Scheduling and beam management for wireless transmissions with communication payloads based on sensing requirements

Abstract

A system (1) for sensing one or more objects (21-23) is configured to: obtain a sensing requirement for sensing one or more objects; scheduling frequency and time resources for transmitting a wireless communication signal to a particular further system (11-13) and / or determining beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting the wireless communication signal to the particular further system (11-13) based on the sensing requirements, the wireless communication signal comprising communication payload data; transmitting a wireless communication signal on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via a beam having the determined beam characteristics to a further system; and obtaining the received signal while transmitting the wireless communication signal. The received signal includes a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal and reflects an effect of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal. The system is further configured to determine or enable determination of one or more physical properties of each of the objects based on the characteristics of the received signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of received signals.

[0002] The invention also relates to a method of sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of received signals.

[0003] The invention also relates to a computer program product enabling a computer system to perform such a method. Background Art

[0004] Joint Communication and Sensing (JCAS) is considered to be one of the important 6G candidate technologies, in which the same system / network is used to perform both communication tasks and sensing tasks. For example, a base station can be used as a JCAS node, and the base station can communicate with a conventional mobile terminal (i.e., UE (User Equipment)) while being used to sense / detect one or more objects, such as a flying drone. The JCAS node transmits a radio signal, which is reflected by a nearby object, and the reflected signal is received by a receiver and can be further used to detect the position, motion, shape and / or other characteristics of the object. The JCAS node can also be a UE that transmits a radio signal.

[0005] A survey of different techniques for implementing JCAS is provided by JAZhang et al. in the paper “Enabling Joint Communication and Radar Sensing in Mobile Networks—A Survey”, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 306-345, Q1 2022. Regarding the design of radio signals, in general, the following options exist:

[0006] 1. Dedicated sensing signals are used for sensing purposes, multiplexed with other sensing and / or communication signals in the time, frequency and / or space domain. The advantage of this option is that the waveform is optimized for the purpose of sensing, which ultimately leads to higher sensing performance. The disadvantage of this option is relatively low resource (time, frequency and power) efficiency.

[0007] 2. The requirements for communication and sensing are jointly considered, and the same (new) radio signal (waveform) is designed for both communication purposes and sensing purposes. The advantage of this option is relatively high resource efficiency, as no resources need to be dedicated to dedicated sensing signals. The disadvantage of this option is that the performance of communication and sensing is compromised, as the requirements for communication and sensing are significantly different.

[0008] 3. Conventional communication radio signals (waveforms) designed for communication purposes are additionally used for sensing purposes. The advantages of this option are: communication performance is guaranteed; no new waveforms need to be designed for sensing purposes. Since existing communication systems (such as 5G and Wi-Fi) can be used, existing hardware / devices can be used (possibly with software updates). The disadvantage of this option is relatively low sensing performance, since the communication signals are not designed / optimized for sensing purposes. In this option, common reference signals and / or signals with communication payload can be used for sensing purposes.

[0009] While options 2 and 3 have the advantage that they achieve relatively high resource efficiency since no resources need to be reserved for dedicated sensing signals, a disadvantage of conventional implementations of these two options is that sensing performance suffers to a relatively high degree. Summary of the invention

[0010] A first object of the present invention is to provide a system capable of sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of received signals while achieving high sensing performance.

[0011] A second object of the present invention is to provide a method which can be used to sense one or more objects based on characteristics of received signals while achieving high sensing performance.

[0012] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system for sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of a received signal comprises at least one receiver, at least one transmitter, and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: obtain sensing requirements for sensing the one or more objects; based on the sensing requirements, schedule frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system and / or determine beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system, wherein the wireless communication signal comprises communication payload data; transmit the wireless communication signal to the other system via the at least one transmitter on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via the beam having the determined beam characteristics; when transmitting the wireless communication signal, obtain a received signal via the at least one receiver, wherein the received signal comprises a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal, wherein the received signal reflects the influence of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal; and determine or enable determination of one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal.

[0013] By scheduling frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals and / or determining beam characteristics of beams used to transmit wireless communication signals based on sensing requirements, higher sensing performance can be achieved. By scheduling transmissions and / or determining beam characteristics in a manner different from conventional manners, this higher sensing performance can be achieved with no impact or relatively small impact on communication performance. The reason for using wireless communication signals including communication payload data is that most wireless communication signals in cellular networks are data payloads and, therefore, this has a great benefit to sensing performance.

[0014] The sensing requirements may, for example, specify one or more of the following: one or more target areas, one or more target directions, one or more target objects, target object speed, target object size, and sensing accuracy. For example, the sensing accuracy may include target range resolution. The transmission may use a waveform that has been designed for both communication and sensing, or a waveform that has not been designed for sensing but is only used for communication. The latter has the advantage that existing communication technologies, such as LTE and / or 5G, can continue to be used.

[0015] For example, the system may be a base station, and the specific other system may be a UE, or vice versa. The system may include one node or multiple nodes. For example, a node may be a UE or a base station. The received signal may be received by a node different from the node transmitting the wireless communication signal. The physical properties of one or more objects may include, for example, one or more of shape, motion, speed, distance, orientation, pitch angle, and yaw angle. Beam characteristics may include, for example, beam width, beam direction, and / or transmission power. Scheduling may be performed before, after, or while determining the beam characteristics.

[0016] The sensing requirement may specify a target object speed, and the at least one processor may be configured to determine a periodicity of the frequency and time resources based on the target object speed. Typically, a shorter periodicity makes it possible to more accurately detect objects with higher speeds. The appropriate periodicity of the frequency and time resources may be calculated based on the maximum object speed that needs to be detected.

[0017] The sensing requirement may specify a target object size, and at least one processor may be configured to determine an operating frequency for the frequency and time resources based on the target object size. The radar cross section of an object varies as a function of the object size relative to the wavelength of the sensing signal. By determining an operating frequency that is appropriate for the size of the object to be detected, the detectability of the object may be improved. For example, an operating frequency for detecting humans and an operating frequency for detecting aircraft may be different. If the target object is not spherical, then the target azimuth may be additionally considered.

[0018] The at least one processor may be configured to schedule the frequency and time resources and / or determine the beam characteristics further based on communication requirements. This may be used to ensure that communication requirements continue to be met and that communication performance is not sacrificed too much. The beam characteristics may be determined such that the beam is not optimized for communication, but rather that the communication payload is received by another system with sufficient communication performance and also covers the location of a target object or target area (or a portion of a target area), or also covers a target direction (or a portion of a target direction).

[0019] The at least one processor may be configured to select a candidate beam from a plurality of candidate beams based on the communication requirement and the sensing requirement, and determine the beam characteristic of one of the beams by selecting the beam characteristic of the selected candidate beam. A plurality of candidate beams may be determined based on PMI feedback from another system. The at least one processor of the system may be configured to select a beam from the candidate beams, with which a good trade-off can be made between communication performance and sensing performance.

[0020] The at least one processor may be configured to determine a beam width of each of the beams based on the sensing requirement.By using wider beams than conventionally used beams, the beams may cover target objects, target directions, or target areas to the left or right and / or above or below the additional system.

