Systems and methods for inductive integration that do not require a dedicated reference signal

Abstract

A system and method for ISAC without the need for a dedicated reference signal are proposed. A first network node can receive a signal (y) corresponding to a signal (x) wirelessly transmitted by a second network node via a first channel. The first network node can determine x based on signal information received from a second or third network node via a second channel. The first network node can determine the channel response of the first channel using the received y and the determined x. The second network node can transmit signal (x) via the first channel, and signal (x) is received by the first network node as signal (y).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for ISAC that do not require a dedicated reference signal. Background Technology

[0002] Coverage is a key consideration in cellular network deployment. With the rise of connected devices, efficient device communication is increasingly important. Current 3GPP standards, covering evolution from 3G to 5G and beyond, focus on enabling seamless communication between various devices, from smart home devices to wearables. In industrial environments, the complexity of tasks often necessitates collaboration. This necessitates the establishment of multiple collaborative operations management systems designed to create workgroups and manage different types of devices to accomplish the required tasks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to address problems related to one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, and provide additional features that will become apparent when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein according to various embodiments. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not restrictive, and that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art who have read this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A first network node (e.g., UE, BS, TRP, etc.) can receive / obtain / acquire a signal (y) corresponding to a signal (x) (e.g., DMRS, SSB, CSI-RS, sidelink SSB) wirelessly transmitted by a second network node via a first channel (e.g., a wireless channel, cellular channel, or Wi-Fi channel). The first network node can determine x (sometimes referred to herein as a transmitted signal or first signal) based on signal information received from a second or third network node via a second channel (e.g., different from the first channel, e.g., via the core network, via a direct fiber connection, via an interface between network nodes). The first network node can use the received y and the determined x to determine the channel response (e.g., transfer function "h") of the first channel.

[0005] In some implementations, the first network node can be deployed on the same device as the second network node (e.g., single-site mode) or on different devices (e.g., dual-site mode). In some implementations, the first network node can receive signal information through a second channel (e.g., wired connection, noise-free channel, lossless channel, etc.). The signal information may include at least one of the following: x; the configuration of x (e.g., a complete description of x); and / or an identifier of the configuration of x (e.g., an ID of the configuration parameter set).

[0006] In some implementations, the configuration of x may include an indication of at least one of the following: the modulation scheme of x; the subcarriers on which a first network node should listen; at least one modulation symbol of x; a timestamp, slot index, symbol index, frame number, or subframe number for listening to x; the transmit power of x; the transmit bandwidth of x; the center frequency of x; the waveform of x; the uncertainty of x; the quasi-co-location (QCL) or spatial relation information of x; the resources configured for or occupied by x; the identifier of the scrambling sequence of x; and / or the pattern or sequence of x.

[0007] In some implementations, the configuration identifier may include at least one of the following: an identifier of a configuration from multiple configurations of multiple signals; an identifier of a parameter set of x from multiple parameter sets of multiple signals; and / or an identifier of a portion of the codebook corresponding to x. In some implementations, the second channel may include at least one of the following: a channel through the core network; a physical connection or wired connection; a channel using a communication protocol or frequency band different from that of the first channel; and / or a lossless channel.

[0008] In some implementations, the third network node may include at least one of the following: a network node involved in configuring x; and / or a network node that directly or indirectly accesses signal information from the first network node. In some implementations (e.g., in the SRS example), the first network node may include a first wireless communication device (e.g., a first UE), the second network node may include a second wireless communication device (e.g., a second UE), and the third network node may include a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS).

[0009] In some implementations, the first network node may include a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS), the second network node may include a first wireless communication device (e.g., a first UE), and the third network node may include a second wireless communication device (e.g., a second UE). In some implementations, the first network node may include a first wireless communication node (e.g., a BS not serving the UE in the cell), the second network node may include a wireless communication device (e.g., the first UE), and the third network node may include a second wireless communication node (e.g., a second BS serving the UE).

