Apparatus, method and computer program

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus comprising means for determining, at a first device, location information associated with an object of interest and providing, from the first device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication, where the discovery message comprises the location information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a method, an apparatus, a system and a computer program, and particularly but not exclusively to location information in sidelink discovery for AR applications. Background Art

[0002] A communication system can be viewed as a facility that enables communication sessions between two or more entities (such as user terminals, base stations, and / or other nodes) by providing carrier waves between the various entities involved in the communication path. A communication system can be provided, for example, by means of a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. A communication session may include, for example, the communication of data for carrying communications such as voice, video, electronic mail (email), text messaging, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of the services provided include two-way or multi-way calls, data communications or multimedia services, and access to data network systems such as the Internet.

[0003] In a wireless communication system, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two stations takes place over a wireless link. Examples of wireless systems include public land mobile networks (PLMNs), satellite-based communication systems, and different wireless local networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs). Some wireless systems can be divided into cells and are therefore often referred to as cellular systems.

[0004] A user may access a communication system by means of an appropriate communication device or terminal. The user's communication device may be referred to as user equipment (UE) or user equipment. The communication device is provided with appropriate signal receiving and transmission means to enable communication, for example, to enable access to a communication network or to communicate directly with other users. The communication device may access a carrier provided by a station (e.g., a base station of a cell) and transmit and / or receive communications on the carrier.

[0005] Communication systems and associated equipment typically operate according to a given standard or specification that sets out what the various entities associated with the system are permitted to do and how these should be implemented. The communication protocols and / or parameters to be used for the connection are also typically defined. An example of a communication system is UTRAN (3G radio). Other examples of communication systems are the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access technology and the so-called 5G or New Radio (NR) networks. NR is standardized by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Summary of the invention

[0006] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided that includes means for determining, at a first device, location information associated with an object of interest and providing, from the first device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication, wherein the discovery message includes the location information.

[0007] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0008] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0009] The apparatus may include a time-of-flight sensor and means for determining distance using the time-of-flight sensor.

[0010] The discovery message may include an open discovery message.

[0011] The apparatus may include means for determining a transmission power based on the location information and providing the discovery message using the determined transmission power.

[0012] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0013] The discovery message may include at least one of the following: a discovery request, a side link discovery request, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery request.

[0014] The apparatus may include means for receiving a discovery response message from the second device in response to the discovery message.

[0015] The apparatus may include means for receiving, at a first device, information associated with an object of interest from a second device.

[0016] The discovery message may also include an indication of an object of interest.

[0017] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0018] In a second aspect, a device is provided, comprising a component for receiving a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device at a second device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; a component for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the location information; and a component for providing a discovery response message from the second device to the first device in response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0019] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0020] Means for determining, based on the location information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest may include means for determining that the second device is in an area indicated by the location information.

[0021] The area may be based on location information and a distance threshold.

[0022] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0023] The discovery response message may include an open discovery message.

[0024] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0025] The discovery response message may include at least one of the following: a discovery response, a side link discovery response, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery response.

[0026] The apparatus may include means for providing, from the second device to the first device, information associated with the object of interest.

[0027] The discovery message may further include an indication of an object of interest, and the apparatus may include means for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the indication of the object of interest.

[0028] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0029] The apparatus may include means for receiving information related to the object of interest from the network and determining, further based on the received information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0030] In a third aspect, a method is provided that includes determining, at a first device, location information associated with an object of interest and providing, from the first device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication, wherein the discovery message includes the location information.

[0031] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0032] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0033] The method may include determining the distance using a time of flight sensor.

[0034] The discovery message may include an open discovery message.

[0035] The method may include determining a transmission power based on the location information and providing the discovery message using the determined transmission power.

[0036] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0037] The discovery message may include at least one of the following: a discovery request, a side link discovery request, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery request.

[0038] The method may include receiving a discovery response message from the second device in response to the discovery message.

[0039] The method may include receiving, at a first device, information associated with an object of interest from a second device.

[0040] The discovery message may also include an indication of an object of interest.

[0041] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0042] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: a component for receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; a component for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the location information; and a component for providing a discovery response message from the second device to the first device in response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0043] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0044] Determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the location information may include determining that the second device is in an area indicated by the location information.

[0045] The area may be based on location information and a distance threshold.

