A synchronization method between base stations and a mobile communication system

Abstract

A method for inter-base station synchronization, applicable to base stations / transceiver points in a mobile communication system, involves performing data transmission processes such as synchronization capability negotiation and synchronization resource allocation between the base station / transceiver point and internal management functions. This method allocates pulse carriers with larger bandwidth to the base station / transceiver point, ensuring that the larger pulse carriers are used only for precise synchronization between the base stations / transceiver points. This integrates the pulse synchronization process into the mobile communication system, avoiding the limitation of using smaller bandwidth communication carriers in the mobile communication system for synchronization, and achieving precise synchronization at a lower cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a synchronization method between base stations and a mobile communication system. Background Technology

[0002] Time synchronization is a crucial feature of mobile communication systems. Base stations typically synchronize time using protocols such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and IEEE 1588v2, while terminals maintain synchronization with the base station through downlink timing tracking and uplink timing adjustment. According to current mobile communication standards, the synchronization accuracy between base stations is at the microsecond level. Generally, higher synchronization accuracy results in stronger inter-cell interference control and better inter-cell coordination, leading to higher positioning accuracy related to Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (UL-TDoA) and Downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL-TDoA).

[0003] However, time synchronization has a certain degree of precision. Figure 1 Taking the IEEE 1588V2 synchronization scheme as an example, base stations typically achieve a synchronization accuracy of only ±1.5 microseconds. Considering UL-TDoA, a 1.5-microsecond synchronization deviation can result in an error of up to 450 meters. Therefore, mobile communication systems employ various methods to improve the synchronization accuracy between base stations, but it remains difficult to control the synchronization accuracy within 100 nanoseconds.

[0004] In this context, based on the refined geographical location of each base station / transceiver point, the serving base station / transceiver point sends a calibration signal over the air interface, and then the adjacent base stations / transceiver points receive the calibration signal, thereby estimating the arrival time of the calibration signal and obtaining the UL-TDoA calculation amount. This calculation amount is compared with the UL-TDoA calculation amount obtained based on the geographical location, so the timing of the adjacent base stations / transceiver points can be calibrated.

[0005] Currently, due to bandwidth limitations imposed by calibration signals, the timing deviation between base stations after timing calibration can only reach the order of 10 nanoseconds, limiting the maximum impact on UL-TDoA positioning to approximately 3 meters. Specifically, mobile communication systems are typically operated by different carriers, each with its own frequency band resources, generally resulting in limited bandwidth. Consequently, the accuracy of the in-band calibration signal used for timing calibration becomes an issue. Even with a 100MHz bandwidth, the air interface calibration signal can only control synchronization accuracy to around 10 nanoseconds, limiting the maximum impact on UL-TDoA positioning to approximately 3 meters, which is insufficient to meet the requirements of subsequent positioning and sensing. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a synchronization method between base stations, which can improve the synchronization accuracy between base stations / transceiver points.

[0007] A first aspect of this application provides a synchronization method between base stations, applied to a first base station / transceiver point. The method includes: the first base station / transceiver point sending a pulse capability message to an internal management function, the pulse capability message indicating the pulse transmission and reception capabilities supported by the first base station / transceiver point. For example, the pulse capability message may contain information indicating whether the first base station / transceiver point supports pulse transmission and reception, and the channels that support pulse transmission and reception.

[0008] Then, the first base station / transceiver point receives both the general pulse configuration and the dedicated pulse configuration. The general pulse configuration comes from the internal management function, which determines the general pulse configuration for the first base station / transceiver point based on its pulse transmission and reception capabilities. The general pulse configuration refers to configuration information that can be used by multiple base stations / transceiver points, while the dedicated pulse configuration is configuration information exclusively used by one base station / transceiver point (i.e., the first base station / transceiver point).

[0009] Secondly, the first base station / transceiver point receives a pulse activation request message from the internal management function. The pulse activation request message is used to request the first base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the second base station / transceiver point.

[0010] Finally, based on the pulse general configuration and pulse specific configuration, the first base station / transceiver point sends a pulse sequence to the second base station / transceiver point.

[0011] Among them, the first base station / transceiver point, the internal management function, and the second base station / transceiver point are all devices in the mobile communication system. The pulse sequence is carried by a pulse carrier, and the bandwidth of the pulse carrier is greater than the bandwidth of the communication carrier used by the first base station / transceiver point.

[0012] In this scheme, a pulse carrier with a larger bandwidth is allocated to the base station / transceiver point by performing data transmission processes such as synchronization capability negotiation and synchronization resource allocation between the base station / transceiver point and the internal management function. This allows the pulse carrier with a larger bandwidth to be used only for precise synchronization between the base station / transceiver point, thereby integrating the pulse synchronization process into the mobile communication system. This avoids being limited to using communication carriers with smaller bandwidth in the mobile communication system to achieve synchronization, and achieves precise synchronization at a lower cost.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the communication carrier is located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, while the pulse carrier is not located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system. For example, the pulse carrier is located in the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) band or the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) band.

[0014] In this scheme, by using licensed frequency band resources in the mobile communication system to carry the communication carrier, and using frequency band resources outside the mobile communication system to carry the pulse carrier, the frequency band resources of the pulse carrier are no longer limited to the licensed frequency bands of the mobile communication system with limited bandwidth. Instead, higher bandwidth UWB or WLAN frequency band resources can be used to carry the pulse carrier, thereby effectively improving the synchronization accuracy.

[0015] In simple terms, by using pulse carriers on unlicensed frequency bands in mobile communication systems, it is possible to obtain frequency band resources with greater bandwidth and improve synchronization accuracy. On the other hand, it is also possible to avoid the influence of message interactions based on the original communication carriers and reduce interference in the synchronization process.

[0016] In one possible implementation, both the communication carrier and the pulse carrier are located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the dedicated pulse configuration originates from the base station managing the first base station / transceiver point; that is, the dedicated pulse configuration of the first base station / transceiver point is determined by the base station managing the first base station / transceiver point, which belongs to the mobile communication system. The time-domain, frequency-domain, and spatial-domain resources of the pulse carrier in the dedicated pulse configuration are exclusively used by the first base station / transceiver point. In another possible implementation, the general pulse configuration includes one or more of the following information: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the reference time of the pulse sequence, and the period of the pulse sequence.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the pulse-specific configuration includes one or more of the following information: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the pulse transmit power, the time offset of the pulse sequence relative to the reference time, the duration of the pulse sequence, the type of the pulse sequence, and the intra-range interval of the ranging frame.

