Signal transceiving method and apparatus, signal receiving method and apparatus

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a signal transceiver method applicable to a first terminal. The method includes: transmitting and receiving a discovery signal for device discovery at a first frequency; and transmitting and receiving a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery at a second frequency; wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different. According to this disclosure, the discovery signal can be transmitted and received at the first frequency, and the discovery control signal can be transmitted and received at the second frequency, thereby realizing the separate transmission and reception of the discovery signal and the discovery control signal at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of the discovery signal and the discovery control signal, and can, to a certain extent, avoid interference from the other signal during the transmission and reception of one signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to signal transceiver methods, signal receiving methods, signal transceiver devices, signal receiving devices, communication devices, and computer-readable storage media. Background Technology

[0002] Ranging-based services can utilize the relative distance and / or relative angle between two devices to provide services. During ranging, the devices must first detect each other, then send ranging signals, and finally determine the relative distance based on the transmission and reception time of the ranging signals.

[0003] To ensure the smooth progress of the detection and ranging processes, it is also necessary to reasonably control the detection process through detection control signals and the ranging process through ranging control signals. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above, embodiments of this disclosure provide a signal transceiver method, a signal receiving method, a signal transceiver apparatus, a signal receiving apparatus, a communication apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium to solve the technical problems in the related art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a signal transceiver method is provided, applicable to a first terminal, the method comprising: transceiver of a discovery signal for device discovery at a first frequency; and transceiver of a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery at a second frequency; wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a signal receiving method is provided, applicable to a network-side device. The method includes: receiving a discovery signal for device discovery sent by a first terminal at a first frequency; and receiving a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery sent by the first terminal at a second frequency; wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a signal transceiver method is provided, applicable to a first terminal, the method comprising: transceiver at a third frequency for determining a distance between terminals; and transceiver at a fourth frequency for controlling the determination of the distance; wherein the third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a signal receiving method is provided, applicable to a network-side device. The method includes: receiving a ranging signal sent by a first terminal at a third frequency for determining a distance between terminals; and receiving a ranging control signal sent by the first terminal at a fourth frequency for controlling the determination of the distance; wherein the third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a signal transceiver apparatus is provided, applicable to a first terminal, the apparatus comprising: a discovery signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive discovery signals for device discovery at a first frequency; and a first control signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive discovery control signals for controlling device discovery at a second frequency; wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a signal receiving apparatus is provided, applicable to a network-side device. The apparatus includes: a discovery signal receiving module configured to receive a discovery signal for device discovery sent by a first terminal at a first frequency; and a first control signal receiving module configured to receive a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery sent by the first terminal at a second frequency; wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a signal transceiver apparatus is provided, applicable to a first terminal, the apparatus comprising: a ranging signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive ranging signals for determining a distance between terminals at a third frequency; and a first control signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive ranging control signals for controlling the determination of the distance at a fourth frequency; wherein the third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a signal receiving apparatus is provided, applicable to network-side devices. The apparatus includes: a ranging signal receiving module configured to receive a ranging signal sent by a first terminal at a third frequency for determining a distance between terminals; and a first control signal receiving module configured to receive a ranging control signal sent by the first terminal at a fourth frequency for controlling the determination of the distance; wherein the third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0013] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; wherein the processor is configured to perform the above-described signal transmission and reception method.

[0014] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; wherein the processor is configured to perform the above-described signal transmission and reception method.

[0015] According to the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above-described signal transmission and reception method.

[0016] According to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above-described signal transmission and reception method.

[0017] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a discovery signal can be transmitted and received at a first frequency, and a discovery control signal can be transmitted and received at a second frequency, thereby enabling the separate transmission and reception of the discovery signal and the discovery control signal at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of the discovery signal and the discovery control signal, and can, to a certain extent, prevent interference from the other signal from affecting the transmission and reception of one signal.

[0018] It can also transmit and receive ranging signals on a third frequency and ranging control signals on a fourth frequency, thus enabling the separate transmission and reception of ranging signals and ranging control signals at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of ranging signals and ranging control signals, and can, to some extent, prevent interference from the other signal from affecting the transmission and reception of one signal. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal transmission and reception method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another signal transmission and reception method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal receiving method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal transmission and reception method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another signal transmission and reception method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal receiving method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of a signal transceiver apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of a signal receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic block diagram of a signal transceiver apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic block diagram of a signal receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating an apparatus for signal reception according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating an apparatus for signal transmission and reception according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0033] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. The singular forms “a” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various information in embodiments of this disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information without departing from the scope of embodiments of this disclosure, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0035] For the sake of brevity and ease of understanding, this document uses the terms "greater than" or "less than", "higher than" or "lower than" to describe size relationships. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the term "greater than" also includes the meaning of "greater than or equal to", and "less than" also includes the meaning of "less than or equal to"; the term "higher than" also includes the meaning of "higher than or equal to", and "lower than" also includes the meaning of "lower than or equal to".

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal transmission and reception method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal transmission and reception method shown in this embodiment can be applied to a first terminal, which includes, but is not limited to, communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, and IoT devices. The first terminal can serve as both a user equipment and a network-side device, and the network-side device includes, but is not limited to, base stations and core networks. The base station includes, but is not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the signal transmission and reception method may include the following steps:

[0038] In step S101, a discovery signal for device discovery is transmitted and received at a first frequency;

[0039] In step S102, a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery is transmitted and received on a second frequency;

[0040] The first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0041] It should be noted that the execution order of steps S101 and S102 is not important; the execution order can be set as needed, and they can also be executed simultaneously.

[0042] In one embodiment, during the discovery process, the first terminal can act as the discovered terminal and send a discovery signal, for example, by broadcasting the discovery signal, so that a second terminal (a terminal other than the first terminal) near the first terminal can discover the first terminal. The first terminal can also act as the discovering terminal and receive discovery signals, for example, by receiving a discovery signal broadcast by a second terminal near the first terminal, thereby discovering the second terminal. Furthermore, the first and second terminals can communicate, for example, by determining the relative distance between the first and second terminals through communication.