[0046] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0047] The discovery response message may include an open discovery message.

[0048] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0049] The discovery response message may include at least one of the following: a discovery response, a sidelink discovery response, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery response.

[0050] The method may include providing, from the second device to the first device, information associated with the object of interest.

[0051] The discovery message may further include an indication of an object of interest, and the apparatus may include means for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the indication of the object of interest.

[0052] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0053] The method may include receiving information related to the object of interest from the network and determining, further based on the received information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0054] In a fifth aspect, a device is provided, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the device to determine location information associated with an object of interest at least at a first device and provide a discovery message for device-to-device communication from the first device, wherein the discovery message includes the location information.

[0055] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0056] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0057] The apparatus may comprise a time of flight sensor and be caused to determine the distance using the time of flight sensor.

[0058] The discovery message may include an open discovery message.

[0059] The apparatus may be caused to determine a transmission power based on the location information and to provide the discovery message using the determined transmission power.

[0060] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0061] The discovery message may include at least one of the following: a discovery request, a side link discovery request, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery request.

[0062] The apparatus may be caused to receive a discovery response message from the second device in response to the discovery message.

[0063] The apparatus may be caused to receive, at the first device, information associated with the object of interest from the second device.

[0064] The discovery message may also include an indication of an object of interest.

[0065] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0066] In a sixth aspect, a device is provided, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the device to receive a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device at least at a second device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; based on the location information, determine that the second device is associated with the object of interest; and in response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest, provide a discovery response message from the second device to the first device.

[0067] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0068] The apparatus may be caused to determine that the second device is in an area indicated by the location information.

[0069] The area may be based on location information and a distance threshold.

[0070] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0071] The discovery response message may include an open discovery message.

[0072] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0073] The discovery response message may include at least one of the following: a discovery response, a sidelink discovery response, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery response.

[0074] The apparatus may be caused to provide information associated with the object of interest from the second device to the first device.

[0075] The discovery message may further include an indication of an object of interest, and the apparatus may include means for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the indication of the object of interest.

[0076] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0077] The apparatus may be caused to receive information related to the object of interest from the network and determine, further based on the received information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0078] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: determining location information associated with an object of interest at a first device; and providing a discovery message for device-to-device communication from the first device, wherein the discovery message comprises the location information.

[0079] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0080] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0081] The apparatus may include a time-of-flight sensor and be caused to perform determining the distance using the time-of-flight sensor.

[0082] The discovery message may include an open discovery message.

[0083] The apparatus may be caused to perform means for determining a transmission power based on the location information and providing a discovery message using the determined transmission power.

[0084] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0085] The discovery message may include at least one of the following: a discovery request, a side link discovery request, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery request.

[0086] The apparatus may be caused to receive a discovery response message from the second device in response to the discovery message.

[0087] The apparatus may be caused to receive, at the first device, information associated with the object of interest from the second device.

[0088] The discovery message may also include an indication of an object of interest.

[0089] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0090] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message comprises location information associated with an object of interest; determining, based on the location information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest; and providing, from the second device to the first device, a discovery response message in response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0091] The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

[0092] The apparatus may be caused to perform determining that the second device is in an area indicated by the location information.

[0093] The area may be based on location information and a distance threshold.

[0094] The location information may include at least one of: an indication of a location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device.

[0095] The discovery response message may include an open discovery message.

[0096] The first device may be performing a Model B discovery process.

[0097] The discovery response message may include at least one of the following: a discovery response, a sidelink discovery response, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery response.

[0098] The apparatus may be caused to provide information associated with the object of interest from the second device to the first device.

[0099] The discovery message may further include an indication of an object of interest, and the apparatus may include means for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the indication of the object of interest.

[0100] The indication of the object of interest may include at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

[0101] The apparatus may be caused to receive information related to the object of interest from the network and determine, further based on the received information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0102] In a ninth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0103] In the above, many different embodiments have been described. It should be understood that further embodiments can be provided by combining any two or more of the above embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0104] Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0105] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example 5GS communication system is shown;

[0106] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an example mobile communication device is shown;

[0107] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an example control device is shown;

[0108] Figure 4 A schematic diagram for offline sharing in XR is shown;

[0109] Figure 5 A flow chart showing a method according to an example embodiment is shown;

[0110] Figure 6 A flow chart showing a method according to an example embodiment is shown;

[0111] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus including a time-of-flight sensor;

[0112] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing an example use case;

[0113] Fig. 9 shows a signaling flow for a use case according to an example embodiment;

[0114] Fig.10 A signaling flow according to an example embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0115] Before explaining the examples in detail, refer to the attached Figures 1 to 3 Certain general principles of wireless communication systems and mobile communication devices are briefly explained to aid understanding of the technology to which the described examples relate.

