Lateral link data collection

Abstract

A first device receives a measurement request from a second device and performs a measurement based on the measurement request. The first device forwards a measurement request having the first measurement data to the one or more third devices via a sidelink between the first device and the one or more third devices. The one or more third devices perform a second measurement on the received first measurement data accordingly based on the request, and transmitting third or fourth measurement data comprising an update of the integrity of the collected data to the second device through a third or fourth message, respectively, as a second part of the collected measurement data. Unnecessary steps of collecting capability information or requesting measurements are avoided, thereby saving overhead and reducing signaling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to communication technology and, more particularly, to methods, devices, and computer-readable media for sidelink data collection. Background Art

[0002] As communication systems evolve, new technologies have been proposed. For example, it has been proposed that artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) can be applied to cellular networks. Data collection is necessary for ML solutions to be implemented in cellular networks for training, validation and testing purposes. For example, for AI / ML-based solutions that handle positioning in 5G New Radio (NR) systems, the network needs to collect positioning-related measurements made by user equipment (UE). Such measurements can be made over the Uu interface (i.e., uplink and downlink) between the network and the UE, as well as the PC5 interface (i.e., sidelink), for example for ranging between two UEs. Therefore, it is worth studying mechanisms for data collection. Summary of the invention

[0003] Generally speaking, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and corresponding apparatus for sidelink data collection.

[0004] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the terminal device to at least: receive a first message from a network device, the first message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and perform data collection by using a side link between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices, based at least on the requested amount of data.

[0005] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the network device to at least: send a message to a terminal device, the message including: a first request for data collection, and an indication of the amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and receive data collected by using a side link between the terminal device and the one or more other terminal devices for data collection from the terminal device and / or one or more other terminal devices.

[0006] In a third aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the terminal device to at least: receive a second message from another terminal device via a first sidelink between the terminal device and another terminal device, the second message being used for data collection having a requested amount of data to be collected for a network device, wherein the second message includes: a first indication of first remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the first remaining data for the network device; and perform data collection based at least on the indication of the first remaining data.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises receiving, at a terminal device, a first message from a network device, the first message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and performing data collection by using a sidelink between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices based at least on the requested amount of data.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes sending a message at a network device to a terminal device, the message including: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and receiving data collected from the terminal device and / or one or more other terminal devices using a side link between the terminal device and the one or more other terminal devices.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, at a terminal device and from another terminal device, via a first sidelink between the terminal device and the other terminal device, a second message for data collection for a network device, wherein the second message includes: a first indication of first remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the first remaining data; and performing data collection based at least on the indication of the first remaining data.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises means for receiving a first message from a network device, the first message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and means for performing the data collection by using a sidelink between the apparatus and one or more other terminal devices based at least on the requested amount of data.

[0011] In an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes means for sending a message to a terminal device, the message including: a first request for data collection, and an indication of the amount of data requested to be collected for a network device; and means for receiving from the terminal device and / or one or more other terminal devices data collected by using a side link between the one or more other terminal devices.

[0012] In a ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises means for receiving, via a first sidelink between the apparatus and another terminal device, a second message for data collection having a requested amount of data to be collected for a network device, wherein the second message comprises: a first indication of first remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the first remaining data for the network device; and means for performing data collection based at least on the indication of the first remaining data.

[0013] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, the computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to execute a method according to at least the fourth, fifth or sixth aspect above.

[0014] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a communication system according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing interactions between devices according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing data collection according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing an example scenario according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method implemented at a first device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method implemented at a second device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 7 A flowchart of a method implemented at a third device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 8 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0024] Fig. 9 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are only for illustrative purposes, and contribute to those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, without implying any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways except for the modes described below.

[0027] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0028] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "example embodiment," etc. indicate that the embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. In addition, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it should be considered that those skilled in the art are aware that the feature, structure, or characteristic can be affected in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0029] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. can be used in this article to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first element can be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element can be referred to as the first element without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0030] The terms used herein are used only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes", and / or "including", when used herein, specify the presence of the features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0031] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0032] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry) and

[0033] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0034] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware and

[0035] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software and memory(s) that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions and

[0036] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), which requires software (e.g., firmware)

[0037] to operate, but when the software is not required for the operation, the software may not exist.

[0038] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" also covers, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device, if applicable to the particular claim element.

[0039] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any appropriate communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), New Radio (NR), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any appropriate generation communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocol and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems, using which the present disclosure can be embodied. This should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to the above-mentioned systems.

[0040] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low power node (such as a femto and pico, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0041] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device that may be capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device (such as a digital camera), a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless client device (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (such as remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (such as robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0042] As mentioned above, data collection is necessary in cellular networks. The data required to train, validate, test and infer AI / ML solutions involves many data collection sources. In the case of solutions for 5G positioning, the network will have an AI / ML model, but the AI / ML model requires data to be collected from the UE. It usually involves many UEs collecting the required data over a long period of time, which can potentially cause high signaling overhead and unnecessary delays.

[0043] According to conventional techniques, the network needs to obtain the capability information of the UE to ensure whether the UE can perform the required measurements. In some cases, even if the UE has the capability to perform the required measurements, the UE may not be able to perform and / or report the required measurements. For example, if the UE is in a mobile scenario, the UE may leave the area of ​​interest associated with data collection. The UE may have other higher priority services to send or receive. In some other cases, the time of data collection may fall within the idle time within a discontinuous reception transmission (DRX) cycle. In addition, the reported measurements from the UE may be useless for the AI / ML model because it may include outliers (input data that may mislead the training process), redundant and unnecessary measurements (e.g., the same or similar measurements previously reported by another UE). The network may be overloaded in terms of radio resource utilization, limiting its ability to configure a large number of measurement reports from the UE through the Uu interface. Therefore, it is easy for the network (NW) to take a long list of steps to collect data, which will cause a lot of overhead or may cause delays for data collection. From the above, it can be seen that the UE data collection process for AI / ML purposes is not optimized. That is, using conventional processes to collect data for AI / ML purposes may generate a lot of signaling, causing significant delays. The traditional process is also inefficient from the perspective of network resource utilization.

[0044] In order to solve at least part of the above problems and other potential problems, a solution for sidelink data collection is proposed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first device receives a measurement request from a second device and performs measurement based on the measurement request. The first device forwards the measurement request to the third device via a sidelink between the first device and the third device. In this way, unnecessary steps of collecting capability information or requesting measurements can be avoided, thereby saving overhead and reducing signaling.

[0045] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. Communication system 100 (which is part of a communication network) includes device 110-1, device 110-2, device 110-3, ... and device 110-N, which may be collectively referred to as "(multiple) devices 110". Communication system 100 also includes device 120. In the example, (multiple) devices 110 may be terminal devices, and device 120 may be network devices. It should be understood that Figure 1The number of devices (110 and 120) shown in is given for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation. The communication system 100 may include any suitable number of devices and cells. In the communication system 100, the devices 110 and 120 may transmit data and control information to each other via links from the device 120 to (multiple) devices 110, which are referred to as (multiple) downlinks (DL), and the links from (multiple) devices 110 to the device 120 are referred to as (multiple) uplinks (UL). The devices 110 may also transmit data and control information to each other. In the case where the device 110 is a terminal device, the link between adjacent devices 110 is referred to as a side link (SL). In another example, the device 120 may be a network device or a core network device.

[0046] The communication in the communication system 100 can be implemented according to any appropriate (multiple) communication protocols, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as the first generation (1G), the second generation (2G), the third generation (3G), the fourth generation (4G) and the fifth generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols (such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc.) and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. In addition, the communication can utilize any appropriate wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplexer (FDD), time division duplexer (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) and / or any other technology currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0047] Example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 2 , which shows a signaling flow 200 of data collection according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. For illustration purposes only, the signaling flow 200 involves the device 110-1, the device 120, the device 110-2, and the device 110-3.

[0048] Device 120 (hereinafter referred to as the second device) may request capability information from device 110 (e.g., devices 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3). Device 110 may send capability information to device 120. For example, the capability information may include a capability value set associated with device 110. In some example embodiments, the capability value set may include one or more UE capabilities of the device (e.g., devices 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3). By way of example only, the capability value set may include the maximum number of antenna ports supported by the antenna panel of device 110-1. The capability value set may include the maximum supported number of sounding reference signal (SRS) ports. Additionally or alternatively, the capability information may indicate a device with reduced capabilities (RedCap).

