Integrated sensing and communication mode switching

Abstract

Various example embodiments relate to devices, methods, apparatus, and computer readable media for integrated sensing and communication mode switching between monostatic and bistatic modes. Sensing functional entities may be introduced to manage sensing services and trigger the sensing mode switching. The sensing functional entity may be configured to: receive, from a first device, a first signal quality report indicative of a first quality of an echo signal received at the first device, the first device configured to transmit a sensing signal, at least a portion of the sensing signal being reflected by an object to generate the echo signal; receiving, from a second device, a second signal quality report indicating a second quality of an echo signal received at the second device; and comparing the first mass with the second mass to determine whether to switch a working mode for sensing the object.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The various example embodiments described herein generally relate to communication technology, and more particularly, to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) mode switching. BACKGROUND

[0002] Certain abbreviations that can be found in the specification and / or the attached drawings include the following:

[0003] CPE Customer premises equipment

[0004] CSI-RS Channel state information reference signal

[0005] DMRS Data demodulation reference signal

[0006] ERP Effective radiated power

[0007] ISAC Integrated sensing and communication

[0008] KPI Key performance indicator

[0009] LMF Location management function

[0010] PRS Positioning reference signal

[0011] PSS Primary synchronization signal

[0012] PT-RS Phase tracking reference signal

[0013] RRC Radio resource control

[0014] RS Reference signal

[0015] RSSI Reference signal strength indication

[0016] RSRP Reference signal received power

[0017] SF Sensing function

[0018] SINR Signal to interference plus noise ratio

[0019] SSS Secondary synchronization signal

[0020] TRS Tracking reference signal

[0021] UE User equipment

[0022] Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is emerging as a key feature for 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and 6G radio access networks (RANs). It involves integrating communication and sensing functions into a single system to enable efficient sharing of resources such as frequency bands and hardware, allowing the utilization of dense cellular infrastructure to build a sensing network. ISAC is expected to be used for a wide range of applications including, for example, intelligent transportation, autonomous / driving-assisted driving, drone monitoring, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), 3D map reconstruction, smart city, smart home, factory, public safety, healthcare, environmental monitoring, etc. SUMMARY

[0023] A brief summary of each of the illustrative embodiments is provided below to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various embodiments. It should be noted that this summary is not intended to identify key features or essential elements of the basic elements, nor is it intended to define the scope of the embodiments, and its sole purpose is to introduce some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

[0024] In a first aspect, example embodiments of a sensing function entity are provided. The sensing function entity can include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the sensing function entity to at least: receive, from a first device, a first signal quality report indicating a first quality of a back echo signal received at the first device, the first device configured to transmit a sensing signal, at least a portion of the sensing signal reflected by an object to generate the back echo signal; receive, from a second device, a second signal quality report indicating a second quality of the back echo signal received at the second device; and compare the first quality to the second quality to determine whether to switch a mode of operation for sensing the object.

[0025] In a second aspect, example embodiments of a sensing function entity are provided. The sensing function entity can comprise at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the sensing function entity to at least: receive a sensing measurement report from a first device in a case that the first device is configured to transmit a sensing signal and receive an echo signal to sense an object in a monostatic mode, or receive the sensing measurement report from a second device in a case that the first device is configured to transmit the sensing signal and the second device is configured to receive the echo signal to sense the object in a bistatic mode; estimate a position of the object based on the received sensing measurement report; calculate a first distance between the first device and the object and a second distance between the object and the second device based on the estimated position of the object; and determine whether to switch a working mode for sensing the object based on at least one of a comparison between the first distance and the second distance, and environmental information related to the object.

[0026] In a third aspect, example embodiments of a first device are provided. The first device can comprise at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: transmit a sensing signal for sensing an object; receive an echo signal reflected by the object; and report a quality of the received echo signal to a sensing function.

[0027] In a fourth aspect, example embodiments of a second device are provided. The second device can comprise at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to at least: receive an echo signal generated from an object that reflects at least a portion of a sensing signal transmitted from a first device; and report a quality of the received echo signal to a sensing function.

[0028] Example embodiments of methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are also provided. Such example embodiments generally correspond to the example embodiments described above, and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted here for the sake of brevity.

[0029] Other features and advantages of the example embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description of specific embodiments thereof, taken together with the appended drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the example embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Some example embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1Aand 1B is a diagram illustrating a typical mode of operation for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC).

[0032] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example application scenario for ISAC in which example embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0033] Figure 3 is a graph illustrating simulation results of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of a communication / sensing signal as a function of distance between a base station and a user equipment (UE) / sensing object.

[0034] Figure 4 is a message flow diagram illustrating a procedure according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 5 is a message flow diagram illustrating a procedure according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method implemented at a sensing function according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method implemented at a sensing function according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method implemented at a first device according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a method implemented at a second device according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a device according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 11 is a block diagram of a device according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 12 is a block diagram of a device according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 13 is a block diagram of a device according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 14 is a block diagram of devices in a communication system according to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] Throughout the drawings, identical or similar reference numerals can designate identical or similar elements throughout the several views. Repeated description of identical or similar elements can be omitted. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description includes specific details intended to provide a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, well-known circuits, technologies, and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the described concepts and features.

[0047] With the widespread deployment of communication infrastructure such as 5G base stations, Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) has become a hot topic in recent years because wireless communication networks have inherent wireless sensing capabilities. Base stations and terminals can transmit wireless signals to a target area or object and analyze the echo signals reflected from the object to obtain sensing measurement information. Integrating communication and sensing functions into a single system offers several benefits, including improved spectral efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced performance.

[0048] Currently, the convergence of communication and sensing is still in its early stages of development, focusing on exploring the integration of communication and sensing functions based on 5G network architecture and enhanced air interface design. It involves utilizing the characteristics of wireless channels to obtain sufficient environmental information and realize basic sensing applications. Two typical operating modes of ISAC exist for different applications and scenarios: monostatic mode and bistatic mode. Monostatic mode refers to a system where the transmitter and receiver are located at the same location or very close to the object being sensed. The transmitter emits a sensing signal, which is then reflected by the object and received by the receiver. This is the sensing principle commonly used in radar systems. Figure 1A A monostatic mode was presented, in which the first device 110 transmits a sensing signal and receives an echo signal reflected from the sensing object 10. Although Figure 1A Not shown, but the first device 110 includes a transmitter module for transmitting sensing signals and a receiver module for receiving echo signals. The transmitter module and the receiver module may reuse the same antenna or antenna array. On the other hand, the bistatic mode refers to a system where the transmitter and receiver are located in different locations. Figure 1B A bistatic mode is presented, in which a first device 110 emits a sensing signal, which is then reflected by the sensing object 10 and received at a second device 120. Bistatic mode is typically used in remote sensing applications.

[0049] It should be understood that Figure 1A and Figure 1BEach of the first device 110 and the second device 120 shown in the middle can be implemented as a radio access network device such as a base station, or a terminal device also known as a user equipment (UE). The base station can include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation eNB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), or a hyper 5G base station. The base station can be embodied as a macro base station, a relay node, or a low power node such as a pico base station or a femto base station. The terminal device or UE can include a customer premises equipment (CPE), a mobile phone, a mobile terminal, a mobile station, a subscriber station, a portable subscriber station, an access terminal, a computer, a wearable device, a vehicle mounted communication device, a machine type communication (MTC) device, a device to device (D2D) communication device, a vehicle to everything (V2X) communication device, and a sensor, etc.

[0050] Currently, there are only fixed working modes (i.e., single base and double base modes) for different scenarios, and the ability to adapt to changing sensing requirements during the sensing process is limited. There is currently no mechanism to switch between single base mode and double base mode during a sensing service. In scenarios where sensing requirements change over time, such as in a mobile sensing environment, this limitation can result in reduced sensing accuracy and coverage. Figure 2 A mobile sensing scenario example in a smart factory is shown, in which automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are used for various tasks such as transportation and delivery of heavy or dangerous materials. Accurate and continuous sensing of the AGV’s position is crucial to prevent the AGV from colliding with static and dynamic obstacles. As shown, Figure 2 As shown, a first device 110 is deployed in the factory, which is implemented as a base station with both transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx) capabilities; and a second device 120 is deployed at a distance from the first device 110, which is implemented as a customer premises equipment (CPE) with at least reception (Rx) capability, which is usually hung at a certain height.

