Communication method and device, storage medium and computer program product

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and device, a storage medium and a computer program product. In the method, a data synthesis device or an AIOT functional entity obtains measurement data of an anchor point terminal in a space where a target terminal is located and configuration information of the anchor point terminal, and generates fingerprint information by performing 3D modeling and sampling on the space where the target terminal is located based on the measurement data and the configuration information. And the AIOT functional entity can position the target terminal based on the fingerprint information and the measurement data of the target terminal. Thus, in the embodiment of the invention, in indoor positioning, finer fingerprint information acquisition of the indoor space can be realized through 3D modeling, the precision of indoor positioning is further improved, and the influence of indoor environment change on positioning can be avoided or reduced due to real-time 3D modeling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates generally to the field of communications, and more specifically to a communication method, apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product for indoor positioning. Background Technology

[0002] Indoor positioning technology is used to identify and track the location of people or objects in indoor environments. Recently, the Ambient Internet of Things (AIOT) has been introduced into cellular networks for indoor positioning. The basic principle of AOT positioning is to utilize the signal reflection characteristics of AOT devices, analyzing parameters such as received signal strength indication (RSSI), angle of arrival (AOA), and time difference of arrival (TDOA) to provide positioning services. Currently, the accuracy of AOT positioning technology is easily affected by multipath reflection, obstruction, antenna directivity, and environmental changes. Positioning characteristics such as RSSI and phase are prone to fluctuation, and there is still significant room for improvement in reliability, stability, and accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide a communication scheme for improving the reliability, stability, and / or accuracy of AIoT positioning. In general, this communication scheme enables low-cost positioning of a vast number of objects using AIoT devices (e.g., AIoT tags), and constructs and updates the wireless radiation field of an indoor space based on three-dimensional (3D) modeling, thereby updating the positioning information of the indoor space in real time and with high precision. Furthermore, the positioning model can be used to maintain high positioning accuracy in complex indoor environments. As mentioned above, in this application, signal feature data at various locations within the space are simulated through 3D modeling, and then sampled to obtain signal feature data at each specific location, i.e., fingerprint information at each specific location.

[0004] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed at a first device. For example, the first device can be a data synthesis device in a core network. The data synthesis device in the core network can support the data synthesis function of one or more network functional entities in the core network. The data synthesis device can also be referred to as a data synthesis module. This data synthesis device can be deployed in the core network independently of the one or more network functional entities. In this method, the first device acquires measurement data and configuration information of anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located; based on the measurement data and configuration information, it generates fingerprint information by performing three-dimensional (3D) modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located; and sends the fingerprint information to a second device for target terminal positioning. In this way, "refined" fingerprint data of the space can be constructed in real time by performing 3D modeling of the space based on measurement data and configuration information, for the purpose of achieving accurate positioning of the target within the space.

[0005] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device includes a data synthesis device, and the second device includes an ambient internet of things (AIOT) functional entity. In this way, the data synthesis device in the core network is specifically defined as being able to utilize to perform signal-based 3D modeling of space for positioning by the AIoT functional entity.

[0006] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device sends a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to an operation and maintenance (OM) functional entity, and receives the configuration information of the anchor terminal from the OM functional entity. In this way, the first device can accurately obtain configuration information about the anchor terminal in space from the OM functional entity so as to accurately perform 3D modeling based on this information. In some embodiments, the OM functional entity may also be referred to as an OM module.

[0007] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device receives a second request from the second device for 3D modeling and sampling of the space, the second request including measurement data. In this way, the first device can accurately obtain the measurement data of each anchor point terminal so as to accurately perform 3D modeling based on it.

[0008] In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information includes one or more of the following: location information of the pico remote radio unit (pRRU) associated with the anchor terminal, map identification information associated with the anchor terminal, three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, the power of the anchor terminal, or the location of the anchor terminal. In this way, specific items of the configuration information can be obtained to facilitate the use of these items for 3D modeling.

[0009] In some exemplary embodiments, the measurement data includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, the time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, or the phase of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal. In this way, specific parameters of the measurement data can be obtained to facilitate 3D modeling.

[0010] In some exemplary embodiments, the fingerprint information includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the received signal at the sampling point in space, the time delay of the received signal at the sampling point in space, or the phase of the received signal at the sampling point in space. In this way, the specific parameters sampled after 3D modeling can be obtained, facilitating localization using these parameters.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments, the anchor terminal includes an AIoT device, and the target terminal includes a user device or an AIoT device. In this way, AIoT devices can be used to collect positioning information at various fixed locations in space at low cost, and user devices or AIoT devices can be used to locate moving targets in space.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device employs three-dimensional gaussian platting (3DGS) for 3D modeling and sampling. In this way, 3DGS can be used to achieve accurate 3D modeling of signal or wireless field distributions in space.

[0013] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed at a second device. For example, the second device can be a network function entity in the core network (e.g., an AIOT function (AIOTF) for location). In this method, the second device receives measurement data of a target terminal from a radio access network (RAN); acquires fingerprint information, determined by 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located, based on measurement data and configuration information of anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located; and locates the target terminal based on the fingerprint information and the measurement data of the target terminal. In this way, precise location of a target within the space can be achieved using "refined" fingerprint data of the space constructed in real time via 3D modeling.

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device receives a location request for the target terminal from an application function (AF) entity. In this way, the second device can initiate the location of the indoor target according to the request of the AF.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information includes one or more of the following: pRRU location information associated with the anchor terminal, map identification information associated with the anchor terminal, 3D point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, the power of the anchor terminal, or the location of the anchor terminal. In this way, specific items of the configuration information can be obtained to facilitate the use of these items for 3D modeling.

[0016] In some exemplary embodiments, the measurement data of the anchor point terminal includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal, the time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal, or the phase of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal. In this way, specific parameters of the anchor point measurement data can be obtained, facilitating 3D modeling using these parameters.

[0017] In some exemplary embodiments, the fingerprint information includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the received signal at the sampling point in space, the time delay of the received signal at the sampling point in space, or the phase of the received signal at the sampling point in space. In this way, the specific parameters sampled after 3D modeling can be obtained, facilitating localization using these parameters.

[0018] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device sends a third request to the RAN for measurement data of the anchor terminals, and receives the measurement data of the anchor terminals from the RAN. In this way, the second device can acquire measurement data of each anchor terminal in space from the RAN to facilitate 3D modeling using these parameters.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device determines whether to perform 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located based on at least one of the following: the 3D modeling and sampling period expires, the deviation between the measurement data of the anchor terminal and the previous measurement data of the anchor terminal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, or the positioning error rate is greater than or equal to a second threshold. In this way, the second device can determine whether to perform 3D modeling and sampling of the space according to the actual scenario requirements.