[0043] The following description primarily illustrates embodiments of this disclosure when both the first terminal and the second terminal are the discovering terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal do not refer to any specific type of terminal, but rather to any two different terminals.

[0044] In one embodiment, the discovery signal may carry information that can characterize the identity of the first terminal and information about the services that the first terminal wants to perform in device discovery. For example, the discovery signal may carry the identifier of the first terminal and the identifier of the application that triggered the device discovery.

[0045] After receiving the discovery signal, the second terminal can determine whether the first terminal needs to communicate based on the first terminal's identifier and what service the first terminal needs to perform based on the application's identifier. The second terminal can then decide whether to communicate with the first terminal based on its own needs. If it decides to communicate with the first terminal, the communication can be conducted via direct or indirect methods. Direct communication includes, but is not limited to, communication via a direct sidelink, while indirect communication includes, but is not limited to, communication through network-side devices (such as base stations or core networks).

[0046] In one embodiment, in order to ensure the discovery process proceeds smoothly, the first terminal may also send a discovery control signal, such as sending a discovery control signal to a network-side device, to negotiate with the network-side device the identifier used by the first terminal during the discovery process.

[0047] In related technologies, discovery signals and discovery control signals are transmitted and received on the same frequency. However, the content and function of discovery signals and discovery control signals are quite different, and the transmission requirements they need to meet are also different. Transmitting and receiving discovery signals and discovery control signals on the same frequency makes it inconvenient to control their transmission and may lead to interference from one signal's transmission and reception by the other. For example, among multiple terminals, some terminals send discovery signals and others send discovery control signals. If the first terminal receives discovery signals and discovery control signals on the same frequency, the discovery signals and discovery control signals may arrive simultaneously. However, the first terminal can only receive one signal at a time, causing it to discard one of the multiple signals that arrive simultaneously.

[0048] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a discovery signal can be transmitted and received at a first frequency, and a discovery control signal can be transmitted and received at a second frequency, thereby enabling the separate transmission and reception of the discovery signal and the discovery control signal at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of the discovery signal and the discovery control signal, and can, to a certain extent, prevent interference from the other signal from affecting the transmission and reception of one signal.

[0049] In one embodiment, the discovery signal is transmitted and received based on direct communication technology. For example, the discovery signal can be transmitted and received using sidelink, V2X (vehicle to everything), WiFi direct, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), Bluetooth, etc. Transmitting and receiving the discovery signal based on direct communication technology ensures that the discovering terminal can receive the discovery signal as quickly as possible after it sends it.

[0050] In one embodiment, the discovery signal is a first signal sequence of the physical layer. This first signal sequence includes, but is not limited to, the Zadoff-Chu sequence.

[0051] In one embodiment, the first signal sequence is used to carry part or all of the L1 identifier of the discovered terminal. The first signal sequence itself may carry some information, such as part or all of the L1 identifier of the discovered terminal, and the specific amount of information that can be carried may depend on the number of signal sequences.

[0052] It should be noted that in all embodiments disclosed herein, L1 refers to Layer 1, which mainly includes the physical layer, and L2 refers to Layer 2, which mainly includes the data link layer.

[0053] In one embodiment, the first signal sequence has a first payload, which carries at least one of the following: an identifier of the application corresponding to device discovery, an identifier of the discovered terminal, an identifier of the discovered terminal in L1, and an identifier of the discovered terminal in L2.

[0054] By adding a first payload to the first signal sequence, more information can be carried through the first payload. For example, based on the application identifier, the second terminal can determine the service that the first terminal is performing for device discovery, that is, the service corresponding to the application, and thus determine whether to communicate with the first terminal.

[0055] The identifier of the discovered terminal can be a unique identifier for the terminal, such as IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity), S-TMSI, C-RNTI (Radio Network Temporary Identity), I-RNTI, or a unique temporary identifier configured by the network-side equipment for the discovered terminal within a specified time period and / or a specified area.

[0056] In one embodiment, the first payload is physical layer information, or a control plane data packet, or a user plane data packet, such as a MAC PDU (Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit).

[0057] In one embodiment, the discovery signal is a control plane data packet or a user plane data packet.

[0058] The control plane data packets include, but are not limited to, dedicated control protocol messages such as RRC (Radio Access Control) messages, NAS (Non-Access Stratum) messages, and ProSe (Proximity Services) messages, such as discovery request messages and discovery response messages. When the discovery signal is a control plane data packet or a user plane data packet, the discovery signal is still transmitted as ordinary data (rather than control information) on the first frequency.

[0059] In one embodiment, transmitting and receiving discovery control signals for controlling device discovery on the second frequency includes: sending the discovery control signals to network-side devices on the second frequency.

[0060] The first terminal can send a discovery control signal to the network-side device. Depending on the specific function of the discovery control signal, the content carried in it can vary. For example, if the discovery control signal is only used to negotiate information with the network-side device to control the device discovery process, then it doesn't need to carry the second terminal's identifier, and the network-side device doesn't need to send the discovery control information to the second terminal. However, if the discovery control signal is used to negotiate information with the second terminal to control the device discovery process, then it needs to carry the second terminal's identifier, and the network-side device needs to further send the discovery control information to the second terminal.

[0061] Information used to control the device discovery process may include, for example, the identifier used by the discovered terminal during the device discovery process, the resources used during the device discovery process, and the resources for communication after the device discovery process.

[0062] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal is used to request the network-side device to assign an identifier to the discovered terminal. Upon receiving the discovery control signal, the network-side device can, on the one hand, assign an identifier to the first terminal for use during device discovery; on the other hand, it can choose to inform the second terminal of the identifier assigned to the first terminal, or the second terminal can know the identifier in advance.

[0063] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal also carries a reason for requesting the network-side device to assign an identifier to the discovered terminal. The network-side device can assign an identifier to the first terminal based on this reason. For example, different identifiers can be assigned to the first terminal based on different reasons, including but not limited to performing device discovery, needing to be assigned a user equipment identifier, etc.

[0064] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal is carried in a radio access control message or in a non-access stratum message.

