Method and apparatus for transmitting and / or receiving sidelink positioning reference signal

Abstract

The method comprises the following steps: in response to the fact that the sidelink (SL) discontinuous reception (DRX) is in an inactivation period and the sidelink positioning reference signal (SL PRS) needs to be transmitted and / or received, transmitting and / or receiving the SL PRS according to a preset rule. Thus, the terminal device transmits and / or receives the SL PRS according to the preset rule when the SL DRX is in the inactivation period, thereby ensuring the reliable transmission and / or reception of the SL PRS, and thus realizing accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for transmitting and / or receiving a side link positioning reference signal. Background Technology

[0002] Terminal devices can perform positioning by transmitting a sidelink (SL) positioning reference signal (PRS). For applications supporting discontinuous reception (DRX) of SL, it needs to be clarified whether the SL PRS can be transmitted and / or received during periods of SL DRX inactivity. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a method and apparatus for transmitting and / or receiving a sidelink positioning reference signal. When the SL DRX is inactive, the SL PRS is transmitted and / or received according to preset rules, thereby ensuring the reliable transmission and / or reception of the SL PRS, and thus achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for transmitting and / or receiving a sidelink positioning reference signal. The method is executed by a terminal device and includes: in response to the sidelink SL discontinuous reception DRX being inactive and needing to transmit and / or receive an SL positioning reference signal PRS, transmitting and / or receiving the SL PRS according to a preset rule.

[0005] In this disclosure, when the SL discontinuous reception DRX is inactive and SL PRS needs to be transmitted and / or received, the terminal device transmits and / or receives SL PRS according to preset rules. Thus, by transmitting and / or receiving SL PRS during the SL DRX inactive period according to preset rules, the terminal device ensures reliable transmission and / or reception of SL PRS, thereby achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0006] In a second aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including:

[0007] The processing module is used to transmit and / or receive the SL positioning reference signal PRS when the side link SL is discontinuously receiving the DRX during the inactive period and needs to transmit and / or receive the SL PRS, according to preset rules.

[0008] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device including a processor that, when the processor invokes a computer program in memory, executes the method described in the first aspect.

[0009] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program; the processor executes the computer program stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect above.

[0010] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device including a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive and transmit code instructions to the processor, and the processor is configured to execute the code instructions to cause the device to perform the method described in the first aspect above.

[0011] Sixthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, which includes the communication device described in the second aspect, or the communication device described in the third aspect, or the communication device described in the fourth aspect, or the communication device described in the fifth aspect.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions for use by the aforementioned terminal device, wherein when the instructions are executed, the terminal device performs the method described in the first aspect.

[0013] Eighthly, this disclosure also provides a computer program product including a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect above.

[0014] Ninthly, this disclosure provides a chip system including at least one processor and an interface for supporting a terminal device in implementing the functions involved in the first aspect, such as determining or processing at least one of the data and information involved in the above methods. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing computer programs and data necessary for the terminal device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0015] In a tenth aspect, this disclosure provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments or background art of this disclosure will be described below.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2This is a flowchart illustrating a method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal PRS according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal PRS provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal PRS provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal PRS provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal PRS provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To facilitate understanding, the terminology used in this disclosure will be introduced first.

[0027] 1. Discontinuous reception (DRX)

[0028] Packet-based data streams are typically bursty, with data being sent and / or received for a period of time, followed by a longer period of inactivity. During periods of no data transmission and / or reception, power consumption can be reduced by stopping reception (stopping blind detection), thereby extending battery life.

[0029] 2. Positioning Reference Signal (PRS)

[0030] SL PRS refers to signals transmitted and / or received via the SL link to assist terminal devices in positioning.

[0031] For example, such as Figure 1The diagram shows an architecture of a communication system provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure. The receiving terminal device 11 can determine the specific position of the terminal device relative to the RSU by measuring the PRS sent by multiple transmitting terminal devices (or RSUs) (greater than or equal to 3) through the SL link.

