Information processing method and apparatus, communication device, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method and apparatus, a communication device, and a storage medium. An information processing method performed by a first network device can include: receiving a first request message of a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes identification information of the first UE and role information; wherein the role information indicates an expected role of the first UE; determining whether to allow exposure of location information of the first UE according to a privacy configuration of the first UE, wherein the expected role is a positioning UE; sending a first response message containing a discovery key to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows exposure of the location information of the first UE; and the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and a second UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, the field of wireless communication technology, and particularly to an information processing method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] The ranging / sidelink (SL) positioning process can perform relative positioning of a target user equipment (UE). By combining this with the location information of a located UE, a more precise location of the target UE can be obtained. This located UE can be a UE whose own location has already been determined.

[0003] However, in some cases, the location information of the UE is confidential. If the UE that does not want to expose its own location information is selected during the SL positioning process, it may infringe on the privacy of the UE and place the location information of the UE in an environment that the UE does not trust or is insecure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides an information processing method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium.

[0005] A first aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing method, wherein the method is executed by a first network device, the method comprising:

[0006] A first request message is received from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE.

[0007] Whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE is determined based on the privacy configuration of the first UE, wherein the desired role is the location UE;

[0008] A first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE.

[0009] A second aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing method, executed by a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

[0010] A first request message is sent to a first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; the desired role is a location UE;

[0011] Receive the first response message returned by the first network device;

[0012] The first UE privacy configuration instruction allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed, and the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE.

[0013] A third aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes:

[0014] A first receiving module is configured to receive a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE.

[0015] The determination module is configured to determine whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE based on the privacy configuration of the first UE, wherein the desired role is the location UE;

[0016] The first sending module is configured to send a first response message containing a discovery key to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE, and the discovery key is used for mutual discovery with the second UE acting as the target UE.

[0017] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

[0018] The second sending module is configured to send a first request message to the first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; the desired role is a location UE;

[0019] The second receiving module is configured to receive the first response message returned by the first network device;

[0020] The first UE privacy configuration instruction allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed, and the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE.

[0021] A fifth aspect of this disclosure discloses an information processing method, wherein the method is executed by a communication system, the method comprising:

[0022] A first user equipment (UE) sends a first request message to a first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; the desired role is a location UE;

[0023] A first network device receives a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; and determines whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE based on the privacy configuration of the first UE, wherein the desired role is a location UE.

[0024] A first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE;

[0025] The first UE receives the first response message returned by the first network device.

[0026] A sixth aspect of this disclosure provides a communication device, including a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein when the processor runs the executable program, it performs the information processing method as provided in the first, second, or fifth aspects described above.

[0027] A seventh aspect of this disclosure provides a computer storage medium storing an executable program; the executable program, when executed by a processor, can implement the information processing method provided in the first, second, or fifth aspects described above.

[0028] The technical solution provided in this disclosure involves a first network device determining that the expected role of the first UE is a location UE. The first network device then determines, based on the first UE's privacy configuration, whether it is permissible to expose the first UE's location information to other UEs. Only if exposure is permitted will a discovery key be sent to the first UE. In this way, other UEs can discover the first UE based on the discovery key and obtain its location information. Compared to related technologies that do not verify the privacy configuration of the requesting or expected location UE, this solution improves the security of the first UE's location information and reduces privacy violations against the first UE.

[0029] It should be understood that the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this disclosure are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the invention.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0032] Figure 2A This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0033] Figure 2B This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0034] Figure 2C This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0035] Figure 3A This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0036] Figure 3B This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0037] Figure 4A This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] Figure 4B This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0039] Figure 5A This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a UE according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0042] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with those of the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0044] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the embodiments disclosed herein. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used herein are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0045] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various information in embodiments of this disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information without departing from the scope of embodiments of this disclosure, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0046] Please refer to Figure 1 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on cellular mobile communication technology. This system may include several UEs 11, several access devices 12, and several core network devices 13. The core network devices 13 are connected to the access devices and can be used for mobility management, session management, Quality of Service (QoS) management, or key management of the UEs. Typical core network devices include, but are not limited to, Access Management Function (AMF) and Location Management Function (LMF).

[0047] UE 11 can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. UE 11 can communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN). UE 11 can be an IoT UE, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone), and a computer with an IoT UE. For example, it can be a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted device. Examples include a station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, or user equipment (UE). Alternatively, UE 11 can also be a device in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Alternatively, UE 11 can also be a vehicle-mounted device, such as a vehicle computer with wireless communication capabilities, or a wireless communication device connected to an external vehicle computer. Alternatively, UE 11 can also be a roadside device, such as a street light, traffic light, or other roadside device with wireless communication capabilities.

[0048] Access device 12 can be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. This wireless communication system can be a 4G system (also known as Long Term Evolution, LTE); or it can be a 5G system (also known as a New Radio, NR, or 5G NR system). Alternatively, it can be the next generation after 5G. In this case, the access network in the 5G system can be called NG-RAN (New Generation-Radio Access Network). Alternatively, it can be an MTC system.

[0049] The access device 12 can be an evolved NB (eNB) used in a 4G system. Alternatively, the access device 12 can also be a gNB (gNB) using a centralized-distributed architecture in a 5G system. When the access device 12 adopts a centralized-distributed architecture, it typically includes a central unit (CU) and at least two distributed units (DUs). The central unit is equipped with a protocol stack of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Media Access Control (MAC) layer; the distributed units are equipped with a physical (PHY) layer protocol stack. This disclosure does not limit the specific implementation of the access device 12.

