Determination of sensing beam

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a method, equipment and device for determining a sensing beam and a computer readable medium. In the method, a transmitting node transmits a first beam for communicating with a device. A transmitting node determines whether a first beam for communicating with a device is transmitted to a sensing area during a first period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the telecommunications field, and more specifically, to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for determining a sensing beam. Background Technology

[0002] Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) is a fifth-generation advanced (5G-A) and even beyond-fifth-generation (6G) technologies. It involves the integration of communication and sensing functions within a single system to achieve efficient resource sharing. ISAC design allows communication and sensing functions to share the same resources, such as frequency bands and hardware, to improve spectral efficiency and reduce costs. A key focus of ISAC functionality is improved resource utilization. Communication beams can be multiplexed for sensing. However, in some scenarios, a communication link may not exist in the target environment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided at a transmitting node. The method includes: transmitting a first beam for communicating with a device; and determining whether the first beam for communicating with the device is transmitted toward a sensing area during a first time period.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a method at a network node is provided. The method includes: determining sensing assistance information associated with at least one of: a first time period, a second time period, a sensing area, a period and length of a sensing window, task information during the first time period, and task information during the second time period; and transmitting the sensing assistance information to a transmitting node.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a transmitting node is provided. The transmitting node includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the transmitting node to perform at least the method according to the first aspect.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a network node is provided. The network node includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network node to perform at least the method according to the second aspect.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes components for transmitting a first beam for communicating with a device; and components for determining whether the first beam for communicating with the device is transmitted toward a sensing area during a first time period.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes components for determining sensing assistance information associated with at least one of the following: a first time period, a second time period, a sensing area, a period and length of a sensing window, task information during the first time period, and task information during the second time period; and components for transmitting the sensing assistance information to a transmitting node.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method according to the first or second aspect.

[0010] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example communication environment in which example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown; Figure 2 A flowchart is shown illustrating an example method implemented at a sending node according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3A and Figure 3B Two example scenarios of sensing beam determination according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 4 A flowchart is shown illustrating an example method implemented at a network node according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 5 A flowchart of an example sensing process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 6 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure, without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0014] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0015] References to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is to be noted that those skilled in the art will recognize, whether explicitly described or not, that such features, structures, or characteristics apply in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0016] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any or all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0017] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, means at least one of these elements, or any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0018] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the “response to A” execution step does not indicate that the step is executed immediately after “A” occurs, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “possessing,” “containing,” and / or “covering,” as used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implemented with purely analog and / or digital circuits) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions) and (c) The operation requires software (e.g., firmware) for the operation of (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or parts thereof, but the software may be absent when the operation does not require the software.

[0021] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuit" also covers only hardware circuitry or processors (or processors), or portions of hardware circuitry or servers and their accompanying software and / or firmware implementations. For example, where applicable to certain claim elements, the term "circuit" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0022] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols, wireless LAN communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11), and / or any other currently known or under development protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, future types of communication technologies and systems that can implement this disclosure will inevitably emerge. The scope of this disclosure should not be considered limited to the systems described above.

[0023] Communication may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0024] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communications network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Head (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), a relay, an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node (such as a femtosecond or picosecond), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network device (such as satellite network equipment, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites), a spacecraft network device, etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some example embodiments, the Radio Access Network (RAN) split architecture includes a Central Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU) at the IAB donor node. An IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves as if it were facing a UE to its parent node, and a DU portion that behaves as if it were facing a base station to the next-hop IAB node.

[0025] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device with wireless communication capabilities. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device can refer to communication equipment, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image acquisition terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEE), laptop mounted devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0026] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as communication between a terminal device and a network device, including time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, code-domain resources, or any other resources capable of communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0027] Integrating sensing capabilities into communication systems, leveraging the widespread deployment of communication infrastructure such as 5G base stations, has become a key focus in recent years. This technology can be widely applied in scenarios such as intelligent transportation, low-altitude airspace, smart living, and smart networks. Network conversion and upgrades are necessary to achieve wireless sensing capabilities within current 5G networks. ISAC utilizes communication signals (such as OFDM signals) to achieve sensing capabilities by reaching the required resolution and accuracy in distance, velocity, and Doppler.

