Node selection for sensing one or more objects in a communication and sensing system

Abstract

A system (1) for enabling sensing of one or more objects (9) is configured to obtain sensing requirements for sensing one or more objects, such as information specifying a target area, to obtain communication requirements, such as regarding throughput, latency, and / or reliability level, and to enable sensing of one or more objects (9). Information about each node of a set of nodes (11-12, 31-36), such as node location and receiver characteristics, is obtained, a set of nodes is selected from the set of nodes based on the sensing requirements, the communication requirements and the information about each node of the set of nodes, and the selected set of nodes is transmitted to the receiver. And instructing one or more nodes in the set of nodes to participate in sensing one or more objects. At least one node of the set of nodes is to transmit wireless signals, and at least one node of the set of nodes is to receive wireless signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system enabling sensing of one or more objects and a node participating in the sensing of one or more objects.

[0002] The invention also relates to a method of enabling sensing of one or more objects and a method of participating in sensing of one or more objects.

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

[0004] Joint Communications and Sensing (JCAS) is considered one of the important 6G candidate technologies, where the same system / network is used to perform both communication and sensing tasks. In this context, the term sensing generally refers to the detection and / or tracking of target objects, which may or may not be connected (or capable of connecting) to a mobile network in the communication sense. Use cases include real-time object detection for autonomous driving, home intruder detection, UAV detection and UAV flight control / coordination, and real-time monitoring including high-precision positioning of objects for industrial applications. Target objects can have different properties, such as shape, size, speed, distance, position, orientation, material type, color, temperature, heartbeat, pitch, yaw and / or roll.

[0005] In sensing, a distinction is made between surveillance mode and tracking mode. In surveillance mode, the purpose of sensing is to detect the presence of a target object, typically involving detecting one or more of the object's properties, such as its position. In tracking mode, the purpose of sensing is to follow the trajectory of a sensed target object, typically requiring estimation of the object's velocity, changes therein, and its direction of movement.

[0006] For example, a base station (BS) and / or a conventional mobile terminal, i.e., a UE (User Equipment), can be used as a JCAS node. For example, a base station can communicate with a conventional mobile terminal while simultaneously sensing / detecting one or more objects. At least one JCAS node transmits a radio signal, which is reflected by a nearby object. The reflected signal is received by at least one JCAS node and can be processed to detect properties of the object, such as the properties described above.

[0007] A survey of different techniques for implementing JCAS is provided in the paper "Enabling Joint Communication and Radar Sensing in Mobile Networks—A Survey" by JAZhang et al., IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 306–345, published in Q1 2022. Regarding the design of the radio signal used for sensing, the following options typically exist:

[0008] 1. Dedicated sensing signals are designed for sensing purposes and multiplexed with other sensing and / or communication signals in the code, time, frequency, and / or spatial domains. The advantage of this option is that the waveform is optimized for detection purposes, which ultimately leads to higher sensing performance. The disadvantage of this option is that the same signal cannot be used for both communication and sensing purposes, which may result in higher resource consumption (e.g., time, frequency, or power) than options 2 and 3.

[0009] 2. The same (new) radio signal (waveform) is designed for both communication and sensing purposes, jointly considering the requirements for communication and sensing. This option has the advantage of lower implementation complexity compared to designing and implementing both dedicated sensing signals and dedicated communication signals. Using such a signal (waveform) can also result in relatively high resource efficiency when the signal is used for both communication and sensing purposes, as no resources need to be dedicated to the dedicated sensing signal. The disadvantage of this option compared to Option 1 is that both communication and sensing performance are compromised, as the requirements for communication and sensing are significantly different.

[0010] 3. Conventional communication radio signals (waveforms) designed for communication purposes are used for both communication and sensing purposes. The advantage of this option is that the waveform used is optimized for the communication task; there is no need to design a new waveform for sensing purposes. Since existing communication systems such as 5G and Wi-Fi can be used, existing hardware / devices can be used (with possible software updates). The advantage of this option over using both dedicated sensing signals and dedicated communication signals is that resource efficiency is relatively high when the signals are used for both communication and sensing purposes, because no resources need to be dedicated to the dedicated sensing signal. The disadvantage of this option over options 2 and 3 is possible suboptimal sensing performance because the communication signal is not designed / optimized for sensing purposes. In this option, for example, a common reference signal and / or a signal with a communication payload can be used for sensing purposes.

[0011] The dense deployment of cellular networks has fostered enormous sensing opportunities. In the aforementioned paper, “Enabling Joint Communication and Radar Sensing in Mobile Networks—A Survey,” different existing communication channels / signals in 5G NR are identified as suitable for sensing, such as reference signals (e.g., DL / UL DM-RS, UL SRS, DL CSI-RS), synchronization signals (e.g., DL SSB), and payload signals (e.g., DL PDSCH and UL PUSCH).

[0012] The techniques described in the aforementioned papers do not address selecting a subset of nodes for a given sensing task and do not recognize that using all available nodes for a given sensing task may not be ideal. Even when the same signal is used simultaneously for communication and sensing purposes, each receiving node may experience a reduction in communication performance; when receiving nodes are receiving wireless signals for sensing purposes, they cannot receive communication signals intended for them or transmit communication signals. Furthermore, because receiving nodes will typically transmit sensing reports wirelessly, they will need to use additional time-frequency resources, which may not only reduce their own communication performance, but also the communication performance of other nodes. These reductions in communication performance often reduce the efficiency of the joint communication and sensing system. Summary of the Invention

[0013] A first object of the present invention is to provide a system that can efficiently meet the requirements of both communication tasks and sensing tasks in a joint communication and sensing system.

[0014] A second object of the present invention is to provide a method that can be used to efficiently meet the requirements of both communication tasks and sensing tasks in a joint communication and sensing system.

[0015] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system for enabling sensing of one or more objects includes at least one processor configured to obtain sensing requirements for sensing the one or more objects, obtain communication requirements, obtain information about each node in the node set, select a group of nodes from the node set based on the sensing requirements, communication requirements and information about each node in the node set, command one or more nodes in the group of nodes to participate in sensing the one or more objects, at least one node in the group of nodes transmits a wireless signal, and at least one node in the group of nodes receives a wireless signal.

[0016] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain characteristics of a received wireless signal, the received wireless signal comprising a received version of a transmitted wireless signal, the received wireless signal reflecting an effect of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signal, and determine or enable another system to determine one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received wireless signal.

[0017] In order to efficiently meet the requirements of both communication tasks and sensing tasks, the system is able to select a (suitable) subset of a node set to perform a given sensing task. By selecting the set of nodes (e.g., BSs and UEs) based on sensing requirements, communication requirements, and information about each node in the node set, nodes can be selected so that time-frequency resources and / or transmission power and optional node (e.g., computing) resources are efficiently used while meeting the requirements of both communication tasks and sensing tasks (e.g., the requirements of ongoing communication / sensing tasks and one or more newly given sensing tasks). Because there is an inherent trade-off between sensing and communication using the same resources, it is beneficial to consider this trade-off and, for example, select nodes whose participation in the sensing task will significantly benefit sensing performance without costing too much in terms of communication performance. Operators of mobile communication networks can define how this trade-off should be achieved in operator policies.

[0018] At certain times, such as when there is no communication task, it may be sufficient to select the set of nodes based only on sensing requirements and information about each node in the set of nodes, and not based on communication requirements.

[0019] Sensing requirements may, for example, specify one or more of the following: one or more target areas, one or more target directions, one or more target object types, one or more target objects (e.g., one or more object identifiers), target object speed, target object size, and sensing performance requirements. For example, sensing performance requirements may specify requirements for sensing accuracy, sensing urgency, and / or sensing reliability. For example, sensing accuracy requirements may include target range resolution. For example, sensing reliability requirements may include a minimum probability of detection and a limit on a false alarm rate.

[0020] Transmissions can use dedicated sensing signals, waveforms designed for both communication and sensing, or waveforms not designed for sensing but solely for communication. The latter has the advantage that the communication signal, regardless of transmission, can be used for an additional purpose, namely, for the sensing task. On the other hand, when dedicated sensing signals are transmitted exclusively for a given sensing task, resources are explicitly consumed by the sensing task and, therefore, may not be available for one or more nodes to perform the communication task. It is beneficial to consider this when selecting a node subgroup. In this way, the impact of using dedicated sensing signals on other nodes can be reduced.

[0021] For example, the node may be a UE or a BS. The wireless signal may be received by a different node than the node that transmitted the wireless signal. A single node may be both a transmitting node and a receiving node. The physical attributes of one or more objects that are the target of the sensing task may include, for example, one or more of shape, size, speed, distance, position, orientation, material type, color, temperature, heartbeat, pitch, yaw, and roll. For example, the system may be a BS, a UE, or another system in a radio access network.