[0010] In some implementations, a first network node may include at least one of the following: a first wireless communication device (e.g., UE); a first wireless communication node (e.g., BS, gNB); a first core network function; a first wireless local area network (WLAN) router (e.g., Wi-Fi); a first access point; a first transceiver point (TRP); a first roadside unit (RSU); and / or a first positioning reference unit (PRU). A second network node may include at least one of the following: a second wireless communication device (e.g., UE); a second wireless communication node (e.g., BS, gNB); a second core network function; a second wireless local area network (WLAN) router (e.g., Wi-Fi); a second access point; a second transceiver point (TRP); a second roadside unit (RSU); and / or a second positioning reference unit (PRU). A third network node may include at least one of the following: a third wireless communication device (e.g., UE), a third wireless communication node (e.g., BS, gNB), a third core network function, a third wireless local area network (WLAN) router (e.g., Wi-Fi), a third access point, a third transceiver point (TRP), a third roadside unit (RSU), and / or a third positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0011] In some implementations, the signal may include at least one of the following: a sounding reference signal (SRS); a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); a synchronization signal block (SSB); a demodulation reference signal (DMRS); an uplink signal; a downlink signal; and / or a sidelink signal.

[0012] In some implementations, a second network node (e.g., UE, BS, TRP, etc.) can send / provide / transmit a signal (x) received as a signal (y) by a first network node via a first channel (e.g., cellular channel or Wi-Fi channel) (e.g., DMRS, SSB, CSI-RS, sidelink SSB). The first network node can be configured to determine x based on signal information received from the second or third network node via a second channel (e.g., a channel different from the first channel, e.g., via the core network), to determine the channel response (e.g., transfer function h) of the first channel using the received y and the determined x.

[0013] In some implementations, based on at least one of the following example configurations or solutions, network nodes of the disclosed technical solutions can perform core network-assisted ISAC without requiring a dedicated reference signal: • Example Configuration 1: Dual-site mode of the ISAC system; • Example Configuration 2: Single-site mode of the ISAC system. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. These figures are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of this solution to aid the reader's understanding. Therefore, the figures should not be considered as limitations on the breadth, scope, or applicability of this solution. It should be noted that these figures are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of explanation.

[0015] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network that implements the techniques disclosed herein is shown according to embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2 Block diagrams of example base stations and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 3 Schematic diagrams are shown of line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight cases in a single-station ISAC system and a dual-station ISAC system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 4 Example implementations of a network including a transmitter and a receiver according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 5 Example implementations of a dual-station ISAC system according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 6 An alternative example implementation of a dual-station ISAC system according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown; and Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example method for inductive integration without the need for a dedicated reference signal, according to an embodiment of this disclosure, is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment Figure 1 An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 that can implement the techniques disclosed herein is illustrated according to embodiments of this disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 can be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as network 100. This example network 100 includes base stations 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102", also called wireless communication nodes) and user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104", also called wireless communication devices) that can communicate with each other via communication links 110 (e.g., wireless communication channels), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. Figure 1In this context, BS 102 and UE 104 are included within the corresponding geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating on its allocated bandwidth to provide sufficient radio coverage to the intended users of that cell.

[0017] For example, BS 102 can operate on the allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 can communicate via downlink radio frame 118 and uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 can also be divided into subframes 120 / 127, which can include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" that can practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of this solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0018] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of this solution is shown. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating characteristics that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, system 200 may be used in wireless communication environments (such as those described above) Figure 1 In a wireless communication environment 100, data symbols are transmitted (e.g., sent and received).

[0019] System 200 typically includes base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and user equipment 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes BS (base station) transceiver module 210 (hereinafter also referred to as transceiver module 210, transceiver 210 or base station transceiver 210), BS antenna 212 (hereinafter also referred to as antenna 212, downlink antenna 212 or RF antenna arrangement 212), BS processor module 214 (hereinafter also referred to as processor module 214), BS memory module 216 (hereinafter also referred to as memory module 216) and network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected with each other as needed via data communication bus 220. UE 204 includes a UE (User Equipment) transceiver module 230 (hereinafter also referred to as UE transceiver 230, transceiver module 230, or transceiver 230), a UE antenna 232 (hereinafter also referred to as antenna 232, uplink antenna 232, or RF antenna arrangement 232), a UE memory module 234 (hereinafter also referred to as memory module 234), and a UE processor module 236 (hereinafter also referred to as processor module 236). Each module is coupled to and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 240. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250 (hereinafter also referred to as: wireless transmission link 250, wireless data communication link 250), which may be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the data transmission described herein.