[0028] Communication and sensing fusion achieves a unified design of communication and sensing functions through joint signal design and / or hardware sharing. The sensing component in communication and sensing fusion can be implemented using wireless sensing technology based on the communication system. Wireless signals can be transmitted to a target area or object, and the received echo signals can be analyzed to obtain corresponding sensing measurement information.

[0029] Wireless communication networks inherently possess wireless sensing capabilities. Base stations and terminals can simultaneously have both communication and sensing capabilities, enabling sensing services for a wide range of applications in intelligent transportation, drone surveillance, national railway perimeter security monitoring, smart homes, public safety, health monitoring, environmental monitoring, and other fields. The integration of communication and sensing functions into a single system offers several benefits, including improved spectral efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced performance.

[0030] Currently, the convergence of communication and sensing is still in its early stages of development. In the 5G-A phase, a focus is on exploring the integration of communication and sensing functions based on 5G network architecture and enhanced air interface design. This involves leveraging the characteristics of wireless channels to obtain richer environmental information and enabling basic sensing applications.

[0031] Therefore, several technical areas related to communication and sensing convergence need to be defined in 3GPP Release 19 (Rel-19). For example, service and system requirements can be defined for communication and sensing convergence, including use cases, functional requirements, and performance metrics. This ensures that the integrated system meets the needs of different application scenarios (such as intelligent transportation, smart cities, industrial automation, etc.). Overall consensus has been reached on the 32 use cases for ISAC.

[0032] Furthermore, in 3GPP Rel-19 regarding sensing capabilities, architectural enhancements for 5G systems can meet several requirements. For example, it requires extensions to the 5G system architecture to support sensing capabilities. It requires identifying extensions or gaps in the Location-Based Services (LCS) architecture based on sensing capability requirements. It may require location management function (LMF) role surveys and / or new network functions (NFs) with dedicated sensing capabilities. The impact on network functions can be considered.

[0033] The role of LMF is to manage the overall coordination and scheduling of resources required for the positioning of a UE that has registered with or accessed a 5G core network (5GCN). It also calculates or verifies the final location and any speed estimates, and can estimate the accuracy to be achieved. The LMF function is monitoring already connected UEs.

[0034] In many use cases, sensing services are requested for defined areas (e.g., parking spaces, industrial areas, etc.), which goes beyond the logic of the current Location Management Function (LMF). In such cases, a new Dedicated Sensing Management Function (SeMF) can be preferred to avoid extending the LMF to the point of potentially creating a complex design. The SeMF can interact with the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) to coordinate sensing functions. This is similar to the interaction between the LMF and AMF for location services.

[0035] The identification and description of the sensing service process are required. The sensing methods to be considered in 5G-A Rel-19 must be identified. For example, such sensing methods could include: LMF-based assisted sensing, sensing using non-3GPP type sensors (e.g., LiDAR, cameras, etc.), single-site DL signals (vendor-specific), and location UL signals to be processed by the BS. The sensing service process (e.g., UE-initiated, network-triggered, etc.) must be defined.

[0036] Authorization and policies / parameters for sensing services must be provided to the UE and the Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN). Exposure of sensing services is required. The request and delivery of sensing services must be specified. Parameters and information elements for the exposure function must also be defined.

[0037] Several security issues need to be considered regarding sensing capabilities. Potential objectives include: providing authorized sensing information to users; supporting encryption and integrity protection of sensing results; supporting appropriate levels of sensing based on whether consent has been obtained; and mechanisms to protect identifiable information that can be derived from sensing measurement data from eavesdropping.

