Method, apparatus and system for mapping between radio environment information and geometry information

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to mapping between radio environment information and geometry information. In one method, a first device obtains a mapping configuration comprising a set of mapping elements. A mapping element in the set of mapping elements indicates a mapping between at least one element in the first map and at least one element in the second map. The first map represents one of radio environmental information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the environmental information and the geometric information. The first device then determines radio environment information associated with the first device based on the mapping configuration. In this way, the mapping configuration between the radio environment information and geometry information may be transmitted between communication devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and specifically to a method for mapping between radio environmental information and geometric information. Background Technology

[0002] The development of various technologies has enabled environmental awareness capabilities in communication systems, particularly wireless communication systems. These systems typically possess communication-related hardware with sensing operation potential. In other words, communication systems with environmental awareness capabilities can perform sensing operations in addition to communication operations. The development and application of these systems may have various names, such as integrated communication and sensing, sensor-communication integration, and joint sensing and communication. Through these sensing operations, communication systems can perceive environmental information, including radio environmental information, geometric / geographical information, information about objects in the environment, and the location and movement information of objects associated with the communication system. Environmental awareness capabilities are beneficial in several key areas and technologies, such as intelligent transportation, smart cities, smart homes, industrial IoT, environmental sensing, and sensing-assisted communication. Furthermore, the data or information acquired through environmental sensing can be used to improve the performance of communication systems.

[0003] In cellular communication networks, user equipment (UE) location information is typically used to improve various network performance metrics. These metrics may include capacity, agility, and efficiency. Additionally, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) can track UE locations and simultaneously build / update associated radio environment information. Therefore, the construction, representation, and / or indication of the mapping configuration (or correlation) between radio environment information and geometric / geographic information is expected to be crucial for future communication systems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Overall, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for mapping between radio environmental information and geometric / geographical information.

[0005] 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.

[0006] In a first aspect, a method implemented at a first device is provided. In this method, the first device obtains a mapping configuration comprising a set of mapping elements from a second device. The mapping elements in this set indicate a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map. The first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of environment information and geometric information. The first device then determines radio environment information associated with the first device based on the mapping configuration. Thus, the mapping configuration between the radio environment information and the geometric information can be transmitted between the communication devices. Therefore, if one device cannot independently determine a high-quality mapping configuration, another device with higher awareness can share the high-quality mapping configuration. The devices can then correctly determine the associated radio environment information to improve communication performance.

[0007] In some embodiments, elements in the first map are identified by indexes. Furthermore, the first device receives the aforementioned mapping configuration by receiving a second map, and the elements in the second map include the indexes of the elements in the first map. In this way, the mapping configuration can be received implicitly. That is, the aforementioned mapping between the first and second maps can be indicated or included in one of the first and second maps. Therefore, the overhead for transmitting the mapping configuration can be reduced.

[0008] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a third map having the same dimensions as the second map, and each mapping element in the third map includes an index of an element in the first map. In this way, the mapping configuration can also be represented as a map or matrix associated with the second map, and the mapping indicated by the third map can be implicitly associated with elements in the second map. Furthermore, elements of at least one of the first and second maps can be identified by corresponding indices, allowing for a concise representation of the mapping between the first and second maps.

[0009] In some embodiments, the number of mapping elements in the mapping configuration is the same as the number of elements in the second map, and data items in the mapping configuration are associated with elements in the second map, including elements in the first map. In this way, the mapping configuration can also be represented as a list or array, and the mappings indicated by the list or array can be implicitly associated with elements in the second map.

[0010] In some embodiments, at least one of the first map and the second map is represented as a matrix, a list, or an array; or the mapping configuration is represented as a map, a matrix, a list, or an array. In this way, the representation of the first map, the second map, and the mapping configuration is not limited. Therefore, the representations of the first map, the second map, and the mapping configuration can be used in any combination.

[0011] In some embodiments, elements in the first map represent a portion of either radio environment information or geometric information; elements in the second map represent a portion of the other of radio environment information and geometric information. Thus, the first and second maps may include multiple elements, and each of the multiple elements represents a corresponding radio environment range or geometric information. Therefore, the device can retrieve associated radio environment information or geographic geometric information.

[0012] In some embodiments, elements in the first map have a first number of dimensions, and mapped elements in the mapping configuration have a second number of dimensions, wherein the second number is greater than or equal to the first number. In this way, the mapping and association between any element of the first map and another element of the second map can be correctly indicated or represented.

[0013] In some embodiments, elements in the second map are mapped to multiple first elements in the first map. In this way, the mapping and association between the first map and the second map can be flexibly constructed.

[0014] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a mapping list including a set of mapping elements. Furthermore, each mapping element in the mapping list is associated with an element in the second map that is mapped to a plurality of first elements in the first map; the mapping element in the mapping list indicates the number of elements of the plurality of first elements and includes the indices of the plurality of first elements. In this way, a one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be represented by a list or an array.

[0015] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a fourth map and a first supplementary map. Furthermore, the fourth map has the same dimensions as the second map, and the mapping elements in the fourth map associated with elements mapped to multiple first elements include the index of one of the multiple first elements; and the mapping elements in the first supplementary map list are associated with the aforementioned elements mapped to multiple first elements and include the indices of one or more remaining elements of the multiple first elements. In this way, the one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be represented by a matrix plus a list.

[0016] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as more than one map, and a mapping element in one of the more than one map includes an index of one of a plurality of first elements. In this way, a one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be represented by more than one matrix, and a mapping element in each matrix represents a one-to-one mapping.

[0017] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates that elements in the second map correspond to one or more ranges in the first map. In some embodiments, elements in the second map correspond to ranges in the first map, and wherein the mapping elements in the aforementioned set of mapping elements include the starting position and size of the ranges in the first map. In this way, the mapping between the first and second maps can be represented in a more flexible manner.

[0018] In some embodiments, elements in the second map correspond to multiple ranges in the first map. The mapping elements in the aforementioned set of mapping elements include: the number of ranges in the multiple ranges in the first map; and the starting position and size of each range in the multiple ranges in the first map. In this way, the mapping between the first and second maps can be indicated or represented in a more flexible manner, such as in an irregular manner.

[0019] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to a range of indices of an element in the first map. In some embodiments, the mapping elements in this set of mapping elements include at least one of the following: a first index of the starting element in the aforementioned index range and a second index of the ending element in the aforementioned index range; or the first index and the number of indices in the aforementioned index range of the element in the first map. In this way, a one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be concisely represented.

[0020] In some embodiments, the mapping elements in the aforementioned set of mapping elements are mapping pairs, which are associated with a first element in a first map and a second element in a second map. In this way, the mapping configuration can be represented by a list or array with multiple mapping pairs. Therefore, different mapping configurations can be used as needed.

[0021] In some embodiments, the mapping pair described above includes one of the following: a first element and a second element; a first index of the first element and a second index of the second element; a first element and a second index; or a first index and a second element. In this way, the mapping configuration may also implicitly indicate a first map or a second map.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first device may also perform sensing operations based on radio environment information; perform communication based on radio environment information; determine a beam set for at least one of sensing operations and communication based on radio environment information; determine a transmit power for at least one of sensing operations and communication based on radio environment information; or determine a reference signal for at least one of sensing operations and communication based on radio environment information. In this way, utilizing the mapping configuration from the second device, the first device can perform sensing operations and communication in a more accurate manner.

[0023] In some embodiments, at least one of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map has a compressed format. This reduces the payload of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map.

[0024] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is carried in at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB) signaling; a first message specific to a first device; a second message specific to a group of devices including the first device; or a broadcast message. In this way, the mapping configuration can be sent periodically or dynamically.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first device can obtain a mapping configuration by receiving a mapping configuration including a set of mapping elements from the second device.

[0026] In a second aspect, a method implemented at a second device is provided. In this method, the second device sends a mapping configuration to a first device, comprising a set of mapping elements. The mapping elements in this set indicate a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map. The first map represents one of radio environmental information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of environmental information and geometric information.

[0027] In some embodiments, elements in the first map are identified by indexes. Furthermore, the second device sends the mapping configuration by sending a second map, and the elements in the second map include the indexes of the elements in the first map. In this way, the mapping configuration can be implicitly received. That is, the mapping between the first and second maps can be indicated or included in one of the first and second maps. Therefore, the overhead for sending the mapping configuration can be reduced.

[0028] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a third map with the same dimensions as the second map, and the mapping elements in the third map include indices of elements in the first map. In this way, the mapping configuration can also be represented as a map or matrix associated with the second map, and the mapping indicated by the third map can be implicitly associated with elements in the second map. Furthermore, elements of at least one of the first and second maps can be identified by corresponding indices, allowing for a concise representation of the mapping between the first and second maps.

[0029] In some embodiments, the number of mapping elements in the mapping configuration is the same as the number of elements in the second map, data items in the mapping configuration are associated with elements in the second map, and the data items include elements in the first map. In this way, the mapping configuration can also be represented as a list or array, and the mappings indicated by the list or array can be implicitly associated with elements in the second map.

[0030] In some embodiments, at least one of the first map and the second map is represented as a matrix, a list, or an array; or the mapping configuration is represented as a map, a matrix, a list, or an array. In this way, the representation of the first map, the second map, and the mapping configuration is not limited. Therefore, the representations of the first map, the second map, and the mapping configuration can be used in any combination.

[0031] In some embodiments, elements in the first map represent a portion of either radio environment information or geometric information; elements in the second map represent a portion of the other. Thus, the first and second maps may include multiple elements, and each of the multiple elements represents a corresponding radio environment range or geometric information. Therefore, the device can acquire associated radio environment information or geographic geometric information.

[0032] In some embodiments, elements in the first map have a first number of dimensions, and mapped elements in the above mapping configuration have a second number of dimensions, wherein the second number is greater than or equal to the first number. In this way, the mapping and association between any element of the first map and another element of the second map can be correctly indicated or represented.

[0033] In some embodiments, elements in the second map are mapped to multiple first elements in the first map. In this way, the mapping and association between the first map and the second map can be flexibly constructed.

[0034] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a mapping list including a set of mapping elements. Furthermore, the mapping elements in this mapping list are associated with elements in the second map that are mapped to multiple first elements in the first map; the mapping elements in the mapping list indicate the number of elements in the multiple first elements and include the indices of the multiple first elements. In this way, a one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be represented by a list or an array.

[0035] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a fourth map and a first supplementary mapping. Furthermore, the fourth map has the same dimensions as the second map, and the mapping elements in the fourth map associated with elements mapped to multiple first elements include the index of one of the multiple first elements; the mapping elements in the first supplementary mapping list are associated with that element mapped to the multiple first elements and include the indices of one or more of the remaining elements of the multiple first elements. In this way, the one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be represented by a matrix plus a list.

[0036] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as more than one map, and a mapping element in one of the more than one map includes an index of one of a plurality of first elements. In this way, a one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be represented by more than one matrix, and a mapping element in each matrix represents a one-to-one mapping.

[0037] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates that elements in the second map correspond to one or more ranges in the first map. In some embodiments, elements in the second map correspond to ranges in the first map, and the mapping elements in a set of mapping elements include the starting position and size of the ranges in the first map. In this way, the mapping between the first and second maps can be represented in a more flexible manner.

[0038] In some embodiments, elements in the second map correspond to multiple ranges in the first map. A mapping element in a set of mapping elements includes the following: the number of ranges in the multiple ranges in the first map; the starting position and size of the ranges in the multiple ranges in the first map. In this way, the mapping between the first and second maps can be indicated or represented in a more flexible manner, such as in an irregular manner.

[0039] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to a range of indices of an element in the first map. In some embodiments, a mapping element in a set of mapping elements includes at least one of the following: a first index of the starting element in the range of indices and a second index of the ending element in the range of indices; or the first index and the number of indices in the range of indices of the elements in the first map. In this way, a one-to-many mapping between the first map and the second map can be concisely represented.