[0049] Device 120 may determine 2005 whether to use a sidelink for data collection. In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine whether a sidelink is configured or used for data collection based on one or more of: uplink resource availability, downlink resource availability, sidelink resource availability, traffic load, or a required rate or amount of data requested to be collected. For example, if sidelink resources are available, device 120 may determine to use a sidelink for data collection. In some example embodiments, if the required rate or amount of data is greater than a threshold, device 120 may determine to use a sidelink for data collection.

[0050] Device 120 sends 2010 a first message to device 110-1 (referred to as the first device). For example, device 120 may send the first message via unicast. In this case, in some example embodiments, the first message may indicate an identification of device 110-1. The first message includes a request for data collection (hereinafter referred to as the "first request") and a first indication of the amount of data requested to be collected for device 120. The first request may indicate whether the data collection is to be continued with another terminal device via a sidelink. In this way, it is possible to utilize the sidelink between UEs to improve the efficiency of data collection, thereby reducing the associated Uu signaling overhead and the resulting delay.

[0051] In an example embodiment, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate the required proportion or quantity of measurement data that needs to be collected. Alternatively, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate the required range of measurement data that needs to be collected. For example, the required range may refer to one of the following items: a position range associated with the measurement data, a reference signal received power (RSRP) range associated with the measurement data, or an angle range associated with the measurement data. The first request for collecting measurement data may also indicate a grid, space, or dimension of the measurement to be collected. In the case of measurements associated with or specified by location information, the device 110 may know their own location information. For example, the device 110 may know their location based on a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) or a positioning technology based on a radio access technology (RAT). In another example, the device 110 may also collect data for a reference signal received power (RSRP) range instead of data for a location grid range. In other words, data collection may be divided not only for physical location, but also for RSRP levels, angle measurements, cell identities, and the like.

[0052] In addition, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate a minimum ratio of measurements that will be satisfied. For example, the first request may indicate a minimum number or ratio of a range of measurement data at which collection of measurement data is to be completed. For example, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate a ratio of data size. By way of example only, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate "provide DL RSRP measurements between the r10-r20 dBm range from at least 75% of the area defined by coordinates (x10, x20) and (y10, y20), where the area within (x10, x20) and (y10, y20) is divided into 10 pixels of equal size, with a measurement granularity of one measurement per pixel, and associated with a location and timestamp." For example, Figure 3 As shown, a first request to collect measurement data may indicate a desired range 300 , which is the area bounded by coordinates (x10, x20) and (y10, y20).

[0053] In some example embodiments, device 120 may randomly select device 110-1 to which the first message is sent. In other words, device 110-1 may be any suitable device. Alternatively, device 120 may select device 110-1 based on a predetermined criterion. For example, if device 110-1 is closest to the center of an area associated with data collection, device 120 may select device 110-1 and send the first message to device 110-1. In some other embodiments, device 120 may select device 110-1 based on one or more of: UE capabilities, RSRP, or signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) associated with device 110-1. For example, device 120 may select an anchor device in a device group as the first device.

[0054] Alternatively, device 120 may send a first message to a device group including device 110-1. For example, device 120 may send a first message to the device group via a DL broadcast. In this case, in some example embodiments, the first message may indicate an identification of the device in the group. In some example embodiments, device 120 may select one or more devices with a positioning reference unit (PRU) function to collect measurement data. The term "PRU" used herein may refer to a device deployed within a network, whose location is known to the network. From a positioning perspective, these devices may be regarded as "trusted devices". In this case, if the measurement data is positioning-related data, it is more appropriate for the measurement data to be collected by a device with a PRU function.

[0055] In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine a set of resources for collecting measurement data via a sidelink and / or uplink. For example, device 120 may determine UL time-frequency domain resources for data collection. In some embodiments, device 120 may determine the power for data collection. Additionally or alternatively, device 120 may determine SL time-frequency domain resources for data collection. The SL time-frequency domain resources may be within the coverage of device 120 or outside the coverage of device 120. In this case, the first message may indicate a set of resources for collecting measurement data. In this way, the network can reasonably plan resources for data collection. In addition, measurement data can also be collected from outside the coverage of the network.

[0056] Additionally or alternatively, the device 120 may determine the number of devices to which the first request for an update to collect measurement data is forwarded. For example, the device 120 may determine the total number of devices that may participate in data collection. In this case, the first message may also indicate the number of devices to which the first request for an update to collect measurement data is forwarded.

[0057] In some other embodiments, device 120 may determine whether redundant data is allowed and / or how much redundant data is allowed. If redundant data is allowed, multiple devices may report measurements belonging to the same measurement range. In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine the number of redundant measurements to be performed for a predetermined area. In this case, the first message may also indicate the number of redundant measurements to be performed for the predetermined area. For example, if the number of measurements is 5, it means that there may be 5 devices reporting measurements for the predetermined area. In this way, the accuracy of the measurement data can be improved.

[0058] Device 120 may determine a timer (also referred to as a second timer) associated with collecting measurement data. For example, the second timer may indicate when to stop collecting measurement data. In this case, the first message may also indicate the second timer associated with collecting measurement data. In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine area information associated with collecting measurement data. For example, device 120 may determine an area associated with collecting measurement data. In this case, if device 110-1 leaves the area, device 110-1 may stop collecting measurement data. Alternatively, device 120 may determine a cell identification (ID) associated with collecting measurement data. In this case, if device 110-1 enters a cell not indicated by a cell ID, device 110-1 may stop collecting measurement data. In this case, the first message may also indicate area information associated with collecting measurement data. Additionally or alternatively, device 120 may determine a first threshold associated with collecting measurement data. For example, if the value of the measurement data is below a threshold, device 110-1 may stop collecting measurement data. In this case, the first message may also indicate the first threshold associated with collecting measurement data. In some other embodiments, the first message may indicate a second threshold for when the additional request is forwarded. For example, the second threshold may be a time threshold or a distance threshold at which the device (e.g., device 110) needs to forward the updated first request via the sidelink.

[0059] Device 110-1 performs 2015 data collection based at least on the requested amount of data. Data collection is performed using a side link between device 110-1 and one or more other devices. For example, device 110-1 may perform a first measurement based on a request. In some example embodiments, device 110-1 may perform a first measurement based on its capabilities and availability. In some example embodiments, the first request may indicate a time-based measurement. For example, the first request may indicate a time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurement or a transmission-reception time difference measurement. Alternatively, the request may indicate an angle-based measurement. For example, the first request may indicate an angle of arrival (AoA) measurement or an angle of departure (AoD) measurement. In other embodiments, the first request may indicate a power-based measurement. For example, the first request may indicate an RSRP measurement. In some example embodiments, the first request may indicate a measurement related to channel state information. For example, the first request may indicate a measurement related to a channel impulse response (CIR). In some example embodiments, if the first request indicates RSRP measurements between the range r10-r20 dBm, device 120 may perform RSRP measurements r10-r15 from (x10, x12) and (y14, y20).

[0060] In some example embodiments, if the first message is received, device 110-1 may start a timer (also referred to as a first timer). In this case, device 110-1 may perform measurements after the timer expires.

[0061] Device 110-1 may send 2020 a second message to one or more devices (e.g., device 110-2) of device 110-2 via a sidelink. For example, the second message may be sent via broadcast. Alternatively, the second message may be sent via unicast. The second message includes an indication of the remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the remaining data. The second request may be based on the first request. The second request may indicate whether data collection continues with another terminal device via a sidelink. The second message also includes the entire first portion of measurement data collected based on the first measurement. The second message also includes a second indication. The second indication indicates one or more of the following: the measurement data of the first remaining portion to be collected and whether any additional request will be forwarded to another device after the next remaining measurement data collection. In other words, device 110-1 may indicate which part of the required measurement data it collects and / or the remaining part of the required measurement data to be collected by other devices. By way of example only, the second message may indicate the lack of measurements for r15-r20 from (x12, x20) and (y10, y14). In this case, the other device (e.g., device 110-2) may collect measurement data for r15-r20 from (x12, x20) and (y10, y14). Additionally or alternatively, the second message may indicate that measurements from (x10, x12) and (y14, y20) have been collected. Figure 3 , the second message may indicate the portion 310 of the range 300 that has been collected and the portion 320 of the range 300 that will be collected. In this way, it can utilize the side link between UEs to improve the efficiency of data collection

[0062] In an example embodiment, the second indication in the second message may indicate a confidence level of the measurement. For example, if the confidence level is lower than a threshold, other devices may repeat the measurement. In this way, the accuracy of the measurement data may be improved.