[0019] In one possible implementation, after the first base station / transceiver point transmits a pulse sequence, the first base station / transceiver point can receive a pulse deactivation request message from an internal management function. This pulse deactivation request message is used to instruct the first base station / transceiver point to stop transmitting the pulse sequence. Based on this pulse deactivation request message, the first base station / transceiver point stops transmitting the pulse sequence to the second base station / transceiver point.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first base station / transceiver point can also receive a calibration measurement request message from an internal management function. This calibration measurement request message requests the first base station / transceiver point to measure a pulse sequence transmitted by the second base station / transceiver point, and the calibration measurement request message indicates the pulse-specific configuration of the second base station / transceiver point. Based on the pulse general configuration and the pulse-specific configuration of the second base station / transceiver point, the first base station / transceiver point performs a calibration measurement on the pulse sequence transmitted by the second base station / transceiver point to obtain a calibration measurement result; then, the first base station / transceiver point sends the calibration measurement result to the internal management function.

[0021] In other words, in addition to being the sender of the pulse sequence, the first base station / transceiver point can also be the receiver of the pulse sequence, measuring the pulse sequence sent by the second base station / transceiver point. This enables the first base station / transceiver point and the second base station / transceiver point to send and receive pulse sequences to each other, completing bidirectional pulse sequence measurement and improving the accuracy of synchronization.

[0022] A second aspect of this application provides a synchronization method between base stations, applied to a second base station / transceiver point in a mobile communication system. The method includes: the second base station / transceiver point sending a pulse capability message to an internal management function, the pulse capability message indicating the pulse transmission and reception capabilities supported by the second base station / transceiver point; and the second base station / transceiver point receiving a pulse general configuration, the pulse general configuration originating from the internal management function.

[0023] Then, the second base station / transceiver point receives a calibration measurement request message from the internal management function. The calibration measurement request message is used to request the second base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurements on the pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point, and the calibration measurement request message indicates the pulse-specific configuration of the first base station / transceiver point.

[0024] Finally, based on the pulse general configuration and pulse specific configuration, the second base station / transceiver point performs calibration measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point to obtain the calibration measurement result.

[0025] Among them, the first base station / transceiver point, the internal management function, and the second base station / transceiver point are all devices in the mobile communication system. The pulse sequence is carried by a pulse carrier, and the bandwidth of the pulse carrier is greater than the bandwidth of the communication carrier used by the first base station / transceiver point.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the communication carrier is located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, while the pulse carrier is not located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

[0027] In one possible implementation, both the communication carrier and the pulse carrier are located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the pulse general configuration includes one or more of the following: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the reference time of the pulse sequence, and the period of the pulse sequence.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the pulse-specific configuration includes one or more of the following information: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the pulse transmit power, the time offset of the pulse sequence relative to the reference time, the duration of the pulse sequence, the type of the pulse sequence, and the intra-range interval of the ranging frame.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the second base station / transceiver point sending calibration measurement results to an internal management function, so that the internal management function can synchronize the first base station / transceiver point and the second base station / transceiver point based on the feedback calibration measurement results. Specifically, the calibration measurement results fed back by the second base station / transceiver point may refer to some timing information of the pulse sequence received by the second base station / transceiver point.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the second base station / transceiver point receiving a pulse-specific configuration from a management base station; the second base station / transceiver point receiving a pulse activation request message from an internal management function, the pulse activation request message being used to request the second base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point; and the second base station / transceiver point sending a pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point based on the pulse general configuration and the pulse-specific configuration of the second base station / transceiver point.

[0032] In other words, in addition to being the receiver of the pulse sequence, the second base station / transceiver point can also be the sender of the pulse sequence, sending the pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point. This enables the first base station / transceiver point and the second base station / transceiver point to send and receive pulse sequences to each other, completing bidirectional pulse sequence measurement and improving the accuracy of positioning.

[0033] A third aspect of this application provides a synchronization method between base stations, applied to an internal management function in a mobile communication system. The method includes: the internal management function receiving a first pulse capability message from a first base station / transceiver point and a second pulse capability message from a second base station / transceiver point, wherein the first pulse capability message indicates the pulse transmission and reception capabilities supported by the first base station / transceiver point, and the second pulse capability message indicates the pulse transmission and reception capabilities supported by the second base station / transceiver point.

[0034] Based on the first pulse capability message and the second pulse capability message, the internal management function sends a pulse general configuration to the first base station / transceiver point and the second base station / transceiver point. This pulse general configuration is determined based on the pulse transmission and reception capabilities supported by both the first and second base stations / transceiver points, ensuring that both can support the pulse general configuration.

[0035] Then, the internal management function sends a first pulse dedicated configuration request message to the management base station. The first pulse dedicated configuration request message is used to request the management base station to determine the pulse dedicated configuration of the first base station / transceiver point. The management base station is used to manage the first base station / transceiver point.

[0036] Secondly, the internal management function sends a first pulse activation request message to the first base station / transceiver point and a first calibration measurement request message to the second base station / transceiver point. The first pulse activation request message requests the first base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the second base station / transceiver point, and the first calibration measurement request message requests the second base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurements on the pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point. Here, the internal management function, the management base station, the first base station / transceiver point, and the second base station / transceiver point are all devices in the mobile communication system. The pulse sequence is carried by a pulse carrier, and the bandwidth of the pulse carrier is greater than the bandwidth of the communication carrier used by the first base station / transceiver point.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the communication carrier is located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, while the pulse carrier is not located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

[0038] In one possible implementation, both the communication carrier and the pulse carrier are located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: an internal management function receiving a calibration measurement result sent by a second base station / transceiver point, the calibration measurement result being obtained by the second base station / transceiver point performing a calibration measurement on a pulse sequence sent by a first base station / transceiver point; and the internal management function sending a pulse deactivation request message to the first base station / transceiver point, the pulse deactivation request message being used to instruct the first base station / transceiver point to stop sending the pulse sequence.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: an internal management function receiving a notification message sent by a management base station, the notification message indicating a pulse-dedicated configuration for a first base station / transceiver point, wherein the time-domain, frequency-domain, and spatial-domain resources of the pulse carrier in the pulse-dedicated configuration are exclusively used by the first base station / transceiver point. After obtaining the pulse-dedicated configuration of the first base station / transceiver point, the internal management function may carry the pulse-dedicated configuration of the first base station / transceiver point in a first pulse activation request message sent to a second base station / transceiver point, so that the second base station / transceiver point can measure the pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point based on the pulse-dedicated configuration of the first base station / transceiver point.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the method includes: an internal management function sending a second pulse-specific configuration request message to a management base station, the second pulse-specific configuration request message being used to request the management base station to determine the pulse-specific configuration of a second base station / transceiver point; the internal management function sending a second pulse activation request message to the second base station / transceiver point and sending a second calibration measurement request message to the first base station / transceiver point, the second pulse activation request message being used to request the second base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point, and the second calibration measurement request message being used to request the first base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the second base station / transceiver point.

