Adaptive node activation and configuration in collaborative sensing

Abstract

Certain aspects of this disclosure provide techniques for adaptive node activation and configuration in collaborative sensing. A method executable by a Sensing Management Function (SnMF) entity includes: receiving from a first entity a first radio frequency (RF) sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least a first object; initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to the first RF sensing request; receiving from a second entity a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object during the first RF sensing session; adapting the second RF sensing request using output from the first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress; detecting the first and second objects in the environment; and transmitting information about the detected first and second objects to the first and second entities, respectively.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 17 / 448,686, filed September 23, 2021, and to U.S. provisional application No. 63 / 084,523, filed September 28, 2020, both of which are thereby assigned to the assignee of this application and are hereby expressly incorporated by reference as fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes.

[0003] background

[0004] open field

[0005] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to wireless communication, and more particularly to techniques for adaptive node activation and configuration in radio frequency (RF) sensing and cooperative sensing.

[0006] Related technical descriptions

[0007] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunications services such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. These wireless communication systems can employ multiple access technologies that enable communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple access systems include 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-A Advanced systems, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems, to name just a few.

[0008] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol enabling different wireless devices to communicate at the city, country, region, and even global levels. New radios (e.g., 5G NR) are examples of emerging telecommunications standards. NR is an enhancement set of the LTE mobile standard issued by 3GPP. NR is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by using OFDMA with a cyclic prefix (CP) on both the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) to improve spectrum efficiency, reduce costs, improve service, utilize new spectrum, and better integrate with other open standards. To this end, NR supports beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation.

[0009] With the continued growth in demand for mobile broadband access, there is a need for further improvements to NR and LTE technologies. These improvements should also be applicable to other multiple access technologies and telecommunications standards that employ them.

[0010] Overview

[0011] The systems, methods, and apparatuses of this disclosure each have several aspects, and their desired properties are not solely the responsibility of any single aspect. Upon consideration of this discussion, and especially after reading the section entitled "Detailed Description," it will be understood how the features of this disclosure provide advantages including improved adaptive node activation and configuration in cooperative sensing (such as, for example, cooperative RF sensing).

[0012] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method generally includes: receiving from a first entity a first radio frequency (RF) sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least a first object; initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to the first RF sensing request; receiving from a second entity a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object during the first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is ongoing; adapting the second RF sensing request using output from the ongoing first RF sensing session; detecting the first and second objects in the environment during the first sensing session; transmitting information about the detected first object to the first entity; and transmitting information about the detected second object to the second entity.

[0013] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method generally includes: receiving from an entity an RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least one object; initiating a first portion of an RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices; initiating a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices; detecting the at least one object in the environment during the second portion of the RF sensing session; and transmitting information about the detected at least one object to the entity.

[0014] Some aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus generally includes at least one processor and memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: receive from a first entity a first RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least a first object; initiate a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to the first RF sensing request; receive from a second entity a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object during the first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress; adapt the second RF sensing request using output from the ongoing first RF sensing session; detect the first object and the second object in the environment during the first sensing session; transmit information about the detected first object to the first entity; and transmit information about the detected second object to the second entity.

[0015] Some aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus generally includes at least one processor and memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: receive from an entity an RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least one object; initiate a first portion of an RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices; initiate a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices; detect the at least one object in the environment during the second portion of the RF sensing session; and transmit information about the detected at least one object to the entity.

[0016] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a device for wireless communication. The device generally includes: means for receiving from a first entity a first RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least a first object; means for initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to the first RF sensing request; means for receiving from a second entity a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object during the ongoing first RF sensing session; means for adapting the second RF sensing request using output from the first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is ongoing; means for detecting a first object and a second object in the environment during the first sensing session; means for transmitting information about the detected first object to the first entity; and means for transmitting information about the detected second object to the second entity.

[0017] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a device for wireless communication. The device generally includes: means for receiving from an entity an RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least one object; means for initiating a first portion of an RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices; means for initiating a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices; means for detecting the at least one object in the environment during the second portion of the RF sensing session; and means for transmitting information about the detected at least one object to the entity.

[0018] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transient computer-readable medium having computer-executable code stored thereon. This non-transient computer-readable medium having computer-executable code stored thereon generally includes: code for receiving from a first entity a first RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least a first object; code for initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to the first RF sensing request; code for receiving from a second entity a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object during the first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress; code for adapting the second RF sensing request to the output from the ongoing first RF sensing session; code for detecting a first object and a second object in the environment during the first sensing session; code for transmitting information about the detected first object to the first entity; and code for transmitting information about the detected second object to the second entity.

[0019] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transient computer-readable medium having computer-executable code stored thereon. The non-transient computer-readable medium having computer-executable code stored thereon generally includes: code for receiving from an entity an RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least one object; code for initiating a first portion of an RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices; code for initiating a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices; code for detecting the at least one object in the environment during the second portion of the RF sensing session; and code for transmitting information about the detected at least one object to the entity.

[0020] Certain aspects may be implemented in a computer program product for wireless communication implemented on a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may include: code for receiving from a first entity a first RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least a first object; code for initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to the first RF sensing request; code for receiving from a second entity a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object during an ongoing first RF sensing session; code for adapting the second RF sensing request using output from the first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is ongoing; code for detecting a first object and a second object in the environment during the first sensing session; code for transmitting information about the detected first object to the first entity; and code for transmitting information about the detected second object to the second entity.

[0021] Certain aspects may be implemented in a computer program product for wireless communication implemented on a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may include code for: receiving from an entity an RF sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least one object; initiating a first portion of an RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices; initiating a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices; detecting the at least one object in the environment during the second portion of the RF sensing session; and transmitting information about the detected at least one object to the entity.

[0022] The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the examples according to this disclosure in an effort to facilitate a better understanding of the following detailed description. Additional features and advantages will be described thereafter. The disclosed concepts and specific examples can be readily used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures for implementing the same purposes as this disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. The characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, in both their organization and manner of operation, and their associated advantages, will be better understood by considering the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each drawing is provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes and not for defining limitations on the claims.

[0023] While aspects and embodiments are described herein by way of example, those skilled in the art will understand that additional implementations and use cases may arise in many different arrangements and scenarios. The innovations described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and package arrangements. For example, embodiments and / or devices may arise via integrated chip embodiments and other devices based on non-modular components (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial equipment, retail / shopping devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc.). While some examples may or may not be specific to particular use cases or applications, broad applicability of the described innovations is possible. Implementations can range from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations, and further to aggregated, distributed, or OEM devices or systems incorporating one or more aspects of the described innovations. In some practical contexts, devices incorporating the described aspects and features may also necessarily include additional components and features for implementing and practicing the claimed and described embodiments. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals requires several components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antennas, RF chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, adders / summers, etc.). The innovations described herein are intended to be implemented in a wide variety of devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed deployments, end-user devices, etc., of various sizes, shapes, and configurations.

[0024] For illustrative purposes, the following description and accompanying figures illustrate certain features. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0026] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features described above in this disclosure, reference can be made to a more specific description of the foregoing summary, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of this disclosure, and the description may allow for other equivalent aspects.

[0027] Figure 1 It is a block diagram that conceptually illustrates an example wireless communication network according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a block diagram that conceptually illustrates the design of an example base station (BS) and user equipment (UE) according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 3 These are example frame formats for certain wireless communication systems (e.g., New Radio (NR)) according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 4AThis is an example of an NR-based bistatic radar used to determine the location of a target, according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4B This is a table describing the minimum required information for determining the location of a target using an NR-based bistatic radar, according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0032] Figures 5A-5B This is an example of an NR-based multistatic radar scheme for locating deviceless objects, based on certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a call flow diagram illustrating example signaling for adaptive node activation and configuration in collaborative sensing according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0034] Figures 7A-7B This is an example resource allocation for NR-based sensing sessions in accordance with certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating example operations for wireless communication by a Sensing Management Function (SnMF) entity according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of wireless communication by a SnMF entity according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 10 This is a conceptual explanation of an example of an NR-based multistatic radar scheme based on a refined sensing procedure according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 11 The description of various aspects of this disclosure includes communication devices that may include various components configured to perform operations for the various techniques disclosed herein.

[0039] To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals are used wherever possible to designate common elements shared by all figures. Elements disclosed in one aspect are conceived to be usefully applied in other aspects without specific citation.