[0040] In some embodiments, the mapping elements in a set of mapping elements are mapping pairs, which are associated with a first element in a first map and a second element in a second map. In this way, the mapping configuration can be represented by a list or array with multiple mapping pairs. Therefore, different mapping configurations can be used as needed.

[0041] In some embodiments, the mapping pair includes one of the following: a first element and a second element; a first index of the first element and a second index of the second element; a first element and a second index; or a first index and a second element. In this way, the mapping configuration may also implicitly indicate a first map or a second map.

[0042] In some embodiments, at least one of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map has a compressed format. This reduces the payload of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map.

[0043] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is carried in at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB) signaling; a first message specific to a first device; a second message specific to a group of devices including the first device; or a broadcast message. In this way, the mapping configuration can be sent periodically or dynamically.

[0044] In a third aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes a transceiver and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor is configured to obtain a mapping configuration including a set of mapping elements, wherein the mapping elements in the set of mapping elements indicate a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map, and wherein the first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of environment information and geometric information; and to determine radio environment information associated with the first device based on the mapping configuration. Thus, the mapping configuration between the radio environment information and the geometric information can be transmitted between communication devices. Therefore, if one device cannot autonomously determine a high-quality mapping configuration, another device with higher awareness can share the high-quality mapping configuration. The device can then correctly determine the associated radio environment information to improve communication performance.

[0045] In a fourth aspect, a second device is provided. The second device includes a transceiver and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor is configured to transmit, via the transceiver, a mapping configuration comprising a set of mapping elements to a first device, wherein the mapping elements in the set of mapping elements indicate a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map, and wherein the first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of radio environment information and geometric information. Thus, this mapping configuration between the radio environment information and the geometric information can be transmitted between the communication devices. Therefore, if one device cannot autonomously determine a high-quality mapping configuration, another device with higher awareness can share the high-quality mapping configuration. The devices can then correctly determine the associated radio environment information to improve communication performance.

[0046] In a fifth aspect, a non-transient computer-readable medium is provided, including a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed on at least one processor, causes at least one processor to perform a method of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processing circuit for performing the method of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, which is tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium and includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a device to perform the method of either the first aspect or the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A Exemplary environments in which some embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented are shown; Figure 1B Exemplary communication systems that can implement some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 1C It shows Figure 1A and Figure 1B Exemplary devices in an exemplary environment; Figure 1D Exemplary modules in the device of this disclosure are shown; Figure 1E An exemplary sensing management function (SMF) of this disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The signaling process for indicating mapping configuration is illustrated according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figures 3A to 3D Some examples of mapping between RF-maps and G-maps according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figures 4A to 4D Examples of mapping from a G-map to an RF-map according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figures 5A to 5E Examples of mapping from RF-map to G-map according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method implemented at a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary method implemented at a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 8 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0050] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described merely to illustrate and assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not impose any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those specifically described below.

[0052] 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.

[0053] References to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiments may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include such specific features, structures, or characteristics. The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment." Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art can adjust or modify that feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not such adjustments are explicitly described.

[0054] It should be understood that while terms such as “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by 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. The term “and / or” as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included below.

[0055] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” as used herein are intended to include the plural forms. It should also be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “having,” when 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to, user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktop computers, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Ultra-reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication devices, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) devices, small data transmission (SDT) devices, mobile devices, multicast and broadcast service (MBS) devices, positioning devices, devices used for dynamic / flexible duplexing in commercial networks, including satellites and high-altitude platforms included in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Devices with reduced capability (RedCap) in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) of the Platform (HAP), spacecraft or aircraft, extended reality (XR) devices including different types of reality such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, devices on high-speed trains (HSTs), image capture devices such as digital cameras, sensors, gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, internet-connected devices, etc. End devices may also include "multicast / broadcast" features to support public safety and / or mission-critical applications. End devices may also include transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast delivery, for example, for IPTV, smart TV, radio services, wireless software delivery, group communications, and IoT applications.A terminal may include a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) or multiple SIMs, also known as Multi-SIM. The term "terminal device" may also be used interchangeably with some of the variations of all the foregoing terms, such as UE, mobile station, user station, mobile terminal, user terminal, wireless device, or simplified terminal device.

[0058] As used in this document, the term "network device" refers to a device that provides or hosts communication for a cell or coverage area for terminal devices. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, NodeBs (NodeB or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), remote radio units (RRUs), radio heads (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), IAB nodes, low-power nodes such as femtonodes or piconodes, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), network control repeaters, etc.

[0059] Terminal or network devices can possess artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) capabilities. AI / ML typically refers to models trained on large amounts of collected data for a specific function and used to predict information. Terminal or network devices can operate in several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz), 71 GHz to 114 GHz, and frequency ranges greater than 100 GHz, including terahertz (THz) frequencies. Terminal or network devices can also operate in licensed, unlicensed, or shared spectrum. Terminal devices can have multiple connections with multiple network devices, for example, in multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC) applications. Terminal or network devices can have advanced duplex capabilities, such as full-duplex, flexible duplex, and cross-division duplex (XDD) modes.

[0060] Network devices may have functions or capabilities for network energy saving, automation of self-organizing networks (SON), or minimization of drive test (MDT) mechanisms. Terminals may have power-saving functions or capabilities.

[0061] The embodiments of this disclosure can be executed in test equipment, such as signal generators, signal analyzers, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, test terminal equipment, test network equipment, and channel simulators.

[0062] Embodiments of this disclosure may be performed according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of such communication protocols include, but are not limited to, cellular protocols, including first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G, 2.5G, 2.75G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G, sometimes referred to as “LTE”, 4.5G, sometimes referred to as “LTE Advanced” and “LTE AdvancedPro”), fifth-generation (5G, sometimes referred to as “NR”, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced) and sixth-generation (6G), as well as various generations of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Ultra Wideband (UWB).

[0063] In one embodiment, the terminal device can connect to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first and second network devices can be a master node, and the other a slave node. The first and second network devices can use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device can be a first RAT device, and the second network device can be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. In another embodiment, the first RAT device is a 5G network device, and the second RAT device is a 6G network device. Information related to different RATs can be sent to the terminal device from at least one of the first and second network devices. In one embodiment, first information can be sent from the first network device to the terminal device, and second information can be sent from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, information related to the configuration of the terminal device and configured by the second network device can be sent from the second network device via the first network device. Information related to the reconfiguration of the terminal device and configured by the second network device can be sent directly or via the first network device from the second network device to the terminal device.

[0064] In some examples, values, processes, or devices may be referred to as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “smallest,” “largest,” etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made among many functional options; however, such a choice may be optimal in some respects, but not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or superior to other choices in others.

[0065] As used herein, the term "circuit" can refer to hardware circuitry and / or a combination of hardware circuitry and software. For example, a circuit can be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware. As another example, a circuit can be any part of a hardware processor with software, including digital signal processors, software, and memory, which work together to enable a device, such as a terminal device or network device, to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit can be hardware circuitry and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof, that requires software / firmware to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate. The term "circuit" as used herein also encompasses implementations of hardware circuitry alone, or one or more processors, or hardware circuitry or a portion thereof, and their accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0066] The term "mapping" as used in this article refers to an indication format and can also be replaced by other names such as list, matrix, group, set, range, region, relation, lookup table, and information. The term "mapping" also refers to a relation and can be replaced by other names such as relation, match, and lookup table.

[0067] The term “radio frequency (RF) map” as used in this document refers to radio environment information and may also be referred to as a radio environment map, radio frequency map, radio map, radio-based map, radio signal-based map, or other map with similar meanings.

[0068] The term “geometric-map” as used in this article refers to geographic and / or geometric information, and may also be referred to as location / geometric / geographic information or map (G-map), or some intermediate result after processing location / geometric / geographic information, or other maps with similar meanings.

[0069] The term "size" as used in this article refers to a measurement or metric of an element in a map in various aspects. That is, the term "size" as used in this article can be understood in a broader sense than its strict physical meaning. For example, size can refer to a measurement or metric of at least one of the following: dimension, compression ratio / bits, type order, number of parameters in an element, etc. Without any limitation, size can refer to other similar metrics of an element.

[0070] In this disclosure, elements in an RF-map may also be referred to as "RF-map elements". Elements in a G-map may also be referred to as "G-map elements". Elements in a mapping configuration may also be referred to as "mapping elements".

[0071] As mentioned above, the representation and / or indication of the mapping configuration (or correlation) between radio environmental information and geometric / geographic information is a crucial aspect of communication systems. Typically, processing functions for localization / positioning, environmental map construction / updating, and / or mapping configuration between environmental maps can be performed locally, such as at the UE. However, locally processed SLAM does not utilize information from other nodes in the network, such as information from base stations (BS). Therefore, the local environmental map at the UE is often inaccurate or incomplete.

[0072] Sensing systems can be used to help collect UE pose information, including the UE's position in the global coordinate system, its velocity and direction of movement in the global coordinate system, orientation information, and information about the wireless environment. "Location" is also called "position," and the two terms are used interchangeably in this document. Well-known examples of sensing systems include Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). While sensing systems can be separated from communication systems, it can be advantageous to use an integrated system to collect information, reducing the hardware (and cost) in the system and the time, frequency, or spatial resources required to perform both functions. However, using communication system hardware to perform the sensing of UE pose and environmental information is extremely challenging and remains an open problem. The difficulty of this problem is related to factors such as the limited resolution of the communication system, the dynamic nature of the environment, and the large number of objects whose electromagnetic properties and positions need to be estimated.

[0073] Additionally, terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks can enable a range of new services and applications, such as terrestrial monitoring, remote sensing, passive perception and positioning, navigation, tracking, automated delivery, and mobility. Terrestrial-based and non-terrestrial-based perception can provide intelligent context-aware networks to enhance the user experience. For example, terrestrial-based and non-terrestrial-based perception will involve opportunities for positioning and perception applications based on a new set of features and service capabilities. Applications such as THz imaging and spectroscopy have the potential to provide continuous, real-time physiological information for future digital health technologies through dynamic, non-invasive, and contactless measurements. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) methods can not only enable advanced cross-reality (XR) applications but also enhance navigation for autonomous objects such as vehicles and drones. Other terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, along with measured channel data and perceived positioning data, can be obtained through high bandwidth, new spectrum, dense networks, and more light-of-sight (LOS) links. Based on this data, radio environment maps can be created, linking channel information with its corresponding positioning or environmental information, to provide enhanced physical layer designs based on this map.

[0074] Because base stations or other network devices can collect and use their own channel and / or sensing data or the UE's channel and / or sensing data, they can have a wider field of view, longer sensing distance, more detailed global information, and higher resolution environmental maps, as well as mapping configurations between environmental maps. If the network provides the UE with mapping configurations between environmental maps, these configurations and environmental maps can help the UE improve its sensing capabilities, such as increasing sensing accuracy or reducing sensing complexity, or assisting UE communication, such as MIMO or beamforming processes.

[0075] In view of the foregoing, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure propose a mechanism for representing a mapping configuration for mapping between radio environment and geometric and / or geographic information. In this mechanism, a first device receives a mapping configuration including a set of mapping elements from a second device. The mapping elements in the set indicate a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map. The first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the environment information and the geometric information. The first device then determines the radio environment information associated with the first device based on the mapping configuration.

[0076] In this way, the mapping configuration between radio environment information and geometric information can be transmitted between communication devices. Therefore, if one device cannot independently determine a high-quality mapping configuration, another device with higher sensing capabilities can share a high-quality mapping configuration. The devices can then correctly determine the associated radio environment information to improve communication performance.

