Method, equipment and device for communication and computer readable medium

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method, a device, an apparatus, and a computer readable medium for communication to improve positioning accuracy by using a plurality of backscatter antenna units for a terminal device. In an example method, a terminal device receives a positioning signal from a network device of a set of network devices. The terminal device provides a backscatter signal to a set of network devices by backscattering a positioning signal using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on a profile of the terminal device. In this manner, by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on the profile of the terminal device, positioning accuracy may be improved, cost and power assumption may be reduced, and latency may also be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Example embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to methods, devices, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for communication. Background Art

[0002] The 5G system (5GS) has been designed to effectively support high data rate eMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband) services, as well as high-reliability and low-latency URLLC (Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication) services. In the 3GPP standard, extended reality (XR) services are considered to be a hybrid of both eMBB characteristics and URLLC characteristics with omnidirectional high data rates and high-reliability / low-latency requirements.

[0003] Intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) are used in traditional XR devices. IRSs are based on RF (Radio Frequency) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and consist of a large number of passive and / or active reflecting elements. The IRS-based positioning method is to install RF reflectors to generate distinct reflection paths from known positions to improve positioning accuracy. However, the IRS-based positioning method cannot help improve the measurement accuracy of the 3DoF (Degree of Freedom) rotation of tracking XR devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, and computer-readable media for communication to enhance the positioning accuracy of a terminal device (such as an XR device), for example, by using a backscatter antenna framework for the terminal device.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; and provide a backscatter signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on the profile of the terminal device.

[0006] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: receive a backscatter signal from a terminal device, the backscatter signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on the profile of the terminal device; determine a positioning measurement associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscatter signal; and send the positioning measurement to a positioning server.

[0007] In a third aspect, a positioning server is provided. The positioning server includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the positioning server to at least: receive a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of a terminal device arranged based on the profile of the terminal device; and determine the attitude of the terminal device based on the set of positioning measurements.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method implemented in a terminal device according to the first aspect is provided. The method includes: at the terminal device, receiving a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; and providing a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on the profile of the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a method implemented at a network device according to the second aspect is provided. The method includes: at the network device, receiving a backscattered signal from the terminal device, the backscattered signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on the profile of the terminal device; determining positioning measurements associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscattered signal; and sending the positioning measurements to a positioning server.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a method implemented at a positioning server according to the third aspect is provided. The method includes: at the positioning server, receiving a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of a terminal device arranged based on the profile of the terminal device; and determining the attitude of the terminal device based on the set of positioning measurements.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, an apparatus implemented in a terminal device according to the first aspect is provided. The apparatus includes: means for receiving a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; and means for providing a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on the profile of the terminal device.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, an apparatus implemented in a network device according to the second aspect is provided. The apparatus includes: means for receiving a backscattered signal from the terminal device, the backscattered signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on the profile of the terminal device; means for determining positioning measurements associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscattered signal; and means for sending the positioning measurements to a positioning server.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, there is provided an apparatus implemented in a third device according to the third aspect. The apparatus includes: means for receiving a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of a terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; and means for determining an attitude of the terminal device based on the set of positioning measurements.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on at least one processor, the at least one processor is caused to execute the method of any one of the fifth or seventh aspects.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; and provide a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on a profile of the terminal device.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive a backscattered signal from a terminal device, the backscattered signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; determine positioning measurements associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscattered signal; and send the positioning measurements to a positioning server.

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of a terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; and determine an attitude of the terminal device based on the set of positioning measurements.

[0018] In a fourteenth aspect, there is provided a terminal device according to the first aspect. The terminal device includes: receiving circuitry configured to receive a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; and providing circuitry configured to provide a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on a profile of the terminal device.

[0019] In a fifteenth aspect, there is provided a network device according to the second aspect. The network device includes: a receiving circuit system configured to receive a backscattered signal from a terminal device, the backscattered signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; a determining circuit system configured to determine positioning measurements associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscattered signal; and a transmitting circuit system configured to transmit the positioning measurements to a positioning server.

[0020] In a sixteenth aspect, there is provided a positioning server according to the third aspect. The positioning server includes: a receiving circuit system configured to receive a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of a terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; and a determining circuit system configured to determine an attitude of the terminal device based on the set of positioning measurements.

[0021] It should be understood that the summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1A An example of a network environment is illustrated in which some example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0024] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0025] Figure 2 A signaling diagram is illustrated which illustrates an example communication process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 3A A schematic diagram is illustrated which illustrates 3DoF according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3B A schematic diagram is illustrated which illustrates 6DoF according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4A A schematic diagram is illustrated which illustrates the three-point positioning theory according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 4B A schematic diagram is illustrated which illustrates a framework of a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 5Schematic diagram of a positioning system using a backscatter communication antenna scheme framework according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of signal detection at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of carrier phase evaluation at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 8 Flowchart of an example method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 9 Another flowchart of an example method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 10 Another flowchart of an example method implemented at a positioning server according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 11 Simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0037] Figure 12 Block diagram of an example of a computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] In all the figures, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Description

[0039] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and help those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0040] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0041] In this disclosure, references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "example embodiment", etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

[0042] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the example embodiment, a first element may be termed a second element and, similarly, a second element may be termed a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0043] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" as used herein also include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Further understood, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes", and / or "including" when used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0044] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0045] (a) A pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry), and

[0046] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

[0047] (i) A combination of (one or more) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and

[0048] (ii) Any portion of (one or more) hardware processors with software (including (one or more) digital signal processors), software, and (one or more) memories that work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or a server) to perform various functions, and

[0049] (c) One or more hardware circuits and / or one or more processors, such as one or more microprocessors or a part of one or more microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software can be absent when not needed.

[0050] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claims). As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations of only hardware circuits or processors (or multiple processors) or a part of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) attendant software and / or firmware. For example and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuitry" also encompasses a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0051] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that follows any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), NarrowBand Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), etc. In addition, the communication between a terminal device and a network device in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to the fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G), IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and / or any other protocol known currently or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Considering the rapid development of communication, of course, there will also be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody the present disclosure. It should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to the above systems.

[0052] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from the network. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, the network device can refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), remote radio unit (RRU), radio header (RH), remote radio head (RRH), WiFi device, relay, low-power node (such as femto, pico), etc. In the following description, the terms "network device", "AP device", "AP", and "access node" can be used interchangeably.

[0053] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), station (STA) or station device, or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, Internet Protocol voice (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEE), laptop in-vehicle devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, VR (virtual reality) devices, XR (extended reality) devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of an industrial and / or automation processing chain), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "station", "station device", "STA", "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment", and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0054] The term "location server" refers to a server capable of wireless communication and includes a computing unit and a storage unit for calculating a location value of a location object based on measurement information.