[0021] The at least one processor may be configured to determine a beam direction for each of the beams based on the sensing requirement.By using a beam direction different from conventionally used beam directions, the beam may cover a target object, target direction, or target area to the left or right and / or above or below an additional system.

[0022] The at least one processor may be configured to determine a transmit power for each of the beams based on the sensing requirement. By using a transmit power greater than conventionally used, the range of the beam may be extended. The transmit power may also depend on available resources (e.g., a power budget) at the base station.

[0023] The at least one processor may be configured to determine a first lobe of at least one of the beams based on a communication requirement, and to determine a second lobe of the at least one of the beams based on the sensing requirement. This may help to use transmit power efficiently. For example, the first lobe may be a main lobe and the second lobe may be a side lobe, or vice versa. Alternatively, for example, the first and second lobes may be identical lobes.

[0024] The at least one processor may be configured to jointly determine beam characteristics of at least two of the beams based on the sensing requirement. For example, the beam characteristics of the first beam and the beam characteristics of the second beam may be determined such that the first beam covers a first portion of the target area and the second beam covers a second portion of the target area.

[0025] The at least one processor may be configured to jointly determine a plurality of beam characteristics per beam of at least one of the beams based on the sensing requirement. This may be used to increase sensing performance.

[0026] The at least one processor may be configured to select a frequency bandwidth based on the sensing requirement and / or select continuous frequency resources or discontinuous frequency resources depending on the sensing requirement.Sensing performance may be improved by increasing the frequency bandwidth and / or spectrum span (by using discontinuous frequency resources).

[0027] The sensing requirement may specify a target range resolution, and the at least one processor may be configured to: if the target range resolution does not exceed a threshold, select a first frequency bandwidth and / or a continuous frequency resource, and if the target range resolution exceeds the threshold, select a second frequency bandwidth and / or a discontinuous frequency resource, the first frequency bandwidth being smaller than the second frequency bandwidth, and the continuous frequency resource occupying a smaller spectrum span than the discontinuous frequency resource.

[0028] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain information indicating a cell load, and further schedule frequency and time resources and / or determine beam characteristics based on the cell load. For example, the cell load may include a communication load and / or a sensing load. For example, the information may indicate the cell load by separately indicating at least two of the communication load, the sensing load, and the total cell load. The lower the communication load, the lower the chance of adjusting the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes, and the lower the need to adjust the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes instead of transmitting a dedicated sensing signal.

[0029] In the first example, if the communication load does not exceed the threshold, the frequency and time resources are not scheduled based on the sensing requirements, or the frequency and time resources are scheduled based on the sensing requirements to a lower degree than when the cell load is in the optimal range for adjusting the wireless communication signal. In the first example and / or the second example, if the communication load does not exceed the threshold / certain threshold, the beam characteristics are not determined based on the sensing requirements, or are determined based on the sensing requirements to a lower degree than when the cell load is in the optimal range for adjusting the wireless communication signal.

[0030] Furthermore, from a communication perspective, adjusting wireless communication signals may actually make them worse (degrade communication quality) and thereby result in an increase in communication load, which is undesirable if, for example, the total cell load (e.g., the sum of communication load and sensing load) is already very high.

[0031] In a third example, if the cell load exceeds a further threshold, for example, if the total cell load is very high, the frequency and time resources are not scheduled based on the sensing requirement, or are scheduled based on the sensing requirement to a lesser extent than when the cell load is in an optimal range for adjusting wireless communication signals. In this third example and / or the fourth example, if the cell load exceeds the threshold / further threshold, the beam characteristics are not determined based on the sensing requirement, or are determined based on the sensing requirement to a lesser extent than when the cell load is in an optimal range for adjusting wireless communication signals. If both the threshold and the further threshold are used, the further threshold is higher than the threshold.

[0032] If frequency and time resources are scheduled to a lesser extent based on sensing requirements, wireless communication signals are adjusted less significantly for sensing purposes and remain closer to optimal values ​​from a communication perspective. If beam characteristics are determined to a lesser extent based on sensing requirements, wireless communication signals are adjusted less significantly for sensing purposes and remain closer to optimal values ​​from a communication perspective.

[0033] The at least one processor may be configured to: transmit via the at least one transmitter an additional wireless signal, the additional wireless signal comprising a dedicated sensing signal; while transmitting the additional wireless signal, obtain via the at least one receiver an additional received signal, the additional received signal comprising a received version of the transmitted additional wireless signal, the additional received signal reflecting the influence of the one or more objects on the transmitted additional wireless signal; and further based on the characteristics of the additional received signal, determine or enable determination of the one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects. This may even be used to increase sensing performance without affecting communication performance, especially in low communication traffic load conditions.

[0034] The at least one processor may be configured to transmit the further wireless signal in a time-frequency resource, the time-frequency resource being, for example, a time period in which wireless communication signals have not yet been scheduled to be transmitted to a specific further system or to other systems. However, it is not required that the dedicated sensing signal use idle time-frequency resources, but time-frequency resources may also be reused in a spatially multiplexed manner, for example, when the communication signal is beamformed in one direction, the dedicated sensing signal may potentially be transmitted in different directions using the same time-frequency resource. Thus, such simultaneous same-resource transmissions do require shared transmission power. Therefore, in particular, the transmission power of existing communication signals is reduced.

[0035] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain information indicative of a cell load and to transmit the further wireless signal depending on the cell load. For example, the cell load may include a communication load and / or a sensing load. In an example, if the communication load exceeds a threshold, the further wireless signal is not transmitted. The higher the communication load, the higher the need to adjust the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes instead of transmitting a dedicated sensing signal (and the higher the chance of adjusting the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes).

[0036] In a second aspect of the present invention, a data processing system for determining one or more physical properties of each of one or more objects includes at least one processor, and the at least one processor is configured to: receive sensing data from the system as described above, the sensing data including characteristics of the received signal obtained by the system; and determine the one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal.

[0037] In a third aspect of the invention, a telecommunication network comprises said system and said data processing system.

[0038] In a fourth aspect of the invention, a method for sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of a received signal comprises: obtaining a sensing requirement for sensing the one or more objects; scheduling frequency and time resources for transmitting a wireless communication signal to a specific other system and / or determining beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting a wireless communication signal to a specific other system based on the sensing requirement, the wireless communication signal comprising communication payload data; transmitting the wireless communication signal to the other system on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via the beam having the determined beam characteristics. When transmitting the wireless communication signal, the method further comprises: obtaining a received signal, the received signal comprising a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal, the received signal reflecting the influence of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal influenced by the one or more objects; and determining or enabling determination of one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal. The method may be performed by software running on a programmable device. The software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0039] In addition, a computer program for executing the method described herein and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program are provided. For example, the computer program can be downloaded from an existing device or uploaded to an existing device, or stored when manufacturing these systems.

[0040] A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores at least a first software code portion that, when executed or processed by a computer, is configured to perform executable operations for sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of a received signal.