[0038] One challenge of sensing functionality through the fusion of communication and sensing is the efficient use of resources. One solution for sensing beams is to reuse communication beams used for sensing. However, the reuse of communication beams for sensing can have limitations. For example, in some scenarios, there are no communication users or existing communication links in the target environment. Therefore, in such scenarios, sensing functionality cannot be effectively achieved using communication beams, resulting in poor sensing performance.

[0039] Another solution is to use a dedicated beam for sensing. However, dedicated beams for sensing consume resources that cannot be allocated to communication. This can sometimes lead to overuse and waste of time / frequency resources. A balance needs to be struck between resource allocation for communication and sensing to improve spectral efficiency while maintaining sensing capabilities.

[0040] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a sensing beam determination scheme for a sensing-integrated function. Using this scheme, if a beam used for communication is pointed towards the sensing area during a first time period, that beam can be multiplexed for sensing purposes. If no beam satisfies the required sensing direction, a dedicated sensing beam can be deployed during a second time period.

[0041] Utilizing existing communication beams for sensing allows for full utilization of resources allocated to communication. Furthermore, no additional sensing resource overhead is required. This helps improve resource utilization and reduces the additional time / frequency resources used for sensing.

[0042] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. In the communication environment 100, a portion of two nodes 110 and 120 may be used to sense an object 130 in a sensing region 135 (also referred to as sensing the region of interest or sensing area of ​​interest). For the purposes of discussion, the two nodes 110 and 120 will be referred to as transmitting (Tx) node 110 and sensing node 120, respectively.

[0044] Tx node 110 or sensing node 120 can be a network device or terminal device capable of sensing. For example, Tx node 110 can be a base station / gNB in ​​a 5G NR system that transmits communication signals to terminal devices or sensing signals to sensing targets. It can also be any other device, such as a UE with a transmission module. Similarly, sensing node 120 can be a base station / gNB in ​​a 5G NR system. Sensing node 120 can also be a device with a receiving module to receive echo sensing signals that can enable sensing functionality. For example, sensing node 120 can be a customer premises equipment (CPE) or a UE in a 5G NR system. For discussion purposes, some example embodiments are discussed by using network devices as example implementations of Tx node 110 or sensing node 120.

[0045] For illustrative purposes only, some example embodiments are discussed in a dual-site scenario, where the network device or terminal device operates as a Tx node and also as a sensing node. These example embodiments can generally be applied to a single-site scenario, where the network device or terminal device operates as both a Tx node and a sensing node, or to a multi-site scenario, where the network device or terminal device operates as a Tx node and multiple network devices and / or terminal devices operate as sensing nodes.

[0046] To sense object 130, Tx node 110 can use sensing beam 140 to send a sensing reference signal to sensing area 135. Sensing node 120 can detect the echo signal and sense object 130 based on the detected echo signal. Figure 1 As shown, the communication environment 100 also includes a network node 145 that can communicate with the Tx node 110 and the sensing node 120. The network node 145 can determine the sensing strategy and configuration for the two nodes 110 and 120.

[0047] In the example, network node 145 can be a SeMF. The SeMF can function as a functional entity within the core network for managing sensing capabilities, as a sensing management component located at the network edge, or as a functional entity within a gNB. The SeMF is expected to possess knowledge of sensing requirements and be able to manage the coordination and scheduling of resources needed for sensing operations.

[0048] exist Figure 1 In this diagram, network node 145 is shown separate from Tx node 110 and sensing node 120, for illustrative purposes only and not as a limitation. In some embodiments, network node 145 may be co-located with or implemented as part of Tx node 110 or sensing node 120. In these embodiments, Tx node 110 or sensing node 120 may perform the functions of SeMF.

[0049] In communication environment 100, Tx node 110 can communicate with device 150. Device 150 can be a UE, or other mobile or communication device capable of receiving communication data. In some scenarios, device 150 can be located in sensing area 135. If a first beam used for communicating with device 150 is pointed to sensing area 135, Tx node 110 can reuse the first beam for sensing purposes.