[0055] As described above, 5GS has been designed to effectively support high data rate eMBB services and URLLC services. In the 3GPP standard, XR services are a hybrid of eMBB characteristics and URLLC characteristics with omnidirectional high data rates and high reliability / low latency requirements. The characteristics and challenges of XR services may include high data rates (e.g., up to 60 Mbps), low latency (e.g., less than 10 ms), high reliability (e.g., up to 10 -4 ) and high power consumption.

[0056] In XR applications, a fundamental element is the use of spatial tracking. Based on the tracking and the resulting XR viewer pose, content is rendered to simulate a view of virtual content. The pose and actions of the XR viewer can be sensed through position tracking, which is the process of tracking in real time the XR scene coordinates of a moving object such as an HMD (head-mounted device), or a motion controller peripheral. Position tracking allows the derivation of the XR viewer pose, which is a combination of the viewer's position and orientation. Tracking adds the concept of continuous positioning over time. Tracking and positioning can be performed on the HMD device. Multiple sensor inputs are combined to obtain better positioning accuracy, such as monocular / stereo / depth cameras, wireless beacons, GPS, inertial sensors, etc. Position estimation can be performed using different methods and various measurements. Traditionally, these methods are geometric. The measurements are converted into distances or angles with respect to certain points. Using these techniques, fixed or mobile terminals within the coverage area will be able to find their relative positions with respect to reference points such as the transmitters of gNBs or access points.

[0057] Many traditional positioning systems and solutions are based on array processing on the receiver side. Each tracked device has a predefined "constellation" of antenna arrays hidden under the external plastic. The cost and complexity of the antenna array will increase with the number of antenna elements. At the same time, in order to obtain a 6DoF pose, the array needs to be arranged on three planes of a stereo HMD. If the array is moved to the transmitter side, the entire solution, especially the tracked device, may become less complex and less expensive. However, if only one antenna is arranged on each plane of the HMD, when the HMD rotates and moves, the 6DoF pose can only be obtained by positioning the positions of three independent antennas. Compared with the solution of placing the array on the device, the accuracy of the rotating 6DoF cannot be guaranteed.

[0058] Intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS) are used in positioning schemes. IRS is based on RF (radio frequency) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and consists of a large number of passive and / or active reflecting elements. The IRS-based positioning method is to install RF reflectors to generate distinct reflection paths from known positions to improve positioning accuracy. However, the IRS-based positioning method still cannot help improve the measurement accuracy of the 6DoF (degrees of freedom) rotation of the tracked XR device because the diversity is on the signal transmitter rather than on the receiver.

[0059] To improve the measurement accuracy of the tracked XR device and reduce cost and power assumptions, backscatter technology is introduced in this disclosure. According to this disclosure, a reader (e.g., an AP (access point)) transmits an RF (radio frequency) signal, which excites a passive antenna unit on the surface of the XR device. The passive antenna unit modulates the incident RF signal with an information-bearing signal (e.g., an orthogonal signature), and the backscattered signal is demodulated at the reader. All backscatter systems are reader talks first (RTF), that is, the passive antenna unit only modulates the backscattered signal with the information it stores after the signal transmitted by the reader arrives. All remote systems operate using UHF (ultra-high frequency) or microwave frequencies and communicate with the reader using backscatter modulation.

[0060] In this way, the power consumption of the HMD can be significantly reduced, and the latency can also be reduced, for example, by means of parallel processing. In addition, the measurement accuracy of the tracked XR device can also be greatly improved.

[0061] Figure 1A FIG. illustrates an example communication system 100 in which some embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented. The communication system 100, which is part of a communication network, includes a terminal device 110, a set of network devices (e.g., three network devices 120-1, network device 120-2, and network device 120-3 as shown in Figure 1A ), and a positioning server 130. For example, each of the network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 may be an access point (e.g., a small cell base station or an AP in WiFi) and may be equipped with at least one transceiver and at least one antenna. The terminal device 110 may be an XR device. Although three network devices 120-1, 120-2, 120-3 are shown in Figure 1A , the number of network devices 120 is not limited to three. There may be two or more than three network devices 120 in the communication system 100. In other words, there may be two, four, or even more network devices 120 in the communication system 100. In this case, the network devices 120 may be correspondingly referred to as network devices 110-1, network devices 110-2,..., network devices 110-N (N is the number of network devices 120 in the communication system 100). Alternatively, these network devices 110-1, network devices 110-2,..., network devices 110-N may also be collectively referred to as network devices 120. The positioning server 130 may be equipped with at least one computing unit and at least one storage unit and thus has computing and storage functions.

[0062] The network device 120 and the terminal device 110 can communicate in two directions. In the system 100, the link from the network device 120 to the terminal device 110 is referred to as the downlink (DL), and the link from the terminal device 110 to the network device 120 is referred to as the uplink (UL). In the downlink, the network device 120 is the transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and the terminal device 110 is the receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the uplink, the terminal device 110 is the transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and the network device 120 is the RX device (or receiver).

[0063] As Figure 1A shown, the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 can send and / or receive information from the positioning server 130. Since there is no direct communication link between the terminal device 110 and the positioning server 130, the information interaction between them is forwarded via the network device 120.

[0064] The communication between the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 in the communication system 100, as well as between the network device 120 and the positioning server 130, can conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), etc. In addition, the communication can be performed according to any generation of communication protocol known currently or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include but are not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G Advanced Network, sixth generation (6G), or IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

[0065] It should be understood that Figure 1A the number of devices shown, their connection relationships and types are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. The communication system 100 can include any suitable number of devices suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0066] Figure 1B FIG. 150 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device 110 shown in the communication system 100 in FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The terminal device can be the terminal device 110 shown in the communication system 100 in FIG. 1, and is, for example, an XR device, such as an HMD device (e.g., an HMD display).

[0067] On the outer surface of the terminal device 110, a plurality of antenna units can be arranged based on the contour of the terminal device 110. In other words, the terminal device 110 (in Figure 1Bshown as an HMD device) may be equipped with a backscatter communication antenna framework that includes a plurality of antenna units arranged based on the profile of the terminal device 110, e.g., to fit at least a portion of the "framework" or shape of the terminal device 110. In some example embodiments, as Figure 4B and Figure 5 shown, different backscatter communication antenna units in the backscatter communication antenna framework may be arranged, or disposed, on different surfaces of the terminal device 110.

