Spatial awareness via gap filling

Abstract

Techniques for providing spatial awareness to a user equipment (UE), such as an on-board unit (OBU) of a vehicle, are disclosed. In some embodiments, such techniques may include receiving first contextual information from a plurality of OBUs, the first contextual information including optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; generating a gap filling message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a contextual information set derived from the received first contextual information, the contextual information set including a union set of (i) the first contextual information and (ii) second contextual information including optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, the first context information and the second context information are not overlapped in the context information set; and transmitting the gap fill message to the given OBU.

Description

Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 18 / 358,366, entitled “SPATIAL AWARENESS VIA GAP FILLING,” filed July 25, 2023, assigned to the assignee of the present application, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communications, and more specifically to providing sensing information to user equipment (UE), such as onboard units (OBU) of vehicles, using radio frequency (RF) signals.

[0003] 2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART A UE, such as an OBU of a vehicle, can be capable of sensing objects in its environment, such as using optical sensing (e.g., using a camera) or radio frequency (RF)-based sensing. The UE can possess spatial awareness using, for example, information about sensed objects, its own location, and / or information known to the UE. In addition, other UEs can contribute information about sensed objects using situational awareness messages, resulting in a body of crowd-sourced information. SUMMARY

[0004] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a method of providing spatial awareness to a user equipment (UE) is disclosed. In some embodiments, the UE can comprise an onboard unit (OBU) of a vehicle, and the method can comprise: receiving first contextual information from a plurality of OBUs, the first contextual information comprising optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; generating a gap filling message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of contextual information derived from the received first contextual information, the set of contextual information comprising a union of (i) the first contextual information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second contextual information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first contextual information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second contextual information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of contextual information; and transmitting the gap filling message to the given OBU.

[0005] In some aspects of the disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed. In some embodiments, the apparatus can include one or more data communication interfaces; one or more memories; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more data communication interfaces and the one or more memories, the one or more processors configured to: receive, from a plurality of OBUs, first context information, the first context information comprising optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; generate a gap filling message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information comprising a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; and transmit the gap filling message to the given OBU.

[0006] In some embodiments, the apparatus can include means for receiving, from a plurality of OBUs, first context information, the first context information comprising optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; means for generating a gap filling message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information comprising a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; and means for transmitting the gap filling message to the given OBU.

[0007] In some aspects of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer- readable device is disclosed. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer- readable device includes a storage medium including a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by one or more processors, cause the device to: receive, from a plurality of OBUs, first context information including optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; generate, based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, a gap filling message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs, the set of context information including a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information including optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; and transmit, to the given OBU, the gap filling message.

[0008] This Summary is neither intended nor should it be construed toidentify any key or essential features, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to the entire description of the disclosure, one or more of the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. The foregoing and other features and examples are described in greater detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram of a communication system in accordance with an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2A is a diagram of an example scenario involving a vehicle, a vulnerable road user (VRU), and an occluding object. Figure 2B is a diagram of another example scenario involving a vehicle, a VRU, and an occluding object. Figure 2C is a diagram illustrating a top view of an environment of Figure 2B

[0011] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of how beamforming can be performed in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a frame structure for NR and associated terminology.

[0013] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of radio frames with positioning reference signal (PRS) positioning occasions.

[0014] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a UE that can be utilized in embodiments as described herein.

[0015] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system that can be utilized in embodiments as described herein.

[0016] Like reference numbers in the various drawings indicate like elements. Additionally, multiple instances of an element can be indicated by a first number followed by a letter or a hyphen and a second number. For example, multiple instances of an element 110 can be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc. or 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When only the first number is used to refer to such an element, it is understood that any instance of that element (e.g., element 110 in the previous example would refer to elements 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3 or to elements 110a, 110b, and 110c) is intended. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following description is directed to certain implementations for the purposes of describing the innovative aspects of the embodiments. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude of different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as any of the following: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard for Ultra- Wideband (UWB), IEEE 802.11 standards (including versions identified as Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, etc.), Bluetooth® standards, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), lxEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), or other known signals that can be used within wireless, cellular, or Internet of Things (IoT) networks, such as systems utilizing 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or further implementations of those technologies. ® ®

[0018] ​​As used herein, “RF signals” include electromagnetic waves that transport information through the space between a transmitter (or transmitting device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter can transmit a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to a receiver. However, due to the propagation characteristics of RF signals through multiple channels or paths, the receiver can receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal.

[0019] Additionally, unless otherwise indicated, reference to “reference signals,” “positioning reference signals,” “reference signals for positioning,” and the like can be used to refer to signals used for positioning of a user equipment (UE). As described in greater detail herein, such signals can include any of a variety of signal types, but can not necessarily be limited to positioning reference signals (PRS) as defined in relevant wireless standards.

[0020] Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, the term “positioning” as used herein can be absolute position determination, relative position determination, ranging, or combinations thereof. Such positioning can include and / or be based on timing, angle, phase, or power measurements, or combinations thereof (which can include RF sensing measurements) for the purpose of a location or sensing service.

[0021] Various aspects generally relate to wireless communication and networking, and more specifically to sharing of contextual spatial awareness information. Some aspects more specifically relate to creating gap filling messages based on contextual information from UEs. In an example scenario, the UEs can include on-board units (OBUs) of vehicles. The contextual information can include spatial sensing information included in perception messages, such as optical images, RF sensing data, location information, capability information, etc. In some examples, gap filling messages can be constructed at a networking entity (such as a server) based on contextual information obtained from multiple UEs in an environment. More specifically, in some implementations, a UE-specific gap filling message can be a set difference between a global view of the environment and information known to the recipient UE, where the global view can be a union of the contextual information from multiple UEs such that there is no overlapping or redundant or duplicate information from multiple UEs. As such, the gap filling message can contain only information that is tailored for the recipient UE that the recipient UE does not already possess. Conversely, each UE can transmit information to the server via an appropriate network (e.g., cellular, wireless local area network (WLAN)). The UE-specific gap filling message can be transmitted to the recipient UE, e.g., via unicast. In some implementations, a region-specific gap filling message can be a union of gap filling messages tailored for UEs in a defined region or area, and can be transmitted to UEs of interest, e.g., via multicast or broadcast.

[0022] Particular aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, by generating a customized gap fill message that contains only the spatial sensing information of the receiving UE, the described techniques can be used to reduce the spectrum usage and bandwidth overhead typically associated with perception messages shared via sidelink with nearby UEs. A typical sidelink message or crowd-sourced message from a server can have information collected from many UEs and contain duplicate information, which can waste spectrum and bandwidth when broadcast repeatedly. Furthermore, spectrum and bandwidth can be freed up with existing cellular networks and / or access points, as well as offloading the computational burden to a server (rather than a vehicle OBU). Using the gap fill message, a UE such as an OBU of a vehicle can obtain perception of the environment. For example, the OBU can obtain perception and information about a pedestrian approaching from the street that is at risk of collision, which the vehicle cannot see due to an obstructing object such as a building.

[0023] Additional details will follow the initial description of related systems and techniques.

[0024] Figure 1 is a simplified illustration of a communication system 100 in accordance with an embodiment, where UEs 105, location server 160, and / or other components of communication system 100 can use the techniques provided herein for providing cognitive information or messages to UEs 105. The techniques described herein can be implemented by one or more components of communication system 100. Communication system 100 can include UEs 105; one or more satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)), which can include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites (e.g., satellites of Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, etc.) and / or Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) satellites; base stations 120; access points (APs) 130; location server 160; network 170; and external client 180. Generally, communication system 100 can estimate a location of a UE 105 based on RF signals received and / or transmitted by the UE 105 and known locations of other components that send and / or receive RF signals (e.g., GNSS satellites 110, base stations 120, APs 130). Additional details regarding particular location estimation techniques are discussed in more detail with respect to FIG. 2.

[0025] It should be noted, Figure 1 Only a generalized illustration of the various components is provided, in which any or all of the components can be utilized as appropriate, and each component can be duplicated as necessary. Specifically, although only one UE 105 is illustrated, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) can utilize communication system 100. Similarly, communication system 100 can include more than one of any of the components, as appropriate. Furthermore, the various components of communication system 100 can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof, as Figure 1The illustrated number of base stations 120 and / or APs 130 can be more or fewer. The illustrated connections that connect the various components in the communication system 100 include data and signaling connections that can include additional (intermediary) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Also, components can be rearranged, combined, separated, equivalent substituted, and / or omitted, depending on desired functionality. In some embodiments, for example, the external client 180 can be connected directly to the location server 160. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many modifications to the illustrated components.

[0026] Depending on desired functionality, the network 170 can include any of a variety of wireless and / or wired networks. The network 170 may, for example, include any combination of public and / or private networks, local and / or wide-area networks, and the like. Also, the network 170 can utilize one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, the network 170 can include, for example, a cellular or other mobile network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WW AN), and / or the Internet. Examples of the network 170 include a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network, a Fifth Generation (5G) wireless network (also referred to as a New Radio (NR) wireless network or a 5G NR wireless network), a Wi-Fi WLAN, and the Internet. LTE, 5G, and NR are wireless technologies defined or being defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The network 170 can also include more than one network and / or more than one type of network.

