Active sensing in joint communication and sensing

Abstract

Example embodiments relate to active sensing in joint communication and sensing. An apparatus can transmit, to a sensing management entity, an active sensing request for sensing with respect to a terminal device; receive, from the sensing management entity, a sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for the sensing; detect, based on the sensing beam configuration, at least one beam in the beam group; transmit, to the sensing management entity, information of the at least one detected beam; and receive, from the sensing management entity, an active sensing response including a sensing result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments described herein generally relate to communication technologies, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for active sensing in Joint Communication and Sensing (JCAS). Background Technology

[0002] Joint Communications and Sensing (JCAS) is one of the emerging major topics for future communication networks. The idea is to sense the environment by integrating sensing into the communication system using communication nodes (e.g., base stations (BS)). For example, a BS sensing radar scans its coverage area to measure the range and speed of moving objects (e.g., pedestrians, vehicles, animals, robots) in the surrounding environment. It can be used for a variety of applications or services, such as robot and vehicle navigation, obstacle avoidance, object or human presence detection, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following provides a brief overview of exemplary embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the various embodiments. It should be noted that the content of this invention is not intended to identify key features of essential elements or 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.

[0004] In a first aspect, example embodiments of a terminal device are provided. The terminal device may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: transmit an active sensing request to a sensing management entity for sensing with respect to the terminal device; receive from the sensing management entity a sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for sensing; detect at least one beam in the beam group based on the sensing beam configuration; transmit information about the detected at least one beam to the sensing management entity; and receive from the sensing management entity an active sensing response including the sensing result.

[0005] In a second aspect, an example embodiment of an apparatus for a radio access network device is provided. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the radio access network device to at least: receive from a sensing management entity a sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for sensing range; sense objects using the beam group; send a sensing report to the sensing management entity indicating objects sensed in the beam group; and repeatedly perform the receive, sense, and transmit operations to sense objects one or more times within a reduced sensing range.

[0006] In a third aspect, an example embodiment of an apparatus for a sensing management entity is provided. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the sensing management entity to at least: receive an active sensing request from a terminal device for sensing about the terminal device; transmit a first sensing beam configuration to a radio access network device, the first sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for sensing within a sensing range; transmit a second sensing beam configuration indicating the beam group to the terminal device; receive a sensing report from the radio access network device indicating an object sensed within the beam group; receive information from the terminal device about at least one beam detected at the terminal device within the beam group; repeatedly perform the operations of transmitting the first sensing beam configuration, transmitting the second sensing beam configuration, receiving the sensing report, and receiving information about the at least one beam detected at the terminal device to sense about the terminal device within a reduced sensing range until the terminal device is identified from an object sensed within the beam group; and transmit an active sensing response to the terminal device including the sensing results for the terminal device.

[0007] Example embodiments of methods, apparatus, and computer program products are also provided. Such example embodiments generally correspond to the example embodiments described above, and for convenience, repeated descriptions thereof are omitted herein.

[0008] Other features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will also become apparent when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example application scenario of JCAS that can implement an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a message flow diagram illustrating the active sensing process according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation for detecting a beam signal according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation for identifying a terminal device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented at a terminal device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented at a radio access network device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented at a sensing management entity according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating an example device for performing active sensing according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 9 A block diagram illustrating an example device for performing active sensing according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 10 A block diagram illustrating an example device for performing active sensing according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating a device in a communication system according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Repeated descriptions of the same elements will be omitted. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the following description, some exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific details are included in the description for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the 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 instances, well-known circuits, technologies, and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the described concepts and features.

[0023] In the following description, various exemplary embodiments will be used as examples of access architectures based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR, 5G), 5G and above, or 6G as applicable examples, without limiting the exemplary embodiments to such architectures. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments can also be applied to other types of communication networks with suitable means by appropriately adjusting parameters and processes.

[0024] As used herein, the term "access network device" refers to any suitable entity or device that can provide a cell or coverage through which terminal devices can access the network or receive services. Network devices are often referred to as base stations. The term "base station" as used herein can refer to a Node B (or NB), an evolved Node B (or eNodeB or eNB), or a gNB. A base station can be embodied as a macro base station, a relay node, or a low-power node, such as a pico or femtobase. A base station can consist of several distributed network elements, such as a central unit (CU), one or more distributed units (DU), one or more remote radio heads (RRHs) or remote radio units (RRUs). The number and functionality of these distributed units depend on the chosen split RAN architecture.

[0025] As used herein, the terms "terminal device" or "user equipment" (UE) refer to any entity or device capable of wireless communication with or with network devices. Examples of terminal devices may include mobile phones, mobile terminals (MT), mobile stations (MS), subscriber stations (SS), portable subscriber stations (PSS), access terminals (AT), computers, wearable devices, vehicular communication devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, D2D communication devices, V2X communication devices, sensors, etc. The term "terminal device" may be used interchangeably with UE, user terminal, mobile terminal, mobile station, or wireless device.

[0026] In the JCAS system, the base station and the UE can communicate with each other and simultaneously sense the environment to determine the location and velocity of surrounding objects. Figure 1 An example motion sensing scenario using a radar-based JCAS system for robot navigation is illustrated. Accurate and continuous sensing of the robot's position is crucial for navigation. Furthermore, the robot may need to sense its surroundings to prevent collisions with other robots and static or dynamic obstacles. Figure 1 As shown, robots 110a and 110b can actively request the sensing system to obtain their position and velocity, for example, when the onboard simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) function of the robot navigation system loses its position or when obstacle avoidance of the robot navigation system is activated.

[0027] In a radar-based JCAS system, base station 120 can detect and measure the distance and speed of a moving object, and further calculate its position based on beam direction and distance, or based on multiple distances measured by sensing radar in different directions. For example... Figure 1As shown, base station 120 can transmit one or more sensing beams 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d in different directions to scan a target area. The Doppler shift of the reflected echo signal can then be measured to determine physical characteristics, such as the velocity of one or more target objects in the area. The arrival time and angle of arrival of the reflected echo signal can also be measured to determine the position and orientation of the physical characteristics, such as the location of one or more target objects in the area. For example, one or more target objects may include at least robot 110a.