[0022] The information about each node in the set of nodes may indicate one or more of the following: node location, cell-specific antenna settings, cell-specific carrier frequency, cell load, a current set of reference signals that are effectively transmitted, maximum transmit power, receiver characteristics, and supported frequency bands. This information may include node characteristics and characteristics of the paths between nodes. For example, the latter may include the average channel gain on the radio link between the transmitting node and the receiving node. The average channel gain and cell load may be used to estimate whether the communication performance requirements can be met. The above is a non-exhaustive list of examples that may be used to determine communication performance and / or sensing performance in the process of selecting the set of nodes.

[0023] The at least one processor may be configured to assign each respective node in the set of nodes to a first set of transmitting nodes that transmits wireless signals and / or a second set of receiving nodes that receives wireless signals.

[0024] In some cases, it may not be necessary to assign a role to each selected node, for example because all UEs are only receiving nodes and all BSs are only transmitting nodes, or because all nodes are both receiving and transmitting nodes. However, by assigning a role to each selected node, better efficiency or better communication (and / or sensing) performance may be achieved. For example, using a certain BS as a transmitting node and a certain UE as a receiving node may result in better efficiency or performance than using a certain BS as a receiving node and a certain UE as a transmitting node. The assignment of roles can be performed while selecting the nodes.

[0025] The at least one processor may be configured to command a second set of receiving nodes to receive wireless signals for the (sole or additional) purpose of sensing one or more objects. If the roles are assigned by the system and only unmodulated wireless communication signals are transmitted, it may be sufficient if the system only commands the receiving nodes. Alternatively, the roles may not be assigned by the system. In this case, the roles of the nodes may be configured in the nodes, for example, a BS may only be able to act as a transmitting node, while a UE may only be able to act as a receiving node, or each node may be both a transmitting node and a receiving node (bi-static).

[0026] The at least one processor may be configured to command the first group of transmitting nodes to transmit wireless signals for the sole or additional purpose of sensing one or more objects. For example, it may be beneficial if the wireless signals include wireless communication signals and / or dedicated sensing signals that are adjusted for the purpose of sensing one or more objects. Compared to wireless communication signals transmitted solely for communication purposes, the wireless communication signals may be adjusted by adjusting their beam characteristics or by adjusting their scheduled frequency and time resources. For example, the repetition interval of the reference signal may be adjusted. If only unadjusted wireless communication signals are transmitted, it may not be necessary to command the transmitting node(s).

[0027] The at least one processor can be configured to form multiple candidate node combinations from a node set, each of the multiple node combinations includes a first subgroup and a second subgroup of the node set, the first subgroup is assigned the role of transmitting wireless signals, and the second subgroup is assigned the role of receiving wireless signals, based on information about each node in the node set, determine at least one communication performance of at least one communication task and at least one sensing performance of at least one sensing task for each combination in the multiple node combinations, based on at least one communication performance and at least one sensing performance, determine whether communication requirements and sensing requirements can be met for each combination in the multiple node combinations, based on one or more of at least one communication performance and at least one sensing performance, and based on whether communication requirements and sensing requirements can be met, select the node combination in the multiple node combinations as a group of nodes, and assign the first subgroup of the selected node combination to the first group, and assign the second subgroup of the selected node combination to the second group.

[0028] This makes it possible to take into account the inherent trade-off between sensing and communication in an appropriate manner (typically according to the network operator's policy). Any induced resource costs (e.g., codes, power, time, frequency) may result in a loss of communication performance due to the reduced availability of said resources for handling the communication task.

[0029] At certain times, such as when there is no communication task, it may be sufficient to determine only the sensing performance of the sensing task and not the communication performance of the communication task. In this case, the processor may determine whether a sensing requirement can be met for each of the multiple node combinations based on at least one sensing performance, and may select a node combination from the multiple node combinations as the group of nodes based on the at least one sensing performance and whether the sensing requirement can be met.

[0030] Typically, node selection is performed when a new sensing request arrives, based on the requirements of the new task and the requirements of any existing tasks. The existing tasks can be: (i) none; (ii) only communication tasks; (iii) only other sensing tasks; or (iv) a mix of communication tasks and other sensing tasks.

[0031] The at least one processor can be configured to determine the sensing performance by determining, for each node combination in the plurality of node combinations and for each sensing task in the at least one sensing task, a detection probability based on the roles assigned to the nodes in the node combination. For example, a node combination can be selected that has at least a minimum required detection probability, meets the communication requirements, and incurs the lowest processing cost. Alternatively, for example, a node combination can be selected that has the highest detection probability, meets the communication requirements, and optionally incurs at most a maximum processing cost.

[0032] The at least one processor may be configured to determine, for each respective node combination in the plurality of node combinations, a processing cost at a second subset of the respective node combination based on information about each node in the set of nodes, and further select the node combination as the set of nodes based on the processing cost. For example, the processing cost may be determined based on one or more of: whether the node is a BS or a UE, whether the node is active or idle, the processing load of the node, the sensing capability of the node, and the battery level of the node. Typically, each receiving node participating in sensing faces a processing cost, which is an additional reason why using all available nodes for a given sensing task may not be ideal.

[0033] The at least one processor may be configured to select a plurality of candidate nodes from the set of nodes based on information about each node in the set of nodes, and to select the group of nodes from the plurality of candidate nodes based on the sensing requirements, the communication requirements, and the information. If selecting the group of nodes from the plurality of candidate nodes based on the sensing requirements, the communication requirements, and the information involves complex computations, such as as part of an optimization algorithm, whose complexity increases with the number of nodes considered, it may be beneficial to pre-filter the set of nodes and perform the complex computations only with respect to a more limited number of candidate nodes.

[0034] For example, the information about each node in the set of nodes may indicate the willingness and / or ability of the corresponding node to participate in sensing of one or more objects and / or indicate the proximity of the corresponding node to a target area, the target area being specified in the sensing requirement, and the at least one processor may be configured to select a plurality of candidate nodes based on the willingness and / or ability of the node to participate in sensing and / or based on the proximity of the node to the target area. In the latter case, for example, a node may only be included as a candidate node if its coverage area (transmission and / or reception) has or is estimated to have at least a certain amount of overlap with the target area.

[0035] In a second aspect of the present invention, a node for participating in sensing of one or more objects may include at least one processor, which is configured to receive instructions to participate in sensing one or more objects from a system for enabling sensing of one or more objects, and based on the instructions, transmit and / or receive wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects, the received wireless signals including received versions of the transmitted wireless signals, and the received wireless signals reflecting the impact of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signals.

[0036] The instructions may specify whether the node should transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects, and the at least one processor of the node may be configured to transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive wireless signals depending on the instructions.

[0037] In a third aspect of the present invention, a method for enabling sensing of one or more objects includes: obtaining sensing requirements for sensing the one or more objects; obtaining communication requirements; obtaining information about each node in a set of nodes; selecting a set of nodes from the set of nodes based on the sensing requirements, the communication requirements, and the information about each node in the set of nodes; and commanding one or more nodes in the set of nodes to participate in sensing the one or more objects, at least one node in the set of nodes transmitting a wireless signal, and at least one node in the set of nodes receiving a wireless signal. The method may be performed by software running on a programmable device. This software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0038] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method for participating in sensing of one or more objects includes receiving an instruction from a system for enabling sensing of one or more objects to participate in sensing the one or more objects, and based on the instruction, transmitting and / or receiving a wireless signal for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects, wherein the received wireless signal includes a received version of the transmitted wireless signal, and the received wireless signal reflects the impact of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signal. The method can be performed by software running on a programmable device. This software can be provided as a computer program product.

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

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

[0041] The executable operations include obtaining sensing requirements for sensing the one or more objects, obtaining communication requirements, obtaining information about each node in the node set, selecting a group of nodes from the node set based on the sensing requirements, the communication requirements and the information about each node in the node set, and commanding one or more nodes in the group of nodes to participate in sensing the one or more objects, at least one node in the group of nodes transmitting a wireless signal, and at least one node in the group of nodes receiving a wireless signal.

[0042] A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores at least a second software code portion that, when executed or processed by a computer, is configured to perform executable operations for engaging in sensing of one or more objects.

[0043] The executable operations include receiving instructions from a system for enabling sensing of one or more objects to participate in sensing the one or more objects, and based on the instructions, transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects, wherein the received wireless signals include received versions of the transmitted wireless signals, and the received wireless signals reflect the impact of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signals. The method can be performed by software running on a programmable device. This software can be provided as a computer program product.

[0044] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as an apparatus, method, or computer program product. Thus, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment of a combination of software and hardware aspects, which may all generally be referred to herein as "circuits," "modules," or "systems." The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as algorithms executed by a processor / microprocessor of a computer. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied (e.g., stored) thereon.