[0020] In some exemplary embodiments, the anchor terminal includes an AIoT device, and the target terminal includes a user device or an AIoT device. In this way, AIoT devices can be used to collect positioning information at various fixed locations in space at low cost, and user devices or AIoT devices can be used to locate moving targets in space.

[0021] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device sends a second request to the first device for 3D modeling and sampling of the space, the second request including measurement data from the anchor terminal. In this manner, the second device can request the first device to perform 3D modeling and sampling based on the measurement data. In some exemplary embodiments, acquiring fingerprint information includes receiving fingerprint information from the first device. In this manner, the second device can acquire fingerprint information at various locations within the space to facilitate positioning using this fingerprint information. In these embodiments, the second device may include or be implemented as a network function entity (e.g., an AIoT function entity) in the core network, and the first device may include or be implemented as a data synthesis device in the core network. The data synthesis device can support the data synthesis functions of one or more network function entities in the core network and can be deployed in the core network independently of these one or more network function entities.

[0022] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device sends a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to the OM functional entity, and receives the configuration information of the anchor terminal from the OM functional entity. In this manner, the second device can obtain the configuration information of the anchor terminal by sending a request to the OM functional entity, so as to use this configuration information to perform 3D modeling of the space. In this embodiment, the second device may include or be implemented as a network functional entity (e.g., an AIOT functional entity) in the core network, which integrates a data synthesis device. In this manner, the second device, as an AIOT functional entity, integrates a data synthesis device to fully perform the complete functions of 3D modeling and sampling, as well as target terminal localization.

[0023] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device performs positioning of the target terminal based on measurement data and fingerprint information from the fixed terminal using a transformer positioning model. In this way, precise positioning of the target terminal can be achieved using a transformer-based positioning model with multiple parameter inputs.

[0024] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes: a processing module configured to acquire measurement data and configuration information of anchor terminals within the space where a target terminal is located, and to generate fingerprint information based on the measurement data and configuration information by performing three-dimensional 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located; and a transceiver module configured to send the fingerprint information to a second device for target terminal positioning.

[0025] In some embodiments, the transceiver module can be implemented as a transmitter or transceiver, and the processing module can be implemented as a processor or processing circuit. In some embodiments, the communication device can be implemented as the first device in the first aspect described above, and the communication device can implement the method described in the first aspect or any of the embodiments described above.

[0026] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes: a transceiver module configured to receive measurement data from a target terminal from a RAN; and a processing module configured to acquire fingerprint information and, based on the fingerprint information and the measurement data of the target terminal, locate the target terminal. The fingerprint information is determined based on measurement data of anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located and configuration information of the anchor terminals, through three-dimensional 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located.

[0027] In some embodiments, the transceiver module can be implemented as a receiver or transceiver, and the processing module can be implemented as a processor or processing circuit. In some embodiments, the communication device can be implemented as the second device in the second aspect described above, and the communication device can implement the method described in the second aspect or any of the embodiments described above.

[0028] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes modules or units for performing the methods described in the first aspect or any of the embodiments described above, or includes modules or units for performing the methods described in the second aspect or any of the embodiments described above.

[0029] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes a processor configured to execute a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in the first aspect or any of the embodiments described above, or to perform the methods described in the second aspect or any of the embodiments described above.

[0030] In some embodiments, the communication device may include a memory for storing the computer program or instructions.

[0031] In some embodiments, the communication device may be implemented as the first device described above, or as the second device described above.

[0032] In a seventh aspect, a chip or chip system is provided. The chip or chip system includes a processor configured to perform the method according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, or to perform the method according to the second aspect or any embodiment thereof.

[0033] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, or to perform the method according to the second aspect or any embodiment thereof. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0034] In a ninth aspect, a computer program or computer program product is provided. The computer program or computer program product is tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium and includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed, implement the method according to the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, or implement the method according to the second aspect or any embodiment thereof.

[0035] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a first device and a second device, wherein the first device can implement the method described in the first aspect or any of the embodiments described above, and the second device can implement the method described in the second aspect or any of the embodiments described above.

[0036] It should be understood that the technical effects of the first and second aspects and their respective embodiments also apply to each of the third to tenth aspects, therefore the technical effects of the third to tenth aspects will not be described again herein.

[0037] It should also be understood that the description in the Summary Section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this application, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this application. Other features of this application will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a typical application scenario of an indoor positioning and communication system is shown.

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an indoor positioning and communication system is shown.

[0040] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a communication flow according to some embodiments of this application is shown.

[0041] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a communication flow according to some embodiments of this application is shown.

[0042] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an indoor positioning communication system according to some embodiments of this application is shown.

[0043] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating the operation method of a positioning communication system according to a first embodiment of this application is shown.

[0044] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating the operation method of a positioning communication system according to a second embodiment of this application is shown.

[0045] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to some embodiments of this application is shown.

[0046] Figure 9 A simplified block diagram of an example communication device representing one possible implementation of an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that embodiments of this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this application. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0048] In the description of embodiments of this application, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple (or items)" can refer to two (or items) or more. Therefore, "multiple (or items)" can also be understood as "at least two (or items)" in this application. "At least one (or item)" refers to one (or item) or multiple (or items), and "multiple (or items)" refers to two (or items) or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, specifically three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / ", unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0050] For convenience, definitions of some terms used in this application are given below.

[0051] Target terminal: A target terminal refers to a terminal device to be located within an indoor space. A target terminal can provide measurement data for self-positioning by transmitting or reflecting signals. In indoor positioning systems based on AIoT positioning technology, the target terminal can be an AIoT device (e.g., an AIoT tag). In this case, the target terminal can also be referred to as a target tag.

[0052] Anchor Terminal: An anchor terminal refers to a terminal device located at a fixed position within an indoor space. An anchor terminal can provide measurement data for acquiring fingerprint information for positioning within the space by emitting or reflecting signals. In indoor positioning systems based on AIoT positioning technology, anchor terminals can employ AIoT devices (e.g., AIoT tags). In this case, the anchor terminal can also be referred to as an anchor tag or reference tag.

[0053] AIoT devices: AIoT devices (e.g., AIoT tags) are terminal devices that do not require built-in batteries. They can capture energy from the surrounding environment (such as radio waves, light, temperature differences, etc.) and transmit the collected information (e.g., measurement data) through backscatter communication technology.

[0054] Fingerprint information: Fingerprint information refers to a set of environmental signal characteristics that can be collected at a specific location in space and can uniquely characterize that location. These environmental signal characteristics are based on measurement data received from multiple anchor point terminals.

[0055] Fingerprint database: The fingerprint database is used to store multiple fingerprint information for comparison with the measurement data of the target terminal, thereby realizing the positioning of the target terminal.

[0056] Data synthesis device: A data synthesis device is a data synthesis module that can generate fingerprint information based on measurement data and configuration information by performing 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located.

