Position determination method, device and communication equipment

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, and communication device for determining a position of a user equipment (UE), which determines the position information of the UE based on the distance between the user equipment (UE) and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) serving satellite of the UE at at least three different moments, and the position information of the NTN serving satellite of the UE at the at least three different moments; wherein, at the at least three different moments, the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE is different, and the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE belongs to at least two different satellite orbits.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology but is not limited to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a location determination method, apparatus, and communication device. Background Art

[0002] Satellite communications boast wide coverage and high reliability, and therefore have a wide range of applications in remote areas and disaster relief. Satellite communication technology is considered a crucial component of future cellular mobile communications. When using satellite for cellular mobile communications, the network needs to know the actual, trusted location of the user equipment (UE). For example, during disaster relief operations, the network needs to know the UE's location to facilitate rescue efforts. Alternatively, the network can determine whether the UE is within national borders for authorization purposes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a location determination method, apparatus, and communication device.

[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a position determination method is provided, wherein the method includes:

[0005] Determine the location information of the UE based on the distance between a user equipment UE and a non-terrestrial network (NTN) serving satellite of the UE at at least three different moments, and the location information of the NTN serving satellite of the UE at the at least three different moments; wherein, at the at least three different moments, the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE is different, and the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE belongs to at least two different satellite orbits.

[0006] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a position determination device is provided, wherein the device includes: a first determination module, wherein:

[0007] The first determination module is configured to determine the location information of the UE based on the distance between the user equipment UE and the NTN serving satellite of the UE at at least three different moments, and the location information of the NTN serving satellite of the UE at the at least three different moments; wherein, at the at least three different moments, the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE is different, and the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE belongs to at least two different satellite orbits.

[0008] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and capable of being run by the processor, wherein the processor executes the steps of the position determination method described in the first aspect when running the executable program.

[0009] According to the position determination method, apparatus, and communication equipment provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE or NTN service satellite determines the position information of the UE based on the distance between the user equipment UE and the NTN service satellite of the UE at at least three different moments, and the position information of the NTN service satellite of the UE at the at least three different moments; wherein, at the at least three different moments, the orbital position of the NTN service satellite of the UE is different, and the orbital position of the NTN service satellite of the UE belongs to at least two different satellite orbits. In this way, the position of the UE is determined by the NTN service satellite at three moments. On the one hand, the situation where the UE cannot be positioned due to the lack of positioning capabilities such as GPS is reduced, and the positioning of the UE is achieved. On the other hand, the UE is positioned by the NTN service satellite, which reduces the intermediate links in the transmission of UE position information and improves the reliability of the UE position information obtained by the NTN service satellite.

[0010] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0013] Figure 2 is a flow chart showing a method for determining a position according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0014] Figure 3 FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the positions of an NTN service satellite and a UE according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0015] Figure 4 is another schematic diagram showing positions of NTN service satellites and UEs according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0016] Figure 5 is another schematic diagram showing positions of NTN service satellites and UEs according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0017] Figure 6FIG1 is another schematic diagram showing positions of NTN service satellites and UEs according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0018] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another location determination method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0019] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing another position determination device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0020] Figure 9 It is a block diagram of a device for position determination according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible implementations consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present invention, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0022] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0023] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various information in the embodiments of the present disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining".

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on cellular mobile communication technology, and the wireless communication system may include: several terminals 11 and several base stations 12.

[0025] Terminal 11 may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. Terminal 11 may communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Terminal 11 may be an IoT terminal, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone), and a computer with an IoT terminal. For example, the terminal may be a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in, or vehicle-mounted device. Examples include a station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, or user equipment (UE). Alternatively, terminal 11 may be a device on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Alternatively, terminal 11 may be an in-vehicle device, such as a vehicle-mounted computer with wireless communication capabilities, or a wireless communication device connected to an external vehicle-mounted computer. Alternatively, the terminal 11 may also be a roadside device, for example, a street lamp, a traffic light or other roadside device with a wireless communication function.

[0026] The base station 12 may be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system may be a fourth generation mobile communication technology (4G) system, also known as a long term evolution (LTE) system; or, the wireless communication system may be a 5G system, also known as a new radio (NR) system or a 5G NR system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a next generation system of the 5G system. The access network in the 5G system may be referred to as NG-RAN (New Generation-Radio Access Network). Alternatively, an MTC system.