[0045] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0046] A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal having computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0047] The program code embodied in the computer-readable medium can use any suitable medium to transmit, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, cable, RF etc. or any suitable combination mentioned above.The computer program code for performing the operation of aspect of the present invention can be written with any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages (such as Java (TM), Smalltalk, C++ etc.) and conventional process programming languages (such as " C " programming languages or similar programming languages).Program code can be performed on the user's computer completely, partly on the user's computer, performed as an independent software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or performed completely on a remote computer or server.In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer by any type of network (including local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, by using the Internet of an Internet service provider) and can be carried out.

[0048] Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It will be understood that each frame of the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor (particularly a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU)) of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine so that instructions executed via the processor of the computer, other programmable data processing devices or other devices create components for implementing the function / action specified in one or more frames of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0049] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which can direct a computer, other programmable data processing device, or other apparatus to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0050] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing device or other apparatus to cause a series of operating steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable device or other apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0051] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of the apparatus, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing (one or more) specified logical functions.

[0052] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions annotated in the blocks may not occur in the order annotated in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified functions or actions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be further elucidated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0054] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method of enabling sensing of one or more objects;

[0055] Figure 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method of engaging in sensing of one or more objects;

[0056] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of a method of enabling sensing of one or more objects;

[0057] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a method of enabling sensing of one or more objects;

[0058] Figure 5 An example of using Figure 4 Selection of candidate nodes by the method;

[0059] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a fifth embodiment of the method;

[0060] Figure 7 An example is given in Figure 6 Determination of the probability of detection in a first implementation of the method;

[0061] Figure 8 An example is given in Figure 6 Determination of the probability of detection in a second implementation of the method;

[0062] Figure 9 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the system;

[0063] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the system; and

[0064] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for executing the method of the present invention.

[0065] Corresponding elements in the figures are denoted by the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] Figure 1A first embodiment of a method for enabling sensing of one or more objects is shown. In this embodiment, the steps of the method are performed by a single system. Step 101 includes obtaining sensing requirements for sensing one or more objects. Sensing requirements generally relate to any ongoing sensing tasks and, if applicable, to newly requested sensing tasks. The sensing requirements may specify, for example, one or more of the following: one or more target regions, one or more target directions, one or more target object types, one or more target objects (e.g., one or more object identifiers), target object speed, target object size, and sensing performance requirements. For example, the sensing performance requirements may specify requirements for sensing accuracy, sensing urgency, and / or sensing reliability. For example, the sensing accuracy requirements may include target range resolution. For example, the sensing reliability requirements may include the minimum probability of detection and a limit on the false alarm rate.

[0067] In an implementation, the sensing requirements include a task description and performance requirements. The task description may indicate "where" (e.g., in a well - defined area around Amsterdam), "when" (e.g., between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. today), and "what" (e.g., a flying drone / measurement device [H (height), B (width), L (length)], where H MIN <H<H MAX ,B MIN <B<B MAX ,L MIN <L<L MAX ). For example, the sensing performance requirements may stipulate that the target object be detected within x seconds of entering the area or starting the sensing task, the probability of successful detection > y, and / or the false alarm rate < z. The specific values of these parameters (related to the task description and performance requirements) may be provided by an external application.

[0068] The sensing requirements may, for example, relate to a monitoring mode or a tracking mode:

[0069] ● In the monitoring mode, the purpose of sensing is to detect the presence of a target object, usually including one or more of the above - mentioned object attributes, such as its location. Possible sensing requirements include detection range, detection accuracy, and detection speed (required time), where for any target attribute of the object, such a requirement may be imposed separately.

[0070] ● In the tracking mode, the purpose of sensing is to follow the trajectory of the sensed target object, usually requiring an estimate of the object's speed, changes therein, and its direction of movement. Possible sensing requirements include maximum detectable speed, granularity of speed detection, and direction of movement, where for any target attribute of the object or the object's trajectory, such a requirement may be imposed separately.

[0071] Both surveillance mode and tracking mode can be enhanced by further determining the shape and orientation of the target object being detected / tracked. Possible sensing requirements here are orientation accuracy and shape accuracy.

[0072] Step 103 includes obtaining communication requirements, such as requirements regarding throughput, latency, and / or reliability levels. The communication requirements typically relate to any ongoing communication tasks and, if applicable, to newly requested communication tasks. Step 105 includes obtaining information about each node in the node set. This information may include static parameters and / or dynamic parameters. Two non-exhaustive lists of selected examples are provided below:

[0073] Static parameters:

[0074] BS / cell location

[0075] Cell-specific azimuth / tilt / antenna aspect / maximum transmit power

[0076] BS sensing (tx / rx) capabilities

[0077] ●Carrier frequency and bandwidth allocated to the cell

[0078] ●Cell receiver sensitivity / noise figure / other characteristics

[0079] Dynamic parameters:

[0080] ● Current cell transmission / processing load of communication / sensing tasks and associated service requirements

[0081] ● The current set of effectively transmitted CSI-RS for each cell

[0082] ● The set of currently existing UEs and their characteristics (since the existence of UEs is dynamic, all UE-specific parameters are considered dynamic), e.g.

[0083] -UE location

[0084] - Current UE transmission / processing load of communication / sensing tasks and associated services

[0085] Require

[0086] -UE sensing (tx / rx) capabilities

[0087] - Frequency bands supported by the UE

[0088] -UE receiver sensitivity / noise figure / other characteristics

[0089] -Active / Idle mode (UE)

[0090] -UE battery level

[0091] Battery level of the battery-power cell

[0092] Steps 101, 103 and 105 may be performed during an information collection phase. Other information may also be collected during this information collection phase, such as (usual) CSI feedback from the UE.

[0093] Step 107 comprises selecting a group of nodes from the set of nodes based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101, the communication requirements obtained in step 103, and the information about each node in the set of nodes obtained in step 105. If the node selected in step 107 is a base station, and this base station provides coverage for multiple cells, then one of these multiple cells may also be selected in step 107.

[0094] Typically, node selection is performed upon arrival of a new sensing request based on the requirements of the new task and the requirements of any existing tasks. Existing tasks may be: (i) none; (ii) only communication tasks; (iii) only other sensing tasks; or (iv) a mix of communication tasks and other sensing tasks. If there are no communication tasks at a given moment, step 103 may be skipped at that moment, and a node may then be selected based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101 and the information about each node in the node set obtained in step 105, without any communication requirements.

[0095] Step 109 includes instructing one or more nodes in the group of nodes to participate in sensing one or more objects.At least one node in the group of nodes will transmit a wireless signal, and at least one node in the group of nodes will receive a wireless signal.

[0096] Optionally, the method further includes steps 111 and 113. Step 111 includes scheduling frequency and time resources for transmission of wireless signals and / or determining beam characteristics of beams based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101 and the communication requirements obtained in step 103. For example, the wireless signals may include communication payload data. Step 111 may include, for example, determining beam widths and / or beam directions and / or transmit powers of one or more beams based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101 and the communication requirements obtained in step 103.

[0097] Step 113 comprises transmitting the wireless signal, for example, on the scheduled frequency and time resources scheduled in step 111 and / or via the beam having the beam characteristics determined in step 111. As mentioned above, generally speaking, regarding the design of the radio signal, there are the following options:

[0098] 1. Dedicated sensing signals are used for sensing purposes and may be multiplexed with other sensing and / or communication signals in time, frequency, code and / or space domains.

[0099] 2. The same (new) radio signal (waveform) is designed for both communication and sensing purposes, taking into account the requirements of communication and sensing jointly.

[0100] 3. Conventional communication radio signals which were transmitted for the purpose of a specific communication task or as, for example, reference / control signals in support of a communication task are additionally used for the purpose of a sensing task, possibly in a modified form.

[0101] In step 111, a selection is made among available signal options, such as using an available communication signal and optionally using a dedicated sensing signal. Optionally, if steps 111 and 113 are omitted, steps 115 and 117 are performed after step 113 or after step 109. Step 115 includes obtaining characteristics of a received wireless signal, the received wireless signal including a received version of a transmitted wireless signal and the received wireless signal reflecting the influence of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signal. Characteristics of a received wireless signal that does not include a received version of a transmitted wireless signal or that does not reflect the influence of one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signal do not need to be obtained in step 115.

[0102] Step 117 comprises determining or enabling another system to determine one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received wireless signal as obtained in step 115. By transmitting sensing data including the characteristics of the received signal obtained in step 115 to another system in step 117, the other system may be enabled to determine the one or more physical properties. The physical properties of the one or more objects may include, for example, one or more of shape, size, speed, distance, position, orientation, material type, color, temperature, heartbeat, pitch, yaw, and roll. If steps 115 and 117 are omitted, they may be performed by another system, such as a sensing application function (which will be related to the Figure 10 to describe it). In addition, Figure 3 、 4 One or more steps of one or more embodiments of the embodiment 6 may be added to Figure 1 In the embodiment of .

