Communication methods and devices

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus are disclosed to reduce the configuration delay of reference signals. A first communication device transmits at least one configuration, each configuration including signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information. The signaling configuration information configures the monitoring location of a first signaling signal, which indicates whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information. The reference signal configuration information configures a first reference signal and a second reference signal, wherein the first reference signal is a downlink reference signal and the second reference signal is an uplink reference signal; or the first and second reference signals are sidelink reference signals with opposite transmission directions. The first communication device transmits the first signaling signal according to the signaling configuration information, and a second communication device monitors the first signaling signal according to the signaling configuration information. Upon detecting a first signaling signal indicating activation of the reference signal configuration information, the first reference signal is received, the second reference signal is transmitted, and the time difference between the first and second reference signals is reported.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] The fifth-generation (5G) system supports terminal positioning based on positioning reference signal (PRS). Currently, the PRS in the 5G system can be divided into downlink (DL) PRS and uplink (UL) PRS.

[0003] DL PRS supports only periodic transmission, while UL PRS supports periodic transmission, semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) transmission, and aperiodic transmission. Furthermore, DL PRS and UL PRS are configured separately, each with its own configuration signaling.

[0004] Furthermore, in integrated communication and sensing, it is desirable to estimate the timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between two sensing devices, or reduce the impact of these offsets on the measurement results, through round-trip measurements (such as two sensing devices exchanging reference signals). The underlying principle is that the motion state of the sensed target can be considered constant over a short period of time (e.g., a few milliseconds to tens of milliseconds). This requires the two devices to complete the mutual transmission and reception of reference signals within a short timeframe.

[0005] However, configuring the reference signal in the aforementioned round-trip measurements according to the current PRS configuration method may result in a significant configuration delay. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can reduce the configuration delay of reference signals.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a second communication device, or by a component of the second communication device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the second communication device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second communication device. The method includes: receiving first configuration information, the first configuration information including signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information; and monitoring first signaling according to the signaling configuration information. The signaling configuration information is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling, the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, and the reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal. The first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a first link, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a second link. The first link is a downlink, and the second link is an uplink; or, the first link is a first side link, and the second link is a second side link.

[0008] Based on this scheme, two reference signals with opposite transmission directions (referred to as bidirectional reference signals) can be configured simultaneously in the same configuration, such as configuring downlink and uplink reference signals simultaneously. Compared to configuring bidirectional reference signals separately, this reduces configuration latency and overhead. For example, when configuring according to the uplink and downlink positioning reference signal configuration method, when configuring downlink and uplink reference signals separately, the downlink reference signal is usually configured by the core network side through non-access stratum (NAS) signaling. However, NAS signaling has a large transmission latency, resulting in a large configuration latency when configuring via NAS signaling. Furthermore, the configuration time of downlink and uplink reference signals is uncertain, and there may be situations where the configuration of one reference signal is completed while waiting for the configuration of the other reference signal, which also leads to a large overall configuration latency. In addition, when configuring bidirectional reference signals separately, the configuration information of the two reference signals needs to be carried in different signaling or messages, and the configuration information of the two reference signals needs to be encapsulated separately, resulting in a large configuration overhead. In this application, bidirectional reference signals are configured simultaneously in the same configuration, eliminating the need to wait for the configuration of one reference signal to be completed, as is required in separate configurations. This reduces configuration latency, and when the reference signal is used for sensing, the sensing results can be quickly obtained based on the reference signal. Furthermore, the elimination of separate encapsulation and other processing also reduces configuration overhead.

[0009] Furthermore, the reference signal configuration can be activated / deactivated via the first signaling, allowing the first communication device to flexibly activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration according to the actual situation, thereby enabling flexible transmission and reception of the first and second reference signals. For example, it can support the transmission and reception of aperiodic bidirectional reference signals, thereby supporting the measurement and reporting of aperiodic transmission and reception time differences and improving the transmission flexibility of the reference signal.

[0010] Furthermore, since the configuration timing of each reference signal is uncertain when the two reference signals are configured independently, the time interval between the reception and transmission times of the two configured reference signals is unstable and may be large. In this application, when bidirectional reference signals are configured simultaneously in the same configuration, the time interval between the transmission and reception times of the bidirectional reference signals can be guaranteed to be stable. Moreover, since two reference signals can be configured, the difference between the transmission and reception times of the two reference signals can be controlled, minimizing the time difference between the reference signals, thereby enabling the determination or suppression of timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between the two devices.

[0011] As one possible design, if a first signaling is detected based on the signaling configuration information and the first signaling indicates the activation of the reference signal configuration information, the method further includes: receiving a first reference signal; sending a second reference signal; and sending the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal on the feedback resource.

[0012] As one possible design, the method further includes: transmitting capability information, which indicates the time offset supported by the second communication device or the minimum time offset supported by the terminal. The time offset includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

[0013] Based on this possible design, the second communication device reports its supported time offset or minimum supported time offset, allowing the first communication device to configure the time offset according to the capabilities of the second communication device. This improves the rationality of the configuration and avoids configuring a time offset that the second communication device does not support or a very small time offset, which could prevent the second communication device from transmitting or receiving reference signals. Furthermore, it minimizes the difference between the reception time of the first reference signal and the transmission time of the second reference signal. For example, the first communication device configures a second offset supported by the second communication device, or configures the minimum supported second offset, avoiding a large second offset that would result in a large difference between the transmission and reception times of the first and second reference signals. The smaller the difference between the transmission and reception times of the first and second reference signals, the less impact uncertainties such as frequency drift have on sensing, thereby enabling the first communication device and others to obtain more accurate sensing measurement results.