[0063] In some example embodiments, as described above, the first message may indicate the number of devices to which the updated first request is forwarded. In this case, device 110-1 may reduce the number of devices in the second indication within the second message before transmission to one or more devices (e.g., device 110-2 and / or device 110-3). The second message may also indicate the reduced number of devices. By way of example only, if the first message indicates 5 devices to which the request is forwarded, device 110-1 may reduce the number from 5 to 4. In this example, the second message may indicate 4 devices to which the request is forwarded.

[0064] Additionally or alternatively, as described above, the first message may indicate a resource set for collecting measurement data. For example, the resource set may include time and / or frequency domain resources. The resource set may also include power for collecting measurement data. In this case, device 110-1 may use the resource set to send the second message.

[0065] In some other embodiments, if the first message indicates the number of redundant data to be collected, device 110-1 may reduce the number of redundant data to be collected after the measurement is performed. In this case, the second message may also indicate the reduced number of redundant data to be collected. For example, if the first message indicates 5 measurements, device 110-1 may reduce the number from 5 to 4. Thus, the second message may indicate that 4 measurements will be performed.

[0066] In an example embodiment, if the first message indicates a second timer associated with collecting measurement data, device 110-1 may update the second timer and then forward the updated second timer. In other words, the second message may indicate the second timer associated with collecting measurement data or an updated second timer.

[0067] Devices may have different granularities in their measurement capabilities. In some example embodiments, if the first granularity of the measurement is different from the second granularity indicated in the first message, the second message may also indicate the first granularity. For example, the first message may indicate squares in the indicated measurement grid, which may be too coarse or too fine for device 110-1. In this case, device 110-1 may indicate the precise measurement range of device 110-1 in the second message. For example, the second message may indicate that the DL RSRP measurement of device 110-1 falls within the range of 1.2 to 1.8 m - rather than 1 to 2 m. In this case, other devices may help better complete the actual requested measurement range.

[0068] In some embodiments, device 110-1 may obtain data that has been collected for data collection. In this case, in some embodiments, if the requested amount of data is reached from the collected data, device 110-1 may stop data collection. Device 110-1 may report the collected data to device 120. Alternatively, if the requested amount of data is not reached from the collected data, device 110-1 may continue data collection with one or more terminal devices via a side link.

[0069] Device 110-1 may determine a first set of measurement data based on the measurement. In some example embodiments, device 110-1 may send / report 2025 the first set of measurement data to device 120. Alternatively, device 110-1 may send the first set of measurement data to one or more other devices. For example, device 110-1 may send 2030 the first set of measurement data to device 110-2 via a sidelink. The first set of measurement data may also be sent to Figure 2 Other equipment not shown.

[0070] Device 110-2 may determine 2035 the validity of the first set of measurement data. For example, device 120 may request device 110-2 to determine the validity. Alternatively, device 110-2 may be configured to determine the validity. In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may compare its own measurements with the first set of measurement data. Device 110-2 may determine the validity of the first set of measurement data based on the comparison. If the first set of measurement data is invalid, device 110-2 may send an indication of the invalidity of the first set of measurement data to device 120 or device 110-3. For example, if devices 110-1 and 110-2 measure RSRP for the same area, device 110-2 may compare the RSRP it measures with the RSRP measured by device 110-1. In this case, if the difference between the measurements performed by different devices exceeds a threshold, device 110-2 may mark any "contradictory" or "insufficient" measurements on the sidelink or to the network. In this way, the accuracy of the measurement data may be improved.

[0071] Device 110-2 performs data collection based at least on the indication of the first remaining data. Device 110-2 may perform 2040 a second measurement on the first remaining portion of the measurement data based on the updated first request for collecting measurement data indicated in the second message. In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may perform the second measurement based on its capabilities and availability. In some example embodiments, the updated first request may indicate a time-based measurement. Alternatively, the updated first request may indicate an angle-based measurement. In other embodiments, the updated first request may indicate a power-based measurement. In some example embodiments, the updated first request may indicate a measurement related to channel state information.

[0072] In some example embodiments, if the second message is received, device 110-2 may start the first timer. In this case, device 110-2 may perform measurements after the first timer expires.

[0073] In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may send 2045 a third message to one or more devices (also referred to as one or more fourth devices) (e.g., to device 110-3) via a side link between device 110-2 and the one or more devices. For example, the third message may be sent via broadcast. Alternatively, the third message may be sent via unicast. The third message may include a second request to collect an update of the second remaining measurement data. The third message may include the entire second portion of measurement data collected based on the second measurement. The third message may also include a second indication indicating one or more of: the second remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected and whether any additional requests will be forwarded to another device after the next remaining measurement data collection. In other words, device 110-2 may indicate which portion of the required measurement data has been collected and / or the remaining portion of the required measurement data needs to be collected by other devices. Reference Figure 3 The third message may indicate a portion 330 of the range 300 that has been collected and a portion 340 of the range 300 that will be collected. In this way, the efficiency of data collection may be improved by utilizing the sidelink between UEs.

[0074] In an example embodiment, the third message may indicate a confidence level of the second measurement. For example, if the confidence level is below a threshold, the other device may repeat the measurement.

[0075] In some example embodiments, as described above, the second message may indicate the number of devices to which the updated second request is forwarded. In this case, device 110-2 may reduce the number of devices before transmission of the third message to one or more devices. The third message may also indicate the number of reduced devices. By way of example only, if the second message indicates 4 devices to which the request is forwarded, device 110-2 may reduce the number from 4 to 3. In this example, the third message may indicate 3 devices to which the request is forwarded. Alternatively, if the number of devices indicated in the second message is not greater than a predetermined number (e.g., 0), device 110-2 may stop measuring and forwarding requests.

[0076] Additionally or alternatively, as described above, the second message may indicate a set of resources for collecting the second remaining portion of the measurement data. In this case, the device 110-2 may use the set of resources to send the third message.

[0077] In some other embodiments, if the second message indicates the number of redundant data to be collected, the device 110-2 may reduce the number of redundant data to be collected after the measurement is performed. In this case, the third message may also indicate the number of reduced redundant data to be collected. For example, if the second message indicates 4 measurements, the device 110-2 may reduce the number from 4 to 3. Thus, the third message may indicate that 3 measurements will be performed. Alternatively, if the second message indicates zero measurements, the device 110-2 may stop measuring and forward the request. Alternatively, if the number of measurements indicated in the second message is not greater than a predetermined number (e.g., 0), the device 110-2 may stop measuring and forward the request.

[0078] In an example embodiment, if the second message indicates a second timer associated with collecting measurement data, device 110-2 may update the second timer and then forward the second timer. In other words, the third message may indicate the second timer associated with collecting measurement data or an updated second timer.

[0079] Devices may have different granularities in terms of measurement capabilities. In this case, device 110-2 may indicate the precise measurement range of device 110-2 in the second message. In this case, other devices may help better complete the measurement range actually requested.

[0080] Device 110-2 may determine a second set of measurement data based on the second measurement. In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may send / report 2050 the second set of measurement data to device 120. Alternatively, device 110-2 may send the second set of measurement data to one or more other devices. For example, device 110-2 may send 2055 the second set of measurement data to device 110-3 via a sidelink. The second set of measurement data may also be sent to Figure 2 Other equipment not shown.

[0081] In some embodiments, the second message may also indicate a minimum number or ratio of the range of measurement data, at which the collection of measurement data is completed. In this case, if device 110-2 determines that the minimum number or appropriate amount is reached, device 110-2 may send measurement data including the first measurement data set and the collection of the second measurement data to device 12. In this way, redundant data collection and signaling overhead are avoided.

[0082] Device 110-3 may determine the validity of the first and / or second measurement data set. For example, device 120 may request device 110-3 to determine the validity. Alternatively, device 110-3 may be configured to determine the validity. In some example embodiments, device 110-3 may compare its own measurements with the first and / or second measurement data set. Device 110-3 may determine the validity of the first and / or second measurement data set based on the comparison. If the first and / or second measurement data set is invalid, device 110-3 may send an indication of the invalidity of the first and / or second measurement data set to device 120 or (multiple) other devices.

[0083] Device 110-3 may perform 2060 a third measurement on the second remaining portion of the measurement data based on the updated second request indicated in the third second message. In some example embodiments, device 110-3 may perform the third measurement based on its capabilities and availability. In some example embodiments, the updated second request may indicate a time-based measurement. Alternatively, the updated second request may indicate an angle-based measurement. In other embodiments, the updated second request may indicate a power-based measurement. In some example embodiments, the updated second request may indicate a measurement related to channel state information. Device 110-3 may determine a third set of measurement data based on the third measurement.

[0084] In some example embodiments, if the third message is received, device 110-3 may start the first timer. In this case, device 110-3 may perform measurements after the first timer expires.

