Information processing method, system and device, communication equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an information processing method, system and device, communication equipment and a storage medium. The information processing method is executed by a first AMF unit and comprises the step of selecting the same LMF unit for a plurality of UEs related to ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

Description

Information processing method, system and device, communication equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technologies but is not limited to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular to an information processing method, system and apparatus, communication equipment and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In related technologies, for location measurements between multiple user equipment (UEs), such as ranging and / or sidelink positioning, different UEs are often assigned access to different Location Management Function (LMF) units for control. For example, multiple UEs served by different Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) units access different LMF units. However, the above solution occupies more LMF units, resulting in more communication interactions between LMF units, which reduces processing efficiency.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method, system, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium.

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is performed by a first AMF unit. The method includes:

[0006] The same LMF unit is selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by an LMF unit. The method includes:

[0008] By establishing connections with multiple UEs, ranging and / or sidelink positioning are performed on the multiple UEs.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is performed by a second AMF unit. The method includes:

[0010] Determine the same LMF unit selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides an information processing system, the system comprising: a first AMF unit, a second AMF unit, and an LMF unit;

[0012] The first AMF unit is configured to select the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning served by the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit by instructing to establish a connection between the second AMF unit and the LMF unit;

[0013] The second AMF unit is communicatively connected to the first AMF unit, and is configured to establish a connection with the LMF unit based on an instruction of the first AMF unit;

[0014] The LMF unit is used to establish a connection with the second AMF unit based on the indication of the first AMF unit.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing device is provided, which is applied to a first AMF unit. The device includes:

[0016] The selection unit is configured to select the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0017] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure provides an information processing device, applied to an LMF unit, comprising:

[0018] The processing unit is configured to perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning on the multiple UEs by establishing connections with the multiple UEs.

[0019] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure provides an information processing device, applied to a second AMF unit, including:

[0020] The determining unit is configured to determine the same LMF unit selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0021] An eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, comprising a processor, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and capable of being run by the processor, wherein when the processor runs the executable program, it executes the information processing method provided in the first, second or third aspect above.

[0022] A ninth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a computer storage medium storing an executable program; after the executable program is executed by a processor, the information processing method provided in the first, second or third aspect can be implemented.

[0023] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure selects the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning. In this way, the same LMF unit is used to control multiple UEs that need to perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning, thereby reducing the number of occupied LMF units during the ranging and / or sidelink positioning process and reducing the communication interaction between multiple LMF units, thereby reducing the complexity of the collaborative operation of multiple LMF units and improving the efficiency of the ranging and / or sidelink positioning process.

[0024] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0027] FIG2 is a flow chart showing an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0028] FIG3A is a schematic diagram showing UE communication according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0029] FIG3B is a schematic diagram showing UE communication according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0030] FIG3C is a schematic diagram showing UE communication according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0031] FIG4A is a schematic diagram showing a connection between a UE and an LMF unit according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0032] FIG4B is a schematic diagram showing a connection between a UE and an LMF unit according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0033] FIG5 is a flow chart showing an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0034] FIG6 is a flow chart showing an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0035] FIG7 is a flow chart showing an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0036] FIG8 is a flow chart showing an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0037] FIG9 is a flow chart showing an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0038] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of an information processing device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0039] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of an information processing device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0040] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of an information processing device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0041] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0042] Fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram showing a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Exemplary embodiments are described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all possible implementations consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present invention.

[0044] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" used in the present disclosure are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

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

[0046] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on cellular mobile communication technology, and the wireless communication system may include: a plurality of terminals 11 and a plurality of access devices 12.

[0047] The terminal 11 may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. The terminal 11 may communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (RAN). The terminal 11 may be an IoT terminal, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone), and a computer with an IoT terminal. For example, the terminal 11 may be a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in, or vehicle-mounted device. For example, a station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, or user equipment (terminal). Alternatively, the terminal 11 may be a device on an unmanned aerial vehicle. Alternatively, the terminal 11 may be an in-vehicle device, such as a vehicle-mounted computer with wireless communication capabilities, or a wireless communication device connected to an external vehicle-mounted computer. Alternatively, the terminal 11 may also be a roadside device, for example, a street lamp, a traffic light or other roadside device with a wireless communication function.

[0048] The access device 12 may be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system may be a fourth generation mobile communication technology (4G) system, also known as a long term evolution (LTE) system; or, the wireless communication system may be a 5G system, also known as a new radio (NR) system or a 5G NR system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a next generation system of the 5G system. The access network in the 5G system may be referred to as NG-RAN (New Generation-Radio Access Network). Alternatively, an MTC system.

[0049] Among them, the access device 12 can be an evolved access device (eNB) adopted in a 4G system. Alternatively, the access device 12 can also be an access device (gNB) that adopts a centralized distributed architecture in a 5G system. When the access device 12 adopts a centralized distributed architecture, it usually includes a centralized unit (CU) and at least two distributed units (DU). The centralized unit is provided with a protocol stack of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link layer control protocol (RLC) layer, and a media access control (MAC) layer; the distributed unit is provided with a physical (PHY) layer protocol stack. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the specific implementation method of the access device 12.

[0050] A wireless connection can be established between the access device 12 and the terminal 11 via a wireless air interface. In different implementations, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fourth generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard; or, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fifth generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, for example, the wireless air interface is a new air interface; or, the wireless air interface can also be a wireless air interface based on the next generation mobile communication network technology standard of 5G.

[0051] Optionally, the above-mentioned wireless communication system may further include a network management device 13. Several access devices 12 are respectively connected to the network management device 13. The network management device 13 may be a core network device in the wireless communication system. For example, the network management device 13 may be a mobility management entity (MME) in the evolved packet core (EPC). Alternatively, the network management device may also be other core network devices, such as a serving gateway (SGW), a public data network gateway (PGW), a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), or a home subscriber server (HSS). The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the implementation form of the network management device 13.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is performed by a first AMF unit, including:

[0053] S110: Select the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a UE may be an electronic device or mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, or smartwatch. Multiple UEs may be two or more UEs. A sidelink is a link used to directly connect two or more UEs. The sidelink may enable direct connection between UEs without passing through a base station, for example, by establishing a sidelink connection between UEs via direct communication (PC5) interfaces of multiple UEs.

[0055] Ranging can be measuring the distance between UEs based on the sidelink, for example, determining the distance between two or more UEs via the PC5 interface. Sidelink positioning can be obtaining the location of a UE based on the sidelink, for example, obtaining the direction and / or relative position of one UE relative to another UE.