[0020] As those skilled in the art will understand, system 200 may also include, in addition to Figure 2 Any number of modules other than those shown herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described in general terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement this functionality appropriately for each specific application; however, such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0021] According to some embodiments, UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230 including a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each RF transmitter and RF receiver including circuitry coupled to antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternately couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, BS transceiver 210 may be referred herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210 including an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each RF transmitter and RF receiver including circuitry coupled to antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to downlink antenna 212 in a time-division duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated such that while the downlink transmitter is coupled to downlink antenna 212, the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to uplink antenna 232 to receive transmissions via wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be coordinated in time, such that while the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232, the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 to receive transmissions via the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in the duplex direction.

[0022] UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with RF antenna arrangements 212 / 232 appropriately configured to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some illustrative embodiments, UE transceiver 210 and base transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to specific standards and associated protocols. Rather, UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols (including future standards or variations thereof).

[0023] According to various embodiments, BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved NodeB (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be implemented in various types of user equipment, such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptops, wearable computing devices, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, content-addressable memory, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. The processor may be implemented in this way as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of multiple computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors incorporating a digital signal processor core, or any other combination of such configurations.

[0024] Furthermore, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be directly implemented in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236 respectively, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 can be implemented as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 can be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230 respectively, such that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 can also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0025] Network communication module 218 broadly represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with base station 202. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) services. In a typical but non-limiting deployment, network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface, allowing base station transceiver 210 to communicate with traditional Ethernet-based computer networks. In this way, network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). The terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and their various variations used in this document in relation to a specified operation or function refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc., that are physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0026] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "OSI model") is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) for interconnecting and communicating with other systems. The model is divided into seven sub-components or layers, each representing a conceptual set of services provided to its upper and lower layers. The OSI model also defines logical networks and efficiently describes computer packet transmission using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) or Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is other layers.

[0027] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to create and use this solution. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of this solution after reading this disclosure. Therefore, this solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely exemplary. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of this solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an exemplary order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, this solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0028] 2. Task-oriented collaborative intelligent cluster management system and method Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) enables wireless networks (such as 3GPP LTE, NR, and WiFi) to function as “radar networks” by supporting sensing capabilities. In an ISAC system, a dedicated reference signal (RS) can be modeled as a signal completely known to the receiver (including the time and / or frequency of the transmitted signal and every bit / content in the signal). Therefore, when the receiver receives the signal, it can use the received signal “y” (sometimes called the received signal or second signal) and RS “x” (sometimes called the transmitted signal or first signal) to calculate the channel response “h”. In some implementations, a simple matched filtering operation may be sufficient to estimate the channel, which is the same task as channel estimation using a known RS. The relationship is y = h. x, where This refers to the convolution operator. In an ISAC system, after receiving / acquiring / obtaining channel information, the receiver can perform local computations to identify / detect / track targets, image the surrounding environment, and perform other tasks. ISAC can employ various modes, two of which can be categorized as monostation mode and bistation mode. Intuitively, as... Figure 3 As shown, the difference between them may lie in whether the ISAC transmitter and receiver are the same.