[0077] For illustrative purposes, the following will refer to Figures 1A to 8 The principles and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described. However, it should be noted that these embodiments are given to enable those skilled in the art to understand the inventive concept of this disclosure and to implement the solutions presented herein, and are not intended to limit the scope of this application in any way to the combination of structures and features expressly shown.

[0078] Figure 1A An exemplary environment 100A is shown that can implement some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0079] refer to Figure 1A As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. Radio access network 120 may be a next-generation (e.g., sixth-generation (6G) or later) radio access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) radio access network. One or more electronic devices (EDs) 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f, 110g, 110h, 110i, 110j (generally referred to as 110) may interconnect with each other or be connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, generally referred to as 170) in radio access network 120. Core network 130 may be part of the communication system and may depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. Furthermore, communication system 100 includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0080] Figure 1BAn exemplary system 100B that can implement some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Generally, the communication system 100B enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit data and other content. The purpose of the communication system 100B may be to provide content such as voice, data, video, signaling, and / or text via broadcast, multicast, and unicast. The communication system 100B can operate by sharing resources (such as carrier spectrum bandwidth) among its constituent units. The communication system 100B may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. The communication system 100B can provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, automated delivery and mobility, etc.). The communication system 100B can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating a non-terrestrial communication system (or components thereof) into a terrestrial communication system can create a heterogeneous network that can be considered as comprising multiple layers. Compared to traditional communication networks, heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

[0081] Terrestrial communication systems and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered subsystems of a communication system. Figure 1B In the example shown, communication system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d (collectively referred to as ED110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a to 120b, a non-terrestrial communication network 120c, a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RANs 120a to 120b include corresponding base stations (BSs) 170a to 170b, which are generally referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRPs) 170a to 170b. The non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes access nodes 172, typically referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive points (NT-TRPs) 172. There are no limitations. Figure 1B The aforementioned ED 110, TRP 170, RAN 120, core network 130, PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160 can be... Figure 1A The corresponding devices, sites, RANs, and networks. Alternative locations. Figure 1B The aforementioned ED 110, TRP 170, RAN 120, core network 130, PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160 can be... Figure 1A Other than equipment, sites, RAN, and networks.

[0082] Alternatively or additionally, any ED 110 can be used to connect, access, or communicate with any T-TRP 170a to 170b and NT-TRP 172, Internet 150, core network 130, PSTN 140, other network 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can perform uplink and / or downlink transmissions with T-TRP 170a via terrestrial air interface 190a. In some examples, ED 110a, ED 110b, ED 110c, and ED 110d can also communicate directly with each other via one or more side air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d can perform uplink and / or downlink transmissions with NT-TRP 172 via non-terrestrial air interface 190c.

[0083] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any applicable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), space division multiple access (SDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), direct Fourier transform spread OFDMA (DFT-OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA). Air interfaces 190a and 190b can utilize other higher-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0084] The non-terrestrial air interface 190c enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP 172s via a wireless link or simply via a link. In some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection between a group of ED 110s and one or more NT-TRP 172s for multicast transmission.

[0085] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. RANs 120a and 120b and / or core network 130 may communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technology as RANs 120a, RAN 120b, or both. Core network 130 may also serve as a gateway access between (i) RANs 120a and 120b or EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c, or both, and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Additionally, some or all of EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. ED 110a, 110b, and 110c can communicate with a service provider or exchange (not shown) via a wired communication channel and with the Internet 150, but not wirelessly (or also wirelessly). PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a network of computers and / or subnets (intranets) and incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110a, 110b, and 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating under various wireless access technologies and include multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0086] like Figure 1BAny or both of ED 110 and BS 170 shown can be sensing nodes in system 100A. A sensing node is a network entity that performs sensing by sending and receiving sensing signals. Some sensing nodes are communication devices that perform both communication and sensing simultaneously. However, some sensing nodes may not perform communication but are dedicated solely to sensing. Sensing agent 174 is an example of a sensing node dedicated solely to sensing. Unlike ED 110 and BS 170, sensing agent 174 does not send or receive communication signals. However, sensing agent 174 can transmit configuration information, sensing information, signaling information, or other information within communication system 100. Sensing agent 174 can communicate with core network 130 to transmit information with the rest of communication system 100. As an example, sensing agent 174 can determine the location of ED 110a and send this information to base station 170a via core network 130. Although in Figure 2 Only one sensing agent 174 is shown, but any number of sensing agents can be implemented in the communication system 100. In some embodiments, one or more sensing agents can be implemented at one or more locations in the RAN 120.

[0087] Sensing nodes can combine sensing-based technologies with reference signal-based technologies to enhance UE attitude determination. This type of sensing node can also be called a sensing management function (SMF). In some networks, the SMF can also be called a location management function (LMF). The SMF can be implemented as a physically independent entity located at core network 130, which is connected to multiple BSs 170. In other aspects of this application, the SMF can be implemented as a logical entity co-located within BS 170 by logic executed by processor 182.

[0088] Figure 1C It shows Figure 1A and Figure 1B An exemplary device in an exemplary environment. Specifically, Figure 1CAnother example of an ED 110 and base stations 170a, 170b, and / or 170c, representing some embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The ED 110 can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communications (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), metaverse, digital twin, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility, etc.

[0089] Each ED 110 represents any suitable end-user equipment for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as): user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics, smartbook, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, wearable device (such as watch, head-mounted device, glasses), industrial equipment, or devices within the aforementioned devices (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip), etc. Future generations of ED 110 may be referred to using other terms. Each base station 170a and 170b is a T-TRP, referred to below as T-TRP 170. Also shown in Figure 3, the NT-TRP is referred to below as NT-TRP 172. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be configured to be dynamically or semi-statically turned on (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), turned off (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or in response to one or more of connection availability and connection necessity.

[0090] ED 110 includes one or more antennas 104, a transmitter 111, and a receiver 113 coupled to one or more antennas 104. Only one antenna 104 is shown. One, some, or all of the antennas 104 may alternatively be panels. The transmitter 111 and receiver 113 may be integrated as a transceiver, etc. The transceiver is used to modulate data or other content for transmission via at least one antenna 104 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received via at least one antenna 104. Each transceiver includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 104 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals.

[0091] ED 110 includes at least one memory 115. Memory 115 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by ED 110. For example, memory 115 may store software instructions or modules executed by one or more processing units (e.g., processor 117) for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein. Each memory 115 includes any suitable one or more volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, and on-processor cache, etc.

[0092] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., connected to...). Figure 1A or Figure 1B (Wired interface of Internet 150 in the network). Input / output devices support interaction with users or other devices in the network. Each input / output device includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user (including network interface communication), such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display, or touchscreen.

[0093] ED 110 includes a processor 117 for performing operations including: operations related to preparing transmissions for uplink transmissions to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; and operations related to processing sidelink transmissions sent to and from another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing transmissions for uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. According to an embodiment, the downlink transmissions may be received by receiver 113 possibly using receive beamforming, and processor 117 may extract signaling from the downlink transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). For example, an example of signaling may be a reference signal transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 117 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from the T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, the processor 117 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and obtaining system information. In some embodiments, the processor 117 may perform channel estimation using reference signals received from the NT-TRP 172 and / or the T-TRP 170.

[0094] Processor 117 may form part of transmitter 111 and / or receiver 113, but is not shown in the figures. Memory 115 may form part of processor 117, but is not shown in the figures.

[0095] The processor 117, the processing components of the transmitter 111, and the processing components of the receiver 113 may each be implemented using one or more processors, which are the same or different, for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 115). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of the processor 117, the transmitter 111, and the receiver 113 may each be implemented using special-purpose circuitry such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a central processing unit (CPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0096] In some implementations, the T-TRP 170 can use other names, such as base station, base transceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP), wireless router, relay station, remote radio head, ground node, ground network device, ground base station, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), location node, etc. The T-TRP 170 can be a macro base station, pico base station, relay node, host node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned device or a component of the aforementioned device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0097] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located remotely from the device housing the antenna 106 of T-TRP 170 and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna 106 via a communication link (not shown) sometimes referred to as a fronthaul (such as a common public radio interface (CPRI)). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term "T-TRP 170" may also refer to network-side modules that perform processing operations such as determining the location of ED 110, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, which are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna 106 of T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs that operate together to serve ED 110, for example, by using cooperative multicast.

[0098] T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 181 and at least one receiver 183 coupled to one or more antennas 106. Only one antenna 106 is shown. One, some, or all of the antennas 106 may alternatively be panels. The transmitter 181 and receiver 183 may be integrated as a transceiver. T-TRP 170 also includes a processor 182 for performing operations including operations related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmissions to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmissions to NT-TRP 172, and processing transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing transmissions for downlink or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to receiving transmissions in the uplink or backhaul may include receive beamforming, demodulating received symbols, and decoding received symbols. Processor 182 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB), generating system information, etc. In some embodiments, processor 182 may also generate beam direction indications, such as BAI, that scheduler 184 can schedule for transmission. Processor 182 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110, determining the location for deploying NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, processor 182 may generate signaling to configure one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172, etc. Any signaling generated by processor 182 is transmitted by transmitter 181. It should be noted that the term "signaling" as used herein may alternatively be referred to as control signaling. Dynamic signaling can be transmitted in control channels, such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). Static or semi-static higher-layer signaling can be included in data packets transmitted in data channels such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0099] Scheduler 184 may be coupled to processor 182. Scheduler 184 may be included within T-TRP 170 or may operate separately from T-TRP 170. Scheduler 184 may schedule uplink, downlink, and / or backlink transmissions, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring schedule-free (“configuration authorization”) resources. T-TRP 170 also includes memory 185 for storing information and data. Memory 185 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by T-TRP 170. For example, memory 185 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein and executed by processor 182.

[0100] Processor 182 may form part of transmitter 181 and / or receiver 183, but is not shown in the figures. Furthermore, although not shown, processor 182 may implement scheduler 184. Memory 185 may form part of processor 182, but is not shown in the figures.

[0101] The processing components of processor 182, scheduler 184, transmitter 181, and receiver 183 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 185). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 182, scheduler 184, transmitter 181, and receiver 183 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as FPGA, GPU, CPU, or ASIC.

[0102] Although the NT-TRP 172 is exemplified only as a drone, it can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form, such as an aerial platform, a satellite, an aerial platform as an international mobile telecommunications base station, or an unmanned aerial vehicle, as discussed below. Furthermore, in some implementations, the NT-TRP 172 may have other names, such as a non-terrestrial node, a non-terrestrial network device, or a non-terrestrial base station. The NT-TRP 172 includes a transmitter 186 and a receiver 187 coupled to one or more antennas 108. Only one antenna 108 is shown. One, some, or all of the antennas may alternatively be panels. The transmitter 186 and receiver 187 may be integrated as a transceiver. NT-TRP 172 also includes a processor 188 for performing operations including those related to: preparing transmissions for downlink transmissions to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing transmissions for backhaul transmissions to T-TRP 170, and processing transmissions received from T-TRP 170 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing transmissions for downlink or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing received transmissions in the uplink or backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulating received symbols, and decoding received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 188 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 188 may generate signaling, for example, to configure one or more parameters of ED 110. In some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but not higher-level functions such as those at the medium access control (MAC) or radio link control (RLC) layers. Since this is merely an example, the NT-TRP 172 may more generally implement higher-level functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0103] The NT-TRP 172 also includes a memory 189 for storing information and data. A processor 188 may form part of a transmitter 186 and / or a receiver 187, but is not shown in the figures. The memory 189 may form part of the processor 188, but is not shown in the figures.