[0032] If the positioning result is not converted into absolute coordinates based on the absolute location information such as GPS from the RSU, then the positioning result is relative positioning; otherwise, it is absolute positioning. The RSU involved in relative or absolute positioning is called a positioning assist device.

[0033] Alternatively, the terminal device can also serve as a positioning aid, making it difficult for it to work with other UEs to provide positioning services. Additionally, some positioning aids possess location information such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), which can assist other terminal devices in achieving absolute positioning.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 The communication system may include, but is not limited to, a receiving terminal device and a transmitting terminal device. Figure 1 The number and form of the devices shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this disclosure. In actual applications, there may be two or more receiving terminal devices and two or more transmitting terminal devices. Figure 1 The communication system shown is exemplified by a receiving terminal device 11 and three transmitting terminal devices 12, 13 and 14.

[0035] It should be noted that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. For example, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication systems, 5G New Radio (NR) systems, or other future new mobile communication systems.

[0036] The receiving terminal device or transmitting terminal device in the embodiments of this disclosure is an entity on the user side used to receive or transmit signals, such as a mobile phone. The terminal device can also be called a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device can be a car with communication capabilities, a smart car, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device.

[0037] The transmitting terminal device in this embodiment of the disclosure can also be called a positioning assist device, which can be an entity used to transmit or receive signals. For example, the positioning assist device can be an RSU (Road Side Unit), or it can be a terminal device, or it can be an evolved NodeB (eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in an NR system, a base station in other future mobile communication systems, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, etc.

[0038] In this system, the terminal device can implement this disclosure. Figures 2 to 6 The method shown in any of the embodiments.

[0039] It is understood that the communication system described in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0040] This disclosure primarily addresses the issue of whether SL PRS can be sent and / or received during the SL DRX inactive period in scenarios supporting SL DRX, and proposes a method for sending and / or receiving SL PRS. If the terminal device needs to send and / or receive SL PRS during the SL DRX inactive period, it can do so according to preset rules. Thus, the terminal device sends and / or receives SL PRS during the SL DRX inactive period according to preset rules, ensuring reliable SL PRS transmission and / or reception, thereby achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the SL DRX inactive period refers to being outside the SL DRX active state (i.e., the on-duration of the transmission period). DRX (Discontinuous Reception) refers to a working mode in which the terminal only enters the active state to perform transmission (including uplink and / or downlink transmission) during necessary time periods (i.e., the on-duration of the transmission period), and stops transmission (including uplink and / or downlink transmission) during other time periods (the inactive period, i.e., outside the DRX reception period).

[0041] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal (PRS) according to an embodiment of this disclosure. This method is executed by a terminal device. Figure 2 As shown, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0042] Step 201: In response to the SL discontinuous reception DRX being inactive and needing to send and / or receive SL PRS, SL PRS is sent and / or received according to preset rules.

[0043] In this disclosure, sending and / or receiving SL PRS includes at least one of the following: sending SL PRS, receiving SL PRS, sending an SL PRS measurement report, and receiving an SL PRS measurement report.

[0044] Optionally, the terminal device can determine that an SL DRX is inactive when all of its SL DRXs are inactive.

[0045] Alternatively, if the terminal device is a receiving terminal device of SL PRS and the SLDRX of all its associated transmitting terminal devices are inactive, then it can be determined that the SLDRX is inactive.

[0046] Among them, the transmitting terminal device of SL PRS is the terminal device that transmits SL PRS, and the receiving terminal device is the terminal device that receives and / or receives SL PRS transmitted by the transmitting terminal device.

[0047] For example, an SL PRS receiving terminal device maintains the SL DRX status of one or more SL PRS transmitting terminal devices. This SL DRX status can be maintained using each SL destination ID. The SL source ID can be determined through the mapping relationship between the SL destination ID and the SL source ID, thus identifying the transmitting terminal device. The SL DRX of an SL PRS transmitting terminal device includes all SL DRXs related to that SL PRS transmitting terminal device maintained by the SL PRS receiving terminal device. An SL DRX is considered active if at least one SL DRX is active; it is considered inactive only when all SL DRXs are inactive.