[0068] The plurality of antenna units may include a plurality of groups of antenna units. The groups of antenna units in the plurality of groups of antenna units may be arranged on surfaces among the plurality of surfaces of the terminal device 110. For example, the plurality of antenna units may include a plurality of groups of antenna units, e.g., as Figure 4B shown, group A of antenna units, group B of antenna units, and group C of antenna units. These group A of antenna units, group B of antenna units, and group C of antenna units are arranged based on the profile of the terminal device 110 to fit at least a portion of the "framework" or "shape" of the terminal device 110, e.g., arranged on several surfaces of the terminal device 110. As Figure 5 shown, for example, group A of antenna units may be arranged on the front surface of the terminal device 110, group B of antenna units may be arranged on the upper surface of the terminal device 110, and group C of antenna units may be arranged on the side surface of the terminal device 110.

[0069] From the perspective of the 3D model, as described above, the plurality of antenna units may construct at least a portion of the "framework" or "shape" of the terminal device 110. During a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 may send construction information of the plurality of antenna units to a positioning server (such as Figure 1A the positioning server 130 shown). In other words, during the configuration phase, the construction of the antenna framework may be indicated by the terminal device 110 to the positioning server 130. The original shape of the terminal device 110 may be determined by the positioning server 130 based on the construction information.

[0070] The design of the plurality of antenna units may enable the attitude (i.e., position and orientation) of the terminal device 110 to be fitted, e.g., by MMSE (Minimum Mean Square Error), by comparison with the original shape of the terminal device 110 after the spatial position of each antenna unit is estimated by the positioning server 130.

[0071] Figure 2 The illustrated signaling diagram illustrates an example communication process 200 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion only, reference will be made to Figure 1A and Figure 1BDescribe the communication process 200. The communication process 200 may involve a set of a terminal device 110, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3, and a positioning server 130.

[0072] In some example embodiments, the network device 120-1 sends (220) a positioning signal 201 to the terminal device 110, and the terminal device 110 receives (222) the positioning signal 205 from the network device 120-1. The positioning signal 201 may also come from the network device 120-2 or the network device 120-3. Then, the terminal device 110 may backscatter the positioning signal 201 by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on the profile of the terminal device 110 to provide a backscattered signal 203 to all network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. Specifically, the terminal device 110 provides (225) a first backscattered signal 203 to the network device 120-1, provides (230) a second backscattered signal 205 to the network device 120-2, and provides (235) a third backscattered signal 207 to the network device 120-3.

[0073] On the other side of the communication, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 respectively receive the first backscatter signal, the second backscatter signal, and the third backscatter signal. More specifically, network device 120-1 receives (227) the first backscatter signal 203, network device 120-2 receives (232) the second backscatter signal 205, and network device 120-3 receives (237) the third backscatter signal 207. Then, based on the received first backscatter signal 203, second backscatter signal 205, and third backscatter signal 207, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 can respectively determine positioning measurements associated with the multiple antenna units. Specifically, network device 120-1 can determine (240) the positioning measurement 209 associated with the multiple antenna units of the terminal device 110. Network device 120-2 can also determine (245) the positioning measurement 211 associated with the multiple antenna units of the terminal device 110. Network device 120-3 can also determine (250) the positioning measurement 213 associated with the multiple antenna units of the terminal device 110. Then, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 can respectively send the acquired positioning measurements 209, 211, and 213 to the positioning server 130. Specifically, network device 120-1 can send (255) the positioning measurement 209 to the positioning server 130. Network device 120-2 can send (260) the positioning measurement 211 to the positioning server 130. Network device 120-3 can send (265) the positioning measurement 213 to the positioning server 130.

[0074] On the other side of the communication, the positioning server 130 receives a set of positioning measurements from network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. Here, the "set of positioning measurements" refers to the positioning measurements 209, 211, and 213 respectively sent from network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. Specifically, the positioning server 130 receives (257) the positioning measurement 209 from network device 120-1, receives (262) the positioning measurement 211 from network device 120-2, and receives (267) the positioning measurement 213 from network device 120-3. After receiving the set of positioning measurements 209, 211, and 213, the positioning server 130 can determine (270) the attitude of the terminal device 110 based on the set of positioning measurements 209, 211, and 213.

[0075] In some example embodiments, the plurality of antenna units may include a plurality of antenna unit groups, and the antenna unit groups in the plurality of antenna unit groups may be arranged on a surface among the plurality of surfaces of the terminal device 110.

[0076] In some example embodiments, during the provision of the backscatter signals 203, 205, and 207, the terminal device 110 may use the identifiers associated with the antenna units in the plurality of antenna units to modulate the signal components of the backscatter signals, and use the antenna units to backscatter the modulated signal components to the set of network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3.

[0077] In some example embodiments, the identifier may be one of a plurality of orthogonal signatures assigned to the plurality of antenna units or the plurality of groups.

[0078] In some example embodiments, the identifier may include a pseudo-random sequence.

[0079] In some example embodiments, during the configuration phase for positioning the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 may send the configuration information of the plurality of antenna units to a positioning server (e.g., the positioning server 130 as shown) via the set of network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3, for example, via any one of the network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. Figure 1A Specifically, for example, the terminal device 110 may send the configuration information of the plurality of antenna units to the positioning server 130 via the network device 120-1.

[0080] In some example embodiments, before receiving the backscatter signal 203 from the terminal device 110, the network device 120-1 may send a positioning signal 201 to the terminal device 110.

[0081] In some example embodiments, in order to determine the positioning measurement 209, the network device 120-1 may process the set of signal components of the backscatter signal 203 based on the set of orthogonal identifiers associated with the set of antenna units in the plurality of antenna units. The set of antenna units provides the set of signal components.

[0082] In some example embodiments, in order to process the set of signal components, the network device 120-1 may detect the set of signal components of the backscatter signal 203 based on the set of orthogonal identifiers, and determine the set of parts of the positioning measurement 209 associated with the set of antenna units.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the set of antenna units may include a plurality of antenna units. Alternatively, the set of antenna units may belong to different groups of antenna units among the plurality of antenna units. The different groups of antenna units may be arranged on different surfaces of the terminal device 110.

[0084] In some example embodiments, the positioning signal 201 may be one of a plurality of positioning signals sent by a set of network devices including the network device 120-1 (e.g., the network device 120-1, the network device 120-2, and the network device 120-3 as shown in Figure 1A ), and the plurality of positioning signals may be frequency-division multiplexed, time-division multiplexed, or code-division multiplexed.

[0085] In some example embodiments, the positioning measurement 209 (or the positioning measurement 211, or the positioning measurement 213) may include at least one of the following based on the backscattered signal: angle of arrival (AOA), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), or carrier phase mode.