[0050] It should be understood that the number of devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. The communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices. For example, multiple Tx nodes may exist, each of which can communicate with several mobile devices. In a multi-station scenario, a Tx node may collaborate with more than one sensing node.

[0051] Figure 2 A flowchart of an example method 200 for determining a sensing beam, implemented at Tx node 110 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Description method 200.

[0052] like Figure 2As shown, in block 210, Tx node 110 transmits a first beam for communicating with device 150. In block 220, Tx node 110 determines whether the first beam for communicating with the device is transmitted toward sensing area 135 during a first time period. Depending on the implementation, if there are any intersecting or overlapping partitions between the first beam and sensing area 135, the first beam may be determined to be directed toward sensing area 135. The first beam toward sensing area 135 may be multiplexed for sensing purposes. For the purposes of discussion, in some example embodiments, the first beam may also be referred to as a communication beam.

[0053] In some example embodiments, a sensing window, also known as an opportunity window, is proposed for the sensing integration function. A first time period can be the first phase of the sensing window, also referred to as a waiting period. If the communication beam is directed at the sensing area 135 during the waiting period, the Tx node 110 can reuse the communication beam for sensing purposes.

[0054] In some example embodiments, Tx node 110 may transmit a second beam for sensing to sensing region 135 during a second time period. In some example embodiments, the second time period may be a second phase of a sensing window, such as the end of an opportunity window, also referred to as an action period. In some embodiments, the second time period may be shorter than the first time period to further improve the utilization of resources allocated to communication.

[0055] In some example embodiments, the second beam may be a dedicated beam for sensing. In some other example embodiments, the second beam may be a beam allocated for communication during timing opportunities other than the first and second time periods. If the first beam used for communicating with the device is not pointed at or not directed toward the sensing area 135 during the first time period, meaning that no beam meets the required sensing direction, a dedicated beam may be deployed during the second time period.

[0056] In some example embodiments, Tx node 110 can detect the presence of a communication beam directed toward sensing area 135 during a waiting period. If the communication beam is detected, it is being used for sensing purposes. If no beam is directed toward the sensing area during the waiting period, a dedicated beam can be transmitted toward the sensing area during the action period. Reference will be made below. Figure 3A and Figure 3B Two example cases for sensing beam determination are discussed.

[0057] Figure 3A Example scene 300 is shown, where device 150 is located near object 130.

[0058] In this example, such as Figure 3AAs shown, device 150 is within the sensing area 135 of object 130, so device 150 can be considered to be near object 130. In this case, the communication beam 305 sent by Tx node 110 to communicate with device 150 can be suitable for sensing.

[0059] During the waiting period 310, Tx node 110 is responsible for transmitting communication signals to communication users using beam scanning or beam management procedures, which may involve multiple wide or narrow beams. Tx node 110 can compare the coverage area of ​​each real-time allocated communication beam being transmitted individually with the sensing area 135. This comparison allows Tx node 110 to determine whether there are any intersecting or overlapping partitions between the allocated beams and the sensing area 135. Based on the comparison result, if no intersecting or overlapping partitions are found, Tx node 110 continues the transmission process until the end of the waiting period 305.

[0060] In scenario 300, communication beam 305 appears during waiting period 310. Tx node 110 can determine whether there is an intersecting or overlapping partition between communication beam 305 and sensing area 135. Therefore, communication beam 305 can be used as a sensing beam. This means that the opportunity to use the communication beam for sensing is captured during the opportunity window, and a dedicated sensing beam is not required during action period 310.

[0061] Figure 3B Another example scenario 320 is shown where there are no communication devices around object 130.

[0062] In scenario 320, device 150 is outside sensing area 135. In this case, there is no opportunity to use communication beam 325 for sensing during waiting period 310. Furthermore, as... Figure 3B As shown, no other devices are located near object 130. At the end of the waiting period 310, there is no communication beam that meets the requirement to be transmitted to sensing area 135.