[0057] AIoT functional entities: AIoT functional entities refer to network functional entities that locate targets within an indoor space.

[0058] In indoor positioning technology, since the Global Positioning System (GPS) is difficult to operate inside buildings, indoor positioning typically relies on various wireless communication and sensing methods. Regarding the technologies used, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, due to their widespread deployment, often achieve medium-precision positioning through signal strength or fingerprinting methods; Ultra-wideband (UWB) possesses high bandwidth and strong multipath resistance, achieving centimeter-level positioning through precise ranging and angle measurement; Radio frequency identification (RFID) primarily uses passive devices (e.g., passive tags) and is suitable for area identification and low-cost asset tracking; in addition, millimeter wave, magnetic field sensing, vision, and inertial sensing technologies also play a role in specific scenarios. In indoor positioning methods, RSSI estimates distance using signal strength variations, while Time of Arrival / Time Difference of Arrival (TOA / TDOA) relies on propagation time or time difference for high-precision ranging. AOA and phase difference methods estimate the signal incident angle using antenna arrays, fingerprinting achieves similarity-based positioning by constructing a signal feature database, and radio frequency (RF) holography and radio tomographic imaging (RTI) form spatial images by analyzing perturbations or fading patterns in the wireless field, thus enabling target detection and positioning without the need for worn devices. These technologies and methods, combined, provide diverse positioning capabilities for complex indoor environments, ranging from low cost to high precision, and from portable to passive sensing. Different technologies and methods have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of accuracy, cost, deployment difficulty, and environmental sensitivity. With the help of these technologies, indoor positioning has become a key foundational capability in many scenarios such as smart buildings, smart factories, hospital management, warehousing and logistics, and shopping mall navigation, supporting the realization of spatial digitization and intelligence.

[0059] AIoT is currently being introduced into cellular networks. AIoT constructs a maintenance-free, ubiquitous sensing network through environmental power acquisition and backscatter communication. It can utilize existing energy in the environment (such as radio frequency signals, light, and heat) to power AIoT devices (e.g., AIoT tags) and enable backscatter communication, achieving battery-free, extremely low-cost, and ultra-miniaturized IoT communication technology for AIoT devices. AIoT can provide trillions of low-cost IoT services and has already been, or will be, widely applied in fields such as logistics, warehousing, transportation, industry, agriculture, smart cities, and smart homes. Positioning is one of the important applications of AIoT and a common need across various industries, primarily focusing on the management and positioning of assets, materials, finished products, and personnel. The basic principle of AIoT positioning is to utilize the reflection characteristics of AIoT device signals, analyzing parameters such as signal strength, angle of arrival, and time difference of arrival to achieve positioning services.

[0060] The method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th-generation (5G) communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, or new communication systems emerging in future communication developments. Among these, IoT networks may include, but are not limited to, AIoT.

[0061] Methods for acquiring indoor positioning information can be applied to communication systems that include indoor communication devices. Communication systems can be, but are not limited to, ultra-wideband communication systems, 4G communication systems, 5G communication systems, or evolved communication systems beyond 5G. Indoor communication devices include indoor IoT devices, terminals, remote radio units, etc. IoT devices can be, but are not limited to, cameras, recording devices, and production equipment with sensors. Terminals can be, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, virtual reality devices, augmented reality devices, and in-vehicle computers.

[0062] In addition to indoor communication equipment, indoor positioning and communication systems can also include, but are not limited to, RAN, core network, or servers. Through these systems, the location of equipment and / or personnel can be viewed, enabling functions such as material dispatching, personnel stagnation alarms, emergency response personnel counts, safety index heat maps, electronic fence access management, and SOS alarms.

[0063] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a typical application scenario of an indoor positioning and communication system 100 is shown. For example... Figure 1 The positioning communication system 100 includes a target terminal 150, a first anchor terminal 120-1, a second anchor terminal 120-2, a third anchor terminal 120-3, a fourth anchor terminal 120-4, a first pico remote radio unit (pRRU) 130-1, a second pRRU 130-2, a RAN 140, a core network 115, and network function entities 110 located in the core network 115. The target terminal 150 can be a terminal device to be located in an indoor space. The target terminal 150 can include various handheld devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication capabilities, specifically user equipment (UE), access terminals, user units, mobile stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, terminals, or wireless communication devices. The target terminal 150 can also include, for example, AIoT devices (e.g., AIoT tags). The first anchor terminal 120-1, the second anchor terminal 120-2, the third anchor terminal 120-3, and the fourth anchor terminal 120-4, as AIoT devices fixed in indoor spaces, can be permanently installed to provide targeted signal reflection. On the other hand, the first pRRU 130-1 and the second pRRU 130-2, acting as indoor sub-base stations, can provide high-quality cellular network signal coverage indoors or in specific hotspot areas, offering high-speed data and voice services to active devices such as mobile phones and tablets. On the other hand, the first pRRU 130-1 and the second pRRU 130-2, acting as RAN readers, can also transmit a high-intensity, clean continuous wave carrier to provide power to the anchor terminal and the target terminal (e.g., the first anchor terminal 120-1, the second anchor terminal 120-2, the third anchor terminal 120-3, the fourth anchor terminal 120-4, and the target terminal 150), thereby causing the anchor terminal and the target terminal to reflect the wave signal and receive the reflected wave signal from the anchor terminal and the target terminal for, for example, location services. The first pRRU 130-1 and the second pRRU 130-2 can transmit various measurement data of the reflected wave signal to the network function entity 110 (e.g., the AIOT function entity, etc.) located in the core network 115 via the RAN 140.

[0064] Core network 115 primarily provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and accounting. Core network 115 can consist of multiple functional modules or network function entities 110, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. For example, the control plane may include network access functions, network exposure functions (NEF), and session management functions (SMF). The control plane may also include, for example, AIoT functions.

[0065] In the core network 115, AIoT functional entities typically employ fingerprinting for indoor positioning. The core idea is to first collect signal features from the environment at a known location and build a fingerprint database. Then, the device's location is inferred by comparing real-time features with the fingerprint database. The application is divided into two phases. In the offline phase, the system measures signal strength and other features at multiple reference points in space and stores these features along with their corresponding coordinates in a database, forming a spatial "signal map." In the online positioning phase, the user device collects current signal features in real time, and the system matches these features with feature vectors in the fingerprint database, using KNN, weighted matching, or machine learning models to estimate the most probable location.