[0048] Optionally, if the terminal device is a transmitting terminal device of SL PRS and all its associated receiving terminal devices' SL DRX are inactive, then the SL DRX is determined to be inactive.

[0049] For example, an SL PRS transmitting terminal device maintains the SL DRX status of one or more SL PRS receiving terminal devices. This SL DRX status is identified by the per SL destination ID, which allows the receiving terminal device to be identified. The SL DRX associated with an SL PRS receiving terminal device includes all SL DRXs maintained by the SL PRS transmitting terminal device for that SL PRS receiving terminal device. An SL DRX is considered active if at least one SL DRX among all the SL PRS receiving terminal device's SL DRX statuses is active; an SL DRX is considered inactive only if all SL DRXs are inactive.

[0050] Optionally, the preset rules include at least one of the following: sending and / or receiving SL PRS, not sending and / or receiving SL PRS, sending and / or receiving SL PRS measurement reports, and not sending and / or receiving SL PRS measurement reports.

[0051] For example, when SL DRX is inactive, if the terminal device needs to send SL PRX, it can send SL PRX according to the preset rules; or it can send SL PRX and send SL PRX measurement report; or it can send SL PRX and not send SL PRX measurement report; or it can not send SL PRX, etc.

[0052] Alternatively, when SL DRX is inactive, if the terminal device needs to receive SL PRX according to the transmission time and frequency position of SLPRS indicated in the configuration information, it can receive SL PRX according to the preset rules; or it can receive SL PRX and receive SL PRX measurement reports; or it can receive SL PRX but not receive SL PRX measurement reports; or it can not receive SL PRX, etc.

[0053] In this disclosure, when the SL DRX is inactive, if the terminal device needs to send and / or receive SL PRS, it can do so according to preset rules. Thus, by sending and / or receiving SL PRS according to preset rules during the SL DRX inactive period, reliable transmission and / or reception of SL PRS is ensured, thereby achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0054] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal PRS provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device. Figure 3 As shown, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0055] Step 301: In response to the SL DRX being inactive and needing to send and / or receive SL PRS, determine the type of SL PRS to be sent and / or received.

[0056] The type of SL PRS indicates whether the SL PRS is periodic, semi-persistent, or non-periodic.

[0057] The specific method by which the terminal device determines that the SL DRX is in an inactive period can be found in the detailed description of any embodiment of this disclosure, and will not be repeated here.

[0058] Step 302: In response to the SL PRS to be sent and / or received being a periodic SL PRS or a semi-continuous SL PRS, no SL PRS is sent and / or received.

[0059] Optionally, the terminal device may also choose not to send and / or receive an SL PRS measurement report when it determines that the SL PRS to be sent and / or received is a periodic SL PRS or a semi-continuous SL PRS. Step 303: In response to the SL PRS to be sent and / or received being an aperiodic SL PRS, send and / or receive the SL PRS.

[0060] Optionally, the terminal device may also send and / or receive an SL PRS measurement report when it determines that the SL PRS to be sent and / or received is an aperiodic SL PRS.

[0061] In this disclosure, when the SL DRX is inactive, if the terminal device needs to send and / or receive SL PRS, it can determine whether to perform SL PRS sending and / or receiving based on the type of SL PRS to be sent and / or received.

[0062] For example, if the terminal device needs to send SL PRS during the inactive period of SL DRX, and the SL PRS to be sent is a periodic SL PRS, it can choose not to send SL PRS; or, not to send SL PRS measurement reports; or, not to send SL PRS and not to send SL PRS measurement reports, etc.

[0063] Alternatively, if the terminal device needs to send an SL PRS while the SL DRX is inactive, and the SL PRS to be sent is an aperiodic SL PRS, then it can send an SL PRS; or send an SL PRS measurement report; or send an SL PRS and send an SL PRS measurement report, etc.

[0064] For example, if the terminal device needs to receive SL PRS when SL DRX is inactive, and the SL PRS to be received is periodic SL PRS, it can choose not to receive SL PRS; or, it can choose not to receive SL PRS measurement reports; or, it can choose not to receive SL PRS and not to receive SL PRS measurement reports, etc.