[0042] In other words, in addition to being the receiver of the pulse sequence, the second base station / transceiver point can also be the sender of the pulse sequence. The internal management function requests the management base station to determine the pulse-specific configuration of the second base station / transceiver point by sending a pulse-specific configuration request message to the management base station, and requests the second base station / transceiver point to send the pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point.

[0043] A fourth aspect of this application provides a first base station / transceiver point, comprising: a communication transceiver module, a pulse transceiver module, and an interface module. The communication transceiver module is connected to the pulse transceiver module through the interface module. The communication transceiver module and the pulse transceiver module cooperate to execute the method as described in any implementation of the first aspect. The communication transceiver module is used to receive or transmit messages carried by a communication carrier, and the pulse transceiver module is used to receive or transmit pulse sequences carried by a pulse carrier.

[0044] The fifth aspect of this application provides a second base station / transceiver point, including: a communication transceiver module, a pulse transceiver module, and an interface module. The communication transceiver module is connected to the pulse transceiver module through the interface module. The communication transceiver module and the pulse transceiver module cooperate to execute the method as described in any implementation of the second aspect. The communication transceiver module is used to receive or transmit messages carried by a communication carrier, and the pulse transceiver module is used to receive or transmit pulse sequences carried by a pulse carrier.

[0045] The sixth aspect of this application provides an internal management function including at least one processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions; the at least one processor is configured to execute the programs or instructions to enable the internal management function to implement the method as described in any implementation of the third aspect.

[0046] The seventh aspect of this application provides a mobile communication system, including a first base station / transceiver point as described in the fourth aspect, a second base station / transceiver point as described in the fifth aspect, and internal management functions as described in the sixth aspect.

[0047] An eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions, wherein when the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to third aspects described above.

[0048] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that stores one or more computers. When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to third aspects described above.

[0049] A tenth aspect of this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to third aspects above.

[0050] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0051] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects four through ten can be found in the technical effects of the different implementation methods in aspects one through three above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 This is a base station synchronization scheme based on IEEE 1588V2;

[0053] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present application for achieving synchronization between base stations;

[0054] Figure 3A schematic diagram of a mobile communication system for achieving synchronization between base stations, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the internal architecture of a mobile communication system for achieving synchronization between base stations, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating a process for achieving synchronization between base stations / transceiver points based on UL-TDoA, provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between pulse sequences of different base stations / transceiver points provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0058] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing that the pulse sequences of different base stations / transceivers are staggered in the time domain, as provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0059] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating a process for achieving synchronization between base stations / transceiver points based on Time of Flight (ToF) in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of ToF measurement provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. As those skilled in the art will recognize, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0063] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects (e.g., to differentiate objects within the same embodiment) and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Furthermore, the objects defined by "first," "second," etc. (e.g., "first information," "first device," "second information," "second device," etc.) may refer to different objects in different embodiments. For example, in Embodiment 1, "first device" may refer to a distributed node, while in Embodiment 2, "first device" may refer to a central node. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0064] Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or modules is not necessarily limited to those steps or modules explicitly listed, but may include other steps or modules not explicitly listed or inherent to those processes, methods, products, or apparatuses. The naming or numbering of steps appearing in this application does not imply that the steps in the method flow must be performed in the chronological / logical order indicated by the naming or numbering. The execution order of named or numbered process steps can be changed according to the desired technical purpose, as long as the same or similar technical effect can be achieved.

[0065] For ease of understanding, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced below.

[0066] (1) Base station / transceiver point

[0067] A base station / transceiver point refers to a device in a wireless network that provides wireless access services and has a fixed location. For example, a base station / transceiver point can be a distributed unit (DU) node in a wireless access network.

[0068] (2) Management base station

[0069] In this embodiment, a management base station can refer to a device that manages one or more base stations / transceiver points. For example, in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station consists of a centralized unit (CU) and multiple distributed base stations / transceiver points. The centralized unit can be deployed at any location and connected to multiple distributed base stations / transceiver points to process data received by the multiple base stations / transceiver points or to transmit data that needs to be transmitted via the wireless air interface to the multiple base stations / transceiver points. In other words, the centralized unit acts as the management base station to manage multiple base stations / transceiver points.

[0070] (3) Internal management functions

[0071] In this embodiment, the internal management function can be a network management function or a management function located within the mobile communication system base station, used to cooperate with the base station / transceiver point to achieve precise synchronization between the base station / transceiver point. That is, the internal management function is a device or network element used to manage the base station / transceiver point.

[0072] (4) User Equipment (UE)

[0073] A UE is a device capable of receiving scheduling and instruction information sent by network devices. A UE can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem.

[0074] The UE can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a wireless access network (RAN). For example, the UE can be a mobile terminal device, such as a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone), a computer, or a data card; for instance, it can be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile device that exchanges voice and / or data with the RAN.

[0075] Currently, synchronization between base stations / transceivers in mobile communication systems is achieved by using communication carriers to carry calibration signals. The frequency band resources of the communication carriers used by the base stations / transceivers are typically allocated by the operator to enable communication between the base station / transceiver and the user equipment (UE). That is, the base station / transceiver interacts with the UE using communication carriers, and multiplexes these carriers to carry calibration signals, thereby achieving synchronization between the base stations / transceivers. However, the bandwidth of the communication carriers typically used by base stations / transceivers is generally relatively small, resulting in lower synchronization accuracy when using communication carriers to carry calibration signals for synchronization.

[0076] Specifically, existing base station timing calibration uses the in-band calibration signal of the mobile communication system, which is generally located in the guard period (GP) of the downlink-to-uplink transition. That is, the in-band calibration signal is located in the guard period (GP) between the downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS) and the uplink pilot time slot (UwPTS). The reasons for placing the in-band calibration signal in the guard period of the downlink-to-uplink transition include: 1. reusing the signal processing and transmission channels of the mobile communication system; 2. reusing the frequency band resources of the mobile communication system and avoiding the introduction of other interference. However, mobile communication systems are usually operated by different operators, each with its own frequency band resources, which are generally smaller in bandwidth. Consequently, the accuracy of the in-band calibration signal used for timing calibration becomes an issue.

[0077] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a synchronization method between base stations. By performing data transmission processes such as synchronization capability negotiation and synchronization resource allocation between the base station / transceiver point and the internal management function, a pulse carrier with a larger bandwidth is allocated to the base station / transceiver point. This allows the pulse carrier with a larger bandwidth to be used only for performing precise synchronization between the base station / transceiver point, thereby integrating the pulse synchronization process into the mobile communication system. This avoids being limited to using communication carriers with smaller bandwidth in the mobile communication system to achieve synchronization, and achieves precise synchronization at a lower cost.