[0027] Among them, the base station 12 can be an evolved base station (eNB) adopted in a 4G system. Alternatively, the base station 12 can also be a base station (gNB) adopting a centralized distributed architecture in a 5G system. When the base station 12 adopts a centralized distributed architecture, it usually includes a centralized unit (CU) and at least two distributed units (DU). The centralized unit is provided with a protocol stack of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link layer control protocol (RLC) layer, and a media access control (MAC) layer; the distributed unit is provided with a physical (PHY) layer protocol stack. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the specific implementation method of the base station 12.

[0028] A wireless connection can be established between the base station 12 and the terminal 11 via a wireless air interface. In different implementations, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fourth generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard; or, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fifth generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, for example, the wireless air interface is a new air interface; or, the wireless air interface can also be a wireless air interface based on the next generation mobile communication network technology standard of 5G.

[0029] In some embodiments, E2E (End to End) connections can also be established between terminals 11. For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication scenarios such as V2V (vehicle to vehicle), V2I (vehicle to infrastructure), and V2P (vehicle to pedestrian).

[0030] In some embodiments, the wireless communication system may further include a network management device 13 .

[0031] Several base stations 12 are respectively connected to a network management device 13. The network management device 13 can be a core network device in a wireless communication system. For example, the network management device 13 can be a mobility management entity (MME) in an evolved packet core (EPC). Alternatively, the network management device can also be other core network devices, such as a serving gateway (SGW), a public data network gateway (PGW), a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), or a home subscriber server (HSS). The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the implementation form of the network management device 13.

[0032] The execution entities involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to: UEs such as mobile phone terminals supporting NTN cellular mobile communications, and satellites, etc.

[0033] An application scenario of the embodiment of the present disclosure is that, generally, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) can obtain the location information of a UE in the following two ways:

[0034] The first method: The UE informs the network of its own location. This method has the following problems:

[0035] 1. The UE may not be able to obtain its own location.

[0036] 2. The UE's location may not be true. When it is necessary to determine whether the UE is in the authorized area, the UE may report an incorrect location.

[0037] 3. The UE’s location information may be intercepted and tampered with.

[0038] The second method: positioning the UE through the base station, which has the following problems

[0039] 1. UEs that communicate using non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellites can usually only connect to one satellite at a time and cannot use the multi-base station positioning technology used in terrestrial mobile communications.

[0040] 2. The coverage area of ​​a non-terrestrial network NTN satellite is very wide, and the specific location of the UE cannot be confirmed based on the satellite used.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, this exemplary embodiment provides a location determination method, including:

[0042] Step 201: Determine the location information of the UE based on the distance between the user equipment UE and the NTN serving satellite of the UE at at least three different moments, and the location information of the NTN serving satellite of the UE at the at least three different moments; wherein, at the at least three different moments, the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE is different, and the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE belongs to at least two different satellite orbits.

[0043] Here, the location determination method provided in this embodiment may be executed by a UE of NTN cellular mobile communication, or a satellite in the NTN cellular mobile communication system.

[0044] A UE can establish a communication connection with a serving base station via a feeder connection between a high-altitude platform such as a satellite and a satellite ground station such as a gateway (GW). An NTN serving satellite can be a satellite in the feeder connection between the UE and the serving base station. A UE can establish a connection with a serving base station via one NTN serving satellite at a time. The NTN serving satellites of a UE can be the same or different at different times.

[0045] Here, the UE or the NTN serving satellite may measure the distance between the UE and the NTN serving satellite at at least three different times. The UE or the NTN serving satellite may determine the distance between the UE and the NTN serving satellite based on the signal flight time between the UE and the NTN serving satellite.