[0104] The processing components of processor 188, transmitter 186, and receiver 187 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 189). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 188, transmitter 186, and receiver 187 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable FPGA, GPU, CPU, or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 may actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, through cooperative multicast. T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172, and / or ED 110 may include other components, but these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0105] Figure 1D An exemplary module in the device of this disclosure is shown. One or more steps of the embodiment methods provided herein can be based on... Figure 1D It is executed by the corresponding unit or module. Figure 1D Units or modules in the device are shown, such as in ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172. For example, signals may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. Signals may be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. Signals may be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps may be performed by AI or ML modules. The corresponding units or modules may be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units or modules may be a programmable integrated circuit such as an FPGA, GPU, CPU, or ASIC. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented using software executed by a processor, etc., these modules may be retrieved by the processor, wholly or partially, individually or collectively, for processing, in one or more instances, and these modules themselves may include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0106] Additional details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted here.

[0107] Figure 1E An exemplary sensing management function (SMF) of this disclosure is shown.

[0108] like Figure 1EAs shown, when implemented as a physically independent entity, the SMF 176 includes at least one transmitter 192, at least one processor 194, one or more antennas 195, at least one receiver 196, a scheduler 198, and at least one memory 199. Transceivers (not shown) may be used in place of transmitter 192 and receiver 196. The scheduler 198 may be coupled to the processor 194. The scheduler 198 may be included within the SMF 176 or may operate separately from the SMF 176. The processor 194 implements various processing operations of the SMF 176, such as signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, or any other functions. The processor 194 may also be used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described in more detail above. Each processor 194 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processor 194 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field-programmable gate array, or application-specific integrated circuit.

[0109] Attitude determination techniques based on reference signals belong to the "active" attitude estimation paradigm. In this paradigm, the attitude information querier (i.e., the UE) participates in the process of determining the querier's attitude. The querier can send or receive (or both send and receive) signals related to the attitude determination process. Positioning techniques based on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) (such as the Global Positioning System (GPS)) are other examples of the active attitude estimation paradigm.

[0110] In contrast, radar-based sensing technologies, for example, can be considered a "passive" attitude determination paradigm. In the passive attitude determination paradigm, the target is completely unaware of the attitude determination process.

[0111] By integrating sensing and communication into a single system, the system does not need to operate according to a single paradigm. Therefore, the combination of sensing-based techniques and reference signal-based techniques can lead to enhanced attitude determination.

[0112] For example, enhanced attitude determination can include obtaining UE channel subspace information, which is particularly useful for UE channel reconstruction at sensing nodes, especially for beam-based operations and communications. The UE channel subspace is a subset of the entire algebraic space defined in the spatial domain, containing the entire channel from the TP to the UE. Therefore, the UE channel subspace can very accurately define the TP-to-UE channel. Signals transmitted in other subspaces contribute negligibly to the UE channel. Understanding the UE channel subspace helps reduce the workload required for UE-side channel measurements and network-side channel reconstruction. Therefore, combining sensing-based techniques with reference signal-based techniques can significantly reduce the overhead of UE channel reconstruction compared to traditional methods. Subspace information can also facilitate subspace-based sensing to reduce sensing complexity and improve sensing accuracy.

[0113] In view of the foregoing, this disclosure provides a method for indicating and defining the relationship and / or mapping between location / geometric / geographic information and a radio environment map. Specifically, this disclosure provides a novel indication method for indicating the relationship / mapping between location / geometric / geographic information and a radio environment map. Different maps and mappings can be used in different scenarios. Based on this disclosure, the network can provide the UE with up-to-date knowledge of the mapping configuration associated with the radio environment information based on the location / geometric / geographic information, or the UE can obtain the mapping configuration based on the location / geometric / geographic information. In this way, a novel indication method for indicating the relationship / mapping between a G-map and an RF-map is provided. The mapping may include one or more mapping elements. Furthermore, different maps and mappings can be used in different scenarios. This improves the UE's perception and / or communication performance, or reduces processing latency / complexity, or both.

[0114] In some exemplary embodiments, the methods and apparatus of this disclosure are described through interactions and processing between a user equipment (UE) and a base station (BS). Alternatively, the exchange of information and protocol streams in these processes may also be carried out by... Figures 1A to 1E Other network nodes described in this disclosure may be used to perform the operation, such as between ED 110 and TRP 170, between ED 110 and the core network, between ED 110 and ED 110, and between TRP 170 and TRP 170. The UE in the process described in this disclosure may be replaced by a sensing node. The BS in the process described in this disclosure may be replaced by a sensing coordinator. A sensing coordinator is a node in the network that can assist in sensing operations. These nodes may be independent nodes used solely for sensing operations, or they may be other nodes (e.g., TRP 170, ED 110, or core network nodes discussed above) that perform sensing operations in parallel with communication operations.

[0115] The exemplary communication environments, communication systems, electronic devices, UEs, BSs, sensing nodes, etc. disclosed herein have been previously referenced. Figures 1A to 1E Discussions were held. (Reference) Figures 2 to 7 The methods and processes according to embodiments of this disclosure are further discussed.

[0116] Figure 2 Signaling procedures 200 for indicating mapping configurations between RF-maps and G-maps, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, are illustrated. For illustrative purposes, reference will be made to... Figures 1A to 1E The process is described in 200. This is for illustrative purposes only and not as a limitation. Figure 2 As shown, the first device 110 can be as follows: Figure 1A and 1B The UE 110 or ED 110 shown, the second device 170 can be as follows: Figure 1A and 1B The BS 170 or TRP 170 shown.

[0117] In signaling procedure 200, the first device 110 obtains (210) a mapping configuration including a set of mapping elements. The mapping elements in this set of mapping elements indicate a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map. Furthermore, the first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information. In some embodiments, the first map may represent radio environment information, and the second map may represent geometric information. In this case, the first map may be an "RF-map" as described above, and the second map may be a "G-map" as described above. Alternatively, the first map may represent geometric information, and the second map may represent radio environment information. In this case, the first map may be a "G-map," and the second map may be an "RF-map."

[0118] Additionally, the first map may include a first set of elements, and the second map may include a second set of elements. The first element in the first set of elements may represent a portion of either radio environment information or geometric information, and the second element in the second set of elements represents a portion of the other, either radio environment information or geometric information. That is, if the first map represents radio environment information, then the first element in the first set of elements may represent a portion of the radio environment information. Correspondingly, if the second map represents geometric information, then the second element in the second set of elements may represent a portion of the geometric information. Alternatively, if the first map represents geometric information, then the first element in the first set of elements may represent a portion of the geometric information. Correspondingly, if the second map represents radio environment information, then the second element in the second set of elements may represent a portion of the radio information.

[0119] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may obtain the mapping configuration 203 by receiving it from the second device 170. For example, the second device 170 may send (201) the mapping configuration 203 to the first device 110. Accordingly, the first device 110 may receive (205) the mapping configuration 203. Alternatively or additionally, the mapping configuration 203 may be pre-configured at the first device 110. Alternatively or additionally, the mapping configuration 203 may also be downloaded from a server device. Without any limitation, the first device 110 may obtain or determine the mapping configuration 203 in any other manner.

[0120] Still regarding the first and second maps, in some embodiments, the second device 170 can determine the first and second maps by performing sensing or measurement operations on the environment associated with the first device 110 and the second device 170. The second device 170 can then send (230) the first map and / or the second map 235 to the first device 110. Alternatively or additionally, the second device 170 can also obtain the first and second maps from other network devices, the core network, other networks, etc., and then the second device 170 indicates the obtained first map and / or second map 235 to the first device 110 (230). In this way, the first device 110 can obtain (240) a first map and / or a second map with high accuracy and redundancy information. Alternatively or additionally, the first and second maps can also be pre-configured at the first device 110 and the second device 170. For clarity, refer to... Figures 3A to 3D Further discussion on the first and second maps.

[0121] like Figures 3A to 3D As shown, the grid in the RF-map (e.g., a first map or a second map) can be elements in the RF-map. In some embodiments, the RF-map can include N RF-map elements, where N ≥ 1. In some embodiments, the RF-map (also referred to as an RF-map) can be divided uniformly or non-uniformly. In other words, the grid in the RF-map can be divided uniformly or non-uniformly, or the elements in the RF-map can be regular or irregular. For example, if the RF-map is uniformly divided (or the elements in the RF-map are regular), then the elements in the RF-map can belong to the same element type and / or modality. Furthermore, the value range or size of each element in the RF-map is the same. For example, if the element belongs to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) type, then the value range of the element in the RF-map can be 20 dB. Specifically, the value of the first element in the RF-map can be from 0 dB to 20 dB, and the value of the second element in the RF-map can be from 20 dB to 40 dB.

[0122] Without any restrictions, elements in an RF map can have one or more types and / or modes. For example, an element in an RF map can be at least one of the following: multipath or ray tracing information type, channel matrix information type characterizing the channel, beamforming information type, reference signal information type, or channel quality or state information type. In the example, an element in an RF map (also referred to as an RF map element) can have the following representation.

[0123] RF-map elements may include ray tracing or multipath information. For example, each path / ray may include information about its amplitude, delay, angle, etc. Additionally, an RF-map element may include one or more paths / rays, such as a set {amplitude, delay, angle, etc.}. Alternatively or additionally, RF-map elements may include channel H information. Channel H may be represented in a vectorized format, a matrix-based format, or as scalar values. Alternatively or additionally, RF-map elements may include beamforming information. For example, each beam may include information about its angle, beam gradient, beamwidth, etc. Additionally, an RF-map element may include one or more beams, such as a set {angle, beam gradient, beamwidth, etc.}. Alternatively or additionally, RF-map elements may include reference signal information. For example, each RF-map element may include one or more reference signals. Alternatively or additionally, RF-map elements may include one or more channel quality indicator (CQI) metrics. Additionally or alternatively, RF-map elements can be direct or indirect representations of channel status and / or quality, such as CQI, MCS, SNR, MSC range, SNR range, etc. (For illustrative purposes only.) Figure 3A As shown, RF-map 301 is divided evenly (or in other words, the elements in RF-map 301 have regular shapes and sizes).

[0124] Alternatively, the RF map may be unevenly divided, or the elements in the RF map may be irregular. In the example, the elements in the RF map may have different types and / or modes. For example, one element in the RF map may have a first plurality of types and / or modes, and another element in the RF map may have a second plurality of types and / or modes. In this case, at least a portion of the first plurality of types and / or modes may differ from the second plurality of types and / or modes. In a specific example, the first element may include multipath information, and the second element may include channel H information. In another example, the third element may include beamforming information. These elements in the RF map may include different types (or different numbers of types).

[0125] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the first size of a first element in the RF-map may be the same as or different from the second size of a second element in the RF-map, regardless of whether the element types are exactly the same. In some embodiments, if the first and second elements are of the same element type, the first size may differ from the second size in terms of its dimensions. For example, the first element, the second element, and an additional third element belong to the Channel H information type. The first element has dimensions of 512×64×80. The second element has dimensions of 256×128. The third element has dimensions of a 1×100 vector. In this example, the sizes of these elements are different in terms of their dimensions.

[0126] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the first size may differ from the second size regarding bits, ratios, or compression or quantization levels. That is, the compression or quantization ratios / levels of the elements are different. In the example, the first element is of the Channel H information type, and the Channel H information is compressed or quantized to 5 bits. The second element is of the Channel H information type, and the Channel H information is compressed or quantized to 4 bits. If the original quantization level of the Channel H information is 16 bits (i.e., the information is initially stored in 16 bits), then the compression ratios associated with the quantization of the first and second elements are 3.2 and 4, respectively. Therefore, even for the same element type, the compression or quantization ratios / levels of the elements can be different. Although quantization and compression generally refer to different but related concepts, in the context of the preceding examples, these two terms can be used interchangeably for certain purposes. Additionally, in another example, the first element is of the Multipath Information type, and the amplitude, delay, and angle information for each path are compressed or quantized to 6 bits, 8 bits, and 5 bits, respectively. The second element can be the beamforming information type, and the angle, beam gradient, and beamwidth information for each beam are compressed or quantized to 6 bits, 5 bits, and 7 bits, respectively. The quantization level can also differ for different element types. Even for the example of angles in path information and angles in beamforming information, the quantization level can be different.