[0063] In this scenario, an additional sensing beam 330 is assigned and transmitted to the sensing area 135 during the action period 315. The sensing beam 330 can be a wide beam or a narrow beam. After the current opportunity window ends, Tx node 110 waits for the next opportunity window.

[0064] In this way, sensing functionality can be ensured by always pointing the beam towards the region of interest. This improves the reliability of sensing functionality. Furthermore, resource allocation can be maximized. Resource allocation can be balanced between communication and sensing while ensuring sensing functionality. This allows for efficient use of resources and provides a good balance between communication and sensing capabilities.

[0065] After Tx node 110 determines that a first beam for communication with device 150 has been transmitted to sensing area 135 during the first time period, Tx node 110 may send a first sensing indication associated with the first beam to sensing node 120. For example, if it is determined that the first beam for communication meets the requirements for transmission to sensing area 135, the first beam may also be deployed for sensing functionality utilizing a sensing reference signal (RS). The sensing reference signal may be a communication RS assigned for communication or a dedicated RS for sensing. Tx node 110 may need to instruct sensing node 120 to receive the echo signal to perform sensing.

[0066] Similarly, after Tx node 110 determines that the second beam for sensing during the second time period has been transmitted to sensing area 135, Tx node 110 may send a second sensing indication associated with the second beam to sensing node 120. In some example embodiments, the first or second sensing indication indicates the transmission of a reference signal for sensing.

[0067] In the example, the first or second sensing indication given to sensing node 120 can be a signal configured to explicitly or implicitly notify the RS transmission that it is intended for a specific sensing area of ​​interest. In one embodiment, it can be a control signal on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). In one embodiment, a trigger bit (e.g., a binary sequence) can be defined for this indication. Therefore, sensing node 120 will perform sensing measurements based on the corresponding RS.

[0068] In some example embodiments, Tx node 110 may use the communication beam for sensing purposes only once during a first time period. If a previous communication beam already exists and has been reused for sensing, or if the first beam used for communicating with device 150 has already been used for sensing, Tx node 110 may not reuse the first beam for sensing. This reduces system overhead while ensuring sensing performance.

[0069] In some example embodiments, before determining the multiplexing of the first beam for sensing purposes and transmitting the first sensing indication associated with the first beam, Tx node 110 may determine whether the beam used for communicating with the device has previously been transmitted to the sensing area. If no beam has previously been transmitted, the first sensing indication may be transmitted by Tx node 110 to sensing node 120.

[0070] In some example embodiments, Tx node 110 can receive sensing assistance information from network node 145. Based on the sensing assistance information, Tx node 110 can determine at least one of the following: a first time period, a second time period, a sensing area, the period and length of a sensing window, task information during the first time period, and task information during the second time period. In some example embodiments, Tx node 110 can receive sensing RS configuration from network node 145. Reference will be made below. Figure 4 Some example implementations in this regard are discussed.

[0071] Figure 4 A flowchart of an example method 400 implemented at network node 145 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Description method 400.

[0072] In box 410, network node 145 determines sensing assistance information. The sensing assistance information is associated with at least one of the following: a first time period, a second time period, a sensing area, the period and length of a sensing window, task information during the first time period, and task information during the second time period.

[0073] In some example embodiments, the sensing assistance information determined by network node 145 may include the sensing area where the sensing target is located. Alternatively or additionally, the sensing assistance information may include opportunity window information. In some example embodiments, network node 145 may determine the opportunity window based on sensing requirements. A factor used to determine the configuration for the window is the frequency at which the sensing results need to be refreshed, which varies depending on different scenarios and use cases. Therefore, the opportunity window information may include at least one of the window's period and length. The window information may also include the number of window executions.