[0040] Detailed description

[0041] This disclosure provides apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer-readable media for adaptive node activation and configuration in collaborative sensing.

[0042] In 5G New Radio (NR), wireless systems equipped for radio frequency (RF) communication can also be equipped for RF sensing. RF sensing is consumer-grade radar with advanced detection capabilities. Using RF sensing, wireless systems can be equipped for health monitoring (e.g., heart rate detection, respiratory rate monitoring), gesture recognition (e.g., human activity recognition, keystroke detection, sign language recognition), contextual information capture, location detection (e.g., direction, range estimation), and automotive radar (e.g., intelligent cruise control, collision avoidance) and other applications.

[0043] Network entities capable of accessing NR-enabled RF sensing can use cooperative sensing protocols to determine the location, range, and other information of unmanned targets within the network's signaling range. In some cases, a network entity may employ multiple NR-enabled devices to perform multistatic radar technology, thereby allowing the network entity to efficiently and accurately identify the location of targets.

[0044] Multistatic radar technology can proportionally improve the accuracy of RF sensing with a higher number of network devices acting as transmitters and / or receivers. However, a higher number of transmitters and / or receivers increases the traffic load associated with sensing and leads to latency. In an illustrative example, in an indoor factory where nodes frequently participate in remote sensing, transmission collisions can cause retransmission and reporting delays.

[0045] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, network entities can modify configuration parameters used during multistatic radar sensing while maintaining RF sensing accuracy by utilizing cooperative sensing procedures based on the techniques described herein.

[0046] The following description provides examples of adaptive node activation and configuration in cooperative sensing in a communication system, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or examples set forth in the claims. Changes may be made to the functionality and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Various procedures or components may be appropriately omitted, substituted, or added to various examples. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Moreover, features described with reference to some examples may be combined in others. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement an apparatus or practice. Furthermore, the scope of this disclosure is intended to cover such apparatuses or methods practiced using additional structures, functionalities, or structures and functionalities that complement or supplement the various aspects of this disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of this disclosure disclosed herein may be implemented by one or more elements of the claims. The term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or overriding other aspects.

[0047] Generally, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographical area. Each wireless network can support a specific Radio Access Technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT may also be referred to as a radio technology, air interface, etc. A frequency may also be referred to as a carrier, subcarrier, frequency channel, frequency modulation, subband, etc. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographical area to avoid interference between wireless networks using different RATs.

[0048] The techniques described herein can be used in a variety of wireless networks and radio technologies. While the aspects may be described herein using terms commonly associated with 3G, 4G, and / or newer radio technologies (e.g., 5G NR), the aspects of this disclosure can be applied to communication systems based on other generations.

[0049] NR access supports a variety of wireless communication services, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) targeting wide bandwidth, millimeter wave (mmWave), massive machine-type communication (mMTC) targeting non-backward-compatible MTC technology, and / or mission-critical services targeting ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). These services may include latency and reliability requirements. These services may also have different transmission time intervals (TTIs) to meet corresponding quality of service (QoS) requirements. Furthermore, these services can coexist in the same subframe.

[0050] The electromagnetic spectrum is typically subdivided into various classes, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been designated as frequency ranges: Frequency Range 1 (FR1) (410 MHz – 7.125 GHz) and Frequency Range 2 (FR2) (24.25 GHz – 52.6 GHz). The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are generally referred to as the mid-band frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the “sub-6 GHz” band in various documents and articles. Similar naming issues sometimes arise regarding FR2; although different from the Very High Frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz – 300 GHz) designated as the “millimeter wave” band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), FR2 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the “millimeter wave” band in various documents and articles.

[0051] In light of the foregoing, unless otherwise stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "sub-6GHz" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies less than 6GHz, within FR1, or including intermediate frequency band frequencies. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, it should be understood that, as used herein, the term "millimeter wave" and the like can broadly refer to frequencies that can include intermediate frequency band frequencies, within FR2, or within the EHF band.

[0052] NR supports beamforming and the beam direction can be dynamically configured. It also supports precoded multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. MIMO configuration in the downlink (DL) can support up to 8 transmit antennas (with up to 8 streams in multi-layer DL transmission) and up to 2 streams per UE. Multi-layer transmission with up to 2 streams per user equipment (UE) can be supported. Up to 8 serving cells can be used to support aggregation of multiple cells.

[0053] Example wireless communication system

[0054] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network 100 in which various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented is described. The wireless communication network 100 may be a new radio (NR) system (e.g., a 5G NR network). Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication network 100 can communicate with the core network 132. The core network 132 can communicate with one or more base stations (BS) 110a-z (also individually referred to herein as BS 110 or collectively as BS 110) and / or user equipment (UE) 120a-y (also individually referred to herein as UE 120 or collectively as UE 120) in the wireless communication network 100 via one or more interfaces.

[0055] Depending on certain aspects, BS 110 and UE 120 can be configured for radio frequency (RF) sensing. For example... Figure 1 As shown, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, BS 110a includes an RF sensing manager 112 configured for adaptive node activation and configuration in cooperative sensing. Similarly, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, UE 120a includes an RF sensing manager 122 configured for adaptive node activation and configuration in cooperative sensing.

[0056] BS 110 can provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area (sometimes referred to as a "cell"), which can be stationary or mobile depending on the location of the mobile BS 110. In some examples, BS 110 can interconnect with each other and / or interconnect to one or more other BSs or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless communication network 100 using any suitable transport network through various types of backhaul interfaces (e.g., direct physical connection, wireless connection, virtual network, etc.). Figure 1In the example shown, BS110a, 110b, and 110c can be macro BSs for macro cells 102a, 102b, and 102c, respectively. BS 110x can be a pico BS for pico cell 102x. BS 110y and 110z can be femto BSs for femto cells 102y and 102z, respectively. BS 110 can support one or more cells.

[0057] BS 110 communicates with UE 120 in the wireless communication network 100. UE 120 (e.g., 120x, 120y, etc.) may be distributed throughout the wireless communication network 100, and each UE 120 may be stationary or mobile. The wireless communication network 100 may also include relay stations (e.g., relay station 110r) (also referred to as relays, etc.) that receive transmissions of data and / or other information from upstream stations (e.g., BS 110a or UE 120r) and transmit such transmissions of data and / or other information to downstream stations (e.g., UE 120 or BS 110), or that relays transmissions between the UEs 120 to facilitate communication between the devices.

[0058] Network controller 130 can communicate with a group of BSs 110 and provide coordination and control over these BSs 110 (e.g., via backhaul). In various aspects, network controller 130 can communicate with core network 132 (e.g., 5G core network (5GC)) which provides various network functions such as access and mobility management, session management, user plane functions, policy control functions, authentication server functions, unified data management, application functions, network openness functions, network repository functions, network slice selection functions, etc.

[0059] In NR-enabled RF sensing, a network entity known as a Sensing Management Function (SnMF) entity is responsible for supporting, managing, and maintaining the sensing output of the tracking wireless communication network 100. The SnMF can be a separate entity, part of a network controller 130, part of one or more BS 110s, part of one or more UEs 120s, part of a Location Management Function (LMF) entity, or may have any combination of entities split across the wireless communication network 100. The SnMF entity or the combination of entities / network entities performing sensing management performs the operations described herein, such as separately in Figure 8 and Figure 9 The operations 800 and 900 explained in the text.

[0060] Figure 2 The BS 110a and UE 120a, which can be used to implement various aspects of this disclosure, are explained (e.g., in...). Figure 1 Example components in wireless communication network 100.

[0061] At BS 110a, the transmit processor 220 can receive data from the data source 212 and control information from the controller / processor 240. The control information can be used for the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH), Physical Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Indicator Channel (PHICH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Group Shared PDCCH (GC PDCCH), etc. This data can also be used for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), etc. The Media Access Control (MAC)-Control Element (CE) (MAC-CE) is a MAC layer communication structure that can be used for exchanging control commands between wireless nodes. The MAC-CE can be carried in shared channels, such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), or Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH).

[0062] Processor 220 can process (e.g., encode and symbol mapping) data and control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols, respectively. Transmit processor 220 can also generate reference symbols (such as for the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), PBCH demodulation reference signal (DMRS), and channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)). Transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 can perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, and / or reference symbols where applicable, and can provide the output symbol stream to modulators (MODs) 232a-232t in the transceiver. Each modulator 232a-232t in the transceiver can process its own output symbol stream (e.g., for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator can further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and up-convert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink (DL) signal. The DL signals from modulators 232a-232t in the transceiver can be transmitted via antennas 234a-234t respectively.