[0078] For example, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a base station timing calibration method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, based on the determined geographical location of each base station / transceiver point, the serving base station / transceiver point transmits a calibration signal on a pulse carrier over the air interface. Neighboring base stations / transceivers then receive the calibration signal and estimate the actual arrival time of the calibration signal, obtaining the UL-TDoA or ToF computational cost. Comparing this actual arrival time with the arrival time computational cost obtained based on geographical location allows for the calibration of the timing of neighboring base stations / transceivers. Similarly, when a neighboring base station / transceiver point sends a calibration signal to the serving base station / transceiver point, the serving base station / transceiver point can also calibrate its own timing based on a similar principle.

[0079] For example, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a mobile communication system for achieving inter-base station synchronization, provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 In this context, the mobile communication system can be, for example, a 4G mobile communication system, a 5G mobile communication system, or a future mobile communication system. The base stations / transceiver points within this system maintain a certain level of synchronization accuracy. Base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2 contain both communication transceiver functions and pulse transceiver functions, and they maintain synchronization with each other.

[0080] Among them, the pulse transceiver function operating on the pulse carrier only includes pulse sequence transmission and pulse sequence measurement for precise synchronization (i.e., timing calibration) or environmental awareness, while the communication transceiver function operating on the communication carrier can provide data transmission, timing synchronization, and resource allocation support for pulse sequence transmission and measurement.

[0081] Specifically, data transmission is achieved through the interface between base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2; timing synchronization is achieved through basic synchronization of the communication carrier and air interface calibration between base stations / transceiver points; the resource allocation of pulse sequences is completed by the base station to which base station / transceiver point 1 belongs; timing calibration is completed by the pulse sequence transmission and pulse sequence measurement functions built into base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2 respectively, and the calibration method can be, for example, UL-TDoA, the practical purpose of which is mainly to improve the positioning and sensing capabilities of the base station.

[0082] Based on the above process, base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2 can further achieve precise synchronization based on ToF: between base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2, the two processes of base station / transceiver point 1 sending pulse sequence and base station / transceiver point 2 performing pulse sequence measurement, and base station / transceiver point 2 sending pulse sequence and base station / transceiver point 1 performing pulse sequence measurement are integrated.

[0083] In addition to timed calibration, base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2 can also achieve environmental awareness by continuously sending and receiving pulse sequences during the above process.

[0084] For example, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal architecture of a mobile communication system for achieving inter-base station synchronization, provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, a mobile communication system may include internal management functions and multiple base stations / transceiver points. Among these base stations / transceiver points is a serving base station / transceiver point, and other base stations / transceiver points adjacent to this serving base station / transceiver point can be referred to as adjacent base station / transceiver point 1, adjacent base station / transceiver point 2, etc.

[0085] In a mobile communication system, each base station / transceiver point can be equipped with a pulse transceiver module, an interface module, and a communication transceiver module. The pulse transceiver module interacts with the communication transceiver module through the interface module.

[0086] The pulse transceiver module is used to send pulse sequences to other base stations / transceiver points, or to receive and measure pulse sequences sent by other base stations / transceiver points, that is, to process pulse sequences carried by pulse carriers.

[0087] The interface module is used to transmit and convert information between the pulse transceiver module and the communication transceiver module.

[0088] The communication transceiver module is used to perform the sending and receiving of messages in the mobile communication system, that is, to process messages carried by the communication carrier.

[0089] Internal management functions can be network management functions or management functions located within the mobile communication system base station, used to cooperate with the base station / transceiver point to achieve precise synchronization between base stations / transceiver points. In other words, an internal management function is a device or network element used to manage the base station / transceiver point.

[0090] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for achieving synchronization between base stations / transceiver points based on UL-TDoA, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 In this diagram, the sender of the pulse sequence is the serving base station / transceiver point (i.e., the first base station / transceiver point), and the receiver of the pulse sequence is the base station / transceiver point adjacent to the serving base station / transceiver point (hereinafter referred to as the adjacent base station / transceiver point, which is also the second base station / transceiver point). It should be noted that the following explanation uses the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point as examples. In practical applications, the following method can be performed between any two base stations / transceiver points to achieve precise synchronization.

[0091] exist Figure 5 In this process, the steps to achieve precise synchronization between base stations / transceiver points include the following steps 501-5012.

[0092] Step 501: The base station / transceiver point reports its pulse capability to the internal management function.

[0093] Specifically, each base station / transceiver point in a mobile communication system can send a pulse capability message to the internal management function to indicate its supported pulse transmission and reception capabilities. The pulse capability message sent by the base station / transceiver point may include information such as whether it supports pulse transmission and reception and the channels that support it.

[0094] Optionally, the channel supporting pulse transmission and reception can be an unlicensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, such as the WLAN band or UWB band; the channel supporting pulse transmission and reception can also be a licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, such as the licensed frequency band defined by 3GPP.

[0095] The base station / transceiver point can be connected to the internal management function via wired or wireless means, and the base station / transceiver point can directly send pulse capability messages to the internal management function.

[0096] Step 502: The internal management function sends pulse general configuration to the base station / transceiver point.

[0097] After receiving the pulse capabilities reported by the base station / transceiver point, the internal management function can integrate the pulse transmission and reception capabilities of each base station / transceiver point to determine the general pulse configuration used by each base station / transceiver point during the pulse transmission and reception process.

[0098] Specifically, the pulse general configuration determined by the internal management function may include one or more of the following information: the pulse transmission and reception channel, the reference time of the pulse sequence, and the period of the pulse sequence.

[0099] Step 503: The base station / transceiver point feeds back the pulse general configuration result to the internal management function.

[0100] The pulse general configuration result can refer to the base station / transceiver point successfully obtaining and configuring the pulse general configuration issued by the internal management function; or, the pulse general configuration result can refer to the base station / transceiver point failing to successfully configure the pulse general configuration issued by the internal management function.

[0101] Step 504: The base station / transceiver point achieves timed synchronization through the existing synchronization mechanism.

[0102] Optionally, in order to ensure that the subsequent base station / transceiver point can accurately perform calibration measurements, the base station / transceiver point can first achieve time synchronization to ensure that the subsequent pulse sequence receiver can receive the pulse sequence sent by the pulse sequence sender within a specific time period.

[0103] Specifically, different base stations / transceiver points can achieve time synchronization through existing synchronization mechanisms, such as using communication carriers. The process of achieving time synchronization between base stations / transceiver points can be found in existing technologies and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0104] Step 505: The internal management function sends a pulse-specific configuration request message to the management base station for the serving base station / transceiver point.

[0105] In this embodiment, the serving base station / transceiver point is the pulse sequence sender. Therefore, before the serving base station / transceiver point sends the pulse sequence, the internal management function can request the base station (i.e., the management base station) that manages the serving base station / transceiver point to determine the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point, thereby realizing the configuration of the dedicated synchronization resources of the serving base station / transceiver point.