[0074] In some example embodiments, the length of the opportunity window may encompass the length of the waiting period. and the length of the action period In some example embodiments, the action period may be placed towards the end of a specified time frame and may be much shorter in duration than the waiting period. The action period can be considered sufficient if it allows for effective execution of the sensing function within its duration. In some example embodiments, the opportunity window information may include length / cycle information (…). , ).

[0075] In some example embodiments, the window information may include task information during the waiting period and / or action period. In some embodiments, the task information during the first period may indicate the task or operation used for sensing during the first period. For example, during the waiting period, Tx node 140 needs to wait for a communication beam toward the sensing area and multiplex such a communication beam for sensing purposes.

[0076] In some embodiments, task information during the second time period may indicate the task or operation used for sensing during the second time period. For example, if there is no first beam for communication toward the sensing area 135 during the first time period, the Tx node 110 needs to determine a second beam for sensing toward the sensing area 135.

[0077] In box 420, network node 145 sends sensing assistance information to Tx node 110. Therefore, sensing can be performed between Tx node 110 and sensing node 120 based on the sensing assistance information.

[0078] In some example embodiments, network node 145 may determine the sensing RS configuration and send the sensing RS configuration to Tx node 110. In some example embodiments, the sensing RS configuration may include at least one of the following: the type of sensing RS, the time resource allocation for sensing RS transmission, the frequency resource allocation for sensing RS transmission, and at least one measurement parameter.

[0079] For example, the sensing RS configuration can include the type of sensing RS (also known as the sensing RS type), which can indicate which type of RS can be used for sensing. In the example, the sensing RS can include RSs used for communication, such as a primary synchronization signal (PSS) or secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for decoding the common PDCCH and / or UE-specific PDCCH or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and a positioning reference signal (PRS). In an alternative example, the sensing RS can include RSs dedicated to sensing.

[0080] Alternatively or additionally, the sensing RS configuration may include time and / or frequency resource allocation for RS transmission. Alternatively or additionally, the sensing RS configuration may include at least one measurement parameter for sensing, such as time period, opportunity, etc.

[0081] In some example embodiments, network node 145 may negotiate the sensing RS configuration with another network node. For example, network node 145 may negotiate the sensing RS configuration with Tx node 110. In an embodiment, network node 145 may determine the sensing RS type and sensing RS configuration requirements (e.g., bandwidth, period, density, etc.) and then send them to Tx node 110, which may then determine the sensing RS time / frequency resource configuration.

[0082] Then, network node 145 and / or Tx node 110 can transmit RS configuration to sensing node 120. To implement sensing and / or measurement functions, sensing node 120 can perform distance, angle and / or Doppler measurements, LoS estimation, intrusion detection, proximity sensing, channel fluctuation detection, etc.

[0083] It should be understood that the implementation of the above-described sensing-related configuration by network node 145 is merely an example implementation. In some example embodiments, some or even all of the above configuration may be performed by Tx node 110. In these embodiments, some signal transmissions between network node 145 and Tx node 110 may be skipped.

[0084] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example sensing process 500 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In this example, UE 502 acts as... Figure 1 The example implementation of device 150 is used for operation, with SeMF 503 as... Figure 1 The example implementation of network node 145 is used for operation. The first and second time periods are implemented as a waiting period and an action period in the opportunity window.

[0085] like Figure 5 As shown, in the sensing process 500, at 505, based on sensing requirements (e.g., sensing assistance information), SeMF 503 can determine an opportunity window. At 510, SeMF 503 can transmit sensing assistance information for the window to Tx node 110. At 515, Tx node 110 and SeMF 503 can determine the sensing RS configuration. At 520, SeMF 503 and / or Tx node 110 can transmit the RS configuration to sensing node 120.

[0086] At 525, Tx node 110 can determine whether a communication beam toward the sensing area exists during the waiting period. At 530, Tx node 110 can send a DL communication signal to UE 502. At 535, if a communication beam toward the sensing area exists during the waiting period, Tx node 110 can determine whether the communication beam appears in the window for the first time. If so, at 540, Tx node 110 can indicate the RS transmission for sensing to sensing node 120. At 545, based on the RS information, sensing node 120 can perform sensing measurements.