[0014] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first communication device, or by a component of the first communication device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first communication device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first communication device. The method includes: sending first configuration information, the first configuration information including signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information; and sending first signaling according to the signaling configuration information. The signaling configuration information is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling, the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, and the reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal. The first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a first link, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a second link. The first link is a downlink, and the second link is an uplink, or the first link is a first side link, and the second link is a second side link. The technical effects of this second aspect are similar to those of the first aspect described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0015] As one possible design, when the first signaling indicates the activation of reference signal configuration information, the method further includes: sending a first reference signal; receiving a second reference signal; and receiving the time difference between the first and second reference signals on the feedback resource.

[0016] As one possible design, the method further includes: receiving capability information, which indicates the time offset supported by the second communication device or the minimum time offset supported by the terminal. The time offset includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

[0017] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as one possible design, the reference signal configuration information is also used to configure feedback resources, which are used to provide feedback on the time difference between the first and second reference signals.

[0018] Based on this possible design, a bidirectional reference signal and a feedback resource for feeding back the time difference corresponding to the bidirectional reference signal can be configured in the same configuration. Compared to configuring the feedback resource through another configuration information, the configuration latency of the feedback resource can also be reduced, enabling the second communication device to promptly feed back the time difference between the first and second reference signals to the first communication device, ensuring the effectiveness of the time difference, and thereby improving the accuracy of the sensing or positioning results determined based on the time difference.

[0019] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the reference signal configuration information includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource, wherein the feedback resource is used to feed back the time difference between the first and second reference signals.

[0020] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as one possible design, the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal is a time-domain offset between the starting reception position of the first reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling; or, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal is a time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first reference signal, or a time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling; or, the offset of the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource is a time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource and the time-domain position of the second reference signal, or a time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource and the time-domain position of the first signaling.

[0021] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the reference signal configuration information further includes at least one of the following: resource configuration information of the first reference signal, resource configuration information of the second reference signal, or resource configuration information of the feedback resource. The resource configuration information of the first reference signal is used to configure at least one of the following of the first reference signal: resource, resource set, period, pattern, bandwidth, or antenna port; the resource configuration information of the second reference signal is used to configure at least one of the following of the second reference signal: resource, resource set, period, pattern, bandwidth, or antenna port.

[0022] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the reference signal configuration information may also include at least one of the following: whether to enable or deactivate the first signaling to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, the configuration information of the measurement time window of the first reference signal, the measurement threshold, or the sensing assistance information.

[0023] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the configuration information for the measurement time window includes at least one of the following: the start time of the measurement time window, the interval between the start time of the measurement time window and the reference time, or the length of the measurement time window.

[0024] Based on this possible design, the first communication device can configure a measurement time window for the first reference signal. This allows the first communication device to flexibly configure the corresponding measurement time window according to service requirements, enabling the second communication device to measure the first reference signal within the corresponding measurement time window and obtain the relevant measurement results required by the service, thereby ensuring service performance and improving user experience. Furthermore, different time ranges of the measurement time window can reflect different regional ranges. Therefore, by setting the start time of the measurement window or different time ranges of the measurement window, the sensing area can be restricted, allowing the second communication device to focus on measuring the transmission of the first reference signal within that sensing area, thereby achieving target sensing within that area.

[0025] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the reference time can be configured by the first communication device. For example, the reference time may be one of the following: the time corresponding to the first path of the first reference signal, the path time or sampling time corresponding to a known target, the time corresponding to the first path within the measurement time window of the first reference signal where the signal quality is greater than or equal to a measurement threshold, the time corresponding to the LOS path of the first reference signal, or the reception or transmission time of the configured signal / channel. For example, the reference time may be a known quantity for the first communication device. For instance, the first communication device may know the path time or sampling time corresponding to the known target, or it may know the time corresponding to the LOS path of the first reference signal, etc.

[0026] Based on this possible design, when the reference time is configured by the first communication device, since the first communication device may know the configured reference time, and different intervals between the reference time and the start time of the measurement time window can reflect different regional ranges, the sensing area can be limited by setting this interval, so that the second communication device can focus on measuring the transmission of the first reference signal in the sensing area, thereby realizing the sensing of the target in the sensing area.

[0027] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as one possible design, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a first time difference, which includes the transmission time of the second reference signal and the difference between the time difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time difference between the corresponding signal quality within the measurement time window of the first reference signal being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold.

[0028] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a third time difference and a fourth time difference; wherein, the third time difference includes the difference between the time during which the signal quality of the first reference signal is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold and the start time of the measurement time window; the fourth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window.

[0029] Based on this possible design, since the path time corresponding to the signal quality being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window is relatively close to the start time of the measurement time window, the difference between the two (i.e., the third time difference) is small, requiring fewer quantization bits and reducing feedback overhead. Furthermore, by reporting the third and fourth time differences, the time interval between the path time corresponding to the signal quality being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold and the transmission time of the second reference signal can be determined.