[0028] When base station 120 uses echo signals to measure moving objects, the sensing system may not know which moving object sent the active sensing request when other moving objects are present in its vicinity. For example, base station 120 may detect robot 110a, robot 110b, and walking person 110c in a beam scan. Therefore, the sensing system will not know which object is the active sensing requester.

[0029] On the other hand, since sensing and communication share a wireless network, optimizing the use of network resources is desirable. In JCAS, the radio resource overhead derived from sensing can grow proportionally to the amount of time-frequency resources used for high-resolution radar sensing. Therefore, another challenge is to ensure sensing performance while minimizing the impact on communication; for example, the resources occupied by sensing should be as small as possible and require minimal changes.

[0030] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure propose a mechanism to address one or more of the aforementioned challenges by implementing a novel sensing process, also referred to herein as a search-sensing process. This mechanism embeds search capabilities into the sensing process. Specifically, the sensing system can simultaneously sense and search for an active sensing requester within a specific range. Through repeated search-sensing processes, the sensing system gradually reduces the search and sensing range until the active sensing requester can be identified. This mechanism enables the sensing and location of active sensing requesters even with limited radio resources. It significantly ensures sensing performance while minimizing the impact on communication within the JCAS system.

[0031] In an example embodiment, a sensing function (SF) (also known as a sensing management entity (SME)) is introduced as a new network function to manage sensing operations. The proposed sensing function is expected to be aware of sensing requirements and capable of managing the overall coordination and scheduling resources required for sensing operations. It may be responsible for at least one of the following: selection of sensing methods and configuration of sensing nodes (e.g., base stations), collection of measurement data, processing, and transmission of sensing results.

[0032] In this example, the SME can serve as a functional entity for sensing management within the core network. For instance, it can interact with the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) to coordinate sensing functions. In other example embodiments, the sensing function can be used as a sensing management component at the network edge, a functional entity of 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).

[0033] Figure 2 This is a message flow diagram illustrating a process for active sensing according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The process can be performed by a terminal device 110, an access network device 120 (e.g., base station 120), and a sensing management entity (SME) 140. In the example embodiment, the terminal device 110, the access network device 120, and the sensing management entity 140 may each include or be configured with multiple components, modules, parts, or elements to perform operations in the process, and the components, modules, parts, or elements may be implemented in various ways, including but not limited to, software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0034] refer to Figure 2 At operation 202, terminal device 110 may send an active sensing request 204 to sensing management entity 140. The active sensing request may request the initiation of any of the aforementioned sensing services or sensing applications for sensing the terminal device's environment. Terminal device 110 may be, for example... Figure 1 The terminal device 110a is an autonomous robot, or any other intelligent movable object, such as an autonomous vehicle. When the terminal device 110 loses its location or wants to know the movement status of surrounding objects, it can actively request the sensing management entity 140 to initiate a search-sensing process to sense the terminal device 110 (e.g., the position or movement of the terminal device) or the surrounding environment of the terminal device 110 for navigation or obstacle avoidance. In the example, the terminal device 110 can send an active sensing request 204 via an onboard communication module.

[0035] In an example embodiment, the active sensing request 204 may include an identification indicator for the sensing management entity 140 to identify the terminal device 110. For example, the identification indicator may be a UE ID, such as a Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) or Temporary Mobile Station Identifier (TMSI) assigned to the terminal device 110.

[0036] In an example embodiment, the active sensing request 204 may include an indicator to indicate that the current message is used to trigger the sensing system to sense and locate the terminal device 110. That is, the sensing management entity 140 should provide feedback or a response to the active sensing request 204. In this example, the indicator may include one or more bits to indicate that the sensing management entity provides a sensing beam configuration to the terminal device 110 for detecting the beam during the sensing and locating of the terminal device 110, and that the sensing results need to be fed back to the terminal device 110.

[0037] In the example embodiment, the active sensing request 204 may also indicate various information, such as at least one of the following: expected sensing information, expected sensing accuracy, or expected sensing area. Expected sensing information may include the position and velocity of the terminal device 110, and / or the position and velocity of surrounding objects. Expected sensing accuracy may indicate the required sensing resolution. If the active sensing request 240 is for obstacle avoidance, the terminal device 110 will notify the sensing management entity 140 of the expected sensing area. The sensing area may be determined by the current velocity of the terminal device 110 and the surrounding environment. Typically, a larger sensing area is required when the terminal device 110 is moving at a higher speed.

[0038] In response to Active Sensing Request 204, Sensing Management Entity 140 may allocate certain radio resources at Operation 206 for sensing of Terminal Device 110. Radio resources may be, for example, time resources, frequency resources, spatial resources, or some combination thereof. More specifically, radio resources may define time slots, subcarriers, and / or the direction of the transmission beam. In this example, the amount of radio resources may be determined based on the communication capacity of Network Device 120, the expected sensing accuracy, and the expected sensing area received in Active Sensing Request 204.

[0039] After allocating radio resources for active sensing request 204, several search-sensing processes can be performed on the allocated radio resources to sense terminal device 110 and / or its surrounding environment to obtain information about the location and velocity of the terminal device and / or the movement status of surrounding objects. Through repeated search-sensing processes, the sensing system gradually reduces the search and sensing range and gradually uses a narrower radar beam until terminal device 110 is located and the sensing accuracy requirements are met. As the sensing range gradually decreases and the sensing beam gradually narrows, in the example embodiment, the amount of sensing radio resources allocated for each search-sensing process can be substantially the same and will not increase or decrease throughout the active sensing period. This minimizes the impact on communication functions in the JCAS system.