[0063] At UE 120a, antennas 252a-252r can receive downlink signals from BS 110a and can provide the received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) 254a-254r in the transceiver, respectively. Each demodulator 254a-254r in the transceiver can condition (e.g., filter, amplify, down-convert, and digitize) its respective received signal to obtain an input sample. Each demodulator can further process the input sample (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. MIMO detector 256 can obtain the received symbols from all demodulators 254a-254r in the transceiver, perform MIMO detection on these received symbols where applicable, and provide detected symbols. Receiver processor 258 can process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) these detected symbols, provide the decoded data to UE 120a to data sink 260, and provide the decoded control information to controller / processor 280.

[0064] On the uplink (UL), at UE 120a, transmit processor 264 can receive and process data from data source 262 (e.g., for PUSCH) and control information from controller / processor 280 (e.g., for Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)). Transmit processor 264 can also generate reference symbols for a reference signal (RS) (e.g., probe reference signal (SRS)). Symbols from transmit processor 264 can be pre-coded by TX MIMO processor 266 where applicable, further processed by modulators 254a-254r in the transceiver (e.g., for single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) etc.), and transmitted to BS 110a. At BS 110a, the UL signal from UE 120a can be received by antenna 234, processed by demodulators 232a-232t in the transceiver, detected by MIMO detector 236 where applicable, and further processed by receiver processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information transmitted by UE 120a. Receiver processor 238 can provide the decoded data to data trap 239 and the decoded control information to controller / processor 240.

[0065] Memory 242 and 282 can store data and program code for use by BS 110a and UE 120a, respectively. Scheduler 244 can schedule UE 120 for data transmission over DL and / or UL.

[0066] Antenna 252, processors 266, 258, 264 and / or controller / processor 280 of UE 120a, and / or antenna 234, processors 220, 230, 238 and / or controller / processor 240 of BS 110a can be used to perform the various techniques and methods described herein. For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, the controller / processor 240 of BS 110a has an RF sensing manager 112 that can be configured to participate in adaptive node activation and cooperative sensing. Similarly, as Figure 2 As shown, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, the controller / processor 280 of UE 120a has an RF sensing manager 122 that can be configured to participate in adaptive node activation cooperative sensing. Although shown at the controller / processor, other components of UE 120a and BS 110a may also be used to perform the operations described herein.

[0067] NR can utilize OFDM with a cyclic prefix (CP) on both UL and DL. NR supports half-duplex operation using Time Division Duplex (TDD). OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple orthogonal subcarriers, which are often referred to as frequency modulation, frequency slots, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Modulation symbols can be transmitted in the frequency domain using OFDM and in the time domain using SC-FDM. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers can depend on the system bandwidth. The minimum resource allocation (called a resource block (RB)) can be 12 consecutive subcarriers. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband can cover multiple RBs. NR supports a base-subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 15 kHz and can define other SCSs relative to the base SCS (e.g., 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, 240 kHz, etc.).

[0068] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a frame format 300 for NR according to certain aspects of this disclosure. The transmission timeline for each of DL and UL can be divided into radio frames. Each radio frame may have a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 milliseconds (ms)) and may be divided into 10 subframes with indices 0 to 9, each subframe being 1 ms long. Each subframe may contain a variable number of time slots (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, ... time slots), depending on the SCS. Each time slot may include a variable number of symbol periods (e.g., 7, 12, or 14 symbols), depending on the SCS. An index may be assigned to the symbol periods in each time slot. The sub-time slot structure may refer to a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) with a duration less than a time slot (e.g., 2, 3, or 4 symbols). Each symbol in a time slot may be configured for a link direction of data transmission (e.g., DL, UL, or flexible), and the link direction for each subframe can be dynamically switched. The link direction may be based on the time slot format. Each time slot may include DL / UL data and DL / UL control information.

[0069] In NR, synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) are transmitted. In some respects, each SSB can be transmitted in a burst, where each SSB in the burst corresponds to a different beam direction for use in UE-side beam management (e.g., including beam selection and / or beam refinement). An SSB includes a PSS, an SSS, and a two-symbol PBCH. SSBs can be transmitted at fixed time slot locations (such as...). Figure 3 The symbols 0-3 shown are transmitted. The PSS and SSS can be used by the UE for cell search and acquisition. The PSS provides half-frame timing, while the SSS provides CP length and frame timing. The PSS and SSS provide cell identity. The PBCH carries basic system information such as DL system bandwidth, timing information within the radio frame, synchronization signal (SS) burst set periodicity, system frame number, etc. SSBs can be organized into SS bursts to support beam sweeping. Further system information (such as Residual Minimum System Information (RMSI), System Information Block (SIB), and Other System Information (OSI)) can be transmitted in certain subframes on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). SSBs can be transmitted up to 64 times, for example, up to 64 different beam directions for millimeter waves. Multiple transmissions of an SSB are called SS burst sets. SSBs within an SS burst set can be transmitted in the same frequency region, while SSBs in different SS burst sets can be transmitted in different frequency regions.

[0070] Example multistatic radar operation simultaneously with active millimeter-wave (mmWave) links

[0071] Network entities capable of accessing New Radio (NR)-enabled radio frequency (RF) sensing can use cooperative sensing protocols to detect the presence of one or more unequipped targets and subsequently determine the location, range, and other information of those unequipped targets within the network's signaling range. The terms "unequipped target," "target," and "object" are used interchangeably herein. An unequipped object can be, for example, a car, a piece of furniture, or a person walking in a room. In some cases, a network entity may employ multiple NR-enabled devices (e.g., millimeter-wave devices) to perform multistatic radar techniques, allowing the network entity to efficiently and accurately identify the location of one or more target objects. In addition to location, the velocity, acceleration, and other parameters of the unequipped target object can also be determined in various ways.

[0072] In one example, an NR-enabled device using millimeter-wave signaling can employ RF sensing because the millimeter-wave signaling operates at a high frequency similar to radar. Current millimeter-wave devices use beamforming to overcome path loss for efficient communication. During link establishment, the millimeter-wave device can transmit messages in multiple directions with the aim of ensuring that the expected receiver will receive the transmission in at least one direction. Multidirectional signals from the millimeter-wave device can also be used for RF sensing. NR-enabled devices, such as millimeter-wave devices, can be employed in multistatic radar schemes. Devices that allow full-duplex operation allow one antenna(s) to transmit while the other antenna(s) receive, thus allowing the device to act as both a transmitter and a receiver. As is known in the art, full-duplex operation / communication is the ability to transmit and receive simultaneously in the same spectrum band.

[0073] To detect target objects within a network, network entities can use methods such as... Figure 4A The above describes bistatic radar. Bistatic radar is a type of radar in which the receiver and transmitter are physically separated (e.g., at a considerable distance) so that the echo signal does not travel along the same path as the transmitted signal. In other words, in a bistatic radar configuration, the transmitter and receiver are not located in the same place.

[0074] Figure 4A This is an example of an NR-based bistatic radar 400A used to determine the location of a target, according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Figure 4A As illustrated in the explanatory example, a BS 402 and a UE 404 can locate a target object 406 based on signal transmission and reception. First, the BS 402 obtains the location of the UE 404 using NR positioning based on the radio time-of-flight (RTT) and angle of arrival (AoA) of the line-of-sight signal 408. Second, the network obtains the location of the target object 406 using NR bistatic radar based on the time-of-flight (ToF) and AoA of the signal 410 and the reflected signal 412.

[0075] Figure 4B Table 400B describes the minimum required information for determining the location of a target using an NR-based bistatic radar, according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Figure 4B As described, if BS 402 needs to locate target object 406, BS 402 must have information about the location of UE 404, the AoA or AoD of target object 406, and the distance of the reflection path. If UE 404 needs to locate target object 406, UE 404 must have information about the location of BS 402, the AoA or AoD of target object 406, and the distance of the reflection path.

[0076] When network entities employ a monostatic radar scheme (e.g., where the transmitter and receiver are located in the same location), the distance (D) to one or more detected objects can be determined by measuring the round-trip time of the reflected waves (e.g., at least one second sequence) returning to the receiving antenna of the wireless node. The distance D can be calculated based on the following formula:

[0077]

[0078] Where C is the speed of light, and T is the round-trip time. For example, the round-trip time can be the time difference between the transmission of the first sequence and the reception of the second sequence (e.g., the reflection of the first sequence).