[0029] In some implementations, sensing resolution, accuracy, and / or refresh rate can be limited by the sparsity of the RS. For example, the RS may be active only for short periods of time or inactive for longer periods of time. In some implementations, sensing performance may be low if the RS occupies a small portion of the total time-frequency resources. Furthermore, allocating sufficient time-frequency resources for sensing can impact communication functionality, as they compete for the same limited resources. This disclosure provides a technical solution for removing / eliminating / requiring the use of a dedicated reference signal for sensing. This disclosure eliminates the need for additional time-frequency resources in the Radio Access Network (RAN), thereby alleviating the additional burden associated with supported ISACs. The solution for eliminating the dedicated reference signal for sensing can be based on the fact that both the transmitter (sometimes referred to as Tx) and the receiver are aware of the dedicated RS. Therefore, if a method can be found that allows the receiver to know what the transmitter is transmitting, even if it is not a predefined signal, the receiver (sometimes referred to as Rx) can use it to estimate the channel. This disclosure enables the transmitter to "tell" the receiver what it is transmitting in real time via the core network (CN). In some implementations, the technical solution may be to increase the transmission bandwidth requirements of the CN in exchange for resource savings on the wireless interface. For example, Tx may send a copy of the signal transmitted via the CN to Rx. Since the CN is typically a fiber optic network, it can be assumed that the "copy" is a noise-free and clean copy, which may be identical to the transmitted signal "x" (sometimes referred to as the transmitted signal or the first signal). By receiving the signal x via the CN, Rx can use the received signal x to estimate the channel, obtain / determine the channel response, and then perform sensing tasks (e.g., target detection / tracking / imaging, depending on the use case).

[0030] Now for reference Figure 4The diagram illustrates a scenario where a signal is transmitted to Rx and used as a reference signal to estimate the channel response "h" (Tx). As shown, Tx can be a Base Station (BS), gNB, Transmission-Reception-Point (TRP), User Equipment (UE), Roadside Unit (RSU), or Positioning Reference Unit (PRU). Similarly, Rx can be a BS, gNB, TRP, UE, RSU, or PRU. In example implementations, x (sometimes referred to herein as the transmitted signal or first signal) can be any information, such as a cell-specific reference signal (e.g., SSB), data transmission to the UE (e.g., PDSCH transmission), or a signal transmitted to another gNB / BS / TRP. In some implementations, the transmitted signal x can be beamformed and assigned to specific subcarriers and time slots. When the transmitter (Tx) informs / notifies the receiver (Rx) of signal x, Tx can provide / inform all the required / needed / essential information, including signal sequence, modulation scheme, time-frequency allocation and / or Tx beamforming configuration, etc.

[0031] While the example implementations may describe a two-site scenario (e.g., involving 2, 3, 4, 5, or more nodes in an ISAC), in some implementations, this concept can be applied to a single-site mode because the sensing scheme can be independent of a dedicated reference signal. For a two-site mode, the assistance of a core network may be required. In a single-site mode, although a core network may not be needed / required, the principle can still be applied.

[0032] For a single-station mode ISAC, the transmitted signal x is known to Tx itself. This may mean / indicate that Tx's communication module knows x and will send necessary / required information about x to the sensing module. In some implementations, there may be no message transmission between Tx and Rx, but this disclosure may include some procedures based on the transmitted signal x for the ISAC. These procedures may be the same as those executed by Rx after receiving the transmitted signal x in a dual-station mode ISAC.

[0033] like Figure 4As shown, Rx can receive / acquire / obtain / receive transmitted signal x, which can come directly or indirectly (implicitly and explicitly) from CN unit and / or Tx. Furthermore, one or more transmitted signals x(s) can be used with the ISAC. For example, Tx (e.g., BS) can send signal x (e.g., PDSCH transmission) to Rx (e.g., UE). The UE can directly (explicitly) use the Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) to perform the sensing procedure. The UE can also perform the sensing procedure using the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) based on the estimated channel. In some implementations, the communication module and the sensing module can signal / communicate with each other. Furthermore, as described in the following embodiments, both the communication module and the sensing module can have the necessary codebook so that the sensing module can reconstruct the entire signal based on configuration information.