[0040] Each search-sensing process may include a set of interactive operations performed by terminal device 110, network device 120, and sensing management entity 140. Further details of example embodiments of the search-sensing process are described below.

[0041] At operation 208, the sensing management entity 140 can configure the sensing range, beam size, and / or beam direction for the current search-sensing process. In the example, the initial sensing range can be the entire service range of the sensing radar at network device 120. Due to limited radio resources, the initial beam can be set to a wider beam, and the beam direction of each beam can be set to cover the sensing range. In the example, the beam size can be set according to the size of the sensing range. More specifically, the beam size can be set to a certain proportion of the current sensing range size (e.g., 1 / 5). That is, as the sensing range gradually decreases, the beam size narrows, and therefore the sensing accuracy / resolution will increase accordingly.

[0042] At operation 210, the sensing management entity 140 can also configure beamgroups for network device 120 to sense terminal device 110. The number of configured beams should cover the sensing range of the current sensing-search process. For example, the number of beams can be determined at least based on the sensing range and beam size.

[0043] In an example embodiment, the sensing management entity 140 can generate a set of data sequences to identify the beam group. The data sequences can represent beam identifiers (IDs), beam indices, or pseudo-random sequences. Each beam can carry a different data sequence to indicate itself. In other words, the set of data sequences will be transmitted separately over the beam group. In this way, when the terminal device 110 detects a beam signal, it can identify which beam it detected and report this information to the sensing management entity 140 to prepare for the next search-sensing process or to accurately locate the terminal device 110.

[0044] A beam can be configured with a set of resources or parameters for transmission or measurement. For example, the sensing management entity 140 can configure time, frequency, and spatial resources for a beam group. Time resources may include one or more time slots, frequency resources may include one or more subcarriers, and spatial resources may indicate the spatial direction of each beam. Furthermore, the sensing management entity 140 can configure a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the beam group, enabling the terminal device 110 to extract sequence data from the beam signals transmitted by the network device 120.

[0045] In the example, the sensing management entity 140 can configure time, frequency, and spatial resources based on the amount of radio resources allocated in operation 206 and the sensing range of the current search-sensing process. For example, as the sensing range gradually decreases, a larger number of subcarriers and shorter time slot lengths can be configured so that network device 120 can use a narrower beam to sense terminal device 110 with progressively increasing accuracy and resolution. Thus, the same radio resources can be used to perform active sensing without affecting the communication performance of the JCAS system.

[0046] Then, the sensing management entity 140 may transmit at least a portion of the determined sensing beam configuration to the network device 120 and the terminal device 110. For example, at operation 212, the sensing management entity 140 may transmit a sensing beam configuration 214 to the network device 120. The sensing beam configuration 214 may include at least one of the following: a set of data sequences (e.g., pseudo-random sequences) for identifying the beam group; time, frequency, and spatial resources for the beam group; modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the beam group; sensing range; beam size; and beam direction for the current search-sensing process.

[0047] Simultaneously, the sensing management entity 140 can also notify the network device 110 of the beam configuration. For example, at operation 216, the sensing management 140 can transmit the sensing beam configuration 218 to the terminal device 110. The sensing beam configuration 218 may include at least one of the following: a set of data sequences (e.g., pseudo-random sequences) for identifying the beam group; time, frequency, and spatial resources for the beam group; and modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the beam group.

[0048] Although operation 216 is shown to occur after operation 212, it should be understood that in some embodiments of this disclosure, operation 216 may occur before or in parallel with operation 212.

[0049] At operation 220, network device 120 can generate a beam group based on the received sensing beam configuration 214 and sense objects by using the beam group within the current sensing range. Each beam can carry a sensing signal and include a data sequence for identifying the beam. For example, the sensing signal can be a sensing reference signal, which can be selected from, for example, a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a probe reference signal (SRS), a tracking reference signal (TRS), or other similar signals.

[0050] In an example embodiment, network device 120 can transmit sensing signals on corresponding subcarriers of the beam group. These beams will alternately radiate to their respective sensing areas in their respective sensing time slots to scan the current sensing range of terminal device 110.

[0051] For each beam, network device 120 can receive echo signals reflected by one or more moving objects in the corresponding sensing area. Network device 120 can process the echo signals to detect moving objects and determine one or more characteristics of the moving objects in the sensing area, such as position, size, and / or speed, for example, based on the Doppler shift, time of arrival, and angle of arrival of the echo signals. Therefore, network device 120 can know the number of moving objects sensed by each beam.

[0052] Simultaneously, at operation 222, network device 110 can detect at least one beam in the beam group based on the received sensing beam configuration 218. For example, network device 110 can detect and measure the sensing signal carried by the beam group one by one in each sensing time slot in order to determine which one or more beams in the beam group can radiate to it.

[0053] Figure 3 Further details of beam detection operation 222 according to an example embodiment are shown. (See reference) Figure 3 The operation begins at step 302, where a sensing beam configuration 218 is received from the sensing management entity 140.

[0054] At step 304, the terminal device 110 may measure the signal strength of the sensed signal carried on the beam at a sensing time slot (e.g., a first sensing time slot among a plurality of configured sensing time slots). For example, the signal strength may be measured or indicated using the Reference Signal Received Power (RSPP), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), or any other suitable parameter.

[0055] In step 306, the measured signal strength can be compared with a threshold. If the signal strength is greater than the threshold, the terminal device 110 can extract sequence data from the beam signal at step 308. On the other hand, if the signal strength is less than the threshold, or if sequence data has already been extracted at step 308, the operation proceeds to step 310, where it is determined whether all beams in the beam group have been measured. If it is determined to be "no", the terminal device 110 can detect the next beam, that is, repeat steps 304, 306, and 308 at the next sensing time slot. If all beams have been measured, the terminal device 110 can generate a detection report for the detection operation.