[0127] Alternatively or additionally, the first size may differ from the second size regarding the order of information types within each element. In the example, the first element could be {channel H information, beamforming information}, and the second element could be {beamforming information, channel H information}. That is, elements can include multiple types, and the order of the types can be different.

[0128] Alternatively or additionally, the first size may differ from the second size regarding the number of parameters in an element. In the example, the first element may be beamforming information with 5 beams. The second element may be beamforming information with 3 beams. Accordingly, the elements include different numbers of parameters. In another example, the first element belongs to both ray tracing type and channel quality type, with the ray tracing type including 4 rays / paths; however, the second element may belong only to the ray tracing type, with the ray tracing type including 2 rays / paths.

[0129] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the first value range of the first element and the second value range of the second element are the same or different. In the example, when the elements in the RF-map belong to the same type, the first value range of the first element and the second value range of the second element in the RF-map can be the same or different, depending on whether the RF-map is uniformly divided. This is for illustrative purposes only. Figure 3B As shown, the RF map is unevenly divided, or the elements in these maps have irregular shapes / sizes. In another example, the first element is reference signal information with a value range of 0 dB to 20 dB; the second element is reference signal information with a value range of 0 dB to 30 dB. The value ranges of the elements are different. Conversely, in another example where the first and second elements belong to different element types, since the "physical dimensions" of these elements are already different, the first and second value ranges should be correspondingly different.

[0130] Additionally, as mentioned above, elements in an RF map can have the same type / modality. For example, all N RF map elements in this map include channel H information. Alternatively, in some other scenarios, an RF map may include RF map elements of multiple types and / or modalities. For example, N1 RF map elements may include channel H information, N2 RF map elements may include multipath information, N3 RF map elements may include beamforming information, etc. In this way, different RF maps (including specific types of RF map elements) can be provided according to different scenarios and sensing and / or communication tasks.

[0131] Furthermore, G-maps representing geometric / geographic information can also represent intermediate results after processing geometric / geographic information. G-maps can be grid-based maps or represented in other formats. A G-map can include M G-map elements / grids, where M ≥ 1. G-map elements / grids can indicate 2D / 3D locations, 2D / 3D areas or regions, geometric information about the surrounding scene, geographic coordinates, or other geometric / geographic information or preprocessed geometric / geographic information.

[0132] like Figures 3A to 3D As shown, a grid in a G-map can be an element in the G-map. Similarly, a G-map can be divided uniformly or non-uniformly. In other words, elements in a G-map can be regular or irregular. In some embodiments, if the G-map is divided uniformly, the geographic / geometric extent associated with each element in the G-map can have the same size or shape. Additionally, elements in a G-map can be one or more types and / or modalities. In some embodiments, elements in a G-map have at least one of the following: a two-dimensional (2D) location area type; a three-dimensional (3D) location area type; a geographic coordinate type; or a processing data type associated with that geographic / geometric information. Additionally, in the example, an element in a G-map may include 3D location area information and geographic coordinate information, and another element in the G-map may include geometric information about the surrounding scene. That is, elements in a G-map may include different types (or different numbers of types). This is for illustrative purposes only. Figure 3A As shown, the G-map is divided uniformly. For example, G-map elements / grids are all the same size and have the same shape.

[0133] Alternatively, the G-map may be unevenly divided, or the elements / grids in the G-map may be irregular. In some embodiments, the value range of the third element in the G-map and the value range of the fourth element in the G-map may be different. Additionally or alternatively, the elements / grids in the G-map may have different sizes or shapes. Furthermore, the shape of the elements / grids may be regular or irregular. Figure 3C to 3D As shown, G-map elements / grids differ in size and shape.

[0134] Specifically, in some embodiments, the size of elements in the G-map can differ in terms of the element's dimensions. For example, one element in the G-map is a 2D location area type with dimensions of 100×200; another element in the G-map is a 2D location area type with dimensions of 200×200. Alternatively or additionally, one element in the G-map is a 2D location area type with dimensions of 100×200; another element in the G-map is a 3D location area type with dimensions of 50×250×100.

[0135] Additionally or alternatively, the size of elements in a G-map can vary regarding compression or quantization ratios / levels. For example, an element in a G-map might be a 2D location area type, with the 2D location area information compressed or quantized to 8 bits. Another element in a G-map might be a 3D location area type, with the 3D location area information compressed or quantized to 12 bits. Yet another element in a G-map might be a geographic coordinate type, with the geographic coordinates (x, y, z) compressed or quantized to 16 bits. Therefore, the compression or quantization ratios / levels of elements can be different.

[0136] Additionally or alternatively, the size of elements in a G-map can vary depending on the order of the information types within each element. For example, an element in a G-map might include {2D location area, geographic coordinates}. Another element in a G-map might include {geographic coordinates, 2D location area}. That is, elements in a G-map can include multiple types, and the order of these types can be different.

[0137] Alternatively or additionally, the size of elements in a G-map can vary depending on the number of parameters. For example, one element in a G-map might be a 2D geographic coordinate type with 3 sets of coordinates (x, y). Another element in a G-map might be a 2D geographic coordinate type with 4 sets of coordinates (x, y). That is, elements in a G-map can include different numbers of parameters. This allows for flexible provision of geometric / geographic information to the user interface (UE).

[0138] In this way, the description of geometric / geographic information can be flexibly provided to the UE. Figures 3A to 3D An exemplary mapping configuration between the RF map and the G map is also shown, which will be discussed below.

[0139] Refer again Figure 2As described above, the first map can be one of the aforementioned RF-map and G-map, and the second map can be the other of the RF-map and G-map. Then, after receiving (205) the mapping configuration 203, the first device 110 can learn the correlation between radio environment information and geometric information. Furthermore, the first device 110 determines (250) the radio environment information associated with the first device. Accordingly, utilizing the RF-map, G-map, and mapping configuration, the first device 110 can perform sensing operations and communications in a more accurate manner. For example, once the first device 110 determines the elements associated with the first device 110 in the first map (i.e., the radio environment information associated with the first device 110), the first device 110 can perform sensing operations based on the elements associated with the first device in the first map. Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 can perform communications based on the elements associated with the first device in the first map. Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 can determine a beam set for at least one of sensing operations and communications based on the elements associated with the first device in the first map. Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 may determine the transmission power for at least one of sensing operations and communications based on elements associated with the first device in the first map. Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 may determine a reference signal for at least one of sensing operations and communications based on elements associated with the first device in the first map.

[0140] In view of the foregoing, by utilizing mapping configuration 203, the first device 110 can perform sensing operations and / or communication with improved performance. Details regarding mapping configuration 203 will be provided in [reference needed]. Figures 3A to 5E And that was discussed further.

[0141] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, several mapping or association methods are provided. In one embodiment, a G-map may refer to an RF-map. For example, an element in the G-map may be mapped to one or more elements in the RF-map, or one or more ranges / blocks in the RF-map. Additionally or alternatively, multiple elements of the G-map may be mapped to the same element in the RF-map. In another embodiment, an RF-map may reference a G-map. For example, an element in the RF-map may be mapped to one or more elements in the G-map, or an index range, or one or more ranges / blocks in the G-map. Alternatively, multiple elements of the RF-map may be mapped to the same element in the G-map. In another embodiment, the mapping configuration may be represented as one or more pairs of indications. For example, pairs of indications may indicate matching pairs (G-map element, RF-map element), or matching index pairs (G-map element index, RF-map element index), or mixed matching pairs (G-map element index, RF-map element) pairs, or (G-map element, RF-map element index) information. In this scenario, the RF-map and G-map can be implicitly indicated through mapping configuration. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any other mapping representation may exist. Reference will be made to these embodiments only for discussion purposes. Figures 3A to 5E Further discussion on mapping configuration representation.

[0142] Figures 3A to 3D Examples of mappings between RF-maps and G-maps according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Exemplary mappings may be indicated in a mapping configuration.

[0143] like Figures 3A to 3D As shown, elements in RF-maps and G-maps can be arbitrarily partitioned (e.g., uniform, non-uniform, regular, or irregular). Figure 3A In the G-map, elements 301 and 303 map to element 305 map, and element 307 map to element 309 map. Figure 3B In the G-map, elements 311 and 313 map to element 315 in the RF-map, and element 317 map to element 319 in the G-map. Figure 3C In the map, elements 321 and 323 map to element 325 in the RF map, and element 327 maps to element 329 in the G map. Figure 3D In the G-map, elements 331 and 333 map to element 335 in the RF-map, and element 337 map to element 339 in the RF-map. Given the above, Figures 3A to 3DThis section generally illustrates some exemplary mappings between RF-maps and G-maps, that is, exemplary mappings between first maps and second maps.

[0144] To make it clearer, the mapping reference from G-map to RF-map is... Figures 4A to 4D This was discussed further.

[0145] In some embodiments, elements in the RF-map can be identified by indexes. In this case, if an element in the G-map is mapped to another element in the RF-map, the mapping can be indicated based on the index of that other element in the RF-map. In the example, each element in the G-map can reference the index of the corresponding element in the RF-map. In some embodiments, the first device 110 can receive the mapping configuration 203 by receiving the G-map, and the elements in the G-map reference the indexes of elements in the RF-map; for example, the elements in the G-map can directly include the indexes of elements in the RF-map. That is, the mapping configuration can be carried by the G-map, i.e., the mapping configuration can be implicitly indicated based on the G-map. Furthermore, in addition to the case where the elements of the mapping configuration are included in G-map elements, the mapping configuration can also be individually represented as a third map with the same dimensions as the G-map. Moreover, the mapping elements in the third map are associated with elements in the G-map based on, for example, the position of elements in that map with the same dimensions, and the element can include one or more indices of one or more elements in the RF-map. In this case, the mapping configuration can be sent separately, rather than being carried by the G-map. In other words, the mapping configuration can be included in the G-map or represented as a single matrix with the same dimensions as the G-map.

[0146] Figure 4A Examples of mapping from a G-map to an RF-map according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0147] like Figure 4AAs shown, through mapping configuration 403, the first G-map element in G-map 401 is mapped to the RF-map element with index 1, the second G-map element is mapped to the RF-map element with index 5, the third G-map element is mapped to the RF-map element with index 1, the fourth G-map element is mapped to the RF-map element with index 0, and so on. Based on the previous mapping example, mapping configuration 203 itself can be represented as or include a map or an indexed map (also referred to as a third map in this disclosure). As shown, mapping configuration 203 is: a 4×4 map 403 with elements {1, 5, 1, 0, 2, 3…1, 5}. In this case, the third map 403 can have the same dimensions as G-map 401. Furthermore, each element in the third map is associated with an element in the G-map; for example, an element in the third map can be associated with an element in the G-map that is at the same position. Additionally, each element in the third map can include an index of an element in the RF-map. Then, each element in the third map can indicate that its associated element in the G-map is mapped to an element identified by an index in the RF-map. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the mapping configuration may be represented as or include a mapping list. In this case, the number of data items in the mapping is the same as the number of elements in the G-map. Furthermore, the data items in the mapping list are associated with elements in the G-map, and the data items include elements in the RF-map. See also... Figure 4A The mapping configuration can be represented by a list: {1, 5, 1, 0, 2, 3…1, 5}, where the i-th element in the list represents the index of the corresponding RF-map element for the i-th G-map element. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the number of data items in the mapping list can be the same as the number of elements in the RF-map. In this case, the data items in the mapping list are associated with elements in the RF-map, and the data items include elements in the G-map. Without any restrictions, the mapping configuration can also be represented as a matrix, where the number of elements can be the same as the number of elements in the G-map.

