Communication method, apparatus, system and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, device, system and computer readable storage medium, and relates to the technical field of communication. The communication method is run on a terminal device, and includes: receiving indication information of a base station, the indication information being used to indicate a resource for sensing, wherein the resource includes a time domain resource and / or a frequency domain resource, the time domain resource includes a frame, a subframe, a time slot or a symbol for sensing, and the frequency domain resource includes a bandwidth or a PRB for sensing. The technical solution of the present disclosure can realize the integration of sensing and communication transmission, thereby improving the communication performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, communication device, communication system, electronic device, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] As a strategic emerging industry, the low-altitude economy is attracting increasing attention from all sectors. For example, based on 5G networks, a low-altitude communication network can be built to create a comprehensive sensing network covering identification, monitoring, and meteorological functions.

[0003] Millimeter wave bands have strong beam directionality, large available frequency domain bandwidth resources, and short time domain symbols, enabling them to complete scanning of the entire sector within the scanning cycle (e.g., 1 second) required by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) TR (Technical Report) 22.837 and with reliable sensing accuracy (e.g., false alarm rate of 2% and detection probability of 99%).

[0004] Therefore, in future 5G / 6G low-altitude networking scenarios, the millimeter wave band will be considered in conjunction with the existing FR1 (Frequency Range 1) band, where millimeter waves will be responsible for air-to-air sensing and some air-to-ground communication functions. Communication sensing is one of the most promising technologies to be introduced into the 6G standard, and 3GPP is also studying 5G-A's support for sensing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inventors of this disclosure have discovered the following problem in the above-mentioned related technologies: they cannot meet the integrated requirements of sensing and communication transmission, resulting in a decline in communication performance.

[0006] In view of this, this disclosure proposes a communication technology solution that can integrate sensing and communication transmission, thereby improving communication performance.

[0007] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a communication method is provided, which operates on a terminal device, including: receiving indication information from a base station, the indication information being used to indicate resources for sensing, wherein the resources include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources, the time-domain resources including frames, subframes, time slots or symbols for sensing, and the frequency-domain resources including bandwidth or PRB (Physical Resource Block) for sensing.

[0008] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame.

[0009] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located.

[0010] In some embodiments, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; and / or when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB (Synchronization Signal Block), CSI-RS (Channel-State Information-Reference Signal), and beam index.

[0011] In some embodiments, the resources include a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for perception.

[0012] In some embodiments, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resource. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level.

[0013] In some embodiments, the communication method further includes: reporting the sensing results to the base station.

[0014] In some embodiments, reporting sensing results to the base station includes: reporting echo information under the beam index of the base station and / or relevant information about the sensed object.

[0015] In some embodiments, the communication method further includes: reporting to the base station the terminal device's ability to support sensing signals.

[0016] In some embodiments, the capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmit beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

[0017] According to some other embodiments of this disclosure, a communication method is provided, operating at a base station, comprising: sending indication information to a terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate resources for sensing, wherein the resources include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources, the time-domain resources including frames, subframes, time slots or symbols for sensing, and the frequency-domain resources including bandwidth or PRB for sensing.

[0018] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame.

[0019] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located.

[0020] In some embodiments, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; and / or when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index.

[0021] In some embodiments, the resources include a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for perception.

[0022] In some embodiments, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resource. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level.

[0023] In some embodiments, the communication method further includes: receiving sensing results reported by the terminal device when instructing the terminal device to use a first network resource for sensing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the sensing results include echo information under the beam index of the base station and / or relevant information about the sensed object.

[0025] In some embodiments, the communication method further includes: receiving terminal device support capability information for sensing signals reported by the terminal device.

[0026] In some embodiments, the capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmit beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

[0027] In some embodiments, the communication method further includes: using resources for sensing, or instructing a terminal device to use resources for sensing.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, configured in a terminal device, including: a receiving unit for receiving indication information from a base station, the indication information being used to indicate resources for sensing.

[0029] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame.

[0030] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; and / or when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index.

[0032] In some embodiments, the resources include a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for perception.

[0033] In some embodiments, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resource. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level.

[0034] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a transmitting unit for reporting sensing results to a base station.