[0056] As can be seen, the detection operation is used to search for one or more beams in the sensing area where the scanning terminal device 110 may be located. In some cases, the terminal device 110 can detect a beam whose measured signal strength is greater than a threshold. In other cases, if the terminal device 110 is located in the overlapping area of ​​two or more adjacent beams, it can detect two or more beams whose measured signal strength is greater than a threshold.

[0057] Return to reference Figure 2 When sensing operation 220 is completed, network device 120 can send sensing report 226 to sensing management entity 140 at operation 224. At the same time, when beam detection operation 222 is completed, terminal device 110 can transmit information about one or more detected beams 230 to sensing management entity 140 at operation 228.

[0058] In an example embodiment, as described above, the sensing report 226 may indicate objects sensed within the beam group. For example, the sensing report 226 may include the number of moving objects sensed by each beam, and the physical characteristics of each moving object (e.g., location, velocity). In the example, the network device 120 may generate the sensing report 226 by associating this sensing information with a data sequence representing the sensing beams.

[0059] In an example embodiment, information about one or more detected beams 230 may include one or more data sequences received on the one or more detected beams, and / or the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the one or more detected beams. For example, terminal device 110 may report the extracted data sequences(s) to inform sensing management entity 140 which beam(s) in the beam group radiates toward it. As described above, depending on the number of beams detected by terminal device 110 in operation 222, information 230 may indicate one or more data sequences respectively. Additionally or alternatively, since each sensed beam is associated with a specific radio resource, terminal device 110 may report the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the detected beam(s)(s) to sensing management entity 140, based on which sensing management entity 140 may also obtain which beam(s) radiate toward terminal device 110.

[0060] Upon receiving the sensing report 226 and the information of the detected beam 230, the sensing management entity 140 can determine at operation 232 whether the terminal device 110 has been found, i.e., whether the terminal device 110 can be identified from the objects sensed in the beam group. Based on the information 230 reported by the terminal device 110 (e.g., one or more data sequences), the sensing management entity 140 can determine which beam(s) have detected the terminal device 110. Simultaneously, based on the sensing report 226 from the network device 120, the sensing management entity 140 can also determine which moving objects were sensed by the aforementioned determined beam(s).

[0061] If a one-to-one relationship can be established between the identified beam and the terminal device 110—for example, if a beam is detected at the terminal device 110 and an object is sensed within that beam—then the sensing management entity 140 can identify the object as the terminal device 110. Otherwise, the sensing management entity 140 may initiate one or more search-sensing processes until the terminal device 110 can be identified from the objects sensed within the beam group.

[0062] For example, the sensing management entity 140 can repeatedly perform operations such as setting a reduced sensing range, configuring, and transmitting the sensing beam configuration of the indication beam group. The sensing beam configuration can be changed between at least two receptions of the sensing beam configuration. For example, compared to a previous search-sensing process, a larger number of subcarriers and a reduced beam size can be configured for the current search-sensing process so that the network device 120 can use a narrower beam to sense the terminal device 110 with increased accuracy.

[0063] Furthermore, network device 120 can repeatedly perform the operations of receiving beam configuration, sensing, and transmitting sensing reports to sense objects within a narrowed sensing range once or multiple times. Simultaneously, terminal device 110 can repeatedly perform a search for the beam group and, after detecting at least one beam, transmit a beam detection report (e.g., information about at least one detected beam) once or multiple times until an active sensing response is received. Correspondingly, sensing management entity 140 can repeatedly analyze the sensing reports from network device 120 and the beam detection reports from terminal device 110 once or multiple times until terminal device 110 identifies an object sensed from the beam group.

[0064] Once terminal device 110 is identified, sensing management entity 140 can determine the physical characteristics (e.g., location, velocity) of terminal device 110, for example, based on sensing report 226 of the beam detected at terminal device 110. In the example, when active sensing request 204 includes expected sensing accuracy, sensing management entity 140 can further determine whether the sensing accuracy of terminal device 110 meets a predetermined sensing accuracy requirement, i.e., expected sensing accuracy. If not, sensing management entity 140 can begin a new search-sensing process to sense the terminal device within a reduced sensing range with a reduced beam size, similar to the above, until terminal device 110 is identified from the objects sensed in that beam group and the sensing accuracy of terminal device 110 meets the expected sensing accuracy.

[0065] Figure 4 A flowchart of a process for identifying a terminal device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 The operations shown can be repeated for each search-sensing process.

[0066] refer to Figure 4 At step 402, the sensing management entity 140 may determine, for example, based on the number of data sequences in the beam detection report whether the terminal device 110 is sensed by only one beam. If the result is "no," for example, if the terminal device is located in the overlapping area of ​​two beams and is sensed by both beams, the process may proceed to operation 208, whereby the sensing management entity 140 may set a smaller sensing range (i.e., the combination of the ranges of the two beams) and a narrower beam to begin a new search-sensing process.

[0067] If terminal device 110 is sensed by a beam, the process proceeds to step 404, where it is determined whether network device 120 senses only one moving object in the beam detected by terminal device 110. If network device 120 senses two or more moving objects in that beam, sensing management entity 140 cannot identify which moving object is the terminal device and can begin a new search-sensing process using a narrower set of beams over a smaller sensing range (i.e., beam range).

[0068] If terminal device 110 is sensed by a beam, and network device 120 senses only one moving object within that beam, then the moving object can be identified as terminal device 110. The process can proceed to step 406, where sensing management entity 140 can assess whether the sensing accuracy meets accuracy requirements. If not, sensing management entity 140 can reduce the sensing range and beam size to begin a new search-sensing process.

[0069] On the other hand, once terminal device 110 has been identified and the accuracy requirements are met, return to the reference. Figure 2 The process can continue to operation 234, where the sensing management entity 140 can determine the sensing results of the identified terminal device based on one or more sensing reports received from the network device 120.