[0050] Access device 12 and UE 11 can establish a wireless connection via a wireless air interface. In different implementations, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fourth-generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard; or, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fifth-generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, such as a new air interface; or, the wireless air interface can also be a wireless air interface based on a next-generation mobile communication network technology standard based on 5G.

[0051] like Figure 2A As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by a first network device, the method comprising:

[0052] S1110: Receive a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE;

[0053] S1120: If the desired role is a location UE, determine whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE according to the privacy configuration of the first UE;

[0054] S1130: If the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed, a first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the discovery key is used for mutual discovery with a second UE acting as the target UE.

[0055] The first network device may be a core network device, which includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0056] Policy Control Function (PCF) or Prose Key Management Function (PKMF), or Direct Discovery Name Management Function (DDNMF).

[0057] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first network device receives a first request message from a first UE. This first request message may be forwarded or transparently transmitted to the first network device by the first UE through an access network device or other core network device. For example, the first request message is sent by the first UE and forwarded to the PCF, PKMF, or DDNMF via the AMF.

[0058] For example, the first request message may include, but is not limited to, a Discovery Key Request (DKR) message. The Discovery Key Request message may also be referred to simply as a Discovery Key Request.

[0059] The identification information of the first UE can be various unique identifiers that can be recognized by network devices. For example, the identification information of the first UE may include, but is not limited to: Subscriber Permanent Identifier (SUPI) and Subscriber Concealed Identifier (SUCI).

[0060] The role information indicates the role the first UE plays when performing ranging / SL positioning services. For example, the role indicated by the role information may include: positioning UE, target UE.

[0061] The location UE can be used to assist in the location of the target UE. The location information of the location UE can provide the target UE with more accurate positioning. For example, the location UE is a UE that knows its absolute location information. Based on the relative positioning between the target UE and the location UE, and combined with the target UE's absolute location information, the target UE can obtain its absolute location information, which can be latitude and longitude, etc. If the network device needs to locate the target UE, with the assistance of the location UE, it can obtain more accurate location information for the target UE.

[0062] The target UE can also be referred to as the UE under test. The UE under test will participate in the ranging / SL positioning operation to obtain the ranging / SL positioning result. The ranging / SL positioning result may include the relative distance and / or relative angle between the two UEs under test.

[0063] In this embodiment of the disclosure, if the desired role of the first UE is a location UE, it will be determined whether the location information of the location UE should be exposed to network devices and / or other UEs based on the privacy configuration of the location UE. For example, it can be determined whether the location information of the location UE should be exposed to the target UE based on the privacy configuration of the location UE.

[0064] If the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed, the network device obtains a discovery key. This acquisition may include: generating a discovery key if the first network device does not store discovery keys for associated services; or directly obtaining the generated discovery key if it does store discovery keys for associated services. After obtaining the discovery key, the network device can return it to the first UE via a first request message. The associated service here may be the service indicated by the service code carried in the first request message. Specifically, this service may be a ranging / SL positioning service. This discovery key can be used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE. The second UE can then be considered the target UE for the ranging / SL positioning service.

[0065] For example, the discovery key may be generated based on the service code. At any given time within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), a network device may have only one set of valid discovery keys for that service code. If the first network device has a valid discovery key stored within it when it receives the first request message from the first UE, it directly returns that valid discovery key to the first UE. If the first network device does not have a valid discovery key when it receives the first request message from the first UE, it generates a discovery key based on the service code and sends the generated discovery key to the authorized (or verified) first UE via a first response message.

[0066] It is worth noting that in some embodiments, S1120 may include:

[0067] If, based on the first UE's subscription data, it is determined that the first UE is authorized to participate in the service indicated by the service code carried in the first request message, whether the first UE's location information should be exposed is determined according to the first UE's privacy configuration; or, if, based on the first UE's subscription data, it is determined that the first UE is authorized to act as a location UE in participating in the service indicated by the service code carried in the first request message, whether the first UE's location information should be exposed is determined according to the first UE's privacy configuration.

[0068] If, based on the first UE's subscription data, it is determined that the first UE is not authorized to participate in the service indicated by the service code, and / or, based on the first UE's subscription data, it is determined that the first UE is not authorized to act as a location UE, then the step of determining whether to allow the first UE's location information to be exposed to other UEs based on the first UE's privacy configuration is skipped. Furthermore, in these cases, a first response message indicating failure can be sent to the first UE.

[0069] For example, the method may further include:

[0070] The first network device requests the first UE's subscription data and / or privacy configuration from the second network device based on the first request message.

[0071] The second network device may include, but is not limited to, User Data Management (UDM) and / or Unified Data Repository (UDR).

[0072] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration may be part of the first UE's subscription data. For example, if the first UE's subscription data indicates that the first UE's location information is not allowed to be exposed or that the security level is high, then the exposure of the first UE's configuration information is not allowed. As another example, if the first UE's subscription data indicates that the first UE's location information is allowed to be exposed or that the security level is low, then the exposure of the first UE's configuration information is allowed.

[0073] The discovery key may include at least one of the following: an integrity key for integrity protection of messages used when the first UE and the second UE discover each other; and a confidentiality key for encryption protection of messages used when the first UE and the second UE discover each other.

[0074] If, when a first UE requests or desires to act as a location UE, the first network device, based on its privacy configuration, determines that the first UE is not allowed to expose its location information to other UEs when acting as a location UE, then the first response message may be a rejection message. This rejection message does not contain a discovery key but may contain a reason for failure.