[0035] In some embodiments, the transmitting unit reports to the base station the echo information under the beam index of the base station, and / or the relevant information of the sensed object.

[0036] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes: a transmitting unit, configured to report to the base station information on the terminal device's ability to support sensing signals.

[0037] In some embodiments, the capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmit beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided, configured in a base station, including: a transmitting unit for transmitting indication information to a terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate resources for sensing.

[0039] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame.

[0040] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located.

[0041] In some embodiments, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; and / or when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index.

[0042] In some embodiments, the resources include a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for perception.

[0043] In some embodiments, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resource. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level.

[0044] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a receiving unit, configured to receive sensing results reported by the terminal device when the terminal device is instructed to use a first network resource for sensing.

[0045] In some embodiments, the sensing results include echo information under the beam index of the base station and / or relevant information about the sensed object.

[0046] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes: a receiving unit, configured to receive terminal device support capability information for sensing signals reported by the terminal device.

[0047] In some embodiments, the capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmit beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

[0048] In some embodiments, the transmitting unit uses resources to perform sensing, or instructs the terminal device to use resources to perform sensing.

[0049] According to further embodiments of this disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal device for executing the terminal-side communication method in any of the above embodiments; and a base station for executing the base station-side communication method in any of the above embodiments.

[0050] According to further embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute a terminal-side communication method or a base station-side communication method in any of the above embodiments based on instructions stored in the memory device.

[0051] According to further embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, having stored thereon computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the communication method on the terminal side of any of the above embodiments, or the communication method on the base station side of any of the above embodiments.

[0052] According to further embodiments of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a terminal-side communication method according to any of the foregoing embodiments, or a base station-side communication method according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0053] In the above embodiments, by indicating frequency domain resources and / or time domain resources for sensing to the terminal, the terminal can avoid using these resources for communication transmission. This enables the integration of sensing and communication transmission, thereby improving communication performance. Attached Figure Description

[0054] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0055] This disclosure will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, wherein:

[0056] Figure 1 Flowcharts illustrating some embodiments of the terminal-side communication method of this disclosure;

[0057] Figure 2a Schematic diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the communication methods of this disclosure;

[0058] Figure 2b Schematic diagrams illustrating other embodiments of the communication methods of this disclosure;

[0059] Figure 3 Flowcharts illustrating some embodiments of the base station-side communication method of this disclosure;

[0060] Figure 4a Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the terminal-side communication device of this disclosure;

[0061] Figure 4b Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the base station-side communication apparatus of this disclosure;

[0062] Figure 5 Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the electronic devices of this disclosure;

[0063] Figure 6 Block diagrams illustrating other embodiments of the electronic devices disclosed herein;

[0064] Figure 7 Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the communication system of this disclosure are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0065] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual scale.

[0067] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use.

[0068] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0069] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0070] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0071] To address the aforementioned technical issues, this disclosure relates to steps such as frame structure design for sensing, base station configuration, waveform and reference signal configuration, and terminal capability reporting. If the 5G-A / 6G standard is introduced, a communication standard must also be introduced to enable the terminal to perform sensing and normal communication transmission.

[0072] For example, this disclosure designs a communication frame structure and indication method based on millimeter wave sensing for 5G-A (5G-Advanced, an evolution and enhancement of 5G networks) and the potential future 6G. Through flexible bandwidth, symbol, and time slot configurations and terminal indication methods, it meets the key air sensing indicators required by 3GPP (such as a false alarm rate of 2%, a detection probability of 99%, and a refresh rate of 1 second). For example, this disclosure considers two scenarios: base station sensing and potential future terminal sensing, as well as the coexistence of OFDM waveforms and more suitable sensing methods such as continuous waves, pulse waves, and OFDM symbols, covering a variety of potential 5G-A / 6G scenarios.

[0073] For example, the technical solution of this disclosure can be implemented through the following embodiments.

[0074] Figure 1 Flowcharts illustrating some embodiments of the terminal-side communication method of this disclosure are shown.

[0075] like Figure 1As shown, in step 110, the indication information of the base station is received. The indication information is used to indicate the resources for sensing. The resources include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources. The time-domain resources include frames, subframes, time slots or symbols for sensing. The frequency-domain resources include bandwidth or physical resource blocks (PRBs) for sensing.