[0041] Executable operations include: obtaining sensing requirements for sensing the one or more objects; based on the sensing requirements, scheduling frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system and / or determining beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system, the wireless communication signal including communication payload data; transmitting the wireless communication signal to the other system on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via the beam with the determined beam characteristics; when transmitting the wireless communication signal, obtaining a received signal, the received signal including a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal, the received signal reflecting the influence of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal influenced by the one or more objects; and determining or enabling determination of one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal.

[0042] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as devices, methods or computer program products. Therefore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or an embodiment of a combination of software and hardware aspects, which may generally be referred to herein as a "circuit", "module" or "system". The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as algorithms executed by a processor / microprocessor of a computer. In addition, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media, on which a computer-readable program code is embodied (e.g., stored).

[0043] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium capable of containing or storing a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0044] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal having computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such propagated signals may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0045] The program code embodied in the computer readable medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, cable, RF, etc. or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer program code for performing the operations of various aspects of the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including: object-oriented programming languages, such as Java (TM), Smalltalk, C++, etc.; and traditional process programming languages, such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or a connection to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider) can be made.

[0046] Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to the flowchart and / or block diagram of the method, device (system) and computer program product according to an embodiment of the present invention. It will be understood that each frame in the flowchart and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor (particularly a microprocessor or a central processing unit (CPU)) of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that instructions executed by the processor of a computer, other programmable data processing device or other device create components for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more frames of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0047] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which can guide a computer, other programmable data processing device or other apparatus to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0048] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing device or other apparatus to cause a series of operating steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable device or other apparatus, thereby producing a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0049] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate possible implementations of the apparatus, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present invention, the architecture, functionality and operation. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a code portion, segment or module, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified (one or more) logical functions.

[0050] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions annotated in the blocks may not appear in the order annotated in the figure. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block in the block diagram and / or flow chart and combinations of blocks in the block diagram and / or flow chart may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified functions or actions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent by way of example and will be further elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0052] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of the method;

[0053] Figure 2 It is shown that in a second embodiment of the method a wider spectrum span or a wider bandwidth is used;

[0054] Figure 3 The use of beam adjustment based on sensing requirements in a third embodiment of the method is shown;

[0055] Figure 4 The use of multiple beams to sense an object in a fourth embodiment of a method is shown;

[0056] Figure 5 The relationship between the radar cross section of a spherical object and the object size is shown;

[0057] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the system;

[0058] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the system;

[0059] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of a system;

[0060] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of a system; and

[0061] Fig.10 is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for executing the method of the present invention.

[0062] Corresponding elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a method for sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of a received signal is shown in . Step 101 includes obtaining sensing requirements for sensing one or more objects. The sensing requirements may specify one or more of the following items: one or more target areas, one or more target directions, one or more target objects, target object speed, target object size, and sensing accuracy. Optional step 103 includes obtaining communication requirements. Steps 101 and 103 may be performed during an information collection phase. Other information may also be collected during this information collection phase, such as (usually) CSI feedback of the UE and the amount of available resources (e.g., power, spectrum). For example, information indicating a cell load may be collected during the information collection phase. For example, a cell load may include a communication load and / or a sensing load.

[0064] Next, radio resource management is performed in step 105. Step 105 includes scheduling frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific additional system and / or determining beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific additional system based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101. The wireless communication signal includes communication payload data. If the communication requirements have been obtained in step 103, the frequency and time resources are scheduled and / or the beam characteristics are determined based on both the sensing requirements obtained in step 101 and the communication requirements obtained in step 103.

[0065] In other words, the communication payload beam is fine-tuned (e.g., in terms of scheduling, power allocation, and beam shaping) to provide higher sensing performance with an acceptable level of sacrifice in terms of reduced communication performance and resource usage / efficiency. If information indicating cell load has been collected during the information collection phase, frequency and time resources may be further scheduled based on the cell load in step 105, and / or beam characteristics may be further determined based on the cell load in step 105.

[0066] For example, the cell load may include a communication load and / or a sensing load. For example, the information may indicate the cell load by separately indicating at least two of the communication load, the sensing load, and the total cell load. The lower the communication load, the lower the chance of adjusting the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes, and the lower the need to adjust the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes instead of transmitting a dedicated sensing signal.

[0067] In the first example, if the communication load does not exceed the threshold, the frequency and time resources are not scheduled based on the sensing requirements, or the frequency and time resources are scheduled based on the sensing requirements to a lower degree than when the cell load is in the optimal range for adjusting the wireless communication signal. In the first example and / or the second example, if the communication load does not exceed the threshold / certain threshold, the beam characteristics are not determined based on the sensing requirements, or are determined based on the sensing requirements to a lower degree than when the cell load is in the optimal range for adjusting the wireless communication signal.

[0068] Furthermore, from a communication perspective, adjusting wireless communication signals may actually make them worse (degrade communication quality) and thereby result in an increase in communication load, which is undesirable if, for example, the total cell load (e.g., the sum of communication load and sensing load) is already very high.

[0069] In a third example, if the cell load exceeds a further threshold, for example, if the total cell load is very high, the frequency and time resources are not scheduled based on the sensing requirement, or are scheduled based on the sensing requirement to a lesser extent than when the cell load is in an optimal range for adjusting wireless communication signals. In this third example and / or the fourth example, if the cell load exceeds the threshold / further threshold, the beam characteristics are not determined based on the sensing requirement, or are determined based on the sensing requirement to a lesser extent than when the cell load is in an optimal range for adjusting wireless communication signals. If both the threshold and the further threshold are used, the further threshold is higher than the threshold.

[0070] If frequency and time resources are scheduled to a lesser extent based on sensing requirements, wireless communication signals are adjusted less significantly for sensing purposes and remain closer to optimal values ​​from a communication perspective. If beam characteristics are determined to a lesser extent based on sensing requirements, wireless communication signals are adjusted less significantly for sensing purposes and remain closer to optimal values ​​from a communication perspective.

[0071] Step 107 includes transmitting wireless communication signals to another system on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via a beam having the determined beam characteristics. As mentioned above, in general, there are the following options regarding the design of radio signals:

[0072] 1. Dedicated sensing signals are used for sensing purposes and are multiplexed with other sensing and / or communication signals in time, frequency and / or space domains.

[0073] 2. The requirements of communication and sensing are jointly considered, and the same (new) radio signal (waveform) is designed for both communication and sensing purposes.

[0074] 3. Traditional communication radio signals (waveforms) designed for communication purposes are additionally used for sensing purposes.

[0075] The wireless communication signal transmitted in step 107 may be the signal mentioned in option 2 or the signal mentioned in option 3. Next, sensing is performed in steps 109 and 111. Step 109 includes obtaining a received signal. The received signal includes a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal. The received signal reflects the impact of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal.

[0076] Step 111 includes determining one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal obtained in step 109. For example, the physical properties of the one or more objects may include one or more of shape, motion, speed, distance, orientation, pitch angle, and yaw angle. Step 111 can be performed by the same one or more nodes as step 109, or by different nodes. In the latter case, the one or more nodes performing step 109 perform additional steps, which include enabling the different nodes to determine one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal obtained in step 109, for example by transmitting sensing data including the characteristics of the received signal obtained in step 109.