[0075] In this embodiment of the disclosure, on the one hand, the discovery key can be used for the security protection of messages transmitted during the mutual discovery process between the first UE and the second UE; on the other hand, whether the discovery key is sent depends on the authorization status of the locating UE, and is further used to control whether the location information of the locating UE is obtained by the target UE.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first request message may further include a service code. This service code may indicate the service currently involved. For example, the service code may indicate a ranging / SL positioning service.

[0077] In this way, the process of discovering the key distribution process enables the authorization of whether the UE is willing to expose its location information to other UEs, thereby ensuring the security of the UE's location information.

[0078] This privacy configuration can be configured for the first network device from User Data Management (UDM) and / or Unified Data Repository (UDR).

[0079] After receiving the first request message, the first network device may request the privacy configuration of the first UE from the UDM and / or UDR. For example, the location UE determines whether it allows its location information to be exposed to other UEs when it subscribes, and a privacy configuration can be generated at this time. This privacy configuration can then be part of the location UE's subscription data, or a privacy configuration specifically generated according to the agreement in the subscription data. As another example, the location UE can dynamically update its determination of whether it is willing to expose its location information based on user instructions, thereby updating the privacy configuration stored on the first network device and / or UDM and / or UDR through an update process.

[0080] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration of the location UE can be a common configuration shared by UEs of the same type as the location UE, or a personalized configuration for the location UE. If it is a common configuration, the privacy configuration shared by UEs of that type is determined based on the type of the first UE, and then it is determined whether the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed. If it is a personalized configuration, the personalized configuration is queried based on the identification information of the first UE, and based on the personalized configuration, it is determined whether the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed. For example, multiple UEs belonging to groups such as enterprises, governments, families, or non-profit organizations may have the same privacy configuration, that is, these UEs share the same set of common configurations.

[0081] In other embodiments, if both public and personalized configurations exist, the personalized configuration takes precedence over the public configuration. If no personalized configuration exists, the public configuration is used to determine whether the location information of the first UE that intends to act as the location UE should be exposed to other UEs.

[0082] In some embodiments, if there are no privacy configurations such as public configuration and personalized configuration, it can be assumed that the location information of the first UE that determines the request to act as the location UE is allowed to be exposed to other UEs.

[0083] like Figure 2B As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by a first network device, the method comprising:

[0084] S1210: Receive a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE;

[0085] S1220: If the expected role is the location UE and the privacy configuration of the first UE includes a notification indicator, send a verification notification to the first UE;

[0086] S1230: Receive notification feedback from the first UE;

[0087] S1240: Based on the notification feedback, determine whether to allow the first UE's location information to be exposed;

[0088] S1250: If the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed, a first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery with a second UE acting as the target UE.

[0089] In this embodiment of the disclosure, it can be determined through information interaction with the first UE whether its location information is allowed to be exposed to other UEs when the first UE intends to act as a location UE. This is also a way to verify whether the first UE allows its location information to be exposed to other UEs when it intends to act as a location UE. Furthermore, in this way, the user of the first UE can temporarily determine whether its own location information is allowed to be exposed to other UEs as needed.

[0090] In this scenario, the privacy configuration for the first UE may include a separate notification indicator. This notification indicator is used to indicate whether the location information of the first UE should be dynamically determined through authentication notifications and notification feedback with the first UE.

[0091] For example, the first UE may send a first request message to the first network device based on an application trigger. However, the operating system of the first UE may have settings that protect the first UE's location information or prevent its exposure. In this case, after receiving the verification notification from the first network device, the first UE will return a notification feedback to the first network device according to the operating system settings or based on the operation instructions received from the user interface (UI). This notification feedback indicates whether the exposure of the first UE's location information is permitted.

[0092] like Figure 2CAs shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by a first network device. The method includes: S1310: receiving a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role played by the first UE.

[0093] S1320: If the desired role is a location UE, determine whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE according to the privacy configuration of the first UE;

[0094] S1330: If the expected role is the location UE and the privacy configuration determines that the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed, a verification notification is sent to the first UE;

[0095] S1340: Receive notification feedback from the first UE;

[0096] S1350: Based on the notification feedback, determine again whether to allow the first UE's location information to be exposed;

[0097] S1360: If the notification feedback indicates that the exposure of the first UE's location information is permitted, send a first response message containing a discovery key to the first UE; if the notification feedback indicates that the exposure of the first UE's location information is not permitted, send a first response message without a discovery key to the first UE.

[0098] Ultimately, the first network device will determine, based on the notification feedback from the first UE, whether the location information of the first UE when participating in the SL positioning service and acting as a positioning UE should be exposed to other UEs.

[0099] In some embodiments, if the privacy configuration determines that the location information of the first UE should not be exposed, a first response message without a discovery key is sent to the first UE. In this case, the first response message may also include a failure indication.

[0100] In some embodiments, determining whether to verify whether to allow the first UE's location information to be exposed based on the notification feedback includes:

[0101] If the notification feedback indicates confirmation, it is determined that the location information of the first UE can be exposed;

[0102] If the notification feedback indicates a denial, it is determined that the location information of the first UE should not be exposed.

[0103] In some embodiments, sending a verification notification to the first UE when the expected role is a location UE includes:

[0104] If the desired role is the location UE and the privacy configuration includes a notification indicator, a verification notification is sent to the first UE.

[0105] If the privacy configuration includes this notification indicator, it is necessary to determine whether the location information of the first UE should be exposed to other UEs through the interaction of verification notification and notification feedback with the first UE. Otherwise, it is possible to determine whether the location information of the first UE should be exposed to other UEs based solely on the privacy configuration.