[0056] In one embodiment, the UE may include: a reference UE (Reference UE) for determining a reference plane and / or a reference direction in ranging and / or sidelink positioning, a target UE (Target UE) to be positioned for determining at least one of a distance, a direction and a position based on the reference plane and / or a reference direction, an assisting UE (Assistant UE) for providing ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability support for the reference UE and the target UE, a located UE (Located UE) for determining its own position based on a UE-base station universal interface (Universal User to network interface, Uu) and then for determining the position of the target UE in sidelink positioning, or a location server UE (Location Server UE) for providing a location server function to replace the LMF unit, etc.

[0057] In related technologies, inter-UE ranging and / or sidelink positioning may not be constrained by base station coverage. As shown in Figure 3A , ranging and / or sidelink positioning is performed when multiple UEs are all within the base station network coverage. As shown in Figure 3B , ranging and / or sidelink positioning is performed when some of the multiple UEs are within the base station network coverage. As shown in Figure 3C , ranging and / or sidelink positioning is performed when multiple UEs are all outside the base station network coverage.

[0058] In one embodiment, the connection mode of multiple UEs to the same selected LMF unit can be that one UE is connected to the LMF unit and other UEs are connected to the UE connected to the LMF unit, or each UE can be directly connected to the LMF unit.

[0059] For example, for n UEs, UE1, UE2, ..., UEn, as shown in Figure 4A, UE1 is connected to the LMF unit, and other UEs such as UE2, ..., UEn are connected to UE1. As shown in Figure 4B, UE1, UE2, ..., UEn are connected to the LMF unit respectively.

[0060] In one embodiment, the multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may be multiple UEs to be ranging and / or multiple UEs to be sidelink positioning. For example, the first AMF unit is an AMF unit that provides services to at least one UE among the multiple UEs, and the multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may be multiple UEs indicated by the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request received by the first AMF unit.

[0061] In one embodiment, selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may include: selecting the same LMF unit based on capability information of the multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning. For example, selecting the same LMF unit based on ranging capability information of the multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or based on sidelink positioning capability information of the multiple UEs involved in sidelink positioning.

[0062] In one embodiment, selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may include: selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning based on ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability information of multiple alternative LMF units.

[0063] For example, among multiple candidate LMF units, the candidate LMF unit with the best ranging capability is selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging, and / or the candidate LMF unit with the best sidelink positioning capability is selected for multiple UEs involved in sidelink positioning.

[0064] In one embodiment, selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may include: selecting the same LMF unit based on capability information of multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning, and ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability information of multiple alternative LMF units.

[0065] For example, among multiple alternative LMF units, an alternative LMF unit with the highest degree of matching between the ranging capability and the ranging capability of multiple UEs is selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging, and / or an alternative LMF unit with the highest degree of matching between the sidelink positioning capability and the sidelink positioning capability of multiple UEs is selected for multiple UEs involved in sidelink positioning.

[0066] In one embodiment, after selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning, the method may further include: establishing connections between the multiple UEs and the same LMF unit. Establishing connections between the multiple UEs and the same LMF unit may include establishing connections between at least one AMF unit serving the multiple UEs and the same LMF unit.

[0067] Here, an AMF unit can provide services to one or more UEs, thereby controlling and managing one or more UEs. The UE is directly connected to the LMF unit through the corresponding AMF unit, enabling direct communication between the UE and the LMF unit, reducing the number of communication interactions between multiple UEs for ranging and / or sidelink positioning through PC5 communication, thereby improving the efficiency of ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0068] In one embodiment, selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may include: selecting an LMF unit for a first UE served by a first AMF unit; and selecting the same LMF unit as the first UE for at least one second UE involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning other than the first UE.

[0069] The first UE is a UE served by the first AMF unit, and the second UE is a UE other than the first UE among multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning. The second UE can be served by the first AMF unit, or can be served by a second AMF unit different from the first AMF unit.

[0070] In one embodiment, selecting the same LMF unit as the first UE for at least one second UE may include: when the second UE is not served by the first AMF unit, indicating the LMF unit selected for the first UE to the second AMF unit serving the second UE, or indicating the second AMF unit serving the second UE to the LMF unit selected for the first UE.

[0071] In one embodiment, selecting the same LMF unit as the first UE for at least one second UE may include, when the second UE is served by the first AMF unit, indicating a UE identifier of the second UE to the LMF unit selected for the first UE. For example, the UE identifier may include UE identity information (ID) or a UE serial number of the second UE.

[0072] In this way, multiple UEs that need to perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning are controlled by the same LMF unit, thereby reducing the number of occupied LMF units in the process of performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning, and reducing the communication interaction between multiple LMF units, thereby reducing the complexity of the collaborative work of multiple LMF units and improving the efficiency of performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0073] As shown in FIG5 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is performed by a first AMF unit and includes:

[0074] S111: If a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request is received, the same LMF unit is selected for multiple UEs based on the AMF unit providing services to the multiple UEs; the multiple UEs are indicated by the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request.

[0075] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request may be a ranging request indicating the execution of ranging and / or a positioning request indicating the execution of sidelink positioning, or may be a request indicating the execution of ranging and sidelink positioning. The ranging and / or sidelink positioning request may indicate multiple UEs that perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning, for example, at least one of a target UE, a reference UE, an assisting UE, a positioning UE, and a location server UE.

[0076] In one embodiment, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request may be sent by a UE or a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) or a Network Function (NF) unit, for example, the NF unit may be a 5G Core Network (5GC) NF unit, etc.

[0077] For example, receiving a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request may be receiving a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request sent by at least one of a target UE, a reference UE, an auxiliary UE, a positioning UE, and a location server UE.

[0078] In one embodiment, the AMF unit that provides services to multiple UEs may be the same AMF unit, such as the first AMF unit, or may be multiple different AMF units, such as a first AMF unit serving the first UE and a second AMF unit serving the second UE.

[0079] In one embodiment, selecting the same LMF unit for the multiple UEs based on the AMF unit providing services to the multiple UEs may include: selecting the same LMF unit by the AMF unit providing services to the multiple UEs. Wherein, when the AMF unit providing services to the multiple UEs is multiple AMF units, the multiple AMF units may negotiate to determine the same LMF unit.

[0080] Exemplarily, when the AMF unit providing services to multiple UEs includes a first AMF unit and a second AMF unit, the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit can respectively select an LMF unit and negotiate based on the selected LMF unit. If they are consistent, it is determined that the same LMF unit is selected.