[0076] For example, based on the instruction information, the terminal device determines the network resources used for communication, which are different from the resources used for sensing. In this way, by indicating the resources used for sensing to the terminal, the terminal can avoid occupying these resources for communication transmission, thereby achieving the integration of sensing and communication transmission and improving communication performance.

[0077] In some embodiments, the terminal-side communication method further includes step 105, reporting the terminal device's support capability information for sensing signals to the base station. For example, the support capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmission beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal. For example, the base station can determine the resources used for sensing based on the terminal device's support capability information for sensing signals.

[0078] In this way, resources for sensing can be adaptively configured according to the terminal's support for sensing, thereby improving communication performance.

[0079] In the above embodiments, by indicating frequency domain resources and / or time domain resources for sensing to the terminal, the terminal can avoid using these resources for communication transmission. This enables the integration of sensing and communication transmission, thereby improving communication performance.

[0080] In some embodiments, the base station can autonomously perform sensing using resources for sensing, or instruct the terminal device to perform sensing using resources. For example, in response to the base station instructing the terminal device to perform sensing, the terminal device reports the sensing results to the base station. For example, the terminal device performs sensing using resources for sensing to obtain sensing results. For example, it reports echo information under the base station's beam index and / or relevant information about the sensed object to the base station.

[0081] For example, depending on the sensing method, the sensing source can be a base station or a terminal device; the sensing source sends a simulated beam and senses objects (such as drones) by reflecting the echo. For example, the waveform of the simulated beam can include: pulse wave symbols, which use X pulse waves to complete long-distance coverage of about 1000m in one direction, but have a coverage blind spot of about 300-500m, with the length of a single pulse being Y times the duration of a millimeter wave symbol; continuous wave symbols, which use M continuous waves to complete coverage within a range of 300-500m in one direction, with the length of a single continuous wave being equivalent to the duration of N millimeter wave symbols; and existing OFDM symbols in 5G, etc.

[0082] For example, within a 1-second scanning cycle, the sensing source can cover 126 beams in the horizontal 120-degree (18 beams) and vertical 60-degree (7 beams) directions by combining one or more of the above waveforms.

[0083] For example, coverage methods can include pulse waves and continuous waves. Pulse waves use 12 pulse wave sensing symbols in a single direction to achieve a maximum sensing distance of 1031m, where each pulse wave symbol is 1.5 times the length of a millimeter-wave symbol with a 120kHz subcarrier spacing. Therefore, this is equivalent to 18 millimeter-wave symbols with a 120kHz subcarrier spacing. With this configuration, the blind zone is 525m. Continuous waves use 12 continuous wave sensing symbols in a single direction to achieve a maximum sensing distance of 547m, filling the aforementioned pulse wave sensing blind zone. Each continuous wave symbol is 1 time the length of a millimeter-wave symbol with a 120kHz subcarrier spacing. Therefore, this is equivalent to 12 millimeter-wave symbols with a 120kHz subcarrier spacing. Thus, the resources occupied by pulse wave + continuous wave symbols in a single beam direction are 18 + 12 = 30 millimeter-wave symbols with a 120kHz subcarrier spacing. In one scan cycle (e.g., 1 second), a total of 126 millimeter-wave symbols are required. 30 = 3780.

[0084] The following examples illustrate how a base station can autonomously perform sensing. For instance, a base station can autonomously perform sensing within its coverage area without the involvement of terminal equipment, and any of the coverage methods described above can be used.

[0085] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located. For example, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index. For example, the beam identification information corresponds to the resources used for sensing.

[0086] For example, a beam-level frame structure indication method can be adopted: the composition and arrangement of symbols used for sensing for each beam can be different. For a terminal device serving a certain beam, the base station can indicate the time-frequency resources of the symbols used for sensing for that beam to the terminal device; the base station can also bind the time-frequency resources of the symbols used for sensing for each beam to the symbols representing that beam (including SSB, CSI-RS, beam index, etc.).

[0087] In this way, two resource indication methods, one at the cell level and the other at the beam level, are configured for both cell and beam scenarios, which improves the scenario adaptability of the technical solution and thus enhances communication performance.