[0106] In some embodiments, when the expected role is a location UE, determining whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE based on the privacy configuration of the first UE further includes:

[0107] If the desired role is a location UE and the privacy configuration does not include a notification indicator, determine whether to allow the exposure of the first UE's location information based on the first UE's privacy configuration.

[0108] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0109] If the first UE is allowed to act as the target UE, a first response message containing the discovery key is sent to the target UE.

[0110] For example, the role information instructs the first UE to act as the target UE when participating in ranging / SL positioning services, and if it is determined, based on the target UE's subscription data, that the first UE is authorized or permitted to act as the target UE, a first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the target UE. Thus, the discovery key can be used by the first UE acting as the target UE to discover a second UE that is also a positioning UE.

[0111] In some embodiments, if the first response message includes a discovery key, the first response message may also include a timestamp and a maximum offset value. The timestamp can be used to indicate the start time when the discovery key carried in the current first response message becomes effective, and the maximum offset can be used to determine the end time when the discovery key carried in the current first response message becomes effective.

[0112] After receiving the discovery key, the first UE will determine the effective period of the discovery key based on the timestamp and the maximum offset, and use the discovery key to discover each other with the second UE within the effective period.

[0113] For example, the timestamp could be the timestamp of the moment the discovery key was generated.

[0114] In some embodiments, if the first UE is allowed to act as the target UE, the first response message may further include information about the locating UE. For example, this information may be carried in a UE list, thus facilitating subsequent target UEs to find the locating UE through announcement messages.

[0115] In one embodiment, the first network device also needs to verify whether the first UE is allowed to act as a location UE. If the first UE is allowed to act as a location UE, then it determines whether the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed based on the privacy configuration of the first UE.

[0116] In this scenario, if the first UE is permitted to act as the location UE and its location information is allowed to be exposed, a first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE; otherwise, a first response message without a discovery key is sent to the first UE. The first response message without a discovery key may include a failure indication.

[0117] For example, the first network device may determine, based on the first UE's subscription data, whether the first UE is capable of participating in ranging / SL positioning services and / or whether it can act as a positioning UE when participating in ranging / SL positioning services. If the first UE cannot participate in ranging / SL positioning services, or if it is capable of participating in ranging / SL positioning services but cannot act as a positioning UE, then the first UE can be considered incapable of acting as a positioning UE; otherwise, it can be considered capable of acting as a positioning UE.

[0118] In some embodiments, the verification of whether to allow the location information of the first UE to be exposed is determined according to the privacy configuration only when the first UE is allowed to act as the positioning UE. This ensures the security of service execution on the one hand, and the security of the location information of the positioning UE participating in the execution of ranging / SL positioning services on the other hand.

[0119] For example, the first request message may include: a service code, querying the first UE's subscription data based on the service code and the first UE's identification information, and performing the aforementioned verification after receiving the subscription data.

[0120] For example, the first request message may also include a service code and the identification information of the first UE. After receiving the first request message, the first network device may provide the service code, the identification information of the first UE, and the role information carried in the first request message to the second network device such as UDM and / or UDR, and receive the query result returned by the second network device. The query result may directly indicate whether the first UE is allowed to act as a location UE, or it may return subscription data to the first network device.

[0121] like Figure 3AAs shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, executed by a first UE, the method comprising:

[0122] S2110: Send a first request message to a first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role played by the first UE;

[0123] S2120: Receive a first response message returned by the first network device; wherein, when the first UE is allowed to act as a location UE and the location information of the first UE is determined to be exposed according to the privacy configuration, the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used to discover each other with the second UE.

[0124] For example, the first UE can be various types of terminals, such as... Figure 1 The terminal can be any model shown. The first UE can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, wearable device, in-vehicle device, smart office device, smart home device, and / or flight device, etc.

[0125] The first request message may be a discovery key request message.

[0126] The first request message may contain role information, which may indicate the role that the first UE requests or expects to play, such as indicating that the first UE requests or expects to play the role of the target UE, the location UE, etc.

[0127] If the first UE requests to act as the location UE, the first UE receives a first response message containing the discovery key, which is returned to the first UE if the first UE is authorized to act as the location UE and the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed according to the privacy configuration of the first UE.

[0128] If the first UE is not allowed to act as a location UE, and / or the first UE's privacy configuration indicates that the first UE's location information should not be exposed, the first response message may be a rejection message. For example, the first response message does not contain a discovery key. The first response message may...

[0129] In some embodiments, if the first UE requests or desires to act as the target UE, but the first network device verifies that the first UE is not allowed to act as the target UE, then the first response message received by the first UE indicates failure. For example, if the role information carried in the first request message indicates that the first UE requests or desires to act as the target UE, then the first network device can verify whether the first UE can participate in the service indicated by the service code carried in the first request message. If it can participate in the service indicated by the service code, it further determines whether the first UE has the authority to act as the target UE. After performing this dual verification, if it is determined that the first UE can participate in the service indicated by the service code and can act as the target UE, then a first response message containing a discovery key is returned to the first UE; otherwise, a first response message without a discovery key is returned.

[0130] For example, the aforementioned service code may be the service code for ranging / SL positioning services.

[0131] like Figure 3B As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, executed by a first UE, the method comprising:

[0132] S2210: Send a first request message to a first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE;

[0133] S2220: When the desired role is a location UE, receive a verification notification;

[0134] S2230: Based on the verification notification, send a notification feedback of the first UE to the first network device; wherein the notification feedback indicates whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE;

[0135] S2240: Receive a first response message returned by the first network device; wherein, when the first UE is allowed to act as a location UE and the location information of the first UE is determined to be exposed according to the privacy configuration, the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used to discover each other with the second UE.