[0081] In one embodiment, based on the AMF unit providing services to multiple UEs, selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs may include: when the AMF unit providing services to multiple UEs includes a first AMF unit and at least one second AMF unit, the first AMF unit selects an LMF unit and indicates the LMF unit to the at least one second AMF unit.

[0082] In one embodiment, based on the AMF unit providing services to multiple UEs, selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs may include: when the AMF unit providing services to multiple UEs includes a first AMF unit and at least one second AMF unit, the first AMF unit selects an LMF unit and indicates at least one second AMF unit to the LMF unit.

[0083] In some embodiments, selecting the same LMF unit for multiple UEs based on the AMF unit serving the multiple UEs may include:

[0084] selecting an LMF unit for a first UE served by the first AMF unit among the plurality of UEs;

[0085] determining whether at least one second UE indicated by the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request is served by the first AMF unit;

[0086] If the second UE is not served by the first AMF unit, determining a second AMF unit that provides service to the second UE;

[0087] Based on the LMF unit and the second AMF unit, select the same LMF unit for the second UE.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first UE may be a target UE or a reference UE indicated by a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request, etc., and the first UE may be at least one UE served by a first AMF unit that receives a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request.

[0089] In one embodiment, when there are multiple UEs served by the first AMF unit, the first UE may be the UE with the highest priority among the multiple UEs served by the first AMF unit. The priority may be pre-set and may be determined based on the identity of the UE in ranging and / or sidelink positioning. For example, the order of priority from high to low may be: target UE, reference UE, assisting UE, location server UE, and positioning UE.

[0090] In one embodiment, selecting the LMF unit for the first UE may include sending the UE identifier of the first UE to the LMF unit.

[0091] In one embodiment, selecting an LMF unit for a first UE served by a first AMF unit among multiple UEs may include: selecting an LMF unit for the first UE among the alternative LMF units based on capability information of the first UE served by the first AMF unit among the multiple UEs and / or capability information of multiple alternative LMF units.

[0092] For example, an LMF unit whose capability information has the highest matching degree with the capability information of the first UE is selected from multiple candidate LMF units.

[0093] The capability information may include the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of the UE or LMF unit, such as the accuracy of performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning, or the supported ranging and / or sidelink positioning types, etc. The ranging and / or sidelink positioning types may include common positioning and PC5-based sidelink positioning between UEs, etc.

[0094] In one embodiment, selecting an LMF unit for a first UE served by a first AMF unit among multiple UEs may include: selecting an LMF unit for a first UE served by a first AMF unit among multiple UEs based on ranging and / or sidelink positioning requirement information indicated by a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request.

[0095] For example, based on ranging and / or sidelink positioning requirement information and capability information of multiple candidate LMF units, an LMF unit is selected for the first UE from among the candidate LMF units.

[0096] Exemplarily, it may include: among multiple candidate LMF units, selecting the LMF unit whose capability information matches the ranging and / or sidelink positioning requirement information to the highest degree.

[0097] In one embodiment, the second UE is another UE in the plurality of UEs other than the first UE. When the second UE is not served by the first AMF unit, the same LMF unit selected for the second UE as that selected for the first UE is selected based on the LMF unit and the second AMF unit serving the second UE. For example, the first AMF unit may indicate the LMF unit selected for the first UE to the second AMF unit serving the second UE, or may indicate the second AMF unit to the LMF unit selected for the first UE.

[0098] In this way, the first AMF unit specifies the same LMF unit for the second AMF unit that provides services to other UEs, thereby reducing the resource waste caused by multiple AMF units selecting LMF units separately, and reducing the communication interaction generated by multiple AMF units negotiating to determine the same LMF unit, thereby improving information processing efficiency.

[0099] In some embodiments, selecting the same LMF unit for the second UE based on the LMF unit and the second AMF unit may include:

[0100] By indicating the LMF unit to the second AMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, indicating the LMF unit to the second AMF unit may be indicating the LMF unit selected for the first UE to the second AMF unit, thereby specifying that the LMF unit serving the second UE is consistent with the LMF unit serving the first UE.

[0102] In one embodiment, indicating to the second AMF unit the LMF unit selected for the first UE may include: sending a unit identifier of the LMF unit selected for the first UE to the second AMF unit. For example, the unit identifier of the LMF unit may be an LMF unit ID, etc.

[0103] In some embodiments, selecting the same LMF unit for the second UE based on the LMF unit and the second AMF unit may include:

[0104] By indicating the second AMF unit to the LMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE.

[0105] In some embodiments, indicating the second AMF unit to the LMF unit may include:

[0106] Send the unit identification of the second AMF unit to the LMF unit.

[0107] Here, the unit identification of the second AMF unit may include the unit ID of the second AMF unit, etc. The unit identification can be obtained by the first AMF unit from the second AMF unit, for example, by the second AMF unit sending it to the first AMF unit, or by the first AMF unit querying the Unified Data Management (UDM) unit.

[0108] In one embodiment, the unit identifier of the second AMF unit can be carried in a connection request and sent to the LMF unit. For example, the connection request is used to instruct the LMF unit to establish a connection with the corresponding second UE through the second AMF unit.

[0109] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0110] If the second UE is served by the first AMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE by indicating the UE identity of the second UE to the LMF unit.

[0111] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE identifier may be a UE ID or a UE serial number, etc. If both the first UE and the second UE are served by the first AMF unit, the first AMF unit may directly designate an LMF unit to serve the first UE and the second UE. For example, the UE identifier of the second UE may be sent to the LMF unit, thereby establishing a connection between the second UE and the LMF unit through the first AMF unit.

[0112] In one embodiment, indicating the UE identifier of the second UE to the LMF unit may include: sending the UE identifiers of the first UE and the second UE to the LMF unit, so that the LMF unit can establish a connection with the first UE and the second UE through the first AMF unit.

[0113] In one embodiment, sending the UE identifiers of the first UE and the second UE to the LMF unit may include: sending a connection request carrying the UE identifiers of the first UE and the second UE to the LMF unit; the connection request instructs the LMF unit to establish a connection with the first UE and the second UE through the first AMF unit.

[0114] In some embodiments, indicating the UE identity of the second UE to the LMF unit may include:

[0115] Send a connection request carrying the UE identifier of the second UE to the LMF unit.

[0116] In this way, establishing a connection between the UE and the LMF unit through the interaction of the UE identifier can reduce the amount of data in the communication interaction and further improve processing efficiency.

[0117] In some embodiments, determining a second AMF unit to provide service to a second UE may include:

[0118] Based on the UE identifier of the second UE, the unified data management (UDM) unit is queried for the second AMF unit that provides services to the second UE.