[0116] An example of a suitable communication system is the 5G or NR concept. The network architecture in NR can be similar to that of Advanced LTE. The base station of the NR system can be referred to as the next generation Node B (gNB). Changes to the network architecture may depend on the need to support various radio technologies and more sophisticated QoS support, as well as some on-demand requirements for, for example, supporting quality of service (QoS) levels for quality of experience (QoE) for users. Network-aware services and applications, as well as service and application-aware networks, can also bring changes to the architecture. These involve information-centric networks (ICNs) and user-centric content distribution networks (UC-CDN) approaches. NR can use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites that operate in collaboration with smaller stations, and may also employ various radio technologies for better coverage and enhanced data rates.

[0117] Future networks may utilize network function virtualization (NFV), which is a network architecture concept that proposes virtualizing network node functions into "building blocks" or entities that can be operably connected or linked together to provide services. Virtualized network functions (VNFs) may include one or more virtual machines that use standard or general-purpose servers rather than custom hardware to run computer program code. Cloud computing or data storage may also be utilized. In radio communications, this may mean that node operations are at least partially implemented in a server, host, or node that is operably coupled to a remote radio head. It is also possible for node operations to be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It should also be understood that the division of labor between core network operations and base station operations may be different from that of LTE or even non-existent.

[0118] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 5G system (5GS) 100 is shown. The 5GS may include a user equipment (UE) 102 (which may also be referred to as a communication device or terminal), a 5G radio access network (5GRAN) 104, a 5G core network (5GCN) 106, one or more application functions (AFs) 108, and one or more data networks (DNs) 110.

[0119] An example 5G core network (CN) includes functional entities. The 5GCN 106 may include one or more access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 112, one or more session management functions (SMFs) 114, an authentication server function (AUSF) 116, a unified data management (UDM) 118, one or more user plane functions (UPFs) 120, a unified data repository (UDR) 122, and / or a network exposure function (NEF) 124. The UPF is controlled by the SMF (session management function) which receives policies from the PCF (policy control function).

[0120] The CN is connected to the UE via a radio access network (RAN). The 5G RAN may include one or more gNodeB (GNB) distributed unit functions connected to one or more gNodeB (GNB) centralized unit functions. The RAN may include one or more access nodes.

[0121] A user plane function (UPF) known as a PDU Session Anchor (PSA) may be responsible for delivering frames back and forth between the DN and the tunnel established over 5G towards the UE(s) exchanging traffic with the DN.

[0122] Now refer to Figure 2 describing in more detail possible mobile communication devices, Figure 2 A schematic, partial cross-sectional view of a communication device 200 is shown. Such a communication device is generally referred to as a user equipment (UE) or a terminal. Suitable mobile communication devices can be provided by any device capable of sending and receiving radio signals. Non-limiting examples include a mobile station (MS) or a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or a so-called smart phone), a computer equipped with a wireless interface card or other wireless interface facilities (e.g., a USB dongle), a personal data assistant (PDA) or a tablet computer equipped with wireless communication capabilities, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device (such as a digital camera), a game terminal device, a music storage and playback appliance, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), an intelligent device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE) or any combination of these, etc. A mobile communication device can provide, for example, a communication for carrying data such as voice, email (email), text messages, multimedia, etc. Therefore, users can be given and provided with many services via their communication devices. Non-limiting examples of these services include two-way or multi-way calls, data communications or multimedia services, or simply access to a data communications network system, such as the Internet. Users may also be provided with broadcast or multicast data. Non-limiting examples of the content include downloads, television and radio programs, videos, advertisements, various alerts and other information.