[0079] The relative velocity of an object can be determined by measuring the phase offset (PO) (e.g., phase difference) between the transmitted sequence (e.g., a first sequence) and the received sequence (e.g., at least one second sequence). The phase offset PO can be equal to the frequency offset (FO) multiplied by the round-trip time parameter T. FO can be the difference between the frequency of at least one first sequence and the frequency of at least one second sequence (e.g., a reflection of the first sequence). FO can be determined based on the Doppler frequency shift, which corresponds to the detected velocity of the object relative to the transmitter. PO and FO can be determined based on the following equation:

[0080]

[0081] Where S is the speed of the object to be detected relative to the transmitter, C is the speed of light, Fc is the carrier frequency, and T is the round-trip time.

[0082] The reflections of the first sequence can be used to determine the material classification of the detected object. For example, the material classification can be determined by measuring the amplitude of the sequence reflected from the detected object (e.g., the received second sequence). Specifically, metallic materials reflect signals with higher energy corresponding to higher amplitudes compared to human skin or wood. Therefore, the material classification of the object can be determined based on the amplitude of the reflections.

[0083] Bistatic radar scenarios can be extended to multistatic radar scenarios (i.e., multiple BSs and / or multiple UEs). Multistatic radar systems comprise multiple monostatic or bistatic radar components with spatial diversity sharing a coverage area.

[0084] Figure 5A and 5B Two possible use cases, 500A and 500B, for multi-base, NR-based radar position detection for deviceless objects (e.g., environmental scanning for self-organizing networks (SON)) are explained according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Figure 5AAs shown, the network entity uses some combination of BS 502 and UE 504 to identify the location of target object 506. All BS 502s are receiving uplink (UL) transmissions or transmitting downlink (DL) signals. Figure 5A In this scenario, BS 502 only transmits DL signaling to UE 504. When cellular data traffic load is low, network entities perform sensing intermittently. This performance differs from positioning sessions in the current state of technology, where UE 504 must be active and ready to receive signals from transmissions or transmit signals to be processed.

[0085] exist Figure 5B In this scenario, the network entity uses a combination of DL transmission BS 502 and UL reception BS 508 to identify the location of one or more target objects 506. In this case, the network entity does not utilize the UE (for example, such as...) Figure 5A (UE 504 shown). In each respect, the BS alternates between DL and UL. This type of sensing can be performed, for example, in an indoor shopping mall or a smart factory.

[0086] In 5G NR, network entities can locate objects regardless of whether those objects have devices. As mentioned, a deviceless object can be, for example, a car, a piece of furniture, or a person walking around a room.

[0087] Multistatic radar technology can proportionally improve the accuracy of RF sensing with a higher number of network devices acting as transmitters and / or receivers. However, a higher number of transmitters and / or receivers increases the traffic load associated with sensing and leads to latency. In one example, in an indoor factory where nodes frequently participate in remote sensing, transmission conflicts can cause retransmission and reporting delays. Furthermore, certain channel, beam, timing configuration, and resource allocation may be insufficient or inefficient in achieving the objectives of a specific RF sensing request.

[0088] Accordingly, what is needed are technologies and / or devices for refining RF sensing parameters in collaborative sensing procedures.

[0089] Example of adaptive node activation and configuration in collaborative sensing

[0090] Depending on certain aspects, network entities may selectively activate and deactivate nodes (e.g., base stations (BS) and / or user equipment (UE)) during a sensing session to optimize network performance. By activating and deactivating nodes, network entities add or remove nodes from the sensing session. NR-based sensing session entities participating in RF sensing of one or more target objects concurrently perform data communication.

[0091] The network entity responsible for supporting, managing, and maintaining the sensing output of a tracking wireless network can be a Sensing Management Function (SnMF) entity. The SnMF receives sensing requests from applications (e.g., external applications, network-initiated applications, UEs, etc.) and configures the network / devices within it with sensing parameters. Sensing parameters may include resources (e.g., signal strength, bandwidth), sensing and reporting methods (e.g., UE-based, UE-assisted), and beam management. The SnMF may be part of a network controller, one or more BSs, one or more UEs, a Location Management Function (LMF), or may have functionality that is split across any combination of these entities. In some respects, the SnMF is equivalent to the LMF. In some aspects, the SnMF is responsible for supplying network sensing parameters to devices during a sensing session. For example, the SnMF configures UEs, BSs, and other NR-enabled devices with parameters of interest (e.g., bandwidth, signal strength, repetition, etc.).

[0092] During an NR-based multi-base sensing session, nodes (e.g., BS and / or UE) can be activated and deactivated in a hierarchical manner. In some cases, SnMF may need to initially select useful nodes to participate in the sensing session. In one example, SnMF may determine usefulness based on the absolute and / or relative location of the nodes.

[0093] When SnMF receives a sensing request, it may not have enough node location information to utilize all available nodes at the start of the sensing session. When the nodes selected for the sensing session are a combination of UEs with unknown locations and BSs (known locations), SnMF may configure location sessions for some UEs to first determine their relative and / or absolute locations. When the nodes selected for the sensing session are only UEs, the selected UEs can use sidelinks or network assistance to determine if there are other UEs nearby that can participate in the sensing session. When the nodes selected for the sensing session are BSs (known locations), UEs with known locations, or a combination of both, SnMF may not need to obtain their absolute and relative locations.

[0094] According to various aspects of this disclosure, SnMF can accommodate different sensing requests using existing or ongoing sensing sessions. If a sensing request can be satisfied using node configurations from an ongoing sensing session, a new sensing session may not be necessary. Specifically, in some cases, parameters of an existing sensing session can be modified instead of creating a new sensing session. Sensing parameters may include activated channels, bandwidth, beamforming, timing, resource selection, and other matters.

[0095] In some scenarios, it may be desirable to reuse resources used for existing sensing sessions for resource selection. For example, in the presence of existing sensing sessions for detecting moving Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), SnMF can use the existing AGV sensing sessions to fulfill new requests for detecting people moving near the AGVs. This allows SnMF to optimize network planning by limiting the number of future sensing sessions, thereby prioritizing user throughput. SnMF can accommodate new sensing requests at any point during an active sensing session used for existing sensing requests.

[0096] Figure 6 This is a call flow diagram 600 illustrating example signaling for adaptive node activation and configuration in collaborative sensing according to certain aspects of this disclosure. The signaling begins at 608, where a first network entity 604 transmits an RF sensing request for the purpose of detecting the presence of at least a first object in the environment. As described herein, the environment refers to a geographical area within the wireless communication network served by SnMF.

[0097] In response to the sensing request transmitted by the first network entity 604 at 608, SnMF 602 initiates a first RF sensing session in the network at 610, wherein the sensing session is an ongoing sensing session, as shown at 612. At 614, SnMF 602 may receive an RF sensing request from a second network entity 606 for detecting the presence of at least a second object in the environment. The second network entity 606 may be the same entity as the first network entity 604, or the second network entity 606 may be a different network entity. In response to the RF sensing request received by SnMF 602 at 614, at 616, SnMF 602 may adapt the RF sensing request (e.g., the one received at 614) using output from the ongoing first RF sensing session at 612. Examples of adapting RF sensing requests are described below.

[0098] In one example, the adaptive RF sensing request involves SnMF 602 refining an ongoing sensing session at 612. First, SnMF 602 can configure the sensing session with a selected first set of nodes (e.g., BS 110, UE 102, and / or other network entities). The sensing session involves configuring nodes with sensing parameters (including time, frequency, spatial resources, and other matters). SnMF 602 can receive sensing information from the configured nodes of the sensing session to determine the presence of at least one target object in the object set and potential coarse target object detection. Second, SnMF 602 can adjust the sensing session, at least in part, based on sensing feedback from the initial sensing session configuration, to perform finer target object detection using a different set of nodes. The second set of nodes involved can be a subset of the set of nodes that is part of the first set of nodes. In some cases, the second set of nodes involved can include a subset of the initial nodes involved in the sensing session, plus a newly activated set of nodes for finer target object detection. The SnMF602 can also be tailored to node sets with sensing configuration parameters (e.g., larger / smaller bandwidth, more / less repetition, etc.) for more refined object detection. This configuration can be communicated using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling / Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) (MAC-CE) / Downlink Control Information (DCI), allowing activated nodes to quickly adapt to new configurations. In some cases, activating and / or deactivating nodes during the refinement process can result in lower power consumption and / or optimized communication traffic load.