[0065] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal carries an identifier of the terminal discovered during the device discovery process and a mapping relationship between the identifier of the discovered terminal and the application layer identifier of the discovered terminal.

[0066] The identifier of the discovered terminal can be a user equipment identifier, or an L1 identifier, L2 identifier, etc. The application layer identifier of the discovered terminal can correspond to the identifier of the application that triggered the device discovery in the discovered terminal. After receiving the discovery control signal carrying this mapping relationship, the network-side device or the discovering terminal only needs to receive one of the identifiers of the discovered terminal and the application layer identifier of the discovered terminal to determine the other identifier according to the mapping relationship.

[0067] In one embodiment, the first frequency is either a frequency in a licensed frequency band or a frequency in an unlicensed frequency band. Since signal detection generally requires fewer communication resources, it can be transmitted using an unlicensed frequency band. The duration occupied by the unlicensed frequency band is also relatively short, minimizing disruption to the communication of other devices that require it. To use the unlicensed frequency band, LBT (Listen Before Talk) is required.

[0068] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another signal transmission and reception method according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the method further includes:

[0069] In step S201, ranging signals used to determine the distance between terminals are transmitted and received on a third frequency;

[0070] In step S202, ranging control signals for controlling the determination of the distance are transmitted and received on a fourth frequency;

[0071] The third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0072] In one embodiment, after the first terminal is discovered by the second terminal, or after the second terminal is discovered, if the first terminal and the second terminal determine that a ranging-based service is needed, then ranging can be performed further.

[0073] During the ranging process, the first terminal can transmit and receive ranging signals on a third frequency to determine the distance between terminals, and transmit and receive ranging control signals on a fourth frequency to control the determination of the distance.

[0074] Because the third and fourth frequencies are different, ranging signals and ranging control signals can be transmitted and received at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of ranging signals and ranging control signals, and can, to some extent, prevent interference from the other signal from affecting the transmission and reception of one signal.

[0075] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal receiving method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal receiving method shown in this embodiment can be applied to network-side devices, which can communicate with terminals, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, IoT devices, and other communication devices. The network-side devices include, but are not limited to, base stations and core networks, and the base stations include, but are not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, the signal receiving method may include the following steps:

[0077] In step S301, a discovery signal for device discovery sent by the first terminal is received at a first frequency;

[0078] In step S302, a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery is received from the first terminal at the second frequency;

[0079] The first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0080] In one embodiment, the first terminal can transmit a discovery signal on a first frequency and a discovery control signal on a second frequency. Correspondingly, the network-side device can receive the discovery signal on the first frequency and the discovery control signal on the second frequency.

[0081] It should be noted that the network-side device can selectively execute steps S301 and S302 above, and does not have to execute both steps. For example, it can only execute step S302 to receive the discovery control signal, without receiving the discovery signal.

[0082] Because the first and second frequencies are different, the detection signal and the detection control signal can be received separately on different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of the detection signal and the detection control signal, and can, to some extent, prevent the reception of one signal from being interfered with by the other.

[0083] In one embodiment, the method further includes: transmitting the discovery signal to a second terminal at the first frequency. After receiving the discovery signal, the network-side device can transmit the discovery signal to the second terminal at the first frequency, so that the second terminal can discover the first terminal.

[0084] In one embodiment, the method further includes: feeding back a response signal of the discovery control signal to the first terminal on the second frequency. The first terminal may send the discovery control signal to the network-side device on the second frequency to negotiate information for controlling the device discovery process with the network-side device. After receiving the discovery control signal, the network-side device may feed back a response signal of the discovery control signal to the first terminal. The response signal may carry the negotiation result, such as a temporary identifier assigned to the first terminal for use in the device discovery process.

[0085] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal transmission and reception method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal transmission and reception method shown in this embodiment can be applied to a first terminal, which includes, but is not limited to, communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, and IoT devices. The first terminal can serve as both a user equipment and a network-side device, and the network-side device includes, but is not limited to, base stations and core networks. The base station includes, but is not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0086] like Figure 4 As shown, the signal transmission and reception method may include the following steps:

[0087] In step S401, ranging signals used to determine the distance between terminals are transmitted and received on a third frequency;

[0088] In step S402, ranging control signals for controlling the determination of the distance are transmitted and received on a fourth frequency;

[0089] The third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0090] It should be noted that the execution order of steps S401 and S402 is not important; the execution order can be set as needed, and they can also be executed simultaneously.

[0091] In one embodiment, during the ranging process, the first terminal can be used as the starting terminal for ranging, and the second terminal can be used as the target terminal for ranging. Conversely, the second terminal can be used as the starting terminal for ranging, and the first terminal can be used as the target terminal for ranging. Here, the starting terminal refers to the terminal that initiates the ranging and can send ranging signals to the target terminal.

[0092] The following description primarily illustrates embodiments of this disclosure when the first terminal is the starting terminal and the second terminal is the target terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal do not refer to any specific type of terminal, but rather to any two different terminals.

[0093] In one embodiment, the ranging signal may carry information that can characterize the identity of the first terminal, such as the identifier of the first terminal in L1 or L2.

[0094] After receiving the ranging signal, the second terminal can determine that it needs to measure distance with the first terminal, and then perform the ranging based on the corresponding ranging algorithm. The ranging algorithm includes, but is not limited to, unilateral ranging and bilateral ranging.

[0095] Based on unilateral ranging, the first terminal sends a ranging signal to the second terminal. Upon receiving the ranging signal, the second terminal sends a response signal (or another ranging signal) to the first terminal. The first terminal can calculate the round-trip time of the ranging signal between itself and the second terminal based on the time from sending the ranging signal to receiving the response signal, and the time from the second terminal receiving the ranging signal to sending its own response signal. Then, based on the round-trip time and the signal propagation speed (e.g., the speed of light), the distance between the first and second terminals can be calculated. Both the receiving and sending of the ranging signal and the response signal can be performed on a third frequency.

[0096] It should be noted that the ranging signal in all embodiments of this disclosure may be one or more reference signals.

[0097] Based on bilateral ranging, the first terminal can send a first ranging signal to the second terminal within an agreed time window, and the second terminal can receive the first ranging signal within the agreed time window.