[0123] The mobile device is typically equipped with at least one data processing entity 201, at least one memory 202 and other possible components 203 for software and hardware-assisted execution of the tasks that the mobile device is designed to perform, including control of access to and communication with access systems and other communication devices. Data processing, storage and other related control devices can be provided on appropriate circuit boards and / or in chipsets. This feature is noted as reference numeral 204. The user can control the operation of the mobile device with the aid of a suitable user interface (e.g., a keypad 205, voice commands, a touch-sensitive screen or tablet, a combination thereof, etc.). A display 208, a speaker and a microphone may also be provided. In addition, the mobile communication device may include suitable connectors (wired or wireless) for connecting other devices, and / or suitable connectors (wired or wireless) for connecting external accessories (e.g., hands-free devices).

[0124] The mobile device 200 may receive signals over the air or radio interface 207 via appropriate means for receiving, and may transmit signals via appropriate means for transmitting radio signals. Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the transceiver arrangement is schematically designated by block 206. The transceiver arrangement 206 may be provided, for example, by means of a radio component and an associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be arranged internally or externally to the mobile device.

[0125] Figure 3 An example of a control device 300 for a communication system is shown, which communication system is to be coupled to a station of an access system and / or a station for controlling an access system, such as a RAN node (e.g., a base station, eNB or gNB), a relay node or a core network node (such as an MME or S-GW or P-GW), or a core network function (such as an AMF / SMF), or a server or a host. The method can be implemented in a single control device or across more than one control device. The control device can be integrated with a node or module of the core network or RAN or external to a node or module of the core network or RAN. In some embodiments, the base station includes a separate control device unit or module. In other embodiments, the control device can be another network element such as a radio network controller or a spectrum controller. In some embodiments, each base station can have such a control device and a control device provided in the radio network controller. The control device 300 can be arranged to provide control of communications in a service area of ​​the system. The control device 300 includes at least one memory 301, at least one data processing unit 302, 303 and an input / output interface 304. Via the interface, the control device can be coupled to a receiver and a transmitter of the base station. The receiver and / or transmitter may be implemented as a radio front end or a remote radio head.

[0126] Augmented reality (AR) is an enhanced version of the real physical world achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sounds or other sensory stimuli delivered via technology. It is a growing trend, especially among companies involved in mobile computing, gaming, and business applications.

[0127] One of the main goals of AR is to highlight specific features of the physical world, increase understanding of those features, and derive intelligent and accessible insights that can be applied to real-world applications. Retailers and other companies can use AR to promote products or services, launch marketing campaigns, and collect user data.

[0128] Extended reality (XR) use cases can be broadly divided into: (i) augmented reality (AR); (ii) virtual reality (VR) and (iii) mixed reality (MR), which refers to various types of augmented, virtual and hybrid environments where human-to-machine and human-to-human communications are performed with the assistance of handheld and wearable end-user devices (UEs). Many XR use cases are expected to be mobile and small-scale, so it is feasible to use sidelink communications as UE-to-UE direct communications for XR services.

[0129] XR Core Use Cases can use Sidelink (SL) for communication between UEs, for example, offline sharing, such as Figure 4 As shown, the offline sharing is used to share 3D models / objects and 3D MR scenes between UE A and UE B. Figure 4 In the example, UE A shares a 3D static / dynamic object with UE B. The 3D object may be a stored object downloaded by UE A from the cloud or a stored object captured by a device. UE A may share additional information of the 3D object with UE B. Figure 4 In the example shown in , MMS is used to share 3D objects and captured MR scenes between UEs.

[0130] An example use case for offline sharing can be when a person (A) purchases an item (e.g., a hat) from a merchant / retailer and A agrees that the merchant / retailer share information related to the item (such as AR information) to interested third parties via their UE. The merchant / retailer can pay A per interaction or in other ways (e.g., as a simple advertising plan). In this example use case, when another party B sees a hat worn by A and B likes the hat, B can use B's mobile device to scan the hat and try to connect with A's mobile device to determine whether A can provide more information about the hat (such as brand, material, size, price, merchant, etc.). A's UE (UE A) gets a request from B's UE (UE B) and shares the AR information of the hat with UE B. Therefore, A is paid; B receives the requested information and the merchant / retailer increases the popularity and / or visibility of their products. Such interactions can be considered micro-advertisements using AR.

[0131] Because the XR scenario can be UE-to-UE and small-scale, and the UE has only limited battery power resources, performance may come at the expense of battery life. Therefore, when running XR services, power enhancement may be required to reduce the overall UE power consumption to extend the effective UE battery life.