[0148] Additionally, in some embodiments, elements in the RF-map may have a first number of dimensions, and mapping elements in the mapping configuration may have a second number of dimensions. Furthermore, the second number may be greater than or equal to the first number. For example, if the RF-map element index is represented by a high-dimensional or multi-dimensional index (explicitly or implicitly), then the mapping index may also be high-dimensional or multi-dimensional. In the example above, the mapping configuration {1, 5, 1, 0, 2, 3…1, 5} can become {(0,1), (2,1), (0,1), (0,0), (1,0)…(2,1)}, where the mapping element (0,1) refers to row index 0 and column index 1 (i.e., Figure 4A(RF-map element with index 1), where (2,1) refers to row index 2 and column index 1 (i.e., Figure 4A (RF-map element with index 5 in the middle).

[0149] Additionally or alternatively, an RF map may include a list or array, or be represented by a list or array. In this case, elements in a G map may also reference or correspond to one or more indices in a list / array representation of the RF map. Figure 4B Another example of mapping from a G-map to an RF-map is shown, illustrating some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0150] like Figure 4B As shown, an RF-map can include a list or array, or be represented by a list or array consisting of multiple map elements, such as {element 0, element 1...element k}, including k elements. Each RF-map element can have an index, which can be configured explicitly or implicitly; for example, implicit indexing can be based on the order of the elements. Each element of the G-map can be mapped to one (or more) elements in the list / array representation of the RF-map, such as... Figure 4B As shown. Additionally, multiple G-map elements / grids can reference the same element in the RF-map. For example... Figure 4B As shown, two G-map elements can be mapped to an RF-map element with index 0. Similarly, the mapping itself can be a map / matrix, or an indexed map / matrix, and can also be represented by a list or vector. Specifically, elements 407 and 411 in the G-map are mapped to element 0 in the list representation of the RF-map, and element 409 in the G-map is mapped to element 1 in the list representation of the RF-map.

[0151] In the example above, a G-map element is mapped to an RF-map element. Alternatively or concurrently, elements in a G-map can be mapped to multiple first elements in an RF-map.

[0152] Figure 4C Another example of a mapping from a G-map to an RF-map is illustrated, representing some embodiments of this disclosure. In some embodiments, if an element in the G-map maps to more than one element in the RF-map, the mapping configuration may be represented as a mapping list including a set of mapping elements. Furthermore, the mapping elements in the mapping list are associated with elements in the G-map, which may map to multiple first elements in the RF-map. The mapping elements in the mapping list may also indicate the number of elements among the multiple first elements and include indices of the multiple first elements. Figure 4C As shown, one G-map element / grid can refer to multiple elements of an RF-map. For example... Figure 4CAs shown, a G-map element 415 can be mapped to two RF-map elements with indices 5 and 6. Additionally, element 413 in the G-map can be mapped to an RF-map element with index 0, and element 417 in the G-map can be mapped to an RF-map element with index 0. As described above, the mapping configuration can be represented as a mapping list. As described above, the mapping configuration can be represented as the following exemplary list: {……{quantity=1, index 0}……{quantity=2, index 5, 6}……}, where each mapping element indicates the index number of the mapping, followed by the indices of one or more mappings. For example, {quantity=2, index 5, 6} indicates that the corresponding G-map element is mapped to two RF-map elements with indices 5 and 6.

[0153] Alternatively, if an element in the G-map is mapped to more than one element in the RF-map, the mapping configuration can be represented as a fourth map and a first supplementary mapping list. Specifically, the fourth map has the same dimensions as the second map, and the mapped elements in the fourth map associated with the elements mapped to the multiple first elements include the index of one of the multiple first elements. Furthermore, the mapped elements in the first supplementary mapping list are associated with that element mapped to the multiple first elements and include the indexes of one or more of the remaining elements among the multiple first elements. In the example, the mapping is represented by a map / matrix and a supplementary list. This map / matrix can be similar to... Figure 4A The mapping configuration 403 in the example specifies that each mapping element includes only the RF-map index of the corresponding G-map element's mapping. Furthermore, the indices of the remaining mappings can be included in an additional list, similar to the list above: {{quantity=1, index 1}...{quantity=2, indices 5, 6}...}. In this way, a one-to-many mapping can be represented by a matrix and an additional list. Figure 4C Taking the mapping configuration as an example, the element associated with G-map element 415 in a map / matrix used for the mapping configuration may include index 5. Additionally, the element associated with G-map element 415 in an additional list used for the mapping configuration may include index 6.

[0154] Alternatively, if an element in the G-map is mapped to more than one element in the RF-map, the mapping configuration can be represented as more than one map, and a mapping element in one of the more than one map includes an index of one of the multiple first elements. For example, the mapping configuration is represented by multiple maps / matrices, each mapping element including only one index of the multiple elements in the RF-map for its corresponding G-map element. Furthermore, each of the more than one map / matrix can be associated with the same... Figure 4A The associated embodiments are the same. Figure 4CTaking the mapping configuration as an example, the element associated with G-map element 415 in one map / matrix used for the mapping configuration may include index 5. Additionally, the element associated with G-map element 415 in another map / matrix used for the mapping configuration may include index 6.

[0155] In the above embodiments, the mapping configuration 203 may include or be represented by an index of an element in at least one of the RF-map and the G-map, and the mapping configuration may be a map, matrix, list, or array. Alternatively, the mapping configuration 203 may also be represented based on a range in the RF-map. In some embodiments, an element in the G-map may correspond to a range in the RF-map, and the mapping element in the mapping configuration may include the starting position and size of the range in the RF-map. Additionally, an element in the G-map may correspond to multiple ranges in the RF-map. In this case, the mapping element in the mapping configuration may include the number of ranges in the multiple ranges in the RF-map, as well as the starting position and size of the ranges in the multiple ranges in the RF-map. For greater clarity, refer to... Figure 4D Further discussion on mapping configurations related to the extent of the RF-map.

[0156] Figure 4D This is yet another example of a mapping from a G-map to an RF-map, illustrating some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0157] like Figure 4D As shown, a G-map element / grid 415 can correspond to a range / block 425 in the RF-map. In this case, the mapping element corresponding to element 415 can be represented by {start x0, y0, range d0, d0'}, where (x0, y0) is the starting position of range / block 425, and (d0, d0') is the size of range / block 425. Another G-map element / grid 419 can correspond to two ranges / blocks 421 and 423 in the RF-map. In this case, the mapping element corresponding to element 419 can be represented by {number=2, {start x1, y1, range d1, d1'}, {start x2, y2, range d2, d2'}}, that is, the mapping element indicates the number of mapped ranges / blocks, and one or more mapped ranges / blocks. In some embodiments, the mapping configuration 203 can be represented by the following list including t elements: {mapping element 0, mapping element 1...mapping element t}. Alternatively, mapping configuration 203 can also be represented by a high-dimensional matrix.

[0158] It should be understood that although the above mapping configurations are discussed from the perspective of G-map to RF-map, these mapping configurations can also be applied to the case of mapping from RF-map to G-map. That is, RF-map elements can also refer to elements in G-map in the same way as discussed above.

[0159] Without any limitations, the following embodiments discuss some other mapping configurations based on the mapping from RF-map to G-map. It should be understood that the following embodiments can also be applied to the mapping from G-map to RF-map.

[0160] Figures 5A to 5E Examples of mapping from RF-map to G-map are shown in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0161] Similarly, in some embodiments, each RF-map element may refer to one or more element indices in the G-map. Additionally, the RF-map may be represented by a matrix or a list / array. For example... Figure 5A As shown in the example, mapping configuration 203 can be represented by {{quantity=2, {4,8}}, {quantity=2, {2,3}}, {quantity=1, 9}...}, where the mapping element {{quantity=2, {4,8} indicates that the first RF-map element 501 is mapped to two G-map elements with indices 4 and 8 respectively. Additionally, {{quantity=2, {2,3} indicates that the second RF-map element 505 is mapped to two G-map elements with indices 2 and 3 respectively. Furthermore, {quantity=1, 9}...} indicates that the third RF-map element 503 is mapped to the G-map element with index 9. Additionally, mapping configuration 203 can be similarly represented if the RF-map is represented by a list / array. There are no restrictions, although... Figure 5A The G-map in the image is regular, but it can also be irregular. For example... Figure 5B As shown in the example, the G-map is irregular. Furthermore, the RF-map element with index 0 maps to G-map element 507, and the RF-map element with index 2 maps to G-map element 509. Additionally, when the RF-map is represented as a list / array, the RF element with index 0 is mapped to G-map element 511. Furthermore, in... Figure 5C In the example, both the G-map and the RF-map are represented as lists / arrays. In this example, RF-map element 513 maps to the second and fourth elements in the list representation of the G-map, RF-map element 515 maps to the fourth element in the list representation of the G-map, and RF-map element 517 maps to the third element in the list representation of the G-map.

[0162] Additionally or alternatively, each RF-map element can correspond to a range of indices in the G-map. For example... Figure 5DAs shown, each RF-map element corresponds to a range of indices of elements in the G-map. In this case, mapping configuration 203 can be represented as follows. In some embodiments, the first RF-map element 519 can correspond to G-map elements with indices 2, 3, and 4. In this case, the corresponding mapping element can be represented by {start 2, end 4} instead of three indices {2, 3, 4} to save representation bits. Furthermore, mapping configuration 203 can be represented by {{start 2, end 4}, {start 7, end 8}, {9}...}. Alternatively, the above mapping element {start 2, end 4} can also be represented by {start 2, quantity = 3}, where "quantity = 3" indicates the existence of three consecutive indices. In this case, mapping configuration 203 can be represented by {{start 2, quantity = 3}, {start 7, quantity = 2}, {start 9, quantity = 1}...}.

[0163] Additionally or alternatively, similarly, elements in an RF-map may correspond to one or more ranges / blocks in a G-map. For example... Figure 5E As shown, an RF-map element corresponds to one or more ranges / tiles in the G-map. Specifically, an RF-map element with index 0 can correspond to two ranges / tiles 527 and 529 in the RF-map. In this case, the corresponding mapping element can be represented by {number=2, {start x0, y0, range d0, d0'}, {start x1, y1, range d1, d1'}}, where (x0, y0) is the starting position of range / tile 527, (d0, d0') is the size of range / tile 527, (x1, y1) is the starting position of range / tile 529, and (d1, d1') is the size of range / tile 529. Furthermore, the mapping configuration 203 can be represented by the following list: {mapping element 0, mapping element 1...mapping element t}, including t elements. Alternatively, the mapping configuration can also be represented by a high-dimensional matrix.

[0164] There are no restrictions; multiple RF-map elements can refer to the same element in a G-map. Similarly, a map can be another map (or multiple maps), a list representation, or a combination of map and list representations.

[0165] In addition to the map, matrix, list, or array representations described above, or alternatively, the mapping configuration may also be represented based on "paired indications." In some embodiments, the mapping elements in the group of mapping elements in mapping configuration 203 are mapping pairs associated with a first element in a first map and a second element in a second map.

[0166] In the example, a mapping pair may include a first element and a second element. That is, mapping configuration 203 may include one or more matching pairs, each indicating a (G-map element, RF-map element) pair. Specifically, the mapping configuration may include one or more matching pairs, each indicating a (G-map element a, RF-map element b) pair, which means that "G-map element a" corresponds to "RF-map element b". For example, the G-map element is the position (x, y, z), and the RF-map element is ray tracing / multipath information {amplitude, delay, angle} including two paths / rays. Then, the mapping element (matching pair) can be represented by (position, multipath information): ((x, y, z), {number of paths = 2, {amplitude 0, delay 0, angle 0}, {amplitude 1, delay 1, angle 1}}). In another example, the G-map element is a geometric / location range {start x0, y0, range d0, d0'}, where (x0, y0) is the starting position of the location range, and (d0, d0') is the size of the location range. The RF-map element is channel H information, which may include a matrix or scalar values ​​of size Mt×Nt, or be represented by it. Then, the mapping element (matching pair) can be represented by (location range, H information): ({start x0, y0, range d0, d0'}, {H matrix of size Mt×Nt}) or ({start x0, y0, range d0, d0'}, scalar values ​​of H). Furthermore, the mapping configuration may include {number of pairs, (G-map element a, RF-map element b), (G-map c, RF-map d)...} or be represented by it. The "number of pairs" may optionally be included. For example, if the number is predefined, the "number of pairs" may not be included. To indicate {(G-map element a, RF-map element b), (G-map c, RF-map d)...}, the mapping can be represented by a list or another map / matrix.