[0086] In some example embodiments, to determine (270) the attitude of the terminal device 110, the positioning server 130 may determine the positions of the plurality of antenna units based on the set of the positioning measurement 209, the positioning measurement 211, and the positioning measurement 213, and determine the attitude of the terminal device 110 by comparing the positions of the plurality of antenna units with the original shape of the terminal device 110.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the set of the positioning measurement 209, the positioning measurement 211, and the positioning measurement 213 may include at least one of the following: a set of time of arrival (TOA) values, a set of time difference of arrival (TDOA) values, or a set of angle of arrival (AOA) values.

[0088] In some example embodiments, to determine (270) the attitude of the terminal device 110, the positioning server 130 may determine the direction of the terminal device 110 by comparing the set of positioning measurements (e.g., the positioning measurement 209, the positioning measurement 211, and the positioning measurement 213) with a previous set of positioning measurements or an initial set of positioning measurements. The previous set of positioning measurements may be obtained when the terminal device 110 is in a previous direction, and the initial set of positioning measurements may be obtained when the terminal device 110 is in an initial direction.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the plurality of antenna units may be arranged on the surface of the terminal device 110, and the set of the positioning measurement 209, the positioning measurement 211, and the positioning measurement 213 may include a set of carrier phase modes.

[0090] In some example embodiments, during a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device 110, the positioning server 130 may receive configuration information of a plurality of antenna units from the terminal device 110, and may determine an original shape of the terminal device 110 based on the configuration information.

[0091] Figure 3A Schematic diagram illustrating a 3DoF 300 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes only, reference will be made to FIGS. 1 and Figure 2 to describe the 3DoF 300. The 3DoF 300 may relate to a first device 110 (such as Figure 1B an XR device similar to the HMD device shown in).

[0092] Figure 3A Schematic diagram illustrating a 3DoF 300 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes only, reference will be made to Figure 1B to describe the 3DoF 300. The 3DoF 300 may relate to the terminal device 110 (such as Figure 1B an XR device similar to the HMD device shown in).

[0093] The user moves and interacts in the extended reality. The actions and interactions involve movement, gestures, and physical reactions. Thus, the DoF describes the number of independent parameters used to define the movement of the viewport in 3D space. 3DoF uses three rotations and unconstrained movements (correspondingly pitch, yaw, and roll) about the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis to define the movement of the viewport in 3D space. As Figure 3A shown, a typical use case is a user sitting in a chair watching 3D 360-degree VR content on an HMD.

[0094] Figure 3B Schematic diagram illustrating a 6DoF 350 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes only, reference will be made to Figure 1B to describe the 6DoF 350. The 6DoF 350 may relate to the terminal device 110 (such as Figure 1B an XR device similar to the HMD device shown in).

[0095] 6DoF is 3DoF with full translational motion along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. In addition to the 3DoF experience, it adds (i) upward and downward movement (lifting); (ii) left and right movement (strafing / rocking); and (iii) forward and backward movement (walking / waving). As Figure 3B shown, a typical use case is a user freely walking through 3D 360-degree VR content displayed on an HMD (physically or via dedicated user input components).

[0096] Figure 4A The figure shows a schematic diagram illustrating the three - point positioning theory 400 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion only, reference will be made to Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 2 and Figure 3A to describe the time - of - arrival or time - difference - of - arrival (TOA / TDOA) information 400.

[0097] One of the network devices 120 - 1, network device 120 - 2, and network device 120 - 3 can send a positioning signal, and all network devices 120 - 1, 120 - 2, and 120 - 3 can receive the backscattered signals of each antenna unit and estimate the TOA / TDOA of that antenna unit. As shown in Figure 4A , the network device 120 - 1 sends a positioning signal (denoted as PS1) to each antenna unit. For simplicity, only one antenna unit (denoted as SA1) is shown here. All network devices 120 - 1, 120 - 2, and 120 - 3 receive the backscattered signals of each antenna unit including the antenna unit SA1. Specifically, taking the antenna unit SA1 as an example, it backscatters the incident positioning signal PS1 in all directions to all network devices 120 - 1, 120 - 2, and 120 - 3. In other words, as shown in Figure 4A , the antenna unit SA1 backscatters the incident positioning signal PS1 as the backscattered signal RW1 to the network device 120 - 1, as the backscattered signal RW2 to the network device 120 - 2, and as the backscattered signal RW3 to the network device 120 - 3. Then, all network devices 120 - 1, 120 - 2, and 120 - 3 estimate the TOA / TDOA of the antenna unit SA1. The positioning server (e.g., the positioning server 130 as shown in Figure 1A ; not shown in Figure 4A ) collects the TOA / TDOA information about the antenna unit SA1 and locates the position of the antenna unit SA1 through the three - point positioning theory (one incidence and three reflections schematically shown in Figure 4A ). For each antenna unit in the backscattering antenna frame 112 on the surface of the terminal device 110, the corresponding TOA / TDOA information can be obtained in the same way. When the positioning server can locate all antenna units, it can then use these points to draw the three - dimensional shape of the terminal device 110, which will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 4B .

[0098] Figure 4B The figure shows a schematic diagram illustrating the frame of the terminal device 4 fifty according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion only, reference will be made to Figure 1A , Figure 1B ,Figure 2 and Figure 3A Describe the three - point positioning theory 450.

[0099] For example, assume that at each position represented by solid dots on the front surface (denoted as surface A), the upper surface (denoted as surface B), and the side surface (denoted as surface C) of the terminal device 110, a plurality of backscatter antenna units according to the present disclosure are arranged.

[0100] As described above, when the positioning server locates all the antenna units, it can then use these points to draw the three - dimensional shape of the terminal device 110. Specifically, when the positioning server locates all the antenna units arranged at the positions on the surface A, surface B, and surface C of the terminal device 110, since these backscatter antenna units are arranged on the surface of the terminal device 110, the positioning server can then use these points to draw the three - dimensional shape that is part of the contour of the terminal device 110. In other words, the three - dimensional shape of the terminal device 110 can be obtained in this way, such as the three - dimensional shape (or contour) constructed by the positions where the antenna units are arranged on the surface A, surface B, and surface C.