[0087] If it is determined at 525 that no communication beam is directed toward the sensing area during the waiting period, then at 550, Tx node 110 can transmit a dedicated sensing beam during the action period. At 555, Tx node 110 can instruct sensing node 120 on the RS transmission for sensing. At 560, based on the RS information, sensing node 120 can perform sensing measurements.

[0088] Operations between 525 and 560 can be performed periodically. The frequency of these intervals can be determined by the SeMF 503 and refreshed based on the length of a defined opportunity window for sensing requirements. Therefore, the beam can be pointed towards the region of interest at the required sensing refresh frequency. This improves the reliability of the sensing function.

[0089] Example devices, equipment and media In some example embodiments, a first means capable of performing any of method 200 (e.g., Figure 1 The Tx node 110 in the diagram may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 200. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component can be implemented in a circuit or software module. The first device can be implemented as or included in... Figure 1 In Tx node 110.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the first device includes components for transmitting a first beam for communicating with the device; and components for determining whether the first beam for communicating with the device was transmitted to the sensing area during a first time period.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for transmitting a second beam for sensing to the sensing area during a second time period.

[0092] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes: a component for receiving sensing assistance information from a network node; and a component for determining at least one of the following based on the sensing assistance information: a first time period, a second time period, a sensing area, at least one of the period and length of a sensing window, task information during the first time period, and task information during the second time period.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the component for transmitting the second beam includes a component for transmitting a second beam for sensing to the sensing area based on determining that the first beam toward the sensing area does not exist during the first time period.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for sending a first sensing indication associated with the first beam to a sensing node based on determining that a first beam for communicating with the device during a first time period will be sent to the sensing area.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for determining whether a beam for communicating with the device has previously been transmitted to the sensing area, wherein the first sensing indication is transmitted based on the determination that no beam has previously been transmitted.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further includes a component for transmitting a second sensing indication associated with the second beam to a sensing node based on determining that a second beam for sensing is transmitted to a sensing area during a second time period.

[0097] In some example embodiments, a first sensing indication or a second sensing indication indicates the transmission of a reference signal for sensing.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for receiving a sensing reference signal configuration from a network node.

[0099] In some example implementations, the second time period is shorter than the first time period.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the sending node includes a network device or a terminal device.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 200 or Tx node 110. In some example embodiments, the components include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause execution of the first device.

[0102] In some example embodiments, a second means capable of performing any of the methods 400 (e.g., Figure 1The network node 145 in the process may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 400. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component can be implemented in a circuit or software module. The second device can be implemented as or included in... Figure 1 In network node 145.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the second device includes components for determining sensing assistance information associated with at least one of the following: a first time period, a second time period, a sensing area, a period and length of a sensing window, task information during the first time period, and task information during the second time period; and components for transmitting the sensing assistance information to a transmitting node.

[0104] In some example implementations, the second time period is shorter than the first time period.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the second device includes: components for determining a sensing reference signal configuration; and components for transmitting the sensing reference signal configuration to a transmitting node.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the sensing reference signal configuration includes at least one of the following: the type of sensing reference signal, the time resource allocation for sensing reference signal transmission, the frequency resource allocation for sensing reference signal transmission, and at least one measurement parameter.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the second device includes components for negotiating a sensing reference signal configuration with another network node.

[0108] In some example embodiments, network nodes include sensing management capabilities.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the second device also includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 400 or network node 145. In some example embodiments, the components include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause execution of the second device.

[0110] Figure 6 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 600 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Device 600 can be provided to implement a communication device, for example, such as... Figure 1 The Tx node 110 or sensing node 120 is shown. As shown, the device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to the processors 610, and one or more communication modules 640 coupled to the processors 610.

[0111] Communication module 640 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 640 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network units. In some example embodiments, communication module 640 may include at least one antenna.