[0106] The management base station can be the serving base station / transceiver point or the centralized unit connected to adjacent base stations / transceiver points.

[0107] The Pulse Dedicated Configuration Request message is used to request the management base station to determine the pulse dedicated configuration for the serving base station / transceiver point. This Pulse Dedicated Configuration Request message may include information such as the pulse transmission and reception channel and a pulse dedicated configuration request indication.

[0108] Step 506: The management base station determines the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point.

[0109] For example, the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point may include one or more of the following information: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the pulse transmission power, the time offset of the pulse sequence relative to the reference time, the duration of the pulse sequence, the type of the pulse sequence, and the intra-range interval of the ranging frame.

[0110] It is understandable that, in addition to managing the serving base station / transceiver point, the management base station may also manage one or more other base stations / transceiver points, and may also need to determine pulse resources for these other base stations / transceiver points. Therefore, upon receiving a pulse-dedicated configuration request message for the serving base station / transceiver point from the internal management function, the management base station may determine the pulse-dedicated configuration for the serving base station / transceiver point based on existing pulse resources, and the time-domain, frequency-domain, and spatial-domain resources of the pulse carrier in the pulse-dedicated configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point are exclusively used by the serving base station / transceiver point.

[0111] Step 507: The management base station notifies the serving base station / transceiver point and the internal management function of the pulse-specific configuration.

[0112] After determining the pulse-specific configuration for each base station / transceiver point, the management base station may send notification message 1 to the serving base station / transceiver point, carrying the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point in notification message 1. Alternatively, the management base station may send notification message 2 to the internal management function, carrying the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point in notification message 2.

[0113] Step 508: The internal management function sends a pulse activation request message to the serving base station / transceiver point, thereby triggering the serving base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence.

[0114] After the internal management function receives a notification message from the management base station, it means that the management base station has determined the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point. Therefore, the internal management function can send a pulse activation request message to the serving base station / transceiver point, which is used to request the serving base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence.

[0115] After receiving the pulse activation request message, the serving base station / transceiver point sends a pulse sequence to neighboring base stations / transceiver points based on its own pulse general configuration and pulse specific configuration.

[0116] Optionally, the communication carrier used by the serving base station / transceiver point is located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, while the pulse carrier used by the serving base station / transceiver point is not located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, for example, the pulse carrier is located in the WLAN band or UWB band. That is, the communication carrier and the pulse carrier are staggered in frequency domain resources, and the bandwidth of the pulse carrier is greater than that of the communication carrier. In this way, by using the pulse carrier in the unlicensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, on the one hand, a larger bandwidth frequency band resource can be obtained, improving the synchronization accuracy; on the other hand, it can also avoid the influence of message interaction performed based on the original communication carrier, reducing the interference encountered in the synchronization process.

[0117] Optionally, the communication carrier and pulse carrier used by the serving base station / transceiver point may both be located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

[0118] Step 509: The internal management function sends a calibration measurement request message to the adjacent base station / transceiver point, thereby triggering the adjacent base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurement.

[0119] After sending a pulse activation request message to the serving base station / transceiver point that is sending the pulse sequence, the internal management function can send a calibration measurement request message to the neighboring base station / transceiver point that is receiving the pulse sequence, in order to request the neighboring base station / transceiver point to perform a measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the serving base station / transceiver point.

[0120] Furthermore, in order to ensure that adjacent base stations / transceivers can successfully receive and measure the pulse sequence sent by the serving base station / transceiver, the calibration measurement request message sent by the internal management function can carry the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver, so that adjacent base stations / transceivers can receive and measure the pulse sequence based on the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver.

[0121] Step 5010: After performing calibration measurements, the adjacent base station / transceiver point sends the calibration measurement results to the internal management function.

[0122] After neighboring base stations / transceivers perform calibration measurements on the pulse sequences transmitted by the serving base station / transceiver, calibration measurement results can be obtained. Therefore, each base station / transceiver can send these calibration measurement results to the internal management function. These calibration measurement results can be one or a combination of calibration measurement results, including UL-TDoA, Uplink Reference Signal Received Power (UL RSRP), and a time stamp of the measurement.

[0123] Step 5011: The internal management function performs information calculation based on the calibration measurement results sent by adjacent base stations / transceiver points to achieve time synchronization between base stations / transceiver points.

[0124] Specifically, the calibration measurement results fed back by each adjacent base station / transceiver point usually refer to some time information of the pulse sequence received by the adjacent base station / transceiver point. The internal management function can perform further information calculation based on the calibration measurement results fed back by each adjacent base station / transceiver point and the position of each base station / transceiver point, thereby realizing time synchronization between adjacent base stations / transceiver points.

[0125] Specifically, based on the refined geographical location of each base station / transceiver point, the serving base station / transceiver point transmits a pulse sequence over the air interface. Neighboring base stations / transceivers then receive this pulse sequence and determine the arrival time of the pulse sequence (i.e., the UL-TDoA calculation). In other words, the calibration measurement results transmitted by neighboring base stations / transceivers include the time of receiving the pulse sequence. By comparing the calibration measurement results transmitted by neighboring base stations / transceivers with the UL-TDoA calculation based on their actual geographical locations using internal management functions, the timing of neighboring base stations / transceivers can be calibrated, thereby achieving precise synchronization between them.

[0126] Step 5012: The internal management function sends a pulse deactivation request message to the serving base station / transceiver point, thereby triggering the serving base station / transceiver point to stop sending the pulse sequence.

[0127] After the internal management function receives the calibration measurement results from the neighboring base station / transceiver point, it indicates that the pulse sequence transmitted by the serving base station / transceiver point has been successfully measured. Therefore, the internal management function can send a pulse deactivation request message to the serving base station / transceiver point to request it to stop transmitting the pulse sequence, thus avoiding resource waste. In this way, the serving base station / transceiver point stops transmitting the pulse sequence upon receiving the pulse deactivation request message.

[0128] In the above process, when an adjacent base station / transceiver point acts as a pulse sequence transmitter, the serving base station / transceiver point can also participate in the measurement. In this way, the internal management function can integrate the results of multiple measurements to adjust the timing of the base station / transceiver point, thereby achieving precise synchronization among all base stations / transceiver points.

[0129] In summary, this embodiment is a base station timing calibration based on UL-TDoA, which can achieve timing calibration between base stations and transceivers independently of mobile communication standards such as 3GPP standards. This can assist in the positioning of base stations and transceivers, improve the positioning accuracy of terminals in the original mobile communication system, especially the positioning accuracy of terminals based on UL-TDoA, and also help improve the sensing capabilities of base stations.