[0027] Base station 120 and access point (AP) 130 are communicatively coupled to network 170. In some implementations, base station 120 may be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider and may employ any of a variety of wireless technologies, as described below. Depending on the technology of network 170, base station 120 may include a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a transceiver base station (BTS), a radio base station (RBS), an NR NodeB (gNB), a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), etc. In the case that network 170 is a 5G network, base station 120, as a gNB or ng-eNB, may be part of a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) that can connect to a 5G core network (5GC). Given the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) and / or Virtualized Radio Access Network (V-RAN or vRAN) in 5G or later networks, the functionality performed by base station 120 in earlier networks (e.g., 3G and 4G) can be divided into different functional components (e.g., Radio Unit (RU), Distributed Unit (DU), and Central Unit (CU)) and layers (e.g., L1 / L2 / L3), which can be performed on different devices at different locations connected, for example, via fronthaul, midhaul, and backhaul connections. As mentioned herein, a “base station” (or ng-eNB, gNB, etc.) may include any or all of these functional components. For example, AP 130 may include a Wi-Fi AP or Bluetooth. ® An access point (AP) or an AP with cellular capabilities (e.g., 4G LTE and / or 5G NR). Thus, UE 105 can transmit and receive information with network-connected devices such as location server 160 via base station 120 accessing network 170 using a first communication link 133. Additionally or alternatively, because AP 130 is also communicatively coupled to network 170, UE 105 can communicate with network-connected and internet-connected devices (including location server 160) using a second communication link 135 or via one or more other mobile devices 145.

[0028] As used herein, the term “base station” can generally refer to a single physical transmission point that can be located at the base station 120 or multiple co-located physical transmission points. A transmission reception point (TRP) (also referred to as a transmission / reception point) corresponds to this type of transmission point, and the term “TRP” can be used interchangeably herein with the terms “gNB,” “ng-eNB,” and “base station.” In some cases, the base station 120 can include multiple TRPs — e.g., where each TRP is associated with a different antenna or different antenna array of the base station 120. As used herein, the transmission functionality of a TRP can be performed with a transmission point (TP), and / or the reception functionality of a TRP can be performed by a reception point (RP), which can be physically separate or distinct from the TP. That is, a TRP can include both a TP and a RP. A physical transmission point can include an antenna array of the base station 120 (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system and / or where the base station employs beamforming). The term “base station” can additionally refer to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, which can be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via a transmission medium) or remote radio heads (RRHs) (remote base stations connected to a serving base station).

[0029] As used herein, the term “cell” can generally refer to a logical communication entity for communicating with base station 120 and can be associated with an identifier (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID)) used to distinguish neighboring cells operating via the same or different carrier. In some examples, a carrier can support multiple cells, and different cells can be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., machine type communication (MTC), narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), or other protocols) that can provide access for different types of devices. In some cases, the term “cell” can refer to a portion of a geographic coverage area (e.g., a sector) over which a logical entity operates.

[0030] Satellites 110 can be used to position UE 105 in one or more ways. For example, satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)) can be part of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, or Beidou. Positioning using RF signals from GNSS satellites can include measuring multiple GNSS signals at a GNSS receiver of UE 105 to perform code-based and / or carrier-based positioning, which can be highly accurate. Additionally or alternatively, satellites 110 can be used for NTN-based positioning, where satellites 110 can operate functionally as TRPs (or TPs) of a network (e.g., an LTE and / or NR network) and can be communicatively coupled with network 170. Specifically, reference signals (e.g., PRSs) transmitted for NTN-based positioning by satellites 110 can be similar to those transmitted by base stations 120 and can be coordinated by location server 160. In some embodiments, satellites 110 for NTN-based positioning can be different from those for GNSS-based positioning. In some embodiments, NTN nodes can include non-terrestrial vehicles, such as airplanes, balloons, drones, etc., which can be in addition to or instead of NTN satellites.

[0031] Location server 160 can include servers and / or other computing devices configured to determine an estimated location of UE 105 and / or to provide data (e.g., “assistance data”) to UE 105 to facilitate location measurements and / or location determination by UE 105. According to some embodiments, location server 160 can include a home Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (H-SLP), which can support a SUPL User Plane (UP) location solution defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and can support location services for UE 105 based on subscription information for UE 105 stored in location server 160. In some embodiments, location server 160 can include a Discovery SLP (D-SLP) or an Emergency SLP (E-SLP). Location server 160 can also include an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) that supports location of UE 105 using a Control Plane (CP) location solution for LTE radio access by UE 105. Location server 160 can also include a Location Management Function (LMF) that supports positioning of UE 105 using a Control Plane (CP) location solution for NR or LTE radio access by UE 105.

[0032] In a CP location solution, from the perspective of the network 170, signaling for controlling and managing the location of the UE 105 can use existing network interfaces and protocols and be exchanged as signaling between elements of the network 170 and with the UE 105. In a UP location solution, from the perspective of the network 170, signaling for controlling and managing the location of the UE 105 can be exchanged between the location server 160 and the UE 105 as data (e.g., data transmitted using Internet Protocol (IP) and / or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)).

[0033] As previously noted (and discussed in greater detail below), an estimated location of the UE 105 can be based on measurements of RF signals transmitted from and / or received by the UE 105. In particular, these measurements can provide information about the relative distance and / or angle of the UE 105 to one or more components in the communication system 100 (e.g., GNSS satellites 110, APs 130, base stations 120). An estimated location of the UE 105 can be estimated geometrically (e.g., using multilateration and / or multilateration) based on the distance and / or angle measurements along with known positions of the one or more components.

[0034] Although terrestrial components such as APs 130 and base stations 120 can be fixed, embodiments are not so limited. Mobile components can be used. For example, in some embodiments, a location of the UE 105 can be estimated based at least in part on measurements of RF signals 140 communicated between the UE 105 and one or more other mobile devices 145, which can be mobile or fixed. As illustrated, the other mobile devices can include, for example, a mobile phone 145-1, a vehicle 145-2, a static communication / positioning device 145-3, or other static and / or mobile devices capable of providing wireless signals for positioning the UE 105, or combinations thereof. Wireless signals from the mobile devices 145 for positioning the UE 105 can include RF signals using, for example, Bluetooth ® (including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), IEEE 802.1 lx (e.g., Wi-Fi ® ), Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), IEEE 802.15x, or combinations thereof. The mobile devices 145 can additionally or alternatively use non-RF wireless signals such as infrared signals or other optical techniques to position the UE 105.

[0035] Mobile devices 145 can include other UEs communicatively coupled with a cellular network or other mobile network (e.g., network 170). When one or more other mobile devices 145 including UEs are used in a positioning determination for a particular UE 105, the UE 105 for which a position is to be determined can be referred to as a “target UE,” and each of the other mobile devices 145 used can be referred to as an “anchor UE.” To make a positioning determination for a target UE, respective positions of the one or more anchor UEs can be known and / or determined jointly with the target UE. Direct communication between one or more other mobile devices 145 and a UE 105 can include sidelink and / or similar device-to-device (D2D) communication techniques. Sidelink, as defined by 3GPP, is a form of D2D communication under cellular-based LTE and NR standards. UWB can be one such technique by which measurements from one or more anchor devices (e.g., mobile devices 145) can be used to facilitate a position of a target device (e.g., UE 105).

[0036] According to some embodiments, such as when a UE 105 includes and / or is incorporated into a vehicle, one form of D2D communication used by mobile devices 105 can include vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. V2X is a communication standard for vehicles to exchange information about a transportation environment with related entities. V2X can include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication between V2X-capable vehicles, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication between vehicles and infrastructure-based devices (often referred to as road-side units (RSUs)), vehicle-to-person (V2P) communication between vehicles and nearby people (pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users), and the like. Further, V2X can use any of a variety of wireless RF communication technologies. For example, cellular V2X (CV2X) is a form of V2X that uses cellular-based communication in a direct communication mode defined by 3GPP, such as LTE (4G), NR (5G), and / or other cellular technologies. Figure 1 The illustrated UEs 105 can correspond to components or devices located on vehicles, RSUs, or other V2X entities used to communicate V2X messages. In embodiments in which V2X is used, stationary communication / positioning device 145-3 (which can correspond to an RSU) and / or vehicle 145-2 can thus communicate with UE 105 and can be used to determine a position of UE 105 using techniques similar to those used by base stations 120 and / or APs 130 (e.g., using multilateration and / or multilateration). It can be further noted that, according to some embodiments, mobile devices 145 (which can include V2X devices), base stations 120, and / or APs 130 can be used together (e.g., in a WWAN positioning solution) to determine a position of UE 105.

[0037] In some scenarios, the UE 105 can be or include an on-board unit (OBU). An OBU is a device that can be installed in, coupled to, connected to, or otherwise associated with another object, such as a vehicle. Thus, an OBU can be used to perform sidelink, D2D, and / or V2X communications as described above. An OBU can also be configured to transmit and collect sensed information and data. For example, an OBU can include one or more sensors or sensing systems, such as at least one optical sensor (e.g., a camera) to capture visual information, at least one RF sensor or detector, such as a radar or lidar sensor, and / or at least one acoustic system, such as a sonar. An OBU can also include a modem and / or transceiver with one or more of various data communication interfaces for wireless communication (e.g., via a cellular network or a WLAN), and perform wireless communication using these interfaces. These sensors and interfaces can be used to perform various actions. Examples of such actions can include connecting to data networks, including base stations, access points, and / or servers; obtaining, receiving, or transmitting information about the OBU or vehicle or the environment in which the OBU is located (e.g., the location, traffic, and driving data of the OBU or vehicle, objects around the OBU or vehicle); and / or connecting to roadside and satellite navigation systems, such as RSUs and GNSS satellites 110.