[0030] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a fifth time difference and a sixth time difference. The fifth time difference includes the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the first time, where the first time is the reception time within the measurement time window of the first reference signal, corresponding to a signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold's first path. The sixth time difference includes at least one second time difference between the first time and the second time, where the second time is the reception time within the measurement time window of the first reference signal, corresponding to a signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold's non-first path's first path.

[0031] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a seventh time difference and an eighth time difference; wherein, the seventh time difference includes the difference between the time when the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal and the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal; the eighth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal.

[0032] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the first configuration information includes multiple configurations, and the aforementioned signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information are the signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information in the first configuration, wherein the first configuration is one of the multiple configurations, and the first signaling includes the identifier of the first configuration.

[0033] Based on this possible design, the first communication device can send multiple configurations through the first configuration information. Therefore, different parameters can be configured in different configurations according to different service or sensing requirements to achieve different service or sensing needs, improving configuration flexibility and supporting richer sensing tasks. Furthermore, by carrying a configuration identifier in the first signaling to indicate the activated reference signal configuration, the second communication device can correctly transmit and receive reference signals according to the activated reference signal configuration.

[0034] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the first signaling is a low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS, a media access control element MAC CE, or downlink control information DCI.

[0035] Based on this possible design, when the first signaling is LP-WUS, bidirectional reference signal transmission and reception in low-power mode can be enabled, thereby supporting terminal energy saving and reducing terminal power consumption. When the first signaling is MAC CE or DCI, a flexible reference signal configuration activation / deactivation mechanism is provided when the second communication device operates in the main radio (MR) link.

[0036] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, when the first signaling is MAC CE, the first configuration information also includes the logical channel identifier (LCID) or coding point of the MAC CE.

[0037] Based on this possible design, the first communication device can configure the LCID or coding point of the MAC CE as the first signaling, so that the second communication device can correctly identify the MAC CE as the first signaling based on the LCID or coding point, thereby parsing the MAC CE to obtain the indication of the activation / deactivation reference signal configuration of the first communication device, and then promptly sending and receiving reference signals according to the activation indication of the first communication device, so as to avoid missing the activation indication of the first communication device and failing to send and receive reference signals in a timely manner.

[0038] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, when the first signaling is MAC CE, MAC CE also indicates at least one of the following: whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the second reference signal, whether to indicate the cell or part of the bandwidth BWP to which the first and second reference signals belong, the cell identifier or BWP identifier to which the first and second reference signals belong, the carrier type carrying the first and second reference signals, the signal type having a spatial relationship with the first and second reference signals, the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource, the measurement time window of the first reference signal, or the measurement threshold.

[0039] Based on this possible design, by indicating a signal that has a spatial relationship with the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the second communication device can determine the spatial parameters of the first reference signal and the second reference signal, thereby receiving the first reference signal and sending the second reference signal based on the spatial parameters, thus improving the transmission and reception performance of the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0040] Alternatively, the relevant parameters of the reference signal can be configured or reconfigured via the MAC CE, or a parameter in the parameter set can be indicated by the MAC CE, enabling the first communication device to flexibly adjust the relevant configuration of the reference signal according to the actual situation, thereby improving the flexibility and rationality of the configuration and thus improving the sensing / positioning performance.

[0041] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, when the first signaling is DCI, the first configuration information also includes the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code of the DCI.

[0042] Based on this possible design, the first communication device can configure the CRC and / or RNTI of the DCI as the first signaling, so that the second communication device can correctly identify the DCI as the first signaling based on the CRC and / or RNTI, thereby transmitting and receiving reference signals in a timely manner.

[0043] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, as a possible design, the time offset is associated with at least one of the following: subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, or carrier frequency; the time offset includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

[0044] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the methods, wherein the modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0045] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module, respectively used to implement the receiving function and the transmitting function in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0046] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can consist of transceiver circuits, transceivers, transceivers, or communication interfaces.

[0047] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the above aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0048] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the above aspects and any possible designs thereof.

[0049] A sixth aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor; said processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible designs thereof. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or may be independent of the processor.

[0050] In a seventh aspect, a communication device (e.g., a chip or chip system) is provided, the communication device including a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects and any possible designs thereof.

[0051] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0052] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0053] The communication device described in aspects four through seven may be the second communication device in the first aspect, or a device included in the second communication device, such as a chip or chip system; or the communication device may be the first communication device in the second aspect, or a device included in the first communication device, such as a chip or chip system.

[0054] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, which may be a second communication device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the second communication device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the second communication device; or, the communication device may be a first communication device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the first communication device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the first communication device.

[0055] It is understandable that when the communication device provided by any of the third to eighth aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0056] A ninth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0057] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0058] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, comprising a first communication device and a second communication device. The second communication device can be used to implement the method described in the first aspect and any possible design thereof, and the first communication device can be used to implement the method described in the second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0059] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through eleven can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one or two, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 2 This application provides a schematic diagram of the architecture of an integrated communication and sensing system.

[0062] Figure 3 This application provides a schematic diagram of the architecture of an O-RAN system.

[0063] Figures 4-5 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in this application;

[0064] Figure 6 A timing diagram illustrating a bidirectional reference signal transmission and reception and its time difference feedback provided in this application;

[0065] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a measurement time window for a first reference signal provided in this application;

[0066] Figure 8 This application provides a timing diagram corresponding to different configurations;

[0067] Figures 9-12 A schematic diagram of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0069] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0070] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0071] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0072] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0073] It is understood that in this application, "...when" and "if" both refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require a judgment action to be performed during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0074] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0075] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0076] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is given below.