[0099] After refinement, at 618, SnMF 602 can detect one or more objects in the environment during the sensing session. In one example, SnMF 602 can receive sensing information from an activated node and use the received sensing information to calculate target object information (e.g., position, velocity, acceleration, etc.). Information about a first detected object can be sent to a requesting entity (e.g., first network entity 604) at 620, and information about a second detected object can be sent to a requesting entity (e.g., second network entity 606) at 622. After this information is transmitted to the requesting entities at 620 and 622, the sensing session can be completed and terminated.

[0100] Resource allocation for RF sensing procedures can be performed based on the type of service sought by the requesting entity (e.g., first network entity 604 and / or second network entity 606) and / or the type of signaling available during the sensing session. For example, the channels available during RF sensing can be UE-UE channels, UE-BS channels, BS-UE channels, or BS-BS channels. For a given sensing request, only a subset of channels may be needed to fulfill the request of the requesting entity (e.g., first network entity 604 / second network entity 606). Resource allocation and sensing session configuration can be highly dependent on the application's requirements.

[0101] Figure 7A A possible resource allocation 700A during a sensing session according to certain aspects of this disclosure is described. To avoid interference during transmission, SnMF 602 allows the BS to transmit in different time slots using time division multiplexing (TDM). The BS can transmit an RF signal from a first transmitter in a first time slot, then from a second transmitter in a second time slot, and so on. All BS-to-BS channels and BS-to-UE channels can use this resource allocation for measurement.

[0102] Figure 7B Another possible resource allocation 700B during a sensing session according to certain aspects of this disclosure is described. To increase transmission repeatability and accuracy, SnMF 602 may allow the BS and / or UE to transmit at different frequencies using frequency division multiplexing (FDM). FDM may be bandwidth splitting or frequency modulation interleaving. The BS and / or UE may transmit RF signals from a first transmitter at a lower frequency in a first time slot and from a second transmitter at a higher frequency in a first time slot. This transmission may be repeated in a second time slot to mitigate path loss. The BS and / or UE may subsequently repeat this transmission pattern with RF signals on third and fourth transmitters, fifth and sixth transmitters, etc. In this resource allocation, only a subset of the BS-BS channel and / or UE-UE channel can be measured due to half-duplex constraints at the BS or UE. For example, the channel from the first transmitter to the second transmitter or from the third transmitter to the fourth transmitter may not be measurable because the RF signals from each transmitter are transmitted simultaneously (e.g., due to half-duplex limitations). However, all BS-to-UE channels and UE-to-BS channels can be measured using this resource allocation.

[0103] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation 800 for wireless communication by a SnMF entity according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Operation 800 can be performed, for example, by a SnMF, such as... Figure 1 The UE 120a, BS 110a or network controller 130 in the wireless communication network 100.

[0104] Operation 800 can be implemented in one or more processors (e.g., Figure 2 The software components executed and running on the controller / processor 240 or controller / processor 280. Furthermore, the signal transmission and reception performed by SnMF in operation 800 can be, for example, by one or more antennas (e.g., Figure 2 This can be achieved using antennas 234 or 252. In some respects, signal transmission and / or reception by SnMF can be achieved by obtaining and / or outputting signals via a bus interface of one or more processors (e.g., controller / processor 240 or controller / processor 280).

[0105] Operation 800 may begin at block 802, where SnMF receives an RF sensing request from an entity for scanning the environment to detect at least one object. In each respect, SnMF selects a set of devices to perform sensing in response to the received RF sensing request. In each respect, the entity issuing the sensing request does not have prior information about the presence of any objects in the environment.

[0106] SnMF can select a set of devices for an RF sensing session, including a BS (such as a gNB), a UE, or a combination of a gNB and a UE, wherein the selection of the set of devices is based at least in part on the location of the gNB, the UE, or the combination of the gNB and the UE. In one example, SnMF can activate a combination of UEs and gNBs within the environment to identify target objects within the signaling range of the activated UEs and gNBs.

[0107] In block 804, the SnMF initiates a first part of the RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by the first set of devices. The location of the at least one object detected based on the RF sensing performed by the first set of devices may be a coarse location, which is further refined in a second part of the RF sensing session. In some aspects, the first set of devices performs transmission / reception using sensing parameters determined by the SnMF. Based on information received from the first set of devices, the SnMF may determine the presence / location of the at least one object according to the output of the sensing session. In some aspects, the SnMF may configure the set of devices to have sensing parameters for the RF sensing session, wherein these sensing parameters include at least one of: channel resource allocation, time resources, frequency resources, or spatial resources.

[0108] In box 806, the SnMF initiates a second part of the RF sensing session, which refines the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first device set. In some examples, the subset may further include at least one additional device not included in the first device set. Devices in the first device set that are not part of this subset may be deactivated from the first sensing session. In some aspects, newly added devices to the sensing session may be activated to participate in the sensing session.

[0109] The subset of devices used for the second part of the sensing session may be selected at least in part based on the location of devices in the first set of devices and / or the determined presence or approximate location of the detected first object. In some aspects, the subset of devices may be determined based on sensing output from the first part of the sensing session. In some examples, SnMF may configure at least one RF sensing parameter for the second part of the RF sensing session via one of RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or DCI.

[0110] Both parts of an RF sensing session can be performed by a set of devices that simultaneously transmit RF signals and communicate data with other devices in the environment / network.

[0111] In box 808, the SnMF detects the at least one object in the environment during the second part of the RF sensing session. More specifically, the SnMF can use information received from a subset of entities participating in the second part of the RF sensing session to determine a finer, more refined, and more accurate position (and / or velocity, acceleration, etc.) of the target object.

[0112] In box 810, the SnMF transmits information to the entity about the detected at least one object. In one example, the SnMF transmits the determined position, velocity, acceleration, etc. of the object based on the session.

[0113] although Figure 8 Operation 800 describes a sensing request from a single entity, which may occur in the first and second parts, but in some cases, another sensing request from a second entity may overlap with the second part of the first sensing session so that the SnMF adaptation of the environment (e.g., node adaptation) satisfies both the second sensing request from the second entity and the second part of the sensing request from the first entity in some way. Figure 9 The operation 900 explained this situation.

[0114] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation 900 for wireless communication via SnMF according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Operation 900 can be performed, for example, by SnMF, such as... Figure 1The UE 120a, BS 110a, or network controller 130 in the wireless communication network 100. Operation 900 can be implemented in one or more processors (e.g., Figure 2 The software components executed and running on the controller / processor 240 or controller / processor 280. Furthermore, the signal transmission and reception performed by SnMF in operation 900 can be, for example, by one or more antennas (e.g., Figure 2 This can be achieved using antenna 234 or antenna 252. In some aspects, signal transmission and / or reception by SnMF can be achieved by obtaining and / or outputting signals via a bus interface of one or more processors (e.g., controller / processor 240 or controller / processor 280).

[0115] Operation 900 may begin in box 902, where SnMF receives a first RF sensing request from a first entity for scanning the environment to detect at least a first object.

[0116] In block 904, the SnMF may initiate a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to a first RF sensing request. To initiate the first RF sensing session, the SnMF may select a set of devices for the RF sensing session, including a BS (such as a gNB), a UE, or a combination of a gNB and a UE. The SnMF may select the set of devices based at least in part on the location of the gNB, the UE, or a combination of a gNB and a UE. To initiate the first RF sensing session, the SnMF may configure the set of devices to have sensing parameters for the RF sensing session. Sensing parameters may include at least one of the following: channel resource allocation, time resources, frequency resources, or spatial resources.

[0117] A first sensing session may include a first portion of an RF sensing session, wherein the presence or approximate location of a first object is determined based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices. A second portion of the RF sensing session (e.g., for refining the sensed presence or approximate location of the first object based on RF sensing) may be performed by a subset of the first set of devices. This subset may include at least one additional device not included in the first set of devices. Devices in the first set that are not part of this subset may be deactivated from the first sensing session. This subset may be selected in part based on the location of devices in the first set of devices and / or the determined approximate location of the first object. The first set of devices or at least one of the subset of devices may be determined at least in part based on information associated with a second object. The RF sensing session may be performed by a set of devices that simultaneously transmit RF signals and communicate data with other devices in the network.