[0034] In some embodiments, a transmitter (Tx) can serve a nearby user equipment (UE) by sending / transmitting / providing some signals in a dual-station mode, where Tx and receiver (Rx) may be different. In some embodiments, the receiver (Rx) may also receive the signal after environmental reflection (originally intended for UE reception). To enable the receiver (Rx) to estimate the channel, Tx can send / transmit / provide all or part of at least one of the following information to Rx via the core network (CN): modulation scheme (e.g., QPSK); subcarriers that Rx needs to monitor (e.g., subcarriers equivalent to the one Rx needs to record "y"); modulation symbols transmitted on specific subcarriers (e.g., "x"); timestamps of the transmitted signal (e.g., slot index, symbol index, etc.), which report / inform / instruct Rx when and for how long to monitor and record y; transmit power; transmit bandwidth; center frequency; waveform; uncertainty; QCL / spatial relationship; and / or (frequency domain, time domain) resources. By receiving the above information via the CN, Rx knows / determines the transmitted signal (x) and its time and frequency location. Rx can monitor the received signal (y) (sometimes referred to as the received signal or second signal in this paper) at the same time and frequency location using the same configuration, which allows Rx to easily calculate the channel response or transfer function (h).

[0035] In some embodiments, a reference signal (RS) can be defined in a 4G / 5G / WiFi network. In some implementations, it is reasonable to assume that future or other networks (6G, WiFi-7, etc.) can also define RS. For example, in 5G, Tx can transmit / send / provide a demodulation reference signal (DMRS). Since the possible DMRS sequences are already known / defined, Tx can simply inform Rx of the configuration set it is using, rather than each symbol in the DMRS, and Rx can reconstruct the entire DMRS sequence locally. The configuration information may include at least one of the following: nID (an ID used to generate the scrambling sequence); transmit power; transmit bandwidth; (one or more) timestamps; DMRS pattern; and / or multiple DMRS port indices, frequency domain density, or DMRS RE offsets.

[0036] In some implementations, configuration information may include a system frame number, subframe number, and / or slot index. A timestamp may represent the time the first device transmits the DMRS. Multiple timestamps may correspond to multiple slots in which the first device transmits the DMRS. The DMRS pattern may include the DMRS type, the number of DMRS symbols, the DMRS symbol positions, or the assumed PDSCH / PUSCH duration. This is because the DMRS pattern can depend on the PDSCH / PUSCH duration. For example, for a PDSCH with a duration of 8 symbols, two DMRS symbols may be located in symbols 0 and 7. In some implementations, for a PDSCH with a duration of 14 symbols, two DMRS symbols may be located in symbols 0 and 11.

[0037] Using configuration information, Rx can locally construct a DMRS and can receive / obtain / acquire / get signal y. In short, DMRS-related parameters transmitted from the first device to the second device can also be transmitted to the third device for sensing measurements. In some implementations, DMRS is only one example, and other possible RSs exist. In some implementations, this disclosure can be applied to various RSs, even including newly defined RSs in the future. Other example RSs may include a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and / or a sidelink SSB. In some implementations, Tx and Rx can be two base stations (BS), two user equipments (UE) (in sidelink communication), or one BS and one UE (in some configurations).

[0038] In some embodiments, when Tx and Rx are the same (e.g., Tx and Rx are part of the same device or located in the same location), a single-site mode of integrated sensing (ISAC) can be considered. The network node (e.g., a base station) may have two or more modules, such as a communication module and / or a sensing module. The communication module is used to know / determine signal x and "inform" or convey / notify the sensing module of information about signal x. In some embodiments, the communication module may inform / convey / notify the sensing module of each symbol of signal x, but this may require significant transmission bandwidth. In some embodiments, the communication module may inform / convey / notify the sensing module of the configuration of DMRS or other RSs. The sensing module can use this configuration information to reconstruct / generate the signal itself. This may mean / indicate that the sensing module has a codebook or lookup table that includes standard configurations and signal patterns. In some embodiments, the sensing module may receive such configurations from the communication module and may acknowledge receipt (e.g., through a HARQ-like process).

[0039] In some embodiments, when the sensing Tx is a UE and the UE is connected to a BS (e.g., BS A), a nearby BS (e.g., BS B) can act as a sensing Rx. Since the UE only connects to (or communicates with) BS A, BS B may not be aware of the signals the UE is transmitting. Therefore, BS A can forward this information to BS B via a CN, thus allowing BS B to act as a sensing Rx. In some embodiments, BS A itself can use these configurations to perform sensing, or forward these configurations to BS B so that BS B can act as a sensing node.