[0077] 1. Integrated communication and sensing:

[0078] With the widespread adoption of internet applications and wireless network devices, the demand for wireless communication has further increased. Communication technologies are also constantly evolving, for example, from fourth-generation (4G) to fifth-generation (5G), and further to future mobile communications. Communication spectrum has also evolved from low-frequency bands to high-frequency bands (such as millimeter waves, terahertz, and optical communication). Correspondingly, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, with its larger bandwidth and more antennas, has become essential.

[0079] Future communication systems will not only possess enhanced communication capabilities but also sensing capabilities, forming integrated communication and sensing systems. This integration utilizes the transmission, reflection, and scattering of radio waves to perceive and characterize the environment, enabling high-precision positioning, posture and activity recognition, as well as imaging, localization, mapping, and human sensory enhancement. Future sensing will demand higher accuracy while also meeting time-delay constraints. For integrated communication and sensing systems (also known as fusion systems), the goal is to leverage communication signals or channels for sensing, or conversely, to use sensing signals for communication information transmission, thereby improving resource utilization efficiency.

[0080] 2. Perception:

[0081] Sensing is used to detect parameters of targets in the physical environment, such as the target's position and velocity. For example, a target can be sensed by emitting electromagnetic waves and analyzing the echo signals reflected from the object. Sensing can also be called detection.

[0082] 3. Objective:

[0083] The target can be any tangible object in the environment capable of reflecting / scattering / coloring electromagnetic waves, such as mountains, forests, or buildings, and can also include mobile objects such as vehicles, drones, pedestrians, and terminals. The target can also be referred to as a sensed target, a detected target, a sensed object, a detected object, a target object, or a sensed device, etc., and this application does not limit the specific terminology. For electromagnetic sensing, a target can generally be modeled as at least one scattering point (also called a scattering center), and the process of a target reflecting / scattering / diffusing electromagnetic waves can be equivalent to the process of at least one scattering point reflecting / scattering / diffusing electromagnetic waves. For point targets, the target can be modeled by one scattering point; for extended targets, the target can be modeled by multiple scattering points.

[0084] 4. Sensing signals:

[0085] Signals used to sense (or detect) a target. Sensing signals are also called sensing reference signals, detection signals, linear frequency modulated signals, radar signals, radar sensing signals, radar detection signals, environmental sensing signals, etc. Sensing signals can be pulse signals or signals from wireless communication systems. For example, a sensing signal can be an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal obtained by modulating a specific sequence on a subcarrier. This specific sequence can be any of the following sequences: Zadoff-Chu sequence (ZC sequence), pseudo-random sequence, predefined sequence, etc. Pseudo-random sequences include any of the following sequences: longest linear feedback shift register sequence (m-sequence), Gold sequence, etc. Predefined sequences can be, for example, random data symbols, such as random data symbols modulated by quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), etc.

[0086] 5. Echo signal:

[0087] An echo signal is a signal generated by the reflection / scattering / diffraction of a sensed signal by a target. The time delay of the echo signal relative to the sensed signal reflects the distance of the target relative to the transmitter. The Doppler shift of the echo signal relative to the sensed signal reflects the velocity of the target.

[0088] 6. Communication signals:

[0089] Communication signals are signals transmitted between communication devices for communication purposes, such as signals transmitted between network devices and terminals. Communication signals include, for example, signals carried on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0090] 7. Communication perception fusion signal:

[0091] Also written as synesthetic fusion signal, synesthetic signal, synesthetic integrated signal, etc., it is a signal used for both communication and sensing. When used for communication, it can be understood that the signal carries the communication data or communication reference signal sequence that needs to be transmitted between communication devices.

[0092] 8. Positioning reference signal (PRS):

[0093] 5G communication systems support terminal positioning based on PRS. Currently, PRS in 5G systems can be divided into downlink (DL) PRS and uplink (UL) PRS. Among them, DL PRS only supports periodic transmission, while UL PRS supports periodic transmission, semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) transmission, and aperiodic transmission.

[0094] For example, commonly used positioning methods include: positioning based on the time difference of arrival (TDOA), positioning based on the angle of arrival (AOA) or the angle of departure (AOD), and positioning based on multi-cell round trip time (Multi-RTT). Here, RTT refers to round trip time.

[0095] For example, in the Multi-RTT-based positioning method, the terminal and the base station need to send PRS to each other. For instance, the terminal sends UL PRS to the base station, and the base station sends DL PRS to the terminal. Then, the base station and the terminal calculate the transmission and reception time difference of the PRS respectively, and perform terminal positioning based on the transmission and reception time difference of the PRS.

[0096] In the above scheme, DL PRS only supports periodic transmission and does not support SPS and aperiodic transmission, making its transmission inflexible and potentially increasing the latency of positioning measurements. Furthermore, DL PRS and UL PRS are configured separately, each with its own configuration signaling. For example, DL PRS may be configured via non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, while UL PRS is configured by the base station via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0097] The aforementioned PRS transmission mechanism and configuration method may result in significant configuration overhead and latency for certain positioning methods, such as Multi-RTT-based positioning.