[0118] In box 906, the SnMF receives a second RF sensing request from the second entity during the first RF sensing session for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object. The SnMF can be configured with at least one RF sensing parameter for the second part of the RF sensing session via RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or DCI. As described above, this allows selected devices in the sensing session to quickly adapt to new configurations, thereby reducing power consumption and / or helping to optimize traffic load in the network.

[0119] In block 908, the SnMF uses the output from a first RF sensing session to accommodate a second RF sensing request, where the first RF sensing session is in progress. In some aspects, the SnMF may use the output of the first sensing session to accommodate the second request. In some aspects, sensing parameters may be adjusted based on the second sensing request so that both the first and second sensing requests are accommodated by a single sensing session. At some times, sensing parameters may not need to be adjusted to accommodate both sensing requests. In one example, an ongoing sensing session with one activated gNB may be sufficient to accommodate the first sensing request; however, the SnMF may modify the sensing session to include a second activated gNB in ​​response to a second sensing request received from a second entity, such that a single sensing session satisfies both the first and second sensing requests.

[0120] In box 910, the SnMF detects a first object and a second object in the environment during a first sensing session. More specifically, the SnMF can receive transmit / receive information from an activated device participating in the sensing session and refine the positions of the first and second target objects.

[0121] In block 912, the SnMF transmits information about the detected first object to the first entity that sent the sensing request for the first object. This information may include any information determined during the sensing session, such as the position, velocity, acceleration, etc. of the first target object.

[0122] In box 914, the SnMF transmits information about the detected second object to the second entity that transmitted the sensing request for the second object. This information may include any information determined during the sensing session, such as the position, velocity, acceleration, etc. of the second target object.

[0123] Examples of collaborative sensing 1000 in Figure 10 The explanation is as follows. Specifically, Figure 10 This is a conceptual explanation of an example of an NR-based multistatic radar scheme based on a refined sensing procedure according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Figure 10 In the example described, the BS is configured as the transmitter and the UE is configured as the receiver.

[0124] First, SnMF activates all BSs in the sensing session (i.e., Figure 10 The gNB 1 and gNB 2 shown are shown, and all UEs (i.e., Figure 10 (UE 1, UE 2, and UE 3 shown). SnMF detects the approximate locations of all target objects 1004 within the range of these nodes (i.e., all activated BS and UE). Target objects 1002 outside the range of these nodes are not detected. Based on the initial target object detection, specifically, whether the object exists and where it is located, SnMF can refine its estimate to a certain area to refine the search and sensing of the desired target object.

[0125] As an illustrative example, in one scenario, SnMF can track target objects T1 and T2. To facilitate refined tracking of target objects T1 and T2, SnMF can shut down reception from UE1 because it is geographically far from the desired target objects T1 and T2, and instead configure transmissions from gNB1 and gNB2 as well as reception from UE2 and UE3.

[0126] As another illustrative example, in another scenario, SnMF can be refined for tracking target objects T2 and T3. To facilitate refined tracking of target objects T2 and T3, SnMF can disable transmissions from gNB1 and receptions from nodes UE1 and UE2, as they are geographically distant from target objects T2 and T3, and instead configure transmissions from gNB2 and receptions from UE3. Alternatively, although UE2 may not receive reflections from T2, it may detect reflections from T2 if T2 is moving, thus UE2 can remain active. SnMF can selectively disable receptions from UE1 when UE1 is located far from the area of ​​interest (e.g., close to target objects T2 and T3), while maintaining transmissions from gNB1 and gNB2, and receptions from UE2 and UE3.

[0127] Example wireless communication device

[0128] Figure 11 The description includes operations that may be configured to perform the techniques disclosed herein (such as...). Figure 8 The communication device 1100 comprises various components (e.g., corresponding to device plus functional components) of the operation described herein.

[0129] The communication device 1100 includes a processing system 1102 coupled to a transceiver 1108 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 1108 is configured to transmit and receive signals (such as the various signals described herein) for the communication device 1100 via an antenna 1110. The processing system 1102 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1100, including processing signals received and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 1100.

[0130] Processing system 1102 includes processor 1104 coupled to computer-readable medium / memory 1112 via bus 1106. In some aspects, computer-readable medium / memory 1112 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by processor 1104, cause processor 1104 to perform... Figure 8 The operations described herein or other operations used to perform the various techniques discussed herein for adaptive node activation and configuration in collaborative sensing.

[0131] In some respects, the computer-readable medium / memory 1112 stores code 1114 for receiving; code 1116 for initiating; code 1118 for adapting; code 1120 for detecting; and code 1122 for transmitting.

[0132] In some cases, the code 1114 for receiving may include code for receiving from an entity a radio frequency (RF) sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least one object. In some cases, the code 1114 for receiving may include code for receiving from a first entity a first RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a first object. In some cases, the code 1114 for receiving may include code for receiving from a second entity during a first RF sensing session a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object.

[0133] In some cases, the initiating code 1116 may include code for a first portion of initiating the RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by the first set of devices. In some cases, the initiating code 1116 may include code for a second portion of initiating the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices. In some cases, the initiating code 1116 may include code for initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to a first RF sensing request.

[0134] In some cases, the adaptation code 1118 may include code for adapting a second RF sensing request using output from a first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress.

[0135] In some cases, the detection code 1120 may include code for detecting the at least one object in the environment during the second part of the RF sensing session. In some cases, the detection code 1120 may include code for detecting a first object and a second object in the environment during the first sensing session.

[0136] In some cases, the code 1122 for transmission may include code for transmitting information to a first entity regarding the detected at least one object. In some cases, the code 1122 for transmission may include code for transmitting information to a first entity regarding the detected first object. In some cases, the code 1122 for transmission may include code for transmitting information to a second entity regarding the detected second object.

[0137] In some respects, processor 1104 has circuitry configured to implement code stored in computer-readable medium / memory 1112. For example, processor 1104 includes circuitry 1124 for receiving, circuitry 1126 for initiating, circuitry 1128 for adapting, circuitry 1130 for detecting, and circuitry 1132 for transmitting.

[0138] In some cases, the circuitry 1124 for receiving may include circuitry for receiving from an entity an RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least one object. In some cases, the circuitry 1124 for receiving may include circuitry for receiving from a first entity a first RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a first object. In some cases, the circuitry 1124 for receiving may include circuitry 1124 for receiving from a second entity during a first RF sensing session a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object.

[0139] In some cases, the initiating circuitry 1126 may include circuitry for initiating a first portion of the RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices. In some cases, the initiating circuitry 1126 may include circuitry for initiating a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices. In some cases, the initiating circuitry 1126 may include circuitry for initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to a first RF sensing request.

[0140] In some cases, the adaptive circuitry 1128 may include circuitry for adapting a second RF sensing request using output from a first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress.

[0141] In some cases, the detection circuitry 1130 may include circuitry for detecting the at least one object in the environment during the second portion of the RF sensing session. In some cases, the detection circuitry 1130 may include circuitry for detecting a first object and a second object in the environment during the first sensing session.

[0142] In some cases, the circuit system 1132 for transmission may include a circuit system for transmitting information to a first entity regarding the detected at least one object. In some cases, the circuit system 1132 for transmission may include a circuit system for transmitting information to a first entity regarding the detected first object. In some cases, the circuit system 1132 for transmission may include a circuit system for transmitting information to a second entity regarding the detected second object.

[0143] In some cases, Figure 8 and 9 The operations described herein, as well as other operations for UE antenna panel distribution reporting, can be implemented by one or more means plus functional components. For example, in some cases, such operations can be implemented by means for receiving (or for acquiring), means for initiating, means for adapting, means for detecting, and means for transmitting (or means for outputting for transmission).

[0144] In some cases, the means for transmission (or the means for output for transmission) includes Figure 2 The transmitter unit 232 and / or antenna 234 of the BS 110a as explained, or Figure 2The transmitter unit 254 and / or antennas 252 of UE 120a as described herein, and / or Figure 11 The circuit system 1132 of the communication device 1100.

[0145] In some cases, the means for receiving (or the means for acquiring) includes Figure 2 The receiver and / or antenna(s) 234 of BS 110a or the receiver and / or antenna(s) 252 of UE 120a as described herein. Figure 11 The communication device 1100 in the middle has a circuit system 1124 for receiving.