[0038] As further examples, an OBU can be configured to exchange information or otherwise communicate with other OBUs (or other devices, including RSUs), periodically, on request, or otherwise. Information can be transmitted or received via messages such as basic safety messages (BSMs), personal safety messages (PSMs), cooperative awareness messages (CPMs), and / or sensor data sharing messages (SDSMs). A BSM can include information about a vehicle state, such as speed, positioning, steering wheel angle, acceleration, heading (direction), path history, and / or vehicle type. A PSM can include pedestrian-to-vehicle (P2V) safety information about different types of vulnerable road users (VRUs). A VRU can be any non-automotive road user (such as a pedestrian, a motorcyclist, or a road worker), an animal-drawn vehicle, or a person who is disabled or has reduced mobility and orientation (e.g., in a wheelchair). A CPM can include information about an OBU (e.g., positioning, heading), information about a vehicle (e.g., sensor information), and information about a perceived object (e.g., positioning, speed, dimensions). A SDSM can include sensor data. Other types of V2X messages can be exchanged, such as maneuver coordination messages (MCMs) or toll advertisement messages (TAMs). The above-described data can be broadcast or multicast (e.g., via sidelink). However, in some embodiments, the data can be transmitted by an OBU to a network (e.g., to a server).

[0039] The estimated position of UE 105 can be used in a variety of applications, such as to assist a user of UE 105 in direction finding or navigation or to assist another user (e.g., associated with external client 180) in locating UE 105. A "position" is also referred to herein as a "position estimate," "estimated position," "location," "fix," "fix estimate," "estimated fix," "location fix," or "fix." The process of determining a position can be referred to as "fixing," "fix determination," "location determination," etc. A position of UE 105 can include an absolute position of UE 105 (e.g., latitude and longitude and possibly altitude) or a relative position of UE 105 (e.g., a position expressed as a distance north or south, east or west, and possibly up or down from some other known fixed position (including, e.g., a position of a base station 120 or AP 130) or some other position such as a position of UE 105 at some known prior time or a position of mobile device 145 (e.g., another UE) at some known prior time). A position can be specified as a geodetic position comprising coordinates, which can be absolute (e.g., latitude, longitude, and optionally altitude), relative (e.g., relative to some known absolute position), or local (e.g., X, Y, and optionally Z coordinates according to a coordinate system defined relative to a local region such as a factory, warehouse, university campus, shopping center, stadium, or convention center). A position can instead be a civic location, and can then include one or more of a street address (e.g., including a country, state, county, city, road and / or street name or label, and / or a house number) and / or a label or name of a place, building, portion of a building, floor of a building, and / or room within a building, etc. A position can also include an indication of uncertainty or error, such as a horizontal distance and possibly a vertical distance within which the position is expected to be in error, or an indication of a region or volume (e.g., a circle or an ellipse) within which UE 105 is expected to be located with some level of confidence (e.g., 95% confidence).

[0040] External client 180 can be a web server or remote application that can have some association with UE 105 (e.g., can be accessible by a user of UE 105) or can be a server, application, or computer system that provides location services to some other user or users, which can include obtaining and providing a position of UE 105 (e.g., to enable services such as friend or relative locators or child or pet locators). Additionally or alternatively, external client 180 can obtain and provide a position of UE 105 to an emergency service provider, a government agency, etc.

[0041] Figure 2AA diagram illustrating an example scenario of the environment 200 involving vehicles 202a-202c, a vulnerable road user (VRU) 204, and obstructing objects 206a and 206b is shown. Figure 2A One or more of the vehicles 202a-202c shown in FIG. 2 can include a corresponding OBU or other UE. Vehicle 202a can be proceeding north. Vehicle 202b can be proceeding west and attempting to turn south. Vehicle 202c can be stationary. Vehicles 202a and 202c can have a visual line of sight (e.g., via optical sensors such as cameras and / or via RF sensors) and“see” the VRU 204, a pedestrian crossing the crosswalk. However, vehicle 202b can not see the VRU 204 due to the obstruction (e.g., buildings) 206a and 206b blocking the line of sight between vehicle 202b and the VRU 204. An RSU 208 can also be present and at least partially obstruct the line of sight to the VRU 204.

[0042] As illustrated with respect to vehicle 202b, it is not always feasible to sense all objects in the environment, such as pedestrians, to achieve full situational spatial awareness. For example, obstructing objects (e.g., buildings) 206a and 206b can block the line of sight of the VRU 204 (e.g., a crossing pedestrian) even if the OBU of vehicle 202b is to use all various sensors (e.g., cameras, lidar, radar) available to it. In such a case, the lack of situational awareness by vehicle 202b can pose a danger to the pedestrian as there is no guarantee that vehicle 202b can obtain accurate sensing of its surroundings by using all of its sensors due to the obstruction and mobility of other objects.

[0043] Generally, to address the inability of OBUs and vehicles to obtain accurate sensing of their surroundings, sensor sharing can be used in which vehicles exchange information about sensed objects. For example, the OBUs of vehicles 202a and 202c can share situational awareness messages via V2X. The OBUs can be multicast or broadcast messages via sidelink communications, such as BSMs, CPMs, and / or SDSMs, to enable other vehicles to reconstruct a global view of the environment. In this way, vehicle 202b can be able to obtain a more comprehensive awareness of objects around it, including the positioning and velocity of VRU 204.

[0044] However, giving all vehicles full spatial awareness can be a waste of spectrum usage, as there can be duplicated or overlapping information, especially for vehicles that are close to each other, for example. Moreover, given the range limitations of V2X, not all vehicles can be within the sensing range of other vehicles to be able to receive situationally aware messages. For example, it can be the case that vehicle 202c is too far from vehicle 202b to transmit a message containing information about VRU 204. In some scenarios, the sensing information can not be very accurate due to the type of objects in the environment or weather such as rain, which can increase occlusions and make sensing difficult.

[0045] In contrast, a centralized entity such as a networked (cloud) server can be better positioned to receive awareness messages from multiple UEs and OBUs and construct a global spatial view of the environment from multiple sources of information, not only from OBUs but also from known information (e.g., a map of the zone and / or known objects, streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic information, etc.). Additionally, it can be more bandwidth and spectrum efficient to transmit a customized message from the network to each vehicle, where the message is tailored specifically to the vehicle to selectively include only relevant information that the vehicle does not have, as opposed to transmitting all information (including duplicated or overlapping information) to each vehicle.

[0046] Figure 2B An illustration of an example scenario involving an environment 220 with vehicles 222a and 222b, a VRU 224, and one or more occluding objects 226 is depicted, where vehicles 222a and 222b are configured for communication with a server 232. More specifically, the OBUs of vehicles 222a and 222b can connect to server 232 via data network 230 using an appropriate data interface (e.g., via an LTE or NR base station or WLAN access point). Server 232 can be an example of location server 160 and is capable of receiving sensing information from at least vehicles 222a and 222b.

[0047] In this example scenario, the VRU 224 is in the field of view of the OBU of the vehicle 222a (e.g., in the line of sight of a camera or other sensor of the vehicle 222a), but not in the field of view of the OBU of the vehicle 222b. Based on the heading of the vehicle 222b and the heading of the VRU 224, there can be a risk of collision between them. One possible way to address the collision risk would be to enable the vehicle 222b to detect the VRU 224, which in this scenario, the vehicle 222b is unable to do using its sensors (e.g., cameras, radar, lidar) due to being obstructed by the building 226. Information about the VRU 224 can be communicated by the vehicle 222a to the server 232, and can be useful to the vehicle 222b as a precaution against the risk of collision.

[0048] However, while such information about the VRU 224 can be obtained using sensor sharing and exchange of perception messages (e.g., with the vehicle 222a), it can involve an excessive amount of overhead. For example, the excessive spectral overhead required for multicasting or broadcasting of sensor sharing messages (e.g., via sidelink), the computational overhead of each vehicle constructing a global view from multiple sensor messages, and / or the bandwidth overhead of vehicles receiving a global view from a server, especially as the number of vehicles, OBUs, and VRUs increases (e.g., at a busy intersection). Moreover, multiple nearby vehicles can end up providing the same sensor sharing messages, which wastes the aforementioned resources. The overhead can also become a bottleneck or quickly outdated in high-speed situations that require operators of vehicles to act equally quickly, such as on a highway. Furthermore, not all vehicles can have V2X technology to exchange perception messages in the first place.