[0046] The orbital position of the NTN service satellite at three different times can be determined using ephemeris, etc. Based on the orbital position of the NTN service satellite, the projected position of the NTN service satellite's orbital position on the ground, as well as position information such as the altitude of the NTN service satellite, can be determined. Based on the distance between the UE and the NTN service satellite and the altitude of the NTN service satellite, the distance between the UE and the ground projection of the NTN service satellite can be determined. Based on the ground projection position of the NTN service satellite at at least three different times, and the distance between the UE and the ground projection of the NTN service satellite at each of the three different times, the UE's position can be determined using a triangulated positioning method. Here, the NTN service satellite at the three different times can be the same satellite or different satellites. The ground projection positions of the NTN service satellite at the three different times need to form a triangle.

[0047] In one embodiment, at the at least three different time instants, the NTN service satellites of the UE include at least two satellites with different satellite orbits.

[0048] Positioning is performed using the same NTN service satellite at two different orbital positions in one orbit and one NTN service satellite in another orbit.

[0049] At least three NTN service satellites on at least three orbits may also be used for positioning. Here, the at least three NTN service satellites are not on the same straight line when performing distance measurement.

[0050] For example, satellites used for mobile communications are usually located in orbits above 600 km from the ground, and the altitude distance between the NTN service satellite and the ground can be determined by ephemeris, etc. Figure 3 As described above, if the distance between the NTN service satellite and the UE is known, and the altitude distance between the NTN service satellite and the ground is also known, the ground distance between the projection of the NTN service satellite and the UE can be obtained according to the Pythagorean theorem.

[0051] like Figures 4 to 6 This is a bird's-eye view of the relative positions of the NTN service satellite and the UE. Figure 4 As shown, when the NTN service satellite is at position 1, the distance L1 between the ground projection position of the NTN service satellite and the UE can be determined, and then it can be known that the UE is distributed on a circle A with the ground projection position of the NTN service satellite at position 1 as the center and L1 as the radius.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown, the NTN service satellite is at position 2. The distance L2 between the ground projection of the NTN service satellite and the UE can be determined. This indicates that the UE is located on circle B with a radius of L2 and the ground projection of the NTN service satellite at position 2 as the center. Circles A and B intersect at two points, one of which is the actual UE location and the other is a "ghost point."

[0053] like Figure 6 As shown, the NTN service satellite is at position 3. The distance L3 between the ground projection of the NTN service satellite and the UE can be determined. This indicates that the UE is located on circle C with a radius of L3 and the ground projection of the NTN service satellite at position 3 as the center. Circles A, B, and C intersect at point 1, which is the true location of the UE.

[0054] Here, position 1, position 2, and position 3 may not all belong to the same satellite orbit. The NTN service satellites at the three positions may or may not all be the same satellite.

[0055] In this way, the UE's location is determined using the NTN service satellites at three different times. This reduces the chances of the UE being unable to locate itself due to a lack of GPS or other positioning capabilities, effectively locating the UE. Furthermore, the UE's location is located by the NTN service satellites, eliminating the need for intermediate transmission of UE location information and improving the reliability of the UE location information obtained by the NTN service satellites.

[0056] In one embodiment, Figure 7 As shown, the method further includes:

[0057] Step 202: Determine the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time between the UE and the NTN serving satellite.

[0058] Here, the distance between the UE and the NTN serving satellite may be determined based on the transmission time of the signal between the UE and the NTN serving satellite.

[0059] The propagation speed of the signal between the UE and the NTN service satellite is approximately the speed of light. The product of the speed of light and the transmission time of the signal between the UE and the NTN service satellite can be determined as the distance between the service satellite and the UE.

[0060] In one embodiment, determining the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time between the UE and the NTN serving satellite includes:

[0061] The signal flight time of the first round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE is determined by subtracting the first transmission response duration of the UE from the first interval between the first moment when the NTN service satellite transmits the first positioning signal to the UE and the second moment when the NTN service satellite receives the second positioning signal transmitted by the UE. The second positioning signal is transmitted by the UE in response to receiving the first positioning signal. The first transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the UE receiving the first positioning signal and transmitting the second positioning signal.

[0062] The distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE is determined based on the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal.

[0063] The first positioning signal and the second positioning signal may be signals specifically defined for distance measurement, or may be existing signals transmitted between the UE and the NTN service satellite.

[0064] Here, the distance measurement may be initiated by the NTN service satellite, and the NTN service satellite may send a first positioning signal to the UE and record the sending time of the first positioning signal.