[0103] Figure 2 An embodiment of a method for participating in sensing of one or more objects is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the steps of the method are performed by a single node. Step 121 includes receiving an instruction to participate in sensing of one or more objects from a system for enabling sensing of one or more objects. For example, this system may be a system that performs Figure 1system of methods.

[0104] The instructions may specify whether the node should transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects. If the node is configured to always transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects, the instructions need not specify this.

[0105] Step 123 includes transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects based on the instructions received in step 121. The wireless signals received in step 123 include received versions of the transmitted wireless signals, the received wireless signals reflecting the effects of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signals. Other wireless signals ( Figure 2 not shown).

[0106] If step 123 includes receiving wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects, optional step 125 may be performed. Step 125 includes determining, or enabling the system or another system to determine, one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on characteristics of the wireless signals received in step 123. The system or another system may be enabled to determine the one or more physical properties by transmitting, in step 125, sensing data including characteristics of the signals received in step 123 to the (another) system.

[0107] Figure 3 A second embodiment of a method of enabling sensing of one or more objects is shown in FIG. Figure 3 The second embodiment is Figure 1 An extension of the first embodiment. Figure 3 In the embodiment of Figure 1 Step 141 is performed between steps 107 and 109, and step 143 is implemented Figure 1 Step 109.

[0108] Step 141 includes assigning each corresponding node in the set of nodes selected in step 107 to a first set of transmitting nodes and / or a second set of receiving nodes. The first set of transmitting nodes will transmit wireless signals, and the second set of receiving nodes will receive wireless signals. Step 143 includes instructing the second set of receiving nodes, as identified in step 141, to receive wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects.

[0109] Optionally, step 143 includes instructing the first group of transmitting nodes, as identified in step 141, to transmit wireless signals for the sole or additional purpose of sensing one or more objects. For example, when the wireless signals include wireless communication signals adapted for the purpose of sensing one or more objects (e.g., in optional steps 111 and 113, as described with respect to Figure 1 The latter is beneficial when the sensor is used as described) and / or when a dedicated sensing signal is used. Figure 4 and 6 One or more steps of one or more embodiments of the present invention may be added to Figure 3 In the embodiment of .

[0110] Figure 4 A third embodiment of a method of enabling sensing of one or more objects is shown in FIG. Figure 4 The third embodiment is Figure 1 An extension of the first embodiment. Figure 4 In the embodiment of Figure 1 After step 105 has been executed, Figure 1 Before step 107 is executed, step 151 is executed, and Figure 1 Step 107 is implemented by step 153.

[0111] Step 151 includes selecting a plurality of candidate nodes from the set of nodes based on the information about each node in the set of nodes as obtained in step 105. Step 153 includes selecting the group of nodes from the plurality of candidate nodes selected in step 151 based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101, the communication requirements obtained in step 103, and the information obtained in step 105.

[0112] In step 151, a candidate set (shortlist) of nodes (BSs and / or UEs) is derived, for example, based on network planning data. This reduces the complexity of the optimization problem typically solved in step 153. The more extensive the list of candidate nodes, the more difficult the optimization (selection) problem in step 153, but the final node selection is also likely to be better, and thus the sensing accuracy is higher (e.g., the ambiguity is lower) and / or the resource cost is lower. Therefore, it is preferable that the candidate node set is too large rather than too small.

[0113] The information obtained in step 105 may, for example, indicate the willingness and / or ability of the corresponding node to participate in sensing of one or more objects, and / or indicate the proximity of the corresponding node to the target area specified in the sensing request. For example, the information obtained in step 105 may specify the sensing (transmission / reception) capabilities of the BS and UE (based on which this capability can be determined), and / or specify the BS / cell and / or UE location (based on which this proximity can be determined). Considering the sensing capabilities in step 151 allows for immediate filtering out of incapable nodes.

[0114] Step 151 may then include selecting a plurality of candidate nodes based on the willingness and / or ability of the nodes to participate in sensing and / or based on the proximity of the nodes to the target area. If a base station is selected in step 151, one or more associated cells may also be selected in step 151. For example, one cell of the base station may be close enough to the target area, while another cell of the base station may not be close enough to the target area.

[0115] In a relatively simple implementation of step 151 , candidate nodes are selected based solely on their location relative to the target area and optionally on their sensing capabilities. Figure 5 The example of FIG shows five base stations 11-15, their respective coverage areas 51-55, three active UEs 31-33, four idle UEs 71-74, and a target sensing area 59. Figure 5 In the example of , each base station provides coverage to a single cell. In this example, base stations 11, 12, 14 and 15 are selected as candidates because base station 13 provides negligible coverage in the target sensing area 59.

[0116] In addition, Figure 5 In the example of , all UEs (active or idle) located within the target sensing area 59 are marked as candidates, namely UEs 31, 32, 72 and 74. In addition, UEs outside the boundary of the target sensing area 59 but close to the boundary of the target sensing area 59 can also be considered as candidates, for example, only when they are needed to contribute to fully covering the target sensing area 59. For example, UE 71 can be additionally selected as a candidate node. UE 33 can be considered not to need to contribute to fully covering the target sensing area 59 and is therefore omitted from the candidate selection. UE 73 can be considered not to be close to the target sensing area 59 and is therefore omitted from the candidate selection. The positions of active UEs can be known or estimated based on recent data, while the positions of idle UEs can be estimated based on historical data (for example, fixed or relatively slow-moving UEs).

[0117] Dedicated sensing signals may impact communication performance and may consume additional resources. If supported, it may be beneficial to avoid their use where possible. Alternatively, wireless signals with communication payloads and / or communication reference signals may be used for both communication and sensing purposes. In this case, the probability of detecting a target object in the target sensing area 59 depends at least on the location of the node and, optionally, on the overlap between the coverage area of the payload and reference signals and the target area 59.

[0118] Figure 56 shows the coverage areas 66-68 of the three cell-specific SSB signals and the coverage areas 61-63 of the three CSI-RS signals received by UEs 31-33, respectively. Not all SSB beams in the SSB beam grid are necessarily considered for sensing. This may depend on their beam-specific overlap with the target sensing area 59. Figure 5 In the example of , the SSB from base station 11 corresponding to coverage area 66 can be excluded.

[0119] In a more advanced implementation of step 151, the degree of coverage overlap of the reference signal with the target sensing area 59 is considered when selecting a candidate. In addition to the degree of overlap between the target sensing area 59 and the coverage area of the SSB and CSI-RS signals transmitted by the base station, the degree of overlap between the target sensing area 59 and the coverage area of the SRS signal transmitted by the UE may also be considered. These coverage areas may be approximated as circles of a certain radius around the UE location ( Figure 5 In addition, Figure 3 and 6 One or more steps of one or more embodiments of the present invention may be added to Figure 4 In the embodiment of .

[0120] exist Figure 4 In the preferred embodiment, static and dynamic parameters of all nodes in the node set are obtained in step 105 before selecting a candidate node in step 151. In an alternative embodiment, all parameters necessary for performing step 151 are obtained for all nodes in the node set in step 105, and in an additional step performed between steps 151 and 153, all additional parameters necessary for performing step 153 are obtained only for the candidate node.

[0121] Figure 6 A fourth embodiment of a method of enabling sensing of one or more objects is shown in FIG. Figure 6 The fourth embodiment is Figure 1 An extension of the first embodiment. Figure 6 In the embodiment, Figure 1 Step 107 is implemented by steps 171, 173, 175 and 177, and is similar to Figure 3 In the embodiment, step 141 is performed between steps 107 and 109, and the step 141 is performed by Figure 6 Step 179 in the embodiment is implemented.

[0122] Step 171 includes forming a plurality of candidate node combinations from the node set. Each combination in the plurality of node combinations includes a first subgroup and a second subgroup of the node set. The first subgroup is assigned the role of transmitting wireless signals, and the second subgroup is assigned the role of receiving wireless signals. If Figure 6 Examples and Figure 4 The candidate node combination only includes Figure 4 The candidate node selected in step 151.

[0123] First, a set of transmitters, denoted M, and a set of receivers, denoted N, may be determined based on the sensing capabilities of the nodes. These sensing capabilities may exclude certain roles of the nodes, for example, a node may only be able to act as a receiver. In step 171, the carrier frequencies allocated to the cell and the frequency bands supported by the UE may be considered, since the selected carrier frequency must be supported at both the transmitter and the receiver(s); the UE cannot be assigned a transmit or receive role on a carrier in an unsupported frequency band.

[0124] In step 171, for each possible subgroup and every possible subgroup Node combinations are formed. For example, when different configurations are evaluated for one or more of the nodes, multiple node combinations may exist with the same node. As a first example, a first cell of a base station may be considered in a first node combination, while a second cell of the same base station may be considered in a second node combination. As a second example, a base station transmits a dedicated sensing signal in a first node combination but does not transmit a dedicated sensing signal in a second node combination.