[0098] Furthermore, in integrated sensing systems, it is desirable to estimate the timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between the transmitting and receiving devices of the sensing signal, or to reduce the impact of these offsets on the measurement results, through round-trip measurements. The basic idea is that the motion state of the sensing target can be considered constant over a short period (e.g., a few milliseconds to tens of milliseconds). Therefore, it is assumed that for the same sensing target within this timeframe, the signal propagation delay and Doppler frequency shift obtained from round-trip measurements by two sensing devices transmitting and receiving sensing signals are the same, while the absolute values ​​of the timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset are the same, but with opposite signs. Thus, the timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between the devices can be extracted or suppressed based on the measurement results of the two sensing devices.

[0099] For example, the transceiver devices for sensing signals are node A and node B, and the timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between node A and node B are respectively τ offset and f offset For example, node A sends sensing signal 1 to node B, and node B obtains the time delay τ1 = τ + τ based on sensing signal 1. offset Frequency f1 = f d +f offset Subsequently, node B sends sensing signal 2 to node A, and node A obtains the time delay τ2 = τ - τ based on sensing signal 2. offset Frequency f2 = f d -f offset Therefore, timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset can be eliminated based on measurements from two nodes, for example:

[0100]

[0101] However, no mechanism for achieving rapid round-trip measurements has been provided, or in other words, no configuration for bidirectional sensing signals has been given. If the existing DL PRS and UL PRS configurations are used, the configuration delay will be large, which may lead to a large and unstable time delay between DL PRS and UL PRS, which is not conducive to the extraction or suppression of timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between the sensing signal transceivers.

[0102] Based on this, this application provides a communication method in which at least one configuration can be configured, each configuration including a first signaling configuration and a reference signal configuration. The first signaling configuration is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling, and the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration. The reference signal configuration is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal, which are bidirectional reference signals. Subsequently, the terminal can monitor the first signaling based on the first signaling configuration. When the first signaling is detected and the first signaling indicates that the reference signal configuration is activated, the terminal receives the first reference signal and sends the second reference signal. Furthermore, the time difference between the first and second reference signals can be reported.

[0103] The bidirectional reference signal can include two reference signals. In these two reference signals, the sender of reference signal 1 is the same as the receiver of reference signal 2, and the receiver of reference signal 1 is the same as the sender of reference signal 2. For example, the sender of the first reference signal is the receiver of the second reference signal, and the sender of the second reference signal is the receiver of the first reference signal.

[0104] Based on this scheme, bidirectional reference signals can be configured simultaneously in the same setup, such as downlink and uplink reference signals. This reduces the configuration overhead and latency caused by separate configuration of the two reference signals, thereby reducing positioning latency. Furthermore, it can reduce the large and unstable latency caused by separate configuration of the two reference signals, thus reducing the transmission and reception time difference between the bidirectional reference signals. This allows for the extraction or suppression of timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between transceiver devices. Moreover, the reference signal configuration can be activated or deactivated based on actual needs using the first signaling, enabling flexible transmission and reception of bidirectional reference signals and improving their transmission flexibility.

[0105] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be used in various communication systems, including 3GPP communication systems such as 4G systems like Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G systems like New Radio (NR), LTE and 5G hybrid networking systems, sensing systems, integrated communication and sensing systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, machine-type communication (MTC) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Bluetooth systems, Wi-Fi systems, long-range radio (LoRa) systems, or other future communication systems. The communication system can also be a non-3GPP communication system; there is no limitation on this.

[0106] Furthermore, when applied to perception systems, perception scenarios can include, but are not limited to, intelligent transportation, smart industry, smart homes, and smart cities, depending on the deployment context. Intelligent transportation typically includes highway or railway intrusion detection, autonomous driving and navigation for vehicles, drone flight trajectory monitoring, and drone intrusion detection. Typical smart industry scenarios include automated guided vehicle (AGV) detection, integrated perception and localization, and collaborative robots; smart homes include indoor intrusion detection, ambient environment intrusion detection, sleep monitoring, and immersive indoor experiences; smart cities include parking space detection and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) / vehicle / pedestrian detection near power grid facilities. Perception can also be categorized by common functions in perception use cases, such as detection, environmental monitoring, motion monitoring, and environmental reconstruction.

[0107] The communication systems and application scenarios applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems and scenarios applicable to this application are not limited thereto. The communication systems provided in this application do not impose any limitations on the solutions of this application. This is explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0108] Figure 1 A possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram is shown. For example... Figure 1As shown, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100. Optionally, it may also include a core network (CN) 200 and / or the Internet. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., ... Figure 1 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as Figure 1 The 120a-120j in the core network are collectively referred to as 120. The core network 200 includes at least one core network device.

[0109] Optionally, RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). Terminal 120 connects to RAN node 110 wirelessly (e.g., via air interface, for example, the two communicate via air interface). RAN node 110 connects to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0110] In one possible implementation, RAN 100 can be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, an NTN system (e.g., an NTN supporting pass-through mode and / or regenerative mode, or an NTN supporting eye-fixed cell mode and / or eye-moving cell mode), or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radioaccess network (CRAN), or a WiFi system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system integrating two or more of the above systems.

[0111] In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative, for example, Figure 1 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 1 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0112] In some scenarios, RAN node 110 has both wireless communication and sensing capabilities. Terminal 120 has wireless communication capabilities; furthermore, some terminals may also have sensing capabilities. For example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the RAN node can communicate wirelessly and sense with terminal 1 and terminal 3, and communicate with terminal 2. Furthermore, the RAN node can also perform self-transmitting and self-receiving sensing to perceive its surrounding environment.