[0051] When AGV 10 is at position A near the first device 110, the first device 110 can operate in the monostatic mode to transmit a sensing signal and receive a backscatter signal reflected from AGV 10 to estimate the position of AGV 10. The estimated position of AGV 10 can be a position coordinate or a region. The first device 110 needs to track the moving position or region based on the mobility of AGV 10. When AGV 10 moves from position A to position B away from the first device 110 but close to the second device 120, the backscatter signal received at the first device 110 becomes weaker due to the increased distance and various environmental variables such as obstacles between AGV 10 and the first device 110, resulting in a degraded sensing accuracy. On the other hand, the second device 120 is now in a better position to receive the backscatter signal as it is close to AGV 10 at position B. There is a need to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode in order to maintain good sensing performance under changing conditions.

[0052] Several sensing key performance indicators (KPIs) have been proposed to evaluate the sensing performance related to accuracy, resolution, missed detection, etc. Ensuring that the sensing performance meets the KPIs is a major challenge involving maintaining the quality of the backscatter signal under both monostatic and bistatic modes. Figure 3 Simulation results of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the communication / sensing signal as a function of the distance between the base station and the UE / sensing object are presented. According to the Friis propagation equation, the backscatter signal experiences a fading from R 2 for one-way communication to R 4 for round-trip sensing, where R is the distance from the base station to the UE or to the sensing object. The simulation environment is set to a 10 MHz bandwidth at 3.5 GHz. As shown in Figure 3 , when the SINR threshold is set to -5 dB, the coverage of one cell decreases from 342 m for communication to 49 m for sensing, or from 607 m for communication to 66 m for sensing when the SINR threshold is set to -10 dB.

[0053] From the simulation results, it can be seen that a single base station operating in monostatic sensing mode can not be suitable to meet the coverage requirement of an ISAC system due to the difference in the received signal power and coverage characteristics between communication and sensing users. This means that the receiver can not be within the sensing range when the sensing backscatter signal is weak. On the other hand, using the bistatic mode does not solve the problem, especially when the sensing object is mobile. As Figure 2As shown, the dual-base mode can have better performance when the AGV 10 is at position B close to the second device 120, while the single-base mode can be more efficient when the AGV 10 is at position A close to the first device 110. In practice, it is impractical to change the position of the first device 110 and / or the second device 120 to track the movement of the object and ensure the preferred sensing KPI.

[0054] One challenge is to optimize the sensing performance while utilizing a limited number of equipped devices. Deploying a high density of single-base devices such as base stations can provide excellent coverage, but it can be costly and impractical. A more feasible solution is to utilize user devices such as CPEs for sensing. Since the positions of base stations and CPEs are fixed, while the sensing object is moving, seamless switching between single-base mode and dual-base mode is needed to maintain good sensing performance and ensure the continuity of the sensing process. The lack of switching mechanism and implementation poses a significant obstacle in achieving the preferred sensing performance with available resources.

[0055] The example embodiments of the present disclosure propose a mechanism to determine the sensing operating mode and the corresponding sensing measurement configuration, which can support dynamic switching between single-base and dual-base modes during the sensing process, providing higher reliability, flexibility and adaptability. The mechanism is able to switch to the mode that provides better performance by evaluating the echo signal quality in both modes. It significantly ensures the sensing performance in complex and dynamic scenarios where the sensing object is moving and needs to be tracked.

[0056] In example embodiments, a sensing function (SF), also referred to as a sensing management function (SeMF), is introduced as a new network function to manage the sensing operations. The proposed sensing function is expected to be knowledgeable of the sensing requirements and be able to manage the overall coordination and scheduling resources needed for the sensing operations. It can be responsible for at least one of the following: sensing service authorization involved in the UE, zone, environmental privacy check; sensing method selection and configuration of sensing nodes (e.g., sensing transmitters, sensing receivers); measurement data collection, processing and transmission of sensing results / output.

[0057] In example embodiments, the sensing function can serve as a functional entity of the core network for sensing management. For example, it can interact with the access and mobility management function (AMF) to coordinate the sensing function. In other example embodiments, the sensing function can serve as a functional entity of a sensing management component at the network edge, a radio access network device such as a base station, a functional entity of a location management function (LMF), a functional entity of an AMF, or a functional entity of a session management function (SMF). In example embodiments, the sensing function can be located at a network node (e.g., a base station, an LMF, an AMF or an SMF) or a terminal device.

[0058] Figure 4 is a message flow diagram illustrating a procedure according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The procedure can be performed at the first device 110, the second device 120, and the sensing function (SF) 130. In an example embodiment, the first device 110, the second device 120, and the sensing function 130 can each include a plurality of means, modules, or elements for performing operations in the procedure. The means, modules, and elements can be implemented in various ways including, but not limited to, for example, software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0059] At the beginning of the procedure, the sensing function 130 can configure the first device 110 and the second device 120 to sense the object 10 in a region of interest (e.g., a factory region, an industrial zone, a parking lot, etc.) at 210. The sensing function 130 can configure the first device 110 to perform sensing operations in a single-base mode, or configure the first device 100 and the second device 120 to perform sensing operations in a double-base mode. For ease of description, it is assumed that the first device 110 operates to transmit sensing signals to the sensing region, and the first device 110 (in the single-base mode) or the second device 120 (in the double-base mode) operates to receive echo signals reflected by the sensing object 10.

[0060] The sensing function 130 can trigger the mode switching mechanism by requesting the first device 110 and the second device 120 to periodically report echo signal quality. For example, the sensing function 130 can request the first device 110 to report echo signal quality at a predetermined or specified frequency τ1 at 212a, and request the second device 120 to report echo signal quality at the frequency τ1 at 212b, regardless of whether the first device 110 and the second device 110 are configured to receive echo signals for sensing purposes at 210. The frequency τ1 can be determined in consideration of sensing requirements, power consumption, object moving speed, and environmental variables. In an example embodiment, the sensing function 130 can request the first device 110 and the second device 110 to report echo signal quality during the step 210 in which the sensing function 130 configures the first device 110 and the second device 120 for sensing operations.

[0061] In an example embodiment, the first device 110 can report a reference signal (RS) configuration for sensing signals to the sensing function 130 at 214. The sensing RS can be selected from, for example, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a data demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a tracking reference signal (TRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS), or a positioning reference signal (PRS) with a dedicated or specific configuration, or it can be a communication data. The RS configuration can indicate the time / frequency resources for transmitting the sensing RS. The sensing function 130 can receive the sensing RS configuration from more than one first device 110.

[0062] At 216, if the second device 120 is configured to sense the object 10 in a bistatic mode, the sensing function 130 can share the sensing RS configuration with the second device 210 to ensure that the second device 210 can receive the echo signals for the mode switching mechanism and sensing purposes.

[0063] If the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in a monostatic mode, the sensing function 130 can transmit sensing assistance information to the first device 110 at 218. The sensing assistance information can indicate the sensing region of interest to ensure that the first device 110 has prior knowledge of the object's location. The sensing function 130 can obtain / update the sensing region of interest information from the last sensing cycle (i.e., steps 226 / 240 discussed below). Since the sensing function 130 receives real-time location information of the sensing object 10, it can help the first device 110 to allocate the beam in the direction of the sensing object, thus improving the sensing quality and accuracy of the system.

[0064] At 220, the first device 110 can transmit the sensing signal to the object 10. In an example embodiment, the first device 110 can have prior knowledge of the object's location received at 218 and be able to transmit the sensing signal to the prior object's location. In another example embodiment, the first device 110 can perform an omnidirectional beam sweeping procedure to allocate the appropriate beam for the object 10.

[0065] The first device 110 can receive the echo signals reflected by the sensing object 10 at 222, and the second device 120 can receive the echo signals at 224. The first device 110 can process the echo signals to obtain sensing measurement information for position estimation of the object 10. The sensing measurement information can include frequency / time domain channel state information of the received echo signals, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. In an example embodiment, the first device 110 can also run ISAC algorithms on the sensing measurement information to obtain relevant information of the object, such as position or area, velocity, pose, and moving range. The first device 110 can also measure the echo signal quality by analyzing the relevant information associated with the echo signals. This information can include parameters that provide observations of the strength, clarity, and reliability of the signals. In an example embodiment, the echo signal quality can be measured as signal strength level, effective radiated power (ERP), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), or received signal strength indicator (RSSI). Since the second device is not configured to sense the object in a monostatic mode, there is no need to process the received echo signals for position estimation of the object 10. The second device 120 can measure the quality of the received echo signals at 224.

