Communications device and method

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods of communication. In one aspect, a network device transmits, to a terminal device, a first configuration for measurement of a sensing signal, the first configuration indicating at least one of: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measurement of the sensing signal, or a priority ordering between the sensing signal and a set of downlink signals. Based on the first configuration, the terminal device performs measurement of the sensing signal. In this way, measurement of the sensing signal can be flexibly performed and power consumption can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to the telecommunications field, and more specifically to methods, apparatus and computer storage media for communication of sensing signal measurements in integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). Background Technology

[0002] Many emerging services require sensing capabilities to provide accurate and timely service. However, traditional radar technology is costly to deploy and lacks flexibility, failing to scale to the current diverse services. ISAC (Interactive Air Detection and Control) has been proposed to provide high-quality service. Using ISAC, networks or user equipment (UEs) can sense their surroundings and exchange their observations via communication. However, the implementation of sensing signal measurements remains unclear. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally, embodiments of this disclosure provide methods, apparatus, and computer storage media for communication of sensing signal measurements.

[0004] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a processor. The processor is configured to cause the terminal device to: receive from a network device a first configuration for measuring a sense signal, the first configuration indicating at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sense signal, or a priority ordering of the sense signal and a set of downlink signals; and perform the measurement of the sense signal based on the first configuration.

[0005] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device includes a processor. The processor is configured to cause the network device to: send a first configuration to an end device for measuring a sensed signal, the first configuration indicating at least one of: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sensed signal, or a priority ordering of the sensed signal among a set of downlink signals.

[0006] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes: receiving, at a terminal device and from a network device, a first configuration for measuring a sense signal, the first configuration indicating at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sense signal, or a priority ordering of the sense signal and a set of downlink signals; and performing the measurement of the sense signal based on the first configuration.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method includes: transmitting, at a network device and to a terminal device, a first configuration for measuring a sense signal, the first configuration indicating at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sense signal, or a priority ordering of the sense signal among a set of downlink signals.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided on which instructions are stored. When executed on at least one processor, these instructions cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to a third or fourth aspect of this disclosure.

[0009] Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from a more detailed description of some embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 Example communication networks are illustrated, which may implement some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating a communication process according to an embodiment of this disclosure is provided; Figure 3A A schematic diagram illustrating an example MAC CE for activating or deactivating a measurement window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3B A schematic diagram of another example MAC CE for activating or deactivating a measurement window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated; Figure 3C A schematic diagram illustrating an example MACCE for activating or deactivating a gap according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3D A schematic diagram illustrating another example MAC CE for activating or deactivating a measurement gap according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3E A schematic diagram of an example MAC CE for requesting activation or deactivation of a measurement gap according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated; Figure 3F A schematic diagram of another example MAC CE for requesting activation or deactivation of a measurement gap according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated; Figure 4 Example communication methods implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated; Figure 5 Example communication methods implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated; and Figure 6 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0011] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and are intended to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0013] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0014] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to: user equipment (UE); personal computers; desktop computers; mobile phones; cellular phones; smartphones; personal digital assistants (PDAs); portable computers; tablets; wearable devices; Internet of Things (IoT) devices; ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) devices; Internet of Everything (IoE) devices; machine-type communication (MTC) devices; devices on vehicles for V2X communication, where X refers to pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks; devices for integrated access and backhaul (IAB); devices for small data transmission (SDT); mobility devices; devices for multicast and broadcast services (MBS); devices for location services; devices for dynamic / flexible duplexing in commercial networks; redcap (redcap) devices; and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). In a non-terrestrial network, spacecraft or aircraft vehicles are included. These networks include satellites and high-altitude platforms (HAPs) encompassing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); extended reality (XR) devices that include different types of reality (such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR); unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often referred to as drones (aircraft without any human pilots); equipment on high-speed trains (HSTs); or image capture devices such as digital cameras and sensors; gaming devices; music storage and playback devices; or internet devices that enable wireless or wired internet access and browsing.The "terminal device" may also have "multicast / broadcast" capabilities to support public safety and mission-critical applications, V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast delivery, IPTV, smart TV, radio services, wireless software delivery, group communications, and IoT applications. The "terminal device" may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), a latter case referred to as multi-SIM. The term "terminal device" is used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0015] The term "network device" refers to a device that provides or hosts a cell or coverage area for terminal devices to communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), remote radio units (RRUs), radioheads (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), IAB nodes, low-power nodes (such as femtonodes and piconodes), reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), and network-controlled repeaters.

[0016] Terminal devices or network devices may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. Terminal devices or network devices typically include models that have been trained on specific functions based on a large amount of collected data and can be used to predict some information.

[0017] Terminal or network devices can operate within several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410MHz to 7125MHz), FR2 (24.25GHz to 71GHz), bands above 100GHz, and terahertz (THz). They can also operate on licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. In MR-DC applications, a terminal device can establish more than one connection with a network device. Terminal or network devices can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, and cross-segmented-duplex modes.

[0018] Network devices may have network energy-saving and self-organizing network (SON) / minimization of drive test (MDT) capabilities. Terminals may have power-saving capabilities.

[0019] The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in test equipment (e.g., signal generator, signal analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, test terminal equipment, test network equipment, channel simulator).

[0020] In one embodiment, the terminal device may be connected to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first and second network devices may be a master node, and the other may be a slave node. The first and second network devices may use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device, and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to different RATs may be sent to the terminal device from at least one of the first or second network devices. In one embodiment, first information may be sent from the first network device to the terminal device, and second information may be sent from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, configuration-related information configured by the second network device for the terminal device may be sent from the second network device via the first network device. Reconfiguration-related information configured by the second network device for the terminal device may be sent from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device.

[0021] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “comprising” and its variations should be understood as open terms meaning “including, but not limited to.” The term “based on” should be understood as “at least partially based on.” The terms “one implementation” and “implementation” should be understood as “at least one implementation.” The term “another implementation” should be understood as “at least one other implementation.” The terms “first,” “second,” etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions are given below.

[0022] In some examples, values, processes, or devices are referred to as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “smallest,” “largest,” etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made among many alternative functionalities used, and that such a choice is not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or otherwise preferred than other choices.

[0023] In the context of this disclosure, the term "sensing measurement" or "sensing signal measurement" can refer to the functionality of obtaining information about the characteristics of an environment and / or objects within that environment (e.g., shape, size, orientation, velocity, location, distance between objects, or relative motion, etc.) using new radio (NR) radio frequency (RF) signals and, in some cases, previously defined information available in the evolved packet core (EPC) and / or evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA). The term "sensing transmitter" can be an entity that transmits sensing signals that a sensing service will use in its operation. The term "sensing receiver" can be an entity that receives sensing signals that a sensing service will use in its operation. The sensing transmitter may be located in the same or a different entity as the sensing receiver.