[0136] For example, when the first UE receives the verification notification, it displays a prompt message;

[0137] Detect user actions generated based on the prompt information;

[0138] Based on the user's operation, a notification feedback is sent to the first network device.

[0139] For example, when the first UE receives the authentication notification, it sends a notification feedback to the first network device according to the status of the first UE or its local configuration.

[0140] For example, if the first UE's current battery is very low, and assisting the target UE in locating would exacerbate the first UE's battery consumption, then a notification feedback indicating that the first UE's location information should not be exposed can be automatically sent to the first network device; otherwise, a notification feedback allowing the first UE's location information to be exposed can be sent.

[0141] Local configuration can be the configuration of settings in the operating system messages of the first UE. For example, if a location-related setting of the UE is configured to disallow the exposure of the first UE's location information, the first UE will automatically send a notification to the first network device indicating that the exposure of the first UE's location information is not allowed.

[0142] In some embodiments, after the first UE receives the discovery key, the method further includes:

[0143] When the first UE acts as the location UE, an announcement message is broadcast, which is securely protected using the discovery key; the announcement message may include: information about the first UE;

[0144] If the second UE hears the broadcast announcement message, it will obtain the discovery key from the first network device to perform security verification on the announcement message;

[0145] If the verification is successful, the first UE and the second UE will discover each other.

[0146] The information of the first UE may include: the identification information of the first UE. For example, the identification information of the first UE may include: the application layer identifier or layer 2 identifier of the first UE, etc. In short, it can be used by the second UE to uniquely identify the first UE.

[0147] Security verification here may include: integrity verification, digital signature verification, and / or confidentiality verification.

[0148] In this embodiment, the announcement message may include: role information of the first UE. This role information may indicate that the first UE acts as a location UE.

[0149] In some embodiments, the announcement message may further include a service code. This service code may be the service code for ranging / SL positioning services. In other embodiments, after the first UE receives the discovery key, the method further includes: listening to the announcement message broadcast by the second UE; the first UE using the received discovery key to perform security verification on the received announcement message; if the announcement message passes the security verification, then the first UE and the second UE have completed mutual discovery or verification.

[0150] Furthermore, the second UE can obtain the relative position information of the first UE, and / or the first UE can obtain the relative and absolute position information of the second UE, which can further improve the positioning accuracy of the first UE.

[0151] If the second UE acts as the target UE, the announcement message of the second UE may include: information about the location of the UE obtained by the second UE from the third network device. This information about the location of the UE may include: the application layer identifier and / or layer 2 identifier of the first UE, etc.

[0152] For example, the third network device may include a Location Management Function (LMF). For example, the third network device may know in advance information that can act as a location UE based on the AMF.

[0153] For example, a UE capable of acting as a location UE can inform the AMF via NAS messages whether it can act as a location UE during initial registration and / or renewal registration. If it can act as a location UE, the AMF will record the UE's information and provide it to the LMF, so that the LMF can subsequently provide it to the target UE.

[0154] After the first UE and the second UE complete mutual discovery, a PC5 connection can be established between them. This PC5 connection can be used to execute ranging / SL positioning services.

[0155] For example, the announcement message broadcast by the second UE may also include role information. This role information may indicate the role that the second UE requests or expects to play, or it may indicate the role that the peer UE can play, as discovered by the second UE.

[0156] If the announcement message contains role information, it can avoid erroneous responses when there are multiple UEs playing different roles in the vicinity, thereby achieving accurate mutual discovery between the target UE and the location UE.

[0157] In some embodiments, the announcement message may also include the ranging / SL positioning service code, thereby facilitating the UE receiving the announcement message to determine the discovery key used or the relevant service.

[0158] For example, the service code of the ranging / SL positioning service code can be carried in plaintext in the announcement message. The UE that receives the announcement message can determine the discovery key corresponding to the service code based on the service code, and then use the correct discovery key to perform security verification of the announcement message.

[0159] For example, establishing a PC5 connection may include:

[0160] Receive a direct communication request message from a second UE that acts as the target UE;

[0161] Based on the direct communication request message, a direct communication acceptance message is sent to the second UE that acts as the target UE.

[0162] In the foregoing embodiments, the first UE and the second UE discover each other through announcement messages, i.e., through mode A. In other embodiments, the first UE and the second UE can also discover each other through request messages and response messages, i.e., through mode B.

[0163] For network-assisted ranging / SL positioning, the target UE should discover and select the positioning UE located in the same serving PLMN as the target UE, and the privacy requirements of sharing the location of the positioning UE need to be considered. In view of this, embodiments of this disclosure propose checking the privacy requirements of the positioning UE during the discovery process before the positioning UE is selected by the target UE.

[0164] When a UE requests a discovery key from the network, the network needs to check the UE's privacy requirements before providing the discovery key. The network function that initiates the UE privacy check can be the network function responsible for generating and providing the discovery key to the UE.

[0165] like Figure 4A As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, an information processing method is provided, which may include:

[0166] 1. The UE sends a discovery key request to the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF. The request includes at least the UE ID, the service code of the SL positioning service, and information about the role the UE expects to play.

[0167] 2. If the requested (or desired) role is that of a location UE, the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF will contact the UDM to check whether the UE is authorized as a location UE for the SL location service based on its subscription information.

[0168] 3. If authorization is successful, DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF will query the UE privacy configuration from UDM via Nudm_SDM_Get request.

[0169] 4. UDM returns the privacy configuration of the located UE to DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF through the Nudm_SDM_Get response.

[0170] 5. DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF checks whether the UE allows its location information to be obtained by the network, based on the UE's privacy configuration. For example, it determines whether the UE's location information should be exposed based on the UE's privacy configuration.