[0077] Step 113 is optionally performed after step 111. Optional step 113 includes evaluating the sensing performance achieved. If the target sensing and / or communication performance is not achieved, step 105 may be repeated and the method may be as follows. Figure 1 The result of the evaluation can then be taken into account in step 105 .

[0078] In an alternative embodiment of the method, step 105 is implemented in a specific manner. For example, in a second embodiment of the method, step 105 includes selecting a frequency bandwidth based on a sensing requirement and / or selecting a continuous frequency resource or a discontinuous frequency resource depending on the sensing requirement obtained in step 101. For example, the sensing requirement obtained in step 101 may specify a target range resolution, and step 105 may include: if the target range resolution does not exceed a threshold, selecting a first frequency bandwidth and / or a continuous frequency resource, and if the target range resolution exceeds the threshold, selecting a second frequency bandwidth and / or a discontinuous frequency resource. The first frequency bandwidth is smaller than the second frequency bandwidth, and the continuous frequency resource occupies a smaller frequency spectrum span than the discontinuous frequency resource.

[0079] This implementation can be used to improve range resolution, which is the ability to distinguish between two or more targets that are very close to each other. Mathematically, range resolution can be expressed as Where c is the speed of light and B is the (effective) pulse / signal bandwidth. By increasing the range resolution, the spatial resolution is increased. The combination of range resolution and angular resolution defines the spatial resolution of the system. Angular resolution is the minimum distance between two equally large targets at the same range that the radar can distinguish and separate from each other.

[0080] By using non-contiguous frequency resources, the spectrum span can be increased without (proportionately) increasing the bandwidth.At a given scheduling time (eg, TTI), the radio resource manager may intentionally widen the spectrum span of the communication payload beam, aiming for higher sensing performance. Figure 2 It is shown that using a wider spectrum span or a wider radio signal bandwidth will generally result in higher sensing performance.

[0081] In scenario 201, continuous frequency resources with bandwidth X and spectrum Y are used. In scenario 203, by using discontinuous frequency resources, the spectrum span is widened to 2*Y without widening the bandwidth. In scenario 205, the bandwidth is widened to 2*X, and thus, the used spectrum is also widened. Since continuous frequency resources are used in scenario 205, the spectrum span is 2*Y. Figure 2 In the example of , in scenario 203, the discontinuous frequency resources have uniform intervals therebetween. However, the intervals between the discontinuous frequency resources may also be non-uniform.

[0082] In the same embodiment or in an alternative embodiment, step 105 may comprise determining a beam width and / or a beam direction and / or a transmit power for each of the beams based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101. Figure 3 To explain. Figure 3 A base station 1 is shown serving three UEs 11-13. For delivery of communication payload, radio beams would conventionally be configured for communication purposes with certain QoS requirements, for example to maximize user throughput and / or minimize latency.

[0083] In conventional methods, sensing requirements are not considered when determining the time-frequency and power resources allocated to radio beams and beam characteristics (e.g., beam direction, width, and pattern). Beams 31-33 are configured / scheduled to only meet the communication needs of UEs 11-13, respectively. Beams 31-33 cannot be effectively used to sense objects 21-23 because beams 31-33 do not cover objects 21-23 with sufficiently strong signal strength, and objects 21-23 cannot be sensed or can only be sensed with unacceptable sensing accuracy.

[0084] Figure 3It is further shown how the normal communication beams 31-33 can be (re)configured for higher sensing performance:

[0085] Beam 31 is (re)configured to beam 41, which has a wider beam width, in order to sense object 21 (or any object near object 21) with higher sensing performance. The coverage distance of beam 31 is sacrificed, but under the condition that the communication performance with UE 11 is still above a threshold (e.g., GBR - guaranteed bit rate).

[0086] Beam 32 is (re)configured to beam 42 with higher power in order to sense object 22 (or any object in the vicinity of object 22) with higher sensing performance. Communication performance with UE 12 is not sacrificed

[0087] (or even improved), but the higher power allocation to beam 42 means that other simultaneously transmitting beams may see their transmit power reduced. In this case, local information (e.g., available power) at base station 1 can be used to estimate additional available power budget that can be used to make other simultaneously transmitting beams strong enough to achieve communication performance above the threshold.

[0088] • Beam 33 is reconfigured to beam 43, which has a different beam direction. The direction of beam 43 has been tuned so that object 23 can be sensed at the expense of reduced communication performance with UE 13 (but still above a threshold value (eg GBR)).

[0089] In the case of MU-MIMO communications, it is preferable to ensure that the above beam reconfiguration does not cause excessive interference to beams of other UEs in the cell sharing the same time-frequency resources. Information about spectrum usage from neighboring base stations can be used to facilitate inter-cell interference awareness and inter-cell interference cancellation.

[0090] exist Figure 3 In the example of , each of the reconfigured beams 41-43 differs from the normal beam in one beam characteristic. Alternatively, two or more beam characteristics (e.g., beam direction, width, power) may be jointly adjusted for higher sensing performance. In other words, step 105 may include jointly determining multiple beam characteristics per beam for at least one of the beams based on the sensing requirements.

[0091] For example, based on the PMI feedback from the UE, there may be multiple candidate beams for communication with a certain UE. The radio resource manager may select a beam from the candidate beams with which a good trade-off between communication performance and sensing performance can be made. In other words, step 105 may include selecting a candidate beam from the multiple candidate beams based on the communication requirements and the sensing requirements, and determining the beam characteristics of one of the beams by selecting the beam characteristics of the selected candidate beam.

[0092] Step 105 may also include determining a first lobe of at least one of the beams based on a communication requirement, and determining a second lobe of the at least one of the beams based on a sensing requirement. For example, the communication payload beam may be configured such that a main lobe of the beam is steered toward the UE, and a side lobe of the beam is steered toward the target object. In this case, information about the sensing direction may be more important than where the target object is exactly located.

[0093] Alternatively or additionally, step 105 may include jointly determining beam characteristics of at least two of the beams based on the sensing requirements. Using more than one beam may improve sensing accuracy, especially when performing initial object detection. For example, Figure 4 As shown in , three or more beams can be directed toward the object / target area to be sensed to determine its initial position.

[0094] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 1 , there is one object to be sensed: target object 21. Three base stations 1, 18 and 19 transmit beams 51, 52 and 53 towards UEs 11, 12 and 13, respectively, to detect target object 21. Beams 51, 52 and 53 have been jointly determined based on the sensing requirements (e.g., target area). Figure 4 In the example of , all beams are transmitted by the base station. Alternatively, one or more of the beams may be transmitted by one or more UEs (e.g., sidelink beams) instead of by one or more base stations.

[0095] After determining the initial location of the target object, it may not be necessary to use so many beams to track the detected object (e.g., by using ranging information from one base station).