[0024] For a sensing transmitter, the sensing signal can be a wireless signal transmitted by the sensing transmitter, such as a synchronization signal block (SSB), a positioning reference signal (PRS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), or any other suitable signal. For a sensing receiver, the sensing signal can be a wireless signal that is directly received or affected (e.g., reflected, refracted, or diffracted) by the sensing receiver. For convenience, in the following description, the term "sensing signal" refers to an RF signal used for sensing services, and the term "wireless signal" refers to an RF signal used for communication services.

[0025] The embodiments of this disclosure provide a sensing signal measurement solution. In this solution, a network device sends a first configuration for measuring a sensing signal to a terminal device. This first configuration indicates at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sensing signal, or a priority ordering of the sensing signal among a set of downlink signals. Based on the first configuration, the terminal device performs the measurement of the sensing signal. This allows for dynamic switching between sparse and dense sensing measurements, enabling flexible measurement of the sensing signal and reducing power consumption.

[0026] The principles and specific implementations of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Examples of communication networks Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example communication network 100 in which some embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is illustrated. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 may include terminal equipment 110, network equipment 120, core network element 130, and object 140.

[0028] In some implementations, network device 120 may provide one or more serving cells (not shown) to serve terminal device 110. Figure 1 In the example, terminal device 110 may have sensing and communication capabilities (i.e., support for ISAC), and network device 120 may have sensing and communication capabilities (i.e., support for ISAC). In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may transmit wireless signals to network device 120 and / or receive wireless signals from network device 120.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In the example, terminal device 110 may be a sensing transmitter or a sensing receiver, or both. Network device 120 may also be a sensing transmitter or a sensing receiver, or both. The sensing transmitter may send sensing signals toward object 140, and object 140 may reflect, refract, or diffract the sensing signals to the sensing receiver.

[0030] Various sensing modes are possible. In some embodiments, the sensing transmitter can be a network device 120, and the sensing receiver can be a terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the sensing transmitter can be a terminal device 110, and the sensing receiver can be a network device 120. In some embodiments, the sensing transmitter can be a network device 120, and the sensing receiver can be another network device (not shown). In some embodiments, the sensing receiver can be a network device 120, and the sensing transmitter can be another network device (not shown). In some embodiments, the sensing transmitter can be a terminal device 110, and the sensing receiver can be another terminal device (not shown). In some embodiments, the sensing receiver can be a terminal device 110, and the sensing transmitter can be another terminal device (not shown). In some embodiments, the sensing receiver and the sensing transmitter can be the same network device 120. In some embodiments, the sensing receiver and the sensing transmitter can be the same terminal device 110.

[0031] Core network element 130 may have sensing capabilities. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may communicate with core network element 130 via network device 120.

[0032] Terminal device 110 can communicate with network device 120 via the Uu interface. Network device 120 can communicate with core network element 130 via the Ng interface. Communication in communication network 100 can conform to any applicable standard, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution, LTE-A, New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. Embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G) communication protocols, second-generation (2G) communication protocols, 2.5G communication protocols, 2.75G communication protocols, third-generation (3G) communication protocols, fourth-generation (4G) communication protocols, 4.5G communication protocols, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G communication protocols, 5G-Advanced Networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0033] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices and / or objects described is given for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation on this disclosure. The communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices and / or core network elements and / or objects suitable for implementing specific embodiments of this disclosure.

[0034] Generally, if sensing capabilities are integrated into the design of a communication system, sensing can be provided as a service alongside communication. How to measure the sensed signal within the active downlink (DL) bandwidth portion (BWP) and outside the active DL BWP is a critical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0035] In some cases, sparse sensing measurements can be performed to save power. In other cases, dense sensing measurements may be needed to obtain more accurate sensing results. Therefore, switching between sparse and dense sensing measurements can be beneficial.

[0036] In view of this, the embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication solution for sensing signal measurement to overcome the above and other potential problems. Reference will be made below. Figures 2 to 3F Provide a detailed description.

[0037] Example implementation of sensing signal measurement Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating a communication process 200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1 Describe process 200. Process 200 may involve, for example, Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are illustrated.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, terminal device 110 may send 210 auxiliary information for the measurement of sensed signals (hereinafter also referred to as sense measurement) to network device 120. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may send the auxiliary information via RRC signaling (e.g., UEAssistanceInformation message or UECapabilityInformation message or any other suitable message).

[0039] In some implementations, the auxiliary information may include information about the carrier for which the sensing measurement is to be performed. For example, the auxiliary information may include a field indicating the absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) value of the carrier for which the terminal device 110 needs to perform the sensing measurement. It should be understood that any other suitable information about the carrier is also possible.

[0040] In some implementations, the auxiliary information may include information about preferences for measurement windows or gaps within a set of measurement windows or gaps. For example, the auxiliary information may include a field indicating a preferred periodicity of the measurement window or gap. In another example, the auxiliary information may include a field indicating a preferred offset of the measurement window or gap. In yet another example, the auxiliary information may include a field indicating a preferred duration or length of the measurement window or gap. It should be understood that any combination of the above-described preference information regarding measurement windows or gaps is also feasible.

[0041] It should also be understood that any combination of the aforementioned auxiliary information or any other suitable auxiliary information is also feasible. Using the auxiliary information, network device 120 can optimize the configuration of the measurement window or gap used for sensing measurements.

[0042] Continue to refer to Figure 2 Network device 120 may send 220 of configuration for sensing measurements (also referred to herein as first configuration) to terminal device 110.

[0043] In some implementations, the first configuration may indicate a set of measurement windows for sensing measurements. In other words, network device 120 may be configured to specify one or more measurement windows in which terminal device 110 is expected to measure sensing signals (e.g., DL sensing signals).

[0044] In some implementations, network device 120 may be configured to include one or more measurement windows (e.g., sensing processing window (SPW) or sensing measurement window (SMW)) in which terminal device 110 is expected to measure sensed signals, for example, if the one or more measurement windows are within an active DLBWP and have the same set of parameters as the active DLBWP. In some implementations where the first configuration is a measurement window configuration, the first configuration may include a field indicating an identifier (ID) of the first configuration. In some implementations, the first configuration may include a field indicating the periodicity and / or offset of the start timing (e.g., start time slot / symbol / subframe, etc.) of each measurement window. In some implementations, the first configuration may include a field indicating the length / duration of each measurement window (e.g., in time slot / symbol / subframe, etc.).

[0045] In some implementations, the first configuration may indicate a set of measurement gaps for sensing measurements. In other words, network device 120 may be configured to specify one or more measurement gaps in which terminal device 110 is expected to measure sensing signals (e.g., DL sensing signals).