[0171] 6. Optionally, if the indicator for a privacy check-related action indicates that the UE must be notified to perform privacy verification, the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF notifies the UE via the AMF. This notification may include the service code for the SL location service. Then, through user interaction, the UE returns a notification result to the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF via the AMF. This notification result indicates whether the user authorizes or denies the current SL location service. If authorized, it means the user currently agrees to the exposure of the UE's location information; if denied, it means the user currently does not agree to the exposure of the UE's location information. Figure 4A The location notification call in the middle is one of the aforementioned verification methods. Figure 4A Location notification feedback is one type of the aforementioned feedback notification.

[0172] 7a. If the privacy check is successful, DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF generates a discovery key for the UE.

[0173] 7b. If the privacy check fails, the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF returns a discovery key response with the reason for the failure to the UE.

[0174] 8. The DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF returns a discovery key response to the UE containing all discovery security information.

[0175] 9. The UE begins broadcasting an announcement message containing its own UE information and the service code for the SL location service. The received discovery key is then used to protect the announcement message.

[0176] 10. Target UE monitors broadcast announcement messages. If the UE information of the located UE in the announcement message matches the location UE information provided by the LMF, the target UE sends a discovery key request to the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF. This request includes at least the UEID, the service code of the SL location service, and the role information that the UE intends to play (i.e., the target UE).

[0177] 11. The DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF should contact the UDM to check whether the UE is authorized as a target UE for SL location services based on its subscription information.

[0178] 12. The DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF returns a discovery key response to the UE, which includes all the discovery security information generated in step #7a.

[0179] 13. Upon receiving the security information, the target UE is able to verify the received announcement message.

[0180] 14. The target UE selects the UE to be located by sending a Direct Communication Request (DCR) message to the UE to be located.

[0181] 15. The location UE returns a Direct Communication Accept (DCA) message to the target UE.

[0182] 16. Complete the remainder of the SL positioning process.

[0183] like Figure 4B As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, an information processing method is provided, which may include:

[0184] 1. The UE sends a discovery key request to the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF. The request includes at least the UE ID, the service code of the SL positioning service, and information about the role the UE expects to play.

[0185] 2. If the role played is that of a location UE, then the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF will contact the UDM to check whether the UE is authorized as a location UE for the SL location service based on its subscription information.

[0186] 3. If authorization is successful, DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF will query the UE privacy configuration from UDM via Nudm_SDM_Get request.

[0187] 4. UDM returns the privacy configuration of the located UE to DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF through the Nudm_SDM_Get response.

[0188] 5. DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF, based on the UE's privacy configuration, checks whether the UE allows its location information to be obtained by the network.

[0189] 6. Optionally, if the indicator for a privacy check-related action indicates that the UE must be notified to perform privacy verification, the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF notifies the UE via the AMF, and this notification includes the service code for the SL positioning service. Then, through user interaction, the UE returns a notification result to the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF via the AMF, indicating whether the user's permission for the current SL positioning service is granted or denied. Figure 4B The location notification call in the middle is one of the aforementioned verification methods. Figure 4B Location notification feedback is one type of the aforementioned feedback notification.

[0190] 7a. If the privacy check is successful, DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF generates a discovery key for the UE.

[0191] 7b. If the privacy check fails, the DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF returns a discovery key response with the reason for the failure to the UE.

[0192] 8. The DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF returns a discovery key response to the UE containing all discovery security information.

[0193] 9. Receive the discovery key request from the target UE, including: information about the target UE, role information, service code of SL positioning service, etc.

[0194] 10. The DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF should contact the UDM to check whether the UE is authorized as a target UE for the SL location service based on its subscription information.

[0195] 11. The DNMF / PCF / PKMF returns a discovery key response to the UE, which includes all the discovery security information generated in step #7a.

[0196] 12. Upon receiving the security discovery information, the target UE broadcasts an announcement message, which includes: the location information of the UE, the service code of the SL location service, and the discovery key.

[0197] 13. Upon receiving the security information, the UE can verify the received announcement message.

[0198] 14. The target UE selects the UE to be located by sending a Direct Communication Request (DCR) message to the UE to be located.

[0199] 15. The location UE returns a Direct Communication Accept (DCA) message to the target UE.

[0200] 16. Complete the remainder of the SL positioning process.

[0201] For example, DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF may be able to perform at least one of the following operations:

[0202] DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF should be able to initiate a privacy check to locate the UE based on the authorization result of the UDM.

[0203] DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF should be able to check whether the located UE allows the exposure of its location information based on the privacy configuration of the located UE obtained from the UDM.

[0204] DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF should be able to invoke location notifications to the UE via AMF.

[0205] DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF should be able to receive notification results from the AMF to locate the UE.

[0206] DDNMF, PCF, or PKMF should be able to determine whether discovery security information should be generated based on the privacy check results of the located UE.

[0207] For example, the UE may be able to perform at least one of the following operations:

[0208] The UE should be able to understand location notifications from the network indicating that privacy verification is required for a specific SL location service.

[0209] The UE should be able to return the privacy verification result of a specific SL location service to the network.

[0210] like Figure 5A As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes:

[0211] The first receiving module 110 is configured to receive a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role played by the first UE.

[0212] The determination module 120 is configured to determine whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE based on the privacy configuration of the first UE when the expected role is the location UE.

[0213] The first sending module 130 is configured to send a first response message containing a discovery key to the first UE, provided that the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed, wherein the discovery key is used for mutual discovery with a second UE acting as the target UE.