[0113] For example, the RAN node can send a fusion signal, which the terminal receives and demodulates to obtain communication data. In addition, the RAN node also receives the echo signal reflected / scattered by the terminal (i.e., the target) from the fusion signal, and after sensing processing, obtains sensing parameters such as the position and speed of the terminal (target).

[0114] In one possible implementation, RAN node 110 is a network-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. Furthermore, the RAN node may also have sensing capabilities, such as transmitting sensing signals and receiving and processing signals reflected by targets in the environment. RAN nodes, sometimes also referred to as RAN entities or access nodes, constitute part of the communication system and assist terminals in achieving wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 20 can be of the same type or different types.

[0115] As one possible implementation, RAN node 110 can be an access network device, such as a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station evolved by 3GPP, a base station in a future mobile communication system, an access node in a WiFi system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, etc.

[0116] For example, a RAN node can be a macro base station (such as...) Figure 1 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 1 RAN nodes can be 110b, relay nodes or donor nodes, or wireless controllers in CRAN scenarios. Optionally, RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles or in-vehicle equipment, etc. For example, in V2X technology, the RAN node can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0117] As another possible implementation, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the functions of the access network equipment. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CU), distributed units (DU), CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), radio units (RU), etc.

[0118] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, a CU can connect to the core network and one or more DUs. A backhaul interface exists between the CU and the core network to carry traffic between them. A midhaul interface exists between the CU and the DU to carry traffic between them. A DU can connect to one or more RUs (Remote Roots). Figure 3 (Not shown in the image). A fronthaul interface exists between the DU and RU to carry traffic between them. Additionally, a connection exists between the DU and the terminal, allowing both to send sensing signals for target detection.

[0119] For example, the CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as in the baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0120] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an O-RAN central unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an O-RAN central unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an O-RAN central unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU).

[0121] For example, the CU / O-CU is used to implement the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer in the 3GPP standard.

[0122] Furthermore, CU-CP / O-CU-CP is used to implement the functions of the RRC layer and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and is part of the time-domain CU / O-CU. CU-UP / O-CU-UP is used to implement the functions of the SDAP layer and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer, and is also part of the CU / O-CU.

[0123] The DU / O-DU is based on low-layer function segmentation and is used to implement the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, and higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer in the 3GPP standard. Among them, the higher physical layer functions include one or more of the following: forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, or modulation / demodulation.

[0124] RU / O-RU is based on low-layer function partitioning and is used to implement lower physical layer (PHY) functions and radio frequency (RF) functions in the 3GPP standard. These PHY functions include one or more of the following: Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) / Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT), digital beamforming, or extraction and filtering of the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). It is similar to TRP or RRH in 3GPP, but includes PHY functions such as FFT / iFFT or PRACH extraction.

[0125] For example, depending on the functions of the DU and RU, and / or the different ways of splitting, the interface between the DU and RU can be a common public radio interface (CPRI) or an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI).

[0126] As another possible implementation, the RAN node can also be a non-real time RAN intelligent controller (Non-RT RIC or NRT RIC) and / or a near-real time RAN intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC or nRT RIC).

[0127] Non-RT RIC is used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of the RAN, enabling artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) for model training and updates, and guiding applications / functions within the Near-RT RIC based on policies. Near-RT RIC is used to implement near real-time intelligent management of the RAN, achieving near real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface. The E2 interface can be understood as an open interface between two nodes (or endpoints).

[0128] All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network equipment, or a device with some access network equipment functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the access network equipment.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the core network equipment in the core network 200 includes sensing network elements and / or positioning network elements. For example, a sensing network element may also be referred to as a sensing function (SF) network element, a sensing unit (SU), a sensing management function (SMF) network element, or an SF entity. Of course, sensing network elements may have other names, and this application does not specifically limit them.

[0130] As one possible implementation, the sensing network element is primarily responsible for sensing management, including but not limited to: sensing task allocation, sensing capability request, sensing and request selection, sensing mode or sensing method configuration, sensing auxiliary information provision, sensing measurement reporting configuration, sensing result request, sensing authorization, sensing control, and sensing result output. Furthermore, the sensing network element can also support sensing billing functions when terminals and / or RAN nodes perform sensing operations.

[0131] For example, the sensing network element has communication interfaces with the RAN node and the terminal, respectively. The Long Term Evolution Positioning Protocol (LPP) can be used to transmit sensing-related information between the terminal and the sensing network element; the New Radiopositioning Protocol A (NRPPa) can be used to transmit sensing-related information between the RAN node and the sensing network element. Furthermore, an air interface protocol can be used to transmit sensing-related information between the RAN node and the terminal.

[0132] In addition to being deployed in the core network, the sensing network element (SF) can also be deployed in the RAN or at the terminal. Furthermore, when the RAN's CU and DU are separated, the SF can be deployed in the CU.

[0133] As one possible implementation, the positioning network element is mainly responsible for calculating the terminal positioning result, requesting the terminal positioning capability, providing positioning assistance information, configuring positioning measurement reporting, and requesting positioning results. For example, in a 5G system, the positioning network element can be a location management function (LMF) network element. In future mobile communication systems, the positioning network element can still be an LMF network element, or it can have other names without restriction.

[0134] Optionally, the core network equipment in core network 200 may also include, but is not limited to: access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, user plane function (UPF) network elements, etc.