[0119] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the UDM unit may record the association relationship between the UE and the AMF unit that provides services to the UE. For example, the UDM unit records the association relationship between the UE identifier of the UE and the unit identifier of the AMF unit that provides services to the UE.

[0120] Here, the unit identifier can be the unit ID or unit serial number of the AMF unit, etc.

[0121] In one embodiment, based on the UE identifier of the second UE, querying the unified data management UDM unit for the second AMF unit providing services to the second UE may include: based on the UE identifier of the second UE, querying the unified data management UDM unit for the association relationship corresponding to the UE identifier; determining the second AMF unit providing services to the second UE based on the association relationship.

[0122] In one embodiment, determining the second AMF unit providing services to the second UE based on the association relationship may include: determining the unit identifier of the second AMF unit providing services to the second UE based on the association relationship; and querying the corresponding second AMF unit based on the unit identifier.

[0123] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0124] Through the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit, multiple UEs are connected to the LMF unit.

[0125] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a connection is established between multiple UEs and an LMF unit through a first AMF unit and a second AMF unit. A connection can be established between the first AMF unit and the LMF unit, and a connection can be established between multiple UEs and the LMF unit through a second AMF unit.

[0126] In one embodiment, establishing a connection between multiple UEs and an LMF unit through a first AMF unit and a second AMF unit may include: establishing a connection between the first AMF unit and the LMF unit, establishing a connection between the first UE and the LMF unit, and establishing a connection between the second UE and the LMF unit through the second AMF unit and the LMF unit.

[0127] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the method may further include:

[0128] S120: Receive ranging and / or sidelink positioning results sent by the LMF unit;

[0129] S130: Report ranging and / or sidelink positioning results.

[0130] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning result may be a result determined by the LMF unit based on the ranging and / or sidelink positioning performed by the first UE and the second UE after the connection between the first UE and the second UE and the LMF unit is established. After determining the ranging and / or sidelink positioning result, the LMF unit may send it to the first AMF unit.

[0131] In one embodiment, the first AMF unit is configured to perform selection of the LMF unit and interaction with the LMF unit, so that the LMF unit sends the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results between the first UE and the second UE to the first AMF unit for management. The first AMF unit may report the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results received from the LMF unit to a server or a UDM unit.

[0132] In this way, by receiving the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request, the first AMF unit receives and reports the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results, which can reduce the communication interaction process between other AMF units and LMF units, further improve the processing efficiency, and reduce the complexity of the ranging and / or sidelink positioning process.

[0133] As shown in FIG7 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by an LMF unit. The method may include:

[0134] S210: Perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning on the multiple UEs by establishing connections with the multiple UEs.

[0135] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, connections may be established with multiple UEs by connecting to at least one AMF unit serving the multiple UEs. For example, connections may be established with the multiple UEs by connecting to at least one AMF unit serving the multiple UEs.

[0136] In some embodiments, establishing connections with multiple UEs may include:

[0137] establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with the first UE served by the first AMF unit;

[0138] receiving, from the first AMF unit, a unit identifier of a second AMF unit providing services to the second UE;

[0139] A connection is established with the second UE by sending a connection request to the second AMF unit based on the unit identifier.

[0140] In one embodiment, the first AMF unit is an AMF unit that receives a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request, and the first UE may be a target UE or a reference UE indicated in the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request, etc.

[0141] When the first AMF unit serves multiple UEs, the first UE may be the UE with the highest priority among the multiple UEs served by the first AMF unit. The priority may be pre-set and may be determined based on the identity of the UE in ranging and / or sidelink positioning. For example, the order of priority from high to low may be: target UE, reference UE, assisting UE, location server UE, and positioning UE.

[0142] In one embodiment, establishing a connection with a first UE served by the first AMF unit through the first AMF unit may include: establishing a connection with the first UE served by the first AMF unit by receiving the UE identifier of the first UE sent by the first AMF unit.

[0143] In one embodiment, receiving the unit identifier of the second AMF unit serving the second UE sent by the first AMF unit may include: receiving a connection request sent by the first AMF unit carrying the unit identifier of the second AMF unit serving the second UE.

[0144] In one embodiment, sending a connection request to the second AMF unit based on the unit identifier may be sending a connection request received from the first AMF unit to the second AMF unit. The connection request may carry the unit identifier of the second AMF unit and the unit identifier of the LMF unit.

[0145] In one embodiment, establishing a connection with the second UE may be establishing a connection with the second UE by establishing a connection with the second AMF unit based on the connection request.

[0146] In some embodiments, establishing connections with multiple UEs may include:

[0147] establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with the first UE served by the first AMF unit;

[0148] receiving a connection request sent by a second AMF unit providing service to a second UE;

[0149] A connection is established with the second UE based on the connection request.

[0150] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection request sent by the second AMF unit may be a connection request sent by the second AMF unit based on the AMF unit indicated by the first AMF unit, for example, a connection request sent based on the unit identifier of the LMF unit indicated by the first AMF unit, etc.

[0151] In one embodiment, establishing a connection with the second UE based on the connection request may be establishing a connection with the second UE based on a second AMF unit connection indicated by the connection request. For example, establishing a connection with the second UE based on a second AMF unit connection corresponding to a unit identifier carried in the connection request.

[0152] In some embodiments, establishing connections with multiple UEs may include:

[0153] establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with the first UE served by the first AMF unit;

[0154] Receive a connection request sent by the first AMF unit;

[0155] Based on the UE identifier of the second UE served by the first AMF unit carried in the connection request, a connection is established with the second UE.

[0156] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE identifier may be a UE ID or a UE serial number, etc. If both the first UE and the second UE are served by the first AMF unit, the first AMF unit may directly designate an LMF unit to serve the first UE and the second UE. For example, the LMF unit may receive the UE identifier of the second UE sent by the first AMF unit, thereby establishing a connection between the second UE and the LMF unit through the first AMF unit.

[0157] In one embodiment, the connection request sent by the first AMF unit may carry the UE identifiers of the first UE and the second UE.

[0158] In one embodiment, establishing a connection with the second UE may be establishing a connection with the second UE by connecting the first AMF unit.

[0159] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0160] Determining, based on capability negotiation results with multiple UEs, a calculation mode for indication information and ranging and / or sidelink positioning information;

[0161] Sending indication information to multiple UEs;

[0162] Calculate, based on the calculation mode, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information sent by the multiple UEs based on the indication information to obtain the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results;

[0163] Send ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the first AMF unit.

[0164] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the capability negotiation result with multiple UEs may be the capability information etc. obtained by the LMF unit through capability negotiation with the multiple UEs. The capability negotiation may include interactive acquisition of capability information between the LMF unit and the multiple UEs.