[0101] More specifically, as Figure 4B shown, there are eight solid dots on the surface A, which means there are eight positions to arrange antenna units at each of the eight positions. The eight positions can be represented as A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, and A8. There are also eight solid dots on the surface B, which means there are eight positions (i.e., B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, and B8) to arrange antenna units at each of the eight positions. There are four solid dots on the surface C, which means there are four positions (i.e., C1, C2, C3, and C4) to arrange antenna units at each of the four positions. Then, when the positioning server locates all the antenna units arranged at the positions on the surface A, surface B, and surface C of the terminal device 110 (here, all the antenna units arranged at the positions A1 - A8, B1 - B8, and C1 - C4), it can then use these points to draw the three - dimensional shape constructed by these positions. This three - dimensional shape is similar to at least a part of the contour of the terminal device 110.

[0102] However, due to the presence of noise and interference, this shape may not be exactly the same as the original shape of the first device 110. Since the original shape of the first device 110 is known, the optimal spatial attitude (position and rotation) of the terminal device 110 can be fitted by, for example, the MMSE method with sufficient redundancy. In this way, the noise and interference can be minimized, and thus the accuracy of the three - dimensional shape and the positioning accuracy of the terminal device 110 can be improved.

[0103] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a positioning system 500 using a backscatter communication antenna scheme framework according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 2 to describe the positioning scheme 500 from the perspective of the terminal device 120.

[0104] As Figure 5 shown, the positioning system 500 includes: a terminal device 110, which may be an XR device (such as an HMD device); three network devices 120-1, 120-2, 120-3 (for example, each of the network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 may be an access point, such as a small cell base station, or an AP in WiFi, represented as AP1, AP2, and AP3); and a positioning server 130. The terminal device 110 is equipped with a backscatter antenna framework, which includes a plurality of antenna units.

[0105] In some example embodiments, for the backscatter antenna framework, several groups of antenna units may be attached around the outer surface of the terminal device 110. From the perspective of a 3D model, these antenna units construct a framework of the profile of the terminal device 110. During the configuration phase, the construction of the backscatter communication antenna framework may be indicated from the terminal device 110 to the positioning server 130. The construction of the backscatter communication antenna framework may include information about the original position of the backscatter communication antenna framework. Since the backscatter communication antenna framework is attached around the outer surface of the terminal device 110, the construction of the backscatter communication antenna framework may indicate the original shape of the terminal device 110 (i.e., the position of at least a part of the profile).

[0106] In one example, at each of eight positions (2 rows × 4 columns) on the upper surface of the terminal device 110, a backscatter antenna unit according to the present disclosure is arranged. At each of sixteen positions (4 rows × 4 columns) on the front surface of the terminal device 110, a backscatter antenna unit according to the present disclosure is arranged. At each of eight positions (2 rows × 4 columns) on the side surface of the terminal device 110, a backscatter antenna unit according to the present disclosure is arranged. Three network devices 120-1, 120-2, 120-3 are correspondingly arranged to correspond to the backscatter antenna units arranged on the upper surface, front surface, and side surface of the terminal device 110. The backscatter antenna units can be arranged on two, four, five, or six, or even more surfaces of the terminal device 110, and thus the number of network devices 120 can vary according to the number of surfaces on which the backscatter antenna units are arranged. The number of surfaces on which the backscatter antenna units are arranged and thus the number of network devices 120 are shown herein for illustrative purposes only and are thus not limited by the present disclosure.

[0107] The backscatter antenna units arranged on the upper surface, front surface, and side surface of the terminal device 110 constitute the backscatter antenna frame of the terminal device 110. The antenna units in the backscatter antenna frame can be divided into several groups. For example, in Figure 5 the example shown, the antenna units in the backscatter antenna frame can be divided into a first group including the antenna units arranged on the upper surface, a second group including the antenna units arranged on the front surface, and a third group including the antenna units arranged on the side surface.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the design of the backscatter antenna frame enables the attitude (i.e., position and orientation) of the terminal device 110 to be fitted (e.g., by MMSE) by comparing with the original shape after the spatial position of each antenna unit in the backscatter antenna frame is estimated by the positioning server 130.

[0109] In some example embodiments, each of the network devices 120-1, network device 120-2, network device 120-3 can include a transceiver to send signals to and / or receive signals from another device (e.g., the first device 110, the third device 130, etc.). The transceiver can be implemented in the form of one or more antennas.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the positioning server 130 can include a computing unit and a storage unit.

[0111] In some example embodiments, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 may send positioning signals to terminal device 110. The positioning signals may be frequency division, time division, or code division to reduce latency (and thus, query time) and interference. For example, as Figure 5 shown in Figure 5 , network device 120-1 sends a first positioning signal to terminal device 110, and each set of antenna units in terminal device 110 (i.e., the first set of antenna units on the upper surface, the second set of antenna units on the front surface, and the third set of antenna units on the side surface) modulates the backscattered signal of the first positioning signal using its signature and then sends the modulated backscattered signal to all network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. More specifically, the first set of antenna units on the upper surface modulates the backscattered signal of the first positioning signal using the signature of the first set and then sends the modulated backscattered signal to all network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3.

[0112] The second set of antenna units on the front surface modulates the backscattered signal of the first positioning signal using the signature of the second set and then sends the modulated backscattered signal to all network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. The third set of antenna units on the side surface modulates the backscattered signal of the first positioning signal using the signature of the third set and then sends the modulated backscattered signal to all network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. The signatures of the first set of antenna units, the second set of antenna units, and the third set of antenna units will be described in more detail later with reference to Figure 6 Figure 6 .

[0113] Network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 1,20-3 receive the backscattered signals and measure the backscattered signals, for example, by AOA, TOA / TDOA, carrier phase, etc. Then, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 report the measurements to positioning server 130. For example, network device 120-1 receives the backscattered signal and measures the backscattered signal by carrier phase, network device 120-2 receives the backscattered signal and measures the backscattered signal by carrier phase, and network device 120-3 receives the backscattered signal and measures the backscattered signal by carrier phase. Then, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 report their measurements to positioning server 130 accordingly. The measurement of carrier phase will be described in more detail later with reference to Figure 7 Figure 7 .

[0114] For the positioning signals from network devices 120-2 and 120-3, the terminal device 110 and network devices 120-2 and 120-3 perform the same processing as the first positioning signal from network device 120-1. For example, network device 120-2 may send a second positioning signal to terminal device 110. Then, the terminal device 110 backscatters the backscattered signal to each of network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. Network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 receive the backscattered signal and measure the backscattered signal, for example, by AOA, TOA / TDOA, carrier phase, etc. Then, network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 report the measurements to the positioning server 130.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the positioning server 130 collects measurement reports from all network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3, and evaluates the position and orientation of the terminal device 110 based on, for example, fitting or AI (Artificial Intelligence).