[0085] In some example embodiments, as described above, the third message may indicate the number of devices to which the updated second request is forwarded. In this case, if the number of devices indicated in the third message is not greater than a predetermined number (e.g., 0), device 110-3 may stop measuring and forwarding requests. In some other embodiments, the third message may indicate the number of redundant data to be collected. In this case, if the number of measurements indicated in the third message is not greater than a predetermined number (e.g., 0), device 110-3 may stop measuring and forwarding requests.

[0086] In an example embodiment, if the second message indicates a second timer associated with collecting measurement data, device 110-2 may update the second timer and then forward the second timer. In other words, the third message may indicate the second timer associated with collecting measurement data or an updated second timer.

[0087] Device 110-3 may determine 2065 whether the required data is completed. For example, device 110-3 may determine whether an indicated measurement ratio is achieved. If the indicated measurement ratio is achieved, device 110-3 may stop forwarding requests for collecting measurement data via the sidelink. By way of example only, if the request indicates "provide DL RSRP measurements between the r10-r20 dBm range from at least 75% of the area defined by coordinates (x10, x20) and (y10, y20)," device 110-3 may determine whether 75% of the area is measured. Reference Figure 3 , device 110 - 3 may determine whether collected portion 350 occupies at least 75% of range 300 .

[0088] In some example embodiments, if the required data is completed, device 110-3 may send 2070 the collected measurement data to device 120. The collected measurement data may be a first measurement data set, a second measurement data set, and a third measurement data set. In other words, device 110-3 may report the final accumulated measurement set to the network, thereby reducing signaling for data collection. In some other embodiments, if device 110-3 is a relay UE, device 110-3 may have already collected the requested data, so that the UE may stop measuring and reporting / forwarding its measurements.

[0089] Additionally or alternatively, device 120 may indicate to device 110 that it has collected the requested data so that device 110 may stop measuring and reporting / forwarding its measurements. In some example embodiments, device 110 (e.g., device 110-1) may also request and initiate a data collection process. In this case, the measurement data may be reported to device 110-1.

[0090] In some embodiments, device 120 may broadcast to the device group (e.g., device 110) that received the first request to stop performing one or more of the following: measuring, reporting, and forwarding measurements based on having received sufficient requested measurement data from one or more devices in the device group that received the request. For example, if device 120 determines that the received measurement data is sufficient for positioning, device 120 may broadcast to the device group to stop measuring.

[0091] Figure 4 The vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenario in which the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied is shown. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be implemented in other suitable scenarios.

[0092] like Figure 4As shown, device 120 may request RSRP measurements associated with location information from a road portion bounded by location / distance 410 and 420 on the horizontal axis. It should be noted that this area may also be outside of network coverage. In this case, the network may benefit from the present disclosure so that any UE that may be outside of network coverage may be reached via a sidelink for data collection purposes. This opportunity may result in a more diverse set of measurements that may be implemented via conventional methods for data collection.

[0093] Device 120 may initiate a data collection request by sending a unicast message to device 110-1 that is close to the area of ​​interest. Since devices continuously enter and leave the indicated area, device 120 may also request device 110-1 to forward its data collection request through the SL when device 110-1 leaves the area (i.e., when device 110-1 arrives at 410 or 420).

[0094] Device 110-1 may collect a set of measurements, but due to its high speed, it only belongs to a subset of the indicated area. When device 110-1 reaches one end of the area (e.g., at 410), device 110-1 may forward a data collection request to device 110-2 via the SL, by indicating the range of the subset of measurements it made and / or the missing range of measurements to be made. Device 110-1 may report its measurements to the network. For example, if the area is out of coverage, device 110-1 may report its measurements when it connects back.

[0095] Device 110-2 may receive this message and collect another set of measurements that belong to the indicated missing portion of the measurement range throughout the journey between 410 and 420. If device 110-2 reaches 420, device 110-2 may then forward the data collection request to other devices, such as device 110-3, via the SL.

[0096] After device 110-3 receives the data collection data, device 110-3 may determine whether a predetermined proportion of the requested set of measurements has been collated. In this case, if the predetermined proportion is reached, device 110-3 may not forward the data collection request through the SL. Device 110-3 may also report to the network a subset of the measurements collected by device 110-3.

[0097] Figure 5 1 is a flow chart of a method 500 of the present disclosure. The method 500 may be implemented at any suitable device. For example, the method may be implemented at the device 110 - 1 .

[0098] Device 110-1 may send capability information to device 120. For example, the capability information may include a set of capability values ​​associated with device 110-1. In some example embodiments, the set of capability values ​​may include one or more UE capabilities of device 110-1. By way of example only, the set of capability values ​​may include a maximum number of antenna ports supported by an antenna panel of device 110-1. The set of capability values ​​may include a maximum supported number of SRS ports. Additionally or alternatively, the capability information may indicate a device with RedCap.

[0099] At block 510, device 110-1 receives a first message from device 120. For example, device 120 may send the first message via unicast. In this case, in some example embodiments, the first message may indicate an identification of device 110-1. The first message includes a first request to collect measurement data and a first indication of a first request to forward updates via a sidelink. In this manner, the sidelink between UEs may be utilized to improve the efficiency of data collection, thereby reducing the associated Uu signaling overhead and the delay caused.

[0100] In an example embodiment, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate the required proportion or quantity of the measurement data to be collected. Alternatively, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate the required range of the measurement data to be collected. For example, the required range may refer to one of the following items: the position range associated with the measurement data, the RSRP range associated with the measurement data, or the angular range associated with the measurement data. The first request for collecting measurement data may also indicate the grid, space, or dimension of the measurement to be collected. In the case of measurements associated with or specified by location information, the device 110 may know their own location information. For example, the device 110 may know their location based on GNSS or RAT-based positioning technology. In another example, the device 110 may also collect data for the RSRP range, rather than for the location grid range. In other words, data collection may be divided not only for physical location, but also for RSRP level, angle measurement, cell ID, etc.

[0101] In addition, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate a minimum proportion of measurements that will be satisfied. For example, the first request may indicate a minimum number or proportion of a range of measurement data at which collection of measurement data is to be completed. For example, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate a proportion of data size. By way of example only, the first request for collecting measurement data may indicate "provide DL RSRP measurements between the r10-r20 dBm range from at least 75% of the area defined by coordinates (x10, x20) and (y10, y20), where the area within (x10, x20) and (y10, y20) is divided into 10 equally sized pixels and the measurement granularity is one measurement per pixel, associated with a location and timestamp." For example, as Figure 3 As shown, a first request to collect measurement data may indicate a desired range 300 , which is the area bounded by coordinates (x10, x20) and (y10, y20).

[0102] In some example embodiments, device 120 may randomly select device 110-1 to which the first message is sent. In other words, device 110-1 may be any suitable device. Alternatively, device 120 may select device 110-1 based on a predetermined criterion. For example, if device 110-1 is closest to the center of an area related to data collection, device 120 may select device 110-1 and send the first message to device 110-1. In some other embodiments, device 120 may select device 110-1 based on one or more of: UE capabilities, RSRP, or signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) associated with device 110-1. For example, device 120 may select an anchor device in a device group as the first device.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the first message may indicate a set of resources for collecting measurement data. In this way, the network can appropriately plan resources for data collection. In addition, measurement data can also be collected from outside the network coverage.

[0104] At block 520, device 110-1 performs data collection based on at least one requested amount of data. The data collection may be performed using a side link between device 110-1 and one or more other terminal devices. For example, device 110-1 may perform a first measurement based on the first request. In some example embodiments, device 110-1 may perform the first measurement based on its capabilities and availability. In some example embodiments, the first request may indicate a time-based measurement. Alternatively, the first request may indicate an angle-based measurement. In other embodiments, the first request may indicate a power-based measurement. For example, the first request may indicate an RSRP measurement. In some example embodiments, the request may indicate a measurement related to channel state information.

[0105] In some example embodiments, if the first message is received, device 110-1 may start a first timer. In this case, device 110-1 may perform measurements after expiration of the first timer.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the first message also indicates at least one of the following: a set of resources for data collection via at least one of a sidelink or an uplink, a number of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, a second timer for data collection, an identification of a terminal device for data collection, a minimum number or ratio of requested data volumes at which data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with data collection, a second threshold for when additional requests for data collection are forwarded, or area information associated with data collection.