[0066] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an indoor positioning and communication system 200 is shown. This positioning and communication system 200 employs the fingerprint method as described above. Specifically, in step 210, the AF entity sends a positioning request to the positioning system. In step 220, after receiving the positioning request, the positioning system initiates a measurement data request (target tag field strength, phase, etc.) to the RAN, and the RAN returns the measurement data (target tag field strength, phase, etc.) to the positioning system. In step 230, the positioning system uses the pRRU location information, map identifier (ID), anchor terminal information (fingerprint database), and target tag measurement data configured by the OM functional entity to calculate the target tag's position using the calculation algorithm configured by the OM functional entity and returns the positioning result to the AF entity. However, Figure 2 The positioning accuracy of the illustrated positioning communication system depends on the size and quality of the fingerprint database. However, building and maintaining such a database is labor-intensive, requiring the collection of signal features from numerous locations within a given space, resulting in high manual costs. Furthermore, this system is sensitive to environmental changes; the distribution of signal features is significantly affected by factors such as personnel movement, object position changes, and spatial layout adjustments. Environmental changes can cause the existing fingerprint database to become invalid, leading to a significant decrease in positioning accuracy. The location calculation algorithm used in this system is relatively simple, resulting in low positioning accuracy.

[0067] In summary, although AIoT positioning technology is currently a common requirement across various industries and is widely used in the management and positioning of assets, materials, finished products, and workers, the accuracy of AIoT positioning is easily affected by multipath reflection, obstruction, antenna directionality, and environmental changes. Positioning features such as RSSI and phase are prone to fluctuation. Existing AIoT positioning technology still has considerable room for improvement in terms of reliability, stability, and accuracy (currently supporting a positioning accuracy of 5-7 meters, which cannot meet the needs of most application scenarios).

[0068] In view of this, embodiments of this application propose a technical solution for improving AIoT positioning technology, such as an indoor positioning system and its communication method based on 3D modeling. This positioning system addresses the problems of large workload in fingerprint database construction, fingerprint database failure due to environmental changes, and low positioning accuracy due to simple matching models. In one aspect of this solution, the data synthesis device in the positioning system performs 3D modeling based on OM configuration information and measurement data to obtain (e.g., simulate) a three-dimensional model of a signal in space, and obtains sampling information at various locations in space by sampling this three-dimensional model of the signal, which is used as fingerprint information to facilitate more precise positioning of targets in space. In another aspect of this solution, the positioning module in the positioning system obtains measurement data from the wireless access network, obtains fingerprint information based on the sampling information of 3D modeling from the data synthesis, and performs precise positioning of the target terminal based on the measurement data and fingerprint information of the target terminal. Since the above technical solution utilizes 3D modeling based on measurement data and OM configuration information to obtain fingerprint information in space, it can obtain fingerprint information at more precise spatial dimensions and can save the cost of actually using a large number of AIoT tags for measurement. This is because the 3D modeling based on measurement data (e.g., signal field strength) can simulate signal parameter data at nearly continuous locations in space.

[0069] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a communication flow 300 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. Flow 300 relates to a first device 302 and a second device 304. In some embodiments, the first device may include or be implemented as a data synthesis device, and the second device may include or be implemented as an AIoT functional entity.

[0070] refer to Figure 3In step 310 of process 300, the first device 302 acquires measurement data and configuration information of anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located. In some embodiments, the target terminal may be a device to be located, including user equipment, handheld devices, wearable devices, or computing devices. In some embodiments, the target terminal may also be an AIoT device to be located, such as an AIoT tag to be located. In some embodiments, the anchor terminal may be an AIoT device located at a fixed position within the space, such as an AIoT tag. By setting anchor terminals at various fixed positions in the indoor space, measurement data at those fixed positions can be acquired, and combined with the configuration information of the anchor terminals, it is helpful to perform 3D modeling of the indoor space.

[0071] In some embodiments, the configuration information of the anchor terminal may include one or more of the following: the location information of the miniature radio remote unit (pRRU) associated with the anchor terminal, the map identification information associated with the anchor terminal, the 3D point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, the power of the anchor terminal, or the location of the anchor terminal. As those skilled in the art will understand, the configuration information of the anchor terminal may also include other possible configuration information. This configuration information helps to construct a spatial three-dimensional model, such as a 3D point cloud, within an indoor space for subsequent signal-based 3D modeling.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first device 302 can send a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to the OM functional entity, and receive the configuration information of the anchor terminal from the OM functional entity. Thus, the configuration information of the anchor terminal can be obtained from the OM functional entity.

[0073] In some embodiments, the measurement data of the anchor terminal may include one or more of the following: the field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, the time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, or the phase of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal. In some embodiments, the field strength may be, for example, the reference signal received power (RSRP), the reference signal received quality (RSRQ), etc. As those skilled in the art will understand, the measurement data of the anchor terminal may also include other possible measurement data.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first device 302 may receive a second request from the second device 304 for 3D modeling and sampling of the space, the second request including measurement data. Thus, the first device 302 can acquire the measurement data. That is, the second device 304 sends the anchor terminal's measurement data to the first device 302 simultaneously with the request for data synthesis and 3D modeling. This is because the first device 302 typically does not directly acquire the anchor terminal's measurement data from the RAN; instead, the second device 304 receives the anchor terminal's data from the RAN and forwards it to the first device 302. In some alternative embodiments, the second device 304 may send the measurement data to the first device 302 independently of the second request.

[0075] Continue to refer to Figure 3 At step 320 of process 300, the first device 302 generates fingerprint information by performing 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located, based on measurement data and configuration information.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first device 302 may perform 3D modeling and sampling based on a second request from the second device 304. In some embodiments, the first device 302 may construct a 3D model, thereby constructing a spatial wireless radiation field, based on the configuration information of the anchor terminal (e.g., pRRU location information, map ID, 3D point cloud, or other data) and the measurement data of the anchor terminal, through scene representation, projection model, and electromagnetic spraying. By sampling the spatial wireless radiation field, for example, based on point field values ​​(e.g., amplitude and phase) / spatial spectrum / channel state information (CSI) of sparsely sampled radiation field, spatial wireless channel information can be obtained and used as fingerprint information. In some embodiments, 3DGS technology may be used to perform this 3D modeling and sampling. It should be understood that other suitable 3D modeling and sampling techniques are also feasible.

[0077] In some embodiments, the fingerprint information obtained after 3D modeling and sampling may include one or more of the following: the field strength of the received signal at the sampling point in space, the time delay of the received signal at the sampling point in space, or the phase of the received signal at the sampling point in space. It is evident that the specific parameters of the fingerprint information are the same as those of the measurement data from the anchor terminal. This is because the 3D modeling of the space is based on the measurement data from the anchor terminal, and the sampling information of the sampling points after 3D modeling is used as the fingerprint information; its essential parameters are also the same as those of the initial measurement data. This fingerprint information is generated in real time through 3D modeling and sampling, and because it is generated based on 3D modeling and sampling, fingerprint information at finer dimensions within the space can be known, thereby enabling its use for more precise positioning requirements. It should be understood that other suitable fingerprint information is also feasible.