[0116] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of signal detection at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0117] Orthogonal signatures (orthogonal pseudo-random sequences) are designed to be assigned to each antenna unit (or each group of antenna units) as its signature. The backscattered signal is modulated by this signature. The advantage of orthogonal signatures is that at the receiver of a network device (e.g., network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3), the backscattered signal modulated by the orthogonal signature can be processed in parallel. Specifically, as Figure 6 shown, for example, at the receiver of network device 120-1, it can use a sequential correlation method to detect the time position of the correlation sequence (i.e., the orthogonal signature) in order to obtain the carrier phase difference, or the time difference of arrival (TDoA).

[0118] In some example embodiments, Figure 6The backscatter signals shown in the figure can represent the backscatter signals of the first antenna element (element #1), the second antenna element (element #2), and the third antenna element (element #3). The first antenna element, the second antenna element, and the third antenna element can be arranged on the same surface of the terminal device 110, or can be arranged on different surfaces of the terminal device 110. The first antenna element, the second antenna element, and the third antenna element are assigned orthogonal signatures, and their backscatter signals are modulated accordingly using the orthogonal signatures. Therefore, at the receiver of the network device 120-1, the backscatter signals from the first antenna element, the second antenna element, and the third antenna element can be processed in parallel. In this way, noise and interference can be minimized, and the processing time can be reduced. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the terminal device 110 can be improved, and the waiting time can be reduced.

[0119] Figure 7 The figure is a schematic diagram of carrier phase evaluation at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. A network device (e.g., network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3) uses carrier phase estimation to estimate a more accurate 3DoF rotation of the terminal device 110.

[0120] As Figure 7 shown in the figure, the rotation of the terminal device 110 will cause a change in the carrier phase. For example, the network device 120-1 sends a positioning signal to the antenna element group of the backscatter communication antenna frame of the terminal device 110. The antenna element group generally includes a plurality of backscatter communication antenna elements on the same surface of the terminal device 110.

[0121] All network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 receive the backscatter signals of this antenna element set and estimate the carrier phase pattern. The positioning server 130 collects all three carrier phase patterns of the three surfaces of the HMD. By comparing the current phase pattern with the phase pattern of the initial pose or the phase pattern of the pose at a previous time, the positioning server 130 can evaluate the change of the HMD in (pitch, roll, yaw) and obtain the accurate 3DoF of the current rotation. The carrier phase can be used to estimate the accurate 3DoF of the rotation, and TOA / TDOA assistance is required for absolute position (forward, up, left) estimation.

[0122] Figure 8 The figure is a flowchart of an example method 800 implemented at the terminal device 110 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, method 800 will be described with reference to Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 2 from the perspective of the terminal device 110.

[0123] At block 810, the terminal device 110 receives a positioning signal from a network device (e.g., network device 120-1 as shown in Figure 1A e.g., network device 120-1) in a set of network devices (e.g., network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3). At block 820, the terminal device 110 provides a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal using a plurality of antenna elements arranged based on the profile of the terminal device 110.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the plurality of antenna elements may include a plurality of groups of antenna elements, and the antenna elements in the plurality of groups of antenna elements may be arranged on a surface among a plurality of surfaces of the terminal device.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may modulate a signal component of the backscattered signal using an identifier associated with an antenna element in the plurality of antenna elements; and backscatter the modulated signal component to the set of network devices using the antenna element.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the identifier may be one of a plurality of orthogonal signatures assigned to the plurality of antenna elements or the plurality of groups.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the identifier may include a pseudo-random sequence.

[0128] In some example embodiments, during a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 may send construction information of the plurality of antenna elements to a positioning server (e.g., positioning server 130 as shown in Figure 1A e.g., positioning server 130) via a set of network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3, e.g., via any one of the network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3. Specifically, for example, the terminal device 110 may send the construction information of the plurality of antenna elements to the positioning server 130 via the network device 120-1. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal device 110 may send the construction information of the plurality of antenna elements to the positioning server 130 via the network device 120-2 or the network device 120-3.

[0129] Figure 9 Another flowchart of an example method 900 implemented at a network device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For the purpose of discussion, method 900 will be described from the perspective of the network device 120 (e.g., network device 120-1) with reference to Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 2 e.g., network device 120-1).

[0130] At block 910, network device 120-1 receives a backscatter signal from terminal device 110. The backscatter signal is provided from terminal device 110 by backscattering a positioning signal using a plurality of antenna elements of terminal device 110 arranged based on the profile of terminal device 110. At block 920, network device 120-1 determines positioning measurements associated with the plurality of antenna elements based on the received backscatter signal. At block 930, network device 120-1 sends the positioning measurements to a positioning server (e.g., positioning server 130 as shown in Figure 1A ).

[0131] In some example embodiments, before receiving the backscatter signal from terminal device 110, network device 120-1 may send a positioning signal to terminal device 110.

[0132] In some example embodiments, to determine the positioning measurements, network device 120-1 may process a set of signal components of the backscatter signal based on a set of orthogonal identities associated with a set of antenna elements among the plurality of antenna elements. The set of antenna elements provides the set of signal components.

[0133] In some example embodiments, to process the set of signal components, network device 120-1 may detect the set of signal components of the backscatter signal based on the set of orthogonal identities; and determine a set of portions of the positioning measurements associated with the set of antenna elements.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the set of antenna elements may include a plurality of antenna elements. Alternatively, the set of antenna elements may belong to different groups of antenna elements among the plurality of antenna elements, and the different groups of antenna elements are arranged on different surfaces of the terminal device.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the positioning signal may be one of a plurality of positioning signals sent by a set of network devices including network device 120-1 (e.g., network device 120-1, network device 120-2, and network device 120-3 as shown in Figure 1A ), and the plurality of positioning signals may be frequency division multiplexed, time division multiplexed, or code division multiplexed.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the positioning measurements may include at least one of the following based on the backscatter signal: angle of arrival (AOA), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), or carrier phase pattern.

[0137] Figure 10 Another flowchart of an example method 1000 implemented at a positioning server according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For purposes of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 2Describe method 1000 from the perspective of the positioning server 130.

[0138] At block 1010, the positioning server 130 receives a set of positioning measurements associated with multiple antenna units of the terminal device 110 from a set of network devices (e.g., network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 as shown). The multiple antenna units are arranged based on the profile of the terminal device 110. At block 1020, the positioning server 130 determines the pose of the terminal device 110 based on the set of positioning measurements. Figure 1A In some example embodiments, to determine the pose of the terminal device 110, the positioning server 130 may determine the multiple positions of the multiple antenna units based on the set of positioning measurements, and determine the pose of the terminal device 110 by comparing the multiple positions of the multiple antenna units with the original shape of the terminal device.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the set of positioning measurements may include at least one of the following: a set of time of arrival (TOA) values, a set of time difference of arrival (TDOA) values, or a set of angle of arrival (AOA) values.