[0098] After receiving the first ranging signal, the second terminal replies with a second ranging signal to the first terminal. The time interval between the second terminal receiving the first ranging signal and replying with the second ranging signal to the first terminal can be calculated as the first time information.

[0099] After receiving the second ranging signal, the first terminal replies with a third ranging signal to the second terminal. The time interval between the first terminal receiving the second ranging signal and replying with the third ranging signal can be calculated as the second time information, and the time interval between the first terminal sending the first ranging signal and receiving the second ranging signal can be calculated as the third time information.

[0100] After receiving the third ranging signal, the second terminal can calculate the time interval from sending the second ranging signal to receiving the third ranging signal as the fourth time information.

[0101] If the first terminal needs to calculate the ranging result, the second terminal can send the first time information and the fourth time information to the first terminal; if the second terminal needs to calculate the ranging result, the first terminal can send the second time information and the third time information to the second terminal. The first terminal and / or the second terminal can calculate the round-trip time between the first terminal and the second terminal based on the first time information, the second time information, the third time information, and the fourth time information, and then calculate the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal based on the round-trip time and the speed of signal propagation (e.g., the speed of light).

[0102] In one embodiment, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the ranging process, the first terminal may also send a ranging control signal, such as sending a ranging control signal to the network-side device to negotiate with the network-side device on the identifier used by the first terminal during the ranging process, or sending a ranging control signal to the second terminal to send the ranging result, indicate ranging failure, etc.

[0103] In related technologies, ranging signals and ranging control signals are transmitted and received on the same frequency. However, the content and function of ranging signals and ranging control signals are quite different, and the transmission requirements they need to meet are also different. Transmitting and receiving ranging signals and ranging control signals on the same frequency makes it inconvenient to control their transmission and may lead to interference from one signal's transmission. For example, among multiple terminals, some terminals send ranging signals and others send ranging control signals. If the first terminal receives both ranging signals and ranging control signals on the same frequency, the ranging signals and ranging control signals may arrive simultaneously. However, the first terminal can only receive one signal at a time, causing it to discard one of the multiple signals arriving simultaneously.

[0104] According to embodiments of this disclosure, ranging signals can be transmitted and received at a third frequency, and ranging control signals can be transmitted and received at a fourth frequency, thereby enabling the separate transmission and reception of ranging signals and ranging control signals at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of ranging signals and ranging control signals, and can, to a certain extent, prevent interference from the other signal from affecting the transmission and reception of one signal.

[0105] It should be noted that the third frequency may be the same as or different from the first frequency in the above embodiment; the fourth frequency may be the same as or different from the second frequency in the above embodiment, and can be set as needed.

[0106] In one embodiment, the ranging signal is transmitted and received based on direct communication technology. For example, ranging signals can be transmitted and received using sidelink, V2X (vehicle-to-everything), WiFi Direct, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), Bluetooth, etc. Transmitting and receiving ranging signals based on direct communication technology ensures that the target terminal can receive the ranging signal as quickly as possible after the starting terminal sends it.

[0107] In one embodiment, the ranging signal is a second signal sequence of the physical layer. This second signal sequence includes, but is not limited to, the Zadoff-Chu sequence.

[0108] In one embodiment, the second signal sequence is used to carry part or all of the L1 identifier of the terminal transmitting the ranging signal. The first signal sequence itself may carry some information, such as part or all of the L1 identifier of the terminal transmitting the ranging signal, and the specific amount of information that can be carried may depend on the number of signal sequences.

[0109] In one embodiment, the second signal sequence has a second load, the second load being used to carry at least one of the following:

[0110] The identifier of the terminal that sends the ranging signal, the identifier of the terminal that sends the ranging signal in L1, the identifier of the terminal that sends the ranging signal in L2, the first time information based on bilateral ranging, the second time information based on bilateral ranging, and the third time information based on bilateral ranging;

[0111] Wherein, the first time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal receives the first ranging signal from the starting terminal to when it replies with the second ranging signal to the starting terminal; the second time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal receives the second ranging signal to when the target terminal replies with the third ranging signal; and the third time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal sends the first ranging signal to when it receives the second ranging signal.

[0112] By adding a first load to the first signal sequence, more information can be carried through the first load. The identifier of the terminal transmitting the ranging signal can be a unique identifier for the terminal, such as IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity), S-TMSI, C-RNTI (Radio Network Temporary Identity), or I-RNTI. Alternatively, it can be a unique temporary identifier configured by the network-side equipment for the terminal transmitting the ranging signal, within a specified time period and / or area.

[0113] In bilateral ranging, after the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, the time interval from sending the second ranging signal to receiving the third ranging signal can be calculated as the fourth time information. Before the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, the first and second terminals will still exchange ranging signals; before the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, the first and second terminals will no longer exchange ranging signals.

[0114] The first, second, and third time information can all be calculated before the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, so they can be transmitted in the load of the ranging signal. The fourth time information, however, is calculated after the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, so it can be transmitted through the ranging control information instead of the ranging signal load.

[0115] In one embodiment, the second payload is physical layer information, or control plane data packet, or user plane data packet, such as a MAC PDU (Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit).

[0116] In one embodiment, transmitting and receiving ranging control signals for controlling the determination of the distance on a fourth frequency includes: sending the ranging control signals to a network-side device or a second terminal on the fourth frequency, wherein the distance is the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0117] The first terminal can send the ranging control signal to the network-side device or the second terminal. Depending on the specific function of the ranging control signal, it can be sent to either the network-side device or the second terminal. For example, if the ranging control signal is used to negotiate with the network-side device, it can be sent to the network-side device; if it is used to carry the ranging result, it can be sent to the second terminal.

[0118] In one embodiment, the ranging control signal includes at least one of the following: ranging request information, ranging response information, ranging failure information, and ranging result information. This ranging control information can be sent using the Uu interface, or other interfaces can be selected as needed.