[0132] One way to reduce UE power consumption may be to exploit network coordination between UEs, for example by applying specific DRX mechanisms for XR services. However, it would be more beneficial if the UEs could communicate directly using a side link. In the offline sharing example above, UE B connects to UE A to request UE A to share AR information. UE A and UE B can communicate using a side link because UE A and UE B are close to each other (in this example, B is close enough to see A's hat). The only information UE B has about UE A is that the owner of UE A is wearing a hat. UE A has no information about UE B. It is desirable for UE B to connect to the UE in an accurate, fast, and power-efficient manner.

[0133] ProSe Direct Discovery has been defined as a process at a UE for detecting and identifying another UE in proximity.

[0134] There are two types of ProSe direct discovery: open and restricted. Open is where no explicit permission from the discovered UE is required, while restricted discovery only occurs with explicit permission from the discovered UE.

[0135] There are two models for ProSe direct discovery.

[0136] In Model A (also known as "I'm Here"), the announcing UE (UE A in the use case above) broadcasts discovery messages at predefined discovery intervals, and the monitoring UEs (UE B in the use case above) interested in these messages read the discovery messages and process them.

[0137] In model B (also known as "Who's there?" / "Are you there?"), the discoverer UE (UE B in the use case above) sends information about other UEs (the discoverer UEs in the use case above, such as UE A) from which the discoverer UE wants to receive a response.

[0138] The notifying UE in Model A broadcasts discovery messages periodically, which means that the broadcast is always present, regardless of whether the monitoring UE is present or not. This may cause resource waste and is power-hungry. Therefore, Model A may be more suitable for devices with a stable power supply, which would be inappropriate for the use case discussed above.

[0139] For the use cases discussed above, Model B may be better. Restricted discovery type is currently supported by Model B. However, in the above use cases, UE A and UE B do not have to have any prior knowledge about each other, such as ProSe restriction codes.

[0140] Even if model B can be used, UE B still has to find UE A accurately and quickly. UE B knows that the owner of UE A has a hat. Sending the "hat" information in the discovery message may not be sufficient because UE A may not be accurately distinguished enough (e.g., many people may have hats in the surrounding area). From the perspective of UE A, an inaccurate discovery message (e.g., a message from a UE that is interested in another hat but does not provide enough detailed or clear information to distinguish the hat) may cause UE A to provide a response unnecessarily, which may waste the power of UE A. Therefore, unnecessary responses will waste the requester's power.

[0141] Figure 5 A flow chart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. The method may be performed by a first device (eg, UE).

[0142] In S1 , the method comprises determining, at a first device, location information associated with an object of interest.

[0143] In S2, the method comprises providing, from the first device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication, wherein the discovery message comprises a location.

[0144] The method may include receiving a discovery response message from the second device in response to the discovery message.

[0145] Figure 6A flow chart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. The method may be performed at a second device (eg, a UE).

[0146] In T1 , the method includes receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest.

[0147] At T2, the method includes determining, based on the location information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0148] At T3, the method includes, in response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest, transmitting a discovery response message from the second device to the first device.

[0149] The location information may be location information IE. The location information may include at least one of: an indication of the location of the first device, a distance between the first device and an object, or an orientation of the first device. The method may include, at the first device, determining the location information based on the location of the first device. The location information may indicate a location of an object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from the location of the first device.

[0150] Based on the location information, determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest may include means for determining that the second device is in an area indicated by the location information. The area may be based on the location information and a distance (or radius) threshold.

[0151] For the location information, it can include two parts: the reference system and the coordinates in the system. The reference system can be the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) or a local system. For example, if A and B are both in a train or subway, they can use the local system in the train or subway, which means that the local reference system moves with the train or subway. Then, the movement of the train or subway will not affect the position of UE A or UE B. Because A and B are in line of sight, they can use the same reference system.

[0152] The method may include determining the distance between the first device and the second device using the time-of-flight sensor. For example, because UE A is in a close line of sight of UE B, UE B may perform distance measurements by, for example, time of flight (ToF), which calculates the distance of the current object from the source based on measuring the time it takes for a wave to travel from a source (time-of-flight sensor) to the object and back.

[0153] Figure 7 A UE 700 is shown including a time-of-flight sensor 704 as part of a camera 702 of the UE 700 .