[0049] To this end, it is desirable to provide gaps in the situational and spatial awareness information that a given OBU possesses. In one aspect of the disclosure, a centralized entity such as a cloud server can receive various signaling messages (BSM, PSM, CPM, SDSM, etc.) from OBUs and can provide gap information that is specific to a given OBU or a given region and tailored for it. The gap information can be determined and generated based on perception information collected or crowdsourced from multiple OBUs. In some cases, the gap information can be specific to a given region. In some cases, the gap information can be specific to a given OBU. OBU-specific gap information can be relevant perception information that a given OBU needs but does not have from other OBUs. That is, the gap information can be a “delta” between the global information from the OBUs and the information already known by the given OBU. If OBU-specific, the gap information can be sent as unicast messages to the given OBU (or UE) in so-called gap filling messages (GFM), or if region-specific, the gap information can be sent as multicast or broadcast messages.

[0050] In another aspect, the server can provide the OBU with perception information related to the OBU's lack of visibility. For example, when behind a large truck (e.g., in a traffic jam), the vehicle's OBU can have a limited forward view of its environment. Information known or obtained by the server (e.g., the vehicle's positioning, road information, camera or sensor parameters, camera's field of view) and information from other vehicles in the vicinity of a particular region can extend the OBU's visual knowledge at least within the particular region.

[0051] In another aspect, the server can perform or cause performance of dynamic map updates for the OBU's advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). For example, the OBU can be provided with visual environmental information, such as labels corresponding to buildings and VRUs.

[0052] It will be appreciated that while the above aspects are described in terms of OBUs, they are generally equally applicable to UEs, such as personal UEs (e.g., smartphones) or vehicle UEs.

[0053] Gap fill message Gap fill messages (GFMs) refer to messages containing perception information obtained from multiple UEs that do not include information already known to a particular UE. Thus, the GFMs can be tailored and customized to the particular UE such that there is no overlapping or redundant information, advantageously resulting in efficient use and less waste of spectrum and bandwidth, as the GFM will only provide the receiving UE with missing information and relevant perception, rather than all known information. As an illustrative point, a conventional non-customized message would contain overlapping information from the receiving UE and information from other UEs. Spectrum and bandwidth efficiency is lower for transmitting such non-customized messages, as suggested elsewhere herein.

[0054] To generate the GFM, UEs such as vehicle's UEs and OBUs and / or even UEs carried by VRUs (e.g., pedestrians) can first transmit situational awareness messages such as BSMs, PSMs, CPMs, SDSMs, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, these messages can be transmitted to a centralized networking entity such as a cloud server (e.g., location server 160, server 232). The server can construct a global view from these messages. Depending on the scenario or environment, or region or area of interest (e.g., for region-specific GFMs), the number of UEs transmitting the messages can be few (e.g., less than ten, less than a hundred) or numerous (e.g., hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or more).

[0055] UE-specific GFMs can contain situational awareness information important to a particular UE (e.g., an OBU) for various reasons such as Figure 2Aand Figure 2B The illustrated occlusions) cannot detect this situational awareness information on their own. To further illustrate, in Figure 2C An example scenario is depicted in Figure 2C is a diagram showing Figure 2B top view 220' and another top view 220" of an environment 220 involving vehicles 222a and 222b, a VRU 224, and one or more occluding objects 226, where vehicles 222a and 222b are configured for communication with a server 232. As with the scenario of Figure 2B As with the scenario of

[0056] As can be seen in top view 220", vehicle 222b cannot see and cannot have a line of sight to the shaded region 228 due to the occlusion by building 226. However, server 232 can have situational awareness in the region depicted in top views 220' and 220" based on situational awareness messages received from the OBUs of vehicles 222b and 222a (which can see the shaded region 228 occluded from vehicle 222b), e.g., via communication links 234a, 234b. In some cases, the situational awareness messages can contain various information about the region, such as optical and visual information (e.g., optical images, image data) and / or sensing information from RF sensors of vehicles 222a and / or 222b. Such awareness messages can include, for example, image data of shaded region 228 from the OBU of vehicle 222a, as the field of view of the sensors (e.g., cameras) of vehicle 222a are not occluded in that region. In some cases, although not explicitly shown via communication links, the situational awareness messages can contain optical or other sensing information from the UE of VRU 224. Server 232 can thereby construct a global view by crowdsourcing from multiple UEs (such as OBUs).

[0057] In some embodiments, server 232 constructs a global view based on messages from UEs (e.g., OBUs) of interest. In some cases, the UEs of interest can be UEs within a defined geographic region (e.g., a block, a street, an intersection, a zone with a width and length, a zone with a radius), or an identified location (e.g., a park, a shopping center). In some cases, the UEs of interest can be UEs identified as being within a particular range from a particular UE (e.g., a recipient UE or OBU that receives a customized GFM later). In some cases, the UEs of interest can be certain UEs identified by the network, and can not necessarily be all UEs within a region or range.

[0058] As used herein, a global view can be considered as a combination of sensed information (e.g., spatial, optical, visual, RF-based) from multiple UEs, which together or jointly apply to the UE of interest as defined or identified above. In some implementations, the combination need not be a simple addition of all the information, but can be a union—a set having all elements belonging to one or more of the multiple UEs without overlap. The following methods can be used to define such a global view.

[0059] set up Server 232 receives signals from UEs 1, 2, ... n Received context-aware messages. For example, S 1 indicates a perception message from OBU1. S 2 indicates awareness messages from OBU2, etc. Global view messages (GV) can be defined and constructed as GV = S 1 S 2… S n In other words, the global view message can be the union of perception messages from the UE. There is no overlapping, redundant, or duplicate information within the union. For example, spatial sensing information from OBU1 and OBU2 may contain the same information (e.g., the location of buildings). This information will not be repeated in the union.

[0060] In some specific implementations, a UE-specific GFM can be generated by server 232. More specifically, server 232 can construct and generate a UE-specific GFM for a given UE (for UE...). i GFM i GFM i It can be defined as GFM i = GV\ S i GV and UE i The difference (or "increment") between known pieces of information. In other words, GFM. i It can include UE-specific features. i All relevant information, except for UE i Information that is already known or understood. Server 232 can send information to the UE. i Transmit UE-specific GFM i (For example, via unicast). UE i It can then have perception information it did not have before (e.g., BSM, PSM, CPM, and / or SDSM).

[0061] For example, see Figure 2CAs an example, if the UE i is an OBU of the vehicle 222b, the GFM i received from the server 232 by the OBU of the vehicle 222b after which information about the shadow region 228, including the presence of the VRU 224, can become known to the vehicle 222b.

[0062] In some implementations, the server 232 can generate a region-specific GFM for a region r . More specifically, the server 232 can construct and generate a region-specific GFM r that is a gap fill message for UEs within the region r . In some cases, as noted above, the region r may be determined, for example, relative to or with respect to a particular UE (e.g., some radius around the particular UE), or by a defined region.

[0063] Given example UEs i , j and k , the GFM r may be defined GFM r = GFM i GFM j GFM k where GFM i is the set difference between GV and S i , GFM j is the set difference between GV and S j , and GFM k is the set difference between GV and S k . That is, the region-specific GFM r may be defined as the union of the GFM of the UEs in the region r . The foregoing is an illustrative example. The GFM r may be based on more or fewer UEs and corresponding GFM. In a particular scenario, if there is only one UE in the region r , the GFM r may simply be GFM i . In other scenarios, the GFM r may be based on many (more than three) GFM. Note that the GFM r may be a subset of GV. In some cases, since the GFM r may be applicable to UEs within the region r , and thus can be transmitted to the region rsome or all applicable UEs (e.g., via multicast or broadcast), GFM r ) can be stored at edge nodes accessible to the UE, such as a base station (e.g., gNB, small cell, femtocell), access point (e.g., Wi-Fi hotspot), RSU, or other intermediate network entity with storage. In some cases, the UE can even store the GFM r ) In certain implementations, the UE can update the GFM r ) as it moves from one location to another, where the mobility of the UE can redefine the area r around the UE, for example, as a radius.

[0064] In some implementations, the global view and / or GFM can be constructed by a networked device other than the server 232. For example, certain types of RSUs, base stations, access points, or even relatively local or on-the-edge-of-the-network UEs can be able to generate a global view and thus a GFM (whether GFM i or GFM r ) from the above. Some such edge devices can have a range of communication or be associated with an area within which UEs can perform data communications with the edge device. In these implementations, perception messages from UEs such as OBUs can be communicated to such networked devices, and the relevant GFM constructed can be unicast to a recipient UE or OBU, or multicast or broadcast to UEs or OBUs in the relevant area.

[0065] In some embodiments, a UE (e.g., OBU) can subscribe to a service provided by the server 232 to receive GFM, e.g., a subscription service with or without a fee. The service can be provided by a mobile network operator (MNO), mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), mobile service operator (MSO), or similar network provider. Depending on configuration or user preference, a user or customer of the UE or OBU can receive GFM from the server 232 as periodic updates (e.g., periodically), “on-demand” or in response to a request from the UE or OBU to the server 232, or both. In the case of a request to the server 232, the request can be made as needed or when necessary (e.g., near an intersection) so as not to miss a potential VRU. In some cases, the request can be made manually, e.g., by a driver of a vehicle with an OBU. In some cases, the request can be made automatically by the UE or OBU, e.g., if the UE or OBU is at or near a location known to have many obstructions, a location with high vehicle or pedestrian traffic, a road that is difficult to navigate (e.g., many turns or curves, a narrow road), a location historically prone to accidents, or otherwise of interest or sufficiently risky.