[0214] The information processing device may be a first network device. The first network device may be DDNMF, PKMF, or PCF, etc.

[0215] For example, the first receiving module 110, the determining module 120, and the first sending module 130 may be program modules; after being processed, the program modules can perform the above operations.

[0216] As another example, the first receiving module 110, the determining module 120, and the first transmitting module 130 may be hardware-software hybrid modules, which may include various programmable arrays. The programmable arrays include, but are not limited to, field-programmable arrays and / or complex programmable arrays.

[0217] As another example, the first receiving module 110, the determining module 120, and the first transmitting module 130 may be purely hardware modules. Such purely hardware modules include, but are not limited to, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0218] In some embodiments, the determining module 120 is configured to send a verification notification to the first UE when the expected role is the location UE;

[0219] The first receiving module 110 is also configured to receive notification feedback from the first UE;

[0220] The determining module 120 is further configured to determine, based on the notification feedback, whether to allow the first UE's location information to be exposed.

[0221] In some embodiments, the determining module 120 is configured to determine that the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed if the notification feedback indicates confirmation, and to determine that the location information of the first UE is not allowed to be exposed if the notification feedback indicates denial.

[0222] In some embodiments, the first sending module 130 is further configured to send a verification notification to the first UE when the desired role is a location UE and the privacy configuration includes a notification indicator.

[0223] In some embodiments, the determining module 120 is further configured to determine whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE based on the privacy configuration of the first UE when the expected role is a location UE and the privacy configuration does not contain a notification indicator.

[0224] In some embodiments, the first sending module 130 is configured to send a first response message containing a discovery key to the first UE when the first UE is allowed to act as the location UE and the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed.

[0225] like Figure 5B As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

[0226] The second sending module 210 is configured to send a first request message to the first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE.

[0227] The second receiving module 220 is configured to receive the first response message returned by the first network device;

[0228] Wherein, if the first UE is allowed to act as a location UE and the location information of the first UE can be exposed according to the privacy configuration, the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used to discover each other with the second UE.

[0229] The information processing device may be the first UE.

[0230] For example, the second sending module 210 and the second receiving module 220 may be program modules; after being processed, the program modules can perform the above operations.

[0231] As another example, the second transmitting module 210 and the second receiving module 220 may be hardware-software hybrid modules, which may include various programmable arrays. These programmable arrays include, but are not limited to, field-programmable arrays and / or complex programmable arrays.

[0232] As another example, the second transmitting module 210 and the second receiving module 220 may be purely hardware modules. Such purely hardware modules include, but are not limited to, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0233] Understandably, if the first UE is not allowed to act as a location UE and / or is not allowed to expose the location information of the first UE, the first response message indicates failure.

[0234] Understandably, the second receiving module is further configured to receive a verification notification when the desired role is a location UE; the second receiving module is further configured to send a notification feedback to the first network device according to the verification notification; wherein the notification feedback indicates whether the exposure of the location information of the first UE is permitted.

[0235] This disclosure provides an information processing method, executed by a communication system, the method comprising:

[0236] A first UE sends a first request message to a first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; the desired role is a location UE;

[0237] A first network device receives a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; and determines whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE based on the privacy configuration of the first UE, wherein the desired role is a location UE.

[0238] A first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE;

[0239] The first UE receives the first response message returned by the first network device.

[0240] For example, the first network device may include, but is not limited to, a GMLC.

[0241] In some implementations, a first response message without a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE does not allow the exposure of the first UE's location information, and / or the first UE is not allowed to act as a location UE.

[0242] In some embodiments, after receiving the first request message and before sending the first response message, the method further includes:

[0243] The first network device sends an authentication notification to the first UE; wherein, the privacy configuration of the first UE includes a notification indicator;

[0244] Receive notification feedback sent by the first UE, which indicates whether the location information of the first UE should be exposed.

[0245] In some embodiments, the privacy configuration of the first UE does not include a notification indicator.

[0246] In some embodiments, the first UE is used to assist the second UE in positioning.

[0247] This disclosure provides a communication device, including:

[0248] Memory used to store processor-executable instructions;

[0249] The processor is connected to the memory.

[0250] The processor is configured to execute the strategy processing method provided by any of the aforementioned technical solutions.

[0251] The processor may include various types of storage media, which are non-transitory computer storage media that can continue to store information after the communication device loses power.

[0252] Here, the communication device includes a UE or a network device. The network device may include, but is not limited to, the first network device, the second network device, and / or the third network device of any of the foregoing technical solutions.

[0253] The processor can be connected to the memory via a bus or similar means to read executable programs stored in the memory, for example, such as... Figures 2A to 2C , Figures 3A to 3B as well as Figures 4A to 4B At least one of the methods shown.

[0254] Figure 6This is a block diagram illustrating a UE800 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the UE800 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcast user equipment, messaging transceiver, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness equipment, personal digital assistant, etc.

[0255] Reference Figure 6 UE800 may include one or more of the following components: processing component 802, memory 804, power supply component 806, multimedia component 808, audio component 810, input / output (I / O) interface 812, sensor component 814, and communication component 816.

[0256] Processing component 802 typically controls the overall operation of UE 800, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communication, camera operation, and recording. Processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 to execute instructions to generate all or part of the steps of the methods described above. Furthermore, processing component 802 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 802 and other components. For example, processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 808 and processing component 802.

[0257] Memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operation on UE 800. Examples of this data include instructions for any application or method operating on UE 800, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. Memory 804 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0258] Power supply component 806 provides power to various components of UE800. Power supply component 806 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to UE800.