[0119] In one embodiment, the ranging request information carries at least one of the following:

[0120] The identifier of the terminal receiving the ranging request information (i.e., the identifier of the terminal sending the ranging signal, so that the network-side device can send the request information to the corresponding terminal based on the identifier), the ranging capability information of the terminal sending the ranging request information (e.g., the supported bandwidth, number of antennas, etc.), the ranging session identifier, the identifier of the ranging signal in L1, the identifier of the ranging signal in L2, the ranging bandwidth, and the time information for receiving the ranging signal (which can be the time window for the starting terminal to receive the ranging signal or the time window for the target terminal to receive the ranging signal).

[0121] In one embodiment, the ranging response information carries at least one of the following:

[0122] The identifier of the terminal receiving the ranging response information, the ranging capability information of the terminal sending the ranging response information (e.g., supported bandwidth, number of antennas, etc.), the identifier of the ranging signal in L1, the identifier of the ranging signal in L2, the ranging bandwidth, and the time information for receiving the ranging signal (which can be the time window for the starting terminal to receive the ranging signal or the time window for the target terminal to receive the ranging signal).

[0123] In one embodiment, the ranging failure information carries at least one of the following:

[0124] The terminal receiving the ranging failure information includes its identifier, ranging session identifier, ranging signal quality, and the reason for the ranging failure (e.g., the ranging signal transmission time is earlier than the ranging response information reception time, no ranging signal received, no ranging response information received, etc.).

[0125] Ranging failure can be caused by one or more of the following: the ranging signal transmission time is earlier than the ranging response information reception time; no ranging signal is received within the agreed time period for receiving the ranging signal; no ranging response information is received within the agreed time period for receiving the ranging response information; or the ranging signal quality is less than the threshold value.

[0126] In one embodiment, the ranging result information carries at least one of the following:

[0127] Information based on unilateral ranging results, information based on bilateral ranging results, arrival angle information, departure angle information, and the distance.

[0128] In one embodiment, the result information based on bilateral ranging includes at least one of the following:

[0129] First time information based on bilateral ranging, second time information based on bilateral ranging, third time information based on bilateral ranging, and fourth time information based on bilateral ranging;

[0130] Wherein, the first time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal receives the first ranging signal from the starting terminal to when it replies with the second ranging signal to the starting terminal; the second time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal receives the second ranging signal to when the target terminal replies with the third ranging signal; the third time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal sends the first ranging signal to when it receives the second ranging signal; and the fourth time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal sends the second ranging signal to when it receives the third ranging signal.

[0131] In bilateral ranging, after the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, the time interval from sending the second ranging signal to receiving the third ranging signal can be calculated as the fourth time information. Before the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, the first and second terminals will still exchange ranging signals; before the second terminal receives the third ranging signal, the first and second terminals will no longer exchange ranging signals.

[0132] The first, second, and third time information can all be calculated before the second terminal receives the third ranging signal. Therefore, they can be sent either in the load of the ranging signal or in the result information of the ranging control information. The fourth time information is calculated after the second terminal receives the third ranging signal. Therefore, it can be sent through the ranging control information instead of in the load of the ranging signal.

[0133] In one embodiment, the third frequency is either a frequency in a licensed band or a frequency in an unlicensed band. Since the ranging signal (generally a reference signal) requires fewer communication resources, it can be transmitted using an unlicensed band. The time spent in the unlicensed band is also relatively short, minimizing disruption to the communication of other devices that require unlicensed bands. To use an unlicensed band, LBT (Listen Before Talk) is required.

[0134] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another signal transmission and reception method according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 As shown, the method further includes:

[0135] In step S501, a discovery signal for device discovery is transmitted and received at a first frequency;

[0136] In step S502, a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery is transmitted and received on a second frequency;

[0137] The first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0138] In one embodiment, if a discovery operation is required before or after ranging, the first terminal can transmit and receive a discovery signal for device discovery on a first frequency and a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery on a second frequency.

[0139] Because the first and second frequencies are different, it is possible to transmit and receive discovery signals and discovery control signals at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of discovery signals and discovery control signals, and can, to some extent, prevent interference from the other signal from affecting the transmission and reception of one signal.

[0140] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a signal receiving method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal receiving method shown in this embodiment can be applied to network-side devices, which can communicate with terminals, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, IoT devices, and other communication devices. The network-side devices include, but are not limited to, base stations and core networks, and the base stations include, but are not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0141] like Figure 6 As shown, the signal receiving method may include the following steps:

[0142] In step S601, a ranging signal sent by the first terminal for determining the distance between terminals is received at a third frequency;

[0143] In step S602, a ranging control signal sent by the first terminal for controlling the determination of the distance is received at a fourth frequency;

[0144] The third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0145] In one embodiment, the first terminal can transmit a ranging signal on a third frequency and a ranging control signal on a fourth frequency. Correspondingly, the network-side device can receive the ranging signal on the third frequency and the ranging control signal on the fourth frequency.

[0146] It should be noted that the network-side device can selectively execute steps S601 and S602 above, and does not have to execute both steps. For example, it can only execute step S602 to receive the ranging control signal, without receiving the ranging signal.

[0147] Because the third and fourth frequencies are different, ranging signals and ranging control signals can be received separately at different frequencies. This facilitates separate control of the transmission of ranging signals and ranging control signals, and can, to some extent, prevent interference from the other signal from affecting the reception of one signal.

[0148] In one embodiment, the method further includes: transmitting the ranging signal to a second terminal on the third frequency. After receiving the ranging signal, the network-side device can transmit the ranging signal to the second terminal on the third frequency, so that the second terminal can perform ranging with the first terminal.

[0149] In one embodiment, the method further includes: feeding back a response signal of the ranging control signal to the first terminal on the fourth frequency. The first terminal may send the ranging control signal to the network-side device on the fourth frequency to negotiate information for controlling the ranging process with the network-side device. After receiving the ranging control signal, the network-side device may feed back a response signal of the ranging control signal to the first terminal. The response signal may carry the negotiation result, such as a temporary identifier assigned to the first terminal for use in the ranging process.

[0150] Corresponding to the aforementioned embodiments of the signal transceiver method and signal receiving method, this disclosure also provides embodiments of the signal transceiver apparatus and the signal receiving apparatus.