[0125] Step 173 includes determining, for each of the plurality of node combinations, at least one communication capability of at least one communication task and at least one sensing capability of at least one sensing task based on the information about each node in the node set obtained in step 105. For example, the communication and sensing capabilities may be determined for all ongoing tasks and for any new tasks. For example, steps 101-109 may be repeated each time a new task is added, and optionally each time a task is removed.

[0126] If there is no communication task at a certain moment, performing step 173 at that moment may involve determining at least one sensing performance of at least one sensing task for each combination of multiple node combinations based on the information about each node in the node set obtained in step 105, without determining any communication performance.

[0127] In step 173, a sensing performance may be determined by determining a detection probability for each of the plurality of node combinations and for each of the at least one sensing task based on the roles assigned to the nodes in the node combination. The sensing performance may be equal to the detection probability, or may be a measure of the detection probability integrated under some conditions related to, for example, a false alarm rate, sensing accuracy, and / or sensing time.

[0128] To determine the probability of detection, the BS / cell and UE locations may be considered, as the locations of the BS / cell and UE relative to the potential location of the sensing object will affect the propagation loss, S(I)NR estimate, and therefore the probability of detection. To determine the probability of detection, the cell-specific azimuth / tilt / antenna orientation / maximum transmit power and the carrier frequency assigned to the cell may be considered, as these parameters affect the propagation loss, S(I)NR estimate, and therefore the probability of detection. To determine the probability of detection, the sensitivity / noise figure / other characteristics of the cell / UE receiver may be considered, as these parameters affect the S(I)NR estimate and therefore the probability of detection.

[0129] The probability of detection can be calculated by first applying the radar equations at the pixel level (part of the target sensing area) and then integrating these equations over the target sensing area. An example of how the probability of detection can be calculated is given below. To estimate the probability of detection, the target sensing area is divided into a set of non-overlapping pixels in two or three-dimensional space, depending on the dimension of the target sensing area, such as Figure 7 As shown in .

[0130] Apart from Figure 5 In addition to base stations 11-12 and 14-15 and UEs 31-33 and 72, Figure 7 A 3D pixel 81 at a certain position in the target sensing area is also shown. The detection probability of each node combination can be first estimated for each pixel of the target sensing area as follows:

[0131] i. Calculate / estimate from N s The distances between all receivers and the target 3D pixel (R R,j )

[0132] ii. Calculation / estimation from M s The distance between all teleporters and 3D pixels (R T,i )

[0133] iii. Calculate / estimate the received signal power for all pairs:

[0134]

[0135] in And j∈{1,...,card(N s )},as well as

[0136]

[0137]

[0138] iv. Considering the combined SNR of the total number of receivers and transmitters in a given group also depends on whether the signals are (a) coherently combined or (b) non-coherently combined.

[0139] ■ Assuming a fully synchronized system operating in a coherent manner, the combined SNR (for a particular pixel and a given set of transmitters and receivers) is given by

[0140]

[0141] ■ Alternatively, combining the signals in a non-coherent manner will produce a slightly lower overall SNR (for a particular pixel and a given set of transmitters and receivers) given by

[0142]

[0143] in,

[0144] k Boltzmann constant <![CDATA[T s ]]> Equivalent system temperature <![CDATA[B j ]]> (Noise) bandwidth at the jth receiver

[0145] v. Convert the total SNR to detection probability (using a graph of detection probability versus SNR)

[0146] In the above calculations (of the detection probability), it is assumed that the signals (e.g., IQ samples, plot-level information) from all receivers are made available for aggregation at the sensing fusion center. There are different ways of calculating the detection probability, which may be appropriate in some scenarios, such as when there are no signals (IQ samples) from all receivers at the fusion center and the receivers are able to process the sensing information locally. For example, by assuming that the receivers independently determine the receiver-specific detection probability, P detection，j The above steps can be used to calculate. However, in this case, the equations in steps (iii) and (iv-a) need to be appropriately adjusted, i.e. S i,j →S i , σ i,j →σ i , ∑ j ∑ i →∑ i ,∑ j →1 can be calculated as: P detection =1-Π j∈Ns (1-P detection，j ),For example This strategy assumes that a single detection is sufficient. Other strategies are also possible.

[0147] The center wavelength, the transmit power of the i-th transmitter, the antenna gain, the form factor, the loss, the distance, the equivalent system temperature, and the (noise) bandwidth at the j-th receiver used in the above calculations can be determined based on the information obtained in step 105. Typically, the receiver manufacturer specifies the system noise temperature (or an equivalent noise figure / factor, which can be converted to the noise temperature, Fs=1+Ts / 290). The (bistatic) RCS of a given pair (i, j) can be determined based on the sensing requirements obtained in step 101. For example, the sensing requirements may indicate the average / minimum / range of the value(s) of the RCS for a given sensing task. Tables with average RCS values for certain objects (such as people and aircraft) exist in the literature.

[0148] Under the assumption that certain beams are transmitted, the received signal power of each transmitter and receiver pair is calculated / estimated in step iii). These beams may include beams for transmitting wireless signals with communication payloads, beams for transmitting reference signals (e.g., SSB, CSI-RS, and / or SRS), and / or beams for transmitting dedicated sensing signals. The antenna gain and / or loss can be determined based on the beam characteristics of these beams. Even if the transmitter transmits a dedicated sensing signal, the antenna gain and loss will typically vary between pixels in the target sensing area.

[0149] Apart from Figure 5 In addition to base stations 11, 14 and 15 and UEs 31-33 and 74, Figure 8 Also shown is a 3D pixel 81 at a location in the target sensing area 59 . Figure 8 Also shown Figure 5 The three cell-specific SSB signals cover areas 66-68 and Figure 5 If base station 11 is selected as the sensing transmitter and UE 31 is selected as the sensing receiver, the detection probability of 3D pixel 81 can be calculated for the time when base station 11 transmits a wireless signal with a communication payload, a CSI-RS signal with coverage area 61, or an SSB signal with coverage area 67.

[0150] Once the pixel-specific detection probabilities have been estimated, the overall probability of detection for the entire target sensing area is determined, for example, by directly averaging the pixel-specific detection probabilities. Alternatively, a weighted average may be used, for example, where the target object is more likely to appear near the center of the target sensing area and therefore more importantly where the detection probabilities in more centrally located pixels are high.

[0151] Preferably, for an observation window in which detection of the object(s) may be attempted multiple times, the total probability of detection for the entire target sensing area is estimated. The probability of detection then increases with the number of attempts, since each additional attempt gives an additional chance for successful sensing. n (estimated probability of trying n), 1-(1-p1)*(1-p2)*…*(1-p N ) can be used as the estimated probability after N attempts. If a receiver receives a first beam with first beam characteristics from a transmitter at a first moment, and receives a second beam with second beam characteristics from this transmitter at a second moment, the detection probability will likely be different.

[0152] For example, the communication performance can be estimated based on the average channel gain on the radio link between the transmitting node and the receiving node and based on the cell load. This communication performance may be degraded if a node loses a transmission opportunity due to being assigned the role of a sensing receiver, i.e., when a BS acts as a sensing receiver in a downlink timeslot or a UE acts as a sensing receiver in an uplink timeslot. When a node is listening to wireless signals for sensing purposes, it cannot transmit wireless signals for communication purposes.

[0153] Communication performance may be degraded based on the impact of a lost transmission opportunity. For example, the impact of a lost transmission opportunity may depend on cell load, traffic priority, and / or latency tolerance. Communication performance may also be degraded when a node is commanded to transmit a dedicated sensing signal or a modified communication payload or reference signal for sensing purposes.

[0154] When determining the impact of supporting a new sensing task on communication performance, the current set of actively transmitted CSI-RS for each cell may be considered, for example, to determine whether the cell will require a currently inactive CSI-RS signal or a dedicated sensing signal to cover an area that is currently not covered, and thus will require additional transmission resources. When determining the impact of supporting a new sensing task on communication performance, the UE mode (active or idle) may also be considered, since an idle UE requires additional signaling and therefore transmission resources to participate in the sensing task.

[0155] Optionally, step 173 further includes determining, for each respective node combination in the plurality of node combinations, a processing cost at the first subgroup of the respective node combination based on the information obtained in step 105. These processing costs may be determined, for example, based on one or more of the following parameters:

[0156] BS and UE sensing (tx / rx) capabilities

[0157] ● BS and UE processing capabilities

[0158] Battery levels and energy usage or efficiency of UE and BPU

[0159] • Processing load of the current UE / BS communication / sensing tasks - the current processing load may affect the amount of processing resources available to the node for the requested sensing tasks.

[0160] Step 175 includes determining, for each of the plurality of node combinations, whether the communication requirement obtained in step 103 and the sensing requirement obtained in step 101 can be met based on the at least one communication performance and the at least one sensing performance determined in step 173. Thus, step 175 includes comparing the at least one communication performance with the communication requirement and comparing the at least one sensing performance with the sensing requirement. Steps 175 and 177 may be combined.