[0146] In some cases, the initiation device, the adaptation device, and the detection device include a processing system, which may include one or more processors, such as... Figure 2 The BS 110a described herein includes the transmit processor 220, TX MIMO processor 230, receive processor 238, and / or controller / processor 240. Figure 2 The receiver processor 258, transmitter processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, and / or controller / processor 280 of UE 120a as described herein. Figure 11 The communication device 1100 includes an initiation circuitry 1126, an adaptation circuitry 1128, and / or a detection circuitry 1130, and / or Figure 11 The processing system 1102 of the communication device 1100.

[0147] Example Terms

[0148] Examples of implementations are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0149] Clause 1: A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving from a first entity a first radio frequency (RF) sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least a first object; initiating a first RF sensing session in the environment in response to the first RF sensing request; receiving from a second entity a second RF sensing request for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object during the first RF sensing session; adapting the second RF sensing request to output from the first RF sensing session, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress; detecting the first object and the second object in the environment during the first RF sensing session; transmitting information about the detected first object to the first entity; and transmitting information about the detected second object to the second entity.

[0150] Clause 2: The method of Clause 1, wherein initiating the first RF sensing session includes: selecting a set of devices for the RF sensing session, the set of devices including a next-generation B-node (gNB), user equipment (UE), or a combination of gNB and UE.

[0151] Clause 3: The method of Clause 2, wherein the selection of the set of devices is based at least in part on the location of the gNB, the UE, or a combination of the gNB and the UE.

[0152] Clause 4: The method of Clause 2 or 3, wherein accommodating a second RF sensing request includes: adjusting the set of devices used for the RF sensing session based at least in part on the second RF sensing request.

[0153] Clause 5: The method of any of Clauses 1-4, wherein initiating a first RF sensing session includes: configuring a set of devices to have sensing parameters for the RF sensing session.

[0154] Clause 6: The method of Clause 5, wherein the sensing parameter includes at least one of the following: channel resource allocation, time resource, frequency resource, or spatial resource.

[0155] Clause 7: The method of Clause 5 or 6, wherein accommodating a second RF sensing request includes: adjusting at least one of the sensing parameters used in the RF sensing session to satisfy both the first and second RF sensing requests.

[0156] Clause 8: The method of any of Clauses 1-7, wherein the first RF sensing session includes: a first portion of the RF sensing session, wherein the location of at least the first object is detected based on RF sensing performed by the first set of devices; and a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the first object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices.

[0157] Clause 9: The method of Clause 8, wherein the subset further includes at least one additional device not included in the first set of devices.

[0158] Clause 10: As in Clause 8 or 9, where devices that are not part of the subset of devices in the first set of devices are deactivated from the first RF sensing session.

[0159] Clause 11: The method of any of Clauses 8-10, wherein the subset is selected in part based on the location of devices in the first set of devices and the location of a first object detected by RF sensing performed by the first set of devices.

[0160] Clause 12: The method of any of Clauses 8-11, wherein at least one of the first set of devices or a subset thereof is determined at least in part based on information associated with the second object.

[0161] Clause 13: The method of any of Clauses 8-12 further includes configuring at least one RF sensing parameter for the second part of the RF sensing session via one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) or Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[0162] Clause 14: The method of any of Clauses 1-13, wherein the RF sensing session is performed by a set of devices that simultaneously transmit RF signals and communicate data with other devices in the environment.

[0163] Clause 15: A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving from an entity a radio frequency (RF) sensing request for scanning an environment to detect at least one object; initiating a first portion of an RF sensing session in the environment in response to the RF sensing request, wherein the location of the at least one object is detected based on RF sensing performed by a first set of devices; initiating a second portion of the RF sensing session, the second portion refining the location of the at least one object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices; detecting the at least one object in the environment during the second portion of the RF sensing session; and transmitting information about the detected at least one object to the entity.

[0164] Clause 16: The method of Clause 15, wherein initiating the first part of the RF sensing session includes: selecting a set of devices for the first part of the RF sensing session, the set of devices including a next-generation B-node (gNB), user equipment (UE), or a combination of gNB and UE.

[0165] Clause 17: The method of Clause 16, wherein the selection of the set of devices is based at least in part on the location of the gNB, the UE, or a combination of the gNB and the UE.

[0166] Clause 18: The method of any of Clauses 15-17, wherein initiating the first part of the RF sensing session comprises: configuring the set of devices to have sensing parameters for the first part of the RF sensing session.

[0167] Clause 19: The method of Clause 18, wherein the sensing parameter includes at least one of the following: channel resource allocation, time resource, frequency resource, or spatial resource.

[0168] Clause 20: The method of any of Clauses 15-19, wherein the subset further includes at least one additional device not included in the first set of devices.

[0169] Clause 21: The method of any of Clauses 15-20, wherein devices in the first set of devices that are not part of the subset of devices are deactivated from the first part of the RF sensing session.

[0170] Clause 22: The method of any of Clauses 15-21, wherein the subset is selected in part based on the location of the devices in the first set of devices and the location of the at least one object detected by RF sensing performed by the first set of devices.

[0171] Clause 23: The method of any of Clauses 15-22 further includes configuring at least one RF sensing parameter for the second part of the RF sensing session via one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) or Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[0172] Clause 24: The method of any of Clauses 15-23, wherein the first set of devices includes devices that simultaneously transmit RF signals and communicate data with other devices in the environment.

[0173] Clause 25: An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1-24.

[0174] Clause 26: An apparatus comprising means for performing the method according to any one of Clauses 1-24.

[0175] Clause 27: A non-transient computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the device, cause the device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1-24.

[0176] Clause 28: A computer program product for wireless communication implemented on a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including code for performing a method pursuant to any of Clauses 1-24.

[0177] Additional wireless communication network considerations

[0178] The techniques described herein can be used in various wireless communication technologies, such as NR (e.g., 5G NR), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), and other networks. The terms "network" and "system" are often used interchangeably. CDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) and cdma2000. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other CDMA variants. cdma2000 covers the IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. TDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as NR (e.g., 5G RA), evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, and Flash-OFDMA. UTRA and E-UTRA are parts of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). LTE and LTE-A are UMTS versions using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). cdma2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). NR is an emerging wireless communication technology under development.

[0179] In 3GPP, the term "cell" can refer to the coverage area of ​​a B-node (NB) and / or the NB subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In NR systems, the terms "cell" and BS, next-generation B-node (gNB or g B-node), access point (AP), distributed cell (DU), carrier, or transmit / receive point (TRP) can be used interchangeably. A BS can provide communication coverage for macrocells, picocells, femtocells, and / or other types of cells. A macrocell can cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allows unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription. A picocell can cover a relatively small geographic area and allows unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription. A femtocell can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residential area) and allows restricted access by UEs associated with that femtocell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a residential area, etc.). A BS used for a macrocell can be referred to as a macro BS. A BS used for picocells can be called a picoBS. A BS used for femtocells can be called a femtoBS or a home BS.

[0180] A UE can also be referred to as a mobile station, terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, station, customer premises equipment (CPE), cellular phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, tablet computer, camera, gaming device, netbook, smartbook, ultrabook, appliance, medical device or medical equipment, biometric sensor / device, wearable device (such as smartwatch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet, etc.)), entertainment device (e.g., music device, video device, satellite radio, etc.), vehicle component or sensor, smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, GPS device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via wireless or wired media. Some UEs may be considered machine-type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., which can communicate with the BS, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. Wireless nodes can provide connectivity to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network, such as the Internet or cellular networks) via wired or wireless communication links, for example. Some UEs can be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which can be narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0181] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled. A scheduling entity (e.g., a BS) allocates resources for communication among some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. The scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communication, the subordinate entity utilizes the resources allocated by the scheduling entity. A BS is not the only entity that can act as a scheduling entity. In some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity and can schedule resources for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs), and other UEs can utilize the resources scheduled by that UE for wireless communication. In some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and / or in a mesh network. In the mesh network example, UEs can communicate directly with each other in addition to communicating with a scheduling entity.

[0182] The methods disclosed herein include one or more steps or actions for implementing the method. These method steps and / or actions may be interchanged without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of specific steps and / or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0183] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. As an example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination with multiple identical elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other ordering of a, b, and c).

[0184] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determine" can include calculation, computation, processing, derivation, research, searching (e.g., looking in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Moreover, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, choosing, building, and the like.

[0185] The preceding description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, and the universal principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be granted the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein references to the singular form of an element are not intended to mean “one and only one” (unless specifically stated otherwise) but “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some / a” refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents of the aspects described throughout this disclosure that are now or hereafter known to a person skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be donated to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly stated in the claims. No element of a claim should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of 35 U.S.SC §112(f) unless the element is expressly stated using the phrase “means for…” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is stated using the phrase “steps for…”.