[0066] At 226, the first device 110 can report the sensing measurement of the received echo signals to the sensing function 130. As described above, the sensing measurement report can include the frequency / time domain channel state information of the received echo signals at the first device 110, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. The sensing function 130 can run ISAC algorithms on the channel state information to obtain relevant information of the object, such as position or area, velocity, pose, and moving range. As described above, the sensing function 130 can obtain the position information of the sensing object 10 at 226, and indicate the position information to the first device 110 at 218 in the next sensing cycle to ensure the tracking of the sensing object in motion. In another example embodiment, as described above, the first device 110 can determine the relevant information of the object by processing the echo signals, and send the relevant information of the object in the sensing measurement report to the sensing function 130. Since the first device 110 already knows the position of the sensing object 10, step 218 can be omitted. In an example embodiment, the sensing measurement report can also include echo signal quality information, such as signal strength level, ERP, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, or RSSI measured at the first device 110.

[0067] At 228, 230, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can respectively transmit the echo signal quality report to the sensing function 130. As mentioned above, the echo signal quality report can include the signal strength level, the ERP, the SINR, the RSRP, the RSRQ or the RSSI of the echo signal received at the first device 110 and the second device 120, for example. The echo signal quality report can be transmitted at the first frequency τ1 predetermined or specified in the echo signal quality notification request received at 212a, 212b. In an example embodiment, the sensing function 130 can dynamically adjust the first frequency τ1 of the echo signal quality report to save resources. For example, if one echo signal quality is much better than the others for a predetermined period of time, the sensing function 130 can reduce the first frequency τ1, because it is less likely to trigger mode switching.

[0068] As mentioned above, the sensing measurement report transmitted at 226 can include the channel state information and the quality information of the echo signal, while the echo signal quality report transmitted at 228, 230 can only include the quality information of the echo signal. In an example embodiment, step 228 and step 212a can be omitted, because at 226, the first device 110 also sends the echo signal quality information in the sensing measurement report to the sensing function 130. The sensing measurement report can be transmitted at a second frequency τ2, which can be higher than the first frequency τ1 of the echo signal quality report, because the frequency of mode switching does not occur as frequently as the sensing operation. The higher second frequency τ2 also helps to keep the sensing function 130 updated on the latest position of the sensing object 10, thereby improving the sensing accuracy.

[0069] On the other hand, if at 210 the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense the object 10 in the bistatic mode, the sensing function 130 can transmit the sensing assistance information to the first device 110 and the second device 120 at 232a, 232b, respectively. With the sensing assistance information, as mentioned above, the first device 110 can allocate appropriate beams in the direction of the sensing object 10, and the second device 120 can also receive the echo signal from the direction of the sensing object 100, thereby improving the sensing quality and accuracy of the system.

[0070] At 234, the first device 110 can transmit a sensing signal to the sensing object 10, and at 236, 238, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can receive the echo signals reflected from the sensing object 10, respectively. In the bistatic mode, the second device 120 can process the received echo signals to obtain the sensing measurement information for the position estimation of the object 10. The sensing measurement information can include the frequency / time domain channel state information of the echo signals, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. In an example embodiment, the second device 120 can also run the ISAC algorithm on the sensing measurement information to obtain the related information of the object, such as position or area, velocity, pose, and moving range. The second device 120 can also measure the quality of the echo signals, such as signal strength level, ERP, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, or RSSI. Since the first device 110 is not configured to sense the object in the bistatic mode, there is no need to process the received echo signals for the position estimation of the object 10. The first device 110 can measure the quality of the echo signals at 236.

[0071] At 240, the second device 120 can report the sensing measurement of the received echo signals to the sensing function 130. As described above, the sensing measurement report can include the frequency / time domain channel state information of the echo signals, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. The sensing function 130 can run the ISAC algorithm on the channel state information to obtain the related information of the object, such as position or area, velocity, pose, and moving range. As described above, the sensing function 130 can obtain the position information of the sensing object 10 at 240, and indicate the position information to the first device 110 and the second device 120 at 232a, 232b in the next sensing cycle to ensure the tracking of the moving sensing object. In another example embodiment, as described above, the second device 120 can determine the related information of the object by processing the echo signals, and send the related information of the object to the sensing function 130 in the sensing measurement report. Since the second device 120 already knows the position of the sensing object 10, the step 232b can be omitted. In an example embodiment, the sensing measurement report can also include the quality information of the echo signals, such as the signal strength level, ERP, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, or RSSI measured at the second device 120.

[0072] At 242, 244, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can transmit echo signal quality reports to the sensing function 130, respectively. As mentioned above, the echo signal quality reports can include the signal strength level, ERP, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, or RSSI of the echo signal received at the first device 110 and the second device 120, for example. The echo signal quality reports can be transmitted at the first frequency τ1 predetermined or specified in the echo signal quality notification request received at 212a, 212b. In an example embodiment, the sensing function 130 can dynamically adjust the first frequency τ1 of the echo signal quality reports to save resources. For example, if one echo signal quality is much better than the others within a predetermined time period, the sensing function 130 can lower the first frequency τ1 because it is less likely to trigger mode switching.

[0073] As mentioned above, the sensing measurement reports transmitted at 240 can include channel state information and quality information of the echo signal, while the echo signal quality reports transmitted at 242, 244 can only include quality information of the echo signal. In an example embodiment, step 244 and step 212b can be omitted because the second device 120 also sends the echo signal quality information in the sensing measurement reports to the sensing function 130 at 240. The sensing measurement reports can be transmitted at a second frequency τ2, which can be higher than the first frequency τ1 of the echo signal quality reports because mode switching does not occur as frequently as sensing operation. The higher second frequency τ2 also helps to keep the sensing function 130 updated on the latest position of the sensing object 10, thus improving sensing accuracy.

[0074] At 246, the sensing function 130 can compare the echo signal quality received from the first device 110 with the echo signal quality received from the second device 120 to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object 10. For example, in the case where the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in the monostatic mode at 210, if the echo signal quality received from the second device 120 becomes better than the echo signal quality received from the first device 110, the sensing function 130 can determine that the bistatic mode will have better performance than the current monostatic mode and decide to switch from the monostatic mode to the bistatic mode so that the second device 20 will take over the responsibility of measuring the echo signal and sending the sensing measurement report to the sensing function 120. If the echo signal quality received from the first device 110 is better than the echo signal quality received from the second device 120, the sensing function 130 can determine that the current monostatic mode has better performance than the bistatic mode and decide to maintain in the monostatic mode. On the other hand, in the case where the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense the object 10 in the bistatic mode at 210, if the echo signal quality received from the first device 110 becomes better than the echo signal quality received from the second device 120, the sensing function 130 can determine that the monostatic mode will have better performance than the current bistatic mode and decide to switch from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode so that the first device 110 will take over the responsibility of measuring the echo signal and sending the sensing measurement report to the sensing function 130. If the echo signal quality received from the second device 120 is better than the echo signal quality received from the first device 110, the sensing function 130 can determine that the current bistatic mode has better performance than the monostatic mode and decide to maintain in the bistatic mode.

[0075] In an example embodiment, to reduce or avoid frequent switching between the monostatic mode and the bistatic mode, the sensing function 130 can decide not to switch the sensing mode until the echo signal quality of the backup receiver (i.e., the second device 120 in the monostatic mode or the first device 110 in the bistatic mode) is better than the echo signal quality of the serving receiver (i.e., the first device 110 in the monostatic mode or the second device 120 in the bistatic mode) for a predetermined time period or the difference between the two echo signal qualities reaches a predetermined threshold.

[0076] If the sensing function 130 decides not to switch the ISAC operation mode at 246, the procedure can continue with the current monostatic or bistatic mode. If the sensing function 130 decides to switch the ISAC operation mode at 246, the sensing function 130 can update the first device 110 and the second device 120 with new sensing configurations for the post-switch mode at 248a, 248b, respectively. The sensing configuration update can indicate the measurement content and period. For example, if the operation mode switches to the bistatic mode, the first device 110 reports the echo signal quality, e.g., RSRP, at the first frequency τ1, while the second device 120 reports the echo signal quality, e.g., RSRP, at the first frequency τ1 and reports the channel state information, e.g., CIR, at the second frequency τ2. The sensing configuration update can be pre-configured for the monostatic-to-bistatic mode switch (e.g., with index 0) and the bistatic-to-monostatic mode switch (e.g., with index 1), or it can be a one-time configuration for updating the monostatic or bistatic configuration parameters. When the first device 110 and the second device 120 are updated with the new sensing configurations, they can continue the sensing operation according to the new sensing configurations.

[0077] In the procedure of Figure 4 , since the first device 110 and the second device 120 periodically monitor and report the echo signal quality to the sensing function 130, the sensing function 130 can constantly evaluate the performance of the monostatic and bistatic modes and select the better mode for better sensing / positioning performance. It allows dynamic switching between the monostatic mode and the bistatic mode, and the ISAC system can always work in the better mode to ensure good sensing accuracy.