[0259] The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the UE 800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may sense not only the boundaries of the touch or swipe action but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front-facing camera and / or a rear-facing camera. When the UE 800 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front-facing camera and / or the rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front-facing camera and rear-facing camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0260] Audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, audio component 810 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when UE 800 is in an operating mode, such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in memory 804 or transmitted via communication component 816. In some embodiments, audio component 810 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0261] I / O interface 812 provides an interface between processing component 802 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, home buttons, volume buttons, power buttons, and lock buttons.

[0262] Sensor assembly 814 includes one or more sensors for providing status assessments of various aspects of UE 800. For example, sensor assembly 814 can detect the on / off state of UE 800, the relative positioning of components such as the display and keypad of UE 800, changes in the position of UE 800 or one of its components, the presence or absence of user contact with UE 800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of UE 800, and temperature changes of UE 800. Sensor assembly 814 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Sensor assembly 814 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, sensor assembly 814 may also include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0263] Communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between UE 800 and other devices. UE 800 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as WiFi, 2G, or 3G, or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 816 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 816 also includes a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0264] In an exemplary embodiment, UE800 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the methods described above.

[0265] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 804 including instructions that can be executed by a processor 820 of the UE 800 to generate the above-described method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0266] like Figure 7 As shown in the illustration, one embodiment of this disclosure illustrates a network device. For example, network device 900 can be provided as a network-side device. The network device can be any one of the aforementioned first network device, second network device, and third network device.

[0267] Reference Figure 7 The network device 900 includes a processing component 922, which further includes one or more processors, and memory resources represented by a memory 932 for storing instructions executable by the processing component 922, such as application programs. The application programs stored in the memory 932 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. Furthermore, the processing component 922 is configured to execute instructions to perform any of the methods described above applied to the access device, such as... Figures 2A to 2C , Figures 3A to 3B as well as Figures 4A to 4B At least one of the methods shown.

[0268] Network device 900 may also include a power supply component 926 configured to perform power management of network device 900, a wired or wireless network interface 950 configured to connect network device 900 to a network, and an input / output (I / O) interface 958. Network device 900 can operate on an operating system stored in memory 932, such as Windows Server™, Mac OS X™, Unix™, Linux™, FreeBSD™, or similar.

[0269] Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular implementation or embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, the solution after removing some steps in a particular implementation or embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular implementation or embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. In addition, the optional methods or examples in a particular implementation or embodiment can be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the implementations or embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other. For example, some or all of the steps in different implementations or embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular implementation or embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional methods or examples of other implementations or embodiments.

[0270] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0271] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An information processing method, wherein, Performed by a first network device, the method includes: A first request message is received from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE. Whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE is determined based on the privacy configuration of the first UE, wherein the desired role is the location UE; A first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, After receiving the first request message from the first user equipment (UE) and before sending the first response message, the method further includes: A verification notification is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE includes a notification indicator; The system receives a notification feedback from the first UE, which indicates that the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first UE privacy configuration does not include a notification indicator.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: Send a first response message to the first UE that does not contain a discovery key, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE does not allow the location information of the first UE to be exposed.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, After receiving the first request message from the first user equipment (UE) and before sending the first response message, the method further includes: A verification notification is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE includes a notification indicator; The system receives a notification feedback from the first UE, which indicates that the location information of the first UE is not allowed to be exposed.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The first UE privacy configuration does not include a notification indicator.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, Before determining whether to allow the exposure of the first UE's location information based on the first UE's privacy configuration, the method further includes: It is determined that the first UE is allowed to act as the positioning UE.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The positioning UE is used to assist the positioning of the second UE.

9. An information processing method, executed by a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising: A first request message is sent to a first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; the desired role is a location UE; Receive the first response message returned by the first network device; The first UE privacy configuration instruction allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed, and the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, Before receiving the first response message, the method further includes: Receive verification notification; Based on the verification notification, a notification feedback is sent to the first network device; wherein the notification feedback indicates that the location information of the first UE is allowed to be exposed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The privacy configuration of the first UE does not allow the exposure of the first UE's location information, and the first response message indicates failure.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Before receiving the first response message, the method further includes: Receive verification notification; According to the verification notification, a notification feedback is sent to the first network device; wherein, the notification feedback indicates that the location information of the first UE is not allowed to be exposed.

13. An information processing apparatus, wherein, The device includes: A first receiving module is configured to receive a first request message from a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE. The determination module is configured to determine whether to allow the exposure of the location information of the first UE based on the privacy configuration of the first UE, wherein the desired role is the location UE; The first sending module is configured to send a first response message containing a discovery key to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE.

14. An information processing apparatus, the apparatus comprising: The second sending module is configured to send a first request message to the first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; the desired role is a location UE; The second receiving module is configured to receive the first response message returned by the first network device; The first UE privacy configuration instruction allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed, and the first response message includes: a discovery key; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE.

15. An information processing method, wherein, Performed by a communication system, the method includes: A first user equipment (UE) sends a first request message to a first network device, wherein the first request message includes: identification information and role information of the first UE; wherein the role information indicates the desired role of the first UE; the desired role is a location UE; A first response message containing a discovery key is sent to the first UE, wherein the privacy configuration of the first UE allows the location information of the first UE to be exposed; the discovery key is used for mutual discovery between the first UE and the second UE; The first UE establishes a connection with the second UE based on the discovery key; The second UE determines its location based on the first UE.

16. A communication device, comprising a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein, When the processor runs the executable program, it performs the information processing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, 9 to 12 or 15.

17. A computer storage medium storing an executable program; the executable program, when executed by a processor, is capable of implementing the information processing method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, 9 to 12, or 15.

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