[0040] In some implementations, the UE can transmit / send / provide uplink reference signals (e.g., sounding reference signals (SRS)) to the BSA for uplink channel estimation. The BSA can forward / inform / transmit / send each symbol of the reference signal to the BSA, or the BSA can forward / inform / transmit / send the SRS configuration to the BSA so that the BSA can build the signal locally. In the latter case, the SRS can also be used as a sensing RS with the aid of CN forwarding.

[0041] In some implementations, the first transmitting UE may inform the third receiving UE of its SRS configuration for UL transmission from the first UE to the BSA. The SRS configuration may include periodicity, time offset, bandwidth, comb size, comb offset, sequence ID, etc. Figure 5As shown, the UL SRS from UE A to BS A can be reused for sensing measurements at UE B, therefore a dedicated sensing RS from UE A to UE B is not required. In some implementations, this task / step may involve informing UE B of the UL SRS configuration via network downlink (DL) signaling or sidelink signaling.

[0042] In some implementations, the first transmitting UE may notify the BS of the sidelink RS configuration for sidelink transmissions from the first UE to at least one second UE. The sidelink RS configuration may include control channel configuration (e.g., SCI) and / or corresponding RS configuration. Figure 6 As shown, even if the gNB is not the serving gNB of UE A, the sidelink RS from UE A to UE B can still be reused for sensing measurements at the gNB. To achieve this, the sidelink RS configuration of UE A needs to be communicated / shared / transmitted to the BS. This can be achieved through another base station, the core network, or sidelink signaling, etc.

[0043] In some embodiments, when the sensing Tx is a UE connected to BS A, a nearby BS B can act as the sensing Rx. In some embodiments, the UE can only connect to BS A, and the signals sent / transmitted by the UE to BS A may include interference or provide useless information to BS B. In some embodiments, for ISAC, BS B may also attempt to sense / receive signals. BS B may obtain / know the signals transmitted by the UE based on channel estimation and / or one or more (pre)configurations / indications / suggestions from higher layers or CN functions / components (e.g., AMF, LMF, SF, or new CN entities).

[0044] In some embodiments, the term "core network" may include other networks, such as mesh WiFi, which can be a set of interconnected WiFi routers providing seamless coverage in a certain area. These WiFi routers can be connected by wires or fiber optic cables to form the "core network".

[0045] Now for reference Figure 7 This document illustrates a flowchart of method 700 for (e.g., core network-assisted) ISAC that does not require / involves / requires a dedicated reference signal. Method 700 can be used in conjunction with this document. Figures 1 to 6This can be implemented using any of the detailed components and devices. In general, method 700 may include receiving / obtaining / acquiring at a first network node a signal (y) corresponding to a signal (x) wirelessly transmitted from a second network node via a first channel (702). The method may include the first network node determining x based on signal information received from a second or third network node via a second channel (704). The method may include the first network node using the received y (sometimes referred to as a received / modified / updated signal or a second signal) and the determined x (sometimes referred to as a transmitted / source / original signal or a first signal) to determine a channel response for the first channel (706). The method may also include the second network node transmitting / providing / transmitting the signal (x) received as signal (y) by the first network node via the first channel (708).

[0046] In operation (702), in some arrangements, a first network node (e.g., UE, BS, TRP, etc.) can receive / obtain / acquire a signal (y) corresponding to a signal (x) (e.g., DMRS, SSB, CSI-RS, sidelink SSB) wirelessly transmitted from a second network node via a first channel (e.g., cellular channel or Wi-Fi channel). The first network node can determine x (704) based on signal information received from the second or third network node via a second channel (e.g., different from the first channel, e.g., via the core network). The first network node can use the received y and the determined x to determine the channel response (e.g., transfer function "h") of the first channel (706).

[0047] In some configurations, the first network node can be deployed on the same device as the second network node (e.g., single-site mode) or on different devices (e.g., dual-site mode). In some configurations, the first network node can receive signal information through a second channel (e.g., wired connection, noise-free channel, lossless channel, etc.). The signal information may include at least one of the following: x; the configuration of x (e.g., a complete description of x); and / or an identifier of the configuration of x (e.g., an ID of the configuration parameter set).