[0088] For example, when using a cell-level frame structure indication method, the base station can indicate the time-frequency resources (e.g., time-domain resources are at the time slot level or symbol level; frequency-domain resources are at the bandwidth level or PRB level) occupied by the pulse wave, continuous wave, and / or OFDM symbols used for sensing for the terminal equipment within the cell; the terminal equipment can avoid using the above time-frequency resources for uplink or downlink transmission. For example, the network side can indicate which arrangement method the terminal equipment is currently using through higher-layer semi-static or dynamic signaling; it can also directly inform the terminal equipment through network signaling about the time-frequency resources occupied by the pulse wave (first symbol), continuous wave (second symbol), and / or OFDM symbols (third symbol) used for sensing.

[0089] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame. For example, a standard protocol specifies the arrangement of one or more sensing symbols, and the network side indicates to the terminal device which arrangement is currently being used through higher-layer semi-static or dynamic signaling.

[0090] For example, it can be adopted Figure 2a The embodiments in the text indicate how resources are arranged within a frame.

[0091] Figure 2a Schematic diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the communication methods of this disclosure are shown.

[0092] like Figure 2a As shown, a sensing frame refers to a frame that includes time slots for sensing and time slots for communication. Communication frames 1, 2, etc., refer to frames that include time slots for communication. For example, a sensing frame may include time slots 1 to 80. The arrangement of resources for sensing within the frame may include: symbol P in time slots 3, 4, etc., represents pulse wave symbols for sensing; symbol C in time slots 8, 9, etc., represents continuous wave symbols for sensing; symbols D and U represent communication symbols for downlink and uplink, respectively; and symbol G represents a guard symbol.

[0093] In some embodiments, the resources include a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for sensing. For example, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM symbol. When the resources include the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resources. When the resources include the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level. For example, the time-frequency resources occupied by the pulse wave (first symbol), continuous wave (second symbol), and / or OFDM symbol (third symbol) for sensing can be directly informed to the terminal device via network signaling.

[0094] In this way, suitable resource indication methods are proposed for different waveforms used for sensing, such as OFDM waveforms, continuous waves, and the coexistence of pulse waves and OFDM symbols, which improves the waveform adaptability of the technical solution and thus improves communication performance.

[0095] The following examples illustrate how a terminal device completes its sensing capabilities. For instance, a base station instructs the terminal device to complete sensing within its coverage area and report the sensing results to the base station.

[0096] In some embodiments, in response to a base station instructing a terminal device to perform sensing, the terminal device reports the sensing results to the base station. For example, the terminal device performs sensing using resources for sensing to obtain sensing results, and reports echo information under the base station's beam index and / or relevant information about the sensed object to the base station.

[0097] For example, the terminal device can report its support capability information for transmitting sensing signals to the base station so that the base station can configure resources and signals accordingly. The support capability information of the terminal device may include: the transmission beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveforms, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, the transmit and receive switching time of the pulse wave signal, etc.

[0098] For example, it can be done through Figure 2b The examples in the document illustrate the supported capability information.

[0099] Figure 2b Schematic diagrams illustrating some other embodiments of the communication methods of this disclosure are shown.

[0100] like Figure 2b As shown, due to limitations in the transmitter, the terminal device needs a period of time to switch to receiving mode after sending a pulse wave. Therefore, during the pulse transmission... and pulse reception T r This creates a blind spot in the pulse wave coverage, i.e., the switching time T. switch .

[0101] For example, the base station uses the aforementioned cell-level or beam-level indication methods to indicate the time-frequency resources occupied by the terminal device for pulse waves, continuous waves, and / or OFDM symbols used for sensing. For pulse waves and continuous waves, the base station indicates the waveform information used by the terminal device so that the terminal device can transmit standardized probe signals on the corresponding time-frequency resources. For OFDM symbols used for sensing, it needs to indicate information such as the PRB-level time-frequency domain location of the OFDM symbols, including: transmission period, signal bandwidth, the number and density of OFDM symbols used for sensing in each PRB, and modulation scheme. The terminal device cannot use the time-frequency resources for sensing OFDM symbols indicated by the above information for data channel or control channel transmission / reception.