[0135] For example, the AMF (Advanced Location Function) element is a control node that processes terminal and core network signaling. It is primarily responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as user location updates, user registration with the network, and user handover. It is also responsible for NAS (Network Access Strategies) signaling security, access stratum (AS) security control, and access authentication. The SMF (Sustainable Message Function) element is responsible for session management, including terminal Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, user plane function selection and control, and quality of service (QoS) control. The UPF (User Plane Function) element is a user plane functional element, primarily responsible for connecting to external networks, establishing mobility anchors with the same or different radio access technologies (RATs), and routing and forwarding user packets.

[0136] It is understandable that in future mobile communication systems, AMF, SMF, and UPF network elements may have other names, and this application does not make any specific restrictions on this.

[0137] In one possible implementation, terminal 120 is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. Further, the terminal may also have sensing capabilities, such as transmitting sensing signals and receiving and processing signals reflected by targets in the environment. It can be a fixed device, mobile device, handheld device (e.g., mobile phone), wearable device, in-vehicle device, or a wireless device (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip system, etc.) built into the aforementioned devices. The terminal is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc., and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D communication, V2X communication, MTC communication, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, etc. For example, a terminal can be a handheld terminal in cellular communication, a communication device in D2D, an IoT device in MTC, a camera in intelligent transportation and smart cities, or a communication device on a drone; or, a terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. A terminal may sometimes be referred to as a UE, user terminal, user device, user unit, user station, terminal, access terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, mobile device, or wireless communication device, etc.

[0138] It should be noted that the system described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0139] The following is combined with Figure 1 The communication system shown illustrates the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. It should be noted that the message names, parameter names, or information names between the various communication devices in the following embodiments of this application are merely examples, and may be different names in other embodiments. The method provided in this application is not specifically limited in this regard.

[0140] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, each communication device may execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also execute other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0141] It is understood that this application uses RAN nodes and terminals as examples to illustrate the execution of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the RAN node in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the RAN node, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the RAN node's functions; or, some of the methods executed by the RAN node in this application can also be executed by a core network functional module, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the core network functional modules. For example, the RRC signaling sent by the RAN node can be configured by a core network functional module (such as a sensing network element); the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the terminal, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal's functions.

[0142] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0143] S401, the first communication device sends first configuration information to the second communication device. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first configuration information from the first communication device.

[0144] As one possible implementation, the first communication device can be a RAN node, and correspondingly, the second communication device can be a terminal. Alternatively, the first communication device can be a first terminal, and correspondingly, the second communication device can be a second terminal.

[0145] The first configuration information includes at least one set of configurations. This can also be understood as the first configuration information including at least one set of configuration information. Each set of configurations (or each set of configuration information) includes signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information. For ease of description, in the following embodiments of this application, the configuration included in the first configuration information is referred to as measurement configuration, that is, the first configuration information includes at least one set of measurement configurations. Of course, this configuration can also have other names, such as signal configuration, signal transceiver configuration, bidirectional configuration, etc., and is not limited thereto.

[0146] The signaling configuration information is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling. The first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, or the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information.

[0147] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, "configuration information" can also be replaced by "configuration". For example, reference signal configuration information can also be replaced by reference signal configuration, signaling configuration information can also be replaced by signaling configuration, and similarly, activating or deactivating reference signal configuration information can also be replaced by: activating or deactivating reference signal configuration.

[0148] As one possible implementation, the signaling configuration information may include the period and time offset of the first signaling. The time offset of the first signaling can be used to determine the start time for monitoring the first signaling.

[0149] As one possible implementation, when the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, the first signaling can be carried by two bits. The first bit of these two bits can be used to indicate whether the function of activating / deactivating the reference signal configuration information by the first signaling is enabled, and the second bit can indicate whether the reference signal configuration information is activated or deactivated if the function of activating / deactivating the reference signal configuration information by the first signaling is enabled.

[0150] The reference signal configuration information is used to configure the first reference signal and the second reference signal. The first reference signal is the reference signal transmitted on the first link, and the second reference signal is the reference signal transmitted on the second link.

[0151] As one possible implementation, the first link is a downlink, and the second link is an uplink. In this scenario, the first communication device can be a RAN node, and correspondingly, the second communication device is a terminal. The first link is the link from the RAN node to the terminal, and the second link is the link from the terminal to the RAN node.

[0152] As another possible implementation, the first link is a first side link, and the second link is a second side link. In this scenario, the first communication device can be a first terminal, and correspondingly, the second communication device is a second terminal. The first side link can be a link from the first terminal to the second terminal, and the second side link can be a link from the second terminal to the first terminal.

[0153] As one possible implementation, the first reference signal can be used for at least one of positioning, communication, or sensing, and the second reference signal can also be used for at least one of positioning, communication, or sensing. The first reference signal and the second reference signal can have the same function.

[0154] For example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal can also be referred to as sensing reference signals (SERS). Of course, the first reference signal and the second reference signal can have other names, and this application does not specifically limit them.

[0155] In one possible implementation, there is a correlation between signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information located in the same set of measurement configurations. For example, signaling configuration information #1 in measurement configuration #1 is associated with reference signal configuration information #1, and signaling configuration information #2 in measurement configuration #2 is associated with reference signal configuration information #2.