[0065] Alternatively, if the terminal device needs to receive SL PRS when SL DRX is inactive, and the SL PRS to be received is a non-periodic SL PRS, then it can determine whether to receive SL PRS; or receive SL PRS measurement reports; or receive SL PRS and SL PRS measurement reports, etc.

[0066] In this disclosure, when the SL DRX is inactive, if the terminal device needs to send and / or receive SL PRS, it can determine whether to send and / or receive based on the type of the SL PRS to be sent and / or received. Therefore, the terminal device sends and / or receives SL PRS during the SL DRX inactive period according to the type of the SL PRS to be sent and / or received, thereby ensuring reliable transmission and reception of SL PRS and achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0067] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal PRS provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device. Figure 4 As shown, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0068] Step 401: In response to the need to send SL PRS, determine the SL DRX status of the associated SL PRS receiving terminal device.

[0069] Step 402: In response to the fact that the SL DRX of the associated SL PRS receiving terminal equipment is inactive, no SL PRS is sent and / or no SL PRS measurement report is sent.

[0070] In this disclosure, when a terminal device wants to send SL PRS, it can first determine the SL DRX status of the receiving terminal device associated with its SL PRS, and then determine whether to send SL PRS based on the SL DRX status of all receiving terminal devices of SL PRS.

[0071] Optionally, the SL PRS transmitting terminal device can maintain the SLDRX state of one or more SL PRS receiving terminal devices. When all SL DRXs are inactive, the SL DRXs can be considered to be inactive.

[0072] For example, when a terminal device needs to send SL PRS, if the SL DRX of the associated SL PRS receiving terminal devices are all inactive, it can choose not to send SL PRS; or, it can choose not to send SL PRS measurement reports; or, it can choose not to send SL PRS and not to send SL PRS measurement reports, etc.

[0073] It should be noted that if a terminal device wants to send SL PRS, at least one of the SL DRXs of the terminal device associated with the SL PRS receiving terminal device must be active. In this case, the terminal device may send SL PRS or not; or it may send SL PRS and send an SL PRS measurement report; or it may send SL PRS but not send an SL PRS measurement report, etc. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0074] In this disclosure, when a terminal device needs to send SL PRS, it can first determine the SL DRX status of its associated SL PRS receiving terminal device. If the SL DRX of all SL PRS receiving terminal devices is inactive, then SL PRS and / or SL PRS measurement reports will not be sent. Therefore, when a terminal device needs to send SL PRS, it determines whether to send it based on the SL DRX status of the receiving terminal device, thus ensuring reliable SL PRS transmission and achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0075] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal (PRS) according to an embodiment of this disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device. Figure 5 As shown, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0076] Step 501: In response to the need to receive SL PRS, determine the status of the SL DRX of the transmitting terminal device associated with the SL PRS.

[0077] Step 502: In response to the fact that the SL DRX of the associated SL PRS transmitting terminal equipment is inactive, it does not receive SL PRS and / or does not receive SL PRS measurement reports.

[0078] In this disclosure, when a terminal device wants to receive SL PRS, it can first determine the SL DRX status of the SL PRS sending terminal device associated with it, and then determine whether to receive SL PRS based on the SL DRX status of all SL PRS receiving terminal devices.

[0079] Optionally, the SL PRS receiving terminal device can maintain the SLDRX state of one or more SL PRS transmitting terminal devices. When all SL DRXs are inactive, the SL DRXs can be considered to be inactive.

[0080] For example, when a terminal device needs to receive SL PRS, if the SL DRX of the associated SL PRS sending terminal device is inactive, it can choose not to receive SL PRS; or, it can choose not to receive SL PRS measurement reports; or, it can choose not to receive SL PRS and not to receive SL PRS measurement reports, etc.