[0167] Alternatively or concurrently, in another example, the mapping pair may include a first index of the first element and a second index of the second element. In other words, mapping configuration 203 may include one or more matching index pairs, each indicating a (G-map element index, RF-map element index) pair. Specifically, the mapping includes one or more matching index pairs, each indicating a (G-map element index i, RF-map element index j) pair, which means that "G-map element with index i" corresponds to "RF-map element with index j". For example, the mapping element (matching index pair) may be represented by (location index i, RF-map index j). In this case, mapping configuration 203 may be represented by {number of pairs, (G-map element index i, RF-map element index j), (G-map element index i', RF-map element index j')...}. The "number of pairs" may be optionally included. For example, if the number is predefined, the "number of pairs" may not be included. To indicate {(G-map element index i, RF-map element index j), (G-map element index i', RF-map element index j')...}, the mapping can be represented by a list or another map / matrix.

[0168] Alternatively or additionally, in another example, the mapping pair may include a first element and a second index, or a first index and a second element. That is, mapping configuration 203 may include one or more mixed matching pairs, each pair indicating a (G-map element index, RF-map element) pair, or (G-map element, RF-map element index). Specifically, the mapping includes one or more matching index pairs, each pair indicating a (G-map element index i, RF-map element a) pair, which means that "G-map element with index i" corresponds to "RF-map element a". Or each pair indicates a (G-map element b, RF-map element index j) pair, which means that "G-map element b" corresponds to "RF-map element with index j". In this case, mapping configuration 203 may be represented by {(G-map element index i, RF-map element a), (G-map element index i', RF-map element a')...}. Alternatively, mapping configuration 203 can also be represented by {(G-map element b, RF-map element index j), (G-map element b', RF-map element index j')...}.

[0169] Alternatively, mapping configuration 203 can also be represented in a combined manner. For example: {(G - map element index i, RF - map element index j), {(G - map element a, RF - map element b), (G - map element index i', RF - map element a'), (G - map element b', RF - map element index j') ...}. Furthermore, the above mapping can be represented by a list or another map / matrix.

[0170] Refer again Figure 2 To efficiently transmit the mapping configuration 203, several exemplary embodiments are provided below. In some embodiments, at least one of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map may be in a compressed format. In this case, the overhead of transmitting the mapping configuration can be reduced. Additionally, the mapping configuration 203 may be carried in at least one of the following: synchronization signal block (SSB) signaling; a first message specific to the first device; a second message specific to a group of devices including the first device; or a broadcast message. For example, the BS may broadcast, multicast, or unicast a mapping indication to the UE 110, which consists of one or more mapping elements. This mapping message / indication may be carried in an SSB for broadcast, or in a multicast message for a group of UEs, or even in a multicast message dedicated to a single UE. Without any limitation, the RF-map, G-map, and mapping indication may be included in different messages from the BS to the UE. Furthermore, the timing of transmitting the RF-map, G-map, and mapping may be different.

[0171] Similarly, as described above, the following exemplary embodiments exist to indicate mapping configurations. If the relationship / mapping between the G-map and the RF-map is represented by the method "G-map refers to RF-map", then: each mapping element in the mapping corresponds to one or more indices, or one or more ranges / blocks in the RF-map. If the relationship / mapping between the G-map and the RF-map is represented by the method "RF-map refers to G-map", then: each mapping element in the mapping corresponds to one or more indices, or a range of an index, or one or more ranges / blocks in the G-map. If the relationship / mapping between the G-map and the RF-map is represented by the method "paired indication", then each mapping element in the mapping corresponds to a matching pair (G-map element, RF-map element), or a matching index pair (G-map element index, RF-map element index), or a mixed matching pair (G-map element index, RF-map element) pair, or (G-map element, RF-map element index).

[0172] In view of the foregoing, exemplary embodiments in this disclosure provide methods for indicating relationships and / or mappings between G-maps and RF-maps. A mapping may include one or more mapping elements. Several methods are provided to indicate relationships / mappings between G-maps and RF-maps, where a G-map may refer to an RF-map; for example, an element in a G-map may map to one or more elements in an RF-map, or one or more ranges / blocks in an RF-map. Multiple elements of a G-map may map to the same element in an RF-map. Additionally or alternatively, an RF-map may refer to a G-map; for example, an element in an RF-map may map to one or more elements in a G-map, or an indexed range, or one or more ranges / blocks in a G-map. Multiple elements of an RF-map may map to the same element in a G-map. Additionally or alternatively, pairwise indications may be introduced to indicate matching pairs (G-map element, RF-map element), matching index pairs (G-map element index, RF-map element index), mixed matching pairs (G-map element index, RF-map element) pairs, or (G-map element, RF-map element index) information.

[0173] In this way, the UE can obtain the latest radio environment map based on location / geometric / geographic information. This improves the UE's sensing / communication performance and / or reduces processing latency / complexity.

[0174] Additionally, the BS can broadcast, multicast, or unicast a mapping indication to the UE, which consists of one or more mapping elements. Optionally, the mapping can be compressed. The RF-map, G-map, and mapping indication can include different messages from the BS to the UE. The timing of sending the RF-map, G-map, and mapping can be different.

[0175] In this way, the UE can obtain the latest radio environment map based on location / geometric / geographic information. This improves the UE's sensing / communication performance and / or reduces processing latency / complexity.

[0176] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 600 implemented at a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Method 600 can be implemented in... Figure 1A The first device 110 shown is implemented. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1A Method 600 is described. It should be understood that method 600 may include additional actions not shown and / or some actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0177] At 610, the first device 110 obtains a mapping configuration from the second device, which includes a set of mapping elements. The mapping elements in this set indicate a mapping between at least one element in the first map and at least one element in the second map. The first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the environment information and the geometric information. At 620, the first device 110 determines the radio environment information associated with the first device based on the mapping configuration.

[0178] In some embodiments, elements in the first map are identified by indexes. Furthermore, the first device receives the mapping configuration by receiving the second map, and the elements in the second map include the indexes of the elements in the first map.

[0179] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a third map having the same dimensions as the second map, and each mapping element in the third map includes an index of an element in the first map.

[0180] In some embodiments, the number of mapping elements in the mapping configuration is the same as the number of elements in the second map, the data item in the mapping configuration is associated with the element in the second map, and the data item includes the element in the first map.

[0181] In some embodiments, at least one of the first map and the second map is represented as a matrix, a list, or an array; or the mapping configuration is represented as a map, a matrix, a list, or an array.

[0182] In some embodiments, elements in the first map represent a portion of one of the radio environment information and the geometric information; elements in the second map represent a portion of the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information.

[0183] In some embodiments, the elements in the first map have a first number of dimensions, the mapping elements in the mapping configuration have a second number of dimensions, and the second number is greater than or equal to the first number.

[0184] In some embodiments, elements in the second map are mapped to multiple first elements in the first map.

[0185] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a mapping list including the set of mapping elements. Furthermore, the mapping elements in the mapping list are associated with the elements in the second map that are mapped to the plurality of first elements in the first map; the mapping elements in the mapping list indicate the number of elements in the plurality of first elements and include the index of the plurality of first elements.

[0186] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a fourth map and a first supplementary map. Furthermore, the fourth map has the same dimensions as the second map, and the mapping elements in the fourth map associated with the element mapped to the plurality of first elements include an index of one of the plurality of first elements; the mapping elements in the first supplementary map list are associated with the element mapped to the plurality of first elements and include indices of one or more of the remaining elements of the plurality of first elements.

[0187] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as more than one map, and a mapping element in one of the more than one maps includes an index of one of the plurality of first elements.

[0188] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to one or more ranges in the first map. In some embodiments, the element in the second map corresponds to a range in the first map, and wherein the mapping element in the set of mapping elements includes the starting position and size of the range in the first map.

[0189] In some embodiments, elements in the second map correspond to multiple ranges in the first map. The mapping elements in this set of mapping elements include: the number of ranges in the first map; the starting position and size of each range in the first map.

[0190] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates a range of indices for elements in the second map corresponding to elements in the first map. In some embodiments, the mapping elements in the group of mapping elements include at least one of the following: a first index of the starting element in the range of these indices and a second index of the ending element in the range of these indices; or the number of indices in the range of the first index and the elements in the first map.

[0191] In some embodiments, the mapping elements in the group of mapping elements are mapping pairs associated with a first element in the first map and a second element in the second map.

[0192] In some embodiments, the mapping pair includes one of the following: the first element and the second element; the first index of the first element and the second index of the second element; the first element and the second index; or the first index and the second element.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first device may also perform sensing operations based on the radio environment information; perform communication based on the radio environment information; determine a beam set for at least one of the sensing operations and the communication based on the radio environment information; determine a transmission power for at least one of the sensing operations and the communication based on the radio environment information; or determine a reference signal for at least one of the sensing operations and the communication based on the radio environment information.

[0194] In some embodiments, at least one of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map is in a compressed format. In some embodiments, the mapping configuration carries at least one of the following: synchronization signal block (SSB) signaling; a first message specific to the first device; a second message specific to a group of devices including the first device; or a broadcast message.

[0195] In some embodiments, the first device obtains the mapping configuration by receiving the mapping configuration, which includes the set of mapping elements, from the second device.

[0196] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 700 implemented at a second device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Method 700 can be implemented in... Figure 1A The second device shown is implemented at point 170. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1A Method 700 is described. It should be understood that method 700 may include additional actions not shown and / or some actions shown may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0197] At 710, the second device 170 sends a mapping configuration, including a set of mapping elements, to the first device. These mapping elements indicate a mapping between at least one element in the first map and at least one element in the second map. The first map represents one of radio environmental information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the environmental information and the geometric information.

[0198] In some embodiments, elements in the first map are identified by indexes. Furthermore, the second device transmits the mapping configuration by sending the second map, and the elements in the second map include the indexes of the elements in the first map.

[0199] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a third map having the same dimensions as the second map, and each mapping element in the third map includes an index of an element in the first map.

[0200] In some embodiments, the number of mapping elements in the mapping configuration is the same as the number of elements in the second map, and the data item in the mapping configuration is associated with the element in the second map, and the data item includes the element in the first map.

[0201] In some embodiments, at least one of the first map and the second map is represented as a matrix, a list, or an array; or the mapping configuration is represented as a map, a matrix, a list, or an array.

[0202] In some embodiments, elements in the first map represent a portion of one of the radio environment information and the geometric information; elements in the second map represent a portion of the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information.

[0203] In some embodiments, the elements in the first map have a first number of dimensions, the mapping elements in the mapping configuration have a second number of dimensions, and the second number is greater than or equal to the first number.

[0204] In some embodiments, elements in the second map are mapped to multiple first elements in the first map.

[0205] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a mapping list including the set of mapping elements. Furthermore, the mapping elements in the mapping list are associated with the elements of the plurality of first elements in the second map that are mapped to the first map; the mapping elements in the mapping list indicate the number of elements of the plurality of first elements and include the index of the plurality of first elements.

