks.

[0246] Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present application are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the application can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A positioning method, characterized in that, The method includes: The location management function network element establishes a context for the first terminal device, and the context includes the identifier of the first terminal device; The location management function network element sends a fifth message to the access and mobility management function network element. The fifth message contains a third correspondence between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the location management function network element. The access and mobility management function network element is fixedly configured for the first terminal device. The location management function network element receives a seventh message from the access and mobility management function network element. The seventh message contains the measurement result of the positioning signal sent by the first terminal device. The seventh message is sent by the access and mobility management function network element to the location management function network element according to the third correspondence and the identifier of the first terminal device in the sixth message from one or more access network devices. The sixth message from each access network device contains the identifier of the first terminal device and the measurement result obtained by each access network device in performing a measurement on the positioning signal sent by the first terminal device. The location management function network element determines the location information of the first terminal device based on the measurement results.

2. The positioning method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The seventh message also includes the positioning parameters of the first terminal device, which include one or more of the following: the positioning capability of the first terminal device, the positioning method of the first terminal device, the positioning accuracy of the first terminal device, the positioning frequency of the first terminal device, and the notification address of the positioning result of the first terminal device.

3. The positioning method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sixth message also includes the positioning parameters of the first terminal device, which include one or more of the following: the positioning capability of the first terminal device, the positioning method of the first terminal device, the positioning accuracy of the first terminal device, the positioning frequency of the first terminal device, and the notification address of the positioning result of the first terminal device.

4. The positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The access and mobility management function network element establishes a signaling connection with each of the one or more access network devices.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The positioning parameters are encrypted and / or protected for integrity.

6. A positioning method, characterized in that, The method includes: The first terminal device sends a location signal to one or more access network devices; The first terminal device sends an eighth message to the one or more access network devices. The eighth message includes the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the access and mobility management function network element, wherein the access and mobility management function network element is fixedly configured for the first terminal device. The one or more access network devices are configured to receive the positioning signal and the eighth message, and to measure the positioning signal to obtain a measurement result. The one or more access network devices are also configured to send a sixth message to an access and mobility management function (AM) network element fixedly configured for the first terminal device, based on the identifier of the AM network element in the eighth message. The sixth message contains the identifier of the first terminal device and the measurement result. The AM network element is configured to, after receiving the sixth message, send a seventh message to the location management function (MRF) network element based on a third correspondence between the identifier of the first terminal device and the identifier of the location management function (MRF) network element. The seventh message contains the measurement result, so that the MRF network element can determine the location information of the first terminal device based on the measurement result.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The eighth message also includes the positioning parameters of the first terminal device, which include one or more of the following: the positioning capability of the first terminal device, the positioning method of the first terminal device, the positioning accuracy of the first terminal device, the positioning frequency of the first terminal device, and the notification address of the positioning result of the first terminal device.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The positioning parameters are encrypted and / or protected for integrity.

9. A positioning device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

10. A positioning device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 6-8.

11. A positioning device, characterized in that, include: At least one processor; as well as, A memory and a communication interface communicatively connected to the at least one processor; The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which, by executing the instructions stored in the memory, causes the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 via the communication interface, or causes the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 6-8 via the communication interface.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Includes a program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 6-8 to be performed.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-5 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 6-8 to be performed.

14. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes the positioning device as described in claim 9 and the positioning device as described in claim 10.

Images