[0066] In some embodiments, in addition to or instead of the UE or OBU sending a context-aware message to the server 232, the UE or OBU can send one or more parameters related to the capabilities or characteristics of the UE or OBU or related components (e.g., a camera or RF sensor mounted on a vehicle). For example, the one or more parameters can include an image size (e.g., obtained by a camera or RF sensor), a focal length of a camera, intrinsic parameters of a sensor (e.g., lens distortion), extrinsic parameters of a sensor (e.g., pitch, roll, yaw). In some embodiments, the one or more parameters can include a camera parameter, a radio frequency (RF) sensor parameter, or a combination thereof. Figure 2B and Figure 2C For example, the capability information associated with one or more of the OBUs of the vehicles 222a, 222b (and any other vehicles) present in the environment can include one or more camera parameters, one or more radio frequency (RF) sensor parameters, or a combination thereof.

[0067] In some embodiments, the server 232 can transmit a UE-specific or region-specific GFM as an informative message for one or more applicable receiving UEs or OBUs to consume or use the GFM, e.g., for enhancing their perception of their surroundings and the environment. Referring back to Figure 2C , the GFM can be transmitted to, e.g., the vehicle 222b via the communication link 236. In some cases, the GFM can include image data (e.g., for optical images). The UE or OBU can use the image data to“see” from a perspective that it does not have from its current or past location, now filled in the gaps of the GFM. From this new perspective, the UE or OBU can be able to identify VRUs that it could not identify before, and the UE or OBU can perform actions accordingly, e.g., provide an alert, slow down or stop the vehicle, track the occluded area (e.g., the shadow area 228) or occluded objects (e.g., the VRU 224), ensure that the occlusion does not cause a potential collision. In some cases, the GFM can include text, such as a list of objects, object types, and / or corresponding coordinates of the objects, including VRUs, vehicles, UEs, etc., that the UE or OBU does not know about or cannot view. This object information can be used similarly to the image data to enable the UE or OBU to perform actions. The UE or OBU can use both the image data and the text in combination to perform actions. As described herein, the GFM is a bandwidth and spectrum efficient way to send a message that is tailored to the receiving UE or OBU that only provides the missing spatial information.

[0068] In some implementations, the GFM may include perceptual or visual information that server 232 may transmit to the receiving UE or OBU. The perceptual or visual information may include, for example, indications of location information corresponding to the receiving UE or OBU, indications of visual occlusion associated with the receiving UE or OBU, and / or similar indications that may be visually consumed by a user, for example. As an illustrative example, an icon corresponding to an object (e.g., a vehicle, pedestrian, occluded object such as a building, or other environmental object such as a base station or road) and the object's coordinates or other location information may be transmitted to the UE or OBU, allowing the UE or OBU to display the icon at the corresponding coordinates or cause the icon to be displayed. Depending on the configuration and design, such an icon may be overlaid on a map or navigation application of the UE or OBU (e.g., a display within the vehicle). As another example, visual indications of occlusion, such as shaded areas 228, may be displayed. In these ways, the server can provide and implement dynamic updates of the perceptual or visual information (e.g., dynamic ADAS map updates), which is visually useful to the driver or passengers of the OBU's vehicle. In fact, based on these dynamic updates, the perception or visual information transmitted to the UE or OBU can be realized. Figure 2C The top view 220'' shown on the right represents the display and / or animation. If the perceptual or visual information is updated frequently enough (e.g., once every few seconds, once per second, multiple times per second), the icon may appear to be animated.

[0069] Based on this scenario, UE-specific GFM (e.g., GFM) can be transmitted via unicast to the applicable UE or OBU. i It will only be transmitted to the UE. i Area-specific GFM can be transmitted to some or all UEs in the applicable area via multicast or broadcast.

[0070] Figure 3 This is a call flow diagram 300 for UEs 302a, 302b, 302n and server 304 in an environment involving some implementation schemes. At least some of UEs 302a, 302b, and 302n can be Figure 2B and Figure 2C The examples of OBUs for vehicles 202a-202c, 222a, and 222b shown are illustrated, and in some scenarios, other types of UEs may be included, such as mobile devices carried by VRUs (e.g., 204, 224), because such mobile devices may be able to sense or acquire spatial information and transmit sensing messages (e.g., BSM, PSM, CPM, and / or SDSM). Server 304 may be a networked cloud server, such as server 232.

[0071] In some example operations of the call flow diagram 300, at arrows 310a-310n, the UEs 302a, 302b, 302n can transmit respective perception messages to the server 304. The perception messages can include various types of contextual information about the environment, including spatial sensing information obtained by the UEs. Examples of spatial sensing information can include image data obtained by the UEs (e.g., via a camera or RF sensor), sensing information associated with the one or more objects (e.g., via an RF sensor), location information corresponding to the UEs (e.g., obtained using the positioning methods described above, or obtained from elsewhere such as a network), object information associated with one or more objects within the environment (e.g., object identifiers, object types, object locations or coordinates), occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles of the OBU (e.g., which portion of the camera’s field of view is blocked, e.g., based on edge detection), directional information associated with the UEs, and / or capability information associated with the UEs.

[0072] At block 312, the server 304 can construct and generate a UE-specific GFM. The UE-specific GFM can be tailored and customized to the needs of a recipient UE, such as the UE 302a. As discussed above, the GFM can represent spatial information and insights that the recipient UE 302a does not possess. The server 304 can generate the UE-specific GFM by first creating a global view associated with the environment of the UEs 302a, 302b, 302n. The global view message can be a union of the perception messages received from the UEs 302a, 302b, 302n. Since the global view message is a union, it does not contain redundant or overlapping information that is duplicated from more than one UE. The perception message from the recipient UE 302a and any other information known to the recipient UE 302a can then be removed from the global view message to generate the GFM that is customized for the recipient UE 302a.

[0073] At arrow 314, the server 304 can transmit the UE-specific GFM to the recipient UE 302a, e.g., via unicast. This process can apply to any of the UEs 302a, 302b, 302n that are identified as recipient UEs. That is, any of the UEs 302a, 302b, 302n can be a recipient UE, and messages obtained from other UEs than the recipient UE can be used to generate a GFM specific to the recipient UE.

[0074] Figure 4This is a call flow diagram 400 involving UEs 402a-402n (402a, 402b, 402c, 402n) and server 404, based on some implementation schemes. Some or all of UEs 402a-402n may be within a region, such as a specified or known location or relative to a region defined by the UE (e.g., a radius around the UE). Figure 4 In the example, UE 402n can be outside this area. At least some of UEs 402a-402n can be Figure 2B and Figure 2C The examples of OBUs for vehicles 202a-202c, 222a, and 222b shown are examples, and in some scenarios, other types of UEs may be included, such as mobile devices carried by VRUs (e.g., 204, 224), because such mobile devices may be able to sense or acquire spatial information and transmit sensing messages (e.g., BSM, PSM, CPM, and / or SDSM). Server 404 may be a networked cloud server, such as server 232.

[0075] In some example operations of call flowchart 400, at arrows 410a-410n (410a, 410b, 410c, 410n), UEs 402a-402n can transmit corresponding awareness messages to server 404. In some scenarios, UEs 402n outside this area may not transmit their awareness messages to server 404. Awareness messages can include various types of contextual information about the environment and area.

[0076] At box 412, server 404 can construct and generate a region-specific GFM. Region-specificity applies to interested UEs within the region. In some scenarios, interested UEs may include UEs 402a and 402b, but not 402c or 402n. In this case, UE 402c may not require GFM, or GFM may be unavailable or inapplicable to its situation, or UE 402c may not be eligible to receive GFM (e.g., it has not subscribed to the service). In some scenarios, interested UEs may include UEs 402a, 402b, and 402c outside the region, but not 402n.

[0077] At arrows 414a and 414b, server 404 may transmit area-specific GFM to interested UEs (e.g., UEs 402a and 402b) via multicast or broadcast, for example. Area-specific GFM may also be transmitted individually via unicast. At arrow 414c, if UE 404c is an interested UE, UE 404c may also receive area-specific GFM from server 404.

[0078] Note that the UE 402n outside the region can be part of UEs that have previously transmitted a perception message to the server 404, as the UE 402n can already have spatial information related to UEs in the region or UEs of interest. However, in some instances, the UE 402n can not receive the region-specific GFM. In other words, some of the UEs from which the server 404 receives perception messages to build the region-specific GFM can be outside the region. However, in some scenarios, the UE 402n can also receive the region-specific GFM from the server 404.

[0079] Method Figure 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 of providing spatial awareness to user equipment (UE) such as an on-board unit (OBU) of a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments. The functionality illustrated in one or more of the blocks shown can be performed by hardware components or software components of a computer system or network device (e.g., a server). The components of such a computer system or network device can include, for example, one or more data communication interfaces, one or more memories, one or more processors, and / or a computer readable device including a storage medium storing computer readable and / or computer executable instructions configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors or the computer system or network device to perform the operations represented by the blocks below. Example components of a computer system or network device are shown in FIG., which will be described in more detail below. Note also that Figure 5 The operations of the method 500 can be performed in any suitable order, and need not be performed in the order Figure 5 depicted. Furthermore, Figure 5 the processes shown can include more or fewer operations than those depicted. Figure 5 Figure 5

[0080] At block 510, the functionality of the method 500 can include receiving first context information from a plurality of UEs (e.g., OBUs), the first context information including optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs. Examples of optical sensing information can include image data based on images captured by a camera, or images or representations based on signals (e.g., pulse reflections) sensed by a lidar sensor. Examples of spatial sensing information can include RF signals or representations based on signals sensed by a radar sensor. Information from either or both types of modalities can be fused together with a perception message.