[0078] Continue to refer to Figure 3 In step 330 of process 300, the first device 302 sends fingerprint information to the second device 304 for target terminal positioning. Correspondingly, the second device 304 receives the fingerprint information from the first device 302. Thus, the second device 304 can perform positioning of the target terminal based on the fingerprint information and the target terminal's measurement data.

[0079] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a communication flow 400 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. Flow 400 relates to a second device 402 and a RAN 404. In some embodiments, the second device 402 may include or be implemented as an AIoT functional entity. In some embodiments, the second device 402 may also integrate a data synthesis device. That is, the second device 402 may be an AIoT functional entity integrated with a data synthesis device. In this case, the second device 402 simultaneously integrates data synthesis capabilities for 3D modeling and positioning capabilities for target localization. In some embodiments, the second device 402 may be deployed separately from the data synthesis device.

[0080] refer to Figure 4 At step 410 of process 400, the second device 402 receives measurement data from the target terminal from RAN 404. (See previous reference...) Figure 1 As shown, the second device 402 (for example, Figure 1 Network functional entity 110 in the RAN 404 (e.g.) can be accessed via RAN 404. Figure 1 RAN 140 in the middle) learns the target terminal in space (e.g., Figure 1 The second device 402 can measure the target terminal (150) in real time as the target terminal moves. In some embodiments, the measurement data is acquired as the target terminal moves. When the target terminal is located at a certain position in the indoor space, the second device 402 can determine the position of the target terminal based on the measurement data acquired from the target terminal at that position, that is, locate the target terminal.

[0081] Continue to refer to Figure 4 At step 420 of process 400, the second device 402 acquires fingerprint information. The fingerprint information is determined based on the measurement data of the anchor terminal in the space where the target terminal is located and the configuration information of the anchor terminal, through 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located.

[0082] In some embodiments, the second device 402 can be an AIOT functional entity and deployed separately from the data synthesis device; that is, the second device 402 is an AIOT functional entity without a data synthesis device. In this case, the second device 402 can send a second request to the data synthesis device for 3D modeling and sampling of the space. The second request includes measurement data from the anchor terminal, and then receives fingerprint information from the first device. It is worth noting that before receiving fingerprint information from the second device, the second device needs to send a second request to the first device for 3D modeling and sampling of the space so that the first device can initiate the execution of 3D modeling and sampling. The second request needs to include measurement data from the anchor terminal to facilitate the first device's execution of 3D modeling. The measurement data of the anchor terminal is obtained by the second device sending a third request for the measurement data of the anchor terminal to the RAN in advance, and receiving the measurement data of the anchor terminal from the RAN.

[0083] In some embodiments, the second device 402 can be an AIoT functional entity integrating a data synthesis device. In this case, the second device 402 can send a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to the OM functional entity, and receive the configuration information of the anchor terminal from the OM functional entity. In this case, the second device 402 can also send a third request for measurement data of the anchor terminal to the RAN, and receive the measurement data of the anchor terminal from the RAN. Having obtained the configuration information and measurement data of the anchor terminal, the second device 402 itself can generate fingerprint information based on the measurement data and configuration information by performing 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located.

[0084] In some embodiments, the configuration information of the anchor terminal may include one or more of the following: the location information of the miniature radio remote unit (pRRU) associated with the anchor terminal, the map identification information associated with the anchor terminal, the 3D point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, the power of the anchor terminal, or the location of the anchor terminal. It should be understood that other suitable configuration information is also possible.

[0085] In some embodiments, the measurement data of the anchor terminal may include one or more of the following: the field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, the time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, or the phase of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal. Similar to the measurement data of the anchor terminal, the fingerprint information includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the received signal at the sampling point in space, the time delay of the received signal at the sampling point in space, or the phase of the received signal at the sampling point in space. It should be understood that other suitable measurement data are also possible.

[0086] Continue to refer to Figure 4At step 430 of process 400, the second device 402 locates the target terminal based on fingerprint information and measurement data of the target terminal. In some embodiments, the second device 402 uses a suitable positioning model to locate the target terminal based on fingerprint information and measurement data of the target terminal. In some embodiments, the positioning model can be a multi-input positioning model, that is, the input parameters of the positioning model can be multiple different types of parameters, rather than just a single input parameter, thereby utilizing multiple input parameters to improve positioning accuracy. In some embodiments, the positioning model can be an AI-based positioning model, for example, the positioning model can be a transformer-based positioning model. The second device 402 performs positioning of the target terminal based on the measurement data and fingerprint information of the fixed terminal using a transformer-based positioning model, thereby maintaining high positioning accuracy in complex indoor environments.

[0087] In some embodiments, the second device 402 may receive a location request for a target terminal from the AF entity, and in response to the location request, locate the target in the indoor space using 3D modeling and sampling. In other words, the second device 402 may perform steps or operations 410 to 430 in response to receiving the location request.

[0088] In some embodiments, the second device 402 can set a cycle for 3D modeling and sampling. When the cycle for 3D modeling and sampling expires, the second device 402 can periodically start 3D modeling and sampling of the indoor space according to the cycle, so as to maintain the real-time nature of the space fingerprint database at regular intervals, thereby avoiding or reducing the impact caused by changes in the indoor space environment.

[0089] In some embodiments, the second device 402 can compare the measurement data of the anchor terminal with the anchor terminal's previous measurement data. If the deviation between the anchor terminal's measurement data and the anchor terminal's previous measurement data is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the second device 402 can initiate 3D modeling and sampling of the indoor space. This is because although periodically performing 3D modeling and sampling by setting a cycle can avoid or reduce the impact of changes in the indoor space environment to some extent, when the indoor environment changes too rapidly, positioning may still be performed based on an "outdated" fingerprint database. To avoid this situation, the anchor terminal's measurement data can be compared with the anchor terminal's previous measurement data to help determine whether the indoor environment has changed enough to affect positioning. When the deviation of the comparison result is greater than or equal to the first threshold, it means that the impact of the indoor environment change has been large enough to affect the positioning accuracy. In this case, the second device 402 can determine to perform 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located.

[0090] In some embodiments, the second device 402 can determine whether the positioning error rate is greater than or equal to a second threshold. When the positioning error rate is greater than or equal to the second threshold, that is, when the positioning result after execution has a large error with the actual position or when there are many positioning errors in multiple positioning results, the second device 402 can determine to perform 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located.

[0091] By initiating 3D modeling and sampling of the space under any of the above conditions, the impact of changes in the indoor spatial environment can be avoided or minimized as much as possible. Furthermore, in some positioning applications requiring higher precision, 3D modeling and sampling of the space is initiated each time the second device 402 receives a positioning request for the target terminal from the AF entity.

[0092] To facilitate understanding, the following will be combined with Figures 5 to 7 A more specific implementation of the above communication processes 300 and 400 is described below.

[0093] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an indoor positioning communication system 500 according to some embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 5 This can be viewed as an example of 3D modeling and sampling of indoor positioning and the positioning process according to embodiments of this application, from the perspective of a positioning communication system.