[0081] It should be noted that if a terminal device wants to receive SL PRS, and at least one of the SL DRXs of the associated SL PRS transmitting terminal device is active, the terminal device may receive SL PRS or may not receive SL PRS; or, it may receive SL PRS and receive SL PRS measurement reports; or, it may receive SL PRS measurement reports, etc. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0082] In this disclosure, when a terminal device needs to receive SL PRS, it can first determine the SL DRX status of the associated SL PRS transmitting terminal device. If the SL DRX of all SL PRS transmitting terminal devices is inactive, then SL PRS and / or SL PRS measurement reports will not be received. Therefore, when the terminal device needs to receive SL PRS, it determines whether to receive it based on the SL DRX status of the transmitting terminal device, thereby ensuring reliable transmission and / or reception of SL PRS, and ultimately achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0083] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating another method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link SL positioning reference signal (PRS) according to an embodiment of this disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device. Figure 6 As shown, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0084] Step 601: In response to sending and / or receiving the SL PRS activation command, restart the SL DRX inactive timer.

[0085] Sending and / or receiving an SL PRS activation command can indicate that the terminal device has sent an SL PRS activation command; or that the terminal device has received an SL PRS activation command; or that it has both sent and received an SL PRS activation command.

[0086] In this disclosure, the terminal device may maintain an SL DRX inactivity timer (sl-drx-InactivityTimer), which is started when an SL RPS activation command is sent and / or received, to indicate the duration for which the terminal device still needs to listen to the SL link.

[0087] Optionally, the terminal device may also maintain multiple SL DRX deactivators associated with different terminal devices, so that the terminal device can restart the SL DRX deactivation timer associated with the SL target identifier corresponding to the SL PRS activation command when sending and / or receiving the SL PRS activation command.

[0088] For example, a receiving terminal device can maintain an inactive SL DRX timer for each transmitting terminal device. When it receives an SL PRS activation command from a transmitting terminal device, it can maintain the state of the SL DRX associated with the transmitting terminal device corresponding to the newly received SL PRS activation command, that is, restart the sl-drx-InactivityTimer of the SL DRX corresponding to that transmitting terminal device.

[0089] Optionally, the receiving terminal device may maintain the sl-drx-InactivityTimer for each sending terminal device through the SL destination ID, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0090] For example, the transmitting terminal device maintains the SL DRX state of the receiving terminal device. When the transmitting terminal device sends an SL PRS activation command, it can maintain the SL DRX state of the receiving terminal device associated with the SL destination ID corresponding to the newly transmitted SL PRS activation command, that is, restart the sl-drx-InactivityTimer of the receiving terminal device.

[0091] Optionally, the terminal device may send and / or receive SL PRS activation commands via the SL medium access control (MAC) control element (CE); or, the terminal device may also send and / or receive SL PRS activation commands via sidelink control information (SCI).

[0092] Step 602: Determine the state of SLDRX based on the running state of the inactive timer of SL DRX.

[0093] In this disclosure, the terminal device can determine whether the SLDRX is inactive based on the working state of the SLDRX inactive timer.

[0094] Optionally, since the terminal device needs to listen to the SL link when the timer is inactive, the terminal device can determine that the SL DRX is active.

[0095] When the timer ends, the terminal device can also determine whether the SL DRX is in an inactive period based on the SL DRX status it maintains. For example, when the timer ends, the receiving terminal device can determine whether the SL DRX is in an active period based on the SL DRX status it maintains associated with the transmitting terminal device; the transmitting terminal device can determine whether the SL DRX is in an active period based on the SL DRX status it maintains associated with the receiving terminal device, and so on. The method by which the terminal device determines whether the SL DRX is in an inactive period can be referred to the detailed description of any embodiment of this disclosure, and will not be repeated here.

[0096] Step 603: In response to the SLDRX being inactive and the terminal device needing to send and / or receive SL PRS, SL PRS is sent and / or received according to preset rules.

[0097] The specific implementation of step 603 can be found in the detailed description of any embodiment of this disclosure, and will not be repeated here.