[0070] In an example embodiment, the sensing management entity 140 may collect sensing results based on the active sensing request 204. For example, if the active sensing request 204 indicates expected sensing information (e.g., location and velocity), the sensing management entity 140 may collect various sensing results that conform to the sensing information, for example, based on the latest sensing report of the beam detected at the terminal device 110.

[0071] Additionally or alternatively, if the active sensing request 204 indicates a desired sensing area, the sensing management entity 140 may, for example, determine the position and speed of the terminal device 110 and moving objects around it based on the latest sensing report and some previous sensing reports received from the network device 120, such that the beam corresponding to these sensing reports will cover the desired sensing area.

[0072] Then, at operation 236, in response to the active sensing request 204, the sensing management entity 140 may send an active sensing response to the terminal device 110. For example, the active sensing response may include the determined sensing results. Upon receiving the active sensing response, the terminal device 110 may create a map of the working environment and use it for purposes such as navigation or other purposes.

[0073] According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the search-sensing process can be repeated once or multiple times until a terminal device can be found and the accuracy requirements are met. As the sensing range gradually decreases and the sensing beam narrows, some exemplary embodiments offer the technical advantage of using substantially the same radio resources to perform active sensing, thus minimizing the impact on communication with the JCAS system.

[0074] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 for active sensing according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 500 may be implemented at a terminal device (e.g., terminal device 110 discussed above). In some example embodiments, method 500 may also include one or more steps performed at terminal device 110, as described above relative to... Figures 2-3 As stated above. It should also be understood that the above already addresses... Figures 2-3 The details of some steps in process 500 have been discussed, and process 500 will be described in a simplified manner here.

[0075] refer to Figure 5 At point 510, terminal device 110 may transmit an active sensing request to a sensing management entity regarding sensing of the terminal device. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may indicate expected sensing information regarding the sensing results. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may indicate at least one of expected sensing accuracy or expected sensing area. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may include an identification indicator for the sensing management entity to identify the terminal device. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may include an indicator for the sensing management entity to provide the terminal device with a sensing beam configuration for detecting the at least one beam.

[0076] At 520, terminal device 110 can receive from the sensing management entity an instruction on the sensing beam configuration for the beam group used for sensing.

[0077] In some example embodiments, the sensing beam configuration may include at least one of the following: time, frequency, and spatial resources for the beam group; a set of data sequences to be transmitted on the beam group; or a modulation and coding scheme for the beam group.

[0078] At 530, the terminal device can detect at least one beam in the beam group based on the sensing beam configuration.

[0079] Then, at 540, the terminal device can transmit information about the detected at least one beam to the sensing management entity.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the information of the detected at least one beam includes at least one of the following: the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the detected one or more beams; or one or more data sequences received on the detected one or more beams.

[0081] At point 550, the terminal device can repeatedly perform the operations of receiving and sensing beam configuration, detecting the beam group, and transmitting information of the detected beam once or multiple times.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may repeatedly perform a search for a beam group before receiving an active sensing response, and transmit information about the detected at least one beam once or multiple times when the at least one beam is detected.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the terminal device may also repeatedly perform the reception of the sensing beam configuration, wherein the sensing beam configuration changes between at least two receptions of the sensing beam configuration.

[0084] At point 560, the terminal device can receive an active sensing response, including sensing results, from the sensing management entity. In an example embodiment, the sensing results may conform to the sensing information and the expected sensing accuracy.

[0085] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method 600 for active sensing according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 600 can be implemented at a radio access network device (e.g., network device 120 discussed above). It should be understood that the above has already addressed... Figure 2 The details of some steps in process 600 have been discussed, and process 600 will be described in a simplified manner here.

[0086] At 610, network device 120 can receive from the sensing management entity a sensing beam configuration indicating the beam group for sensing range.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the sensing beam configuration includes at least one of the following: time, frequency, and spatial resources for the beam group; a set of data sequences to be transmitted on the beam group; a modulation and coding scheme for the beam group; sensing range; beam size; or beam direction.

[0088] At 620, network device 120 can use this beam group to sense objects.

[0089] At 630, network device 120 can send a sensing report to the sensing management entity indicating objects sensed in the beam group.

[0090] Then, at 640, network device 120 can repeatedly perform receive, sense, and transmit operations to sense an object once or multiple times within a reduced sensing range.

[0091] Figure 7 A flowchart of an example method 700 for active sensing according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 700 may be implemented at a network function (e.g., the sensing management entity 140 discussed above). In some example embodiments, method 700 may also include one or more steps performed at the sensing management entity 140, as described above regarding... Figure 2-4 As described above. It should also be understood that the above already pertains to... Figure 2-4 The details of some steps in process 700 have been discussed, and process 700 will be described in a simplified manner here.

[0092] refer to Figure 7 At 710, the sensing management function 140 can receive an active sensing request from the terminal device for sensing the terminal device. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may indicate expected sensing information regarding the sensing result. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may indicate at least one of the expected sensing accuracy or expected sensing area. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may include an identification indicator for the sensing management entity to identify the terminal device. In an example embodiment, the active sensing request may include an indicator for the sensing management entity to provide the terminal device with a sensing beam configuration for detecting beam(s)(s) during sensing and lookup operations.

[0093] In some example embodiments, method 700 may also include operations of allocating radio resources for sensing with respect to the terminal device in response to an active sensing request.

[0094] At 720, the sensing management function 140 can send a first sensing beam configuration to the radio access network device, the first sensing beam configuration indicating the beam group used for sensing within the sensing range. In an example embodiment, the first sensing beam configuration may be determined at least based on radio resource allocation.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the first sensing beam configuration may include at least one of the following: time, frequency, and spatial resources for the beam group; a set of data sequences to be transmitted on the beam group; a modulation and coding scheme for the beam group; sensing range; beam size; or beam direction.

[0096] At 730, the sensing management function 140 can send a second sensing beam configuration indicating the beam group to the terminal device. In an example embodiment, the second sensing beam configuration can be determined at least based on radio resource allocation.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the second sensing beam configuration may include at least one of the following: time, frequency, and spatial resources for the beam group; a set of data sequences to be transmitted on the beam group; or a modulation and coding scheme for the beam group.