[0081] ​​In some embodiments, the first context information can include optical image data obtained by one or more of the plurality of OBUs, sensing information associated with one or more objects within an environment of a given OBU, location information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of OBUs, object information associated with one or more objects within an environment associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles, directional information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs can include one or more camera parameters, one or more radio frequency (RF) sensor parameters, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first context information can include a basic safety message (BSM), a personal safety message (PSM), a collective perception message (CPM), a sensor data sharing message (SDSM), or a combination thereof.

[0082] In some embodiments, receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs can include receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs located within a region; and the method 500 can include generating one or more region-specific gap filling messages based on a region-specific set of context information associated with the plurality of OBUs located within the region, the region-specific set of context information being at least a subset of the set of context information. In some implementations, the one or more region-specific gap filling messages are multicast or broadcast to at least a portion of the plurality of OBUs located within the region.

[0083] In some embodiments, the spatial sensing information can indicate a location of the one or more objects within the environment of the given OBU based on radio frequency (RF) sensing.

[0084] Components for performing the functionality at block 510 can include the storage 725, the communication subsystem 730, the communication interface 733, the wireless antenna 750, and / or other components of the server, as Figure 7 illustrated.

[0085] At block 520, the functionality of the method 500 can include generating a gap filling message tailored for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information comprising a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information.

[0086] In some implementations, the gap-filling message may include at least a portion of the difference between first context information from multiple OBUs and second context information known to a given OBU. More specifically, the gap-filling message may include set differences (e.g., UE-specific GV as explained above). S i ) or the union of gap-filling messages (e.g., region-specific GFM). r In some implementations, at least a portion of the difference may represent occlusion information relating to at least one object that is not in the field of view of a camera (or another sensor) on the vehicle. That is, the gap-filling message may include occlusion information relating to at least one object that is not in the field of view of a camera (or another sensor) on the vehicle.

[0087] Components used to perform functionality at box 520 may include processor 710, storage device 725, and / or other server components, such as... Figure 7 exemplified.

[0088] At block 530, the functionality of method 500 may include transmitting a gap-fill message to a given OBU. In some implementations, transmitting the gap-fill message to a given OBU may be based on a subscription service, may be in response to a request from a given OBU, or a combination thereof.

[0089] In some cases, a given OBU (UE) may take further downstream actions. In some embodiments, method 500 may further include determining visual occlusion associated with the given OBU based on at least a portion of the received first context information; wherein the gap-filling message transmitted to the given OBU includes information to compensate for the visual occlusion associated with the given OBU.

[0090] In some implementations, method 500 may further include generating a map of the environment associated with the multiple OBUs based on gap-filling messages. In some specific implementations, method 500 may further include receiving subsequent context information from at least one of the multiple OBUs; and updating the map of the environment associated with the multiple OBUs based on the subsequent context information.

[0091] In some implementations, method 500 may further include transmitting visual information to a given OBU, the visual information being configured to enable the display of an indication of location information corresponding to the given OBU, an indication of visual occlusion associated with the given OBU, or a combination thereof.

[0092] Components used to perform functionality at block 530 may include a communication subsystem 730, a communication interface 733, and a wireless antenna 750, such as... Figure 7 exemplified.

[0093] Apparatus Figure 6 is an embodiment of a UE 105 that can be utilized as described herein above (e.g., in connection with Figures 2A to 4 It should be noted that the components illustrated in FIG. 6 are merely Figure 6 intended to provide a generalized illustration of various components of which any or all can be utilized as appropriate. It can be noted that in some embodiments, Figure 6 the illustrated components can be localized to a single physical device and / or distributed among various networked devices that can be disposed at different geographic locations. Moreover, as previously noted, the functionality of the UE discussed in the previously described embodiments can be performed by one or more of the illustrated hardware components and / or software components. Figure 6

[0094] The UE 105 is shown comprising hardware elements that can electrically couple with (or otherwise be in communication with) each other. The hardware elements can include a processor 610, which can include without limitation one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., application processors), one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processor (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or the like), and / or other processing structure or means. The processor 610 can include one or more processing units that can be housed in a single integrated circuit (IC) or multiple ICs. As Figure 6 indicated, some embodiments can have a separate DSP 620, depending on desired functionality. Wireless communication-based location determination and / or other determinations can be provided in the processor 610 and / or a wireless communication interface 630 (discussed below). The UE 105 can also include one or more input devices 670, which can include without limitation one or more keyboards, touch screens, touch pads, microphones, buttons, dials, switches, and / or the like; and one or more output devices 615, which can include without limitation one or more displays (e.g., touchscreens), light emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, and / or the like.

[0095] The UE 105 can also include a wireless communication interface 630, which can include without limitation a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset such as a Bluetooth® chipset, and / or the like. The wireless communication interface 630 can permit the UE 105 to communicate wirelessly with one or more wired or wireless networks (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a cellular network, a satellite network, a telephone network, and / or the like). ® ​The wireless communication interface can enable the UE 105 to communicate with other devices as described in the above-described embodiments, such as devices that are IEEE 802.11 devices, IEEE 802.15.4 devices, Wi-Fi devices, WiMAX devices, WAN devices, and / or various cellular devices, etc. The wireless communication interface 630 can permit data and signaling to be communicated (e.g., transmitted and received) with TRPs of a network, such as via eNBs, gNBs, ng-eNBs, access points, various base station and / or other access node types, and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices communicatively coupled with a TRP, as described herein. The communication can be performed via one or more wireless communication antennas 632 that transmit and / or receive wireless signals 634. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication antennas 632 can include a plurality of discrete antennas, an array of antennas, or any combination thereof. The antennas 632 can be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals using beams (e.g., Tx beams and Rx beams). Beamforming can be performed using digital and / or analog beamforming techniques with corresponding digital and / or analog circuitry. The wireless communication interface 630 can include such circuitry.

[0096] The wireless communication interface 630 can include separate receivers and transmitters, or any combination of transceivers, transmitters, and / or receivers, depending on the desired functionality, to communicate with base stations (e.g., ng-eNBs and gNBs) and other terrestrial transceivers, such as wireless devices and access points. The UE 105 can communicate with different data networks that can include various network types. For example, the WWAN can be a CDMA network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network, a single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) network, a WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) network, and so on. A CDMA network can implement one or more RATs such as CDMA2000 ® , WCDMA, and so on. CDMA2000 ® includes IS-95, IS-2000, and / or IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can implement GSM, Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (D-AMPS), or some other RAT. An OFDMA network can employ LTE, LTE Advanced, 5G NR, and so on. 5G NR, LTE, LTE Advanced, GSM, and WCDMA are described in documents from 3GPP. CDMA2000 ®are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. A wireless local area network (WLAN) can also be an IEEE 802.11x network, and a wireless personal area network (WPAN) can be a Bluetooth network, an IEEE 802.15x, or some other type of network. The techniques described herein can also be used for any combination of WWAN, WLAN and / or WPAN.

[0097] The UE 105 can also include sensors 640. The sensors 640 can include, without limitation, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, magnetometers, altimeters, microphones, proximity sensors, light sensors, barometers, etc.), some of which can be used to obtain positioning-related measurements and / or other information.

[0098] Embodiments of the UE 105 can also include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 680 capable of receiving signals 684 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 682 (which can be the same as the antenna 632). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements can be used to supplement and / or incorporate the techniques described herein. The GNSS receiver 680 can extract a position of the UE 105 from GNSS satellites of a GNSS system such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) over Japan, IRNSS over India, Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) over China, etc., using conventional techniques. Moreover, the GNSS receiver 680 can be used with various augmentation systems (e.g., Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS)) that can be associated with or otherwise enabled for use with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems, such as, for example, Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), Multi -functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), and Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN), etc.

[0099] It can be noted that although in Figure 6The GNSS receiver 680 is illustrated as various components, but embodiments are not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "GNSS receiver" may include hardware and / or software components configured to acquire GNSS measurements (measurements from GNSS satellites). Thus, in some embodiments, the GNSS receiver may include (as software) a measurement engine executed by one or more processors, such as processor 610, DSP 620, and / or a processor within a wireless communication interface 630 (e.g., in a modem). The GNSS receiver may also optionally include a positioning engine that uses GNSS measurements from the measurement engine to determine the GNSS receiver's location using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), weighted least squares (WLS), particle filters, etc. The positioning engine may also be executed by one or more processors such as processor 610 or DSP 620.

[0100] UE 105 may also include memory 660 and / or communicate with that memory. Memory 660 may include, but is not limited to, local and / or network-accessible storage devices, disk drives, drive arrays, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), which may be programmable, flash-updatable, etc. Such storage devices can be configured to implement any suitable data storage, including but not limited to various file systems, database structures, etc.