[0161] If there is no communication task at a certain moment, executing step 175 at that moment may involve determining whether the sensing requirements obtained in step 101 can be met for each of the multiple node combinations based on the at least one sensing performance determined in step 173, without determining whether any communication requirements can be met.

[0162] Step 177 includes selecting a node combination from a plurality of node combinations as the group of nodes based on one or more of at least one communication performance and at least one sensing performance determined in step 173, based on whether the communication requirements and sensing requirements can be met as determined in step 175, and, if applicable, based on the processing cost determined in step 173.

[0163] If there is no communication task at a certain moment, executing step 177 at that moment may involve selecting a node combination from multiple node combinations as the group of nodes based on at least one sensing performance determined in step 173, based on whether the sensing requirements can be met as determined in step 175, and if applicable, based on the processing cost determined in step 173, without selecting the node combination based on any communication performance or based on whether any communication requirements can be met.

[0164] In step 177, the goal may be to find the optimal set M that complies with the applicable operator policy. s,opt and N s,opt , the applicable operator policy typically specifies the optimization of sensing and / or performance tasks under certain constraints.

[0165] Operator policies can take various forms. If the estimated communication performance of communication task j is expressed as QoS C，j The corresponding minimum requirement (or maximum allowed level in case it is a "lower is better" KPI) is expressed as QoS C，j*The estimated sensing performance of sensing task j is expressed as QoS S，j , and the corresponding minimum requirement (or maximum allowed level in case it is a "lower is better" KPI) is expressed as QoS S，j* In other words, the operator policy can be specified as follows:

[0166] ■Optimize the QoS of a single (communication or sensing) task (x, j) x，j , while considering the QoS of all other tasks (y, j) y，j* QoS y，j imposing conditions and optionally limiting the processing costs to a certain maximum level;

[0167] ■For all (communication or sensing) tasks (x, j), in QoS x，j ≥αQoS x，j* Maximize α under the condition of , while optionally imposing a constraint on the processing cost not exceeding a certain maximum level;

[0168] ■Maximize the weighted average of all QoS levels, that is, maximize β C，1 QoS C，1 +β C，2 QoS C,2 +...+β S, 1QoS S,1 +β S，2 QoS S,2 +..., while considering the QoS of all (communication or sensing) tasks (x, j) x，j* QoS x，j Conditions are imposed, optionally with a limit on the processing cost not exceeding some maximum level.

[0169] For example, QoS C，j It can be throughput, delay, reliability level or some combination thereof, while QoS S，j This could be a metric that integrates the probability of detection under some conditions related to false alarm rate, sensing accuracy, and / or sensing time. Combinations of the above are also possible. The above formula assumes that "higher is better" for each QoS metric. In the case of a "lower is better" QoS metric, such as a latency-based metric, the formula should be modified appropriately, for example by replacing the QoS metric and corresponding requirement with its inverse.

[0170] The above approach should yield a (near) optimal solution relative to the operator's policy. If sensing and communication performance is determined under the assumption that only unadjusted existing communication signals are used and no feasible solution is found or a solution with extremely high processing costs is found, additional actions may need to be taken, such as utilizing dedicated sensing signals or reconfiguring / adjusting existing communication signals. Such actions may degrade communication performance.

[0171] Step 179 includes assigning the first subset of the node combination selected in step 177, as formed in step 171, to the first group, and assigning the second subset of the node combination selected in step 177, as formed in step 171, to the second group. Step 109 includes commanding one or more nodes in the group of nodes to participate in sensing one or more objects. In addition, Figure 3 and Figure 4 One or more steps of one or more embodiments of the present invention may be added to Figure 6 In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , for example, step 109 may be performed by Figure 3 This is achieved by step 143.

[0172] Figure 9 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of a communication network comprising a system (system 1) for enabling sensing of one or more objects and nodes (base stations 11 and 12 and UEs 31-32 and 34-35) for participating in the sensing of one or more objects. In this first embodiment, the system 1 is separate from the base stations and UEs and may be located, for example, in a radio access network. For example, the base stations 11 and 12 may comprise multiple distributed units that share a common centralized unit in a centralized RAN (C-RAN) architecture. Figure 9 In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , three UEs 31 - 33 are connected to the base station 11 , and three UEs 34 - 36 are connected to the base station 12 .

[0173] System 1 includes a receiver 3, a transmitter 4, a processor 5, and a memory 7. Processor 5 is configured to obtain sensing requirements for sensing one or more objects (e.g., object 9), obtain communication requirements, obtain information about each node in a set of nodes, select a group of nodes from the set of nodes based on the sensing requirements, the communication requirements, and the information about each node in the set of nodes, and command one or more nodes in the set of nodes to participate in sensing the one or more objects, for example, via base stations 11 and 12. At least one node in the set of nodes will transmit a wireless signal, and at least one node in the set of nodes will receive a wireless signal.

[0174] exist Figure 9In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , base stations 11 and 12 each include a receiver 23, a transmitter 24, a processor 25, and a memory 27. Processor 25 is configured to receive instructions from system 1 via receiver 23 to participate in sensing one or more objects, and based on the instructions, transmit (via transmitter 24) and / or receive (via receiver 23) wireless signals for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects. The received wireless signals include received versions of the transmitted wireless signals. The received wireless signals reflect the effects of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signals.

[0175] exist Figure 9 In the embodiment of the present invention, each of the UEs 31-32 and 34-35 includes a receiver 43, a transmitter 44, a processor 45, and a memory 47. The processor 45 is configured to receive an instruction to participate in sensing one or more objects from the system 1 via the receiver 43, and based on the instruction, transmit (via the transmitter 44) and / or receive (via the receiver 43) wireless signals for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects. Among the received wireless signals, the wireless signals including the received version of the transmitted wireless signals reflecting the impact of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signals are relevant to the purpose of sensing.

[0176] exist Figure 9 In the example of , UE 33 and 36 have not been configured in a manner similar to UE 31-32 and 34-35, and system 1 cannot command UE 33 and 36 to participate in the sensing of one or more objects. However, base stations 11 and 12 and UE 31-32 and 34-35 can be commanded in such a way that they will receive wireless signals transmitted by UE 33 and 36. UE 33 and 36 can be selected as part of the group of nodes, but because they cannot be commanded, they can only be assigned a transmission role (in which they transmit unadjusted communication signals). If UE 33 and / or UE 36 are assigned a transmission role, they will not and do not need to modify their behavior. In an alternative example, as described with respect to base stations 11 and 12 and UE 31-32 and 34-35, all nodes selected by system 1 as part of the group of nodes are able to receive and execute instructions from system 1.

[0177] Instructions received by base stations 11-12 and UEs 31-32 and 34-35 from system 1 may specify whether a node should transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive wireless signals for the purpose of sensing one or more objects. Processors 25 of base stations 11-12 and processors 45 of UEs 31-32 and 34-35 may be configured to transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive wireless signals depending on the instructions.

[0178] exist Figure 9In the embodiment shown in , system 1 includes one processor. In an alternative embodiment, system 1 includes multiple processors. For example, processor 5 can be a general-purpose processor (e.g., an Intel or AMD processor) or a special-purpose processor. For example, processor 5 can include multiple cores. For example, processor 5 can run an operating system based on Unix or Windows. For example, memory 7 can include solid-state memory (e.g., one or more solid-state disks (SSDs) made of flash memory) or one or more hard disks.

[0179] The receiver 3 and transmitter 4 can communicate with the base stations 11 and 12 using one or more wired or wireless communication technologies. For example, the receiver 3 and transmitter 4 can communicate with other systems in the radio access network or in the core network using one or more communication technologies (wired or wireless). The receiver 3 and transmitter 4 can be combined in a transceiver. The system 1 can include other components typical of components in a mobile communication network, such as a power supply.

[0180] exist Figure 9 In the embodiment shown in , base stations 11 and 12 include one processor. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of base stations 11 and 12 include multiple processors. For example, the processors of base stations 11 and 12 can be general-purpose processors (e.g., Intel or AMD processors) or dedicated processors. For example, the processor can include multiple cores. For example, the processor can run an operating system based on Unix or Windows. For example, the memory 27 can include solid-state memory (e.g., one or more solid-state disks (SSDs) made of flash memory) or one or more hard disks.

[0181] The receiver 23 and the transmitter 24 may communicate with the UEs 31-36 using one or more wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, LTE, and / or 5G New Radio. For example, the receiver 23 and the transmitter 24 may communicate with other systems in the radio access network or in the core network using one or more communication technologies (wired or wireless). The receiver 23 and the transmitter 24 may be combined in a transceiver. The base station may include other components typical of components in a mobile communication network, such as a power supply. For example, in Figure 9 In the embodiment shown in , each of the base stations may comprise a single unit or central unit and one or more distributed units.