[0096] In the same embodiment or in an alternative embodiment, the sensing requirement obtained in step 101 may specify a target object size, and step 105 may include determining an operating frequency of the frequency and time resources based on the target object size obtained in step 101. Figure 5 As shown in , the radar cross section (RCS) of an object varies as a function of the object size relative to the wavelength of the sensed signal. Figure 5 In the case of an infrared camera, the radar cross section is between 0 and 2 square meters.

[0097] By determining an operating frequency that is appropriate for the size of the object that needs to be detected, the detectability of the object can be improved. For example, the operating frequency for detecting humans and the operating frequency for detecting aircraft can be different. The sensing requirements may include a mission description and performance requirements. The mission description may indicate 'where' (e.g., in a well-defined area around Amsterdam), 'when' (e.g., between 2pm and 4pm today), and 'what' (e.g., a flying drone / surveying device [H (height), B (width), L (length)], where H MIN <H<H MAX , B MIN <B<B MAX , L MIN <L<L MAX ). For example, the performance requirements may specify that the target object is detected within x seconds of entering the area or initiating the sensing task, the probability of successful detection is > y, and / or the false alarm rate <z。

[0098] The specific values ​​of these parameters (related to the mission description and performance requirements) can be provided by an external application. Based on these parameter values, the system can determine the best operating frequency (among the frequencies it has access to). If the target object is not spherical, the target azimuth can be additionally considered when determining the operating frequency. Due to the multiple frequency carriers of the cellular communication system, the JCAS system has more flexibility in choosing the operating frequency than traditional radar systems.

[0099] The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at which a target can be detected depends on the RCS of the target. The SNR can be calculated using the following formula:

[0100]

[0101] in

[0102] σ (Dual Base) RCS k Boltzmann constant <![CDATA[T s ]]> Equivalent system temperature <![CDATA[B n ]]> (Noise) Bandwidth λ Central wavelength <![CDATA[P T ]]> Tx Power <![CDATA[G T ,G R ]]> Antenna gain <![CDATA[F T ,F R ]]> Form Factor <![CDATA[L T ,L R ]]> loss <![CDATA[R T ,R R ]]> distance

[0103] For a given set of parameters and a certain detection performance based on SNR, the range corresponding to a certain RCS can be calculated. The parameters can be adjusted to obtain a higher SNR and achieve a certain detection probability. In practice, there is a window of about 10 dB between no detection at all and a very high probability of detection. The above equation is a dual-base equation. Take T = R (i.e. G T =G R , F T =F R , L T =L R , R T =R R ), this equation yields the single-base case.

[0104] In the same embodiment or in an alternative embodiment, the sensing requirement obtained in step 101 may specify a target object velocity, and step 105 may include determining the periodicity of the frequency and time resources based on the target object velocity obtained in step 101. For example, the periodicity of the frequency and time resources may be determined based on the maximum unambiguous radial velocity (v r，max ) to determine the periodicity. By transmitting the signal every other period (thus alternating), a pulse is generated. For example, each period may correspond to a TTI, a time slot, a mini-slot, or a (e.g., OFDM) symbol. For example, depending on the maximum speed that can be detected, the signal may be transmitted every other TTI / OFDM symbol. The PRF may be calculated using the following formula:

[0105]

[0106] The maximum unambiguous range that can be detected (R max ) is also related to this factor and can be calculated using the following formula:

[0107]

[0108] For example, if the sensing requirements specify that a target with a maximum radial velocity of 200 km / h in the x-band (10 GHz) needs to be detected, it may be determined that a PRF of ~74K per second (74 kHz) is required. For a PRF of ~74 kHz, a pulse should be transmitted at least every 13.5 μs (approximately). In this case, for example, a signal / pulse may be transmitted every other mini-slot or every other symbol.

[0109] A PRF of ~74kHz corresponds to a maximum range of 2.2km. If a monotone signal is transmitted with this PRF, this resolution of 2.2km can be obtained for one target, since one target is detected per pulse. If ten targets need to be detected along the radial axis, the bandwidth of the pulse must also be increased, which can be achieved by adapting the time-frequency resources by the same factor and thus 9 times larger. However, because the bandwidth has been increased, the overall signal-to-noise ratio will decrease, and this decrease will need to be adjusted by increasing the transmit power or by increasing the transmit duration.

[0110] If it is not possible to use a PRF determined based on the maximum unambiguous radial velocity (because it would be too large), then to prevent the maximum unambiguous range from becoming smaller than required, the sensing may be repeated at different center frequencies. By combining the two measurements, the maximum unambiguous range may be increased.

[0111] In the same embodiment or in an alternative embodiment, step 105 may comprise delaying the transmission of the wireless communication signal to the specific further system so that the beam is transmitted only when (better) sensing is needed. This is suitable for delay tolerant communications. If (better) sensing is needed, the transmission of the communication payload may also be distributed over two or more separate transmissions, even when the communication payload can be transmitted in a single transmission.

[0112] Can be used in a standalone manner when necessary and possible Figure 1 In other words, the communication payload is transmitted purely opportunistically for sensing. In addition, when there is no communication payload to be transmitted but there is a sensing task, the gap caused by the lack of a beam with a communication payload to a specific other system (such as a UE) can be filled by using another wireless signal (such as a dedicated sensing signal). For example, Figure 1 The method may further comprise:

[0113] ● transmitting a further wireless signal, for example in a time-frequency resource in which transmission of wireless communication signals to a specific further system or to other systems has not been scheduled. The further wireless signal comprises a dedicated sensing signal;

[0114] ● obtaining a further received signal when transmitting the further wireless signal. The further received signal comprises a received version of the transmitted further wireless signal and reflects the effect of one or more objects on the transmitted further wireless signal; and

[0115] - Determining one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects further based on characteristics of the additional received signals.

[0116] Whether to transmit a dedicated sensing signal may depend on the cell load. For example, the cell load may include a communication load and / or a sensing load. In an example, if the communication load exceeds a threshold, no additional wireless signals are transmitted. The higher the communication load, the higher the need to adjust the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes instead of transmitting a dedicated sensing signal (and the higher the chance of adjusting the wireless communication signal for sensing purposes).

[0117] Figure 6 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of a system for sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of received signals. In this first embodiment, the system is a base station: base station 1. For example, base station 1 may be a 5G gNodeB base station. Base station 1 may include multiple distributed units that share a common centralized unit in a centralized RAN (C-RAN) architecture. Three UEs 11, 12, and 13 (e.g., 5G UEs) are connected to base station 1.

[0118] The base station 1 comprises a receiver 3, a transmitter 4, a processor 5 and a memory 7. The processor 5 is configured to obtain a sensing requirement for sensing one or more objects, and to schedule frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system (e.g., UE 11, 12, or 13) based on the sensing requirement and / or determine beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system (e.g., UE 11, 12, or 13). The wireless communication signal comprises communication payload data.

[0119] The processor 5 is also configured to transmit a wireless communication signal to another system (e.g., UE 11, 12, or 13) via the transmitter 4 on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via a beam with the determined beam characteristics, and obtain a received signal via the receiver 3 when transmitting the wireless communication signal. The received signal includes a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal and reflects the impact of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal. The processor 5 is also configured to determine one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal.