[0102] For example, the terminal device can transmit sensing waveforms and receive echoes in the corresponding time and frequency resources according to the base station configuration to perform sensing; the terminal device reports the sensing results to the base station, and the reported content includes: truthfully reporting the sensing results without processing, such as reporting echo information under the current base station beam index, the terminal beam index used by the terminal device to sense the sensed object, etc.; the terminal device is responsible for processing the sensing results, reporting whether there is a sensed object under the current base station beam index, as well as information such as the type, size, and shape of the sensed object, the channel characteristic information of the sensed object, and the terminal beam index used by the terminal device to sense the sensed object, etc.

[0103] The above embodiments propose a communication sensing method that can be used for 5G-A and 6G, supporting potential base station sensing and terminal sensing reporting scenarios, and supporting combinations of various waveforms such as pulse waves, continuous waves, and / or OFDM symbols used for sensing; the base station informs the terminal device of the time and frequency resources occupied by the above waveforms in the form of frame structure and bandwidth / PRB allocation (supporting resource allocation at the base station beam level and cell level), and the terminal device avoids using the above time and frequency resources for data channel or control channel transmission / reception.

[0104] The technical solution disclosed herein supports potential base station sensing and terminal sensing reporting scenarios, and future integrated sensing scenarios. Based on base station sensing, in areas where the base station beam is blocked or in pulse wave blind spots, terminal equipment sensing is required to fill the gaps, ensuring the base station's full-range sensing requirements for the entire cell. For terminal sensing, this disclosure supports reporting different capabilities of terminal equipment, including supported waveforms, the symbol length supported by each waveform, and the transceiver switching time of pulse wave signals, enabling the base station to configure resources and signals accordingly. This disclosure also supports cell-level and beam-level frame structure indication methods. Millimeter wave bands have strong beam directionality and good isolation between beams. Depending on the coverage location of each beam, each base station beam can potentially be allocated different sensing symbol densities to support different sensing accuracy requirements.

[0105] Figure 3 Flowcharts illustrating some embodiments of the base station-side communication method of this disclosure are shown.

[0106] like Figure 3 As shown, in step 310, indication information is sent to the terminal device. The indication information is used to indicate the resources used for sensing. The resources include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources. The time-domain resources include frames, subframes, time slots or symbols used for sensing. The frequency-domain resources include bandwidth or PRB used for sensing.

[0107] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame.

[0108] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located. For example, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index.

[0109] In some embodiments, the resource includes a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for sensing. For example, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resource. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level.

[0110] In some embodiments, when the terminal device is instructed to use a first network resource for sensing, the sensing results reported by the terminal device are received. For example, the sensing results include echo information under the beam index of the base station, and / or relevant information about the sensed object.

[0111] In some embodiments, the base station-side communication method further includes: step 305, receiving terminal device support capability information for sensing signals reported by the terminal device. For example, the support capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmission beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

[0112] In some embodiments, resources are used for sensing, or the terminal device is instructed to use resources for sensing.

[0113] Figure 4a Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the terminal-side communication apparatus of this disclosure are shown.

[0114] like Figure 4a As shown, the communication device 4a is configured in the terminal device and includes: a receiving unit 41a, used to receive indication information from the base station, the indication information being used to indicate resources for sensing.

[0115] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame.

[0116] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located.

[0117] In some embodiments, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; and / or when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index.

[0118] In some embodiments, the resources include a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for perception.

[0119] In some embodiments, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resource. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level.

[0120] In some embodiments, the communication device 4a further includes a transmitting unit 42a, used to report the sensing results to the base station.

[0121] In some embodiments, the transmitting unit 42a reports to the base station the echo information under the beam index of the base station, and / or the relevant information of the sensed object.

[0122] In some embodiments, the communication device 4a further includes a transmitting unit 42a, configured to report information about the terminal device's ability to support sensing signals to the base station.

[0123] In some embodiments, the capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmit beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

[0124] Figure 4b Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the base station-side communication apparatus of this disclosure are shown.

[0125] like Figure 4b As shown, the communication device, configured in base station 4b, includes: a transmitting unit 41b, used to transmit indication information to a terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate resources for sensing.

[0126] In some embodiments, the indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of resources within the frame.

[0127] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the cell or beam in which the terminal device is located.