[0098] At 740, the sensing management function 140 can receive a sensing report from the radio access network device indicating objects sensed in the beam group.

[0099] At 750, the sensing management function 140 can receive information from the terminal device about at least one beam detected at the terminal device in the beam group.

[0100] At 760, the sensing management function 140 can repeatedly perform operations of sending a first sensing beam configuration, sending a second sensing beam configuration, receiving a sensing report, and receiving information about at least one beam detected at the terminal device, in order to sense the terminal device within a reduced sensing range until the terminal device is identified from the objects sensed in the beam group.

[0101] In some example embodiments, a terminal device can be identified from an object sensed in a beam group when: a beam is detected at the terminal device; and an object is sensed in a beam detected at the terminal device.

[0102] In some example embodiments, method 700 may include repeatedly performing operations of transmitting a first sensing beam configuration, transmitting a second beam configuration, receiving a sensing report, and receiving information about at least one beam detected at a terminal device to sense with a reduced beam size about the terminal device within a reduced sensing range, until the terminal device is identified from objects sensed in the beam group and the identified terminal device has a sensing accuracy that meets a predetermined sensing accuracy requirement.

[0103] In some example embodiments, method 700 may include operations that determine sensing results for an identified terminal device based on one or more sensing reports received from a radio access network device. In example embodiments, the sensing results may conform to sensing information and expected sensing accuracy.

[0104] At 770, the sensing management function 140 can send an active sensing response to the terminal device, including sensing results for the terminal device.

[0105] Figure 8This is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 800 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Apparatus 800 can be implemented at a terminal device, such as terminal device 110, to perform operations associated with terminal device 110 as described above. Since reference has been made to... Figures 2 to 3 The operation related to terminal device 110 has been discussed in detail, so the outline of device 800 will be briefly described here, and its details can be found in the description above.

[0106] like Figure 8 As shown, the apparatus 800 may include: a first component 810 for transmitting an active sensing request to a sensing management entity for sensing about a terminal device; a second component 820 for receiving from the sensing management entity a sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for sensing; a third component 830 for detecting at least one beam in the beam group based on the sensing beam configuration; a fourth component 840 for transmitting information about the detected at least one beam to the sensing management entity; and a fifth component 850 for receiving an active sensing response including sensing results from the sensing management entity.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the device 800 may also include components for repeatedly performing a search for a beam group before receiving an active sensing response, and for transmitting information about the detected at least one beam once or multiple times when the at least one beam is detected.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 800 may also include components for repeatedly performing reception of a sensing beam configuration, wherein the sensing beam configuration changes between at least two receptions of the sensing beam configuration.

[0109] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 900 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Apparatus 900 may be implemented at a radio access network device similar to network device 120 to perform operations associated with network device 120 as described above. Since reference has been made to... Figure 2 The operation related to network device 120 has been discussed in detail, so the outline of device 900 will be briefly described here, and its details can be found in the description above.

[0110] refer to Figure 9 The apparatus 900 may include: a first component 910 for receiving from a sensing management entity a sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for sensing range; a second component 920 for sensing an object using the beam group; a third component 930 for sending a sensing report to the sensing management entity indicating an object sensed in the beam group; and a fourth component 940 for repeatedly performing receive, sense, and transmit operations to sense an object once or multiple times within a reduced sensing range.

[0111] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 1000 may be implemented at a network function similar to the sensing management entity 140 to perform operations associated with the sensing management entity 140 as described above. Since reference has been made to... Figures 2 to 4 The operation related to the sensing management entity 140 has been discussed in detail, so the outline of the device 1000 will be briefly described here, and its details can be found in the description above.

[0112] like Figure 10 As shown, the apparatus 1000 may include a first component 1010 for receiving an active sensing request from a terminal device for sensing about the terminal device; a second component 1020 for sending a first sensing beam configuration to a radio access network device, the first sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for sensing within a sensing range; a third component 1030 for sending a second sensing beam configuration to the terminal device indicating the beam group; a fourth component 1040 for receiving a sensing report from the radio access network device indicating an object sensed in the beam group; a fifth component 1050 for receiving information from the terminal device about at least one beam detected at the terminal device in the beam group; a fifth component 1060 for repeatedly performing the operations of sending the first sensing beam configuration, sending the second sensing beam configuration, receiving the sensing report, and receiving information about at least one beam detected at the terminal device to sense about the terminal device within a reduced sensing range until the terminal device is identified from an object sensed in the beam group; and a seventh component 1070 for sending an active sensing response to the terminal device including the sensing results for the terminal device.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 1000 may also include components for allocating radio resources for sensing terminal devices in response to an active sensing request.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 1000 may further include components for repeatedly performing operations of transmitting a first sensing beam configuration, transmitting a second beam configuration, receiving a sensing report, and receiving information of at least one beam detected at a terminal device, to sense with a reduced beam size about the terminal device within a reduced sensing range, until the terminal device is identified from objects sensed in the beam group and the identified terminal device has a sensing accuracy that meets a predetermined sensing accuracy requirement.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 1000 may also include components for determining sensing results for the identified terminal device based on one or more sensing reports received from the radio access network device.

[0116] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating devices in a communication system 1100 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 As shown, the communication system 1100 may include a terminal device 1110 that can be implemented as the aforementioned terminal device 110, a radio access network (RAN) device 1120 that can be implemented as the aforementioned network device 120, and a core network device 1130 that can be implemented as the aforementioned sensing management entity 140. 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.

[0117] refer to Figure 11 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 buses, data buses, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fibers, optics, or other optical communication devices. 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 that, when executed by the one or more processors 1111, cause terminal device 1110 to perform operations and processes associated with terminal device 110 as described above.

[0118] 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 buses, data buses, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fibers, optics, 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, elements, 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, can cause the RAN device 1120 to perform operations and processes related to the network device 120 as described above.