[0065] After receiving the first positioning signal, the UE can return a second positioning signal to the NTN service satellite. Because the UE needs to parse and decode the first positioning signal, there is a first transmission response time between the UE receiving the first positioning signal and sending the second positioning signal.

[0066] After receiving the second positioning signal, the NTN service satellite can record the time it received the second positioning signal. Based on the transmission time of the first positioning signal, the reception time of the second positioning signal, and the duration of the first transmission response, the NTN service satellite can determine the round-trip time between the NTN service satellite and the UE. Furthermore, the NTN service satellite can determine the distance between the NTN service satellite and the UE.

[0067] In one embodiment, in response to the NTN serving satellite determining the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal, the method further includes: the NTN serving satellite receiving indication information sent by the UE indicating the first transmission response duration.

[0068] Here, the UE may record the time when the first positioning signal is received and the time when the second positioning signal is sent, thereby determining the first transmission response duration. The UE sends indication information indicating the first transmission response duration to the NTN serving satellite, and the NTN serving satellite may determine the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal based on the first transmission response duration indicated in the received indication information.

[0069] In one embodiment, determining the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time between the UE and the NTN serving satellite includes:

[0070] The signal flight time of the second round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE is determined by subtracting the second transmission response duration of the NTN service satellite from the third interval duration between the third moment when the UE transmits the third positioning signal to the NTN service satellite and the fourth moment when the UE receives the fourth positioning signal transmitted by the NTN service satellite. The fourth positioning signal is transmitted by the NTN service satellite in response to receiving the third positioning signal, and the second transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the NTN service satellite receiving the third positioning signal and transmitting the fourth positioning signal.

[0071] The distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE is determined based on the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal.

[0072] The third positioning signal and the fourth positioning signal may be signals specifically defined for distance measurement, or may be existing signals transmitted between the UE and the NTN service satellite.

[0073] Here, the distance measurement may be initiated by the UE, the UE may send a first positioning signal to the NTN service satellite, and record the sending time of the third positioning signal.

[0074] After receiving the third positioning signal, the NTN service satellite can return a fourth positioning signal to the UE. Because the NTN service satellite needs to parse and decode the third positioning signal, there is a second transmission response time between the NTN service satellite receiving the third positioning signal and sending the fourth positioning signal.

[0075] After receiving the fourth positioning signal, the UE may record the time it was received. Based on the transmission time of the third positioning signal, the reception time of the fourth positioning signal, and the second transmission response duration, the UE may determine the round-trip time between the NTN serving satellite and the UE. Furthermore, the UE may determine the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE.

[0076] In one embodiment, in response to the UE determining the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal, the method further includes: receiving indication information indicating the third time and the fourth time sent by the NTN serving satellite.

[0077] Here, the NTN serving satellite may record the time of receiving the third positioning signal and the time of sending the fourth positioning signal, thereby determining the second transmission response duration. The NTN serving satellite may send indication information indicating the second transmission response duration to the UE. The UE may determine the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal based on the second transmission response duration indicated in the received indication information.

[0078] The following provides a specific example in combination with any of the above embodiments:

[0079] Satellites used for mobile communications, typically low-orbit satellites, fly very fast relative to the ground. Compared to the satellite's speed, the UE's speed relative to the ground can be considered relatively stationary.

[0080] Satellites used for mobile communications are usually located in orbits more than 600 km above the ground. The ground elevation in the area covered by satellite communications will only exceed 1 km under extreme conditions. Therefore, the ground can be considered flat and the distance between the satellite and the ground is known. Figure 3 As shown in FIG, if the satellite can measure the distance between itself and the UE, the distance between the satellite projection and the UE can be obtained according to the Pythagorean theorem.

[0081] This embodiment uses a satellite to measure the distance between it and the UE at different times, which is equivalent to measuring the distance between it and the UE at different positions, and can ultimately obtain the true position of the UE.

[0082] The specific plan is as follows:

[0083] 1. The communication satellite or UE sends a positioning signal to the other party and records the sending time t1 of the signal.

[0084] 2. After receiving the positioning signal, the UE or satellite immediately sends the positioning signal to the other party and records the time difference Δt between receiving the signal and sending the signal.