[0165] Among them, the capability negotiation result may include at least one of the following: the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of multiple UEs; the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of the LMF unit; and the computing node indicated by the UE for calculating the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information.

[0166] In one embodiment, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability may be ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability information. The capability information may indicate the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability of the UE or LMF unit, such as the accuracy of performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning, or the supported ranging and / or sidelink positioning types.

[0167] Here, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning types may include normal positioning and PC5-based sidelink positioning between UEs, etc.

[0168] In one embodiment, the computing node indicated by the UE for calculating the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information may be the computing node expected by the UE to calculate the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information, and the computing node may include one or more of multiple UEs, or an LMF unit.

[0169] In one embodiment, determining the calculation mode of indication information and ranging and / or sidelink positioning information based on the capability negotiation results with multiple UEs may include: determining the operator preference information of multiple UEs and / or LMF units based on the capability negotiation results with multiple UEs; determining the calculation mode of indication information and ranging and / or sidelink positioning information based on the operator preference information of multiple UEs and / or LMF units.

[0170] Here, the operator preference information may indicate a desired calculation mode determined by the operator based on the operator's policy and the capability negotiation results between the LMF unit and multiple UEs. For example, the calculation mode may include a calculation node and / or calculation method for ranging and / or sidelink positioning information. Exemplarily, the calculation mode indicates whether the calculation of ranging and / or sidelink positioning information is performed on the first UE, the second UE, or the LMF unit.

[0171] In one embodiment, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information may be ranging data and / or positioning data obtained by the UE performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning. The ranging and / or sidelink positioning result may be obtained by calculating the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information.

[0172] In one embodiment, the indication information indicates at least one of the following: ranging and / or sidelink positioning between multiple UEs; multiple UEs sending ranging and / or sidelink positioning information to the LMF unit; multiple UEs sending ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the LMF unit.

[0173] Here, the indication information may be used to instruct multiple UEs to perform ranging, or to instruct multiple UEs to perform sidelink positioning, etc. The indication information may also indicate content reported by multiple UEs to the LMF unit.

[0174] For example, when the calculation mode indicates that the first UE is a computing node that calculates ranging and / or sidelink positioning information, the indication information may instruct the first UE to report the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results obtained after calculating the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information.

[0175] For example, when the calculation mode indicates that the LMF unit is a calculation node for calculating ranging and / or sidelink positioning information, the indication information can instruct the UE to report ranging and / or sidelink positioning information for calculation in the LMF unit.

[0176] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0177] Based on the calculation mode, a ranging and / or sidelink positioning result calculated and sent by at least one of the multiple UEs based on the indication information is obtained.

[0178] In some embodiments, the capability negotiation result includes at least one of the following:

[0179] Ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities for multiple UEs;

[0180] Ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of LMF units;

[0181] A computing node indicated by the UE for computing ranging and / or sidelink positioning information.

[0182] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates at least one of the following:

[0183] Perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning between multiple UEs;

[0184] Multiple UEs send ranging and / or sidelink positioning information to the LMF unit;

[0185] Multiple UEs send ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the LMF unit.

[0186] As shown in FIG8 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method, which is performed by a second AMF unit. The method may include:

[0187] S310: Determine the same LMF unit selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0188] In the disclosed embodiment, determining the same LMF unit selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may be determining the LMF unit selected for the multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning as indicated by a first AMF unit. For example, the determination may include: receiving a unit identifier of the LMF unit selected for the multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning sent by the first AMF unit.

[0189] Here, the second AMF unit can provide services to the second UE among multiple UEs, and the first AMF unit can provide services to the first UE among multiple UEs.

[0190] In some embodiments, determining the same LMF unit to be selected for a plurality of UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning may include:

[0191] Determine the LMF unit selected by the first AMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0192] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0193] By sending a connection request to the LMF unit, at least one second UE served by the second AMF unit is connected to the LMF unit.

[0194] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, sending a connection request to the LMF unit may include sending a connection request to the LMF unit indicated by the unit identifier sent to the first AMF unit.

[0195] Here, the connection request sent to the LMF unit may carry the UE identifier of the second UE and may also carry the unit identifier of the LMF unit.

[0196] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0197] Receive the connection request sent by the LMF unit;

[0198] At least one second UE served by the second AMF unit is connected to the LMF unit.

[0199] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, receiving a connection request sent by an LMF unit may be receiving a connection request sent by the LMF unit based on the unit identifier of the second AMF unit indicated by the first AMF unit. The connection request may carry the unit identifier of the LMF unit.

[0200] In one embodiment, establishing a connection between at least one second UE served by the second AMF unit and the LMF unit may include: establishing a connection between at least one second UE served by the second AMF unit and the LMF unit by connecting the second AMF unit and the LMF unit.

[0201] In one embodiment, connecting the second AMF unit and the LMF unit may include: connecting the second AMF unit and the LMF unit corresponding to the unit identifier carried in the received connection request.

[0202] The present disclosure provides an information processing method for ranging and / or sidelink positioning. Specifically, as shown in FIG9 , the method may include:

[0203] 1. The first AMF unit (the AMF unit providing services to the first UE) receives a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request from the UE or GMLC or any 5GC NF.

[0204] 2. The first AMF unit selects an LMF unit for the first UE.

[0205] Case 1:

[0206] 3A. If all UEs (for example, only the second UE) in the ranging and / or sidelink positioning procedures are served by the first AMF unit, the first AMF unit also selects the same LMF unit for them and sends a connection request to the selected LMF unit, including the UE identities of the first UE and the second UE. Otherwise, the first AMF unit queries the UDM for the serving AMF unit of the UE not served by itself (the second AMF unit in this process) and provides the unit ID of the second AMF unit to the selected LMF unit, indicating that it is the serving AMF unit of the second UE.

[0207] 4A. The LMF unit requests a ranging and / or sidelink positioning connection with the second AMF unit. A ranging and / or sidelink positioning connection is successfully established between the LM unit and the second AMF unit.

[0208] Case 2:

[0209] 3B. The first AMF unit also selects the same LMF for all UEs in the ranging and / or sidelink positioning process, and sends a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request to the selected LMF, which contains all UE IDs (the first UE ID and the second UE ID in this process).

[0210] 4B-1. If all UEs in the ranging and / or sidelink positioning procedures are served by the first AMF unit, steps 4B-1 and 4B-2 are skipped. Otherwise, the first AMF unit queries the UDM for the serving AMF unit of the UEs not served by itself (the second AMF unit in this process) and sends a connection request to the second AMF unit, indicating the selected LMF unit.