[0048] In some configurations, the configuration of x may include an indication of at least one of the following: the modulation scheme of x; the subcarriers on which a first network node should monitor x; at least one modulation symbol of x; a timestamp, slot index, symbol index, frame number, or subframe number for monitoring said x; the transmit power of x; the transmit bandwidth of x; the center frequency of x; the waveform of x; the uncertainty of x; the quasi-co-location (QCL) or spatial relation information of x; the resources configured for or occupied by x; the identifier of the scrambling sequence of x; and / or the pattern or sequence of x.

[0049] In some configurations, the identifier of the configuration may include at least one of the following: an identifier of the configuration from multiple configurations of multiple signals; an identifier of the parameter set of x from multiple parameter sets of multiple signals; and / or an identifier of a portion of the codebook corresponding to x. In some configurations, the second channel may include at least one of the following: a channel through the core network; a physical connection or wired connection; a channel using a different communication protocol or frequency band than the first channel; and / or a lossless channel.

[0050] In some configurations, the third network node may include at least one of the following: a network node participating in configuration x; and / or a network node that directly or indirectly accesses signal information from the first network node. In some configurations (e.g., in the SRS example), the first network node may include a first wireless communication device (e.g., a first UE), the second network node may include a second wireless communication device (e.g., a second UE), and the third network node may include a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS).

[0051] In some configurations, the first network node may include a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS), the second network node may include a first wireless communication device (e.g., a first UE), and the third network node may include a second wireless communication device (e.g., a second UE). In some configurations, the first network node may include a first wireless communication node (e.g., a BS not serving the UE in the cell), the second network node may include a wireless communication device (e.g., the first UE), and the third network node may include a second wireless communication node (e.g., a second BS serving the UE).

[0052] In some configurations, a first network node may include at least one of the following: a first wireless communication device (e.g., UE); a first wireless communication node (e.g., BS, gNB); a first core network function; a first wireless local area network (WLAN) router (e.g., Wi-Fi); a first access point; a first transceiver point (TRP); a first roadside unit (RSU); and / or a first positioning reference unit (PRU). A second network node may include at least one of the following: a second wireless communication device (e.g., UE); a second wireless communication node (e.g., BS, gNB); a second core network function; a second wireless local area network (WLAN) router (e.g., Wi-Fi); a second access point; a second transceiver point (TRP); a second roadside unit (RSU); and / or a second positioning reference unit (PRU). A third network node may include at least one of the following: a third wireless communication device (e.g., UE), a third wireless communication node (e.g., BS, gNB), a third core network function, a third wireless local area network (WLAN) router (e.g., Wi-Fi), a third access point, a third transceiver point (TRP), a third roadside unit (RSU), and / or a third positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0053] In some configurations, the signal may include at least one of the following: a sounding reference signal (SRS); a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); a synchronization signal block (SSB); a demodulation reference signal (DMRS); an uplink signal; a downlink signal; and / or a sidelink signal.

[0054] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A second network node (e.g., UE, BS, TRP, etc.) can transmit / provide / transmit a signal (x) (e.g., DMRS, SSB, CSI-RS, sidelink SSB) received as a signal (y) by the first network node via a first channel (e.g., cellular channel or Wi-Fi channel) (708). The first network node can be configured to determine x based on signal information received from the second network node or a third network node via a second channel (e.g., a channel different from the first channel, e.g., via the core network), to determine the channel response (e.g., transfer function h) of the first channel using the received y and the determined x.

[0055] While various embodiments / implementations of this solution have been described above, it should be understood that these embodiments / implementations are presented as examples only and not as limitations. Similarly, various diagrams may depict exemplary architectures or configurations provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand exemplary features and functionality of the solution. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the solution is not limited to the illustrated exemplary architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, one or more features of one embodiment / implementation may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment / implementation described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the exemplary arrangements described above.