[0098] In this disclosure, when a terminal device sends and / or receives an SL PRS activation command, it can restart the SLDRX inactive timer and determine the state of the SLDRX based on the running state of the SL DRX inactive timer. When the SLDRX is inactive and the terminal device needs to send and / or receive SL PRS, it can perform SL PRS transmission and / or reception according to preset rules. Thus, by determining the state of the SL DRX based on the running state of the SL DRX inactive timer and sending and / or receiving SL PRS according to preset rules when the SL DRX is inactive, the terminal device ensures reliable SL PRS transmission and / or reception, thereby achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0099] It should be noted that the aforementioned embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented individually or in combination, and this disclosure does not limit the implementation of these embodiments.

[0100] Please see Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 7 The communication device 700 shown may include a processing module 701 and a transmitting and / or receiving module 702. The transmitting and / or receiving module 702 may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, the transmitting module being used to implement the transmitting function, and the receiving module being used to implement the receiving function. The transmitting and / or receiving module 702 can implement both transmitting and receiving functions.

[0101] It is understandable that the communication device 700 can be a terminal device, a device within a terminal device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a terminal device.

[0102] The communication device 700 is located on the terminal equipment side, wherein:

[0103] The processing module 701 is used to receive SL discontinuously when DRX is inactive and needs to send and / or receive SLPRS, and to send and / or receive SL PRS according to preset rules.

[0104] Optionally, the preset rules include at least one of the following: sending and / or receiving SL PRS, not sending and / or receiving SL PRS, sending and / or receiving SL PRS measurement reports, and not sending and / or receiving SL PRS measurement reports.

[0105] Optionally, processing module 701 is used for:

[0106] In response to all SLDRXs of the terminal device being inactive, it is determined that the SL DRX is inactive; or,

[0107] In response to the fact that the terminal device is a receiving terminal device of SL PRS and the SLDRX of all its associated transmitting terminal devices are inactive, it is determined that SL DRX is inactive; or...

[0108] In response to the fact that the terminal device is a transmitting terminal device of SL PRS and all its associated receiving terminal devices' SLDRX are inactive, it is determined that SL DRX is inactive.

[0109] Optionally, the processing module 701 is also used for:

[0110] In response to the SLPRS to be transmitted and / or received being periodic SLPRS or semi-persistent SLPRS, neither transmit nor receive the SLPRS; and / or,

[0111] In response to the SLPRS to be sent and / or received being periodic SLPRS or semi-continuous SLPRS, no SLPRS measurement reports are sent and / or received.

[0112] Optionally, the processing module 701 is also used for:

[0113] In response to the SLPRS to be sent and / or received being a non-periodic SLPRS, the SLPRS is sent and / or received; and / or, in response to the SLPRS to be sent and / or received being a non-periodic SLPRS, an SLPRS measurement report is sent and / or received.

[0114] Optionally, the processing module 701 is also used for:

[0115] In response to the fact that the SL DRX of the receiving terminal equipment that needs to send SLPRS is inactive, it does not send SL PRS and / or does not send SL PRS measurement reports.

[0116] Optionally, the processing module 701 is also used for:

[0117] In response to the fact that the SL DRX of the associated SLPRS transmitting terminal equipment is inactive, it does not receive SL PRS and / or does not receive SL PRS measurement reports.

[0118] Optionally, the processing module 701 is also used for:

[0119] In response to sending and / or receiving an SL PRS activation command, restart the SL DRX inactive timer.

[0120] Optionally, the transmit and / or receive module 702 is used for:

[0121] Sending and / or receiving SL PRS activation commands via the SL media access control MAC control unit CE; or...

[0122] Send and / or receive SL PRS activation commands via Side Link Control Information (SCI).

[0123] Optionally, the processing module 701 is also used for:

[0124] Restart the SL DRX inactive timer associated with the SL target identifier corresponding to the SL PRS activation or command.

[0125] In this disclosure, when the SL DRX is inactive, if the terminal device needs to send and / or receive SL PRS, it can do so according to preset rules. Thus, by sending and / or receiving SL PRS according to preset rules during the SL DRX inactive period, reliable transmission and / or reception of SL PRS is ensured, thereby achieving accurate and reliable positioning of the terminal device.

[0126] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 800 can be a terminal device, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal device in implementing the above methods. This device can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and for details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments.