[0151] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a signal transceiver device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal transceiver device shown in this embodiment can be applied to a first terminal, which includes, but is not limited to, communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, and IoT devices. The first terminal can serve as both a user equipment and a network-side device, including, but not limited to, base stations and core networks. The base stations include, but are not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0152] like Figure 7 As shown, the signal transceiver device may include:

[0153] The discovery signal transceiver module 701 is configured to transmit and receive discovery signals for device discovery at a first frequency;

[0154] The first control signal transceiver module 702 is configured to transmit and receive a discovery control signal for controlling device discovery on a second frequency;

[0155] The first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0156] In one embodiment, the discovery signal is transmitted and received based on direct communication technology.

[0157] In one embodiment, the discovery signal is a first signal sequence of the physical layer.

[0158] In one embodiment, the first signal sequence is used to carry part or all of the L1 identifier of the discovered terminal.

[0159] In one embodiment, the first signal sequence has a first payload, the first payload being used to carry at least one of the following: an identifier for the application corresponding to device discovery, an identifier for the discovered terminal, an identifier for the discovered terminal in L1, and an identifier for the discovered terminal in L2.

[0160] In one embodiment, the first payload is physical layer information, or control plane data packets, or user plane data packets.

[0161] In one embodiment, the discovery signal is a control plane data packet or a user plane data packet.

[0162] In one embodiment, the control signal transceiver module is configured to send the discovery control signal to the network-side device at the second frequency.

[0163] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal is used to request the network-side device to assign an identifier to the discovered terminal.

[0164] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal also carries a reason for requesting the network-side device to assign an identifier to the discovered terminal.

[0165] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal is carried in a radio access control message or in a non-access stratum message.

[0166] In one embodiment, the discovery control signal carries an identifier of the terminal discovered during the device discovery process and a mapping relationship between the identifier of the discovered terminal and the application layer identifier of the discovered terminal.

[0167] In one embodiment, the first frequency is a frequency on a licensed frequency band or a frequency on an unlicensed frequency band.

[0168] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes: a ranging signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive ranging signals for determining the distance between terminals at a third frequency; and a second control signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive ranging control signals for controlling the determination of the distance at a fourth frequency; wherein the third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0169] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a signal receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal receiving device shown in this embodiment can be applied to network-side devices that can communicate with terminals, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, and IoT devices. The network-side devices include, but are not limited to, base stations and core networks, and the base stations include, but are not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0170] like Figure 8 As shown, the signal receiving device may include:

[0171] The discovery signal receiving module 801 is configured to receive a discovery signal for device discovery sent by a first terminal at a first frequency;

[0172] The first control signal receiving module 802 is configured to receive a discovery control signal sent by the first terminal at a second frequency for controlling device discovery.

[0173] The first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0174] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a detection signal transmitting module configured to transmit the detection signal to a second terminal at the first frequency.

[0175] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a response signal transmitting module configured to feed back a response signal of the discovery control signal to the first terminal at the second frequency.

[0176] Figure 9 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a signal transceiver device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal transceiver device shown in this embodiment can be applied to a first terminal, which includes, but is not limited to, communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, and IoT devices. The first terminal can serve as both a user equipment and a network-side device, including, but not limited to, base stations and core networks. The base stations include, but are not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0177] like Figure 9 As shown, the signal transceiver device may include:

[0178] The ranging signal transceiver module 901 is configured to transmit and receive ranging signals for determining the distance between terminals on a third frequency;

[0179] The first control signal transceiver module 902 is configured to transmit and receive ranging control signals for controlling the determination of the distance at a fourth frequency;

[0180] The third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0181] In one embodiment, the ranging signal is transmitted and received based on direct communication technology.

[0182] In one embodiment, the ranging signal is a second signal sequence of the physical layer.

[0183] In one embodiment, the second signal sequence is used to carry part or all of the L1 identifier of the terminal that transmits the ranging signal.

[0184] In one embodiment, the second signal sequence has a second payload for carrying at least one of the following: an identifier of the terminal sending the ranging signal, an identifier of the terminal sending the ranging signal at L1, an identifier of the terminal sending the ranging signal at L2, first time information based on bilateral ranging, second time information based on bilateral ranging, and third time information based on bilateral ranging.

[0185] Wherein, the first time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal receives the first ranging signal from the starting terminal to when it replies with the second ranging signal to the starting terminal; the second time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal receives the second ranging signal to when the target terminal replies with the third ranging signal; and the third time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal sends the first ranging signal to when it receives the second ranging signal.

[0186] In one embodiment, the second payload is physical layer information, or control plane data packets, or user plane data packets.

[0187] In one embodiment, the first control signal transceiver module is configured to send the discovery control signal to a network-side device or a second terminal on the fourth frequency, wherein the distance is the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0188] In one embodiment, the ranging control signal includes at least one of the following: ranging request information, ranging response information, ranging failure information, and ranging result information.

[0189] In one embodiment, the ranging request information carries at least one of the following: an identifier of the terminal receiving the ranging request information, ranging capability information of the terminal sending the ranging request information, a ranging session identifier, an identifier of the ranging signal in L1, an identifier of the ranging signal in L2, a ranging bandwidth, and time information for receiving the ranging signal.

[0190] In one embodiment, the ranging response information carries at least one of the following: an identifier of the terminal receiving the ranging response information, ranging capability information of the terminal sending the ranging response information, an identifier of the ranging signal in L1, an identifier of the ranging signal in L2, a ranging bandwidth, and time information for receiving the ranging signal.

[0191] In one embodiment, the ranging failure information carries at least one of the following: the identifier of the terminal receiving the ranging failure information, the ranging session identifier, the ranging signal quality, and the reason for the ranging failure.

[0192] In one embodiment, the ranging result information carries at least one of the following: result information based on unilateral ranging, result information based on bilateral ranging, angle of arrival information, departure angle information, and the distance.