[0211] 4B-2. The second AMF unit requests to establish a ranging and / or sidelink positioning connection with the LMF unit, and the LMF unit establishes a ranging and / or sidelink positioning connection with the second AMF unit.

[0212] 5. The LMF unit negotiates ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities with the first UE and the second UE to obtain the capabilities of the first UE and the second UE, as well as their preferences for ranging and / or sidelink positioning calculation nodes.

[0213] 6. The LMF unit determines a new calculation method and indication information for ranging and / or sidelink positioning based on the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability of the LMF unit, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability of the UE, and the UE preference of the ranging and / or sidelink positioning calculation node: that is, the operator policy of the UE and / or LMF unit, that is, the operator preference of the UE and / or LMF unit.

[0214] 7. The LMF unit sends ranging and / or sidelink indication information to the first UE and the second UE respectively, which carries the requested information (i.e., ranging and / or sidelink positioning information and at least one of the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results).

[0215] 8. The first UE and the second UE perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning. If the indication information only requests ranging and / or sidelink positioning information or selects the calculation mode based on the LMF unit, the UE does not need to perform result calculation.

[0216] 9. The first UE and the second UE report ranging and / or sidelink positioning measurement data to the LMF unit respectively as required.

[0217] 10. The LMF unit calculates ranging and / or sidelink positioning results based on the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information received from the first UE and the second UE.

[0218] 11. The LMF unit reports the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the first AMF unit.

[0219] 12. The first AMF unit reports the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results.

[0220] The same LMF unit is selected for all UEs involved in the ranging and / or sidelink positioning process to avoid the complexity caused by coordination between multiple LMF units.

[0221] The UE and LMF unit communicate directly, avoiding capability negotiation and sharing between UEs through PC5 communication.

[0222] All UEs involved in the embodiments of this disclosure need to establish communication with the LMF unit, at least for:

[0223] Determine the computing mode based on the capability negotiation results;

[0224] Triggering the energy-saving UE to enable ranging and / or sidelink positioning functions;

[0225] Guidance and reporting to obtain ranging and / or sidelink positioning results.

[0226] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing system, comprising: a first AMF unit, a second AMF unit and a LMF unit;

[0227] a first AMF unit configured to select the same LMF unit for a plurality of UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning served by the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit by instructing establishment of a connection between the second AMF unit and the LMF unit;

[0228] The second AMF unit is communicatively connected to the first AMF unit, and is configured to establish a connection with the LMF unit based on an instruction of the first AMF unit;

[0229] The LMF unit is used to establish a connection with the second AMF unit based on the indication of the first AMF unit.

[0230] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit are used to provide services to multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning. For example, the first AMF unit can provide services to at least one first UE, and the second AMF unit can provide services to at least one second UE.

[0231] In one embodiment, the first AMF unit is used to determine the corresponding LMF unit for the first UE, and then select the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning served by the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit by instructing to establish a connection between the second AMF unit and the LMF unit.

[0232] In one embodiment, determining a corresponding LMF unit for the first UE may include: determining a corresponding LMF unit for the first UE based on capability information of the first UE and ranging and / or sidelink positioning capability information of multiple alternative LMF units.

[0233] For example, among multiple alternative LMF units, the LMF unit whose ranging capability matches the first UE's ranging capability the most is selected for the first UE, and / or the LMF unit whose sidelink positioning capability matches the first UE's sidelink positioning capability the most is selected for the first UE.

[0234] The capability information may include the ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of the UE or LMF unit, such as the accuracy of performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning, or the supported ranging and / or sidelink positioning types, etc. The ranging and / or sidelink positioning types may include common positioning and PC5-based sidelink positioning between UEs, etc.

[0235] In one embodiment, the first AMF unit is further used to establish a connection between the first UE served by the first AMF unit and the LMF unit by connecting with the LMF unit.

[0236] In one embodiment, the first UE is connected to the LMF unit by establishing a connection between the first AMF unit and the LMF unit.

[0237] In one embodiment, the second UE is connected to the LMF unit by establishing a connection between the second AMF unit and the LMF unit.

[0238] In one embodiment, the first AMF unit may be further configured to query the UDM unit for a second AMF unit providing services to the second UE based on the UE identifier of the second UE. For example, the first AMF unit may be configured to query the UDM unit for the unit identifier of the second AMF unit.

[0239] In one embodiment, the LMF unit can also be used to determine the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results, for example, it can be used to obtain the ranging results and / or sidelink positioning results between multiple UEs, or it can be used to receive the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information sent by at least one UE among multiple UEs, and calculate the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results based on the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information.

[0240] In one embodiment, the LMF unit may also be used to send ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the first AMF unit, and the first AMF unit may also be used to receive and report ranging and / or sidelink positioning results.

[0241] In this way, multiple UEs that need to perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning are controlled by the same LMF unit, thereby reducing the number of occupied LMF units in the process of performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning, and reducing the communication interaction between multiple LMF units, thereby reducing the complexity of the collaborative work of multiple LMF units and improving the efficiency of performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0242] In some embodiments, the first AMF unit is configured to send a unit identifier of the second AMF unit to the LMF unit;

[0243] The LMF unit is used to establish a connection with the second AMF unit based on the unit identifier of the second AMF unit.

[0244] Here, the unit identifier of the LMF unit may be the unit ID of the LMF, etc.

[0245] In some embodiments, the first AMF unit is configured to send a unit identification of the LMF unit to the second AMF unit;

[0246] The second AMF unit is used to establish a connection with the LMF unit based on the unit identifier of the LMF unit.

[0247] In one embodiment, the unit identification of the second AMF unit may include the unit ID of the second AMF unit, etc. The unit identification of the second AMF unit may be obtained by the first AMF unit from the second AMF unit, for example, by the second AMF unit sending it to the first AMF unit, or may be obtained by the first AMF unit querying the UDM unit.

[0248] In one embodiment, the unit identifier of the second AMF unit can be carried in a connection request and sent to the LMF unit. For example, the connection request is used to instruct the LMF unit to establish a connection with the corresponding second UE through the second AMF unit.

[0249] As shown in FIG10 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing device, which is applied to a first AMF unit and includes:

[0250] The selection unit 110 is configured to select the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0251] In some embodiments, the selection unit 110 is configured to:

[0252] If a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request is received, the same LMF unit is selected for multiple UEs based on the AMF unit providing service to the multiple UEs; the multiple UEs are indicated by the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request.