[0127] The communication device 800 may include one or more processors 801. The processor 801 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control the communication device (e.g., base station, baseband chip, terminal equipment, terminal equipment chip, DU or CU, etc.), execute computer programs, and process data from the computer programs.

[0128] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include one or more memories 802, which may store a computer program 804. The processor 801 executes the computer program 804 to cause the communication device 800 to perform the method described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memory 802 may also store data. The communication device 800 and the memory 802 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0129] Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a transceiver 805 and an antenna 806. The transceiver 805 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver circuit, etc., and is used to implement the transmission and reception functions. The transceiver 805 may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiver or receiving circuit, etc., and is used to implement the receiving function; the transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter or transmitting circuit, etc., and is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0130] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include one or more interface circuits 807. The interface circuits 807 are used to receive code instructions and transmit / receive them to the processor 801. The processor 801 executes the code instructions to cause the communication device 800 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0131] Communication device 800 is a terminal device: processor 801 is used to execute Figure 2 Step 201 in the middle, Figure 3 Step 301, etc.

[0132] In one implementation, the processor 801 may include a transceiver for implementing receive and transmit functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing receive and transmit functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for reading and writing code / data, or it can be used for transmitting or receiving signals.

[0133] In one implementation, processor 801 may store computer program 803, which runs on processor 801 and causes communication device 800 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Computer program 803 may be embedded in processor 801; in this case, processor 801 may be implemented in hardware.

[0134] In one implementation, the communication device 800 may include circuitry capable of performing the functions of transmitting, receiving, or communicating as described in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor and transceiver described in this disclosure can be implemented on integrated circuits (ICs), analog ICs, radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), n-metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), positive-channel metal oxide semiconductors (PMOS), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon-germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0135] The communication device described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a smart relay, but the scope of the communication device described in this disclosure is not limited to this, and the structure of the communication device may vary. Figure 8 The communication device may be a standalone device or part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be:

[0136] (1) Independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0137] (2) A collection of one or more ICs, optionally including storage components for storing data and computer programs;

[0138] (3) ASIC, such as modem;

[0139] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0140] (5) Receivers, terminal equipment, smart terminal equipment, cellular phones, wireless equipment, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted equipment, network equipment, cloud equipment, artificial intelligence equipment, etc.

[0141] (6) Others, etc.

[0142] For cases where the communication device can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 9 The diagram shows the structure of the chip. Figure 9 The chip shown includes a processor 901 and an interface 902. There can be one or more processors 901, and multiple interfaces 902.

[0143] For cases where the chip is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0144] Optionally, the chip also includes a memory 903, which is used to store necessary computer programs and data.

[0145] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps listed in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the overall system design requirements. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality using various methods for each specific application, but such implementation should not be construed as exceeding the scope of protection of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0146] This disclosure also provides a readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0147] This disclosure also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0148] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted and received from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transmitted and received from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0149] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various numerical designations such as "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure are merely for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor do they indicate the order of events.

[0150] At least one of the features described in this disclosure can also be described as one or more, and multiple features can be two, three, four or more, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations. In the embodiments of this disclosure, for a technical feature, the technical features in that technical feature are distinguished by "first", "second", "third", "A", "B", "C" and "D", etc., and there is no sequential order or size order among the technical features described by "first", "second", "third", "A", "B", "C" and "D".

[0151] The correspondences shown in the tables of this disclosure can be configured or predefined. The values ​​of the information in each table are merely examples and can be configured to other values; this disclosure is not limiting. When configuring the correspondences between information and parameters, it is not necessarily required to configure all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, the correspondences shown in some rows of the tables in this disclosure may not be configured. Furthermore, appropriate modifications and adjustments can be made based on the above tables, such as splitting, merging, etc. The names of the parameters shown in the headers of the above tables can also use other names that the communication device can understand, and the values ​​or representations of the parameters can also be other values ​​or representations that the communication device can understand. In the implementation of the above tables, other data structures can also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables, etc.

[0152] The predefined terms in this disclosure can be understood as defined, predefined, stored, pre-stored, pre-negotiated, pre-configured, solidified, or pre-burned.