[0130] Specifically, existing synchronization mechanisms between base stations and transceivers are based on the communication carrier's own synchronization mechanism, with a synchronization accuracy of only 10 nanoseconds. Electromagnetic waves propagate at the speed of light, and 10 nanoseconds corresponds to a distance of 3 meters. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve sub-meter positioning accuracy using positioning methods such as UL-TDoA. However, this embodiment can reduce the synchronization accuracy between base stations and transceivers to the nanosecond level or even lower, thereby helping to improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal and can be used for the positioning and sensing of base stations and transceivers.

[0131] Optionally, in step 506 above, the management base station can stagger the pulse sequence resources of each base station / transceiver point in the time domain, frequency domain, or spatial domain, so that the pulse sequences sent by different base stations / transceiver points do not collide.

[0132] For example, see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between pulse sequences of different base stations / transceiver points provided in the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 6 As shown, for any two base stations / transceiver points (i.e., base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2), the pulse sequences transmitted by different base stations / transceiver points can be the same in the frequency domain (i.e., the pulse sequences use the same frequency band resources), but they are staggered in the time domain (i.e., different pulse sequences are transmitted in different time periods). Specifically, the transmission time of the pulse sequence transmitted by base station / transceiver point 1 is offset by time offset 1 compared to the reference time, while the transmission time of the pulse sequence transmitted by base station / transceiver point 2 is offset by time offset 2 compared to the reference time. Furthermore, the pulse sequences transmitted by base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2 can have the same reference time and period.

[0133] The communication transceiver function on the communication carrier provides a reference for the pulse carrier during timing synchronization. The pulse sequence on the pulse carrier contains one sequence 1 and N sequences 2, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 0. Furthermore, sequence 1 and sequence 2 can be the same sequence or different sequences. The single pulse constituting the pulse sequence can be a UWB pulse or other forms of pulse. Generally, when the single pulse is a UWB pulse, N is not 0, while when the single pulse is another form of pulse, N may also be 0.

[0134] Please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the time-domain staggered pulse sequences of different base stations / transceiver points provided in the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, pulse sequences from different base stations / transceiver points can be closely allocated and evenly distributed within the same transmission period. It should be noted that... Figure 7The staggered distribution of pulse sequences from different base stations / transceivers shown is merely an example. In practical applications, different management base stations can collaborate to allocate pulse sequence resources among base stations / transceivers, ensuring that each base station / transceiver has its own dedicated pulse sequence resources.

[0135] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for achieving synchronization between base stations / transceiver points based on Time of Flight (ToF) as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 In this context, the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point can perform bidirectional transmission and reception of pulse sequences. That is, while the serving base station / transceiver point sends pulse sequences to the adjacent base station / transceiver point, it also receives pulse sequences sent by the adjacent base station / transceiver point, thereby enabling the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point to mutually send pulse sequences.

[0136] exist Figure 8 In the process of achieving synchronization between the serving base station / transceiver point and adjacent base stations / transceiver points based on ToF, the following steps 801-8012 are included.

[0137] Step 801: The base station / transceiver point reports its pulse capability to the internal management function.

[0138] Step 802: The internal management function sends pulse general configuration to the base station / transceiver point.

[0139] Step 803: The base station / transceiver point feeds back the pulse general configuration result to the internal management function.

[0140] Step 804: The base station / transceiver point achieves timed synchronization through the existing synchronization mechanism.

[0141] Step 805: The internal management function sends a pulse-specific configuration request message to the management base station for the serving base station / transceiver point and adjacent base stations / transceiver points.

[0142] In this embodiment, the management base station can be the serving base station / transceiver point and the centralized unit connected to adjacent base stations / transceiver points.

[0143] The pulse-dedicated configuration request message is used to request the management base station to determine the pulse-dedicated configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point and adjacent base stations / transceiver points.

[0144] Step 806: The management base station determines the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point and adjacent base stations / transceiver points.

[0145] For example, the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point can include one or more of the following information: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the pulse transmission power, the time offset of the pulse sequence relative to the reference time, the duration of the pulse sequence, the type of the pulse sequence, and the ranging intra-frame interval.

[0146] Furthermore, the dedicated pulse configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point and the dedicated pulse configuration of adjacent base stations / transceiver points can be staggered in the time domain. That is, the time domain, frequency domain and spatial domain resources of the pulse carrier in the dedicated pulse configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point are exclusively used by the serving base station / transceiver point, while the time domain, frequency domain and spatial domain resources of the pulse carrier in the dedicated pulse configuration of adjacent base stations / transceiver points are exclusively used by the adjacent base stations / transceiver points.

[0147] Step 807: The management base station notifies the serving base station / transceiver point, neighboring base stations / transceiver points, and internal management functions of the pulse-specific configuration.

[0148] After determining the pulse-specific configuration for each base station / transceiver point, the management base station may send notification message 1 to the serving base station / transceiver point, carrying the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point in notification message 1. Alternatively, the management base station may send notification message 2 to neighboring base stations / transceiver points, carrying the pulse-specific configuration of the neighboring base stations / transceiver points in notification message 2. Furthermore, the management base station may send notification message 3 to the internal management function, carrying the pulse-specific configurations of both the serving base station / transceiver point and neighboring base stations / transceiver points in notification message 3.

[0149] Step 808: The internal management function sends a pulse activation request message to the serving base station / transceiver point and adjacent base stations / transceiver points, thereby triggering the serving base station / transceiver point and adjacent base stations / transceiver points to send a pulse sequence.

[0150] Specifically, the pulse activation request message sent by the internal management function to the serving base station / transceiver point is used to request the serving base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence. After receiving the pulse activation request message, the serving base station / transceiver point sends the pulse sequence to neighboring base stations / transceiver points based on its own pulse general configuration and pulse specific configuration.

[0151] The internal management function sends a pulse activation request message to neighboring base stations / transceivers to request them to send a pulse sequence. Upon receiving the pulse activation request message, the neighboring base station / transceiver sends the pulse sequence to the serving base station / transceiver based on its own pulse general configuration and pulse specific configuration.

[0152] Step 809: The internal management function sends a calibration measurement request message to the adjacent base station / transceiver point and the serving base station / transceiver point, thereby triggering the adjacent base station / transceiver point and the serving base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurements.

[0153] Specifically, the internal management function can send a calibration measurement request message 1 to the neighboring base station / transceiver point. The calibration measurement request message 1 carries the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point to request the neighboring base station / transceiver point to perform a measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the serving base station / transceiver point based on the pulse-specific configuration of the serving base station / transceiver point.

[0154] The internal management function can send a calibration measurement request message 2 to the serving base station / transceiver point. This calibration measurement request message 2 carries the pulse-specific configuration of the adjacent base station / transceiver point to request the serving base station / transceiver point to perform a measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the adjacent base station / transceiver point based on the pulse-specific configuration of the adjacent base station / transceiver point.

[0155] Step 8010: After performing calibration measurements, the neighboring base station / transceiver point and the serving base station / transceiver point send the calibration measurement results to the internal management function.