[0186] The various operations of the methods described above can be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding functions. These means may include a variety of hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including but not limited to circuits, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors (e.g., general-purpose processors or specially programmed processors). Generally, where the operations illustrated in the figures are present, these operations may have corresponding paired means with similar numbers plus functional components.

[0187] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in this disclosure can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, the processor may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0188] If implemented in hardware, an example hardware configuration could include a processing system in a wireless node. The processing system can be implemented using a bus architecture. Depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system, the bus can include any number of interconnect buses and bridges. The bus can link together various circuits, including a processor, machine-readable media, and a bus interface. The bus interface can be used to connect network adapters, etc., to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter can be used to implement signal processing functions at the PHY layer. In the user terminal (see...), Figure 1 In such cases, the user interface (e.g., keypad, display, mouse, joystick, etc.) can also be connected to the bus. The bus can also link various other circuits (such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, etc.), which are well known in the art and will therefore not be described further. The processor can be implemented using one or more general-purpose and / or special-purpose processors. Examples include microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, and other circuit systems capable of executing software. Depending on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system, those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the functionality described for the processing system.

[0189] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, data, or any combination thereof, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, encompassing any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. The processor may be responsible for managing the bus and general processing, including executing software modules stored on the machine-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be coupled to the processor so that the processor can read and write information to / from the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. As an example, the machine-readable medium may include a transmission line, a data-modulated carrier wave, and / or a separate computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, all accessible to the processor via a bus interface. Alternatively or additionally, the machine-readable medium or any portion thereof may be integrated into the processor, such as caches and / or general-purpose register files. As an example, examples of machine-readable storage media may include RAM (random access memory), flash memory, ROM (read-only memory), PROM (programmable read-only memory), EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), registers, disks, optical disks, hard drives, or any other suitable storage media, or any combination thereof. Machine-readable media may be implemented in computer program products.

[0190] Software modules may comprise a single instruction or a number of instructions, and may be distributed across several different code segments, across different programs, and across multiple storage media. Computer-readable media may include multiple software modules. These software modules include instructions that, when executed by an instrument (such as a processor), enable the processing system to perform various functions. These software modules may include transfer modules and receive modules. Each software module may reside in a single storage device or be distributed across multiple storage devices. As an example, when a trigger event occurs, a software module may be loaded from a hard drive into RAM. During the execution of a software module, the processor may load some instructions into a cache to improve access speed. One or more cache lines may subsequently be loaded into a general-purpose register file for processor execution. In the context of the functionality of a software module described below, it will be understood that such functionality is implemented by the processor when the processor executes the instructions from that software module.

[0191] Similarly, any connection is also legitimately referred to as computer-readable medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technology (such as infrared (IR), radio, and microwave), then that coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave) is included in the definition of medium. As used herein, disks and discs include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital multi-purpose discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and... Disks, where disks often magnetically reproduce data, and discs optically reproduce data using lasers. Therefore, in some aspects, computer-readable media may include non-transient computer-readable media (e.g., tangible media). Additionally, in other aspects, computer-readable media may include transient computer-readable media (e.g., signals). Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0192] Therefore, certain aspects may include computer program products for performing the operations described herein. For example, such computer program products may include computer-readable media on which instructions are stored (and / or encoded) that can be executed by one or more processors to perform the operations described herein, such as those for performing the operations described herein and in... Figure 8 and / or Figure 9 The instructions for the operation explained in the text.

[0193] Furthermore, it should be understood that modules and / or other suitable means for performing the methods and techniques described herein may be downloaded and / or otherwise obtained by the user terminal and / or base station where applicable. For example, such devices can be coupled to a server to facilitate the transfer of means for performing the methods described herein. Alternatively, the various methods described herein can be provided via a storage device (e.g., RAM, ROM, physical storage media such as CDs or floppy disks, etc.) so that the device can obtain the various methods once the storage device is coupled to or provided to the user terminal and / or base station. Furthermore, any other suitable techniques appropriate for providing the methods and techniques described herein to the device may be utilized.

[0194] It will be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configurations and components described above. Various modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the layout, operation, and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: Receive a first radio frequency (RF) sensing request from the first entity for scanning the environment to detect at least a first object; In response to the first RF sensing request, initiate a first RF sensing session in the environment; During the first RF sensing session, a second RF sensing request is received from the second entity for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object; The output from the first RF sensing session is used to accommodate the second RF sensing request, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress; Detect the first object and the second object in the environment during the first RF sensing session; Transmit information about the detected first object to the first entity; as well as Information about the detected second object is transmitted to the second entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the first RF sensing session comprises: Select a set of devices for the RF sensing session, the set of devices including next-generation B-nodes (gNBs), user equipment (UEs), or a combination of gNBs and UEs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection of the set of devices is based at least in part on the location of the gNB, the UE, or a combination of the gNB and the UE.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein accommodating the second RF sensing request includes: The set of devices used for the RF sensing session is adjusted at least in part based on the second RF sensing request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the first RF sensing session comprises: Configure the device set to have sensing parameters for the RF sensing session.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensing parameters include at least one of the following: channel resource allocation, time resources, frequency resources, or spatial resources.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein accommodating the second RF sensing request comprises: Adjust at least one of the sensing parameters used in the RF sensing session to satisfy both the first RF sensing request and the second RF sensing request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF sensing session comprises: The first part of the RF sensing session, wherein at least the location of the first object is detected based on RF sensing performed by the first set of devices; as well as The second part of the RF sensing session refines the location of the first object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the subset further includes at least one additional device not included in the first set of devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein devices in the first set of devices that are not part of the subset of the devices are deactivated from the first RF sensing session.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the subset is selected in part based on the location of devices in the first set of devices and the location of the first object obtained according to the RF sensing performed by the first set of devices.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first set of devices or the subset is determined at least in part based on information associated with the second object.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: At least one RF sensing parameter for the second part of the RF sensing session is configured via one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), or Downlink Control Information (DCI).

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF sensing session is performed by a set of devices that simultaneously transmit RF signals and communicate data with other devices in the environment.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as A memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the device to: Receive a first radio frequency (RF) sensing request from the first entity for scanning the environment to detect at least a first object; In response to the first RF sensing request, initiate a first RF sensing session in the environment; During the first RF sensing session, a second RF sensing request is received from the second entity for scanning the environment to detect at least a second object; The output from the first RF sensing session is used to accommodate the second RF sensing request, wherein the first RF sensing session is in progress; Detect the first object and the second object in the environment during the first RF sensing session; Transmit information about the detected first object to the first entity; as well as Information about the detected second object is transmitted to the second entity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to initiate the first RF sensing session include instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Select a set of devices for the RF sensing session, the set of devices including next-generation B-nodes (gNBs), user equipment (UEs), or a combination of gNBs and UEs.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the selection of the set of devices is based at least in part on the location of the gNB, the UE, or a combination of the gNB and the UE.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions executable by the at least one processor to adapt the apparatus to the second RF sensing request include instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: The set of devices used for the RF sensing session is adjusted at least in part based on the second RF sensing request.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to initiate the first RF sensing session include instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Configure the device set to have sensing parameters for the RF sensing session.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sensing parameters include at least one of: channel resource allocation, time resources, frequency resources, or spatial resources.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions executable by the at least one processor to adapt the apparatus to the second RF sensing request include instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: Adjust at least one of the sensing parameters used in the RF sensing session to satisfy both the first RF sensing request and the second RF sensing request.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first RF sensing session comprises: The first part of the RF sensing session, wherein at least the location of the first object is detected based on RF sensing performed by the first set of devices; as well as The second part of the RF sensing session refines the location of the first object based on RF sensing performed by a subset of the first set of devices.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the subset further includes at least one additional device not included in the first set of devices.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein devices in the first set of devices that are not part of the subset of the devices are deactivated from the first RF sensing session.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the subset is selected in part based on the location of devices in the first set of devices and the location of the first object obtained by the RF sensing performed by the first set of devices.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first set of devices or the subset is determined at least in part based on information associated with the second object.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: At least one RF sensing parameter for the second part of the RF sensing session is configured via one of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), or Downlink Control Information (DCI).

28. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RF sensing session is performed by a set of devices that simultaneously transmit RF signals and communicate data with other devices in the environment.

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