[0094] like Figure 5 As shown, in step 510, the AF entity sends a positioning request and a space radio channel update cycle to the positioning system.

[0095] In step 520, after receiving the positioning request, the positioning system sends a measurement data request (anchor terminal, target terminal field strength phase, etc.) to the RAN, and the RAN returns the measurement data (anchor terminal, target terminal field strength phase, etc.) to the positioning system.

[0096] In step 530, the channel update module of the positioning system compares the characteristics of the anchor terminal measurement signal in the measurement data with the characteristic offset of the corresponding point in the previously obtained spatial wireless channel information sampling (fingerprint database), determines whether the current spatial wireless channel information update cycle has been reached, and determines whether the current positioning error rate has reached the alarm threshold. If any of the above three conditions are met, the spatial wireless channel information is reconstructed and updated (the spatial wireless channel information reconstruction and update process is triggered before the first positioning to form the fingerprint database or when the above conditions are met during subsequent positioning). If the reconstruction and update of spatial wireless channel information is not required, proceed directly to step 550.

[0097] In step 540, the positioning system executes a reconstruction / update process. Specifically, the data synthesis device acquires anchor terminal measurement data and OM configuration information (configuration pRRU location information, map ID, 3D point cloud / other data that can be converted into 3D point cloud). The data synthesis device uses the above information to generate a wireless radiation field using the 3DGS method. The positioning system samples spatial wireless channel information from the wireless radiation field and returns the sampled information to the channel information update and positioning module to construct a fingerprint database.

[0098] At step 550, the channel information update and positioning module uses spatial wireless channel information sampling (fingerprint database) and target tag measurement data to perform position calculation using a calculation algorithm (e.g., a transformer-based positioning model) configured from the OM functional entity and returns the positioning result to the AF entity.

[0099] Based on whether the data synthesis device is independent of the AIoT functional entity, we can proceed from, for example... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The technical solutions of this application will be further discussed from the perspective of the first and second embodiments shown.

[0100] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the operation flow 600 of a positioning communication system according to a first embodiment of this application is shown. Flow 600 involves an AF 610, a NEF 620, a data synthesis module (i.e., a data synthesis device) 630, an AIOTF 640, an OM 650, and a RAN (or reader) 660. In the first embodiment, the data synthesis module is independent of the AIOTF. The first embodiment describes the process where, after the AF entity initiates a positioning request, the data synthesis device decides to reconstruct the wireless channel information using OM configuration information (e.g., pRRU location information, map ID, 3D point cloud / other forms of data that can be converted into 3D point cloud) based on changes in anchor point data characteristics, and the AITOF completes the position calculation based on the spatial wireless channel information and measurement data.

[0101] like Figure 6 As shown, at step 601, the AIOTF 640, in conjunction with the NEF 620 and RAN 660, completes the registration process. In some embodiments, the RAN 660 can be a RAN reader. In some embodiments, the RAN 660 can be a RAN node communicating with the UE reader.

[0102] At step 602-1, AF 610 sends a location request to NEF 620. In some embodiments, the location request includes a spatial radio channel update period. It should be understood that the location request may also include other suitable information. At step 602-2, NEF 620 pushes the location request to AIOTF 640.

[0103] At step 603-1, AIOTF 640 performs a validity check on the location request and returns a push response to NEF 620. At step 603-2, NEF 620 returns a request response to AF 610.

[0104] At step 604-1, AIOTF 640 sends a measurement request to the corresponding RAN 660. In some embodiments, this measurement request may request the collection of measurement data from the target terminal and the anchor terminal. At step 604-2, RAN 660 returns measurement data (e.g., RSRP, phase, etc. of the reflected signals from the anchor terminal and the target terminal received by the receiver) to AIOTF 640.

[0105] At step 605-1, the AIOTF 640 decides whether to update / reconstruct the spatial radio channel information. In some embodiments, this decision is primarily based on one or more of the following: periodic routine updates; a significant shift in the anchor terminal's measured signal characteristics compared to the last measurement; or the feedback error rate reaching an update alarm value. When any one or more of the above three conditions occur, the AIOTF 640 determines to update / reconstruct the spatial radio channel information and may request OM configuration information for radiation field update / reconstruction.

[0106] In step 605-2, AIOTF 640 sends anchor terminal measurement data and a spatial radio channel information update / reconstruction request to data synthesis module 630. In step 605-3, after receiving the spatial radio channel information update / reconstruction request, data synthesis module 630 requests OM configuration information from OM 650. In step 605-4, OM 650 returns the OM configuration information. In some embodiments, this configuration information may include one or more of the following: configured pRRU location information, map ID, 3D point cloud, or other data that can be converted into 3D point cloud.

[0107] At step 606, the data synthesis module 630 uses measurement data and pRRU location information, map ID, 3D point cloud, or other data that can be converted into 3D point cloud configured by OM 650 to construct spatial wireless channel information and samples it (e.g., point field values ​​(amplitude and phase) / spatial spectrum / CSI based on sparse sampling of the radiation field) and returns it to AIOTF 640. In some embodiments, constructing spatial wireless channel information may include the following steps: scene representation, projection model, and electromagnetic spraying. In some embodiments, electromagnetic spraying may employ 3DGS technology. It is worth noting that the wireless channel information update / reconstruction process of steps 605-2 to 606 is only executed if AIOTF 640 determines to update / reconstruct the spatial wireless channel information at step 605-1.

[0108] At step 607, the AIOTF 640 completes tag location calculation based on measurement data and spatial wireless channel information. In some embodiments, tag location calculation can be performed based on a transformer-based positioning model. This allows for multi-parameter input and improves positioning accuracy in complex indoor environments.

[0109] At step 608, AIOTF 640 sends the location result to AF 610.

[0110] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the operation flow 700 of a positioning communication system according to a second embodiment of this application is shown. Flow 700 involves AF 710, NEF 720, AIOTF 730, OM 740, and RAN (or reader) 750. In this embodiment, the data synthesis device (i.e., the data synthesis module) is integrated into the AIOTF.

[0111] like Figure 7 As shown, the second embodiment describes the process by which, after the AF 710 initiates a positioning request, the AIOTF 730 decides to reconstruct the wireless channel information using OM configuration information (e.g., pRRU location information, map ID, 3D point cloud, or other data that can be converted into 3D point cloud) based on changes in anchor point data characteristics, and completes the location calculation based on the spatial wireless channel information and measurement data. The significant difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that, in the second embodiment, the AIOTF 730 itself can reconstruct the wireless channel information using OM configuration information. This is because, in the second embodiment, the AIOTF 730 integrates a data synthesis device.

[0112] At step 701, the AIOTF 730, in conjunction with the NEF 720 and RAN (or reader) 750, completes the registration process. In some embodiments, the RAN 750 may be a RAN reader. In some embodiments, the RAN 750 may be a RAN node communicating with the UE reader.