[0206] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as a fourth map and a first supplementary map. Furthermore, the fourth map has the same dimensions as the second map, and the mapping elements in the fourth map associated with the element mapped to the plurality of first elements include an index of one of the plurality of first elements; the mapping elements in the first supplementary map list are associated with the element mapped to the plurality of first elements and include indices of one or more of the remaining elements of the plurality of first elements.

[0207] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is represented as more than one map, and a mapping element in one of the more than one maps includes an index of one of the plurality of first elements.

[0208] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to one or more ranges in the first map. In some embodiments, the element in the second map corresponds to a range in the first map, and wherein the mapping element in the set of mapping elements includes the starting position and size of the range in the first map.

[0209] In some embodiments, elements in the second map correspond to multiple ranges in the first map. The mapping elements in this set of mapping elements include: the number of ranges in the first map; and the starting position and size of each range in the first map.

[0210] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration indicates a range of indices for elements in the second map corresponding to elements in the first map. In some embodiments, the mapping elements in the group of mapping elements include at least one of the following: a first index of the starting element in the range of these indices and a second index of the ending element in the range of these indices; or the number of indices in the range of the first index and the elements in the first map.

[0211] In some embodiments, the mapping elements in the group of mapping elements are mapping pairs associated with a first element in the first map and a second element in the second map.

[0212] In some embodiments, the mapping pair includes one of the following: the first element and the second element; the first index of the first element and the second index of the second element; the first element and the second index; or the first index and the second element.

[0213] In some embodiments, at least one of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map is in a compressed format.

[0214] In some embodiments, the mapping configuration is carried in at least one of the following: synchronization signal block (SSB) signaling; a first message specific to the first device; a second message specific to a group of devices including the first device; or a broadcast message.

[0215] Figure 8 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 800 can be considered as... Figure 1A Another exemplary embodiment of the first device 110 or the second device 170 shown. Therefore, device 800 may be implemented at or as a part of the aforementioned device.

[0216] As shown in the figure, device 800 includes a processor 810, a memory 820 coupled to the processor 810, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 840 coupled to the processor 810, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 840. The TX / RX 840 can also be referred to as a transceiver. The TX / RX 840 can be coupled to the processor 810 via any suitable interface used to input signals to and output signals from the processor. The memory 820 stores at least a portion of the program 830. The TX / RX 840 is used for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 840 has at least one antenna for communication, but in practice, the access node or base station mentioned in this application may have several antennas. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 or Xn interface for bidirectional communication between gNBs or eNBs, the S1 interface for communication between a mobility management entity (MME) / serving gateway (S-GW) and a gNB or eNB, the Un interface for communication between a gNB or eNB and a relay node (RN), or the Uu interface for communication between a gNB or eNB and a terminal device.

[0217] Assume that program 830 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 810, enable device 800 to operate according to embodiments of the present disclosure, as discussed herein with reference to Figures 1 through 7. The embodiments herein can be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 810 of device 800, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Processor 810 can be used to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, a combination of processor 810 and memory 820 can form processing apparatus 850 for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0218] Memory 820 can be of any type suitable for the local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as non-transient computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory (as non-limiting examples). Although only one memory 820 is shown in device 800, several physically different memory modules may exist in device 800. Processor 810 can be of any type suitable for the local technology network and can include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture (as non-limiting examples). Device 800 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0219] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes circuitry for performing method 600.

[0220] In some embodiments, the network device includes circuitry for performing method 700.

[0221] Components included in the apparatus and / or device of this disclosure can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, one or more units can be implemented using software and / or firmware, such as machine-executable instructions stored on a storage medium. In addition to or instead of machine-executable instructions, some or all of the units in the apparatus and / or device can be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. For example, but not limited to, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-a-chip (SOC) systems, complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), etc.

[0222] Generally, 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, which can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, technical end devices, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices (as non-limiting examples), or some combination thereof.

[0223] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions that execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor, such as instructions included in a program module, to perform the processes or methods described above with reference to any of Figures 3 to 14. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of the program module can execute in a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside in both local and remote storage media.

[0224] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code implements the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine (as a standalone software package), partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0225] The aforementioned program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0226] Furthermore, although operations are shown in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or requiring the execution of all shown operations to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageously performed. Similarly, while several specific embodiment details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be characteristic of particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0227] Although this disclosure has been described in specific language regarding 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, it discloses the specific features and actions described above as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

[0228] When these functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of this application, in essence, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, or parts of these technical solutions, can be implemented in the form of a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to instruct a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0229] The above description is merely some specific implementations of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any variations or substitutions that are readily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application are within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: obtaining a mapping configuration comprising a set of mapping elements, wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements indicates a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map, and wherein the first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information; determining, based on the mapping configuration, radio environment information associated with a first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein elements in the first map are identified by indices, and wherein receiving the mapping configuration comprises: receiving the second map, and elements in the second map comprise indices of elements in the first map.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein: the mapping configuration is represented as a third map having a same dimensionality as the second map, each mapping element in the third map comprises indices of elements in the first map.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein: a number of mapping elements in the mapping configuration is the same as a number of elements in the second map; a data item in the mapping configuration is associated with the elements in the second map, and the data item comprises the elements in the first map.

5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein there is at least one of: at least one of the first map, the second map is represented as a matrix, a list, or an array; or the mapping configuration is represented as a map, a matrix, a list, or an array.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein: elements in the first map represent a portion of the one of the radio environment information and the geometric information; elements in the second map represent a portion of the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein elements in the first map have a first number of dimensions, mapping elements in the mapping configuration have a second number of dimensions, and the second number is greater than or equal to the first number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an element in the second map is mapped to a plurality of first elements in the first map.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mapping configuration is represented as a mapping list comprising the set of mapping elements, and wherein: a mapping element in the mapping list is associated with the element in the second map that is mapped to the plurality of first elements in the first map; the mapping element in the mapping list indicates a number of elements in the plurality of first elements, and comprises indices of the plurality of first elements.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the mapping configuration is represented as a fourth map and a first additional mapping list, and wherein: The fourth map has the same dimension as the second map, and a mapping element in the fourth map associated with the element mapped to the plurality of first elements includes an index of one element of the plurality of first elements; and The mapping elements in the first additional mapping list are associated with the element mapped to the plurality of first elements, and include indices of one or more remaining elements of the plurality of first elements.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the mapping configuration is represented as more than one map, and a mapping element in one of the more than one map includes an index of one element of the plurality of first elements.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to one or more ranges in the first map.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the element in the second map corresponds to a range in the first map, and wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements includes a start position and a size of the range in the first map.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the element in the second map corresponds to a plurality of ranges in the first map, and wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements includes the following: a range number of the plurality of ranges in the first map; and a start position and a size for a range of the plurality of ranges in the first map.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to a range of indices of elements in the first map.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements includes at least one of the following: a first index of a start element in the range of indices and a second index of an end element in the range of indices; or the first index and a number of indices in the range of indices of elements in the first map.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements is a mapping pair associated with a first element in the first map and a second element in the second map.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the mapping pair includes one of the following: the first element and the second element; a first index of the first element and a second index of the second element; the first element and the second index; or the first index and the second element.

19. The method of any one of claims 1-18, further comprising: performing a sensing operation based on the radio environment information; performing a communication based on the radio environment information; determining a set of beams for at least one of the sensing operation and the communication based on the radio environment information; determining a transmit power for at least one of the sensing operation and the communication based on the radio environment information; or determining a reference signal for at least one of the sensing operation and the communication based on the radio environment information.

20. The method of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein at least one of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map has a compressed format.

21. The method of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the mapping configuration is carried in at least one of: a synchronization signal block, SSB, signaling; a first message specific to the first device; a second message specific to a group of devices including the first device; or a broadcast message.

22. The method of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein obtaining the mapping configuration comprises: receiving the mapping configuration including the set of mapping elements from a second device.

23. A method comprising: outputting a mapping configuration including a set of mapping elements, wherein a mapping element of the set of mapping elements indicates a mapping between at least one element in a first map and at least one element in a second map, and wherein the first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein elements in the first map are identified by indices, and wherein outputting the mapping configuration comprises: sending the second map, and elements in the second map include indices of elements in the first map.

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein: the mapping configuration is represented as a third map having a same dimensionality as the second map, each mapping element in the third map includes an index of an element in the first map.

26. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein: a number of mapping elements in the mapping configuration is the same as a number of elements in the second map; and a data item in the mapping configuration is associated with the element in the second map, and the data item includes the element in the first map.

27. The method of any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein there is at least one of: at least one of the first map, the second map is represented as a matrix, a list, or an array; or the mapping configuration is represented as a map, a matrix, a list, or an array.

28. The method of any one of claims 23 to 27, wherein: elements in the first map represent a portion of the one of the radio environment information and the geometric information; elements in the second map represent a portion of the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information.

29. The method of any one of claims 23 to 28, wherein elements in the first map have a first number of dimensions, mapping elements in the mapping configuration have a second number of dimensions, and the second number is greater than or equal to the first number.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein elements in the second map are mapped to a plurality of first elements in the first map.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the mapping configuration is represented as a mapping list comprising the set of mapping elements, and wherein: a mapping element in the mapping list is associated with the element in the second map that is mapped to the plurality of first elements in the first map; the mapping element in the mapping list indicates a number of elements in the plurality of first elements and comprises an index of the plurality of first elements.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the mapping configuration is represented as a fourth map and a first additional mapping list, and wherein: the fourth map has a same dimension as the second map and a mapping element in the fourth map that is associated with the element that is mapped to the plurality of first elements comprises an index of one of the plurality of first elements; a mapping element in the first additional mapping list is associated with the element that is mapped to the plurality of first elements and comprises an index of one or more remaining elements in the plurality of first elements.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the mapping configuration is represented as more than one map and a mapping element in one of the more than one map comprises an index of one element in the plurality of first elements.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to one or more ranges in the first map.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein an element in the second map corresponds to a range in the first map, and wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements comprises a start position and a size of the range in the first map.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein an element in the second map corresponds to a plurality of ranges in the first map, and wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements comprises: a range number of the plurality of ranges in the first map; a start position and a size of a range in the plurality of ranges in the first map.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein the mapping configuration indicates that an element in the second map corresponds to a range of indices of elements in the first map.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements comprises at least one of: a first index of a start element in the range of indices and a second index of an end element in the range of indices; or the first index and a number of indices in the range of indices of elements in the first map.

39. The method of claim 23, wherein a mapping element in the set of mapping elements is a mapping pair that is associated with a first element in the first map and a second element in the second map.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the mapping pair comprises one of: the first element and the second element; a first index of the first element and a second index of the second element; the first element and the second index; or the first index and the second element.

41. The method of any one of claims 23-40, wherein at least one of the mapping configuration, the first map, or the second map has a compressed format.

42. The method of any one of claims 23-41, wherein, the mapping configuration is carried in at least one of: a synchronization signal block, SSB, signaling; a first message specific to the first device; a second message specific to a group of devices including the first device; or a broadcast message.

43. A first device, comprising: an interface; a processor communicatively coupled with the interface, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain a mapping configuration comprising a set of mapping elements, wherein a mapping element of the set of mapping elements indicates a mapping between at least one element of a first map and at least one element of a second map, and wherein the first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information; determine, based on the mapping configuration, radio environment information associated with the first device.

44. A second device, comprising: an interface; a processor communicatively coupled with the interface, wherein the processor is configured to: output, via the interface, a mapping configuration comprising a set of mapping elements, wherein a mapping element of the set of mapping elements indicates a mapping between at least one element of a first map and at least one element of a second map, and wherein the first map represents one of radio environment information and geometric information, and the second map represents the other of the radio environment information and the geometric information.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed on at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to carry out the method of any one of claims 1-42.

46. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to cause the apparatus to carry out the method of any one of claims 1-42.

47. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to carry out the method of any one of claims 1-42.

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