[0182] exist Figure 9In the embodiment shown in FIG, UEs 31-32 and 34-35 include a processor 45. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of UEs 31-32 and 34-35 include multiple processors. Processor 45 can be a general-purpose processor (e.g., an ARM or Qualcomm processor) or a dedicated processor. For example, processor 45 can run Google Android or Apple iOS as an operating system.

[0183] For example, the receiver 43 and transmitter 44 of the UEs 31-32 and 34-35 may communicate with a base station using one or more wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, LTE, and / or 5G New Radio. The receiver 43 and transmitter 44 may be combined in a transceiver. The UEs 31-32 and 34-35 may include other components typical of user equipment, such as a battery and / or a power connector.

[0184] Those skilled in the art may also refer to UE as a mobile station (MS), a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a wireless terminal, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal (AT), a mobile terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a terminal, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0185] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of a communication network including a system for enabling sensing of one or more objects and nodes for participating in the sensing of the one or more objects. Figure 10 A cellular network is shown, including a (cloud / distributed) radio access network ((C / D-)RAN) 221 and a core network (CN) 211. RAN 221 includes user equipment (UE) 223 and base stations (BS) 231. CN 211 includes various CN-specific functions, including a communication application function (C-AF) 214 and a sensing application function (S-AF) 213. These application functions (i.e., C-AF 214 and S-AF 213) are responsible for corresponding applications. For example, BS 231 may include multiple distributed units sharing a common centralized unit in a centralized RAN (C-RAN) architecture. Figure 10 Only one base station in the RAN 221 is shown, but the RAN 221 will typically include multiple base stations.

[0186] Upon receiving the trigger for this sensing task from the S-AF 213, the BS 231 is given the sensing task. The BS 231 then performs the sensing task by using the following different units / functions: Figure 1The method shown in FIG: information collector 235, node selector 238, radio resource manager 237, sensing data collector 234 and sensing data processor 233. Figure 10 In the embodiment of FIG2 , the information collector 235, the sensing data processor 233, and the node selector 238 reside inside the BS 231. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of these units / functions are implemented outside the BS 231, for example, in a separate device.

[0187] The information collector 235 is in the information collection phase (which includes Figure 1 In steps 101-105), information is collected from relevant entities in the network. The collected information may include the following:

[0188] • From the S-AF 213: Sensing requirements, such as target area, target direction, target object, sensing performance requirements, may be collected from the S-AF 213. In addition, sensing task priorities may also be specified by the network operator, for example, in operator policies.

[0189] From C-AF 214: Communication requirements, such as QoS requirements and service type, are collected from C-AF 214. Furthermore, communication task priorities may also be specified by the network operator, for example, in operator policies. These priorities should preferably be defined so that they have the correct relative meaning, e.g., sensing priority level 1 is considered a higher priority level than communication priority level 2. These sensing task priorities and communication task priorities can be used to decide, for example, to what extent to favor sensing performance at the expense of excessive communication performance (i.e., exceeding the minimum requirement), and vice versa.

[0190] CM and PM information from BS 231: For example, information indicating the location of BS 231, cell-specific antenna settings, cell-specific carrier frequency, cell load, the current set of reference signals actively transmitted, maximum transmit power, receiver characteristics, and the average channel gain on the radio link between two nodes can be included in CM (configuration management) or PM (performance management) data. CM and PM data can be stored and collected locally at BS 231, for example, in / from memory 236. Alternatively, CM and PM data for BS 231 is not stored locally, but rather stored on, for example, a "domain OAM server" or a "central OAM server."

[0191] ● From UE 223: For example, information indicating the UE location, UE receiver characteristics and frequency bands supported by the UE may be collected. The information collector 235 may rely on UE information already available at BS 231, which is collected for different purposes. Information collection may be event triggered (e.g. handover) or periodic. If the required information is not available at BS 231, the information collector 235 may transmit a request for new information (e.g. CSI) to all UEs or a selected group of UEs. In the latter case, the UEs may be selected with respect to their location, for example. For example, UEs (both active and idle) located in a target sensing area may be selected. Idle UEs may be triggered, for example, by broadcast messages from BS 231 and possibly other BSs.

[0192] ●From neighboring base stations ( Figure 10 CM and PM information (not shown): For example, information indicating the base station location, cell-specific antenna settings, cell-specific carrier frequency, cell load, the current set of actively transmitted reference signals, maximum transmit power, receiver characteristics, and the average channel gain on the radio link between two nodes can be collected from neighboring base stations. Neighboring base stations can be queried about the active UEs currently served by them.

[0193] ●From the network planning tool ( Figure 10 (not shown in FIG): In order to estimate the coverage overlap of a given cell and a target sensing area, the information collector 235 may be configured to obtain information from a network planning tool that can estimate such overlap.

[0194] For example, the information in the local area can be obtained from the local information 236, from the UE 223 and / or from neighboring base stations. Figure 1 The information about each node in the set of nodes is obtained in step 105. For example, this information can also be aggregated at the domain level and / or the center level. The information about each node in the set of nodes can indicate, for example, one or more of the following: node location, cell-specific antenna settings, cell-specific carrier frequency, cell load, a current set of effectively transmitted reference signals, maximum transmit power, receiver characteristics, supported frequency bands, and average channel gain on a radio link between two nodes.

[0195] If the information collector 235 is part of the BS 231, there are two main options for collecting information about sensing requirements from the S-AF 213, which are:

[0196] 1. The S-AF 213 pushes information to the BS 231 via the information collector 235. For example, for a specific sensing task, the S-AF 213 forwards the requirements to the pre-assigned BS (e.g., BS 231) to perform sensing. If there is an update to the requirements of the ongoing sensing task, the update can be pushed to the assigned BS, such as BS 231. This is the preferred option.

[0197] 2. Information is pulled from the S-AF 213 by the information collector 235, for example, the BS 231 may proactively / periodically check for required updates.

[0198] The sensory measurements collected by the sensory data collector 234 may be shared with the S-AF 213 (optionally via the information collector 235) as follows:

[0199] 1. The sensor data collector 234 shares the raw data, for example, if the BS 231 is a simple base station with insufficient processing power (e.g., Figure 10 In different embodiments, there is no dedicated sensing data processor 233, or when raw data from multiple base stations needs to be fused / combined or otherwise jointly processed. In this implementation, BS 231 enables S-AF 213 to determine one or more physical attributes of one or more sensed objects. In this implementation, S-AF 213 is a data processing system that determines one or more physical attributes of each of one or more objects based on characteristics of a received signal obtained by BS 231. For example, sensing data processor 233 may be included in S-AF 213 instead of BS 231.

[0200] 2. For example, if BS231 has sufficient processing power (for example, when there is Figure 10 ), or in the case of limited backhaul capacity, the sensing data processor 233 shares (semi-)processed data. In this implementation, the processor 233 of the BS 231 determines one or more physical properties of each of the one or more objects based on the characteristics of the received signal.

[0201] The interface between C-AF 214 and BS 231 can be 3GPP compliant (e.g., LTE, 5G). Considering 5G technology, assuming that a protocol data unit (PDU) session is already active, a device-terminated (in other words, network-initiated) QoS flow establishment has the following steps: (i) C-AF 214 first submits a flow establishment request to Policy Control Function (PCF) 215; PCF 215 acts as a coordinator in the flow establishment, and (ii) checks admissibility from the RAN perspective with BS 231 via Session Management Function (SMF) 216, and checks admissibility from the core network perspective with User Plane Function (UPF) 217. As part of this process, BS 231 will page the target UE (e.g., one of UE 223) to establish a signaling connection to help with the admissibility check. In the case of a device-initiated QoS flow establishment, the UE first establishes a signaling connection and then signals its QoS flow establishment request to the PCF 215 which again coordinates the process in the same way as for the case of establishing a device-terminated QoS flow.

[0202] Based on the collected information, the node selector 238 performs Figure 1 One of the selected nodes may be BS 231 itself. In this case, node selector 238 commands another component of BS 231. Optionally, radio resource manager 237 then performs the following steps by making scheduling and beam management decisions: Figure 1 Step 111 of the method. These decisions are used by BS231 to perform Figure 1 Next, the sensor data collector 234 performs Figure 1 Step 115, and then the sensor data processor 233 performs Figure 1 Step 117.

[0203] Figure 11 Depicted diagram can be executed as reference Figure 1-4 and a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for the method described in 6.

[0204] like Figure 11, data processing system 300 may include at least one processor 302 coupled to memory element 304 via a system bus 306. As such, the data processing system may store program code within memory element 304. In addition, processor 302 may execute program code accessed from memory element 304 via system bus 306. In one aspect, the data processing system may be implemented as a computer suitable for storing and / or executing program code. However, it will be appreciated that data processing system 300 may be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and memory capable of performing the functions described in this specification.