[0101] The memory 660 of UE 105 may also include software elements ( Figure 6 (Not shown in the document) including operating systems, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code (such as one or more applications), these software elements may include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments, and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more processes described with respect to the methods discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 660 executable by UE 105 (and / or processor 610 or DSP 620 within UE 105). Then, in some embodiments, such code and / or instructions may be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations according to the described methods.

[0102] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an implementation of a computer system 700, which may be used, wholly or partially, to provide one or more network components as described in the embodiments herein (e.g., Figure 1 The location server 160) functions. For example, computer system 700 can perform... Figure 5one or more functions of the methods illustrated in the figures. It should be noted that Figure 7 only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, any or all of which can be utilized as appropriate. Therefore, Figure 7 broadly illustrate how the individual system elements can be implemented in a relatively separate or a relatively more integrated manner. Figure 7 The illustrated components can be locally housed as a single device and / or distributed among various networked devices that can be disposed at different geographic locations.

[0103] The computer system 700 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 705 (or can otherwise be in communication as appropriate). The hardware elements can include a processing unit(s) 710 which can include without limitation one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processing units, and / or the like), and / or other processing structure, which can be configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein. The computer system 700 also can include one or more input devices 715, which can include without limitation a mouse, a keyboard, a camera, a microphone, and / or the like; and one or more output devices 720, which can include without limitation a display device, a printer, and / or the like.

[0104] The computer system 700 also can include (and / or be in communication with) one or more non-transitory storage devices 725, which can include, without limitation, local and / or network accessible storage, and / or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, solid-state storage device such as a RAM and / or ROM, which can be programmable, and / or flash-updateable, and / or the like. Such storage devices can be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and / or the like. Such data stores can include databases and / or other data structures that are used to store and manage messages and / or other information to be communicated to one or more devices via a hub, as described herein.

[0105] Computer system 700 can also include a communications subsystem 730, which can include both wireless communication techniques managed and controlled by wireless communication interface 733, as well as wired techniques (such as Ethernet, coaxial communications, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and the like). Wireless communication interface 733 can include one or more wireless transceivers that can transmit and receive wireless signals 755 (e.g., signals according to 5G NR or LTE) via wireless antenna 750. Thus, communications subsystem 730 can include modems, network cards (wireless or wired), infrared communication devices, wireless communication devices and / or chipsets, and the like, which can enable computer system 700 to communicate with any of the devices described herein, including user equipment (UE), base stations and / or other TRPs, and / or any other electronic devices described herein, on any or all of the communication networks described herein. Thus, communications subsystem 730 can be used to receive and transmit data as described in the implementations herein.

[0106] In many embodiments, computer system 700 will also include a working memory 735, which can include RAM or ROM devices, as discussed above. Software elements shown as being located within working memory 735 can include an operating system 740, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code such as one or more applications 745, which can include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or can be designed to implement methods, and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method discussed above can be implemented as code and / or instructions executable by a computer (and / or a processor within a computer); in an aspect, then, such code and / or instructions can be used to configure and / or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0107] A set of these instructions and / or code might be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 725 described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as computer system 700. In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc), and / or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure and / or adapt a general purpose computer with the instructions / code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer system 700 and / or might take the form of source and / or installed code, which, upon compilation and / or installation on the computer system 700 (e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression / decompression utilities, etc.), then takes the form of executable code.

[0108] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations can be made in form, detail, and use of the application without departing from the spirit of the application. For example, customization hardware might also be used, and / or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets, etc.), or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input / output devices can be employed.

[0109] With reference to the appended drawings, components of the present application can include a memory that can include a non-transitory machine-readable medium. The terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" as used herein, refer to any storage medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media might be involved in storing and / or providing instructions / code to processors and / or other devices for execution. Additionally or alternatively, the machine-readable media might be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code. In many implementations, a computer- readable medium is a physical and / or tangible storage medium. Such a medium can take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example: magnetic and / or optical media such as compact discs (CDs), magnetic disks, magnetic tapes, and / or the like; any other physical medium with patterns of holes, such as any

[0110] The methods, systems, and devices discussed herein are examples. Various implementations can omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. For instance, features described with respect to certain implementations can be combined in various other implementations. Different aspects and elements of the implementations can be combined in a similar manner. Also, the various components of the drawings provided herein can be embodied in hardware and / or software. Furthermore, certain elements can be implemented using various technologies as known to one of skill in the art in consideration of the functionality described herein. In addition, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting. The use of terms such as "comprise", "comprising", "comprises", "including", "includes", "contain", "containing", "have", "has", "having", or variants thereof is not intended to be limiting. It is also noted that the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including" and the like can be used herein to

[0111] It proves convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, numbers, numerals, or the like. It should be understood, however, that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the above discussion, it is appreciated that throughout this specification discussions utilizing terms such as "processing", "computing", "calculating", "determining", "ascertaining", "identifying", "associating", "measuring", "performing", or the like can refer to the action or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special purpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic computing device. In the context of this specification, therefore, a specific apparatus, such as a special purpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic computing device, can be capable of manipulating or transforming physical quantities represented as electronic, magnetic, or optical signals, as well as other quantities.

[0112] As used herein, the terms "and" and "or" can include a variety of meanings that also is expected to depend at least in part upon the context in which such terms are used. Typically, "or" if used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, here used in the inclusive sense, as well as A, B, or C, here used in the exclusive sense. In addition, the term "one or more" as used herein can be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular or can be used to describe some combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example and claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the term "at least one of" if used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, can be interpreted in the context as A alone; B alone; C alone; or some combination of A, B, and / or C.

[0113] Having described several embodiments, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents can be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, the above elements can merely be a component of a larger system, wherein other rules can take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. Also, a number of steps can be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements are considered. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0114] In view of this description, various embodiments can include different combinations of features. Various specific example implementations are described in the following numbered clauses: Clause 1. A method of providing spatial awareness to an on-board unit (OBU) of a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving first context information from a plurality of OBUs, the first context information comprising optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; generating a gap fill message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information comprising a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; and transmitting the gap fill message to the given OBU.

[0115] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the gap fill message comprises at least a portion of a difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU.

[0116] Clause 3. The method of any one of clauses 1-2, wherein the at least a portion of the difference represents occlusion information related to at least one object not in a field of view of a camera of the vehicle.

[0117] Clause 4. The method of any one of clauses 1-3, wherein receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs comprises receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs located within a region; and the method further comprises generating one or more region-specific gap fill messages based on a region-specific set of context information associated with the plurality of OBUs located within the region, the region-specific set of context information being at least a subset of the set of context information.

[0118] Clause 5. The method of any one of clauses 1-4, the method further comprising multicasting or broadcasting the one or more region-specific gap fill messages to at least a portion of the plurality of OBUs located within the region.

[0119] Clause 6. The method of any one of clauses 1-5, wherein the spatial sensing information indicates a location of one or more objects within an environment of the given OBU based on radio frequency (RF) sensing.

[0120] Clause 7. The method of any one of clauses 1-6, wherein the first context information comprises optical image data obtained by one or more of the plurality of OBUs, sensing information associated with one or more objects within an environment of the given OBU, location information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of OBUs, object information associated with one or more objects within an environment associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles, directional information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, or a combination thereof.

[0121] Clause 8. The method of any one of clauses 1-7, wherein the capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs comprises one or more camera parameters, one or more radio frequency (RF) sensor parameters, or a combination thereof.

[0122] Clause 9. The method of any one of clauses 1-8, wherein the first context information comprises a basic safety message (BSM), a personal safety message (PSM), a collective perception message (CPM), a sensor data sharing message (SDSM), or a combination thereof.

[0123] Clause 10. The method of any one of clauses 1-9, further comprising determining a visual occlusion associated with the given OBU based on at least a portion of the received first context information; wherein the gap filling message transmitted to the given OBU comprises information that compensates for the visual occlusion associated with the given OBU.

[0124] Clause 11. The method of any one of clauses 1-10, further comprising generating a map of an environment associated with the plurality of OBUs based on the gap filling message.

[0125] Clause 12. The method of any one of clauses 1-11, further comprising: receiving subsequent context information from at least one of the plurality of OBUs; and updating the map of the environment associated with the plurality of OBUs based on the subsequent context information.

[0126] Clause 13. The method of any one of clauses 1-12, further comprising transmitting, to the given OBU, visual information configured to enable display of an indication of location information corresponding to the given OBU, an indication of a visual occlusion associated with the given OBU, or a combination thereof.

[0127] Clause 14. The method of any one of clauses 1-13, wherein transmitting the gap fill message to the given OBU is based on a subscription service, responsive to a request from the given OBU, or a combination thereof.

[0128] Clause 15. An apparatus comprising: one or more data communication interfaces; one or more memories; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more data communication interfaces and the one or more memories, the one or more processors configured to: receive first context information from a plurality of OBUs, the first context information comprising optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; generate a gap fill message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information comprising a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; and transmit the gap fill message to the given OBU.

[0129] Clause 16. The apparatus of clause 15, wherein the gap fill message comprises at least a portion of a difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU, and the at least a portion of the difference represents occlusion information pertaining to at least one object not in a field of view of a camera associated with the given OBU.