[0078] Figure 5 is a message flow diagram illustrating another procedure according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The procedure can also be performed at the first device 110, the second device 120, and the sensing function (SF) 130. Compared with the procedure shown in Figure 4 , the procedure of Figure 5 can enable dynamic mode switching without the echo signal quality request and report messages, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the ISAC system. In the procedure of Figure 5 , the same or similar steps are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and the repeated description thereof is omitted.

[0079] Referring to Figure 5 , the sensing function 130 can configure the first device 110 and the second device 120 to sense the object 10 in the monostatic mode or the bistatic mode at 210. In the monostatic mode, the first device 110 is configured to transmit the sensing signal and measure the echo signal reflected from the object 10. In the bistatic mode, the first device 110 is configured to transmit the sensing signal, and the second device 120 is configured to measure the echo signal.

[0080] At 214, the first device 110 can report a reference signal (RS) configuration for sensing signals to the sensing function 130, and at 216, the sensing function 130 can share the sensing RS configuration with the second device 120 to ensure that the second device 120 can receive the echo signals if the second device 120 is configured to sense the object 10 in the dual- based mode. If the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in the single-based mode, steps 214, 216 can be omitted.

[0081] In the case that the single-based mode is configured at 210, the sensing function 130 can transmit sensing assistance information to the first device 110 at 218. The sensing assistance information can indicate a sensing region of interest to ensure that the first device 110 has prior knowledge of the location of the sensing object. The sensing function 130 can obtain the sensing region of interest information from the last sensing cycle (i.e., steps 226 / 240 discussed below). Since the sensing function 130 receives real-time location information of the sensing object 10, it can help the first device 110 to allocate better beams in the direction of the sensing object, thereby improving the sensing quality and accuracy of the system.

[0082] At 220, the first device 110 can transmit a sensing signal to the sensing object 10. In an example embodiment, the first device 110 can have prior knowledge of the location of the sensing object received at 218, and it is able to transmit the sensing signal to the location of the prior sensing object. In another example embodiment, the first device 110 can perform an omni-directional beam sweeping procedure to allocate an appropriate beam for the sensing object 10.

[0083] At 222, the first device 110 can receive an echo signal reflected from the sensing object 10. The first device 110 can process the echo signal to obtain sensing measurement information for the location estimation of the object 10. The sensing measurement information can include frequency domain / time domain channel state information of the received echo signal, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. In an example embodiment, the first device 110 can also run an ISAC algorithm on the sensing measurement information to obtain related information of the object, such as location or region, velocity, pose, and moving range. The first device 110 can also measure the echo signal quality. In an example embodiment, the echo signal quality can be measured as a signal strength level, effective isotropic radiated power (ERP), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), or received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

[0084] At 226, the first device 110 can report the sensing measurements of the received echo signals to the sensing function 130. As described above, the sensing measurement report can include the frequency / time domain channel state information of the received echo signals at the first device 110, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. The sensing function 130 can run the ISAC algorithm on the channel state information to obtain the relevant information of the object, such as location or area, velocity, posture, and moving range. As described above, the sensing function 130 can obtain the location information of the sensing object 10 at 226, and indicate the location information to the first device 110 at 218 in the next sensing cycle to ensure the tracking of the moving sensing object 10. In another example embodiment, as described above, the first device 110 can determine the relevant information of the object by processing the echo signals, and send the relevant information of the object to the sensing function 130 in the sensing measurement report. Since the first device 110 has already known the location of the sensing object 10, step 218 can be omitted. In an example embodiment, the sensing measurement report can also include the echo signal quality information, such as the signal strength level, ERP, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, or RSSI measured at the first device 110.

[0085] On the other hand, if the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense the object 10 in the bistatic mode at 210, the sensing function 130 can transmit the sensing assistance information to the first device 110 and the second device 120 at 232a, 232b, respectively. With the sensing assistance information, the first device 110 can allocate appropriate beams in the direction of the sensing object 10, and the second device 120 can also receive the echo signals from the direction of the sensing object, thereby improving the sensing quality and accuracy of the system.

[0086] At 234, the first device 110 can transmit the sensing signal to the sensing object 10, and at 238, the second device 120 can receive the echo signals reflected from the sensing object 20. The second device 120 can process the received echo signals to obtain the sensing measurement information for the location estimation of the object 10. The sensing measurement information can include the frequency / time domain channel state information of the echo signals, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. In an example embodiment, the second device 120 can also run the ISAC algorithm on the sensing measurement information to obtain the relevant information of the object, such as location or area, velocity, posture, and moving range. The second device 120 can also measure the echo signal quality, such as the signal strength level, ERP, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, or RSSI.

[0087] At 240, the second device 120 can report the sensing measurement results of the received echo signal to the sensing function 130. As described above, the sensing measurement report may include frequency-domain / time-domain channel state information of the echo signal, such as amplitude, phase, channel impulse response (CIR), Doppler shift, etc. The sensing function 130 can run the ISAC algorithm on the channel state information to obtain relevant information about the object, such as position or region, velocity, posture, and range of movement. As described above, the sensing function 130 can obtain the position information of the sensed object 10 at 240 and indicate the position information to the first device 110 and the second device 120 in the next sensing cycle at 232a and 232b to ensure tracking of the moving sensed object 10. In another example embodiment, as described above, the second device 120 can determine the relevant information of the object by processing the echo signal and send the relevant information of the object to the sensing function 130 in the sensing measurement report. Since the second device 120 already knows the position of the sensed object 10, step 232b can be omitted. In an example embodiment, the sensing measurement report may also include echo signal quality information, such as signal strength level, ERP, SINR, RSRP, RSRQ, or RSSI measured at the second device 120.

[0088] When sensing function 130 determines the location of sensing object 10 at 226 or 240, it can calculate a first distance between first device 110 and sensing object 100 and a second distance between sensing object 10 and second device 120 at 245. If first device 110 and second device 120 have fixed locations, it is assumed that sensing function 130 knows the locations of first device 110 and second device. If one or both of first device 110 and second device 120 are mobile UEs, sensing function 130 can periodically receive location information of mobile UEs from a location management function (LMF) serving mobile UEs. Sensing function 130 can then calculate the first and second distances.

[0089] At 247, sensing function 130 may determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing object 10 based on at least one of the following: a comparison of a first distance between the first device 110 and the sensing object 10 and a second distance between the sensing object 10 and the second device 120, and sensing environment information related to the sensing object 10. For example, at 210, if the first device 110 is configured to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, and if the second distance between the sensing object 10 and the second device 120 becomes less than the first distance between the first device 110 and the sensing object 10, then sensing function 130 may determine that bistatic mode will have better performance than the current monostatic mode and decide to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode. If the second distance between the sensing object 10 and the second device 120 is greater than the first distance between the first device 110 and the sensing object 10, then sensing function 130 may determine that monostatic mode has better performance than bistatic mode and decide to remain in monostatic mode. On the other hand, when the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense the object 10 in bistatic mode at 210, if the first distance between the first device 110 and the object 10 becomes less than the second distance between the object 10 and the second device 120, the sensing function 130 can determine that the monostatic mode will have better performance than the current bistatic mode, and decide to switch from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode. If the first distance between the first device 110 and the object 10 is greater than the second distance between the object 10 and the second device 120, the sensing function 130 can determine that the current bistatic mode has better performance than the monostatic mode, and decide to maintain the bistatic mode.

[0090] Sensing function 130 may also consider environmental information to determine whether to switch sensing modes. For example, suppose a factory environment has a first part and a second part, with a barrier or obstacle between them. A first device 110 is deployed in the first part, and a second device 120 is deployed in the second part. Sensing function 130 is configured to have such environmental information. First, the sensing object 10 is in the first part, and the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in monostatic mode. If sensing function 130 detects that the sensing object 10 has moved from the first part to the second part, it may determine, based on the environmental information, that a second signal transmission path between the sensing object 10 and the second device 120 will have better performance than a first signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the sensing object 10 due to the barrier or obstacle between the first and second parts. Sensing function 130 may evaluate the performance of the signal transmission path based on prior knowledge or experience obtained from previous sensing services. Then, sensing function 130 may decide to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode. In another example, if the sensing object 10 is within the second part and the bistatic mode is configured for sensing the object 10, then when the sensing object moves from the second part into the first part, the sensing function 130 may determine that the first signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the sensing object 10 will have better performance than the second signal transmission path between the sensing object 10 and the second device 120, and decide to switch from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode.

[0091] In an example embodiment, sensing function 130 may consider both distance comparison and environmental information to determine whether to switch modes. For example, sensing function 130 may assign a first weight to the distance comparison result and a second weight to the environmental information. The first weight may be proportional to the difference between a first distance from the first device 110 to the object 10 and a second distance from the object 10 to the second device 120, and the second weight may be proportional to the performance difference between a first signal transmission path from the first device 110 to the object 10 and a second signal transmission path from the object 10 to the second device 120. Sensing function 130 may then calculate the sum of the distance comparison result and the environmental factors to determine whether to switch the current sensing mode.