[0113] At step 702-1, AF 710 sends a location request to NEF 720. In some embodiments, the location request includes a space radio channel update period. It should be understood that the location request may also include other suitable information. At step 702-2, NEF entity 720 pushes the location request and space radio channel update period to AIOTF 730.

[0114] At step 703-1, AIOTF 730 performs a validity check on the location request and returns a push response to NEF 720. At step 703-2, NEF 720 returns a request response to AF 710.

[0115] At step 704-1, AIOTF 730 sends a measurement request to the corresponding RAN 750. In some embodiments, this measurement request may request the collection of measurement data from the target terminal and the anchor terminal. At step 704-2, RAN 750 returns measurement data (e.g., RSRP, phase, etc. of the reflected signals from the anchor terminal and the target terminal received by the receiver) to AIOTF 730.

[0116] At step 705-1, the channel information update and positioning module in AIOTF 730 decides whether to update / reconstruct the spatial radio channel information. In some embodiments, this decision is primarily based on one or more of the following: periodic routine updates; a significant shift in the measured signal characteristics of the anchor terminal compared to the last measurement; or the feedback error rate reaching the update alarm value. When any one or more of the above three conditions occur, the channel information update and positioning module in AIOTF 730 determines to update / reconstruct the spatial radio channel information and may request OM configuration information for radiation field update / reconstruction. At step 705-2, AIOTF 730 requests OM configuration information from OM functional entity 740. At step 705-3, OM functional entity 740 returns configuration information, which may include configuration of pRRU location information, map ID, 3D point cloud / other data that can be converted into 3D point cloud.

[0117] At step 706, the data synthesis device in AIOTF 730 uses the measurement data returned by the RAN reader and the pRRU location information, map ID, and 3D point cloud / other data that can be converted into 3D point cloud configured by the OM functional entity 740 to construct spatial radio channel information and samples it (point field values ​​(amplitude and phase) / spatial spectrum / CSI based on sparse sampling of the radiation field) and returns it to the channel information update and positioning module. In some embodiments, constructing spatial radio channel information may include the following steps: scene representation, projection model, and electromagnetic spraying. In some embodiments, electromagnetic spraying may employ 3DGS technology. It is worth noting that the radio channel information update / reconstruction process of steps 705-2 to 706 is only executed if the channel information update and positioning module in AIOTF 730 determines to update / reconstruct the spatial radio channel information at step 705-1.

[0118] In step 707, the channel information update and positioning module in the AIOTF 730 completes the tag location calculation based on measurement data and spatial wireless channel information sampling. In some embodiments, the tag location calculation can be based on a transformer positioning model. This allows for multi-parameter input and improves positioning accuracy in complex indoor environments.

[0119] At step 708, AIOTF 730 sends the positioning results to AF 710.

[0120] As discussed above, in the indoor positioning system, the technical solution of this application uses 3D point cloud / other data that can be converted into 3D point cloud as input and utilizes 3DGS technology to update / construct the wireless radiation field online. The update / construction of the wireless radiation field is determined based on the set update cycle, anchor point information changes, and feedback error rate. Furthermore, a position calculation model based on a transformer architecture uses simulated spatial channel information and measurement channel data as input. By using AIoT tags as anchor terminals to collect measurement data, the positioning of massive amounts of objects can be achieved at low cost. The 3DGS-based wireless radiation field reconstruction technology enables accurate online construction and updating of the indoor wireless radiation field, avoiding the influence of environmental changes. Combining radiation field information with measurement information of the target terminal and using a transformer-based positioning model to perform positioning can maintain high positioning accuracy in complex indoor environments.

[0121] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 800 according to some embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 8 As shown, one example of the communication device 800 includes a transceiver module 801, and another example includes a processing module 802. Optionally, the physical manifestation of the communication device 800 can be, for example, a data synthesis device in the core network, a network function entity in the core network, or a RAN device. Alternatively, the communication device 800 can be other devices that implement the functions of a communication device, such as a processor or chip inside the communication device.

[0122] According to a first aspect of this application, the communication device 800 can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 The communication system shown can implement the method provided in the embodiment of process 300 above. The communication device 800 can be used to implement the first device 302. The processing module 802 is configured to acquire measurement data and configuration information of anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located, and, based on the measurement data and configuration information, generate fingerprint information by performing three-dimensional 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located. The transceiver module 801 is configured to send the fingerprint information to the second device for target terminal positioning.

[0123] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver module 801 may be configured to send a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to the OM functional entity, and to receive configuration information of the anchor terminal from the OM functional entity.

[0124] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver module 801 may be configured to receive from the second device a second request for 3D modeling and sampling of space, the second request including measurement data.

[0125] In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information includes one or more of the following: pRRU location information associated with the anchor terminal, map identification information associated with the anchor terminal, 3D point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, power of the anchor terminal, or location of the anchor terminal.

[0126] In some exemplary embodiments, the measurement data includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, the time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, or the phase of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal.

[0127] In some exemplary embodiments, the fingerprint information includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the received signal at the sampling point in space, the time delay of the received signal at the sampling point in space, or the phase of the received signal at the sampling point in space.

[0128] In some exemplary embodiments, the anchor terminal includes an AIoT device, and the target terminal includes a user device or an AIoT device.

[0129] In some exemplary embodiments, the communication device 800 includes a data synthesis device, and the second device includes an AIOT functional entity.

[0130] According to a second aspect of this application, the communication device 800 can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 The communication system shown can implement the method provided in the embodiment of process 400 above. The communication device 800 can be used to implement the second device 402. The transceiver module 801 is configured to receive measurement data from the target terminal from the RAN. The processing module 802 is configured to acquire fingerprint information, which is determined based on the measurement data of anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located and the configuration information of the anchor terminals, through three-dimensional 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located. The processing module 802 is also configured to locate the target terminal based on the fingerprint information and the measurement data of the target terminal.

[0131] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver module 801 may be configured to receive a location request for a target terminal from an AF entity.

[0132] In some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information includes one or more of the following: pRRU location information associated with the anchor terminal, map identification information associated with the anchor terminal, 3D point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, power of the anchor terminal, or location of the anchor terminal.

[0133] In some exemplary embodiments, the measurement data of the anchor terminal includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, the time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal, or the phase of the reflected signal from the anchor terminal.

[0134] In some exemplary embodiments, the fingerprint information includes one or more of the following: the field strength of the received signal at the sampling point in space, the time delay of the received signal at the sampling point in space, or the phase of the received signal at the sampling point in space.

[0135] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver module 801 may be configured to send a third request for measurement data of the anchor terminal to the RAN, and to receive measurement data of the anchor terminal from the RAN.