[0154] The first device may perform a Model B discovery process. The discovery process may be an open discovery process. That is, the discovery message may include an open discovery message, and the discovery response message may include an open discovery response message.

[0155] The device-to-device communication may be a sidelink communication. The discovery process may be a ProSe PC5 discovery process. The discovery message may include at least one of the following: a discovery request, a sidelink discovery request or a proximity service ProSe, a PC5 discovery request for restricted 5G ProSe direct discovery solicitation.

[0156] The discovery message may also include an indication of the object of interest.The method may include determining, at the second device, that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the indication of the object of interest and the location information.

[0157] The indication of the object of interest may include metadata related to, for example, the appearance of the object, such as color, outline, size, etc. The indication may include a classification code associated with the object, also referred to as an application ID, such as a ProSe application code. The application code may be based on the classification of the object.

[0158] The method may include receiving, at the second device, information related to the object of interest (eg, application ID and / or metadata) from the network, and further determining, based on the received information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0159] Location information may be the primary factor for indicating the UE associated with an object. Indications of the object (such as application ID and metadata) may be secondary. In other embodiments, both location information and indications of the object may be used.

[0160] In an example embodiment where the discovery message includes location information but does not include an indication of an object of interest, a connection may be established between the first device and the second device after the discovery process. Further communications (including indications of objects of interest or requests for information) may follow.

[0161] The second device may determine whether the direct discovery request from the first device is intended for the second device based on the location information and optionally also based on the indication of the object. In an example embodiment, if the location information and the indication of the object match the second device's own information, the second device may establish a direct communication link with the first device (e.g., by providing at least one of the following from the second device to the first device: a discovery response, a sidelink discovery response, or a proximity service ProSe, PC5 discovery response). Otherwise, the request may be ignored.

[0162] The method may include providing additional information associated with the object of interest from the second device to the first device. The additional information may be provided after the provision of the discovery response message, i.e., after the communication link between the first device and the second device has been established, or if the discovery request includes an indication of the object of interest, the additional information may be included in the discovery response message. The additional information may be referred to as AR information. The AR information may include at least one of the following: information associated with the object of interest, information associated with merchant X, or information about where to find the additional information.

[0163] In an example embodiment, the device is a discoverer UE (UE B in the use case described above). In this example embodiment, UE B adds the location information IE to the ProSe direct discovery message and supports the open discovery type in the model B discovery process, for example, as shown in Table 1 below, the ProSe direct discovery solicitation message is modified. Table 1

[0164] In the example shown in Table 1, the modifications include changing the presence of the ProSe query code from mandatory to optional, which means that the ProSe query code does not exist when the ProSe Direct Discovery PC5 message type is set to "Open Discovery"; adding a ProSe application code for commodity classification; adding location information about the discoverer UE and adding metadata to the message.

[0165] The method may define a new direct discovery message instead of modifying an existing direct discovery message, or use another name instead of using the ProSe application ID for commodity classification.

[0166] The method may reduce power consumption at both the first device and the second device by reducing unnecessary message exchanges and conserving resource usage and correspondingly reducing interference.

[0167] The method may include means for determining a transmission power based on the location information and providing the discovery message using the determined transmission power.The method may include determining a beam direction based on the location information.

[0168] In an example use case, UE B can tailor the discoverer's transmission power to reach UE A. UE B measures the distance to the object of interest and / or the orientation of the object of interest relative to UE B. The location information can be used to control power and possibly beamforming to reduce the likelihood that non-discoverer UEs receive undesired requests. Even if only UE A and UE B are present, UE B's power consumption can still be reduced because UE B only performs transmission and reception in the measured direction and distance.

[0169] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a scenario in which the method can be applied is shown. In the scenario, the first device is UE B, the second device is UE A, and the object of interest is a hat belonging to the owner of UE A. In addition to the hat of the owner of UE A, there are other hats near UE B. UE B is able to scan the hat of the owner of UE A and determine the distance to it.

[0170] When the owner of UE B sees a group of people (such as Figure 8 When the owner of UE A in FIG. 1 is attracted by the hat of the owner of UE A in FIG. 1 and likes the hat, the owner of UE B uses UE B to scan the hat (because there is a distance between UE B and the hat, UE B may not be able to clearly scan the hat, which means that auxiliary information such as color, size, etc. may not be very accurate) and measures the distance to the hat of UE B. When UE B performs scanning (e.g., using an accelerometer, gyroscope, and gravity sensor located in UE B), UE B may know its orientation.