[0107] In some embodiments, at block 530, device 110-1 may send a second message to one or more third devices (e.g., device 110-2) via a side link. For example, the second message may be sent via broadcast. Alternatively, the second message may be sent via unicast. The second message may include an indication of the remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the remaining data. The second message may also include a second indication. The second indication indicates one or more of the following: the first remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected and whether any additional requests will be forwarded to another device after the next remaining measurement data collection. In other words, device 110-1 may indicate which portion of the required measurement data it has collected and / or the remaining portion of the required measurement data is collected by other devices.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the second message also indicates at least one of the following: a first number of terminal devices to which a third request for collecting remaining data is forwarded via a side link, a set of resources for data collection via at least one of the side link or the uplink, a second number of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, a second timer for data collection, an identification of the terminal device for data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data when data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with data collection, a second threshold regarding when additional requests for data collection are forwarded, or area information associated with data collection.

[0109] In an example embodiment, the second indication in the second message may indicate a confidence level of the measurement. For example, if the confidence level is below a threshold, the other device may repeat the measurement. In this way, the accuracy of the measurement data may be improved.

[0110] In some example embodiments, as described above, the first message may indicate the number of devices to which the updated first request is forwarded. In this case, device 110-1 may reduce the number of devices in the second indication within the second message before transmission to one or more devices (e.g., device 110-2 and / or device 110-3). The second message may also indicate the number of devices that was reduced.

[0111] Additionally or alternatively, as described above, the first message may indicate a resource set for collecting measurement data. For example, the resource set may include time and / or frequency domain resources. The resource set may also include power for collecting measurement data. In this case, device 110-1 may use the resource set to send the second message.

[0112] In some other embodiments, if the first message indicates the number of redundant data to be collected, device 110-1 may reduce the number of redundant data to be collected after the measurement is performed. In this case, the second message may also indicate the reduced number of redundant data to be collected.

[0113] In an example embodiment, if the first message indicates a second timer associated with collecting measurement data, device 110-1 may update the second timer and then forward the second timer. In other words, the second message may indicate the second timer associated with collecting measurement data or an updated second timer.

[0114] Devices may have different granularities in their measurement capabilities. In some example embodiments, if the first granularity of the measurement is different from the second granularity indicated in the first message, the second message may also indicate the first granularity. For example, the first message may indicate squares in the indicated measurement grid, which may be too coarse or too fine for device 110-1. In this case, device 110-1 may indicate its precise measurement range in the second message.

[0115] Device 110-1 may determine the first set of measurement data based on the measurement. In some example embodiments, device 110-1 may send / report the first set of measurement data to device 120. Alternatively, device 110-1 may send the first set of measurement data to one or more other devices. For example, device 110-1 may send the first set of measurement data to device 110-2 via a sidelink.

[0116] Figure 6 1 is a flow chart of a method 600 of the present disclosure. The method 600 may be implemented at any suitable device. For example, the method may be implemented at the device 120.

[0117] Device 120 may request capability information from device 110 (e.g., devices 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3). Device 110 may send capability information to device 120. For example, the capability information may include a set of capability values ​​associated with device 110. In some example embodiments, the set of capability values ​​may include one or more UE capabilities of the devices (e.g., devices 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3). By way of example only, the set of capability values ​​may include the maximum number of antenna ports supported by the antenna panel of device 110-1. The set of capability values ​​may include the maximum supported number of sounding reference signal (SRS) ports. Additionally or alternatively, the capability information may indicate a device with reduced capabilities (RedCap).

[0118] Device 120 may determine whether to use a sidelink for data collection. In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine whether to use a sidelink for data collection based on one or more of: uplink resource availability, downlink resource availability, sidelink resource availability, traffic load, or a rate or amount of data to be collected and reported by device 110. For example, if sidelink resources are available, device 120 may determine to use a sidelink for data collection. In some example embodiments, if a desired rate or amount of data is greater than a threshold, device 120 may determine to use a sidelink for data collection.

[0119] At block 610, device 120 sends a message to device 110-1. For example, device 120 may send the message via unicast. In this case, in some example embodiments, the message may indicate an identification of device 110-1. The message includes a first request for data collection and an indication of the amount of data requested to be collected for the network device. In this way, the sidelink between UEs may be utilized to improve the efficiency of data collection, thereby reducing the associated Uu signaling overhead and the resulting delay.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the message also indicates at least one of the following: a first number of terminal devices to which a second request for data collection is forwarded by the terminal device via a sidelink, a set of resources used for data collection via at least one of the sidelink or the uplink, a second number of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, more than one timer for data collection, an identification of the terminal device used for data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data when data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with data collection, a second threshold regarding when additional requests for data collection are forwarded, or area information associated with data collection.

[0121] In an example embodiment, the measurement data collection request may indicate a desired proportion or amount of measurement data to be collected. Alternatively, the measurement data collection request may indicate a desired range of measurement data to be collected. For example, the desired range may refer to one of the following: a position range associated with the measurement data, an RSRP range associated with the measurement data, or an angular range associated with the measurement data. The measurement data collection request may also indicate a grid, space, or dimension of measurements to be collected. In the case of measurements associated with or specified by location information, the devices 110 may know their own location information.

[0122] In addition, the measurement data collection request may indicate a minimum ratio of measurements to be satisfied. For example, the measurement data collection request may indicate a ratio of data size.

[0123] In some example embodiments, device 120 may randomly select device 110-1 to which the first message is sent. In other words, device 110-1 may be any suitable device. Alternatively, device 120 may select device 110-1 based on a predetermined criterion. For example, if device 110-1 is closest to the center of an area associated with data collection, device 120 may select device 110-1 and send the first message to device 110-1. In some other embodiments, device 120 may select device 110-1 based on one or more of: UE capabilities, RSRP, or signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) associated with device 110-1. For example, device 120 may select an anchor device from a group of devices as the first device.

[0124] Alternatively, device 120 may send the first message to a device group including device 110-1. For example, device 120 may send the first message to the group of devices via DL broadcast. In this case, in some example embodiments, the first message may indicate an identity of the device in the group. In some example embodiments, device 120 may select one or more devices with PRU functionality to perform measurement data collection, in which case, if the measurement data is positioning-related data, it is more appropriate for the device with PRU functionality to perform measurement data collection.

[0125] In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine a set of resources for data collection. For example, device 120 may determine UL time-frequency domain resources for data collection. Additionally or alternatively, device 120 may determine SL time-frequency domain resources for data collection. The SL time-frequency domain resources may be within the coverage of device 120 or outside the coverage of device 120. In this case, the first message may indicate a set of resources for collecting measurement data. In this way, the network can appropriately plan resources for data collection. In addition, measurement data can also be collected from outside the coverage of the network.

[0126] Additionally or alternatively, device 120 may determine the number of devices to which the request for collecting measurement data is forwarded. For example, device 120 may determine the total number of devices that may participate in data collection. In this case, the first message may also indicate the number of devices to which the request for collecting measurement data is forwarded.

[0127] In some other embodiments, device 120 may determine whether redundant data is allowed and / or how much redundant data is allowed. If redundant data is allowed, multiple devices may report measurements belonging to the same measurement range. In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine the number of measurements to be performed for a predetermined area. In this case, the first message may also indicate the number of measurements to be performed for the predetermined area. For example, if the number of measurements is 5, it means that 5 devices may report measurements for the predetermined area.

[0128] Device 120 may determine a timer associated with collecting measurement data. For example, a timer may indicate when to stop collecting measurement data. In this case, the first message may also indicate the timer associated with collecting measurement data. In some example embodiments, device 120 may determine an area associated with collecting measurement data. For example, if device 110-1 leaves the area, device 110-1 may stop collecting measurement data. In this case, the first message may also indicate an area associated with collecting measurement data. Additionally or alternatively, device 120 may determine a threshold associated with collecting measurement data. For example, if the value of the measurement data is below a threshold, device 110-1 may stop collecting measurement data. In this case, the first message may also indicate a threshold associated with collecting measurement data.

[0129] At block 620, device 120 receives measurement data from one or more devices. For example, device 120 may receive measurement data from multiple devices that perform measurements. For example, if multiple devices receive the second message from the first device, the multiple devices may perform corresponding remaining portions of data measurements that were not previously collected by the first device via a sidelink between the first device and the multiple devices according to the update indication in the update request. Alternatively, device 120 may receive measurement data from an end device.

[0130] In some embodiments, device 120 may broadcast to the device group (e.g., device 110) that received the first request to stop performing one or more of the following: collecting, reporting, and forwarding measurements based on having received sufficient requested measurement data from one or more devices in the device group that received the request. For example, if device 120 determines that the received measurement data is sufficient for positioning, device 120 may broadcast to the device group to stop measuring.

[0131] Figure 7 1 is a flow chart of a method 700 of the present disclosure. The method 700 may be implemented at any suitable device. For example, the method may be implemented at the device 110 - 2 .