[0120] For example, in addition to conventional communication requirements, the radio resource manager of base station 1 may also consider sensing requirements (e.g., target area, target direction, target object, required sensing accuracy) in scheduling (considering the time-frequency and power resources allocated to the beam) and / or beam management (e.g., (re)configuration of beam direction, width and pattern).

[0121] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of a system. In the second embodiment, the system includes a UE. Figure 7 Three systems are shown: UE 61, 62 and 63. In an alternative embodiment, a single system includes three UEs. In this alternative embodiment, one of the three UEs or another node (e.g., base station 17) may receive characteristics of received signals from (other) UEs and determine one or more physical properties of each of one or more objects based on these characteristics. The other node may be part of the system.

[0122] exist Figure 7 In the embodiment of the present invention, each of the UEs 61, 62 and 63 includes a receiver 73, a transmitter 74, a processor 75 and a memory 77. The processor 75 is configured to obtain a sensing requirement for sensing one or more objects, and to schedule frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system (e.g., the base station 17 or one of the other UEs) based on the sensing requirement and / or determine the beam characteristics of the beam for transmitting the wireless communication signal to the specific other system (e.g., the base station 17 or one of the other UEs). The wireless communication signal includes communication payload data.

[0123] The processor 75 is also configured to transmit a wireless communication signal to another system (e.g., the base station 17 or one of the other UEs) via the transmitter 74 on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via a beam with the determined beam characteristics, and obtain a received signal via the receiver 73 when transmitting the wireless communication signal. The received signal includes a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal and reflects the impact of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal. The processor 75 is also configured to determine one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal.

[0124] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of a system. In the third embodiment, the system includes a base station 81 and at least one UE 91. Figure 8 In the example of , UEs 12 and 13 are not capable of performing sensing, but in alternative embodiments, the system may include one or more additional base stations and / or one or more additional UEs.

[0125] The base station 81 includes a receiver 3, a transmitter 4, a processor 85 and a memory 7. The UE 91 includes a receiver 73, a transmitter 74, a processor 95 and a memory 77. The processor 85 is configured to obtain a sensing requirement for sensing one or more objects, and to schedule frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system (e.g., UE 12 or 13) based on the sensing requirement and / or determine beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific other system (e.g., UE 12 or 13). The wireless communication signal includes communication payload data.

[0126] The processor 85 is also configured to transmit a wireless communication signal to another system (e.g., UE 12 or 13) via the transmitter 4 on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via a beam having the determined beam characteristics, and to obtain a received signal via the receiver 73 of the UE 91 when transmitting the wireless communication signal. The received signal includes a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal and reflects the impact of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal.

[0127] The processor 85 is further configured to receive, from the UE 91, characteristics of a signal received by the UE 91, and to determine, based on the characteristics, one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects.

[0128] exist Figure 8 In an embodiment, the base station 81 itself does not perform sensing, i.e., the physical properties of the object are not determined based on the characteristics of the signals directly received by the base station 81 itself. In an alternative embodiment, the base station 81 itself performs sensing. In this alternative embodiment, the processor 85 may communicate with Figure 6 The processor 5 of the base station 1 is configured in a similar manner. Figure 6 The base station 1 is different. Figure 8 The base station 81 receives characteristics of a signal received by the UE (UE91) from the UE, and further determines one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on these characteristics.

[0129] exist Figure 6 and Figure 8 In the embodiment shown in , base stations 1 and 81 include a processor. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of base stations 1 and 81 include multiple processors. For example, the processors of base stations 1 and 81 can be general-purpose processors (e.g., Intel or AMD processors) or special-purpose processors. For example, the processor can include multiple cores. For example, the processor can run a Unix-based operating system or a Windows operating system. For example, the memory 7 can include a solid-state memory (e.g., one or more solid-state disks (SSDs) made of flash memory) or one or more hard disks.

[0130] The receiver 3 and the transmitter 4 may communicate with the UEs 11-13 and UE 91 using one or more wireless communication technologies (such as Wi-Fi, LTE and / or 5G new air interface). For example, the receiver 3 and the transmitter 4 may communicate with other systems in the radio access network or in the core network using one or more communication technologies (wired or wireless). The receiver and the transmitter may be combined in a transceiver. The base station may include other components, in particular components in a mobile communication network, such as a power supply. For example, in Figure 6 and Figure 8 In the embodiments shown in , each of the base stations may include a single unit or a central unit and one or more distributed units.

[0131] exist Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the embodiment shown in , UE 61-63 and 91 include a processor 75 or 95. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of UE 61-63 and 91 include multiple processors. Processors 75 and 95 can be general-purpose processors (such as ARM or Qualcomm processors) or dedicated processors. For example, processors 75 and 95 can run Google Android or Apple iOS as operating systems.

[0132] The receiver 73 and transmitter 74 of UE 61-63 and 91 can communicate with the base station using one or more wireless communication technologies (such as Wi-Fi, LTE and / or 5G new air interface). The receiver 73 and transmitter 74 can be combined in a transceiver. UE 61-63 and 91 may include other components, such as a battery and / or a power connector, in particular a user device.

[0133] Those skilled in the art may also refer to UE as a mobile station (MS), a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a wireless terminal, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal (AT), a mobile terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a terminal, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0134] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of a system. Fig. 9 A cellular network is shown including a (cloud / distributed) radio access network ((C / D-)RAN) 221 and a core network (CN) 211. RAN 221 includes user equipment (UE) 223 and base stations (BS) 231. CN 211 includes different CN-specific functions, including a communication application function (C-AF) 214 and a sensing application function (S-AF) 213. The above-mentioned application functions (i.e., C-AF 214 and S-AF 213) are responsible for corresponding applications.

[0135] For example, the cellular network may be a 5G network, RAN 221 may be a 5G new radio RAN, and BS 231 may be a 5G gNodeB base station. For example, BS 231 may include multiple distributed units that share a common centralized unit in a centralized RAN (C-RAN) architecture.

[0136] Upon receiving a trigger for a sensing task from S-AF 213, BS 231 is given the sensing task. BS 231 then performs the sensing task by using different units / functions. Figure 1 In the method shown in , the different units / functions are: information collector 235, sensing data collector 234, sensing data processor 233 and radio resource manager 237. Fig. 9 In the embodiment of the present invention, the information collector 235 and the sensing data processor 233 reside inside the BS 231. In an alternative embodiment, these units / functions are implemented outside the BS 231, for example, in separate devices.

[0137] The information collector 235 is in the information collection phase (which includes Figure 1 Steps 101 and 103) collect information from relevant entities in the network. The collected information may include the following information:

[0138] From the S-AF 213: Sensing requirements may be collected from the S-AF 213, such as target area, target direction, target object, sensing performance requirements.