[0171] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 8 . At 901, the owner of UE A purchases a hat from merchant X, and at 902 conducts a transaction with the merchant to share information related to the hat (AR information) with interested parties. At 903, merchant X registers UE A in its database and requires the network to grant UE A authorization to share information about a specific object (hat). At 904, the network configures a specific application ID based on the classification code of the hat to authorize UE A to share information about such an item. The classification code may be a commodity classification code commonly used in a country or region. At 905, UE A receives a discovery request including location information and an indication of the hat (e.g., commodity classification and metadata in the application ID) from UE B, and may request the discovery request based on the reference information. Figures 5 to 7 Describe and Fig.10 At 906, UE A shares the AR information with UE B and increases the sharing count. At 907, merchant X pays UE A according to the sharing number of UE A.

[0172] Fig.10 A signaling flow between UE A, UE B and UE C according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0173] As reference Figure 8 As described, at 1001 UE B scans an object of an owner of UE A and measures the location of UE A (eg, the distance between UE A and UE B and the orientation of UE B).

[0174] At 1002, using the distance and the orientation of UE B, UE B can determine the location of UE A relative to UE B. Combined with UE B's own location (location services are currently turned on for most UEs), UE B can determine the true location of UE A. UE B includes UE A's location information, the classification code of the hat in the application ID, and the "hat" information in the metadata in the direct discovery request, and sends the direct discovery request.

[0175] At 1003, UE A receives the request and checks the location with its own location and the "hat" information, and at 1004, if both match, UE A sends back a discovery response. UE C also receives the request, but because the location information does not match the location of UE C, UE C does not provide a discovery response. Because UE B will not receive a response from UE C, power consumption of both UE C and UE B' is saved.

[0176] After UE A and UE B discover each other, a sidelink connection can be established. Fig. 9 As shown in , UE A shares the AR information of the hat to UE B. UE A counts the number of shares and notifies merchant X. Merchant X will pay the owner of UE A based on the number of shares.

[0177] In an alternative embodiment, a "location" element may be included in the Model A discovery procedure. In this alternative embodiment, where location information is associated with the first device, the location information may be about the location of the announcing UE (the UE that sent "I'm here") to tell the monitoring UE where the announcing UE is. For example, a ride-hailing service may use location information to tell a passenger its exact location.

[0178] This method can be used in situations other than micro-advertising, and can be used in any side link situation where a link with a specific device is required. For example, on the road, you find that some other cars near you have some problems, such as the trunk lid is open, then you can use the present invention to directly link to this car instead of other cars to tell the car about the problem.

[0179] An apparatus may include means for determining, at a first device, location information associated with an object of interest and providing, from the first device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication, wherein the discovery message includes the location information.

[0180] Alternatively, an apparatus may include a component for receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; a component for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the location information; and a component for providing a discovery response message from the second device to the first device in response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

[0181] The apparatus may comprise a user equipment, such as a mobile phone, or a chipset for performing at least some actions of / for the user equipment.

[0182] It should be understood that the apparatus may include or be coupled to other units or modules, etc., such as a radio component or a radio head, which are used in or for transmitting and / or receiving. Although the apparatus has been described as one entity, the different modules and memories may be implemented in one or more physical or logical entities.

[0183] Note that while some embodiments have been described with respect to 5G networks, similar principles may be applied with respect to other networks and communication systems. Thus, while specific embodiments are described above by way of example with reference to specific example architectures for wireless networks, technologies, and standards, the embodiments may be applied to any other suitable form of communication system in addition to the communication system shown and described herein.

[0184] It is also noted herein that while the above describes example embodiments, there are several variations and modifications that could be made to the disclosed solution without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0185] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is combined by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0186] In general, various embodiments may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representation, it is well understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0187] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one, more, or all of the following: (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry) and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(s) that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions) and (c) Hardware circuits and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portions of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when the software is not required.

[0188] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device, if applicable to the particular claim element.

[0189] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of a mobile device, such as implemented in a processor entity, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Computer software or programs (also referred to as program products, including software routines, applets and / or macros) may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium, and the computer software or program includes program instructions for performing specific tasks. A computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to implement an embodiment when the program is running. One or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or a portion thereof.