[0253] In some embodiments, the selection unit 110 is configured to:

[0254] selecting an LMF unit for a first UE served by the first AMF unit among the plurality of UEs;

[0255] determining whether at least one second UE indicated by the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request is served by the first AMF unit;

[0256] If the second UE is not served by the first AMF unit, determining a second AMF unit that provides service to the second UE;

[0257] By indicating the second AMF unit to the LMF unit, or, by indicating the LMF unit to the second AMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE.

[0258] In some embodiments, the selection unit 110 is configured to:

[0259] Send the unit identification of the second AMF unit to the LMF unit.

[0260] In some embodiments, the selection unit 110 is further configured to:

[0261] If the second UE is served by the first AMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE by indicating the UE identity of the second UE to the LMF unit.

[0262] In some embodiments, the selection unit 110 is configured to:

[0263] Send a connection request carrying the UE identifier of the second UE to the LMF unit.

[0264] In some embodiments, the selection unit 110 is configured to:

[0265] Based on the UE identifier of the second UE, the unified data management (UDM) unit is queried for the second AMF unit that provides services to the second UE.

[0266] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0267] The first connection unit is configured to establish a connection between multiple UEs and the LMF unit through the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit.

[0268] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0269] The interaction unit is configured to receive the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results sent by the LMF unit; and report the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results.

[0270] As shown in FIG11 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing device, which is applied to an LMF unit and includes:

[0271] The processing unit 210 is configured to perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning for multiple UEs by establishing connections with the multiple UEs.

[0272] In some embodiments, the processing unit 210 is configured to:

[0273] establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with the first UE served by the first AMF unit;

[0274] receiving, from the first AMF unit, a unit identifier of a second AMF unit providing services to the second UE;

[0275] A connection is established with the second UE by sending a connection request to the second AMF unit based on the unit identifier.

[0276] In some embodiments, the processing unit 210 is configured to:

[0277] establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with the first UE served by the first AMF unit;

[0278] receiving a connection request sent by a second AMF unit providing service to a second UE;

[0279] A connection is established with the second UE based on the connection request.

[0280] In some embodiments, the processing unit 210 is configured to:

[0281] establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with the first UE served by the first AMF unit;

[0282] Receive a connection request sent by the first AMF unit;

[0283] Based on the UE identifier of the second UE served by the first AMF unit carried in the connection request, a connection is established with the second UE.

[0284] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0285] a negotiation unit configured to determine, based on capability negotiation results with the plurality of UEs, indication information and a calculation mode for ranging and / or sidelink positioning information; send the indication information to the plurality of UEs; and calculate, based on the calculation mode, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information sent by the plurality of UEs based on the indication information to obtain ranging and / or sidelink positioning results;

[0286] Send ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the first AMF unit.

[0287] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0288] The acquisition unit is configured to acquire, based on a calculation mode, a ranging and / or sidelink positioning result calculated and sent by at least one of the multiple UEs based on the indication information.

[0289] In some embodiments, the capability negotiation result includes at least one of the following:

[0290] Ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities for multiple UEs;

[0291] Ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of LMF units;

[0292] A computing node indicated by the UE for computing ranging and / or sidelink positioning information.

[0293] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates at least one of the following:

[0294] Perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning between multiple UEs;

[0295] Multiple UEs send ranging and / or sidelink positioning information to the LMF unit;

[0296] Multiple UEs send ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the LMF unit.

[0297] As shown in FIG12 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing device, which is applied to a second AMF unit and includes:

[0298] The determining unit 310 is configured to determine the same LMF unit selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0299] In some embodiments, the determining unit 310 is configured to:

[0300] Determine the LMF unit selected by the first AMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

[0301] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0302] The second connection unit is configured to establish a connection between at least one second UE served by the second AMF unit and the LMF unit by sending a connection request to the LMF unit.

[0303] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0304] The third connection unit is configured to receive a connection request sent by the LMF unit; and establish a connection between at least one second UE served by the second AMF unit and the LMF unit.

[0305] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, including:

[0306] a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

[0307] Processor, respectively memory connected;

[0308] The processor is configured to execute the information processing method provided by any of the aforementioned technical solutions.

[0309] The processor may include various types of storage media, which are non-transitory computer storage media that can continue to store information after the communication device loses power.

[0310] Here, the communication device includes: a terminal or a network element, and the network element can be any one of the aforementioned first network element to fourth network element.

[0311] The processor may be connected to the memory via a bus or the like, and may be configured to read an executable program stored in the memory, for example, at least one of the methods shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 to FIG. 9 .

[0312] 13 is a block diagram of a terminal 800 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the terminal 800 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast user device, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0313] 13 , terminal 800 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 802 , a memory 804 , a power component 806 , a multimedia component 808 , an audio component 810 , an input / output (I / O) interface 812 , a sensor component 814 , and a communication component 816 .

[0314] The processing component 802 generally controls the overall operation of the terminal 800, such as operations associated with display, phone calls, data communications, camera operation, and recording operations. The processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps of the above-described method. In addition, the processing component 802 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

[0315] The memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the terminal 800. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the terminal 800, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 804 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0316] Power supply component 806 provides power to various components of terminal 800. Power supply component 806 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to terminal 800.

[0317] The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the terminal 800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen can be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touch, slide, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor can not only sense the boundaries of the touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the terminal 800 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera can be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

[0318] The audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a microphone (MIC), which is configured to receive external audio signals when the terminal 800 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 804 or transmitted via the communication component 816. In some embodiments, the audio component 810 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0319] I / O interface 812 provides an interface between processing component 802 and peripheral interface modules, such as a keyboard, click wheel, buttons, etc. These buttons may include but are not limited to: a home button, volume buttons, a start button, and a lock button.

[0320] The sensor assembly 814 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of the terminal 800's status assessment. For example, the sensor assembly 814 can detect the open / closed state of the device 800, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the terminal 800. The sensor assembly 814 can also detect changes in the position of the terminal 800 or a component of the terminal 800, the presence or absence of user contact with the terminal 800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the terminal 800, and temperature changes of the terminal 800. The sensor assembly 814 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 814 can also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 814 can also include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0321] The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the terminal 800 and other devices. The terminal 800 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology and other technologies.

[0322] In an exemplary embodiment, the terminal 800 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the above methods.

[0323] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 804 including instructions, which can be executed by the processor 820 of the terminal 800 to perform the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0324] As shown in Figure 14, an embodiment of the present disclosure shows the structure of a communication device 900. For example, the communication device 900 can be provided as a network-side device. The communication device 900 can be the aforementioned base station.