[0046] In some embodiments, network device 120 may be configured to allow terminal device 110 to measure one or more measurement gaps in which it is expected to measure sense signals, for example, if the one or more measurement gaps are outside the active DL BWP, or within the active DL BWP but have a different set of parameters than the active DL BWP. In some embodiments where the first configuration is a measurement gap configuration, the first configuration may include a field indicating an ID of the first configuration. In some embodiments, the first configuration may include a field indicating the periodicity and / or offset of each measurement gap. In some embodiments, the first configuration may include a field indicating the length / duration of each measurement gap.

[0047] In some implementations, the first configuration may indicate a priority ordering among the sensed signal and a set of DL signals. In some implementations, the first configuration may include a field indicating the priority ordering among the sensed signal and the set of DL signals. In other words, based on the priority ordering information, the terminal device 110 may identify whether the priority of the sensed signal (e.g., a DL sensed signal) is higher than the priority of other DL signals or channels. If the priority of the sensed signal is higher than the priority of other DL signals or channels, the terminal device 110 may determine that it expects to measure the sensed signal and does not expect to receive other DL signals or channels.

[0048] In some implementations, the set of DL signals may include at least one of the following: physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or positioning reference signal (PRS).

[0049] In some implementations, priority sorting can indicate that the sensed signal has a higher priority than the DL signals in the group of DL signals. For example, the field (e.g., priority) can be configured to have a value "x1", where the DL sensed signal has a higher priority than all DL signals and channels.

[0050] In some implementations, priority ordering can indicate a priority that is lower than the priority of the PDCCH and PDSCH scheduled by downlink control information (DCI) but higher than the priority of other DL signals in the group besides the PDCCH and PDSCH scheduled by DCI. For example, this field (e.g., priority) can be configured to have a value "x2", where the DL sensing signal has a priority lower than the PDCCH and PDSCH scheduled by DCI and higher than other DL signals and channels.

[0051] In some implementations, priority sorting can indicate that the sensed signal has a priority lower than that of the DL signals in the group of DL signals. For example, the field (e.g., priority) can be configured to have a value "x3", where the DL sensed signal has a higher priority than all DL signals and channels.

[0052] In some implementations, priority sorting can indicate that the sensed signal has a priority lower than or equal to the PRS and higher than the priority of all other DL signals in the group of DL signals except the PRS. For example, the field (e.g., priority) can be configured to have a value "x4", where the DL sensed signal has a priority lower than or equal to the PRS and higher than all other DL signals and channels.

[0053] For illustration, an example configuration of the measurement window is described below: DL-SPW-PreConfig ::= SEQUENCE { dl-SPW-ID INTEGER (0..maxNrofSPW-ID-1) dl-SPW-PeriodicityAndStartOffset DL-SPW-PeriodicityAndStartOffset, length INTEGER (1..N), priority ENUMERATED {x1, x2, x3, x4} } In this example, the information element (IE) "dl-SPW-ID" indicates the ID of the configured measurement window, the IE "dl-SPW-PeriodicityAndStartOffset" indicates the periodicity and / or offset of the start timing of the configured measurement window, the IE "length" indicates the length / duration of the measurement window, and the IE "priority" indicates the priority order of the DL sensing signal among other DL signals. It should be understood that a similar measurement gap configuration can be provided.

[0054] For illustration, an example procedure during the active measurement gap can be described as follows: During the active measurement gap, the MAC entity should be on the serving cell within the corresponding frequency range of the measurement gap: 1> Do not send HARQ feedback, SR, and CSI; 1> Do not report SRS; 1> Do not transmit on UL-SCH except for Msg3 or MsgA payloads; 1> If ra-ResponseWindow, ra-ContentionResolutionTimer, or msgB-ResponseWindow is running: 2> Monitor PDCCH; 1> Otherwise: 2> Do not monitor PDCCH; 2> Not received on DL-SCH.

[0055] In some implementations, the measurement window or gap subgroup within the set of measurement windows or gaps may be associated with the DL BWP. In some implementations, upon activating the DL BWP, the terminal device 110 may determine that the measurement window or gap subgroup is activated with a first configuration. In some implementations, upon activating the DL BWP, the terminal device 110 may determine that the measurement window or gap subgroup is deactivated with a first configuration. In some implementations, upon reconfiguring the measurement window or gap subgroup of the DL BWP, the terminal device 110 may determine that the measurement window or gap subgroup is activated with a first configuration. In some implementations, upon reconfiguring the measurement window or gap subgroup of the DL BWP, the terminal device 110 may determine that the measurement window or gap subgroup is deactivated with a first configuration.

[0056] For illustration, the example process can be described as follows: When DL BWP is activated, or when the SPW / SMW of an active DL BWP is reconfigured, the SPW / SMW configured for that BWP is considered 1) deactivated; or 2) activated. Upon receiving a MAC CE for SPW / SMW activation / deactivation commands, the MAC entity should: 1> If the DL MAC CE used for the SPW / SMW activation / deactivation command indicates the deactivation of a pre-configured SPW / SMW: 2> Deactivate SPW / SMW; 1> Otherwise, if the DL MAC CE used for the SPW / SMW activation / deactivation command indicates pre-configured SPW / SMW activation: 2> Activate SPW / SMW.

[0057] refer to Figure 2Network device 120 may send a 220' configuration (also referred to herein as a third configuration) to terminal device 110 for a request to activate or deactivate the measurement gap. In some embodiments, network device 120 may configure terminal device 110 via radio resource control (RRC) signaling to indicate whether terminal device 110 is configured to transmit a field of UL MAC CE (e.g., sensingMG-Request) for a sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request. In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 is configured with a pre-configured sensing measurement gap and / or a sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request via UL MAC CE, terminal device 110 may request network device 120 to activate or deactivate the sensing measurement gap using the UL MAC CE for the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request.

[0058] refer to Figure 2 Network device 120 may send a 220'' configuration of a scheduling request (SR) for a request to activate or deactivate a measurement gap (also referred to herein as a second configuration for convenience) to terminal device 110. In some embodiments, network device 120 may configure a field indicating the SR configuration applicable to the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request (e.g., schedulingRequestID-SensingMG-Request) to terminal device 110 via RRC signaling. That is, a dedicated SR configuration is configured for the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request.

[0059] Continue to refer to Figure 2 Network device 120 may send 230 to terminal device 110 an indication of activation or deactivation of sensing measurements on at least one of the measurement windows or gaps in the set of measurement windows or gaps.

[0060] In some implementations, network device 120 may send this instruction via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). MAC CE activation / deactivation reduces configuration latency compared to RRC configuration.

[0061] In some implementations, the MAC CE may include at least one of the following: the ID of the serving cell; the ID of the area where the measurement is applied; the ID of a measurement window or gap in at least one measurement window or gap; an indication for activating or deactivating a measurement window or gap; or a set of indications for activating or deactivating at least one measurement window or gap.