[0092] If sensing function 130 at 247 decides not to switch sensing modes, the process can continue in the current monopolar or bipolar mode. If sensing function 130 at 247 decides to switch sensing modes, sensing function 130 at 248a and 248b can update the first device 110 and the second device 120 with a new sensing configuration for switching modes, respectively. The sensing configuration update can be pre-configured for monopolar to bipolar mode switching (e.g., with index 0) and bipolar to monopolar mode switching (e.g., with index 1), or it can be a one-time configuration for updating to monopolar or bipolar configuration parameters. When the first device 110 and the second device 120 receive the sensing configuration update, they can apply the update and then continue sensing operations according to the updated sensing configuration.

[0093] exist Figure 5 During the process, sensing function 130 can determine whether to switch sensing modes based on sensing measurement reports received from the first device 110 or the second device 120, as well as environmental information. The first device 110 and the second device 120 do not need to periodically transmit separate echo signal quality reports. Figure 4 Compared to the process, Figure 5 This process can reduce the signaling overhead of the ISAC system. Furthermore, by considering environmental information, Figure 5 The process can accurately select a better sensing mode and ensure the reliability of the sensing process.

[0094] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a method 300 implemented at sensing function 130 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Since it has been referenced above... Figure 4 Some details of method 300 have been described, so they will be briefly described here.

[0095] refer to Figure 6 Sensing function 130 can be configured at 310 for various sensing operations for sensing object 10. In an example embodiment, sensing function 130 can configure first device 110 to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, or configure first device 110 and second device 120 to sense object 10 in bistatic mode. Assuming that in bistatic mode, first device 110 is configured to transmit a sensing signal, and second device 120 is configured to receive an echo signal reflected from sensing object 10 and transmit a sensing measurement report to sensing function 130. In another example embodiment, the various sensing operations for sensing object 10 can be configured by another network entity (e.g., an Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) function entity), and step 310 can be omitted.

[0096] At 320, optionally, sensing function 130 may request one or both of the first device 110 and the second device 120 to report the echo signal quality. When the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in monostatic mode, one of the first device 110 and the second device 120 may include the second device 110. When the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense the object 10 in bistatic mode, one of the first device 110 or the second device 120 may include the first device 110.

[0097] At 330, sensing function 130 can receive from first device 110 a first signal quality report indicating a first quality of the echo signal received at first device 110. The echo signal is generated by the sensing object 10 reflecting the sensing signal emitted from first device 110.

[0098] At 340, sensing function 130 can receive from second device 120 a second signal quality report indicating the second quality of the echo signal received at second device 20.

[0099] In one example embodiment, if sensing function 130 requests a report of echo signal quality from either the first device 110 or the second device 120 at 320, sensing function 130 may receive the echo signal quality report from the requested device 110 or the second device 120 at a first frequency; and receive the echo signal quality report from the other device 110 or the second device 120 at a second frequency higher than the first frequency. If sensing function 130 requests both the first device 110 and the second device 120 to report echo signal quality, sensing function 130 may receive the echo signal quality reports from both the first device 110 and the second device 120 at the first frequency. Furthermore, it may also receive the echo quality reports from either the first device 110 configured in monostatic mode or the second device 120 configured in bistatic mode at a second frequency.

[0100] Then, sensing function 130 can compare the first quality with the second quality at 350 to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing object 10. If the first device 110 is configured to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, sensing function 130 can determine to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode when the comparison shows that the second quality becomes better than the first quality, wherein the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense object 10. If the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense object 10 in bistatic mode, sensing function 130 can determine to switch from bistatic mode to monostatic mode when the comparison shows that the first quality becomes better than the second quality, wherein the first device 110 is configured to sense object 10.

[0101] If sensing function 130 determines at 350 to switch the sensing mode for sensing object 10, sensing function 130 may update the sensing configuration for first device 110 and second device 120 at 360.

[0102] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a method 400 implemented at sensing function 130 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Since reference has been made above... Figure 5 Some details of method 400 have been described, so they will be briefly described here.

[0103] refer to Figure 7 Sensing function 130 can be configured at 410 for various sensing operations for sensing object 10. In an example embodiment, sensing function 130 can configure first device 110 to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, or configure first device 110 and second device 120 to sense object 10 in bistatic mode. Assuming that in bistatic mode, first device 110 is configured to transmit a sensing signal, and second device 120 is configured to receive an echo signal reflected from sensing object 10 and transmit a sensing measurement report to sensing function 130. In another example embodiment, the sensing operations for sensing object 10 can be configured by another network entity, such as an Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) function entity, and step 310 can be omitted.

[0104] At 420, sensing function 130 can receive sensing measurement reports from either the first device 110 or the second device 120. For example, if the first device 110 is configured to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, sensing function 130 can receive sensing measurement reports from the first device 110. If the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense object 10 in bistatic mode, sensing function 130 can receive sensing measurement reports from the second device 120.

[0105] At 430, sensing function 130 can estimate the position of object 10 based on the received sensing measurement report. In an example embodiment, the sensing measurement report may include channel state information of the echo signal, and sensing function 130 may run the ISAC algorithm on the channel state information to estimate the position of object 10. In another example embodiment, the sensing measurement report may include a position estimate of object 10 determined at the first device 110 or the second device 120, and sensing function 130 may determine the position estimate of object 10 directly from the received sensing measurement report.

[0106] Based on the position estimation of object 10, sensing function 130 can calculate at 440 a first distance between first device 110 and object 10, and a second distance between object 10 and second device 120.

[0107] Then at 450, the sensing function 130 may determine whether to switch the sensing mode based on at least one of the following: a comparison between a first distance and a second distance, and environmental information related to the object.

[0108] In an example embodiment, sensing function 130 may determine whether to switch sensing modes based on distance comparisons. For example, if a sensing measurement report is received from first device 110, indicating that a monostatic mode is currently configured, and a first distance between first device 110 and sensing object 10 becomes greater than a second distance between sensing object 10 and second device 120, then sensing function 130 may determine to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode. If a sensing measurement report is received from second device 120, indicating that a bistatic mode is currently configured, and a first distance between first device 110 and sensing object 10 is less than a second distance between sensing object 10 and second device 120, then sensing function 130 may determine to switch from bistatic mode to monostatic mode.

[0109] In another example embodiment, sensing function 130 may determine whether to switch sensing modes based on environmental information associated with the sensing object 10. For example, if a sensing measurement report is received from the first device, indicating that a monostatic mode is currently configured, and the environmental information indicates that, for example, due to shielding or obstacles in the signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the object 10, the signal transmission path between the object 10 and the second device 120 has better performance than the signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the object 10, then sensing function 130 may determine to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode. If a sensing measurement report is received from the second device 120, indicating that a bistatic mode is currently configured, and the environmental information indicates that the signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the object 10 has better performance than the signal transmission path between the object 10 and the second device 120, then sensing function 130 may determine to switch from bistatic mode to monostatic mode.

[0110] If sensing function 130 determines to switch sensing modes at 450, sensing function 130 can update the sensing configuration of the first device 110 and the second device 120 for the switched sensing modes at 460.

[0111] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a method 500 implemented at a first device 110 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Since reference has been made above... Figures 4-5 Some details of method 500 have been described, so a brief description will be given here.

[0112] refer to Figure 8Method 500 may include: step 510, transmitting a sensing signal for sensing object 10; step 520, receiving an echo signal reflected by object 10; and step 530, reporting the quality of the received echo signal to sensing function 130.

[0113] In an example embodiment, the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in bistatic mode. Specifically, the first device 110 is configured to transmit a sensing signal, and the second device 120 is configured to receive an echo signal and transmit a sensing measurement report to the sensing function 130. In this case, the first device 110 may report the echo signal quality at a first frequency in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function 130.

[0114] In another example embodiment, the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in monopolar mode. Specifically, the first device 110 is configured to transmit a sensing signal, receive an echo signal, and transmit a sensing measurement report to the sensing function 130. In this case, the first device 110 may, in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function 130, report the quality of the echo signal at a first frequency, and it may also send a sensing measurement report including the quality of the echo signal to the sensing function 230 at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

[0115] In an example embodiment, if sensing function 130 determines to switch sensing modes, then at 540 the first device 110 may receive a sensing configuration update of the switched mode from sensing function 130.

[0116] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a method 600 implemented at a second device 120 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Since it has been referenced above... Figures 4-5 Some details of method 600 have been described, so a brief description will be given here.