[0056] It should also be understood that any reference to elements in this document using names such as "first," "second," etc., generally does not restrict the number or order of these elements. Rather, these names may simply be used in this document to facilitate the distinction between two or more elements or multiple instances of an element. Therefore, referring to the first element and the second element does not imply that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0057] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols referenced in the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or light particles, or any combination thereof.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of program or design code in conjunction with instructions (which may be referred to herein as "software" or "software module"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation will not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

[0059] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or executed by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. Logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers for communication with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, it may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors coupled with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0060] If these functions are implemented in software, they can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium that enables the transfer of computer programs or code from one location to another. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. For example, but not limited to, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer.

[0061] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of such elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Furthermore, for purposes of discussion, various modules are described as separate modules; however, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to the arrangement of this solution.

[0062] Furthermore, memory or other storage devices and communication components may be used in the arrangement of this solution. It should be understood that, for clarity, the above description refers to different functional units and processors in describing the arrangement of this solution. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality among different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains can be used without diminishing the effectiveness of this solution. For example, a function shown to be performed by a separate processing logic element or controller may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, references to specific functional units are merely references to appropriate means of providing said functionality and do not represent a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0063] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be given the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The first network node receives the signal (y) corresponding to the signal (x) wirelessly transmitted from the second network node through the first channel; The first network node determines x based on signal information received from the second network node or the third network node via the second channel; as well as The first network node uses the received y and the determined x to determine the channel response of the first channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first network node and the second network node are deployed on the same device, or on a different device.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The first network node receives the signal information through the second channel, and the signal information includes one of the following: The x; The configuration of x; or The identifier of the configuration of x.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The configuration of x includes instructions for at least one of the following: The modulation scheme of x; The first network node should listen to the subcarriers of x on it; At least one modulation symbol of x; Used to monitor the timestamp, slot index, symbol index, frame number, or subframe number of x; The transmission power of x; The transmission bandwidth of x; The center frequency of x; The waveform of x; The uncertainty of x; The quasi-co-location (QCL) or spatial relationship information of x; Resources configured for or occupied by x; The identifier of the scrambling sequence of x; or The pattern or sequence of x.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The identifier of the configuration includes: The identifier of the configuration from multiple configurations of multiple signals; The identifier of the parameter set of x from multiple parameter sets of multiple signals; or The identifier of a portion of the codebook corresponding to x.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second channel includes at least one of the following: Through the core network channels; Physical connection or wired connection; A channel using a different communication protocol or frequency band than the first channel; or Lossless channel.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The third network node includes: Participate in configuring the network node of x; or Network nodes that directly or indirectly access the signal information from the first network node.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The first network node includes a first wireless communication device, the second network node includes a second wireless communication device, and the third network node includes a wireless communication node.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The first network node includes a wireless communication node, the second network node includes a first wireless communication device, and the third network node includes a second wireless communication device.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The first network node includes a first wireless communication node, the second network node includes a wireless communication device, and the third network node includes a second wireless communication node.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the following situations exists: The first network node includes: a first wireless communication device, a first wireless communication node, a first core network function, a first wireless local area network (WLAN) router, a first access point, a first transceiver point (TRP), a first roadside unit (RSU) or a first positioning reference unit (PRU); The second network node includes: a second wireless communication device, a second wireless communication node, a second core network function, a second wireless local area network (WLAN) router, a second access point, a second transceiver point (TRP), a second roadside unit (RSU), or a second positioning reference unit (PRU); or The third network node includes: a third wireless communication device, a third wireless communication node, a third core network function, a third wireless local area network (WLAN) router, a third access point, a third transceiver point (TRP), a third roadside unit (RSU), or a third positioning reference unit (PRU).

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The signal includes at least one of the following: a sounding reference signal (SRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), an uplink signal, a downlink signal, or a sidelink signal.

13. A method comprising: The second network node transmits the signal (x) that was received as signal (y) by the first network node through the first channel. The first network node is configured to determine x based on signal information received from the second network node or the third network node via the second channel, and to determine the channel response of the first channel using the received y and the determined x.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

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