[0156] After calibrating and measuring the pulse sequences transmitted by the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point, a calibration measurement result can be obtained. Therefore, each base station / transceiver point can send the calibration measurement result to the internal management function. This calibration measurement result may include the ToF measurement result.

[0157] Step 8011: The internal management function performs information calculation based on the calibration measurement results sent by the base station / transceiver point to achieve time synchronization between the base station / transceiver point.

[0158] Specifically, the calibration measurement results fed back by each base station / transceiver point usually refer to some time information of the pulse sequence received by the base station / transceiver point. The internal management function can perform further information calculation based on the calibration measurement results fed back by each base station / transceiver point and the location of each base station / transceiver point, thereby realizing time synchronization between base stations / transceiver points.

[0159] Since Time-of-Flight (ToF) involves the mutual transmission and reception of two parties, both the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point can obtain corresponding calibration measurement results by measuring the pulse sequence transmitted by the other side. For details, please refer to... Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a ToF measurement provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9As shown, base station / transceiver point 1 (i.e., the serving base station / transceiver point mentioned above) first sends a pulse sequence to base station / transceiver point 2 (i.e., the adjacent base station / transceiver point mentioned above). Base station / transceiver point 2 waits for a certain period of time (i.e., T) after receiving the pulse sequence sent by base station / transceiver point 1. reply1 The latter also sends a pulse sequence to base station / transceiver point 1. Thus, when base station / transceiver point 1 receives the pulse sequence sent by base station / transceiver point 2, base station / transceiver point 1 can determine the time interval T between sending and receiving the pulse sequence. round1 .

[0160] Then, starting from the moment base station / transceiver point 1 receives the pulse sequence sent by base station / transceiver point 2, it waits for a certain period of time (i.e., T). reply2 After that, it continues to send pulse sequences to base station / transceiver point 2. Thus, when base station / transceiver point 2 receives the second pulse sequence sent by base station / transceiver point 1, base station / transceiver point 2 can determine the time interval T between sending and receiving the pulse sequence. round2 .

[0161] In this scenario, the calibration measurement results sent by base station / transceiver point 1 to the internal management function may include T. round1 And T reply2 The calibration measurement results sent by base station / transceiver point 2 to the internal management function may include T round2 And T reply1 In this way, the internal management function can be based on the T data fed back by base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2. round1 T round2 T reply1 T reply2 The transmission duration T of the pulse sequence from base station / transceiver point 1 to base station / transceiver point 2 was calculated. prop This leads to further timing calibration of base station / transceiver point 1 and base station / transceiver point 2.

[0162] Apart from Figure 9 In addition to the method shown where base station / transceiver point 1 sends the pulse sequence first and then base station / transceiver point 2 sends the pulse sequence, it is also possible that base station / transceiver point 2 sends the pulse sequence first and then base station / transceiver point 1 sends the pulse sequence. This embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0163] Step 8012: The internal management function sends a pulse deactivation request message to the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point, thereby triggering the serving base station / transceiver point and the adjacent base station / transceiver point to stop sending pulse sequences.

[0164] See also Figure 10 , Figure 10 This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1000, which may specifically be a base station / transceiver point as described in the above embodiments.

[0165] The communication device 1000 includes at least one processor 1011 and at least one network interface 1014. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1012, at least one transceiver 1013, and one or more antennas 1015. The processor 1011, memory 1012, transceiver 1013, and network interface 1014 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1015 is connected to the transceiver 1013. The network interface 1014 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1014 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface; the network interface may also include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other base stations / transceiver points or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0166] The processor 1011 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used to control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs. Figure 10 The processor 1011 can integrate the functions of a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and the central processing unit can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a base station / transceiver point can include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and a base station / transceiver point can include multiple central processing units to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the base station / transceiver point can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, with the processor executing the software program to implement the baseband processing function.

[0167] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1012 can exist independently, connected to the processor 1011. Optionally, the memory 1012 can be integrated with the processor 1011, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1012 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1011. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1011.

[0168] Figure 10 Only one memory and one processor are shown. In a real base station / transceiver point, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0169] Transceiver 1013 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1013 can be connected to antenna 1015. Transceiver 1013 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1015 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1013 is used to receive the RF signals from the antennas, convert the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 1011 so that processor 1011 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1013 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 1011, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 1015. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0170] The transceiver 1013 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0171] It should be noted that, Figure 10 The communication device 1000 shown can be used to implement the steps of any base station / transceiver point in the aforementioned method embodiments, and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the base station / transceiver point. Figure 10 The specific implementation of the communication device 1000 shown can be referred to the description in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0172] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method as executed by any of the base stations / transceivers (such as the first base station / transceiver or the second base station / transceiver) in the foregoing embodiments.

[0173] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method performed by the internal management function as described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0174] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) that stores one or more computers. When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method performed by any of the base stations / transceivers (such as the first base station / transceiver or the second base station / transceiver) in the above embodiments.

[0175] This application also provides a computer program product that stores one or more computers. When the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method performed by the internal management function in the above embodiments.

[0176] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the functions involved in the possible implementations of the communication device described above. Optionally, the chip system further includes an interface circuit that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing the program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device may specifically be any of the base stations / transceivers in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0177] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the functions involved in the possible implementations of the communication device described above. Optionally, the chip system further includes an interface circuit that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing the program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, wherein the communication device may specifically be the internal management function described in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0178] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0179] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0180] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A synchronization method between base stations, characterized in that, include: The first base station / transceiver point sends a pulse capability message to the internal management function, the pulse capability message being used to indicate the pulse transceiver capability supported by the first base station / transceiver point; The first base station / transceiver point receives a general pulse configuration and a dedicated pulse configuration, wherein the general pulse configuration is derived from the internal management function; The first base station / transceiver point receives a pulse activation request message from the internal management function. The pulse activation request message is used to request the first base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the second base station / transceiver point. Based on the general pulse configuration and the specific pulse configuration, the first base station / transceiver point sends a pulse sequence to the second base station / transceiver point; Wherein, the first base station / transceiver point, the internal management function, and the second base station / transceiver point are all devices in a mobile communication system, and the pulse sequence is carried by a pulse carrier, the bandwidth of which is greater than the bandwidth of the communication carrier used by the first base station / transceiver point.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication carrier is located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, while the pulse carrier is not located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the communication carrier and the pulse carrier are located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The dedicated pulse configuration comes from the base station that manages the first base station / transceiver point. The time domain, frequency domain, and spatial domain resources of the pulse carrier in the dedicated pulse configuration are exclusively used by the first base station / transceiver point, which belongs to the mobile communication system.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The pulse general configuration includes one or more of the following: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the reference time of the pulse sequence, and the period of the pulse sequence.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The pulse-specific configuration includes one or more of the following: the pulse transmission and reception channel, the pulse transmission power, the time offset of the pulse sequence relative to the reference time, the duration of the pulse sequence, the type of the pulse sequence, and the ranging intra-frame interval.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first base station / transceiver point receives a pulse deactivation request message from the internal management function, the pulse deactivation request message being used to instruct the first base station / transceiver point to stop transmitting pulse sequences; The first base station / transceiver point stops sending pulse sequences to the second base station / transceiver point.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first base station / transceiver point receives a calibration measurement request message from the internal management function. The calibration measurement request message is used to request the first base station / transceiver point to measure the pulse sequence transmitted by the second base station / transceiver point, and the calibration measurement request message indicates the pulse-specific configuration of the second base station / transceiver point. Based on the pulse general configuration and the pulse dedicated configuration of the second base station / transceiver point, the first base station / transceiver point performs calibration measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the second base station / transceiver point to obtain calibration measurement results; The first base station / transceiver point sends the calibration measurement results to the internal management function.