[0085] 3. After the satellite or UE receives the signal sent by the other party, it records the time t2 when the signal is received.

[0086] 4. The flight time of the signal can be obtained, and then the distance between the communication satellite and the UE can be calculated.

[0087] 5. If Figure 4 As shown, satellite 1 at position 1 can detect the distance between the satellite and the UE, and obtain the distance L1 between the ground projection of the satellite and the UE. It can then be known that the UE is distributed on a circle that is L1 away from the ground projection of the satellite.

[0088] 6. Similarly, Figure 5 As shown, satellite 1 at position 2 can determine the distance L2 between the ground projection of the satellite and the UE, and then it can be known that the UE is distributed on the circumference of the satellite's ground projection at a distance of L2. By measuring the two positions, the possible position of the UE can be determined, one of which is the real position of the UE, and the other is the possible position of the UE, that is, the "ghost point".

[0089] 7. If Figure 6 As shown, satellite 2 at position 3 can determine the distance L3 between the ground projection of the satellite and the UE, and then it can be known that the UE is distributed on the circumference of the circle L3 away from the ground projection of the satellite. The intersection of the circles obtained by three measurements is the true position of the UE.

[0090] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a position determination device, which is applied to NTN communication equipment for wireless communication, such as Figure 8 As shown, the position determination device 100 includes: a first determination module 110, wherein:

[0091] The first determination module 110 is configured to determine the location information of the UE based on the distance between the user equipment UE and the NTN serving satellite of the UE at at least three different moments, and the location information of the NTN serving satellite of the UE at the at least three different moments; wherein, at the at least three different moments, the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE is different, and the orbital position of the NTN serving satellite of the UE belongs to at least two different satellite orbits.

[0092] In one embodiment, the apparatus 100 further includes:

[0093] The second determining module 120 is configured to determine the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time between the UE and the NTN serving satellite.

[0094] In one embodiment, the second determining module 120 includes:

[0095] The first determining submodule 121 is configured to determine the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE by subtracting the first transmission response duration of the UE from the first interval between the first moment when the NTN service satellite transmits the first positioning signal to the UE and the second moment when the NTN service satellite receives the second positioning signal transmitted by the UE, wherein the second positioning signal is transmitted by the UE in response to receiving the first positioning signal; the first transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the UE receiving the first positioning signal and transmitting the second positioning signal;

[0096] The second determining submodule 122 is configured to determine the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal.

[0097] In one embodiment, the apparatus 100 further includes: a first receiving module 130 configured to determine, in response to the signal flight time of the NTN serving satellite based on the first round-trip signal, a distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE, and receive indication information sent by the UE indicating a duration of the first transmission response.

[0098] In one embodiment, the second determining module 120 includes:

[0099] The third determining submodule 123 is configured to subtract the second transmission response duration of the NTN service satellite from the third time when the UE transmits the third positioning signal to the NTN service satellite and the fourth time when the UE receives the fourth positioning signal transmitted by the NTN service satellite, and determine the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE as the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE; wherein the fourth positioning signal is transmitted by the NTN service satellite in response to receiving the third positioning signal, and the second transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the NTN service satellite receiving the third positioning signal and transmitting the fourth positioning signal;

[0100] The fourth determining submodule 124 is configured to determine the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal.

[0101] In one embodiment, the apparatus 100 further includes: a second receiving module 140, configured to enable the UE to determine the distance between the NTN service satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal, and to receive indication information indicating the third time and the fourth time sent by the NTN service satellite.

[0102] In one embodiment, at the at least three different time instants, the NTN service satellites of the UE include at least two satellites with different satellite orbits.

[0103] In an exemplary embodiment, the first determination module 110, the second determination module 120, the first receiving module 130, the second receiving module 140, etc. can be implemented by one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), baseband processors (BPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), general-purpose processors, controllers, microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors, or other electronic components to execute the aforementioned method.

[0104] Figure 9 FIG3 is a block diagram of an apparatus 3000 for determining position according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the apparatus 3000 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0105] Reference Figure 9 , the device 3000 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 3002 , a memory 3004 , a power component 3006 , a multimedia component 3008 , an audio component 3010 , an input / output (I / O) interface 3012 , a sensor component 3014 , and a communication component 3016 .