[0119] 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 buses, data buses, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fibers, optics, 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 radio access network device 1120 via one or more links. The one or more network interfaces 1137 may provide wired or wireless communication links through which the core network device 1130 may communicate with other network devices, entities, elements, or functions. The one or more memories 1132 may include instructions 1135, which, when executed by one or more processors 1131, may cause the core network device 1130 to perform operations and processes related to the sensing management entity 140 as described above.

[0120] The one or more processors 1111, 1121, and 1131 discussed above can be any suitable type for the local technology network and can include one or more general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), processors based on 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 one or more processors 1111, 1121, and 1131 can be configured to control other elements of the control terminal / RAN / core network equipment and cooperate with them to implement the processes described above.

[0121] One or more memories 1112, 1122, and 1132 may include at least one type of storage medium, such as transient and / or non-transient memory. Transient memory may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM) or cache. Non-transient memory may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transient" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM). Furthermore, one or more memories 1112, 1122, and 1132 may include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or equipment, or any combination thereof.

[0122] It should be understood that the boxes in the figures can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more boxes may be implemented using software and / or firmware (e.g., machine-executable instructions stored in a storage medium). In addition to or in lieu of machine-executable instructions, some or all of the boxes in the figures may be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. Examples, but not limited to, illustrative 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.

[0123] 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 cause 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 the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0124] Some exemplary embodiments also provide a computer program product or computer-readable medium in which one or more program instructions are stored. A computer-readable medium can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program used 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. A machine-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer 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 thereof.

[0125] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, means at least one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0126] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all the operations shown be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific embodiment details are contained in the foregoing discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0127] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

[0128] Some abbreviations that may be found in the instruction manual and / or accompanying drawings are defined here as follows: BS base station JCAS Joint Communication and Sensing MCS modulation and coding scheme SF sensing function Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) UE User Equipment

Claims

1. An apparatus for a terminal device, 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 terminal device to at least: Transmit an active sensing request to the sensing management entity for sensing about the terminal device; Receive from the sensing management entity an instruction for the sensing beam configuration of the beam group for the sensing; Detect at least one beam in the beam group based on the sensing beam configuration; Transmit the information of the detected at least one beam to the sensing management entity; as well as Receive an active sensing response, including the sensing results, from the sensing management entity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Before receiving the active sensing response, the search for the beam group is repeatedly performed, and when the at least one beam is detected, the information of the at least one detected beam is transmitted once or multiple times.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to: It also repeatedly performs reception of the sensing beam configuration, wherein the sensing beam configuration changes between at least two receptions of the sensing beam configuration.

4. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the active sensing request indicates expected sensing information for the sensing result, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the sensing information.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the active sensing request indicates at least one of expected sensing accuracy or expected sensing area, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the expected sensing accuracy.

6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the active sensing request includes an identifier for the sensing management entity to identify the terminal device.

7. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the active sensing request includes an indicator for the sensing management entity to provide the sensing beam configuration to the terminal device for detecting the at least one beam.

8. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensing beam configuration comprises at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the aforementioned beam group; The data sequence group to be transmitted on the beam group; or The modulation and coding scheme for the beam group.

9. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the information of the detected at least one beam includes at least one of the following: The detected time, frequency, and spatial resources of the one or more beams; or One or more data sequences received on the detected one or more beams.

10. An apparatus for a radio access network device, 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 radio access network device to at least: Receive the sensing beam configuration for the beam group used for sensing range from the sensing management entity; Use the beam group to sense the object; Send a sensing report to the sensing management entity indicating the object sensed in the beam group; as well as The receiving, sensing, and transmitting operations are performed repeatedly to sense the object once or multiple times within a reduced sensing range.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensing beam configuration comprises at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the aforementioned beam group; A set of data sequences to be transmitted on the beam group; The modulation and coding scheme for the aforementioned beam group; The sensing range; Beam size; or Beam direction.

12. An apparatus for sensing and managing entities, 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 management entity to at least: Receive an active sensing request from the terminal device for sensing information about the terminal device; Send a first sensing beam configuration to the radio access network device, the first sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for performing the sensing within the sensing range; Send a second sensing beam configuration instructing the beam group to the terminal device; Receive a sensing report from the radio access network device indicating an object sensed in the beam group; Receive information from the terminal device about at least one beam detected at the terminal device in the beam group; The operations of repeatedly sending the first sensing beam configuration, sending the second sensing beam configuration, receiving the sensing report, and receiving the information of at least one beam detected at the terminal device are performed to sense with respect to the terminal device in a reduced sensing range until the terminal device is identified from the object sensed in the beam group. as well as Send an active sensing response, including sensing results for the terminal device, to the terminal device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the active sensing request indicates expected sensing information for the sensing result, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the sensing information.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 12-13, wherein the active sensing request indicates at least one of expected sensing accuracy or expected sensing area, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the expected sensing accuracy.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12-14, wherein the active sensing request includes an identification indicator for the sensing management entity to identify the terminal device.

16. The apparatus of any one of claims 12-15, wherein the active sensing request includes an indicator for the sensing management entity to provide the terminal device with the second sensing beam configuration for detecting the at least one beam.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12-16, wherein the apparatus is configured to: In response to the active sensing request, radio resources are allocated for sensing with respect to the terminal device, and the first sensing beam configuration and the second sensing beam configuration are determined at least based on the radio resource allocation.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12-17, wherein the first sensing beam configuration comprises at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the aforementioned beam group; The data sequence group to be transmitted on the beam group; The modulation and coding scheme for the aforementioned beam group; The sensing range; Beam size; or Beam direction, and The second sensing beam configuration includes at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the beam group; The data sequence group to be transmitted on the beam group; or The modulation and coding scheme for the beam group.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12-18, wherein the terminal device is identified from the object sensed in the beam group in the following cases: A beam was detected at the terminal device; and An object is sensed in the beam detected at the terminal device.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12-19, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Repeatedly perform the operations of sending the first sensing beam configuration, sending the second beam configuration, receiving the sensing report, and receiving the information of at least one beam detected at the terminal device, to sense with respect to the terminal device using a reduced beam size in a reduced sensing range, until the terminal device is identified from the objects sensed in the beam group and the identified terminal device has a sensing accuracy that meets a predetermined sensing accuracy requirement.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12-20, wherein the apparatus is configured to: The sensing results for the identified terminal device are determined based on one or more sensing reports received from the radio access network device.