[0132] At block 710, device 110-2 receives a second message from device 110-1, the second message having the amount of data requested to be collected for the network device. For example, the second message may be sent via broadcast. Alternatively, the second message may be sent via unicast. The second message includes a first indication of the first remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the first remaining data. The second message may also include a second indication. The second indication indicates one or more of the following: the first remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected and whether any additional requests will be forwarded to another device after the next remaining measurement data collection. In other words, device 110-1 can indicate which portion of the required measurement data it has collected and / or the remaining portion of the required measurement data will be collected by other devices.

[0133] In some example embodiments, the second message also indicates at least one of the following: a first number of terminal devices to which a third request for collecting second remaining data is forwarded via a sidelink, a set of resources for data collection via at least one of a sidelink or an uplink, a second number of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, more than one timer for data collection, an identification of the terminal device for data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data when data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with data collection, a second threshold regarding when additional requests for data collection are forwarded, or area information associated with data collection.

[0134] In an example embodiment, the second indication in the second message may indicate a confidence level of the measurement. For example, if the confidence level is below a threshold, the other device may repeat the measurement. In this way, the accuracy of the measurement data may be improved.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the second message may also indicate a reduced number of devices to which the updated second request is forwarded. In some other embodiments, if the first message indicates a number of redundant data to be collected, the second message may also indicate a reduced number of redundant data to be collected. In an example embodiment, the second message may indicate a second timer associated with collecting measurement data or an updated second timer.

[0136] Devices may have different granularities in their measurement capabilities.In some example embodiments, if the first granularity of the measurement is different from the second granularity indicated in the first message, the second message may also indicate the first granularity.

[0137] In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may receive a first data set collected from device 110-1. Device 110-2 may determine the validity of the first data set. For example, device 120 may request device 110-2 to determine the validity. Alternatively, device 110-2 may be configured to determine the validity. In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may compare its own measurements with the first data set. Device 110-2 may determine the validity of the first data set based on the comparison. If the first data set is invalid, device 110-2 may send an indication of the invalidity of the first data set to device 120 or device 110-3. For example, if devices 110-1 and 110-2 measure RSRP for the same area, device 110-2 may compare its measured RSRP with the RSRP measured by device 110-1. In this case, if the difference between the measurements performed by different devices exceeds a threshold, device 110-2 may mark any "contradictory" or "insufficient" measurements on the sidelink or network.

[0138] At block 720, device 110-2 performs data collection using a second sidelink between device 110-2 and one or more other terminal devices based at least on the indication of the first remaining data. For example, device 110-2 may perform a second measurement on the first remaining portion of the measurement data based on the updated first request indicated in the second message. In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may perform the second measurement based on its capabilities and availability. In some example embodiments, the updated first request may indicate a time-based measurement. Alternatively, the updated first request may indicate an angle-based measurement. In other embodiments, the updated first request may indicate a power-based measurement. In some example embodiments, the updated first request may indicate a measurement related to channel state information.

[0139] In some example embodiments, if the second message is received, device 110-2 may start the first timer. In this case, device 110-2 may perform measurements after the first timer expires.

[0140] In some embodiments, at block 730, device 110-2 may determine a second data set collected by device 110-2. For example, device 110-2 may determine the second data set based on the second measurement. In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may send / report the second data set to device 120. Alternatively, device 110-2 may send the second data set to one or more other devices. For example, device 110-2 may send the second data set to device 110-3 via a side link. In some example embodiments, if device 110-2 determines that a predetermined proportion of the data indicated in the second message is reached, device 110-2 may send the collected data including the first data set and the second data to device 120. In this way, redundant data collection and signaling overhead are avoided.

[0141] In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may obtain data that has already been collected for data collection. In this case, if the requested amount of data is reached from the collected data, device 110-2 may stop data collection. Device 110-2 may also report the collected data to device 120. Alternatively, if the requested amount of data is not reached from the collected data, device 110-2 may continue data collection with one or more terminal devices via a second sidelink.

[0142] In some example embodiments, device 110-2 may send a third message to one or more devices via a sidelink. For example, the third message may be sent via broadcast. Alternatively, the third message may be sent via unicast. The third message may include a second indication of the second remaining data to be collected and a third request for collecting the second remaining data. The third request may be based on the second request. The second and third requests may each indicate whether data collection continues with another terminal device via a sidelink. The third message may include the entire second portion of measurement data collected based on the second measurement. The third message may also include a second indication indicating one or more of the following: the second remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected and whether any additional request is forwarded to another device after the next remaining measurement data collection. In other words, device 110-2 may indicate which portion of the required measurement data has been collected and / or the remaining portion of the required measurement data to be collected by other devices. In this way, it can be a sidelink between UEs to improve data collection efficiency.

[0143] In an example embodiment, the third message may indicate a confidence level of the second measurement. For example, if the confidence level is below a threshold, the other device may repeat the measurement.

[0144] In some example embodiments, as described above, the second message may indicate the number of devices to which the updated second request is forwarded. In this case, device 110-2 may reduce the number of devices before transmission of the third message to one or more devices. The third message may also indicate the reduced number of devices. Alternatively, if the number of devices indicated in the second message is not greater than a predetermined number (e.g., 0), device 110-2 may stop measuring and forwarding requests.

[0145] Additionally or alternatively, as described above, the second message may indicate a set of resources to be used for data collection. In this case, device 110-2 may send the third message using the set of resources.

[0146] In some other embodiments, if the second message indicates the number of redundant data to be collected, device 110-2 may reduce the number of redundant data to be collected after the measurement is performed. In this case, the third message may also indicate the reduced number of redundant data to be collected. Alternatively, if the number of measurements indicated in the second message is not greater than a predetermined number (e.g., 0), device 110-2 may stop measuring and forward the request.

[0147] In an example embodiment, if the second message indicates a second timer associated with collecting measurement data, device 110-2 may update the second timer and then forward the second timer. In other words, the third message may indicate the second timer associated with collecting measurement data or an updated second timer.

[0148] Devices may have different granularities in their measurement capabilities. In this case, device 110-2 may indicate the precise range of its measurements in the second message. In this case, other devices may help better complete the measurement range actually requested.

[0149] In some example embodiments, an apparatus for executing method 500 (eg, device 110-1) may include corresponding components for executing corresponding steps in method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner, such as by a circuit system or a software module.

[0150] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving a first message from a network device, the first message including: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and a component for performing data collection based at least on the requested amount of data by using a side link between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices.

[0151] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for obtaining data that has been collected for data collection; means for stopping data collection if a requested amount of data is reached from the collected data; and means for reporting the collected data to a network device.

[0152] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for obtaining data that has been collected for data collection; and means for continuing data collection with one or more terminal devices via a side link if a requested amount of data is not reached from the collected data.

[0153] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending a second message for data collection to one or more terminal devices via the sidelink, wherein the second message comprises: an indication of remaining data to be collected and a second request to collect the remaining data.

[0154] In some example embodiments, the second request is based on the first request.

[0155] In some example embodiments, the first request and the second request both indicate whether data collection is to continue with another terminal device via a sidelink.

[0156] In some example embodiments, the first message and the second message each indicate a confidence level for the corresponding collected data for the data collection.

[0157] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for collecting a first set of data based on a first request; and means for sending the first set of data to one or more terminal devices via a sidelink.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the first message indicates a number of terminal devices to which the second request is to be forwarded via the sidelink.

[0159] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for reducing a number of terminal devices within the second message prior to transmission to the one or more terminal devices via the sidelink.

[0160] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for starting a first timer in response to receiving the first message; and means for collecting a first set of data upon expiration of the first timer.

[0161] In some example embodiments, the first message also indicates at least one of: a set of resources for data collection via at least one of a sidelink or an uplink, a number of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, a second timer for data collection, an identification of a terminal device for data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data, when the minimum amount or proportion is reached, the data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with the data collection, a second threshold for when additional requests for data collection are forwarded, or area information associated with the data collection.

[0162] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., device 120) for executing method 600 may include corresponding components for executing corresponding steps in method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner, such as by a circuit system or a software module.

[0163] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for sending a message to a terminal device, the message including: a first request for data collection, and an indication of the amount of data requested to be collected for a network device; and a component for receiving data from the terminal device and / or one or more other terminal devices, the data being collected for data collection using a side link between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices.

[0164] In some example embodiments, the first request indicates whether data collection is to continue with another terminal device via a sidelink.