[0190] In addition, in this respect, it should be noted that any block of the logic flow as in the accompanying drawings can represent a program step, or interconnected logic circuits, blocks and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, blocks and functions. Software can be stored in physical media such as memory chips or memory blocks implemented in processors, magnetic media such as hard disks or floppy disks, and optical media such as DVDs and data variants thereof CDs. Physical media is non-transient media. As used herein, the term "non-transient" is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than signal), rather than a limitation of data storage persistence (e.g., RAM to ROM).

[0191] The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. As non-limiting examples, the data processor may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an FPGA, a gate-level circuit, and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

[0192] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available to convert logic level designs into semiconductor circuit designs that are ready to be etched and formed on a semiconductor substrate.

[0193] The scope of protection sought by various embodiments of the present disclosure is set out by the independent claims. Embodiments and features described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims, if any, should be interpreted as examples that help understand the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0194] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure by way of non-limiting examples. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the foregoing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. However, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of the present disclosure will still fall within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. In fact, there is another embodiment comprising a combination of one or more embodiments with any other embodiment previously discussed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising components for: determining, at the first device, location information associated with the object of interest; and A discovery message for device-to-device communication is provided from the first device, wherein the discovery message includes the location information. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the location information indicates a location of the object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the location information comprises at least one of: an indication of the location of the first device, a distance between the first device and the object, or an orientation of the first device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, comprising a time-of-flight sensor and means for determining the distance using the time-of-flight sensor.

5. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the discovery message comprises an open discovery message.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising means for determining a transmission power based on the location information and providing the discovery message using the determined transmission power.

7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first device is performing a Model B discovery process.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the discovery message comprises at least one of the following: a discovery request, a sidelink discovery request, or a proximity service (ProSe), or a PC5 discovery request.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: Means for receiving a discovery response message from the second device in response to the discovery message.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising means for receiving, at the first device, from the second device, information associated with the object of interest.

11. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the discovery message further comprises an indication of the object of interest.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the indication of the object of interest comprises at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

13. An apparatus comprising components for: receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; Based on the location information, determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest; as well as In response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest, a discovery response message is provided from the second device to the first device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the location information indicates a location of the object of interest, wherein the location of the object of interest is different from a location of the first device.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein means for determining, based on the position information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest comprises means for determining that the second device is in an area indicated by the position information. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the area is based on the location information and a distance threshold.

17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the location information comprises at least one of: an indication of the location of the first device, a distance between the first device and the object, or an orientation of the first device.

18. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the discovery response message comprises an open discovery message.

19. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the first device is performing a Model B discovery process.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the discovery response message comprises at least one of the following: a discovery response, a sidelink discovery response, or a proximity service (ProSe), or a PC5 discovery response.

21. An apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 20, comprising means for providing information associated with the object of interest from the second device to the first device.

22. An apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 21, wherein the discovery message further comprises an indication of the object of interest, and comprises means for determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest based on the indication of the object of interest.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the indication of the object of interest comprises at least one of: metadata associated with the object or a classification code associated with the object.

24. The device according to any one of claims 22 to 23, comprising: Means for receiving information related to the object of interest from a network and determining, further based on the received information, that the second device is associated with the object of interest.

25. A method comprising: determining, at the first device, location information associated with the object of interest; as well as A discovery message for device-to-device communication is provided from the first device, wherein the discovery message includes the location information.

26. A method comprising: receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; Based on the location information, determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest; as well as In response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest, a discovery response message is provided from the second device to the first device.

27. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determining, at the first device, location information associated with the object of interest; and A discovery message for device-to-device communication is provided from the first device, wherein the discovery message includes the location information.

28. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; Based on the location information, determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest; as well as In response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest, a discovery response message is provided from the second device to the first device.

29. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: determining, at the first device, location information associated with the object of interest; and A discovery message for device-to-device communication is provided from the first device, wherein the discovery message includes the location information.

30. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following: receiving, at a second device, a discovery message for device-to-device communication from a first device, wherein the discovery message includes location information associated with an object of interest; Based on the location information, determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest; as well as In response to determining that the second device is associated with the object of interest, a discovery response message is provided from the second device to the first device.

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