[0128] In some embodiments, when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes beam identification information; and / or when the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the base station in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index.

[0129] In some embodiments, the resources include a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for perception.

[0130] In some embodiments, the symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an OFDM symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate the waveform information used by the terminal for transmitting a standardized probe signal in the corresponding time-frequency resource. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level.

[0131] In some embodiments, the communication device 4b further includes a receiving unit 42b, configured to receive a sensing result reported by the terminal device when the terminal device is instructed to use the first network resources for sensing.

[0132] In some embodiments, the sensing results include echo information under the beam index of the base station and / or relevant information about the sensed object.

[0133] In some embodiments, the communication device 4b further includes a receiving unit 42b, configured to receive terminal device support capability information for sensing signals reported by the terminal device.

[0134] In some embodiments, the capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmit beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

[0135] In some embodiments, the sending unit 41b uses resources to perform sensing, or instructs the terminal device to use resources to perform sensing.

[0136] Figure 5 Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the electronic devices disclosed herein.

[0137] like Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device 5 of this embodiment includes: a memory 51 and a processor 52 coupled to the memory 51. The processor 52 is configured to execute the communication method on the terminal side of any of the above embodiments, or the communication method on the base station side of any of the above embodiments, based on instructions stored in the memory 51.

[0138] The memory 51 may include, for example, system memory, fixed non-volatile storage media, etc. The system memory stores, for example, the operating system, application programs, boot loader, database, and other programs.

[0139] Figure 6 Block diagrams illustrating other embodiments of the electronic devices disclosed herein are shown.

[0140] like Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 6 of this embodiment includes: a memory 610 and a processor 620 coupled to the memory 610. The processor 620 is configured to execute the communication method on the terminal side of any of the above embodiments, or the communication method on the base station side of any of the above embodiments, based on instructions stored in the memory 610.

[0141] The memory 610 may include, for example, system memory, fixed non-volatile storage media, etc. The system memory may store, for example, the operating system, application programs, boot loader, and other programs.

[0142] Electronic device 6 may also include input / output interfaces 630, network interfaces 640, and storage interfaces 650. These interfaces 630, 640, and 650, as well as the memory 610 and processor 620, can be connected, for example, via a bus 660. Specifically, input / output interface 630 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as monitors, mice, keyboards, touchscreens, microphones, and speakers. Network interface 640 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. Storage interface 650 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as SD cards and USB flash drives.

[0143] Figure 7 Block diagrams illustrating some embodiments of the communication system of this disclosure are shown.

[0144] like Figure 7 As shown, the communication system 7 includes: a terminal device 71, used to execute the terminal-side communication method in any of the above embodiments; and a base station 72, used to execute the base station-side communication method in any of the above embodiments.

[0145] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this disclosure can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this disclosure can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable non-transitory storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0146] The communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, electronic devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products according to this disclosure have been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of this disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Those skilled in the art will fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein based on the above description.

[0147] The methods and systems of this disclosure may be implemented in many ways. For example, they may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination of software, hardware, and firmware. The above-described order of steps for the methods is for illustrative purposes only, and the steps of the methods of this disclosure are not limited to the specific order described above unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, in some embodiments, this disclosure may also be implemented as a program recorded on a recording medium, the program including machine-readable instructions for implementing the methods according to this disclosure. Thus, this disclosure also covers recording media storing programs for performing the methods according to this disclosure.

[0148] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, operating on a terminal device, comprising: The terminal device receives indication information from the base station, the indication information being used to indicate the sensing resources of the beam in which it is located. The indication information includes at least one of Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), and Beam Index. The resource is bound to the symbol of the beam in which the terminal device is located. The symbol includes at least one of the SSB, the CSI-RS, and the beam index. The resource includes time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources. The time-domain resources include frames, subframes, time slots, or symbols for sensing. The frequency-domain resources include bandwidth or Physical Resource Block (PRB) for sensing. The resource includes a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for sensing. The first symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate waveform information for sending sensing signals in the corresponding time-frequency resources or avoiding the use of the time-frequency resources for uplink or downlink transmission. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the Physical Resource Block (PRB) level. The terminal device reports its support capability information for the sensed signal to the base station. The support capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmission beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of the resources within the frame.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein: When the indication information is used to indicate the resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located, the indication information includes the identification information of the beam.

4. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-3 further includes: The sensing results are reported to the base station.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, wherein, The reporting of sensing results to the base station includes: Report the echo information under the beam index of the base station to the base station, and / or the relevant information of the sensed object.

6. A communication method, operating at a base station, comprising: Send indication information to the terminal device, the indication information being used to indicate the sensing resources of the beam in which the terminal device is located. The indication information includes at least one of Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), and Beam Index. The resource is bound to the symbol of the beam in which the terminal device is located. The symbol includes at least one of the SSB, the CSI-RS, and the beam index. The resource includes time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources. The time-domain resources include frames, subframes, time slots, or symbols for sensing. The frequency-domain resources include bandwidth or Physical Resource Block (PRB) for sensing. The resource includes a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for sensing. The first symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate waveform information for sending sensing signals in the corresponding time-frequency resources or avoiding the use of the time-frequency resources for uplink or downlink transmission. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the Physical Resource Block (PRB) level. The terminal device receives information on its support capability for the sensing signal, which includes at least one of the following: the transmission beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, wherein, The indication information includes the currently used frame structure, which includes the arrangement of the resources within the frame.

8. The communication method according to any one of claims 6-7, further comprising: When instructing the terminal device to use the resources for sensing, the system receives the sensing results reported by the terminal device.

9. The communication method according to claim 8, wherein, The sensing results include echo information under the beam index of the base station and / or relevant information about the sensed object.

10. The communication method according to any one of claims 6-7, further comprising: The resources are used for sensing, or the terminal device is instructed to use the resources for sensing.

11. A communication device, configured in a terminal device, comprising: A receiving unit is configured to receive indication information from a base station. The indication information indicates sensing resources for the beam in which the terminal device is located. The indication information includes at least one of a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), and a beam index. The resources are bound to symbols of the beam in which the terminal device is located. The symbols include at least one of the SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index. The resources include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources. The time-domain resources include frames, subframes, time slots, or symbols for sensing. The frequency-domain resources include bandwidth or physical resources for sensing. A resource block (PRB) includes a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for sensing. The first symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate waveform information for transmitting sensing signals in the corresponding time-frequency resource or avoiding the use of the time-frequency resource for uplink or downlink transmission. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the physical resource block (PRB) level. The transmitting unit is used to report to the base station the terminal device's support capability information for the sensing signal. The support capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmitting beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

12. A communication device, configured in a base station, comprising: A transmitting unit is configured to transmit indication information to a terminal device. The indication information indicates sensing resources for the beam in which the terminal device is located. The indication information includes at least one of a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), and a beam index. The resources are bound to symbols of the beam in which the terminal device is located. The symbols include at least one of the SSB, CSI-RS, and beam index. The resources include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources. The time-domain resources include frames, subframes, time slots, or symbols for sensing. The frequency-domain resources include bandwidth or other resources for sensing. The Physical Resource Block (PRB) includes a first symbol, a second symbol, or a third symbol for sensing. The first symbol is a pulse wave symbol, the second symbol is a continuous wave symbol, and the third symbol is an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. When the resource includes the first symbol and / or the second symbol, the indication information is used to indicate waveform information for transmitting sensing signals in the corresponding time-frequency resource or avoiding the use of the time-frequency resource for uplink or downlink transmission. When the resource includes the third symbol, the indication information is used to indicate time-frequency domain location information at the PRB level. The receiving unit is configured to receive the terminal device's support capability information for the sensing signal reported by the terminal device. The support capability information includes at least one of the following: the transmission beam information supported by the terminal, the supported waveform information, the symbol length or time length supported by each waveform, and the transmit / receive switching time of the pulse wave signal.

13. A communication system, comprising: A terminal device for executing the communication method according to any one of claims 1-5; A base station for performing the communication method according to any one of claims 6-10.

14. An electronic device comprising: Memory; and A processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute the communication method of any one of claims 1-5, or the communication method of any one of claims 6-10, based on instructions stored in the memory.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the communication method of any one of claims 1-5, or the communication method of any one of claims 6-10.

16. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-5, or the communication method according to any one of claims 6-10.

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