22. A method performed by means for a terminal device, comprising: Transmit an active sensing request to the sensing management entity for sensing about the terminal device; Receive from the sensing management entity an instruction for the sensing beam configuration of the beam group for the sensing; Detect at least one beam in the beam group based on the sensing beam configuration; Transmit the information of the detected at least one beam to the sensing management entity; as well as Receive an active sensing response, including the sensing results, from the sensing management entity.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising: Before receiving the active sensing response, the search for the beam group is repeatedly performed, and when the at least one beam is detected, the information of the at least one detected beam is transmitted once or multiple times.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising: It also repeatedly performs reception of the sensing beam configuration, wherein the sensing beam configuration changes between at least two receptions of the sensing beam configuration.

25. The method of claims 22-24, wherein the active sensing request indicates expected sensing information for the sensing result, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the sensing information.

26. The method of any one of claims 22-25, wherein the active sensing request indicates at least one of expected sensing accuracy or expected sensing area, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the expected sensing accuracy.

27. The method according to any one of claims 22-26, wherein the active sensing request includes an identification indicator for the sensing management entity to identify the terminal device.

28. The method of any one of claims 22-27, wherein the active sensing request includes an indicator for the sensing management entity to provide the sensing beam configuration to the terminal device for detecting the at least one beam.

29. The method according to any one of claims 22-28, The sensing beam configuration includes at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the aforementioned beam group; The data sequence group to be transmitted on the beam group; or The modulation and coding scheme for the beam group.

30. The method according to any one of claims 22-29, The information of the detected at least one beam includes at least one of the following: The detected time, frequency, and spatial resources of the one or more beams; or One or more data sequences received on the detected one or more beams.

31. A method performed by means for a radio access network device, comprising: Receive the sensing beam configuration for the beam group used for sensing range from the sensing management entity; Use the beam group to sense the object; Send a sensing report to the sensing management entity indicating the object sensed in the beam group; as well as The receiving, sensing, and transmitting operations are performed repeatedly to sense the object once or multiple times within a reduced sensing range.

32. The method according to claim 31, The sensing beam configuration includes at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the aforementioned beam group; A set of data sequences to be transmitted on the beam group; The modulation and coding scheme for the aforementioned beam group; The sensing range; Beam size; or Beam direction.

33. A method performed by a means for sensing a management entity, comprising: Receive an active sensing request from the terminal device for sensing information about the terminal device; Send a first sensing beam configuration to the radio access network device, the first sensing beam configuration indicating a beam group for performing the sensing within the sensing range; Send a second sensing beam configuration instructing the beam group to the terminal device; Receive a sensing report from the radio access network device indicating an object sensed in the beam group; Receive information from the terminal device about at least one beam detected at the terminal device in the beam group; The operations of repeatedly sending the first sensing beam configuration, sending the second sensing beam configuration, receiving the sensing report, and receiving the information of at least one beam detected at the terminal device are performed to sense with respect to the terminal device in a reduced sensing range until the terminal device is identified from the object sensed in the beam group. as well as Send an active sensing response, including sensing results for the terminal device, to the terminal device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the active sensing request indicates expected sensing information for the sensing result, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the sensing information.

35. The method of any one of claims 33-34, wherein the active sensing request indicates at least one of expected sensing accuracy or expected sensing area, and wherein the sensing result conforms to the expected sensing accuracy.

36. The method according to any one of claims 33-35, wherein the active sensing request includes an identification indicator for the sensing management entity to identify the terminal device.

37. The method of any one of claims 33-36, wherein the active sensing request includes an indicator for the sensing management entity to provide the terminal device with the second sensing beam configuration for detecting the at least one beam.

38. The method according to any one of claims 33-37, comprising: In response to the active sensing request, radio resources are allocated for sensing with respect to the terminal device, and the first sensing beam configuration and the second sensing beam configuration are determined at least based on the radio resource allocation.

39. The method according to any one of claims 33-38, wherein the first sensing beam configuration comprises at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the aforementioned beam group; The data sequence group to be transmitted on the beam group; The modulation and coding scheme for the aforementioned beam group; The sensing range; Beam size; or Beam direction, and The second sensing beam configuration includes at least one of the following: Regarding the time, frequency, and spatial resources of the beam group; The data sequence group to be transmitted on the beam group; or The modulation and coding scheme for the beam group.

40. The method according to any one of claims 33-39, wherein the terminal device is identified from the objects sensed in the beam group in the following cases: A beam was detected at the terminal device; and An object is sensed in the beam detected at the terminal device.

41. The method according to any one of claims 33-40, comprising: Repeatedly perform the operations of sending the first sensing beam configuration, sending the second beam configuration, receiving the sensing report, and receiving the information of at least one beam detected at the terminal device, to sense with respect to the terminal device using a reduced beam size in a reduced sensing range, until the terminal device is identified from the objects sensed in the beam group and the identified terminal device has a sensing accuracy that meets a predetermined sensing accuracy requirement.

42. The method according to any one of claims 33-41, comprising: The sensing results for the identified terminal device are determined based on one or more sensing reports received from the radio access network device.

43. An apparatus for a terminal device, comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 22 to 30.

44. An apparatus for a radio access network device, comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 31 to 32.

45. An apparatus for sensing a management entity, comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 33 to 42.

46. ​​A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 22 to 42.

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