[0112] Processor 610 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of the following as non-limiting examples: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 600 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0113] Memory 620 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 624, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, miniature optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), optical disc, laser disc, and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memories that will not be maintained during power outages.

[0114] Computer program 630 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 610. The instructions of program 630 may include instructions for performing operations / actions of some example embodiments of this disclosure. Program 630 may be stored in memory, such as ROM 624. Processor 610 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 630 into RAM 622.

[0115] Example embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by means of program 630, thereby enabling device 600 to perform as described in the reference. Figures 2 to 5 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0116] In some example embodiments, program 630 may be tangibly included in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 600 (such as in memory 620) or other storage device accessible to device 600. Device 600 may load program 630 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 622 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile) rather than a limitation on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0117] Figure 7 An example of a computer-readable medium 700 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc. The computer-readable medium 700 stores a program 630 thereon.

[0118] In general, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof, as examples of non-limiting examples.

[0119] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium (such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium). The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target physical or virtual processor to perform any of the methods described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. The functionality of the program module can be combined or split as needed among program modules in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0120] The program code used to implement the methods of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, so that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code enables the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0121] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried on any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0122] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0123] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that they be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all shown operations be performed in order to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processes can be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, they should not be considered as a limitation on the scope of this disclosure, but rather as a description of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0124] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: At the sending node, Send the first beam for communication with the device; as well as Determine whether the first beam used for communicating with the device during the first time period is sent to the sensing area.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: During the second time period, a second beam for sensing is sent to the sensing area.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Receive sensing assistance information from network nodes; and Based on the sensing assistance information, at least one of the following is determined: The first time period, The second period, The sensing area, At least one of the period and length of the sensing window, Task information during the first time period, and Task information during the second time period.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the second beam comprises: Based on the determination that the first beam toward the sensing area does not exist during the first time period, a second beam for sensing is sent toward the sensing area.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on the determination that the first beam used for communicating with the device during the first time period will be transmitted to the sensing area, a first sensing indication associated with the first beam is transmitted to the sensing node.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: Determine whether the beam used for communicating with the device has previously been sent to the sensing area. The first sensing indication is sent based on the determination that no beam has been previously transmitted.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising: Based on the determination that the second beam used for sensing during the second time period is transmitted to the sensing area, a second sensing indication associated with the second beam is transmitted to the sensing node.

8. The method of claim 5 or 7, wherein the first sensing indication or the second sensing indication indicates a reference signal transmission for sensing.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: Configure the receiving of sensing reference signals from network nodes.

10. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the transmitting node comprises a network device or a terminal device.

12. A method comprising: At network nodes, Determine sensing assistance information, which is associated with at least one of the following: First period, The second period, Sensing area At least one of the period and length of the sensing window, Task information during the first time period, and Task information during the second time period; as well as The sensing assistance information is sent to the sending node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second time period is shorter than the first time period.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising: Determine the configuration of the sensing reference signal; as well as The sensing reference signal configuration is sent to the transmitting node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sensing reference signal configuration includes at least one of the following: a type of sensing reference signal, a time resource allocation for the transmission of the sensing reference signal, a frequency resource allocation for the transmission of the sensing reference signal, and at least one measurement parameter.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, further comprising: Negotiate the configuration of the sensing reference signal with another network node.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the network node includes a sensing management function.

18. A transmitting node, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the transmitting node to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

19. A network node, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network node to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 12 to 17.

20. An apparatus comprising: Components used to transmit the first beam for communication with the device; as well as A component for determining whether the first beam used for communicating with the device during a first time period is sent to the sensing area.

21. An apparatus comprising: The component for determining sensing assistance information is associated with at least one of the following: a first time period, a second time period, a sensing area, a period and length of a sensing window, task information during the first time period, and task information during the second time period; as well as A component used to send the sensing assistance information to the transmitting node.

22. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 17.

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