[0062] In some implementations, if terminal device 110 is configured with a pre-configured measurement window (e.g., SPW / SMW), network device 120 may send a DL MAC CE for SPW / SMW activation / deactivation commands to terminal device 110. In some implementations, a logical channel identity (LCID) or extended LCID (eLCID) may be introduced in the MAC sub-header to identify the DL MAC CE for SPW / SMW activation / deactivation commands. For illustration, a combination of... Figure 3A and Figure 3B Example description of MAC CE.

[0063] Figure 3A A schematic diagram of an example MAC CE 300A, illustrating an embodiment of this disclosure, is shown for activating or deactivating a measurement window. The MAC CE 300A is used for activating or deactivating a measurement window (e.g., SPW / SMW). Figure 3A As shown, the MAC CE 300A may include multiple entries. Each entry may include the fields "Serving Cell ID", "SPW / SMWID", and "A / D".

[0064] The "Serving Cell ID" field indicates the ID of the serving cell for which the MAC CE 300A is applied. The "SPW / SMW ID" field indicates the index of the SPW / SMW configured on the active DL BWP (e.g., corresponding to the serving cell identified by the aforementioned serving cell ID). For example, index 0 corresponds to the first entry in the list of the first configuration in the BWP, index 1 corresponds to the second entry in the list, and so on. The "A / D" field indicates the activation or deactivation of the measurement window. The "A / D" field can be set to 1 to indicate the activation of the measurement window and can be set to 0 to indicate the deactivation of the measurement window. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0065] refer to Figure 3A The MAC CE 300A may also include the fields “numEntry” and “R”. The “numEntry” field indicates the number of entries in the MAC CE 300A. The “R” field is a reserved bit, for example, set to 0. It should be understood that the “Serving Cell ID” field in the MAC CE 300A can be replaced by the “Region ID” field, which indicates the ID of the region to which the MAC CE 300A is applied. Alternatively, the “Region ID” field may be additionally included in the MAC CE 300A.

[0066] In some implementations, the DL MAC CE may include a set of fields corresponding to a set of measurement windows, and a field in the set of fields indicates the activation or deactivation of the measurement window corresponding to that field in the set of measurement windows. Figure 3B A schematic diagram of another example MAC CE 300B for activating or deactivating a measurement window according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. An example MAC CE with an octet is shown.

[0067] like Figure 3B As shown, the MAC CE 300B may include the field M. i ,in i =0 to 7. M i Indicator Measurement Window i Activation or deactivation. Field M i It can be set to 1 to indicate the measurement window. i It should be activated. Field M i It can be set to 0 to indicate the measurement window. i It should be deactivated. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure does not impose any limitation in this regard.

[0068] In some implementations, if terminal device 110 is configured with a pre-configured measurement gap, network device 120 may send a DL MAC CE for sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation commands to terminal device 110. In some implementations, a Logical Channel Identifier (LCID) or Extended LCID (eLCID) may be introduced in the MAC sub-header to identify the DL MAC CE for sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation commands. For illustration, a combination of... Figure 3C and Figure 3D Example description of MAC CE.

[0069] Figure 3C A schematic diagram of an example MACCE 300C for activating or deactivating a gap measurement according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. The MAC CE 300C is used for activating or deactivating a gap measurement (MG). Figure 3C As shown, the MAC CE300C may include the fields "Serving Cell ID", "A / D", and "Sense MG ID".

[0070] The "Serving Cell ID" field indicates the ID of the serving cell for the MAC CE 300C application. The "Sense MG ID" field indicates the identifier of the pre-configured sense measurement gap. The "A / D" field indicates the activation or deactivation of the sense measurement gap. The "A / D" field can be set to 1 to indicate activation of the sense measurement gap and can be set to 0 to indicate deactivation of the sense measurement gap. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure is not limiting in this regard.

[0071] It should be understood that the "Serving Cell ID" field in MAC CE 300C can be replaced by the "Region ID" field, which indicates the ID of the region to which MAC CE 300C is applied. Alternatively, the "Region ID" field may be separately included in MAC CE 300C.

[0072] In some implementations, the DL MAC CE may include a set of fields corresponding to a set of measurement gaps, and a field in the set of fields indicates the activation or deactivation of the measurement gap corresponding to that field in the set of measurement gaps. Figure 3D A schematic diagram of another example MAC CE 300D for activating or deactivating a measurement gap according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. An example MAC CE with an octet is shown.

[0073] like Figure 3D As shown, the MAC CE 300D may include the field N. i ,in i =0 to 7. N i Indicator measurement gap i Activation or deactivation, N i The field can be set to 1 to indicate the measurement gap. i It should be activated. Field N i It can be set to 0 to indicate the measurement gap. i It should be deactivated. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure does not impose any limitation in this regard.

[0074] In some embodiments, network device 120 may transmit an indication via DCI indicating the activation or deactivation of sensing measurements on at least one measurement window or gap. In some embodiments, DCI may include at least one of the following: an indication of whether the measurement of sensing signals is enabled in the DL BWP; an identifier of at least one measurement window or gap; an indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or a bitmap indicating the activation or deactivation of at least one measurement window or gap.

[0075] In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 is configured with a pre-configured SPW or SMW, network device 120 may send a DCI to terminal device 110 to activate or deactivate the SPW or SMW. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a field indicating whether sensing measurement is enabled / activated or in an active DL BWP. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a field “SPW / SMW ID” indicating the index of the SPW / SMW configured on the active DL BWP. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a field “A / D” to indicate the activation or deactivation of the SPW / SMW. The “A / D” field is set to 1 to indicate activation and set to 0 to indicate deactivation. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a bitmap indicating the activation status of each pre-configured SPW / SMW. For example, a value of 1 indicates the activation of the corresponding SPW / SMW, and a value of 0 indicates the deactivation of the corresponding SPW / SMW. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure does not impose any limitation in this regard.

[0076] In some embodiments, if terminal device 110 is configured with pre-configured sensing measurement gaps, network device 120 may send a DCI to terminal device 110 to activate or deactivate the measurement gap. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a field indicating whether the sensing measurement gap is enabled / activated. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a field "Measurement Gap ID" indicating the index of the pre-configured measurement gap to be activated / deactivated. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a field "A / D" to indicate the activation or deactivation of the measurement gap. The "A / D" field is set to 1 to indicate activation and set to 0 to indicate deactivation. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, the DCI may carry a bitmap indicating the activation state of each pre-configured measurement gap. For example, a value of 1 indicates the activation of the corresponding measurement gap, and a value of 0 indicates the deactivation of the corresponding measurement gap. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0077] refer to Figure 2 In some implementations, terminal device 110 may send 231 to network device 120 to request activation or deactivation of at least one measurement gap (also referred to herein as the first MAC CE for convenience).