[0205] Memory element 304 may include one or more physical memory devices, such as, for example, local memory 308 and one or more mass storage devices 310. Local memory may refer to a random access memory or other (one or more) non-permanent memory device commonly used during the actual execution of the program code. Mass storage devices may be implemented as hard drives or other persistent data storage devices. Processing system 300 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some program code to reduce the number of times program code must be retrieved from mass storage devices 310 during execution.

[0206] Input / output (I / O) devices, depicted as input device 312 and output device 314, may optionally be coupled to the data processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, and the like. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, a monitor or display, speakers, and the like. Input and / or output devices may be coupled to the data processing system directly or through an intervening I / O controller.

[0207] In an embodiment, the input and output devices may be implemented as a combined input / output device (in Figure 11 314). An example of such a combined device is a touch-sensitive display, sometimes also referred to as a "touch screen display" or simply a "touch screen." In such an embodiment, input to the device can be provided by moving a physical object (such as, for example, a user's finger or a stylus) across or near the touch screen display.

[0208] A network adapter 316 may also be coupled to the data processing system to enable it to become coupled to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and / or remote storage devices through intervening private or public networks. The network adapter may include a data receiver for receiving data transmitted to data processing system 300 by the system, device, and / or network, as well as a data transmitter for transmitting data from data processing system 300 to the system, device, and / or network. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of different types of network adapters that may be used with data processing system 300.

[0209] like Figure 11 As depicted in FIG, memory element 304 may store applications 318. In various embodiments, applications 318 may be stored in local memory 308, one or more mass storage devices 310, or separate from local memory and mass storage devices. It should be appreciated that data processing system 300 may further execute an operating system ( Figure 11 318. The application 318, implemented in the form of executable program code, may be executed by the data processing system 300, for example, by the processor 302. In response to executing the application, the data processing system 300 may be configured to perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

[0210] Various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a program product for use with a computer system, wherein the program(s) of the program product define the functionality of the embodiment (including the methods described herein). In one embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various non-transitory computer-readable storage media, wherein, as used herein, the expression "non-transitory computer-readable storage media" includes all computer-readable media, with the only exception of temporary propagation signals. In another embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various temporary computer-readable storage media. Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., a read-only memory device within a computer, such as a CD-ROM disk, a ROM chip, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory that can be read by a CD-ROM drive); and (ii) writable storage media on which variable information is stored (e.g., flash memory, a floppy disk in a floppy disk drive, or a hard disk drive, or any type of solid-state random access semiconductor memory). The computer program may be run on the processor 302 described herein.

[0211] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "includes," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0212] The corresponding structures, materials, actions, and equivalents of all parts or step plus function elements in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material, or action for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the embodiments of the present invention has been presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the implementation of the disclosed forms. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. The embodiments are selected and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and some practical applications, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present invention as suitable for the intended specific use for various embodiments with various modifications.

Claims

1. A system (1, 231) for enabling sensing of one or more objects (9), the system (1, 231) comprising at least one processor (5) configured to: - obtaining sensing requirements for sensing said one or more objects (9), - obtain communication requirements, - obtain information about each node in the set of nodes (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231), - selecting a group of nodes from said set of nodes (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231) based on said sensing requirements, said communication requirements and said information about each node in said set of nodes, and - commanding one or more nodes of the set of nodes to participate in sensing the one or more objects (9), at least one node of the set of nodes transmitting a wireless signal, and at least one node of the set of nodes receiving the wireless signal.

2. The system (1, 231) of claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor (5) is configured to: - obtaining characteristics of a received wireless signal, said received wireless signal comprising a received version of a transmitted wireless signal, said received wireless signal reflecting an effect of said one or more objects (9) on said transmitted wireless signal, and - determining or enabling another system to determine one or more physical properties of each of said one or more objects (9) based on said characteristics of said received wireless signals.

3. The system (1, 231) of claim 1 or 2, wherein: The information about each node in each of the sets of nodes indicates one or more of: node location, cell-specific antenna settings, cell-specific carrier frequency, cell load, a current set of actively transmitted reference signals, maximum transmit power, receiver characteristics, supported frequency bands, and an average channel gain on a radio link between two nodes.

4. The system (1, 231) of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: The at least one processor (5) is configured to assign each respective node of the set of nodes to a first set of transmitting nodes that transmits the wireless signal and / or a second set of receiving nodes that receives the wireless signal.

5. The system (1, 231) of claim 4, wherein: The at least one processor (5) is configured to command the second set of receiving nodes to receive the wireless signal for the sole or additional purpose of sensing the one or more objects (9).

6. The system (1, 231) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein The at least one processor (5) is configured to instruct the first set of transmitting nodes to transmit the wireless signal for the sole or additional purpose of sensing the one or more objects (9).

7. The system (1, 231) of claim 6, wherein: The wireless signals include wireless communication signals and / or dedicated sensing signals adapted for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects (9).

8. The system (1, 231) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein The at least one processor (5) is configured to: - forming a plurality of candidate node combinations from the node sets (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231), each of the plurality of node combinations including a first subgroup and a second subgroup of the node sets (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231), the first subgroup being assigned a role of transmitting the wireless signal, and the second subgroup being assigned a role of receiving the wireless signal, - determining, for each of said plurality of combinations of nodes, at least one communication performance of at least one communication task and at least one sensing performance of at least one sensing task based on said information about each combination of said sets of nodes (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231), - determining, for each of the plurality of node combinations, whether the communication requirement and the sensing requirement can be met based on the at least one communication capability and the at least one sensing capability, - selecting a node combination from the plurality of node combinations as the group of nodes based on one or more of the at least one communication performance and the at least one sensing performance, and based on whether the communication requirement and the sensing requirement can be met, and - assigning said first subgroup of the selected node combination to said first group and assigning a second subgroup of the selected node combination to said second group.

9. The system (1, 231) of claim 8, wherein: The at least one processor (5) is configured to determine the sensing performance by determining, for each node combination in the plurality of node combinations and for each sensing task in the at least one sensing task, a detection probability based on the roles assigned to the nodes in the node combination.

10. The system (1, 231) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein The at least one processor (5) is configured to: - determining, for each respective node combination of the plurality of node combinations, a processing cost at the second subset of the respective node combination based on the information about each node in the set of nodes, and - selecting the node combination as the set of nodes further based on the processing cost.

11. The system (1, 231) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The at least one processor (5) is configured to: - selecting a plurality of candidate nodes from said set of nodes (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231) based on said information about each node in said set of nodes, and - selecting the set of nodes from the plurality of candidate nodes based on the sensing requirement, the communication requirement and the information.

12. The system (1, 231) of claim 11, wherein: The information about each node in the set of nodes (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231) indicates the willingness and / or ability of the corresponding node to participate in the sensing of the one or more objects, and / or indicates the proximity of the corresponding node to a target area, the target area being specified in the sensing requirement, and the at least one processor (5) is configured to select the multiple candidate nodes based on the willingness and / or ability of the node to participate in the sensing and / or based on the proximity of the node to the target area.

13. A node (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231) for participating in sensing of one or more objects (9), the node (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231) comprising at least one processor (25, 45) configured to: - receiving instructions from a system (1, 231) for enabling sensing of one or more objects (9) to participate in sensing said one or more objects (9), and - Based on the instructions, transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects (9), the received wireless signals comprising a received version of the transmitted wireless signals, the received wireless signals reflecting the influence of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signals.

14. The node (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 223, 231) according to claim 13, wherein The instructions specify whether the nodes (11-12, 31-32, 34-35, 22, 2313) should transmit, receive, or transmit and receive the wireless signal for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects (9), and the at least one processor (25, 45) is configured to transmit, receive, or transmit and receive the wireless signal depending on the instructions.

15. A method of enabling sensing of one or more objects, the method comprising: - obtaining (101) sensing requirements for sensing said one or more objects; - obtaining (103) a communication request; - obtaining (105) information about each node in the node set; - selecting (107) a group of nodes from said set of nodes based on said sensing requirements, said communication requirements and said information about each node in said set of nodes; as well as - commanding (109) one or more nodes of the set of nodes to participate in sensing the one or more objects, at least one node of the set of nodes transmitting a wireless signal, and at least one node of the set of nodes receiving the wireless signal.

16. A method of engaging in sensing of one or more objects, the method comprising: - receiving (121) from a system for enabling sensing of one or more objects an instruction to participate in sensing said one or more objects, and - Based on the instructions, transmitting and / or receiving (123) a wireless signal for the purpose of sensing the one or more objects, the received wireless signal including a received version of the transmitted wireless signal, the received wireless signal reflecting the impact of the one or more objects on the transmitted wireless signal.

17. A computer program or computer program suite comprising at least one software code portion, or a computer program product storing at least one software code portion, which, when run on a computer system, is configured to perform the method according to claim 15 or 16.

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