[0130] Clause 17. The apparatus of any one of clauses 15-16, wherein receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs comprises receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs located within a region; and the one or more processors are further configured to generate one or more region-specific gap fill messages based on a set of region-specific context information associated with the plurality of OBUs located within the region, the set of region-specific context information being at least a subset of the set of context information.

[0131] Clause 18. The apparatus of any one of clauses 15-17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to multicast or broadcast the one or more region-specific gap fill messages to at least a portion of the plurality of OBUs located within the region.

[0132] Clause 19. The apparatus of any one of Clauses 15 to 18, wherein the first context information comprises optical image data obtained by one or more of the plurality of OBUs, sensing information associated with one or more objects within an environment of the given OBU, location information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of OBUs, object information associated with one or more objects within an environment associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles, directional information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, or a combination thereof.

[0133] Clause 20. The apparatus of any one of Clauses 15 to 19, wherein the capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs comprises one or more camera parameters, one or more radio frequency (RF) sensor parameters, or a combination thereof.

[0134] Clause 21. The apparatus of any one of Clauses 15 to 20, wherein the first context information comprises a basic safety message (BSM), a personal safety message (PSM), a collective perception message (CPM), a sensor data sharing message (SDSM), or a combination thereof.

[0135] Clause 22. The apparatus of any one of Clauses 15 to 21, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine a visual occlusion associated with the given OBU based on at least a portion of the received first context information; and the gap filling message transmitted to the given OBU comprises information that compensates for the visual occlusion associated with the given OBU.

[0136] Clause 23. The apparatus of any one of Clauses 15 to 22, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate a map of an environment associated with the plurality of OBUs based on the gap filling message.

[0137] Clause 24. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving first context information from a plurality of OBUs, the first context information comprising optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; means for generating a gap filling message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information comprising a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; and means for transmitting the gap filling message to the given OBU.

[0138] Clause 25. The apparatus of clause 24, wherein the gap filling message comprises at least a portion of a difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU, and the at least a portion of the difference represents occlusion information related to at least one object not in a field of view of a camera associated with the given OBU.

[0139] Clause 26. The apparatus of any one of clauses 24 to 25, wherein the gap filling message comprises at least a portion of a difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU.

[0140] Clause 27. The apparatus of any one of clauses 24 to 26, wherein the first context information comprises optical image data obtained by one or more of the plurality of OBUs, sensing information associated with one or more objects within an environment of the given OBU, location information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of OBUs, object information associated with one or more objects within an environment associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles, directional information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, or a combination thereof.

[0141] Clause 28. The apparatus of any one of clauses 24 to 27, wherein the first context information comprises a basic safety message (BSM), a personal safety message (PSM), a collective perception message (CPM), a sensor data sharing message (SDSM), or a combination thereof.

[0142] Clause 29. A non-transitory computer-readable device comprising a storage medium including a plurality of instructions configured, when executed by one or more processors, to cause an apparatus to: receive first context information from a plurality of OBUs, the first context information comprising optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; generate a gap fill message customized for a given OBU of the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information comprising a union of (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) second context information comprising optical information, spatial information, or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; and transmit the gap fill message to the given OBU.

[0143] Clause 30. The non-transitory computer-readable device of clause 29, wherein the gap fill message comprises at least a portion of a difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU, and the at least a portion of the difference represents occlusion information pertaining to at least one object not in a field of view of a camera associated with the given OBU.

Claims

1. A method for providing spatial awareness to an onboard unit (OBU) of a vehicle, the method comprising: Receive first context information from multiple OBUs, the first context information including optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the multiple OBUs; A gap-filling message customized for a given OBU among the plurality of OBUs is generated based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information including (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) the union of second context information including optical information, spatial information or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; as well as The gap filling message is transmitted to the given OBU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gap-filling message includes at least a portion of the difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least portion of the difference represents occlusion information relating to at least one object not in the field of view of the camera of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs includes receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs located within the region; and The method further includes generating one or more region-specific gap-filling messages based on a region-specific set of context information associated with the plurality of OBUs located within the region, wherein the region-specific set of context information is at least a subset of the context information set.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising multicasting or broadcasting one or more region-specific gap-filling messages to at least a portion of the plurality of OBUs located within the region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatial sensing information is based on radio frequency (RF) sensing to indicate the location of one or more objects within the environment of the given OBU.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first context information includes optical image data obtained by one or more of the plurality of OBUs, sensing information associated with one or more objects in the environment of the given OBU, location information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of OBUs, object information associated with one or more objects in the environment associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles, orientation information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs includes one or more camera parameters, one or more radio frequency (RF) sensor parameters, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first context information includes a Basic Security Message (BSM), a Personal Security Message (PSM), a Collective Perception Message (CPM), a Sensor Data Sharing Message (SDSM), or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining visual occlusion associated with the given OBU based on at least a portion of the received first context information; The gap-filling message transmitted to the given OBU includes information to compensate for the visual occlusion associated with the given OBU.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a map of the environment associated with the plurality of OBUs based on the gap-filling message.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: Receive subsequent context information from at least one of the plurality of OBUs; as well as The map of the environment associated with the plurality of OBUs is updated based on the subsequent context information.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting visual information to the given OBU, the visual information being configured to enable the display of an indication of location information corresponding to the given OBU, an indication of visual occlusion associated with the given OBU, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the gap-filling message to the given OBU is based on a subscription service, in response to a request from the given OBU, or a combination thereof.

15. An apparatus comprising: One or more data communication interfaces; One or more memory units; and One or more processors, communicatively coupled to one or more data communication interfaces and one or more memories, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: Receive first context information from multiple OBUs, the first context information including optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the multiple OBUs; A gap-filling message customized for a given OBU among the plurality of OBUs is generated based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information including (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) the union of second context information including optical information, spatial information or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; as well as The gap filling message is transmitted to the given OBU.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the gap-filling message includes at least a portion of the difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU, and the at least portion of the difference represents occlusion information relating to at least one object not in the field of view of a camera associated with the given OBU.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein: Receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs includes receiving the first context information from the plurality of OBUs located within the region; and The one or more processors are further configured to generate one or more region-specific gap-filling messages based on a region-specific set of context information associated with the plurality of OBUs located within the region, wherein the region-specific set of context information is at least a subset of the context information set.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to multicast or broadcast the one or more region-specific gap-filling messages to at least a portion of the plurality of OBUs located within the region.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first context information includes optical image data obtained by one or more of the plurality of OBUs, sensing information associated with one or more objects in the environment of the given OBU, position information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of OBUs, object information associated with one or more objects in the environment associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles, orientation information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, or a combination thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs includes one or more camera parameters, one or more radio frequency (RF) sensor parameters, or a combination thereof.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first context information includes a Basic Security Message (BSM), a Personal Security Message (PSM), a Collective Perception Message (CPM), a Sensor Data Sharing Message (SDSM), or a combination thereof.

22. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to determine visual occlusion associated with the given OBU based on at least a portion of the received first context information; and The gap-filling message transmitted to the given OBU includes information to compensate for the visual occlusion associated with the given OBU.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate a map of the environment associated with the plurality of OBUs based on the gap-filling message.

24. An apparatus comprising: A component for receiving first context information from a plurality of OBUs, the first context information including optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the plurality of OBUs; A component for generating a gap-filling message tailored for a given OBU among the plurality of OBUs based on a set of context information derived from received first context information, the set of context information including (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) the union of second context information including optical information, spatial information or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; as well as A component used to transmit the gap-filling message to the given OBU.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the gap-filling message includes at least a portion of the difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU, and the at least portion of the difference represents occlusion information relating to at least one object not in the field of view of a camera associated with the given OBU.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the gap-filling message includes at least a portion of the difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first context information includes optical image data obtained by one or more of the plurality of OBUs, sensing information associated with one or more objects in the environment of the given OBU, position information corresponding to one or more of the plurality of OBUs, object information associated with one or more objects in the environment associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, occlusion information associated with one or more cameras of one or more vehicles, orientation information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, capability information associated with one or more of the plurality of OBUs, or a combination thereof.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first context information includes a Basic Security Message (BSM), a Personal Security Message (PSM), a Collective Perception Message (CPM), a Sensor Data Sharing Message (SDSM), or a combination thereof.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable device, the non-transitory computer-readable device comprising a storage medium, the storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by one or more processors, cause the device to: Receive first context information from multiple OBUs, the first context information including optical sensing information, spatial sensing information, or a combination thereof obtained by the multiple OBUs; A gap-filling message customized for a given OBU among the plurality of OBUs is generated based on a set of context information derived from the received first context information, the set of context information including (i) the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and (ii) the union of second context information including optical information, spatial information or a combination thereof known to the given OBU, such that the first context information obtained by the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU do not overlap in the set of context information; as well as The gap filling message is transmitted to the given OBU.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 29, wherein the gap-filling message includes at least a portion of the difference between the first context information from the plurality of OBUs and the second context information known to the given OBU, and the at least portion of the difference represents occlusion information relating to at least one object not in the field of view of a camera associated with the given OBU.

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