[0078] In some implementations, if terminal device 110 is configured with a pre-configured sensing measurement gap and / or a request to activate / deactivate the sensing measurement gap via UL MAC CE, terminal device 110 may request network device 120 to activate or deactivate the sensing measurement gap using UL MAC CE in response to the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request.

[0079] In some implementations, the first MAC CE may include at least one of the following: an ID of the measurement gap in at least one measurement gap; an identifier of the area where the first MAC CE is applied; an indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement gap; and a set of indications for activation or deactivation of at least one measurement gap. For illustration, [the following will be combined with...] Figure 3E and Figure 3F An example describing the first MACCE.

[0080] Figure 3E A schematic diagram of an example MAC CE 300E for requesting activation or deactivation of a measurement gap, according to an embodiment of this disclosure, is illustrated. Figure 3E As shown, the MAC CE 300E may include the field "R", the field "A / D", and the field "Sense MG ID".

[0081] The "R" field indicates a reserved bit, for example, set to 0. The "Sense MG ID" field indicates the identifier of the pre-configured sense measurement gap. The "A / D" field indicates the activation or deactivation of the sense measurement gap. The "A / D" field can be set to 1 to indicate the activation of the sense measurement gap, and can be set to 0 to indicate the deactivation of the sense measurement gap. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure is not limited in this regard. It should be understood that, although not shown, the "Region ID" field, which indicates the ID of the region where the MAC CE 300E is applied, may be additionally included in the MAC CE 300E.

[0082] In some implementations, the first MAC CE may include a set of fields corresponding to a set of measurement gaps, and a field in the set of fields indicates the activation or deactivation of the measurement gap corresponding to that field in the set of measurement gaps. Figure 3F A schematic diagram of another example MAC CE300F for requesting activation or deactivation of a measurement gap according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 3F As shown, the MAC CE 300F may include the field T. i ,in i =0 to 7. T i Indicator measurement gap i Activation or deactivation of field T. i It can be set to 1 to indicate the measurement gap. iIt should be activated. Field T i It can be set to 0 to indicate the measurement gap. i It should be deactivated. It should be understood that any other suitable value is also possible, and this disclosure does not impose any limitation in this regard.

[0083] In some implementations, during the logical channel prioritization (LCP) process, the first MAC CE may take precedence over the MAC CE used to request activation or deactivation of the measurement gap for PRS measurement (hereinafter also referred to herein as the second MAC CE for convenience). That is, during the LCP process, the first MAC CE may precede the second MAC CE. In some implementations, during the LCP process, the second MAC CE may take precedence over the first MAC CE. That is, during the LCP process, the first MAC CE may follow the second MAC CE.

[0084] For illustration, an example procedure for the RRC layer can be described as follows: 1> If at least one of the following conditions is met: 1) the upper layer indicates that sensing measurements should be started; 2) the UE requires measurement gaps for these operations, and the measurement gaps are either not configured or insufficient; 3) if pre-configured measurement gaps and sensingMG-Requests are configured for sensing, and the UE considers that at least one of the pre-configured measurement gaps for sensing is sufficient for sensing measurements when activated: 2> Trigger the lower layer (e.g., MAC layer) to initiate a sensing measurement gap activation request using UL MAC CE; 1> If the upper layer instructs to stop performing sensing measurements: 2> If there is no pre-configured measurement gap for sensing activation: 3> If a UL MAC CE signal was previously triggered to activate the measurement gap for sensing: 4> Instruct the lower layer (MAC layer) to cancel the triggered UL MAC CE transmission used for sensing the gap activation; 2> Otherwise, if a pre-configured measurement gap exists for activation of sensing: 3> Trigger the lower layer (e.g., MAC layer) to deactivate all active measurement gaps used for sensing.

[0085] For illustration, an example procedure for the MAC layer can be described as follows: When a sensor measurement gap activation / deactivation request is triggered by an upper layer (such as the RRC layer), the MAC entity should cancel the already triggered sensor measurement gap activation / deactivation request (if any) and trigger another sensor measurement gap activation / deactivation request according to the upper layer's request. MAC entities should: 1> If the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request MAC CE has been triggered and has not been cancelled: 2> If an instruction has been received from an upper layer (e.g., the RRC layer), the triggered sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request MAC CE should be cancelled; or 2> If the pre-configured measurement gap indicated in the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request MAC CE has been activated / deactivated: 3> Cancel the triggered sensor measurement gap activation / deactivation request MAC CE; 2> If UL-SCH resources are available for new transmissions and these UL-SCH resources can accommodate the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request MAC CE plus its sub-header due to logical channel priority ordering: 3> The instruction multiplexing and assembly process generates a sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request (MAC CE) based on the request from the upper layer; 3> Cancel the triggered sensor measurement gap activation / deactivation request MAC CE; 2> Otherwise: 3> Trigger a scheduling request for the MAC CE to activate / deactivate the sensing measurement gap.

[0086] In some implementations, if no available resources exist for transmitting the first MAC CE, the terminal device 110 may send an SR to the network device 120 based on a second configuration (i.e., the SR configuration for the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request). In some implementations, the SR configuration for the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request may be considered as the corresponding SR configuration for an already triggered SR.

[0087] In some implementations, if an SR is triggered by a first MAC CE, the terminal device 110 may cancel a group of pending SRs. In some implementations, if the first MAC CE that triggered the SR has been canceled, the terminal device 110 may cancel the group of pending SRs.

[0088] For illustration, the example process can be described as follows: 1> If the SR is triggered by a sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request, and / or the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation request MAC CE that triggered the SR has been cancelled; 2> Cancel pending SRs and stop the corresponding SR disable timer (if it is running).

[0089] In some implementations, if the first MAC CE that triggered the SR has been cancelled, the terminal device 110 may stop the ongoing RA process due to the SR of the first MAC CE.

[0090] For illustration, the example process can be described as follows: If there is an ongoing random access procedure initiated due to a pending SR request for activation / deactivation of a sensing measurement gap, and the random access procedure is not configured with a valid PUCCH resource, the MAC entity may stop the procedure, provided that: - The MAC CE request for activation / deactivation of the sensor measurement gap corresponding to the random access procedure has been cancelled.

[0091] In some implementations, if the upper layer of the terminal device requests a reset of the MAC entity of the terminal device 110, or if a reset of the MAC entity is triggered due to the deactivation of the secondary cell group (SCG), the terminal device 110 may cancel the transmission of the first MAC CE.

[0092] For illustration, the example process can be described as follows: If the upper layer requests a reset of the MAC entity, or if a reset of the MAC entity is triggered due to SCG deactivation, then the MAC entity should: 1> Cancel (if any) the triggered sensor measurement gap activation / deactivation request process.