9. A synchronization method between base stations, characterized in that, include: The second base station / transceiver point sends a pulse capability message to the internal management function, the pulse capability message being used to indicate the pulse transceiver capability supported by the second base station / transceiver point; The second base station / transceiver point receives pulse general configuration, which comes from the internal management function; The second base station / transceiver point receives a calibration measurement request message from the internal management function. The calibration measurement request message is used to request the second base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurement on a pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point, and the calibration measurement request message indicates the pulse-specific configuration of the first base station / transceiver point. Based on the pulse general configuration and the pulse specific configuration, the second base station / transceiver point performs calibration measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point to obtain calibration measurement results; Wherein, the first base station / transceiver point, the internal management function, and the second base station / transceiver point are all devices in a mobile communication system, and the pulse sequence is carried by a pulse carrier, the bandwidth of which is greater than the bandwidth of the communication carrier used by the first base station / transceiver point.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The communication carrier is located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, while the pulse carrier is not located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Both the communication carrier and the pulse carrier are located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The pulse general configuration includes one or more of the following: the channel for pulse transmission and reception, the reference time of the pulse sequence, and the period of the pulse sequence.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The pulse-specific configuration includes one or more of the following: the pulse transmission and reception channel, the pulse transmission power, the time offset of the pulse sequence relative to the reference time, the duration of the pulse sequence, the type of the pulse sequence, and the ranging intra-frame interval.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second base station / transceiver point sends the calibration measurement results to the internal management function.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9-14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second base station / transceiver point receives pulse-specific configuration from the management base station, wherein the management base station is the base station that manages the second base station / transceiver point; The second base station / transceiver point receives a pulse activation request message from the internal management function. The pulse activation request message is used to request the second base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point. Based on the general pulse configuration and the dedicated pulse configuration of the second base station / transceiver point, the second base station / transceiver point sends a pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point.

16. A synchronization method between base stations, characterized in that, include: The internal management function receives a first pulse capability message from a first base station / transceiver point and a second pulse capability message from a second base station / transceiver point. The first pulse capability message is used to indicate the pulse transmission and reception capability supported by the first base station / transceiver point, and the second pulse capability message is used to indicate the pulse transmission and reception capability supported by the second base station / transceiver point. Based on the first pulse capability message and the second pulse capability message, the internal management function sends a pulse general configuration to the first base station / transceiver point and the second base station / transceiver point; The internal management function sends a first pulse dedicated configuration request message to the management base station. The first pulse dedicated configuration request message is used to request the management base station to determine the pulse dedicated configuration of the first base station / transceiver point. The management base station is used to manage the first base station / transceiver point. The internal management function sends a first pulse activation request message to the first base station / transceiver point and a first calibration measurement request message to the second base station / transceiver point. The first pulse activation request message is used to request the first base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the second base station / transceiver point, and the first calibration measurement request message is used to request the second base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point. The internal management function, the management base station, the first base station / transceiver point, and the second base station / transceiver point are all devices in the mobile communication system. The pulse sequence is carried by a pulse carrier, and the bandwidth of the pulse carrier is greater than the bandwidth of the communication carrier used by the first base station / transceiver point.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The communication carrier is located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system, while the pulse carrier is not located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, Both the communication carrier and the pulse carrier are located in the licensed frequency band of the mobile communication system.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16-18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The internal management function receives the calibration measurement results sent by the second base station / transceiver point. The calibration measurement results are obtained by the second base station / transceiver point performing calibration measurements on the pulse sequence sent by the first base station / transceiver point. The internal management function sends a pulse deactivation request message to the first base station / transceiver point, the pulse deactivation request message being used to instruct the first base station / transceiver point to stop sending pulse sequences.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16-19, characterized in that, The method further includes: The internal management function receives a notification message sent by the management base station. The notification message is used to indicate the pulse-dedicated configuration of the first base station / transceiver point. The time domain, frequency domain, and spatial domain resources of the pulse carrier in the pulse-dedicated configuration are exclusively used by the first base station / transceiver point. The first pulse activation request message includes the pulse-specific configuration of the first base station / transceiver point.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16-20, characterized in that, The method includes: The internal management function sends a second pulse dedicated configuration request message to the management base station. The second pulse dedicated configuration request message is used to request the management base station to determine the pulse dedicated configuration of the second base station / transceiver point. The internal management function sends a second pulse activation request message to the second base station / transceiver point and a second calibration measurement request message to the first base station / transceiver point. The second pulse activation request message is used to request the second base station / transceiver point to send a pulse sequence to the first base station / transceiver point, and the second calibration measurement request message is used to request the first base station / transceiver point to perform calibration measurement on the pulse sequence sent by the second base station / transceiver point.

22. A first base station / transceiver point, characterized in that, include: The system includes a communication transceiver module, a pulse transceiver module, and an interface module. The communication transceiver module is connected to the pulse transceiver module through the interface module. The communication transceiver module and the pulse transceiver module cooperate to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8. The communication transceiver module is used to receive or send messages carried by a communication carrier, and the pulse transceiver module is used to receive or send pulse sequences carried by a pulse carrier.

23. A second base station / transceiver point, characterized in that, include: The system includes a communication transceiver module, a pulse transceiver module, and an interface module. The communication transceiver module is connected to the pulse transceiver module through the interface module. The communication transceiver module and the pulse transceiver module cooperate to perform the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 15. The communication transceiver module is used to receive or send messages carried by a communication carrier, and the pulse transceiver module is used to receive or send pulse sequences carried by a pulse carrier.

24. An internal management function, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions; The at least one processor is configured to execute the program or instructions to enable the internal management functions to implement the method as described in any one of claims 16 to 21.

25. A mobile communication system comprising a first base station / transceiver point as described in claim 22, a second base station / transceiver point as described in claim 23, and an internal management function as described in claim 24.

26. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-21.

Images