[0117] refer to Figure 9 Method 600 may include: step 610, receiving an echo signal generated from at least a portion of a sensing signal emitted from the first device 110 reflected from the object 10; and step 620, reporting the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function 130.

[0118] In an example embodiment, the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in monostatic mode. Specifically, the first device 110 is configured to transmit a sensing signal, receive an echo signal, and transmit a sensing measurement report to the sensing function 130. In this case, the second device 120 may report the quality of the echo signal at a first frequency in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function 130.

[0119] In another example embodiment, the second device 120 is configured to sense the object 10 in bistatic mode. Specifically, the first device 110 is configured to transmit a sensing signal, and the second device 120 is configured to receive an echo signal and transmit a sensing measurement report to the sensing function 130. In this case, the second device 120 may, in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function 130, report the quality of the echo signal at a first frequency, and it may also send a sensing measurement report including the echo signal quality to the sensing function 230 at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

[0120] In one example embodiment, if sensing function 130 determines to switch sensing modes, then at 630 the second device 120 may receive a sensing configuration update for the mode to be switched from sensing function 130.

[0121] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating a device 700 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be implemented to include or form at least a portion of the aforementioned sensing function 130 to perform at least a portion of the operations associated with the sensing function 30. Since reference has been made above... Figures 4-7 The various operations related to the sensing function 130 have been discussed, so the outline of the device 700 will be briefly described here, and its details can be found in the description above.

[0122] like Figure 10 As shown, device 700 may optionally include a first means 710 for configuring sensing operations for sensing object 10 and a second means 720 for requesting echo signal reporting. In an example embodiment, the first means 710 may configure a first device 110 to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, or configure a first device 100 and a second device 120 to sense object 10 in bistatic mode. The second means 720 may request one or both of the first device 110 and the second device 120 to report echo signal quality. If the first device 110 is configured to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, the second means 720 may request at least the second device 120 to report echo signal quality. If the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense object 10 in bistatic mode, the second means 720 may request at least the first device 110 to report echo signal quality.

[0123] The device 700 may further include: a third device 730 for receiving from the first device 110 a first signal quality report indicating a first quality of an echo signal received at the first device 110; a fourth device 740 for receiving from the second device 120 a second signal quality report indicating a second quality of an echo signal received at the second device 120; and a fifth device 750 for comparing the first quality with the second quality to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object 10.

[0124] In an example embodiment, if the second device 720 requests a report on echo signal quality from one of the first device 110 and the second device 120, then the third device 730 or the fourth device 740 may receive the echo signal quality report from the requested one of the first device 110 or the second device 120 at a first frequency; and the fourth device 740 or the third device 730 may receive the echo signal quality report from the other of the first device 110 or the second device at a second frequency higher than the first frequency. If the second device 720 requests both the first device 110 and the second device 120 to report echo signal quality, then the third device 730 and the fourth device 740 may respectively receive the echo signal quality reported from the first device 110 or the second device 120 at the first frequency. The third device 730 may also receive the echo signal quality reported from the first device 110 configured in monostatic mode at the second frequency, or the fourth device 740 may also receive the echo signal quality reported from the second device 120 configured in bistatic mode at the second frequency.

[0125] If the first device 110 is configured to sense object 10 in monostatic mode, and an echo signal quality comparison shows that the second quality becomes better than the first quality, then the fifth device 750 can determine to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode, wherein the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense object 10. If the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense object 10 in bistatic mode, and an echo signal quality comparison shows that the first quality becomes better than the second quality, then the fifth device 750 can determine to switch from bistatic mode to monostatic mode, wherein the first device 110 is configured to sense object 10.

[0126] Optionally, the device 700 may also include a sixth device 760 for updating the sensing configuration of the first device 110 and the second device 120 in response to the fifth device 750 determining that a switching sensing mode has been selected.

[0127] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating a device 800 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 800 may be implemented to include or form at least a portion of the aforementioned sensing function 130 to perform at least a portion of the operations associated with the sensing function 130. Since reference has been made above... Figures 4-7 The various operations related to the sensing function 130 have been discussed, so the outline of the device 800 will be briefly described here, and its details can be found in the description above.

[0128] refer to Figure 11The device 800 may optionally include a first device 810 for configuring sensing operations for sensing the object 10. In an example embodiment, the first device 810 may be configured to configure the first device 110 to sense the object 10 in a monostatic mode, or to configure the first device 110 and the second device 120 to sense the object 10 in a bistatic mode.

[0129] The device 800 may further include a second device 820 for receiving a sensing measurement report from either the first device 110 or the second device 120. For example, if the first device 110 is configured to sense the object 10 in a monostatic mode, the second device 820 may receive a sensing measurement report from the first device 110. If the first device 110 and the second device 120 are configured to sense the object 10 in a bistatic mode, the second device 820 may receive a sensing measurement report from the second device 120.

[0130] The device 800 may further include: a third device 830 for estimating the position of the object 10 based on a received sensing measurement report; a fourth device 840 for calculating a first distance between the first device 110 and the object 10 and a second distance between the object 10 and the second device 120 based on the position estimation of the object 10; and a fifth device 850 for determining whether to switch sensing modes based on at least one of the following: a comparison between the first distance and the second distance, and environmental information related to the object 10.

[0131] In an example embodiment, the fifth device 850 may determine whether to switch sensing modes based on the distance comparison. For example, if a sensing measurement report is received from the first device 110, indicating that a monostatic mode is currently configured, and a first distance between the first device 110 and the sensing object 10 becomes greater than a second distance between the sensing object 10 and the second device 120, then the fifth device 850 may determine to switch from monostatic mode to bistatic mode. If a sensing measurement report is received from the second device 120, indicating that a bistatic mode is currently configured, and a first distance between the first device 110 and the sensing object 10 is less than a second distance between the sensing object 10 and the second device 120, then the fifth device 850 may determine to switch from bistatic mode to monostatic mode. In another example embodiment, the fifth device 850 may determine whether to switch sensing modes based on environmental information associated with the sensing object 10. For example, if a sensing measurement report is received from the first device 110, indicating that a monostatic mode is currently configured, and environmental information indicates that, for example, due to shielding or obstacles in the signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the object 10, the signal transmission path between the object 10 and the second device 120 has better performance than the signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the object 10, then the fifth device 850 can determine to switch from the monostatic mode to the bistatic mode. If a sensing measurement report is received from the second device 120, indicating that a bistatic mode is currently configured, and environmental information indicates that the signal transmission path between the first device 110 and the object 10 has better performance than the signal transmission path between the object 10 and the second device 120, then the fifth device 850 can determine to switch from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode.

[0132] In an example embodiment, device 800 may optionally include a sixth device 860 for updating the sensing configuration of the first device 110 and the second device 120 in response to the fifth device 850 determining to switch sensing modes.

[0133] Figure 12 This is a block diagram illustrating a device 900 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 900 may be implemented to include or form at least a portion of the first device 110 described above, to perform at least a portion of the operations associated with the first device 110. Since reference has been made above... Figures 4-5 and Figure 8 The operations related to the first device 110 have been discussed, so the blocks of the device 900 will be briefly described here, and the details can be found in the above description.

[0134] refer to Figure 12 The device 900 may include: a first device 910 for transmitting a sensing signal for sensing the object 10; a second device 920 for receiving an echo signal reflected by the object 10; and a third device 930 for reporting the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function 130.

[0135] In an example embodiment, the third device 930 may report the echo signal quality at a first frequency in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function 130.

[0136] In an example embodiment, if device 900 is configured to sense object 10 in monobase mode, third device 930 may also transmit a sensing measurement report, including echo signal quality, to sensing function 130 at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

[0137] In an example embodiment, device 900 may optionally include a fourth means 940 for receiving a sensing configuration update from sensing function 130 in response to sensing function 130 determining to switch sensing modes.

[0138] Figure 13 This is a block diagram illustrating a device 1000 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Device 1000 may be implemented to include or form at least a portion of the second device 120 described above to perform at least a portion of the operations associated with the second device 200. Since reference has been made above... Figures 4-5 and Figure 9 The various operations related to the second device 120 have been discussed, therefore the various blocks of device 1000 will be briefly described here, and their details can be found in the description above.

[0139] refer to Figure 13 The device 1000 may include: a first device 1010 for receiving an echo signal generated by the object 10 reflecting at least a portion of a sensing signal emitted from the first device 110; and a second device 1020 for reporting the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function 130.

[0140] In an example embodiment, the second device 1020 may report the quality of the echo signal at a first frequency in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function 130.