[0093] like Figure 2 As shown, in response to the first MAC CE, network device 120 may send 232 to terminal device 110 via MAC CE or DCI an indication to activate or deactivate at least one measurement gap, as described above in conjunction with step 230.

[0094] Continue to refer to Figure 2 If at least one measurement window or gap is activated, the terminal device 110 may perform a 240 sensing measurement on that at least one measurement window or gap. If the at least one measurement window or gap is deactivated, the terminal device 110 may not perform a 250 sensing measurement on that at least one measurement window or gap.

[0095] For illustration, an example process for sensing and measuring gaps can be described as follows: Upon receiving a MAC CE command for activating / deactivating the sensing measurement gap, the MAC entity should: 1> If the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation command MAC CE indicates the deactivation of the pre-configured sensing measurement gap: 2> Deactivate the sensing measurement gap; 1> Otherwise, if the sensing measurement gap activation / deactivation command MAC CE indicates the activation of the pre-configured sensing measurement gap: 2> Activate the sensing measurement gap and perform the general procedures for processing the measurement.

[0096] In some implementations, terminal device 110 may determine at least one of the following: a measurement window or gap in the group of measurement windows or gaps is activated; or the sensed signal has a higher priority than the group of DL signals. In this case, if no ongoing random access (RA) procedure is being performed, terminal device 110 may not perform DL channel (e.g., PDCCH and / or DL-SCH) monitoring.

[0097] For illustration, an example procedure for SPW-SMW can be described as follows: If at least one of the following conditions is met: 1) SPW / SMW is activated; 2) the sensed signal has a higher priority than the DL channel and signal (including or excluding PRS), the MAC entity should: 1> If ra-ResponseWindow, ra-ContentionResolutionTimer, or msgB-ResponseWindow is running: 2> Monitor PDCCH; 1> Otherwise: 2> Do not receive DL-SCH; 2> Do not receive PDCCH.

[0098] In some implementations, terminal device 110 may determine at least one of the following: a measurement window or gap in the set of measurement windows or gaps is activated; or the sensing signal has a priority lower than that of the PRS. In this case, terminal device 110 may not receive the sensing signal.

[0099] For illustration, an example procedure for SPW-SMW can be described as follows: If 1) SPW / SMW is activated; and / or 2) the sensing signal has a lower priority than the PRS signal, then the UE should not receive the sensing signal for overlapping / affected symbols within the SPW / SMW.

[0100] Process 200 facilitates dynamic switching between sparse and dense sensing measurements, allows for flexible measurement of sensing signals, and reduces power consumption. It should be understood that the operations in process 200 can be performed in any suitable combination or order, and are not limited to the examples described above.

[0101] Example implementation of the method Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide communication methods implemented at terminal devices and network devices. These methods will be referenced below. Figure 4 and Figure 5 Describe it.

[0102] Figure 4 Example communication method 400 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For example, method 400 may be implemented as follows: Figure 1 The method is executed at terminal device 110 as shown. For discussion purposes, method 400 will be referred to below. Figure 1 The method is described in the context of terminal device 110. It should be understood that method 400 may include additional boxes not shown and / or some boxes shown in the figures may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0103] At block 410, terminal device 110 receives a first configuration from network device 120 for measuring the sensed signal. In some embodiments, the first configuration may indicate at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sensed signal, or a priority ordering between the sensed signal and a set of DL signals.

[0104] In some implementations, priority ordering may indicate one of the following: the sensing signal has a priority higher than the priority of the DL signals in the group of DL signals; the sensing signal has a priority lower than the priority of the PDCCH and PDSCH scheduled by the DCI and higher than the priority of the DL signals in the group other than the PDCCH and PDSCH scheduled by the DCI; the sensing signal has a priority lower than the priority of the DL signals in the group of DL signals; or the sensing signal has a priority lower than or equal to the priority of the PRS and higher than the priority of the DL signals in the group other than the PRS.

[0105] At box 420, terminal device 110 performs the measurement of the sensing signal based on the first configuration.

[0106] In some implementations, terminal device 110 may receive from network device 120 a MAC CE or DCI indicating activation or deactivation of a measurement of a sensing signal at at least one measurement window or gap in a set of measurement windows or gaps. If the at least one measurement window or gap is activated, terminal device 110 may perform a measurement of the sensing signal at that at least one measurement window or gap. If the at least one measurement window or gap is deactivated, terminal device 110 may not perform a measurement of the sensing signal at that at least one measurement window or gap.

[0107] In some implementations, the MAC CE may include at least one of the following: an identifier of the serving cell; an identifier of the area where the measurement is applied; an identifier of at least one measurement window or gap; an indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or a set of indications for activation or deactivation of at least one measurement window or gap.

[0108] In some implementations, the DCI may include at least one of the following: an indication of whether the measurement of the sensing signal is enabled in the DL BWP; an identifier of at least one measurement window or gap; an indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or a bitmap indicating activation or deactivation of at least one measurement window or gap.

[0109] In some implementations, the measurement window or gap subgroup within the group of measurement windows or gaps is associated with the DL BWP. In these implementations, the terminal device 110 may determine whether the first configuration is activated or deactivated for the measurement window or gap subgroup based on at least one of the following: activation of the DL BWP; or reconfiguration of the DL BWP's measurement window or gap subgroup.

[0110] In some implementations, terminal device 110 may determine at least one of the following: a measurement window or gap in the set of measurement windows or gaps is activated, or the sensed signal has a higher priority than the set of DL signals. In these implementations, terminal device 110 may not perform downlink channel monitoring if no ongoing random access procedure is being performed.

[0111] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine at least one of the following: a measurement window or gap in the set of measurement windows or gaps is activated, or the sensing signal has a priority lower than that of the PRS. In these embodiments, terminal device 110 may not receive the sensing signal.

[0112] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may send auxiliary information for measuring the sensed signal to network device 120. In some embodiments, the auxiliary information may include at least one of the following: information about the carrier to be measured; preferred periodicity of the measurement windows or gaps in the set of measurement windows or gaps; preferred offset of the measurement windows or gaps; or preferred duration of the measurement windows or gaps.

[0113] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may send a first MAC CE to network device 120 to request activation or deactivation of at least one measurement gap in the set of measurement gaps. In some embodiments, the first MAC CE may include at least one of the following: an identifier of the measurement gap in at least one measurement gap; an identifier of the area where the first MAC CE is applied; an indication for activation or deactivation of the measurement gap; or a set of indications for activation or deactivation of at least one measurement gap.

[0114] In some embodiments, during the LCP process, the first MAC CE may take precedence over the second MAC CE used to request activation or deactivation of the measurement gap for PRS measurement. In some embodiments, during the LCP process, the second MAC CE may take precedence over the first MAC CE.