[0136] In some exemplary embodiments, the processing module 802 may be configured to determine 3D modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located based on at least one of the following: the 3D modeling and sampling period expires, the deviation between the measurement data of the anchor terminal and the previous measurement data of the anchor terminal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, or the positioning error rate is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0137] In some exemplary embodiments, the anchor terminal includes an AIoT device, and the target terminal includes a user device or an AIoT device.

[0138] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver module 801 may be configured to send a second request to the first device for 3D modeling and sampling of the space, the second request including measurement data from the anchor terminal.

[0139] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver module 801 may be configured to receive fingerprint information from the first device.

[0140] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device includes a data synthesis device, and the communication device 800 includes an AIOT functional entity.

[0141] In some exemplary embodiments, the transceiver module 801 may be configured to send a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to the OM functional entity, and to receive configuration information of the anchor terminal from the OM functional entity.

[0142] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device includes an AIOT functional entity, and the AIOT functional entity integrates a data synthesis device.

[0143] It should be noted that the module division in the above embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, exist as separate physical units, or be integrated into one unit. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0144] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, or all or part of it, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0145] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 900 that can be used to implement some embodiments of this application. Figure 9 The communication device 900 shown includes a processor 910 and a transceiver 920. Optionally, the processor 910 and the transceiver 920 can be interconnected via a bus 930. The communication device 900 can be a RAN device, a module in the core network for supporting network function entities, or a network function entity in the core network.

[0146] Optionally, the communication device 900 may also include a memory 940. The memory 940 may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), which is used to store related instructions and data.

[0147] The processor 910 is coupled to the memory 940 and is used to execute instructions stored in the memory 940 to control the transceiver 920 to transmit and / or receive signals.

[0148] It should be understood that the processor 910 and memory 940 can be combined into a single processing device. When the communication device 900 is running, the processor 910 executes the computer instructions stored in the memory 940 to achieve the aforementioned functions. In specific implementations, the memory 940 can be integrated into the processor 910 or independent of the processor 910. It should also be understood that the processor 910 can correspond to the various processing units in the aforementioned communication device, and the transceiver 920 can correspond to the various receiving and transmitting units in the aforementioned communication device.

[0149] It should also be understood that transceiver 920 may include a receiver (or receiver unit) and a transmitter (or transmitter unit). The transceiver may further include antennas, and the number of antennas may be one or more. The transceiver may also be a communication interface or interface circuitry.

[0150] When the communication device 900 is a chip, the chip includes an interface unit and a processing unit. The interface unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit can be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip.

[0151] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0152] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied as execution by a hardware decoding processor, or as execution by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory; the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0153] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0154] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a computer, the computer program causes the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the above embodiments. The storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium used to carry or store desired program code having the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer.

[0155] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a chip for reading a computer program stored in a memory and implementing any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0156] Based on the above embodiments, this application provides a chip system including a processor for supporting a computer device in implementing the functions involved in the communication devices in the above embodiments. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing necessary programs and data of the computer device. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0157] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0158] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0159] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0160] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

Claims

1. A communication method, executed at a first device, characterized in that, The communication method includes: Acquire measurement data of anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located and configuration information of the anchor terminals; Based on the measurement data and the configuration information, fingerprint information is generated by performing three-dimensional modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located; and The fingerprint information is sent to the second device for target terminal positioning.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Send a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to the operation and maintenance function entity, and The configuration information of the anchor terminal is received from the operation and maintenance function entity.

3. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The communication method further includes: The second device receives a second request for modeling and sampling the space, the second request including the measurement data.

4. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The configuration information includes one or more of the following: Location information of the miniature radio frequency remote module associated with the anchor terminal. The map identification information associated with the anchor point terminal, The three-dimensional point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, The power of the anchor point terminal, or The location of the anchor point terminal.

5. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The measurement data includes one or more of the following: The field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal, The time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal, or The phase of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal.

6. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fingerprint information includes one or more of the following: The field strength of the received signal at the sampling points in the space. The time delay of the received signal at the sampling points in the space, or The phase of the received signal at the sampling point in the space.

7. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The anchor terminal includes an environmental IoT device, and the target terminal includes a user device or an environmental IoT device.

8. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first device includes a data synthesis device, and the second device includes an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) functional entity.

9. A communication method, performed at a second device, characterized in that, The communication method includes: Receive measurement data from the target terminal from the wireless access network; Fingerprint information is acquired, which is determined based on measurement data from anchor terminals within the space where the target terminal is located and the configuration information of the anchor terminals, through three-dimensional modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located; and Based on the fingerprint information and the measurement data of the target terminal, the target terminal is located.

10. The communication method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Receive a location request for the target terminal from the application function entity.

11. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The configuration information includes one or more of the following: Location information of the miniature radio frequency remote module associated with the anchor terminal. The map identification information associated with the anchor point terminal, The three-dimensional point cloud data associated with the anchor terminal, The power of the anchor point terminal, or The location of the anchor point terminal.

12. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The measurement data of the anchor point terminal includes one or more of the following: The field strength of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal, The time delay of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal, or The phase of the reflected signal from the anchor point terminal.

13. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The fingerprint information includes one or more of the following: The field strength of the received signal at the sampling points in the space. The time delay of the received signal at the sampling points in the space, or The phase of the received signal at the sampling point in the space.

14. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Send a third request to the wireless access network for measurement data of the anchor terminal, and Receive measurement data from the anchor terminal from the wireless access network.

15. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The communication method further includes: determining the three-dimensional modeling and sampling of the space where the target terminal is located based on at least one of the following: The three-dimensional modeling and sampling cycle has expired. The deviation between the measurement data of the anchor terminal and the previous measurement data of the anchor terminal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, or The location error rate is greater than or equal to the second threshold.

16. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The anchor terminal includes an environmental IoT device, and the target terminal includes a user device or an environmental IoT device.

17. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The communication method further includes: A second request is sent to the first device for three-dimensional modeling and sampling of the space, the second request including measurement data from the anchor point terminal.

18. The communication method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The acquisition of fingerprint information includes: Receive the fingerprint information from the first device.

19. The communication method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first device includes a data synthesis device, and the second device includes an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) functional entity.

20. The communication method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The communication method further includes: Send a first request for configuration information of the anchor terminal to the operation and maintenance function entity, and The configuration information of the anchor terminal is received from the operation and maintenance function entity.

21. The communication method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The second device includes an environmental IoT functional entity, and the environmental IoT functional entity integrates a data synthesis device.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: A unit or module for performing the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, for performing the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 19, or for performing the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 16, 20 to 21.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: The processor is configured to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 19, or to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 16, 20 to 21.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, any one of claims 9 to 19, or any one of claims 9 to 16, 20 to 21 to be performed.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, any one of claims 9 to 19, or any one of claims 9 to 16, 20 to 21 to be executed.

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