[0165] In some example embodiments, the message also indicates at least one of the following: a first number of terminal devices to which a second request for data collection is forwarded by the terminal device via a sidelink, a set of resources for data collection via at least one of the sidelink or the uplink, a second number of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, more than one timer for data collection, an identification of the terminal device for data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data, when the minimum amount or proportion is reached, the data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with data collection, a second threshold for when additional requests for data collection are forwarded, or area information associated with data collection.

[0166] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for broadcasting, via a downlink message, to the group of devices receiving the first request to cease performing one or more of: collecting, reporting, and forwarding corresponding data for data collection.

[0167] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining whether a sidelink is configured or used to forward data based on at least one of: uplink resource availability, downlink resource availability, sidelink resource availability, traffic load, or a required ratio or amount of data requested to be collected.

[0168] In some example embodiments, an apparatus for executing method 700 (e.g., device 110-2) may include corresponding components for executing corresponding steps in method 700. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner, such as by a circuit system or a software module.

[0169] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving, via a first sidelink between a terminal device and another terminal device, a second message for data collection having an amount of data requested to be collected for a network device, wherein the second message includes: a first indication of first remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the first remaining data for the network device; and a component for performing data collection based at least on the indication of the first remaining data.

[0170] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for obtaining data that has been collected for data collection; a component for stopping data collection if a requested amount of data is reached from the collected data; and a component for reporting the collected data to a network device or to another terminal device.

[0171] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for obtaining data already collected for data collection; and means for continuing data collection via a second side link between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices if a requested amount of data is not achieved from the collected data.

[0172] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending a third message for data collection to one or more other terminal devices via a second sidelink, wherein the third message comprises: a second indication of second remaining data to be collected and a third request to collect the second remaining data.

[0173] In some example embodiments, the third request is based on the second request.

[0174] In some example embodiments, the second request and the third request both indicate whether data collection is to continue with the other terminal device via a sidelink between the terminal device and the other terminal device.

[0175] In some example embodiments, the second message also indicates at least one of the following: a first number of terminal devices to which a third request for collecting second remaining data is forwarded by the terminal device via a side link, a set of resources for data collection via at least one of the side link or the uplink, a second number of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, more than one timer for data collection, an identification of the terminal device for data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data, when the minimum amount or proportion is reached, the data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with data collection, a second threshold for when additional requests for data collection are forwarded, or area information associated with data collection.

[0176] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending a third message to one or more terminal devices in response to the first number of terminal devices being less than the first predetermined number.

[0177] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending a third message to the one or more fourth devices in response to the second number of redundant data being less than the second predetermined number.

[0178] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for receiving a first set of data collected from another terminal device; means for determining a second set of data collected by the terminal device; and means for sending the first and second sets of data to a second device.

[0179] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for transmitting the second set of data to one or more other terminal devices via the second sidelink.

[0180] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving a first data set collected from another terminal device; a component for determining the validity of the first data set; and a component for sending an indication of the invalidity of the first data set to one or more other terminal devices or to a network device via a second side link based on determining that the first data set is invalid.

[0181] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving, at a first device, a first message from a second device, the first message including: a first request to collect measurement data and a first indication for forwarding the request; a component for performing measurements based on the request; and a component for sending a second message to one or more third devices via a side link between the first device and the one or more third devices, wherein the second message includes an entire first portion of measurement data collected based on the first measurement, an updated first request for collecting first remaining measurement data, and a second indication indicating at least one of: the first remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected, and whether to forward any additional requests to another device after the next remaining measurement data collection.

[0182] In some example embodiments, the second indication in the second message further indicates a confidence level of the first measurement.

[0183] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a first set of measurement data based on the first measurement; and means for sending the first set of measurement data to one or more third devices via a sidelink.

[0184] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a first set of measurement data based on the first measurement; and means for sending the first set of measurement data to the second device.

[0185] In some example embodiments, the first message indicates a number of devices to which the updated first request is forwarded.The apparatus further comprises means for reducing the number of devices in the second indication within the second message prior to transmission of the second message to the one or more third devices.

[0186] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for starting a first timer in response to receiving the first message; and means for performing a first measurement after expiration of the first timer.

[0187] In some example embodiments, the first message also indicates at least one of: a set of resources for data collection via at least one of a sidelink or an uplink, a number of redundant measurements to be performed for a predetermined area, a second timer associated with collecting measurement data, an identification of a device associated with collecting measurement data, a minimum number or proportion of measurement data ranges at which measurement data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with collecting measurement data, a second threshold for when additional requests are forwarded, or area information associated with collecting measurement data.

[0188] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for reducing a number of redundant measurements after performing the first measurement, and means for sending a second message to one or more third devices indicating the reduced number of redundant measurements.

[0189] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending a second message indicating a second timer to one or more third devices.

[0190] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending a second message indicating the first granularity of the first measurement upon determining that the first granularity of the measurement is different from the second granularity indicated in the first message.

[0191] In some example embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device, the second device comprises a network device, and the one or more third devices comprise one or more terminal devices.

[0192] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for sending a first message at a second device to a first device, the first message including: a first request for collecting measurement data and a first indication of the first request to forward an update via a side link after the collection; and a component for receiving the measurement data from one or more third devices, wherein the one or more third devices, in response to receiving the second message from the first device, perform data measurement of the corresponding remaining portion not previously collected by the first device in accordance with the updated indication in the updated request via a side link between the first device and the one or more third devices.

[0193] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for broadcasting, via a downlink message, to a group of devices receiving a first request to cease performing one or more of: measuring, reporting, and forwarding measurements based on having received sufficient requested measurement data from one or more devices in the group of devices receiving the request.

[0194] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining an anchor device in the group of devices as the first device for sending the first message.

[0195] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining whether a sidelink is configured or used to forward measurement data based on one or more of: uplink resource availability, downlink resource availability, sidelink resource availability, traffic load, or a required ratio or amount of measurement data to be collected.

[0196] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining a set of resources for collecting measurement data via at least one of a sidelink or an uplink; and means for sending a first message to the first device to further indicate the set of resources.

[0197] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining a number of redundant measurements to be performed for a predetermined area; and means for sending a first message to the first device further indicating the number of redundant measurements.

[0198] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a number of devices to which the first request is forwarded; and means for sending a first message to the first device further indicating the number of devices.

[0199] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining a second timer associated with collecting the measurement data; and the means for sending the first message comprises means for sending the first message to the first device further indicating the second timer.

[0200] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for sending an indication that measurement data has been collected to at least one of: the first device or one or more third devices.

[0201] In some example embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device, the second device comprises a network device, and the one or more third devices comprises another terminal device.

[0202] In some example embodiments, the first message also includes one or more of: an identification of a device associated with collecting the measurement data, a minimum number or proportion of a measurement data range at which measurement data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with collecting the measurement data, a second threshold for when additional requests are forwarded, or regional information associated with collecting the measurement data.

[0203] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving, at a third device via a first sidelink between the first device and the third device, a second message from a first device, the second message including an entire first portion of measurement data collected based on a first measurement performed by the first device, an updated first request for collecting first remaining measurement data, and a second indication indicating at least one of: the first remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected, or a third indication for forwarding the updated first request; a component for performing a second measurement on the first remaining portion of the measurement data based on the updated first request in response to receipt of the second message; and a component for determining a second set of measurement data based on the second measurement.

[0204] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for sending a third message to one or more fourth devices via a second sidelink between the third device and the one or more fourth devices, wherein the third message includes an updated second request to collect second remaining measurement data, the entire second portion of measurement data collected based on the second measurement, and a second indication indicating at least one of the following items: the second remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected, and whether to forward an additional request to another device after the next remaining measurement data collection.

[0205] In some example embodiments, the second message also indicates at least one of: a set of resources for collecting a second remaining portion of the measurement data, a first number of redundant measurements to be performed for a predetermined area, a second timer associated with collecting the second remaining portion of the measurement data, a second number of devices to which the request is forwarded, a first granularity of the first measurement performed by the first device, a predetermined ratio or amount of the second remaining portion of the measurement data to be collected, or a minimum number or proportion of measurement data ranges when the collection of the measurement data is group nicknamed.

[0206] In some example embodiments, when it is determined that the number of devices is less than the first predetermined number, the apparatus comprises means for sending a third message to one or more fourth devices.

[0207] In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises, upon determining that the number of measurements is less than the second predetermined number, means for sending a third message to one or more fourth devices.

[0208] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving a first set of measurement data from a first device via a first sidelink between the first device and a third device; a component for determining a second set of measurement data based on a second measurement; and a component for sending an entire second portion of measurement data including both the first measurement data combined with the second measurement data to a second device when it is determined that a predetermined ratio or amount of measurement data indicated in one of the first and second messages is reached.