[0115] In some implementations, terminal device 110 may receive a second configuration from a network device for an SR (Signal Request) to a first MAC CE. In some implementations, terminal device 110 may cancel a set of pending SRs based on at least one of the following: the SR is triggered by the first MAC CE, or the first MAC CE that triggered the SR has been cancelled. In some implementations, if the first MAC CE that triggered the SR has been cancelled, terminal device 110 may stop an ongoing random access procedure due to the SR to the first MAC CE. In some implementations, if an upper layer of terminal device 110 requests a reset of the terminal device's MAC entity, or if a reset of the MAC entity is triggered due to SCG deactivation, terminal device 110 may cancel the transmission of the first MAC CE.

[0116] Using method 400, the sensing signal measurement can be performed.

[0117] Figure 5 Example communication method 500 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For example, method 500 may be implemented as follows: Figure 1 The network device 120 shown is executed. For discussion purposes, method 500 will be referred to below. Figure 1 The method 500 is described in the context of network device 120. It should be understood that the method 500 may include additional boxes not shown and / or some boxes shown in the figures may be omitted, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0118] like Figure 5 As shown, at block 510, network device 120 sends a first configuration for measuring the sensed signal to terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the first configuration may indicate at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sensed signal, or a priority ordering between the sensed signal and a set of DL signals.

[0119] In some implementations, priority ordering may indicate one of the following: the sensing signal has a priority higher than the priority of the DL signals in the group of DL signals; the sensing signal has a priority lower than the priority of the PDCCH and PDSCH scheduled by the DCI and higher than the priority of the DL signals in the group other than the PDCCH and PDSCH scheduled by the DCI; the sensing signal has a priority lower than the priority of the DL signals in the group of DL signals; or the sensing signal has a priority lower than or equal to the priority of the PRS and higher than the priority of the DL signals in the group other than the PRS.

[0120] In some implementations, network device 120 may send to terminal device 110 an indication of activation or deactivation of a MAC CE or DCI in at least one of the measurement windows or gaps in the set of measurement windows or gaps, indicating the measurement of the sensing signal.

[0121] In some implementations, the MAC CE may include at least one of the following: an identifier of the serving cell; an identifier of the area where the measurement is applied; an identifier of at least one measurement window or gap; an indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or a set of indications for activation or deactivation of at least one measurement window or gap.

[0122] In some implementations, the DCI may include at least one of the following: an indication of whether the measurement of the sensing signal is enabled in the DL BWP; an identifier of at least one measurement window or gap; an indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or a bitmap indicating activation or deactivation of at least one measurement window or gap.

[0123] In some embodiments, network device 120 may receive auxiliary information from terminal device 110 for measuring the sensed signal. In some embodiments, the auxiliary information may include at least one of the following: information about the carrier to be measured; preferred periodicity of the measurement windows or gaps in the set of measurement windows or gaps; preferred offset of the measurement windows or gaps; or preferred duration of the measurement windows or gaps.

[0124] In some embodiments, network device 120 may receive from terminal device 110 a first MAC CE for requesting activation or deactivation of at least one measurement gap in the set of measurement gaps. In some embodiments, the first MAC CE may include at least one of the following: an identifier of the measurement gap in at least one measurement gap; an identifier of the area where the first MAC CE is applied; an indication for activation or deactivation of the measurement gap; or a set of indications for activation or deactivation of at least one measurement gap.

[0125] In some implementations, network device 120 may send a second configuration for the SR of the first MAC CE to terminal device 110.

[0126] Method 500 can facilitate the measurement of sensed signals.

[0127] It should be understood that the operations of methods 400 and 500 correspond to the combination Figures 2 to 3F The process described is so brief that other details are omitted here.

[0128] Example Implementation of the Device Figure 6 This is a simplified block diagram of device 600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 600 can be considered as follows: Figure 1 Another example of the implementation of the terminal device 110 or network device 120 is shown. Therefore, device 600 may be implemented at or be implemented as at least a part of the terminal device or the network device at the terminal device 110 or the network device 120.

[0129] As shown in the figure, device 600 includes a processor 610, a memory 620 coupled to the processor 610, a suitable transceiver 640 coupled to the processor 610, and a communication interface coupled to the transceiver 640. The memory 610 stores at least a portion of a program 630. Depending on the requirements, the transceiver 640 can be used for bidirectional or unidirectional communication. The transceiver 640 may include at least one of a transmitter 642 or a receiver 644. The transmitter 642 and receiver 644 may be functional modules or physical entities. The transceiver 640 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication; however, in practice, the access node mentioned in this application may have several antennas. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, the S1 / NG interface for communication between the Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and eNBs / gNBs, the Un interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and relay nodes (RNs), or the Uu interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and terminal equipment.

[0130] Assume that program 630 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 610, enable device 600 to operate according to embodiments of this disclosure, as referenced herein. Figures 1 to 5 The embodiments discussed herein may be implemented by computer software executable by processor 610 of device 600, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Processor 610 may be configured to implement various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, a combination of processor 610 and memory 620 may form a processing unit 650 suitable for implementing various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0131] Memory 620 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, as non-limiting examples, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 620 is shown in device 600, several physically different memory modules may exist in device 600. Processor 610 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of the following: as non-limiting examples, general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. Device 600 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, which are time-dependent on a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0132] In some implementations, the terminal device includes circuitry configured to: receive a first configuration from a network device for measuring a sense signal, the first configuration indicating at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sense signal, or a priority ordering of the sense signal among a set of downlink signals; and perform the measurement of the sense signal based on the first configuration.

[0133] In some implementations, the network device includes circuitry configured to send a first configuration to an end device for measuring a sensed signal, the first configuration indicating at least one of the following: a set of measurement windows or gaps for measuring the sensed signal, or a priority ordering of the sensed signal among a set of downlink signals.

[0134] As used herein, the term "circuit" can refer to hardware circuitry and / or a combination of hardware and software circuitry. For example, a circuit can be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware. As another example, a circuit can be any part of a hardware processor with software, including digital signal processors, software, and memory, which work together to enable a device (such as a terminal device or network device) to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit can be hardware circuitry and / or a processor (such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof) that requires software / firmware to operate, but which may be absent when operation is not required. As used herein, the term "circuit" also encompasses a specific implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor alone, or a portion thereof, and its accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0135] Generally, various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other illustrations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0136] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions (such as those included in program modules) that execute on a target real or virtual processor in a device to perform the functions described above. Figures 1 to 5 The described process or method. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of a program module can be combined in various implementation schemes or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions used for a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0137] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller 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 code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0138] The aforementioned program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. Machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, electrical, 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 fibers, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0139] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or to perform all the illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. While several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. 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.

[0140] Although this disclosure has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily 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.