[0153] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0154] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0155] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting and / or receiving a side-link positioning reference signal, characterized in that, The method, executed by a terminal device, includes: In response to all sidelink SL discontinuous reception DRX of the terminal device being inactive, it is determined that the SL DRX is inactive; or, in response to the terminal device being a receiving terminal device for the SL positioning reference signal PRS and all its associated transmitting terminal devices having SL DRX being inactive, it is determined that the SL DRX is inactive; or, in response to the terminal device being a transmitting terminal device for the SL PRS and all its associated receiving terminal devices having SL DRX being inactive, it is determined that the SL DRX is inactive; in response to the SL DRX being inactive and needing to transmit and / or receive SL PRS, SL PRS transmission and / or reception are performed according to preset rules, the preset rules including at least one of the following: transmitting and / or receiving SL PRS, not transmitting and / or receiving SL PRS; The step of sending and / or receiving SL PRS according to preset rules includes: In response to the fact that the SL DRX of the associated receiving terminal equipment that needs to send SL PRS is inactive, no SL PRS is sent; and / or, In response to the fact that the SL DRX of the transmitting terminal device that needs to receive SL PRS and whose associated SL PRS is inactive, it does not receive SL PRS.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preset rules also include at least one of the following: sending and / or receiving SL PRS measurement reports, and not sending and / or receiving SL PRS measurement reports.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: For the receiving terminal device, the state of the SL DRX is determined based on the running state of the associated SL DRX inactive timer, wherein the SL DRX inactive timer is associated with the receiving terminal device itself, or with the corresponding transmitting terminal device; or... For the transmitting terminal device, the state of SL DRX is determined based on the running state of the associated SL DRX inactive timer, wherein the SL DRX inactive timer is associated with the transmitting terminal device itself or with the corresponding receiving terminal device.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of sending and / or receiving SL PRS according to preset rules includes: In response to the SL PRS to be transmitted and / or received being a periodic SL PRS or a semi-persistent SL PRS, the SL PRS is not transmitted and / or received; and / or, In response to the SL PRS to be sent and / or received being either periodic SL PRS or semi-continuous SL PRS, no SLPRS measurement reports are sent and / or received.

5. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of sending and / or receiving SL PRS according to preset rules includes: In response to the SL PRS to be sent and / or received being an aperiodic SL PRS, the SL PRS is sent and / or received; and / or, in response to the SL PRS to be sent and / or received being an aperiodic SL PRS, an SL PRS measurement report is sent and / or received.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Also includes: In response to sending and / or receiving an SL PRS activation or command, restart the SL DRX inactive timer.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: Sending and / or receiving SL PRS activation commands via the SL media access control MAC control unit CE; or... Send and / or receive SL PRS activation commands via Side Link Control Information (SCI).

8. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The restart of the SL DRX inactive timer includes: Restart the SL DRX inactive timer associated with the SL target identifier corresponding to the SL PRS activation or command.

9. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The processing module is configured to determine that an SL DRX is inactive in response to all SL DRXs of the terminal device being inactive; or, in response to the terminal device being a receiving terminal device of SL PRS and all its associated transmitting terminal devices having SL DRXs inactive; or, in response to the terminal device being a transmitting terminal device of SL PRS and all its associated receiving terminal devices having SL DRXs inactive. The processing module is also used to transmit and / or receive SL PRS when the side link SL is discontinuously receiving DRX during the inactive period and needs to transmit and / or receive SL positioning reference signal PRS, according to a preset rule, wherein the preset rule includes at least one of the following: transmit and / or receive SL PRS, or do not transmit and / or receive SL PRS. The processing module is further configured to not send SL PRS in response to the need to send SL PRS and the SLDRX of the associated SL PRS receiving terminal device being inactive; and / or to not receive SL PRS in response to the need to receive SL PRS and the SL DRX of the associated SL PRS sending terminal device being inactive.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the processor executing the computer program stored in the memory to cause the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes an SL PRS receiving terminal device and an SL PRS transmitting terminal device, which perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

12. A computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 to be implemented.

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