[0209] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining a second set of measurement data based on the second measurement; and means for sending the second set of measurement data to one or more fourth devices via a second sidelink between the third device and the one or more fourth devices.

[0210] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving a first measurement data set from a first device via a first side link between the first device and a third device; a component for determining the validity of the first measurement data set; and a component for sending an indication of the invalidity of the first measurement data set to a fourth device or a second device based on a determination that the first measurement data set is invalid.

[0211] In some example embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the third device comprises another terminal device.

[0212] Figure 8 800 is a simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 800 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 The device 110 or the device 120 shown. As shown, the device 800 includes one or more processors 810, one or more memories 820 coupled to the processor 810, and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to the processor 810.

[0213] The communication module 840 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 840 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0214] Processor 810 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 800 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0215] The memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical memories. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that do not persist during the duration of a power outage.

[0216] The computer program 830 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 810. The program 830 may be stored in the ROM 824. The processor 810 may perform any appropriate actions and processes by loading the program 830 into the RAM 822.

[0217] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 820, so that the device 800 may execute the Figures 2 to 7 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0218] In some embodiments, the program 830 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 800 (such as in the memory 820) or in other storage devices accessible by the device 800. The device 800 may load the program 830 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 822 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 7 An example of a computer readable medium 900 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 830 stored thereon.

[0219] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0220] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above referenced Figures 2 to 7 The method described. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functions of the program modules can be combined or split as needed in various embodiments. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0221] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, enables the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0222] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0223] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or apparatuses, or any suitable combination of the above. More specific examples of computer readable storage media include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0224] In addition, although the operation is described in a specific order, it should not be understood that such operation is required to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or that all the operations shown require to be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as a description of the features of a specific embodiment. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be combined in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0225] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receiving a first message from a network device, the first message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; as well as The data collection is performed by using a side link between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices based at least on the requested data amount.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to: obtain data that has been collected for said data collection; as well as If the requested amount of data is reached from the collected data, stopping the data collection; as well as The collected data is reported to the network device.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to: obtaining data that has been collected for said data collection; and If the requested amount of data is not reached from the collected data, continuing the data collection with the one or more terminal devices via the sidelink.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal device is configured to: Sending a second message for data collection to the one or more terminal devices via the side link, wherein the second message includes: An indication of remaining data to be collected and a second request to collect the remaining data. The terminal device according to claim 4 , wherein the second request is based on the first request. 6 . The terminal device according to claim 5 , wherein the first request and the second request both indicate whether the data collection is to continue with another terminal device via the sidelink. 7 . The terminal device according to claim 4 , wherein the first message and the second message both indicate: a confidence level of the corresponding collected data for the data collection.

8. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the terminal device is configured to: Based on the first request, collecting a first data set; and The first data set is sent to the one or more terminal devices via the sidelink.

9. The terminal device of claim 4, wherein the first message indicates the number of terminal devices to which the second request is forwarded via the sidelink.

10. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the terminal device is configured to: Prior to transmission to the one or more terminal devices via the sidelink, the number of terminal devices is reduced within the second message.

11. The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the terminal device is configured to: In response to receiving the first message, starting a first timer; and After expiration of the first timer, the first set of data is collected.

12. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the first message further indicates at least one of the following items: a set of resources for said data collection via at least one of a sidelink or an uplink, the amount of redundant data to be collected for a predetermined area, a second timer for said data collection, the identification of the terminal device used for said data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data at which the data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with said data collection, a second threshold as to when further requests for said data collection are forwarded, or The region information associated with the data collection.

13. A network device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: sending a message to a terminal device, the message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; as well as Data is received from the terminal device and / or one or more other terminal devices, the data being collected for the data collection by using a side link between the terminal device and the one or more other terminal devices.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the first request indicates whether the data collection is to continue with another terminal device via the sidelink.

15. The network device of claim 13, wherein the message further indicates at least one of the following: a first number of terminal devices to which a second request for said data collection is forwarded by said terminal device via said sidelink, a set of resources for said data collection via at least one of said sidelink or uplink, a second number of redundant data to be collected for the predetermined area, more than one timer for said data collection, the identification of the terminal device used for said data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data at which the data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with said data collection, a second threshold as to when further requests for said data collection are forwarded, or The region information associated with the data collection.

16. The network device of claim 13, wherein the network device is caused to: Broadcasting to a group of devices that received the first request via a downlink message to stop performing one or more of: collecting, reporting, and forwarding corresponding data for the data collection.

17. The network device of claim 13, wherein the network device is caused to: determining whether the sidelink is configured or used for forwarding the data based on at least one of the following: Uplink resource availability, Downlink resource availability, Sidelink resource availability, Business load, or The desired rate or amount of said data that is requested to be collected.

18. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receiving, via a first sidelink between the terminal device and another terminal device, a second message for data collection from the other terminal device, the data collection having a requested amount of data to be collected for a network device, wherein the second message comprises: a first indication of first remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the first remaining data for the network device; as well as Based at least on the indication of the first remaining data, the data collecting is performed.

19. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the terminal device is configured to: obtain data that has been collected for said data collection; as well as If the requested amount of data is reached from the collected data, stopping the data collection; as well as The collected data is reported to the network device or to the further terminal device.

20. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the terminal device is configured to: obtaining data that has been collected for said data collection; and If the requested amount of data is not reached from the collected data, the data collection is continued via a second sidelink between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices.

21. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the terminal device is configured to: Sending a third message for the data collection to the one or more other terminal devices through the second sidelink, wherein the third message includes: A second indication of second remaining data to be collected and a third request to collect the second remaining data.

22. The terminal device according to claim 21, wherein the third request is based on the second request.

23. The terminal device according to claim 22, wherein the second request and the third request both indicate whether the data collection is to continue with the other terminal device via a side link between the terminal device and the other terminal device.

24. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the second message further indicates at least one of the following items: a first number of terminal devices to which a third request for collecting said second residual data is forwarded by said terminal device via said sidelink, a set of resources for said data collection via at least one of a sidelink or an uplink, a second number of redundant data to be collected for the predetermined area, more than one timer for said data collection, the identification of the terminal device used for said data collection, a minimum amount or proportion of the requested amount of data at which the data collection is completed, a first threshold associated with said data collection, a second threshold as to when further requests for said data collection are forwarded, or The region information associated with the data collection.

25. The terminal device according to claim 24, wherein the terminal device is caused to: In response to the first number of terminal devices being less than a first predetermined number, the third message is sent to the one or more terminal devices.

26. The terminal device according to claim 24, wherein the terminal device is configured to: In response to the second number of the redundant data being less than a second predetermined number, the third message is sent to one or more fourth devices.

27. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the terminal device is configured to: receiving a first data set collected from the other terminal device; determining a second data set collected by the terminal device; and The first data set and the second data set are sent to a second device.

28. The terminal device according to claim 27, wherein the terminal device is caused to: The second data set is sent to the one or more other terminal devices via the second sidelink.

29. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the terminal device is configured to: receiving a first data set collected from the other terminal device; determining the validity of the first data set; and Based on determining that the first data set is invalid, an indication of the invalidity of the first data set is sent to the one or more other terminal devices, or to the network device, via the second sidelink.

30. A method comprising: receiving, at a terminal device, a first message from a network device, the first message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and The data collection is performed by using a side link between the terminal device and one or more other terminal devices based at least on the requested data amount.

31. A method comprising: sending a message at a network device to a terminal device, the message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and Data is received from the terminal device and / or one or more other terminal devices, the data being collected using a sidelink between the terminal device and the one or more other terminal devices.

32. A method comprising: receiving, at the terminal device and from the further terminal device, via a first sidelink between the terminal device and the further terminal device, a second message for data collection for the network device, wherein the second message comprises: a first indication of first remaining data to be collected and a second request to collect the first remaining data; and Based at least on the indication of the first remaining data, the data collecting is performed.

33. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving a first message from a network device, the first message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and Means for performing said data collection based at least on said requested amount of data by using a side link between said apparatus and one or more other terminal devices.

34. An apparatus comprising: means for sending a message to a terminal device, the message comprising: a first request for data collection, and an indication of an amount of data requested to be collected for the network device; and Means for receiving data from the terminal device and / or one or more other terminal devices, the data being collected using a side link between the one or more other terminal devices.

35. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a further terminal device via a first sidelink between the apparatus and the further terminal device, a second message for data collection having a requested amount of data to be collected for a network device, wherein the second message comprises: a first indication of first remaining data to be collected and a second request for collecting the first remaining data for the network device; and Means for performing said data collection based at least on said indication of said first remaining data.

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