[0140] In some example embodiments, to determine the pose of the terminal device 110, the positioning server 130 may determine the direction of the terminal device 110 by comparing the set of positioning measurements with a previous set of positioning measurements, or an initial set of positioning measurements. In the case where the terminal device 110 is in a previous direction, the previous set of positioning measurements may be obtained, and in the case where the terminal device 110 is in an initial direction, the initial set of positioning measurements may be obtained.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the multiple antenna units may be arranged on the surface of the terminal device 110, and the set of positioning measurements may include a set of carrier phase patterns.

[0142] In some example embodiments, during a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device 110, the positioning server 130 may receive construction information of the multiple antenna units from the terminal device 110, and may determine the original shape of the terminal device 110 based on the construction information.

[0143] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., the terminal device 110) capable of performing method 800 may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 800. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented as circuitry, or software modules.

[0144]

[0145] ​In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving a positioning signal at a terminal device 110 from a network device 120-1 among a set of network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3; and components for providing a backscattered signal to the set of network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 by backscattering the positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on a profile of the terminal device 110.

[0146] In some example embodiments, the plurality of antenna units includes a plurality of antenna unit groups, and the antenna units in the plurality of antenna unit groups are arranged on a surface among a plurality of surfaces of the terminal device 110.

[0147] In some example embodiments, the components for providing include: components for modulating a signal component of the backscattered signal by using an identifier associated with an antenna unit among the plurality of antenna units; and components for backscattering the modulated signal component to the set of network devices 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 by using the antenna unit.

[0148] In some example embodiments, the identifier is one of a plurality of orthogonal signatures assigned to the plurality of antenna units or the plurality of groups.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the identifier includes a pseudo-random sequence.

[0150] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes: components for sending, during a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device 110, construction information of the plurality of antenna units to a positioning server 130.

[0151] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 800. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0152] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 120) capable of performing method 900 may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 900. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented as circuitry or as a software module.

[0153] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving, at the terminal device 110 and from the terminal device 120-1, a backscatter signal provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device 110 arranged based on the profile of the terminal device 110; components for determining positioning measurements associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscatter signal; and components for sending the positioning measurements to the positioning server 130.

[0154] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes: components for sending, before receiving the backscatter signal from the terminal device 110, a positioning signal to the terminal device 110.

[0155] In some example embodiments, the components for determining include: components for processing a set of signal components of the backscatter signal based on a set of orthogonal identifiers associated with a set of antenna units among the plurality of antenna units. The set of antenna units provides the set of signal components.

[0156] In some example embodiments, the components for processing include: components for detecting a set of signal components of the backscatter signal based on the set of orthogonal identifiers, and components for determining a set of portions of the positioning measurements associated with the set of antenna units.

[0157] In some example embodiments, the set of antenna units includes a plurality of antenna units. Alternatively, the set of antenna units belongs to different antenna unit groups among the plurality of antenna units, and the different antenna unit groups are arranged on different surfaces of the terminal device.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the positioning signal is one of a plurality of positioning signals sent by a set of network devices 120-1, network devices 120-2, and network devices 120-3 including the network device 120-1, and the plurality of positioning signals are frequency division multiplexed, time division multiplexed, or code division multiplexed.

[0159] In some example embodiments, the positioning measurements include at least one of the following based on the backscatter signal: angle of arrival (AOA), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), or carrier phase mode.

[0160] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 900. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0161] In some embodiments, the apparatus (e.g., the positioning server 130) capable of performing method 1000 may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 1000. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented as circuitry or software modules.

[0162] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving, at the positioning server 130 and from a set of network devices 120-1, network devices 120-2, and network devices 120-3, a set of positioning measurements associated with a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device 110 arranged based on the profile of the terminal device 110; and components for determining the attitude of the terminal device 110 based on the set of positioning measurements.

[0163] In some example embodiments, the components for determining include: components for determining a plurality of positions of the plurality of antenna units based on the set of positioning measurements, and components for determining the attitude of the terminal device 110 by comparing the plurality of positions of the plurality of antenna units with the original shape of the terminal device 110.

[0164] In some example embodiments, the set of positioning measurements includes at least one of the following: a set of time of arrival (TOA) values, a set of time difference of arrival (TDOA) values, or a set of angle of arrival (AOA) values.

[0165] In some example embodiments, the components for determining include: components for determining the direction of the terminal device 110 by comparing the set of positioning measurements with a previous set of positioning measurements or an initial set of positioning measurements. In the case where the terminal device 110 is in a previous direction, the previous set of positioning measurements may be obtained, and in the case where the terminal device 110 is in an initial direction, the initial set of positioning measurements may be obtained.

[0166] In some example embodiments, the plurality of antenna units are arranged on the surface of the terminal device 110, and the set of positioning measurements includes a set of carrier phase modes.

[0167] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes: components for receiving, during a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device 110, construction information of the plurality of antenna units from the terminal device; and components for determining the original shape of the terminal device based on the construction information.

[0168] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 1000. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform.

[0169] Figure 11 FIG. is a simplified block diagram of a device 1100 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 1100 may be provided to implement a communication device, for example, a terminal device 110, a network device 120, or a positioning server 130 as shown in Figure 1A . As shown, the device 1100 includes one or more processors 1110, one or more memories 1120 coupled to the processors 1110, and one or more communication modules 1140 coupled to the processors 1110.

[0170] The communication module 1140 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 1140 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communicating with other network elements.

[0171] The processor 1110 may be of any type suitable for the local technical network and, by way of non-limiting example, may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 1100 may have multiple processors, such as an application-specific integrated circuit chip that is subordinate to a clock synchronized with the main processor in time.

[0172] The memory 1120 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 1124, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 1122 and other volatile memories that do not persist during a power outage.

[0173] The computer program 1130 includes computer-executable instructions executed by the associated processor 1110. The program 1130 may be stored in the ROM 1124. The processor 1110 may execute any appropriate actions and processes by loading the program 1130 into the RAM 1122.

[0174] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by the program 1130 such that the device 1100 may execute any process of the present disclosure discussed with reference to Figure 2 and Figures 8 to 10 . Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0175] In some example embodiments, program 1130 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 1100 (such as in memory 1120) or in other storage devices accessible by device 1100. Device 1100 may load program 1130 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 1122 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0176] Figure 12 FIG. is a block diagram of an example of a computer-readable medium 1200 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Program 1130 is stored thereon. Note that although Figure 12 computer-readable medium 1200 is described in the form of a CD or DVD, computer-readable medium 1200 may be any other form suitable for carrying or storing program 1130.