[0106] The processing component 3002 generally controls the overall operation of the device 3000, such as operations associated with display, phone calls, data communications, camera operation, and recording operations. The processing component 3002 may include one or more processors 3020 to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps of the above-described method. In addition, the processing component 3002 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between the processing component 3002 and other components. For example, the processing component 3002 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 3008 and the processing component 3002.

[0107] The memory 3004 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the device 3000. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the device 3000, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 3004 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0108] The power supply component 3006 provides power to the various components of the device 3000. The power supply component 3006 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to the device 3000.

[0109] The multimedia component 3008 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 3000 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, slides, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor can not only sense the boundaries of a touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 3008 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 3000 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera can be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0110] The audio component 3010 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 3010 includes a microphone (MIC) that is configured to receive external audio signals when the device 3000 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 3004 or transmitted via the communication component 3016. In some embodiments, the audio component 3010 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0111] I / O interface 3012 provides an interface between processing component 3002 and peripheral interface modules, such as a keyboard, click wheel, buttons, etc. These buttons may include but are not limited to: a home button, volume buttons, a start button, and a lock button.

[0112] The sensor assembly 3014 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of the status assessment of the device 3000. For example, the sensor assembly 3014 can detect the open / closed state of the device 3000, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the device 3000. The sensor assembly 3014 can also detect changes in the position of the device 3000 or a component of the device 3000, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 3000, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the device 3000, and changes in the temperature of the device 3000. The sensor assembly 3014 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 3014 can also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 3014 can also include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0113] The communication component 3016 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device 3000 and other devices. The device 3000 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as Wi-Fi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 3016 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 3016 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology and other technologies.

[0114] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 3000 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the above-described method.

[0115] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 3004 including instructions, which can be executed by the processor 3020 of the apparatus 3000 to perform the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0116] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed in the present invention. The specification and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0117] It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the embodiments of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for determining a position, wherein: Executed by an NTN service satellite, the method comprises: Determining, at at least three different moments, a distance between a user equipment (UE) and an NTN serving satellite of the UE; Determine a circumference corresponding to each time instant, with the ground projection of the NTN serving satellite at the at least three different time instants as the center of the circle and the distance between the ground projection and the UE determined at the at least three different time instants as the radius, wherein the distance between the ground projection and the UE is determined based on the distance between the UE and the NTN serving satellite and the altitude of the NTN serving satellite; Determining the location information of the UE according to the intersection of the circles; The NTN service satellites include at least two NTN service satellites located at different positions at the at least three different times, the at least two NTN service satellites are located on multiple satellite orbits, each satellite orbit has at least one NTN service satellite, the multiple NTN service satellites on the same satellite orbit have different orbital positions, and the NTN service satellites are low-orbit satellites used for mobile communications; The determining of the distance between the user equipment UE and the NTN service satellite of the UE includes: determining, based on a combination of a first moment and a second moment or a combination of a third moment and a fourth moment, a signal flight time of a round-trip signal between the UE and the NTN service satellite; and determining the distance between the UE and the NTN service satellite based on the signal flight time of the round-trip signal. The first moment is the moment when the NTN service satellite transmits a first positioning signal to the UE, the second moment is the moment when the NTN service satellite receives a second positioning signal transmitted by the UE, the third moment is the moment when the UE transmits a third positioning signal to the NTN service satellite, and the fourth moment is the moment when the UE receives a fourth positioning signal transmitted by the NTN service satellite. The first positioning signal, the second positioning signal, the third positioning signal, and the fourth positioning signal are not signals dedicated to distance measurement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the signal flight time of the round-trip signal according to a combination of the first time and the second time includes: The signal flight time of the first round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE is determined by subtracting the first transmission response duration of the UE from the first interval between the first moment when the NTN service satellite transmits the first positioning signal to the UE and the second moment when the NTN service satellite receives the second positioning signal transmitted by the UE. The second positioning signal is transmitted by the UE in response to receiving the first positioning signal. The first transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the UE receiving the first positioning signal and transmitting the second positioning signal. The determining the distance between the UE and the NTN serving satellite based on the signal flight time of the round-trip signal includes: determining the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: In response to the NTN serving satellite determining the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal, the method further includes: the NTN serving satellite receiving indication information sent by the UE indicating the first transmission response duration.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the signal flight time of the round-trip signal according to a combination of the third moment and the fourth moment includes: The signal flight time of the second round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE is determined by subtracting the second transmission response duration of the NTN service satellite from the third time when the UE transmits the third positioning signal to the NTN service satellite and the fourth time when the UE receives the fourth positioning signal transmitted by the NTN service satellite. The fourth positioning signal is transmitted by the NTN service satellite in response to receiving the third positioning signal, and the second transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the NTN service satellite receiving the third positioning signal and transmitting the fourth positioning signal. The determining the distance between the UE and the NTN service satellite based on the signal flight time of the round-trip signal includes: determining the distance between the NTN service satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal.