[0193] In one embodiment, the result information based on bilateral ranging includes at least one of the following: first time information based on bilateral ranging, second time information based on bilateral ranging, third time information based on bilateral ranging, and fourth time information based on bilateral ranging;

[0194] Wherein, the first time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal receives the first ranging signal from the starting terminal to when it replies with the second ranging signal to the starting terminal; the second time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal receives the second ranging signal to when the target terminal replies with the third ranging signal; the third time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal sends the first ranging signal to when it receives the second ranging signal; and the fourth time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal sends the second ranging signal to when it receives the third ranging signal.

[0195] In one embodiment, the third frequency is a frequency in a licensed band or a frequency in an unlicensed band.

[0196] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes: a discovery signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive discovery signals for device discovery at a first frequency; and a second control signal transceiver module configured to transmit and receive discovery control signals for controlling device discovery at a second frequency; wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0197] Figure 10This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a signal receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The signal receiving device shown in this embodiment can be applied to network-side devices that can communicate with terminals, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, and IoT devices. The network-side devices include, but are not limited to, base stations and core networks, and the base stations include, but are not limited to, base stations in communication systems such as 4G base stations, 5G base stations, and 6G base stations.

[0198] like Figure 10 As shown, the signal receiving device may include:

[0199] The ranging signal receiving module 1001 is configured to receive a ranging signal sent by the first terminal at a third frequency for determining the distance between the terminals.

[0200] The first control signal receiving module 1002 is configured to receive a ranging control signal sent by the first terminal at a fourth frequency for controlling the determination of the distance.

[0201] The third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

[0202] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a ranging signal transmitting module configured to transmit the ranging signal to a second terminal at the third frequency.

[0203] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a response signal transmitting module configured to feed back a response signal of the ranging control signal to the first terminal at the fourth frequency.

[0204] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments of the relevant methods, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0205] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0206] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, including: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; wherein, when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the signal transmission and reception method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0207] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing a computer program; wherein, when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the signal receiving method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0208] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the signal transmission and reception method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0209] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the signal receiving method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0210] like Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating an apparatus 1100 for signal reception according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 1100 can be provided as a base station. (Refer to...) Figure 11 The device 1100 includes a processing component 1122, a wireless transmitting / receiving component 1124, an antenna component 1126, and a signal processing section specific to the wireless interface. The processing component 1122 may further include one or more processors. One of the processors in the processing component 1122 may be configured to implement the signal receiving method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0211] Figure 12 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a signal transceiver device 1200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, device 1200 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcast terminal, messaging device, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness equipment, personal digital assistant, etc.

[0212] Reference Figure 12 The device 1200 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 1202, a memory 1204, a power supply component 1206, a multimedia component 1208, an audio component 1210, an input / output (I / O) interface 1212, a sensor component 1214, and a communication component 1216.

[0213] Processing component 1202 typically controls the overall operation of device 1200, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communication, camera operation, and recording operations. Processing component 1202 may include one or more processors 1220 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the signal transmission and reception method described above. Furthermore, processing component 1202 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 1202 and other components. For example, processing component 1202 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 1208 and processing component 1202.

[0214] Memory 1204 is configured to store various types of data to support the operation of device 1200. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on device 1200, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. Memory 1204 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 storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0215] Power supply component 1206 provides power to various components of device 1200. Power supply component 1206 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to device 1200.

[0216] Multimedia component 1208 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 1200 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 touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may sense not only the boundaries of the touch or swipe action but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, multimedia component 1208 includes a front-facing camera and / or a rear-facing camera. When the device 1200 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front-facing camera and / or the rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front-facing camera and rear-facing camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0217] Audio component 1210 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, audio component 1210 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when device 1200 is in an operating mode, such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in memory 1204 or transmitted via communication component 1216. In some embodiments, audio component 1210 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0218] I / O interface 1212 provides an interface between processing component 1202 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, home buttons, volume buttons, power buttons, and lock buttons.

[0219] Sensor assembly 1214 includes one or more sensors for providing status assessments of various aspects of device 1200. For example, sensor assembly 1214 may detect the on / off state of device 1200, the relative positioning of components such as the display and keypad of device 1200, changes in the position of device 1200 or a component of device 1200, the presence or absence of user contact with device 1200, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of device 1200, and temperature changes of device 1200. Sensor assembly 1214 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Sensor assembly 1214 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, sensor assembly 1214 may also include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0220] Communication component 1216 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between device 1200 and other devices. Device 1200 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, 4G LTE, 5G NR, or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 1216 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 1216 also includes a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0221] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 1200 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 signal transmission and reception method.

[0222] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 1204 including instructions, which can be executed by the processor 1220 of the device 1200 to complete the above-described signal transmission and reception method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0223] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0224] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

[0225] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0226] The methods and apparatus provided in the embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this disclosure. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the methods and core ideas of this disclosure. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this disclosure. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A signal transmission and reception method, characterized in that, Applicable to a first terminal, the method includes: Transmit and receive discovery signals for device discovery on a first frequency; It transmits and receives discovery control signals on a second frequency for controlling device discovery. Wherein, the first frequency and the second frequency are different, and the discovery control signal is used to negotiate information for controlling the device discovery process. The information for controlling the device discovery process includes at least one of the following: the identifier used by the discovered terminal during the device discovery process, the resources used during the device discovery process, and the resources for communication after the device discovery process.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection signal is transmitted and received based on direct communication technology.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discovery signal is the first signal sequence of the physical layer.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first signal sequence is used to carry part or all of the L1 identifier of the discovered terminal.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first signal sequence has a first load, the first load being used to carry at least one of the following: The device discovery process identifies the corresponding application's identifier, the discovered terminal's identifier, the discovered terminal's identifier in L1, and the discovered terminal's identifier in L2.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first payload is physical layer information, or control plane data packets, or user plane data packets.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discovery signal is a control plane data packet or a user plane data packet.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission and reception of discovery control signals for controlling device discovery on the second frequency includes: The discovery control signal is sent to the network-side device at the second frequency.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The discovery control signal is used to request the network-side device to assign an identifier to the discovered terminal.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The discovery control signal also carries the reason for requesting the network-side device to assign an identifier to the discovered terminal.

11. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The discovery control signal is carried in the radio access control message or in the non-access stratum message.

12. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The discovery control signal carries the identifier of the terminal discovered during the device discovery process, and the mapping relationship between the identifier of the discovered terminal and the application layer identifier of the terminal.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first frequency is either a frequency in a licensed frequency band or a frequency in an unlicensed frequency band.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Transmit and receive ranging signals used to determine the distance between terminals on a third frequency; Transmit and receive ranging control signals on a fourth frequency for controlling the determination of the distance; The third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The ranging signal is transmitted and received based on direct communication technology.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The ranging signal is the second signal sequence of the physical layer.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The second signal sequence is used to carry part or all of the L1 identifier of the terminal that sent the ranging signal.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The second signal sequence has a second load, which is used to carry at least one of the following: The identifier of the terminal that sends the ranging signal, the identifier of the terminal that sends the ranging signal in L1, the identifier of the terminal that sends the ranging signal in L2, the first time information based on bilateral ranging, the second time information based on bilateral ranging, and the third time information based on bilateral ranging; Wherein, the first time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal receives the first ranging signal from the starting terminal to when it replies with the second ranging signal to the starting terminal; the second time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal receives the second ranging signal to when the target terminal replies with the third ranging signal; and the third time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal sends the first ranging signal to when it receives the second ranging signal.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The second payload is physical layer information, or control plane data packets, or user plane data packets.

20. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The transmission and reception of ranging control signals at a fourth frequency for controlling the determination of the distance includes: The discovery control signal is sent to the network-side device or the second terminal on the fourth frequency, wherein the distance is the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The ranging control signal includes at least one of the following: Distance measurement request information, distance measurement response information, distance measurement failure information, distance measurement result information.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The ranging request information carries at least one of the following: The identifier of the terminal receiving the ranging request information, the ranging capability information of the terminal sending the ranging request information, the ranging session identifier, the identifier of the ranging signal in L1, the identifier of the ranging signal in L2, the ranging bandwidth, and the time information for receiving the ranging signal.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The ranging response information carries at least one of the following: The identifier of the terminal receiving the ranging response information, the ranging capability information of the terminal sending the ranging response information, the identifier of the ranging signal in L1, the identifier of the ranging signal in L2, the ranging bandwidth, and the time information for receiving the ranging signal.

24. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The ranging failure information carries at least one of the following: The terminal receiving the ranging failure information includes its identifier, ranging session identifier, ranging signal quality, and the reason for ranging failure.

25. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The ranging result information carries at least one of the following: Information based on unilateral ranging results, information based on bilateral ranging results, arrival angle information, departure angle information, and the distance.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that, The result information based on bilateral ranging includes at least one of the following: First time information based on bilateral ranging, second time information based on bilateral ranging, third time information based on bilateral ranging, and fourth time information based on bilateral ranging; Wherein, the first time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal receives the first ranging signal from the starting terminal to when it replies with the second ranging signal to the starting terminal; the second time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal receives the second ranging signal to when the target terminal replies with the third ranging signal; the third time information represents the time interval from when the starting terminal sends the first ranging signal to when it receives the second ranging signal; and the fourth time information represents the time interval from when the target terminal sends the second ranging signal to when it receives the third ranging signal.

27. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The third frequency is either a frequency in a licensed frequency band or a frequency in an unlicensed frequency band.

28. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 27, characterized in that, The method further includes: Transmit and receive discovery signals for device discovery on a first frequency; It transmits and receives discovery control signals on a second frequency for controlling device discovery. The first frequency and the second frequency are different.

29. A signal receiving method, characterized in that, Applicable to network-side devices, the method includes: Receive a discovery signal for device discovery sent by a first terminal at a first frequency; The device receives a discovery control signal sent by the first terminal at a second frequency, which is used to control the discovery of the device. Wherein, the first frequency and the second frequency are different, and the discovery control signal is used to negotiate information for controlling the device discovery process. The information for controlling the device discovery process includes at least one of the following: the identifier used by the discovered terminal during the device discovery process, the resources used during the device discovery process, and the resources for communication after the device discovery process.

30. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The discovery signal is sent to the second terminal at the first frequency.

31. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The response signal of the discovery control signal is fed back to the first terminal at the second frequency.

32. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that, The method includes: The third frequency receives a ranging signal sent by the first terminal to determine the distance between the terminals. The distance measurement control signal sent by the first terminal at the fourth frequency is used to control the determination of the distance. The third frequency and the fourth frequency are different.

33. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that, The method further includes: The ranging signal is transmitted to the second terminal at the third frequency.

34. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that, The method further includes: The response signal that feeds back the ranging control signal to the first terminal at the fourth frequency.

35. A signal transceiver, characterized in that, For use with a first terminal, the device includes: The discovery signal transceiver module is configured to transmit and receive discovery signals for device discovery at a first frequency; The first control signal transceiver module is configured to transmit and receive discovery control signals for controlling device discovery on a second frequency; Wherein, the first frequency and the second frequency are different, and the discovery control signal is used to negotiate information for controlling the device discovery process. The information for controlling the device discovery process includes at least one of the following: the identifier used by the discovered terminal during the device discovery process, the resources used during the device discovery process, and the resources for communication after the device discovery process.

36. A signal receiving device, characterized in that, Applicable to network-side devices, the device includes: The discovery signal receiving module is configured to receive a discovery signal for device discovery sent by a first terminal at a first frequency; The first control signal receiving module is configured to receive a discovery control signal sent by the first terminal at a second frequency for controlling device discovery. Wherein, the first frequency and the second frequency are different, and the discovery control signal is used to negotiate information for controlling the device discovery process. The information for controlling the device discovery process includes at least one of the following: the identifier used by the discovered terminal during the device discovery process, the resources used during the device discovery process, and the resources for communication after the device discovery process.

37. A communication device, characterized in that, include: processor; Memory used to store computer programs; When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the signal transmission and reception method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

38. A communication device, characterized in that, include: processor; Memory used to store computer programs; When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the signal receiving method according to any one of claims 29 to 34.

39. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the signal transmission and reception method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

40. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the signal receiving method according to any one of claims 29 to 34.

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