[0177] Generally, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented using hardware, while other aspects may be implemented using firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although the various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as a non-limiting example, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0178] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as the instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the method 500 or method 600 referred to above Figure 5 or Figure 6 described. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functions of program modules may be combined or split as needed among program modules. The machine-executable instructions of program modules may be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0179] The program code for performing the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when the program code is executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram are implemented. The program code may execute entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0180] In the context of the present disclosure, the computer program code or associated data may be carried by any suitable carrier so that the device, apparatus, or processor can perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0181] The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium will include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer floppy 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 disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0182] Moreover, although the operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all of the illustrated operations be performed, to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although a number of specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0183] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the above specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

[0184] Through this document, reference may be made to the terms defined below.

[0185] 5GS: 5G System

[0186] AOA: Angle of Arrival

[0187] AoD: Angle of Departure

[0188] AR: Augmented Reality

[0189] DoF: Degrees of Freedom

[0190] eMBB: Enhanced Mobile Broadband

[0191] FR: Frequency range

[0192] GPS: Global Positioning System

[0193] HMD: Head-mounted display

[0194] IRS: Intelligent Reflective Surface

[0195] IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit

[0196] MEMS: Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems

[0197] MMSE: Minimum Mean Square Error

[0198] NR: New Radio

[0199] PRS: Positioning Reference Signal

[0200] RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0201] RTF: Reader speaks first

[0202] RSTD: Reference Signal Time Difference

[0203] RSS: Received Signal Strength

[0204] RTT: Round Trip Time

[0205] TDOA: Time Difference of Arrival

[0206] TOA: Time of Arrival

[0207] UHF: Ultra High Frequency

[0208] URLLC: Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication

[0209] VR: Virtual Reality

[0210] XR: Extended Reality

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; and provide a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on the profile of the terminal device.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality of antenna units include a plurality of antenna unit groups; and the antenna units in the plurality of antenna unit groups are arranged on a surface among a plurality of surfaces of the terminal device.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal device is caused to provide the backscattered signal by: modulating a signal component of the backscattered signal by using an identifier associated with an antenna unit in the plurality of antenna units; and backscattering the modulated signal component to the set of network devices by using the antenna unit.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the identifier is one of a plurality of orthogonal signatures assigned to the plurality of antenna units or the plurality of groups.

5. The terminal device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the identifier includes a pseudo-random sequence.

6. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the terminal device is further caused to: send construction information of the plurality of antenna units to a positioning server via the set of network devices during a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device.

7. A network device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: receive a backscattered signal from a terminal device, the backscattered signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on the profile of the terminal device; determine a positioning measurement associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscattered signal; and send the positioning measurement to a positioning server.

8. The network device according to claim 7, wherein the network device is further caused to: send the positioning signal to the terminal device before receiving the backscattered signal from the terminal device.

9. The network device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the network device is further caused to determine the positioning measurement by: processing a set of signal components of the backscattered signal based on a set of orthogonal identifiers associated with a set of antenna units in the plurality of antenna units, the set of antenna units providing the set of signal components.

10. The network device according to claim 9, wherein the network device is caused to process the set of signal components by: detecting the set of signal components of the backscattered signal based on the set of orthogonal identifiers; and determining a set of portions of the positioning measurement associated with the set of antenna units.

11. The network device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: the set of antenna units includes the plurality of antenna units; or the set of antenna units belongs to different antenna unit groups among the plurality of antenna units, and the different antenna unit groups are arranged on different surfaces of the terminal device.

12. The network device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein: the positioning signal is one of a plurality of positioning signals sent by a set of network devices including the network device; and the plurality of positioning signals are frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, or code division multiplexing.

13. The network device according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the positioning measurement includes at least one of the following based on the backscatter signal: Angle of Arrival (AOA), Time of Arrival (TOA), Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), or Carrier Phase Mode.

14. A positioning server, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the positioning server to at least: receive a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on the profile of the terminal device; and determine the pose of the terminal device based on the set of positioning measurements.

15. The positioning server according to claim 14, wherein the positioning server is caused to determine the pose of the terminal device by: determining a plurality of positions of the plurality of antenna units based on the set of positioning measurements; and determining the pose of the terminal device by comparing the plurality of positions of the plurality of antenna units with the original shape of the terminal device.

16. The positioning server according to claim 15, wherein the set of positioning measurements includes at least one of the following: a set of Time of Arrival (TOA) values, a set of Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) values, or a set of Angle of Arrival (AOA) values.

17. The positioning server according to claim 14, wherein the positioning server is caused to determine the pose of the terminal device by: determining the direction of the terminal device by comparing the set of positioning measurements with a previous set of positioning measurements or an initial set of positioning measurements; the previous set of positioning measurements is acquired when the terminal device is in a previous direction; and the initial set of positioning measurements is acquired when the terminal device is in an initial direction. !8. The positioning server according to claim 17, wherein: the plurality of antenna units are arranged on the surface of the terminal device; and the set of positioning measurements includes a set of Carrier Phase Modes.

19. The positioning server according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the positioning server is further caused to: receive, during a configuration phase for positioning the terminal device, the configuration information of the plurality of antenna units from the terminal device; and determine the original shape of the terminal device based on the configuration information.

20. A method, comprising: At a terminal device, receiving a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; And Providing a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on a profile of the terminal device.

21. A method, comprising: At a network device, receiving a backscattered signal from a terminal device, the backscattered signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; Based on the received backscattered signal, determining a positioning measurement associated with the plurality of antenna units; and Sending the positioning measurement to a positioning server.

22. A method, comprising: At a positioning server, receiving a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; And Based on the set of positioning measurements, determining an attitude of the terminal device.

23. An apparatus, comprising: Components for receiving a positioning signal from a network device in a set of network devices; And Components for providing a backscattered signal to the set of network devices by backscattering the positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units arranged based on a profile of the terminal device.

24. An apparatus, comprising: Components for receiving a backscattered signal from a terminal device, the backscattered signal being provided by backscattering a positioning signal by using a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; Components for determining a positioning measurement associated with the plurality of antenna units based on the received backscattered signal; and Components for sending the positioning measurement to a positioning server.

25. An apparatus, comprising: Components for receiving a set of positioning measurements from a set of network devices, the set of positioning measurements being associated with a plurality of antenna units of the terminal device arranged based on a profile of the terminal device; And Components for determining an attitude of the terminal device based on the set of positioning measurements.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 20 to 22.

Images