[0139] From C-AF 214: Communication requirements, such as QoS requirements, service type, are collected from C-AF 214. In addition, relative priorities between communication requirements and sensing requirements may also be specified (e.g., by a network operator). These relative priorities may be used to decide to what extent excess communication performance (i.e., exceeding the minimum requirements) is sacrificed in favor of sensing performance.

[0140] For example, the C-AF 214 may be able to specify a GBR threshold that specifies the minimum required throughput for a communication flow. In order to facilitate sensing / improve sensing performance, any excess throughput (above the GBR level) may be sacrificed. To this end, for each candidate beam adjustment (considered to facilitate the sensing task), the resulting gain, resulting SINR, and resulting user throughput may be estimated. Optionally, intra-cell / inter-cell interference impacts may also be included in the analysis. A compiled list of all such candidate beam adjustments along with their performance impacts may then be used as the basis for selecting the best beam for a particular sensing task that is acceptable from the perspective of the likely GBR requirements of the ongoing communication task.

[0141] Another example of a threshold that the C-AF 214 may be able to specify is a required latency (e.g., for URLLC applications). For each candidate beam adjustment (considered to facilitate the sensing task), the estimated SINR (see above) and the corresponding MCS may be used to estimate the time to transmit a certain amount of data. As described above, a compiled list of candidate beam adjustments and their latency impacts may be used as a basis for selecting a preferred beam adjustment, taking into account the relative priority between the communication and sensing tasks and the possible latency requirements of the communication task.

[0142] • From local information 236 : Information about the amount of available resources (eg, power, spectrum) at the BS 231 , relevant base station constraints (eg, beamforming flexibility of the antenna array), etc. may be stored and collected locally at the BS 231 .

[0143] · From UE 223: The information collector 235 may rely on information already available at BS 231, collected for different purposes. For example, channel state information (CSI) (including RSRP, CQI, PMI, RI reports) of UE 223 collected for UE mobility, for determining beamforming parameters and MCS, and / or for interference mitigation may be used. Information collection may be event triggered (e.g., handover) or periodic. If the required information is not available at BS 231, the information collector 235 may transmit a request for new information (e.g., CSI) to all UEs or a selected group of UEs. For example, in the latter case, the UE may be selected with respect to the UE location. For example, UEs (active and idle) located in a target sensing area may be selected.

[0144] From neighboring base stations ( Fig. 9 (not shown): Information about spectrum usage from neighboring base stations can be collected for interference perception and interference cancellation at the sensing BS 231. For example, knowing the power of signals transmitted from neighboring base stations at a given PRB / carrier is helpful for reducing interference at the sensing BS 231.

[0145] The interface between the S-AF 213 and the information collector 235 is preferably standardized. How to standardize the interface may depend on:

[0146] o How to collect information about sensing requirements. There are two main options for collecting this information from the S-AF 213,

[0147] They are:

[0148] 1. The S-AF 213 pushes information to the BS 231 via the information collector 235. For example, for a specific sensing task, the S-AF 213 forwards the requirement to the pre-assigned BS (e.g., BS 231) to perform sensing. If there is an update to the requirements of the ongoing sensing task, the update can be pushed to the assigned BS (e.g., BS 231). This is the preferred option;

[0149] 2. Information is pulled from S-AF 213 by information collector 235, e.g., BS 231 may proactively / periodically check for required updates.

[0150] o How the sensory measurements collected by the sensory data collector 234 are shared with the S-AF 213 (optionally via the information collector 235). There are two main options:

[0151] 1. The sensing data collector 234 shares raw data, for example, if BS 231 is a simple base station with insufficient processing power (e.g., without a dedicated sensing data processor 233), or when raw data from multiple base stations needs to be fused / combined or otherwise jointly processed. In this implementation, BS 231 enables S-AF 213 to determine one or more physical properties of one or more sensed objects. In this implementation, S-AF 213 is a data processing system that determines one or more physical properties of each of one or more objects based on characteristics of a received signal obtained by BS 231. For example, the sensing data processor 233 may be included in S-AF 213 instead of BS 231;

[0152] 2. For example, if BS231 has sufficient processing power (for example, when there is Fig. 9 ) or in the case of limited backhaul capacity, the sensing data collector 234 shares (semi-) processed data. In this implementation, the processor 233 of the BS 231 determines one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signals.

[0153] The interface between C-AF 214 and BS 231 may be 3GPP compliant (e.g., LTE, 5G). Considering 5G technology, assuming that a protocol data unit (PDU) session is already activated, a device-terminated (in other words: network-initiated) QoS flow establishment has the following steps: (i) C-AF 214 first submits a flow establishment request to Policy Control Function (PCF) 215; PCF 215 acts as a coordinator in the flow establishment, and (ii) checks the admissibility from the RAN perspective with BS 231 via Session Management Function (SMF) 216, and checks the admissibility from the core network perspective with User Plane Function (UPF) 217. As part of this process, BS 231 will page the target UE (e.g., one of UE 223) to establish a signaling connection, thereby facilitating the admissibility check. In the case of a device-initiated QoS flow establishment, the UE first establishes a signaling connection and then signals its QoS flow establishment request to the PCF 215, which again coordinates the process in the same way as it does for the case of establishing a device-terminated QoS flow.

[0154] Based on the collected information, the radio resource manager 237 performs the following operations by making scheduling and beam management decisions. Figure 1 BS 231 uses these decisions to perform Figure 1 Step 107. Next, the sensor data collector 234 executes Figure 1 Step 109, and then the sensor data processor 233 performs Figure 1 Step 111. Optionally, BS 231 performs Figure 1 Step 113.

[0155] Fig.10 Depicts a block diagram showing an executable reference Figure 1 An exemplary data processing system for the described methods.

[0156] like Fig.10 As shown in , data processing system 300 may include at least one processor 302 coupled to memory element 304 via system bus 306. In this way, data processing system can store program code in memory element 304. In addition, processor 302 can execute program code accessed from memory element 304 via system bus 306. In one aspect, data processing system can be implemented as a computer suitable for storing and / or executing program code. However, it should be appreciated that data processing system 300 can be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and a memory capable of performing the functions described in this specification.

[0157] Memory element 304 may include one or more physical memory devices, such as local memory 308 and one or more mass storage devices 310. Local memory may refer to random access memory or (one or more) other non-persistent memory devices that are typically used during the actual execution of program code. Mass storage devices may be implemented as hard drives or other persistent data storage devices. Processing system 300 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times program code must be retrieved from mass storage device 310 during execution.

[0158] Input / output (I / O) devices, depicted as input device 312 and output device 314, may optionally be coupled to the data processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, etc. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, a monitor or display, speakers, etc. Input and / or output devices may be coupled to the data processing system directly or through intervening I / O controllers.

[0159] In one embodiment, the input and output devices may be implemented as a combined input / output device (in Fig.10 314). An example of such a combined device is a touch-sensitive display, sometimes referred to as a "touch screen display" or simply a "touch screen." In such embodiments, input to the device can be provided by moving a physical object (such as a stylus or finger of a user) on or near the touch screen display.