[0325] 14 , communications device 900 includes a processing component 922, which further includes one or more processors, and memory resources represented by memory 932 for storing instructions, such as applications, that can be executed by processing component 922. The applications stored in memory 932 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. Furthermore, processing component 922 is configured to execute instructions to perform any of the aforementioned methods performed by the base station, such as at least one of the methods illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 through FIG. 9 .

[0326] The communication device 900 may also include a power supply component 926 configured to perform power management of the communication device 900, a wired or wireless network interface 950 configured to connect the communication device 900 to a network, and an input / output (I / O) interface 958. The communication device 900 may operate based on an operating system stored in the memory 932, such as Windows Server™, Mac OS X™, Unix™, Linux™, FreeBSD™, or the like.

[0327] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow from the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

[0328] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An information processing method, wherein: The method is performed by a first access and mobility management function AMF unit, and includes: The same location management function LMF unit is selected for multiple user equipments UE involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The selecting the same LMF unit for a plurality of UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning includes: If a ranging and / or sidelink positioning request is received, the same LMF unit is selected for the multiple UEs based on the AMF unit providing services to the multiple UEs; the multiple UEs are indicated by the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The selecting the same LMF unit for the multiple UEs based on the AMF unit providing services to the multiple UEs includes: selecting an LMF unit for a first UE among a plurality of UEs served by the first AMF unit; determining whether at least one second UE indicated by the ranging and / or sidelink positioning request is served by the first AMF unit; If the second UE is not served by the first AMF unit, determining a second AMF unit to provide service to the second UE; Based on the LMF unit and the second AMF unit, select the same LMF unit for the second UE.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The selecting, based on the LMF unit and the second AMF unit, for the second UE, the same LMF unit includes: By indicating the LMF unit to the second AMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The selecting, based on the LMF unit and the second AMF unit, for the second UE, the same LMF unit includes: By indicating the second AMF unit to the LMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The indicating the second AMF unit to the LMF unit includes: Send the unit identifier of the second AMF unit to the LMF unit.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The method further comprises: If the second UE is served by the first AMF unit, the same LMF unit is selected for the second UE by indicating the UE identifier of the second UE to the LMF unit.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The indicating the UE identifier of the second UE to the LMF unit includes: Send a connection request carrying the UE identifier of the second UE to the LMF unit.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The determining of the second AMF unit to provide a service to the second UE includes: Based on the UE identifier of the second UE, query the unified data management UDM unit for the second AMF unit that provides services to the second UE.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The method further comprises: Through the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit, the multiple UEs are connected to the LMF unit.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: receiving ranging and / or sidelink positioning results sent by the LMF unit; Report the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results.

12. An information processing method, wherein: Executed by the LMF unit, the method includes: By establishing connections with multiple UEs, ranging and / or sidelink positioning are performed on the multiple UEs.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Establishing connections with multiple UEs includes: establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with a first UE served by the first AMF unit; receiving a unit identifier of a second AMF unit providing service to a second UE, sent by the first AMF unit; Establish a connection with the second UE by sending a connection request to the second AMF unit based on the unit identifier.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Establishing connections with multiple UEs includes: establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with a first UE served by the first AMF unit; receiving a connection request sent by a second AMF unit providing service to a second UE; Establish a connection with the second UE based on the connection request.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein: Establishing connections with multiple UEs includes: establishing, through the first AMF unit, a connection with a first UE served by the first AMF unit; Receiving a connection request sent by the first AMF unit; Based on the UE identifier of the second UE served by the first AMF unit carried in the connection request, establish a connection with the second UE.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein The method further comprises: Determining, based on capability negotiation results with the multiple UEs, a calculation mode for indication information and ranging and / or sidelink positioning information; Sending the indication information to the multiple UEs; Calculate, based on the calculation mode, the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information sent by the multiple UEs based on the indication information to obtain ranging and / or sidelink positioning results; Send the ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the first AMF unit.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein The method further comprises: Based on the calculation mode, a ranging and / or sidelink positioning result calculated and sent by at least one of the multiple UEs based on the indication information is obtained.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein The capability negotiation result includes at least one of the following: ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of the plurality of UEs; ranging and / or sidelink positioning capabilities of the LMF unit; A computing node indicated by the UE for calculating the ranging and / or sidelink positioning information.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein The indication information indicates at least one of the following: performing ranging and / or sidelink positioning between the multiple UEs; The plurality of UEs send ranging and / or sidelink positioning information to the LMF unit; The multiple UEs send ranging and / or sidelink positioning results to the LMF unit.

20. An information processing method, wherein: Executed by the second AMF unit, the method includes: Determine the same LMF unit selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein The determining of selecting the same LMF unit for a plurality of UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning includes: Determine the LMF unit selected by the first AMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein The method further comprises: By sending a connection request to the LMF unit, at least one second UE served by the second AMF unit is connected to the LMF unit.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein The method further comprises: Receiving a connection request sent by the LMF unit; Establish a connection between at least one second UE served by the second AMF unit and the LMF unit.

24. An information processing system, wherein: The system comprises: a first AMF unit, a second AMF unit and a LMF unit; The first AMF unit is configured to select the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning served by the first AMF unit and the second AMF unit by instructing to establish a connection between the second AMF unit and the LMF unit; The second AMF unit is communicatively connected to the first AMF unit, and is configured to establish a connection with the LMF unit based on an instruction of the first AMF unit; The LMF unit is used to establish a connection with the second AMF unit based on the indication of the first AMF unit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein: The first AMF unit is configured to send a unit identifier of the second AMF unit to the LMF unit; The LMF unit is used to establish a connection with the second AMF unit based on the unit identifier of the second AMF unit.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein: The first AMF unit is configured to send a unit identifier of the LMF unit to the second AMF unit; The second AMF unit is used to establish a connection with the LMF unit based on the unit identifier of the LMF unit.

27. An information processing device, wherein: Applied to the first AMF unit, the device comprises: The selection unit is configured to select the same LMF unit for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

28. An information processing device, wherein: Applied to the LMF unit, the device comprises: The processing unit is configured to perform ranging and / or sidelink positioning on the multiple UEs by establishing connections with the multiple UEs.

29. An information processing device, wherein: Applied to the second AMF unit, the device comprises: The determining unit is configured to determine the same LMF unit selected for multiple UEs involved in ranging and / or sidelink positioning.

30. A communication device comprising a processor, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and capable of being run by the processor, wherein: When the processor runs the executable program, the method provided in any one of claims 1 to 11, 12 to 19, or 20 to 23 is performed.

31. A computer storage medium storing an executable program; after the executable program is executed by a processor, it can implement the method provided in any one of claims 1 to 11 or 12 to 19 or 20 to 23.

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