[0141] In an example embodiment, if device 1000 is configured to transmit a sensing measurement report for sensing object 10 in bistatic mode, the second device 1020 may also transmit a sensing measurement report including echo signal quality to sensing function 130 at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

[0142] In an example embodiment, device 1000 may optionally include a third means 1030 for receiving a sensing configuration update from sensing function 130 in response to sensing function 130 determining to switch sensing modes.

[0143] Figure 14 This is a block diagram illustrating various devices in a communication system 1100 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.Figure 14 As shown, the communication system 1100 may include a terminal device 1110, a radio access network (RAN) device 1120, and a core network device 1130. It should be understood that the communication system 1100 may include multiple terminal devices 1110, multiple RAN devices 1120, and multiple core network devices 1130. In an example embodiment, one of the multiple terminal devices 1110 and multiple RAN devices 1120 may be implemented as the first device 110 described above, while another of the multiple terminal devices 1110 and multiple RAN devices 1120 may be implemented as the second device 120 described above. Furthermore, one of the multiple terminal devices 1110, multiple RAN devices 1120, and multiple core network devices 1130 may be implemented as the sensing function 130 described above.

[0144] refer to Figure 14 Terminal device 1110 may include one or more processors 1111, one or more memories 1112, and one or more transceivers 1113 interconnected via one or more buses 1114. The one or more buses 1114 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optics, optical or other optical communication devices, etc. Each of the one or more transceivers 1113 may include a receiver and a transmitter connected to one or more antennas 1116. Terminal device 1110 may wirelessly communicate with radio access network device 1120 via one or more antennas 1116. The one or more memories 1112 may include instructions 1115, which, when executed by one or more processors 1111, cause terminal device 1110 to perform various operations and processes related to the first device 110, the second device 120, or the sensing function 130 as described above.

[0145] RAN device 1120 may include one or more processors 1121, one or more memories 1122, one or more transceivers 1123, and one or more network interfaces 1127 interconnected via one or more buses 1124. The one or more buses 1124 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optics, optical, or other optical communication devices. Each of the one or more transceivers 1123 may include a receiver and a transmitter connected to one or more antennas 1126. RAN device 1120 may operate as a base station for terminal device 1110 and wirelessly communicate with terminal device 1110 via one or more antennas 1126. The one or more network interfaces 1127 may provide wired or wireless communication links through which RAN device 1120 may communicate with other network devices, entities, components, or functions. For example, RAN device 1120 may communicate with core network device 1130 via backhaul connection 1128. One or more memories 1122 may include instructions 1125, which, when executed by one or more processors 1121, cause the RAN device 1120 to perform various operations and processes related to the first device 110, the second device 120, or the sensing function 130 as described above.

[0146] The core network device 1130 may include one or more processors 1131, one or more memories 1132, and one or more network interfaces 1137 interconnected via one or more buses 1134. The one or more buses 1134 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optics, optical or other optical communication devices. The core network device 1130 may operate as a core network function node and communicate wired or wirelessly with the wireless access network device 1120 via one or more links. The one or more network interfaces 1137 provide wired or wireless communication links through which the core network device 1130 can communicate with other network devices, entities, components, or functions. The one or more memories 1132 may include instructions 1135, which, when executed by one or more processors 1131, enable the core network device 1130 to perform various operations and processes related to the sensing function 130 as described above.

[0147] The aforementioned processors 1111, 1121, and 1131 can be any suitable type for the local technology network and may include one or more of the following: general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), processor-based multi-core processor architectures, and dedicated processors such as those developed based on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The aforementioned processors 1111, 1121, and 1131 may be configured to control other elements of the control terminal / RAN / core network equipment and operate in conjunction with them to implement the processes described above.

[0148] One or more memories 1112, 1122, and 1132 may comprise at least one storage medium of various forms, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. The volatile memory may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM) or cache. The non-volatile memory may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. The term "non-volatile" as used herein refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM). Furthermore, one or more memories 1112, 1122, and 1132 may include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or any combination thereof.

[0149] It should be understood that the blocks in the figures can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more blocks may be implemented using software and / or firmware, such as machine-executable instructions stored in a storage medium. In addition to or in lieu of machine-executable instructions, some or all of the blocks in the figures may be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. For example, but not limited to, exemplary types of hardware logic components that may be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-chips (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), etc.

[0150] Some exemplary embodiments also provide program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a device or apparatus to perform the processes described above. The program instructions for performing the processes of the exemplary embodiments can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program instructions can be provided to one or more processors or controllers of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program instructions enable the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program instructions can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a computer and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0151] Some exemplary embodiments also provide a computer program product or a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored. The computer-readable medium can be any tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. Machine-readable media can include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more lines, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the above devices.

[0152] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) refers to at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0153] Furthermore, while the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order or sequence shown, or requiring all of the operations shown to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0154] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological behavior, it should be understood that this disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or behaviors described above. Rather, the specific features and behaviors discussed above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A sensing functional entity, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the sensing function entity to perform at least the following: The first device receives a first signal quality report indicating a first quality of an echo signal received at the first device, the first device being configured to transmit a sensing signal, at least a portion of which is reflected by an object to generate the echo signal. Receive a second signal quality report from the second device, indicating the second quality of the echo signal received at the second device; as well as The first quality is compared with the second quality to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object.

2. The sensing functional entity as described in claim 1, wherein, Comparing the first mass with the second mass to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object includes: When the first device is configured to sense the object in monostatic mode, in response to the second quality being superior to the first quality, a switch from the monostatic mode to a bistatic mode is determined, wherein the first device and the second device are configured to sense the object, or When the first device and the second device are configured to sense the object in the bistatic mode, in response to the first quality being superior to the second quality, a switch from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode is determined, wherein the first device is configured to sense the object.

3. The sensing functional entity as described in claim 2, wherein, The at least one memory also stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the sensing function entity to perform at least the following: In response to determining to switch the operating mode for sensing the object, the sensing configuration for the first device and the second device is updated.

4. The sensing functional entity as described in claim 1, wherein, The at least one memory also stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the sensing function entity to perform at least the following: The first device is configured to sense the object in a monostatic mode, or the first device and the second device are configured to sense the object in a bistatic mode; as well as The request may be made to one or both of the first and second devices to report the echo signal quality. In the case where the first device is configured to sense the object in the monostatic mode, the first device and / or the second device may include the second device. Alternatively, in the case where the first device and the second device are configured to sense the object in the bistatic mode, the first device and / or the second device may include the first device.

5. The sensing functional entity as described in claim 4, wherein, In the event that one of the first device and the second device is requested to report the echo signal quality, the sensing function entity receives the echo signal quality report from the requested device at a first frequency, and receives the echo signal quality report from the other device at a second frequency higher than the first frequency, or When both the first device and the second device are requested to report the echo signal quality, the sensing function entity receives the echo signal quality reported from the first device and the second device at the first frequency, and also receives the echo signal quality reported from the first device configured in the monostatic mode or the second device configured in the bistatic mode at the second frequency.

6. The sensing functional entity as described in claim 1, wherein, The sensing functional entity is implemented as a core network functional entity, a sensing management component at the network edge, a functional entity of an access network device, a functional entity of a location management function, a functional entity of an access and mobility management function, a functional entity of a session management function, or a functional entity of a terminal device. The first device is implemented as an access network device or a terminal device, and The second device is implemented as a network access device or a terminal device.

7. A sensing functional entity, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the sensing function entity to perform at least the following: A sensing measurement report is received from the first device when the first device is configured to transmit a sensing signal and receive an echo signal to sense an object in monostatic mode, or the sensing measurement report is received from the second device when the first device is configured to transmit the sensing signal and the second device is configured to receive the echo signal to sense the object in bistatic mode. The position of the object is estimated based on the received sensing measurement report; The first distance between the first device and the object and the second distance between the object and the second device are calculated based on the estimated location of the object. as well as Whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object is determined based on at least one of the following: A comparison between the first distance and the second distance; as well as Environmental information related to the object.

8. The sensing functional entity as described in claim 7, wherein, Determining whether to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object includes: If the sensing measurement report is received from the first device and the first distance is greater than the second distance, it is determined to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object from the monostatic mode to the bistatic mode, or If the sensing measurement report is received from the second device and the first distance is less than the second distance, it is determined that the operating mode for sensing the object will be switched from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode.

9. The sensing functional entity as described in claim 7, wherein, Determining whether to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object includes: If, upon receiving the sensing measurement report from the first device, the environmental information indicates that the signal transmission path between the object and the second device has better performance than the signal transmission path between the first device and the object, it is determined to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object from the monostatic mode to the bistatic mode, or If the sensing measurement report is received from the second device and the environmental information indicates that the signal transmission path between the first device and the object has better performance than the signal transmission path between the object and the second device, it is determined to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode.