[0160] A network adapter 316 may also be coupled to the data processing system to enable it to couple to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and / or remote storage devices through intervening private or public networks. The network adapter may include a data receiver for receiving data transmitted to the data processing system 300 by the system, device, and / or network, and a data transmitter for transmitting data from the data processing system 300 to the system, device, and / or network. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of different types of network adapters that may be used with the data processing system 300.

[0161] like Fig.10 As depicted in , memory element 304 may store application 318. In various embodiments, application 318 may be stored in local memory 308, one or more mass storage devices 310, or separate from local memory and mass storage devices. It should be appreciated that data processing system 300 may further execute an operating system ( Fig.10 318), which may facilitate the execution of application 318. Application 318, implemented in the form of executable program code, may be executed by data processing system 300, such as by processor 302. In response to executing the application, data processing system 300 may be configured to perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

[0162] Various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a program product for use with a computer system, wherein the program(s) of the program product define the functionality of the embodiments (including the methods described herein). In one embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various non-transitory computer-readable storage media, wherein, as used herein, the expression "non-transitory computer-readable storage media" includes all computer-readable media, with the sole exception of temporary propagation signals. In another embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various temporary computer-readable storage media. Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., a read-only memory device within a computer, such as a CD-ROM disk, a ROM chip, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory that can be read by a CD-ROM drive); and (ii) writable storage media on which variable information is stored (e.g., a flash memory, a floppy disk within a floppy disk drive, or a hard disk drive, or any type of solid-state random access semiconductor memory). The computer program may be run on the processor 302 described herein.

[0163] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be limitations of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a, an" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "include" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0164] The corresponding structures, materials, actions, and equivalents of all parts or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material, or action for performing a function in conjunction with other claimed elements specifically claimed. The description of the embodiments of the present invention is presented for illustrative purposes and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to implementations in the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. These embodiments have been selected and described to best explain the principles of the present invention and some practical applications, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present invention with respect to various embodiments suitable for the specific purposes contemplated and with various modifications.

Claims

1. A system (1, 61, 80) for sensing one or more objects (21-23) based on characteristics of received signals, the system (1, 61, 80) comprising: at least one receiver (3, 73); at least one transmitter (4, 74); as well as At least one processor (5, 75, 85, 95), the at least one processor (5, 75, 85, 95) being configured to: - obtaining sensing requirements for sensing said one or more objects (21-23), - based on the sensing requirement, scheduling frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific further system (11-13) and / or determining beam characteristics of a beam for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific further system (11-13), the wireless communication signals comprising communication payload data, - transmitting said wireless communication signal to said further system via said at least one transmitter (4, 74) on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via said beam having the determined beam characteristics, - when transmitting the wireless communication signal, obtaining a received signal via the at least one receiver (3, 73), the received signal comprising a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal (41-43, 51-53), the received signal reflecting the influence of the one or more objects (21-23) on the transmitted wireless communication signal (41-43, 51-53), and - determining or enabling determination of one or more physical properties of each of said one or more objects (21-23) based on said characteristics of said received signal.

2. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to obtain information indicative of a cell load and schedule the frequency and time resources further based on the cell load and / or determine the beam characteristics further based on the cell load.

3. The system (1, 61, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The sensing requirement specifies at least one of: one or more target areas, one or more target directions, one or more target objects (21-23), target object speed, target object size, and sensing accuracy.

4. The system (1, 61, 80) according to claim 3, wherein: The sensing requirement specifies a target object speed, and the at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to determine a periodicity of the frequency and time resources based on the target object speed.

5. The system (1, 61, 80) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The sensing requirement specifies a target object size, and the at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to determine an operating frequency of the frequency and time resources based on the target object size.

6. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to schedule the frequency and time resources and / or determine the beam characteristics further based on communication requirements.

7. The system (1, 61, 80) according to claim 6, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to select a candidate beam from a plurality of candidate beams based on the communication requirement and the sensing requirement, and to determine the beam characteristic of one of the beams by selecting the beam characteristic of the selected candidate beam.

8. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to determine a beam width and / or a beam direction of each of the beams based on the sensing requirements.

9. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to determine a transmit power for each of the beams based on the sensing requirement.

10. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to jointly determine beam characteristics of at least two of the beams based on the sensing requirement and / or to jointly determine multiple beam characteristics of each beam of at least one of the beams based on the sensing requirement.

11. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to determine a first lobe of at least one of the beams based on a communication requirement and to determine a second lobe of the at least one of the beams based on the sensing requirement.

12. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to select a frequency bandwidth based on the sensing requirement and / or to select contiguous frequency resources or non-contiguous frequency resources depending on the sensing requirement.

13. The system (1, 61, 80) according to claim 12, wherein: The sensing requirement specifies a target range resolution, and the at least one processor (5, 75, 85) is configured to: if the target range resolution does not exceed a threshold, select a first frequency bandwidth and / or a continuous frequency resource, and if the target range resolution exceeds the threshold, select a second frequency bandwidth and / or a discontinuous frequency resource, the first frequency bandwidth being smaller than the second frequency bandwidth, and the continuous frequency resource occupying a smaller spectrum span than the discontinuous frequency resource.

14. The system (1, 61, 80) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85, 95) is configured to: - transmitting via the at least one transmitter (4, 74) a further wireless signal, the further wireless signal comprising a dedicated sensing signal, - when transmitting the further wireless signal, obtaining via the at least one receiver (3, 73) a further received signal, the further received signal comprising a received version of the transmitted further wireless signal, the further received signal reflecting the influence of the one or more objects (21-23) on the transmitted further wireless signal, and - determining or enabling determination of said one or more physical properties of each of said one or more objects (21-23) further based on characteristics of said further received signals.

15. The system (1, 61, 80) according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one processor (5, 75, 85, 95) is configured to obtain information indicative of a cell load and to transmit the further radio signal dependent on the cell load.

16. A data processing system (213) for determining one or more physical properties of each of one or more objects (21-23), the data processing system comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: - receiving sensory data from a system (231) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, said sensory data comprising characteristics of said received signal obtained by said system (231), and - determining said one or more physical properties of each of said one or more objects (21-23) based on said characteristics of said received signal.

17. A telecommunication network comprising a system (231) according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and a data processing system (213) according to claim 16.

18. A method of sensing one or more objects based on characteristics of a received signal, the method comprising: - obtaining (101) sensing requirements for sensing the one or more objects and information indicative of a cell load; - based on the sensing requirement and the cell load, scheduling (105) frequency and time resources for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific further system and / or determining (105) beam characteristics of beams for transmitting wireless communication signals to a specific further system, the wireless communication signals comprising communication payload data; - transmitting (107) the wireless communication signal to the further system on the scheduled frequency and time resources and / or via the beam having the determined beam characteristics; - while transmitting the wireless communication signal, obtaining (109) a received signal, the received signal comprising a received version of the transmitted wireless communication signal, the received signal reflecting the effect of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless communication signal; as well as - determining (111) or enabling determination of one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal.

19. Computer program or computer program suite comprising at least one software code portion, or a computer program product storing at least one software code portion, which, when run on a computer system, is configured for performing the method according to claim 18.

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