5. A position determination device, wherein: The device is applied to an NTN service satellite, and includes: a first determination module and a second determination module, wherein: The second determining module is configured to determine the distance between the user equipment UE and the NTN serving satellite of the UE at at least three different moments; The first determining module is configured to determine a circumference corresponding to each of the at least three moments, using the ground projection of the NTN service satellite at the at least three different moments as a center and the distance between the ground projection determined at the at least three different moments and the UE as a radius, wherein the distance between the ground projection and the UE is determined based on the distance between the UE and the NTN service satellite and the altitude of the NTN service satellite; and determine the location information of the UE based on an intersection of the circumferences; wherein the NTN service satellites include at least two NTN service satellites located at different positions at the at least three different moments, the at least two NTN service satellites are located on multiple satellite orbits, each satellite orbit has at least one NTN service satellite, the orbital positions of the multiple NTN service satellites on the same satellite orbit are different, and the NTN service satellites are low-orbit satellites for mobile communications; The second determination module is further configured to: determine a signal flight time of a round-trip signal between the UE and the NTN service satellite based on a combination of the first moment and the second moment or a combination of the third moment and the fourth moment; and determine a distance between the UE and the NTN service satellite based on the signal flight time of the round-trip signal between the UE and the NTN service satellite; wherein the first moment is a moment when the NTN service satellite transmits a first positioning signal to the UE, the second moment is a moment when the NTN service satellite receives a second positioning signal transmitted by the UE, the third moment is a moment when the UE transmits a third positioning signal to the NTN service satellite, and the fourth moment is a moment when the UE receives a fourth positioning signal transmitted by the NTN service satellite, and the first positioning signal, the second positioning signal, the third positioning signal, and the fourth positioning signal are not signals dedicated to distance measurement.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein The second determining module includes: The first determining submodule is configured to subtract the first transmission response duration of the UE from the first interval between the first moment when the NTN service satellite transmits the first positioning signal to the UE and the second moment when the NTN service satellite receives the second positioning signal transmitted by the UE, and determine the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE as the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE; wherein the second positioning signal is transmitted by the UE in response to receiving the first positioning signal; and the first transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the UE receiving the first positioning signal and transmitting the second positioning signal; The second determining submodule is configured to determine the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the first round-trip signal.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein The apparatus further includes a first receiving module configured to determine, in response to a signal flight time of the first round-trip signal by the NTN serving satellite, a distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE, and receive indication information sent by the UE indicating a duration of the first transmission response.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein The second determining module includes: The third determining submodule is configured to subtract the second transmission response duration of the NTN service satellite from the third time interval between the third moment when the UE transmits the third positioning signal to the NTN service satellite and the fourth moment when the UE receives the fourth positioning signal transmitted by the NTN service satellite, and determine the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE as the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal between the NTN service satellite and the UE; wherein the fourth positioning signal is transmitted by the NTN service satellite in response to receiving the third positioning signal, and the second transmission response duration includes: the time interval between the NTN service satellite receiving the third positioning signal and transmitting the fourth positioning signal; The fourth determining submodule is configured to determine the distance between the NTN serving satellite and the UE based on the signal flight time of the second round-trip signal.

9. A communication device comprising a processor, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and capable of being run by the processor, wherein: When the processor runs the executable program, the processor performs the steps of the position determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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