Claims

1. A terminal device, the terminal device comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the terminal device to: A first configuration for receiving measurements of sensing signals from a network device, wherein the first configuration indicates at least one of the following: A set of measurement windows or gaps used for the measurement of the sensed signal, or The priority ordering between the sensed signals and a set of downlink signals; and The measurement of the sensed signal is performed based on the first configuration.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the priority ordering indicates one of the following: The sensed signal has a higher priority than the downlink signal in the set of downlink signals; The sensing signal has a priority lower than that of the physical downlink control channel and the physical downlink shared channel scheduled by the downlink control information, but higher than the priority of the downlink signals in the group of downlink signals other than the physical downlink control channel and the physical downlink shared channel scheduled by the downlink control information. The sensed signal has a priority lower than that of the downlink signals in the set of downlink signals; or The sensing signal has a priority that is lower than or equal to that of the positioning reference signal and higher than the priority of the downlink signals in the set of downlink signals other than the positioning reference signal.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device performs the measurement of the sensing signal by: The network device receives medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) or downlink control information (DCI) indicating the activation or deactivation of the measurement of the sensing signal in at least one of the set of measurement windows or gaps. Based on determining that at least one measurement window or gap is activated, the measurement of the sensing signal is performed on the at least one measurement window or gap; and If it is determined that at least one measurement window or gap is deactivated, the measurement of the sensing signal is not performed on at least one measurement window or gap.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the MAC CE comprises at least one of the following: Signage for the service area; Identification of the area where the measurement is applied; The identifier of the at least one measurement window or gap; The indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or A set of indications for the activation or deactivation of the at least one measurement window or gap.

5. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the DCI includes at least one of the following: An indication of whether the measurement of the sensing signal is enabled in the downlink bandwidth part (BWP); The identifier of the at least one measurement window or gap; The indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or A bitmap indicating the activation or deactivation of the at least one measurement window or gap.

6. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the measurement window or gap subgroup of the set of measurement windows or gaps is associated with a downlink bandwidth portion (BWP), and wherein the terminal device further comprises: The first configuration is determined to be activated or deactivated for the measurement window or gap subgroup based on at least one of the following: The activation of the downlink BWP; or The reconfiguration of the measurement window or gap subgroup of the downlink BWP.

7. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising the terminal device: Determine at least one of the following: a measurement window or gap in the set of measurement windows or gaps is activated, or the sensing signal has a higher priority than the set of downlink signals; and If it is determined that no ongoing random access procedure is being performed, downlink channel monitoring will not be performed.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising the terminal device: Determine at least one of the following: a measurement window or gap in the set of measurement windows or gaps is activated, or the sensing signal has a priority lower than that of the positioning reference signal; and It does not receive sensing signals.

9. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising: Sending auxiliary information for the measurement of the sensed signal to the network device, the auxiliary information including at least one of the following: Information about the carrier wave to be used to perform the measurement; Preferred periodicity of the measurement windows or gaps in the set of measurement windows or gaps; The preferred offset of the measuring window or gap; or The preferred duration of the measurement window or gap.

10. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising the terminal device: Sending a first Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) to the network device for requesting activation or deactivation of at least one of the set of measurement gaps, the first MAC CE comprising at least one of the following: Identification of the measurement gap in the at least one measurement gap; The identifier of the region of the first MAC CE is applied; The indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement gap; or A set of indications for the activation or deactivation of the at least one measurement gap.

11. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein during the logical channel prioritization (LCP) process, the first MAC CE takes precedence over the activation or deactivation of a second MAC CE used to request the activation or deactivation of a measurement gap for positioning reference signal (PRS) measurement, or During the LCP process, the second MAC CE takes precedence over the first MAC CE.

12. The terminal device according to claim 10, further comprising causing the terminal device to perform at least one of the following operations: Receive a second configuration from the network device for scheduling request (SR) for the first MAC CE; A group of pending SRs is cancelled based on at least one of the following: the SR is triggered by the first MAC CE, or the first MAC CE that triggered the SR has been cancelled; The first MAC CE that triggered the SR has been cancelled, and the ongoing random access procedure is stopped due to the SR on the first MAC CE; or The transmission of the first MACCE is cancelled if the upper layer of the terminal device requests a reset of the MAC entity of the terminal device, or if the reset of the MAC entity is triggered by the deactivation of the secondary cell group (SCG).

13. A network device, the network device comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the network device to: A first configuration for measuring the sensing signal is sent to the terminal device, wherein the first configuration indicates at least one of the following: A set of measurement windows or gaps used for the measurement of the sensed signal, or The priority ordering between the sensing signals and a set of downlink signals.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the priority ordering indicates one of the following: The sensed signal has a higher priority than the downlink signal in the set of downlink signals; The sensing signal has a priority lower than that of the physical downlink control channel and the physical downlink shared channel scheduled by the downlink control information, but higher than the priority of the downlink signals in the group of downlink signals other than the physical downlink control channel and the physical downlink shared channel scheduled by the downlink control information. The sensed signal has a priority lower than that of the downlink signals in the set of downlink signals; or The sensing signal has a priority that is lower than or equal to that of the positioning reference signal and higher than the priority of the downlink signals in the set of downlink signals other than the positioning reference signal.

15. The network device of claim 13, further comprising the network device: Send to the terminal device a Media Access Control (MAC) element (CE) or Downlink Control Information (DCI) indicating the activation or deactivation of the measurement of the sensing signal on at least one of the set of measurement windows or gaps.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein the MAC CE comprises at least one of the following: Signage for the service area; Identification of the area where the measurement is applied; The identifier of the at least one measurement window or gap; The indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or A set of indications for the activation or deactivation of the at least one measurement window or gap.

17. The network device of claim 15, wherein the DCI comprises at least one of the following: An indication of whether the measurement of the sensing signal is enabled in the downlink bandwidth part (BWP); The identifier of the at least one measurement window or gap; The indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement window or gap; or A bitmap indicating the activation or deactivation of the at least one measurement window or gap.

18. The network device of claim 13, further comprising the network device: The terminal device receives auxiliary information for the measurement of the sensing signal, the auxiliary information including at least one of the following: Information about the carrier wave to be used to perform the measurement; Preferred periodicity of the measurement windows or gaps in the set of measurement windows or gaps; The preferred offset of the measuring window or gap; or The preferred duration of the measurement window or gap.

19. The network device of claim 13, further comprising the network device: The terminal device receives a first Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) for requesting activation or deactivation of at least one of the set of measurement gaps, the first MAC CE comprising at least one of the following: Identification of the measurement gap in the at least one measurement gap; The identifier of the region of the first MAC CE is applied; The indication of activation or deactivation of the measurement gap; or A set of indications for the activation or deactivation of the at least one measurement gap.

20. The network device of claim 19, further comprising the network device: Send a second configuration to the terminal device for a scheduling request (SR) for the first MAC CE.

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