10. A first device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory that stores instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the first device to at least execute: Transmit a sensing signal for sensing the object; Receive the echo signal reflected by the object; and Report the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function.

11. The first device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, The first device, in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function, reports the quality of the echo signal at a first frequency.

12. The first device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The first device is configured to sense the object in a bistatic mode.

13. The first device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The first device is configured to sense the object in monostatic mode, and the first device also sends a sensing measurement report, including the quality of the echo signal, to the sensing function at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

14. The first device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, The at least one memory also stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to perform at least the following: Receive sensing configuration updates from the sensing function to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object.

15. A second device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory that stores instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the second device to at least execute: Receive an echo signal, the echo signal being generated from at least a portion of a sensing signal emitted from a first device reflected by an object; and Report the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function.

16. The second device as claimed in claim 15, wherein, The second device, in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function, reports the quality of the echo signal at a first frequency.

17. The second device as claimed in claim 16, wherein, The first device is configured to sense the object in monobase mode.

18. The second device as claimed in claim 16, wherein, The second device is configured to sense the object in bistatic mode, and the second device also sends a sensing measurement report, including the quality of the echo signal, to the sensing function at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

19. The second device as claimed in claim 15, wherein, The at least one memory also stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to perform at least the following: Receive sensing configuration updates from the sensing function to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object.

20. A method comprising: The first device receives a first signal quality report indicating a first quality of an echo signal received at the first device, the first device being configured to transmit a sensing signal, at least a portion of which is reflected by an object to generate the echo signal. Receive a second signal quality report from the second device, indicating the second quality of the echo signal received at the second device; as well as The first quality is compared with the second quality to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, Comparing the first mass with the second mass to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object includes: When the first device is configured to sense the object in monostatic mode, in response to the second quality being superior to the first quality, a switch from the monostatic mode to a bistatic mode is determined, wherein the first device and the second device are configured to sense the object, or When the first device and the second device are configured to sense the object in a bistatic mode, in response to the first quality being superior to the second quality, a switch from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode is determined, wherein the first device is configured to sense the object.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: In response to determining to switch the operating mode for sensing the object, the sensing configuration for the first device and the second device is updated.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising: The first device is configured to sense the object in a monostatic mode, or the first device and the second device are configured to sense the object in a bistatic mode; as well as The request may be made to one or both of the first and second devices to report the echo signal quality. In the case where the first device is configured to sense the object in the monostatic mode, the first device may include the second device. Alternatively, in the case where the first and second devices are configured to sense the object in the bistatic mode, the first device may include the first device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, In the event that one of the first device and the second device is requested to report the echo signal quality, the sensing function entity receives the echo signal quality report from the requested device at a first frequency, and receives the echo signal quality report from the other device at a second frequency higher than the first frequency, or When both the first device and the second device are requested to report the echo signal quality, the sensing function entity receives the echo signal quality reported from the first device and the second device at the first frequency, and also receives the echo signal quality reported from the first device configured in the monostatic mode or the second device configured in the bistatic mode at the second frequency.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method is implemented at the sensing functional entity of a functional entity that is implemented as a core network functional entity, a sensing management component at the network edge, a functional entity of an access network device, a functional entity of a location management function, a functional entity of an access and mobility management function, a functional entity of a session management function, or a functional entity of a terminal device. The first device is implemented as an access network device or a terminal device, and The second device is implemented as a network access device or a terminal device.

26. A method comprising: A sensing measurement report is received from the first device when the first device is configured to transmit a sensing signal and receive an echo signal to sense an object in monostatic mode, or the sensing measurement report is received from the second device when the first device is configured to transmit the sensing signal and the second device is configured to receive the echo signal to sense the object in bistatic mode. The position of the object is estimated based on the received sensing measurement report; Calculate a first distance between the first device and the object and a second distance between the object and the second device based on the estimated location of the object; as well as Whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object is determined based on at least one of the following: A comparison between the first distance and the second distance; as well as Environmental information related to the object.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein, Determining whether to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object includes: If the sensing measurement report is received from the first device and the first distance is greater than the second distance, it is determined to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object from the monostatic mode to the bistatic mode, or If the sensing measurement report is received from the second device and the first distance is less than the second distance, it is determined that the operating mode for sensing the object will be switched from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein, Determining whether to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object includes: If, upon receiving the sensing measurement report from the first device, the environmental information indicates that the signal transmission path between the object and the second device has better performance than the signal transmission path between the first device and the object, it is determined to switch the operating mode for sensing the object from the monostatic mode to the bistatic mode, or If the sensing measurement report is received from the second device and the environmental information indicates that the signal transmission path between the first device and the object has better performance than the signal transmission path between the object and the second device, it is determined to switch the operating mode for sensing the object from the bistatic mode to the monostatic mode.

29. A method comprising: Transmit a sensing signal for sensing the object; Receive the echo signal reflected by the object; as well as Report the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein, In response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function, the quality of the echo signal is reported at a first frequency.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, The method is implemented at a first device configured to sense the object in a bistatic mode.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein, The method is implemented at a first device configured to sense the object in monopolar mode, and the first device also transmits a sensing measurement report, including the quality of the echo signal, to the sensing function at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising: Receive sensing configuration updates from the sensing function to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object.

34. A method comprising: The echo signal is received at the second device, the echo signal being generated from at least a portion of the sensing signal emitted by the first device reflected by the object; as well as Report the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, The second device, in response to an echo signal quality report request received from the sensing function, reports the quality of the echo signal at a first frequency.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein, The first device is configured to sense the object in monobase mode.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein, The second device is configured to sense the object in bistatic mode, and the second device also sends a sensing measurement report, including the quality of the echo signal, to the sensing function at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising: Receive sensing configuration updates from the sensing function to switch the operating mode used for sensing the object.

39. An apparatus comprising: A means for receiving from a first device a first signal quality report indicating a first quality of an echo signal received at the first device, the first device being configured to transmit a sensing signal, at least a portion of which is reflected by an object to generate the echo signal; A means for receiving from a second device a second signal quality report indicating a second quality of the echo signal received at the second device; as well as A means for comparing the first quality with the second quality to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object.

40. An apparatus comprising: A means for receiving a sensing measurement report from a first device when the first device is configured to transmit a sensing signal and receive an echo signal to sense an object in a monostatic mode, or for receiving the sensing measurement report from a second device when the first device is configured to transmit the sensing signal and the second device is configured to receive the echo signal to sense the object in a bistatic mode; A means for estimating the position of the object based on the received sensing measurement report; A means for calculating a first distance between the first device and the object and a second distance between the object and the second device based on the estimated position of the object; as well as A means for determining whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object based on at least one of the following: A comparison between the first distance and the second distance; as well as Environmental information related to the object.

41. An apparatus comprising: A device for transmitting sensing signals for sensing objects; A means for receiving echo signals reflected by the object; as well as A means for reporting the quality of the received echo signal to a sensing function.

42. An apparatus comprising: A means for receiving an echo signal at a second device, the echo signal being generated by an object reflecting at least a portion of a sensing signal emitted from a first device; as well as A means for reporting the quality of the received echo signal to a sensing function.

43. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, when executed by a device, to cause the device to perform at least the following operations: The first device receives a first signal quality report indicating a first quality of an echo signal received at the first device, the first device being configured to transmit a sensing signal, at least a portion of which is reflected by an object to generate the echo signal. Receive a second signal quality report from the second device, indicating the second quality of the echo signal received at the second device; as well as The first quality is compared with the second quality to determine whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object.

44. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, when executed by a device, to cause the device to perform at least the following operations: A sensing measurement report is received from the first device when the first device is configured to transmit a sensing signal and receive an echo signal to sense an object in monostatic mode, or a sensing measurement report is received from the second device when the first device is configured to transmit the sensing signal and the second device is configured to receive the echo signal to sense the object in bistatic mode. The position of the object is estimated based on the received sensing measurement report; The first distance between the first device and the object and the second distance between the object and the second device are calculated based on the estimated location of the object. as well as Whether to switch the operating mode for sensing the object is determined based on at least one of the following: A comparison between the first distance and the second distance; as well as Environmental information related to the object.

45. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, when executed by a device, to cause the device to perform at least the following operations: Transmit a sensing signal for sensing the object; Receive the echo signal reflected by the object; and Report the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function.

46. ​​A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, when executed by a device, to cause the device to perform at least the following operations: The echo signal is received at the second device, the echo signal being generated by the reflection of at least a portion of the sensing signal emitted from the first device by the object; and Report the quality of the received echo signal to the sensing function.

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