[0156] The above scheme is illustrated by using the example of configuring signaling configuration information and its associated reference signal configuration information through the same configuration information (i.e., the first configuration information). However, the signaling configuration information and the reference signal configuration information can also be configured separately. For example, the first communication device sends the first configuration information to configure at least one set of reference signal configuration information, and sends the second configuration information to configure at least one set of signaling configuration information.

[0157] In this scenario, the reference signal configuration information may carry a configuration identifier of the signaling configuration information to identify the signaling configuration information associated with the reference signal configuration information; or, the signaling configuration information may carry a configuration identifier of the reference signal configuration information to identify the reference signal configuration information associated with the signaling configuration information; or, the reference signal configuration information and the signaling configuration information may carry a measurement configuration identifier, and the reference signal configuration information and the signaling configuration information carrying the same measurement configuration identifier are associated.

[0158] In one possible implementation, signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information are associated with a terminal or a group of terminals. That is, the signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information can be at the terminal level (per UE) or at the group level (per UE group), without limitation.

[0159] In one possible implementation, when the first communication device is a RAN node, the first configuration information may be generated by the RAN node, such as by being carried in RRC signaling; or, the first configuration information may be generated by a core network element and sent to the RAN node, for example, by an SF network element in the core network. When the first communication device is a first terminal, the first configuration information may be generated by the first terminal, or generated by the RAN node and sent to the first terminal, or generated by a core network element and sent to the first terminal, without limitation.

[0160] S402. The first communication device sends a first signaling message according to the signaling configuration information. Correspondingly, the second communication device monitors the first signaling message according to the signaling configuration information.

[0161] As one possible implementation, the first communication device can send a first signaling message according to signaling configuration information when it is necessary to transmit and receive a first reference signal and a second reference signal, based on service requirements. For example, when positioning or sensing services are required, the first signaling message is sent at the monitoring location configured in the signaling configuration information. The first signaling message is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information (the reference signal configuration information associated with the first signaling message), or to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information.

[0162] As one possible implementation, the second communication device monitors the first signaling at the monitoring location configured in the signaling configuration information, based on the signaling configuration information.

[0163] It is understood that this application does not limit the first communication device to send the first signaling at every monitoring location. Therefore, the second communication device is not able to monitor the first signaling at every monitoring location.

[0164] As one possible implementation, the first signaling can be a low-power wake-up signal (LP-WUS), a medium access control element (MAC) CE, or downlink control information (DCI).

[0165] As one possible implementation, if the first communication device sends a first signaling at a certain monitoring location, the second communication device can detect the first signaling at that monitoring location. If the first signaling indicates the activation of reference signal configuration information, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the communication method may further include the following steps S403-S407.

[0166] S403. The first communication device sends a first reference signal to the second communication device. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first reference signal from the first communication device.

[0167] The first communication device sends a first reference signal to the second communication device based on reference signal configuration information (reference signal configuration information activated by the first signaling). The second communication device receives the first reference signal based on the reference signal configuration information.

[0168] S404. The second communication device sends a second reference signal to the first communication device. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the second reference signal from the second communication device.

[0169] The second communication device sends a second reference signal to the first communication device based on the reference signal configuration information (reference signal configuration information activated by the first signaling). The first communication device receives the second reference signal based on the reference signal configuration information.

[0170] S405. The second communication device sends the time difference (denoted as time difference #1) between the first reference signal and the second reference signal to the first communication device on the feedback resource. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal from the second communication device on the feedback resource.

[0171] As one possible implementation, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal fed back by the second communication device can be the time difference between the reception time of the first reference signal and the transmission time of the second reference signal. For example, the reception time of the first reference signal can be the multipath reception time of the first reference signal.

[0172] Optionally, in addition to step S405, the second communication device may also measure the second reference signal and perform sensing based on the measurement result of the second reference signal.

[0173] S406. The first communication device determines the time difference (denoted as time difference #2) between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0174] As one possible implementation, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal determined by the first communication device can be the time difference between the transmission time of the first reference signal and the reception time of the second reference signal. For example, the reception time of the second reference signal can be the multipath reception time of the second reference signal.

[0175] S407. The first communication device processes data based on time difference #1 and time difference #2.

[0176] As one possible implementation, the first communication device can determine the sensing result or positioning result based on time difference #1 and time difference #2. For example, the sensing result or positioning result may include the location of the second communication device, or information such as the location and distance of the sensed target in the environment.

[0177] As one possible implementation, the first communication device can determine or eliminate the timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between the first communication device and the second communication device based on time difference #1 and time difference #2.

[0178] In one possible implementation, step S407 above can also be replaced by: the first communication device sending time difference #1 and time difference #2 to the third communication device, and the third communication device receiving time difference #1 and time difference #2 can process according to time difference #1 and time difference #2. Please refer to the relevant description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0179] For example, if the first communication device is a RAN node, the third communication device can be another RAN node or a core network element; if the first communication device is a first terminal, the third communication device can be a RAN node. After receiving the time difference #1 and time difference #2 from the first terminal, the RAN node can process them according to the time difference #1 and time difference #2, or it can send the time difference #1 and time difference #2 to another RAN node or core network element, without restriction.

[0180] Based on this scheme, two reference signals with opposite transmission directions (referred to as bidirectional reference signals) can be configured simultaneously in the same configuration, such as configuring downlink and uplink reference signals simultaneously. Compared to configuring bidirectional reference signals separately, this reduces configuration overhead and latency. For example, when the reference signal is a positioning reference signal, if the downlink and uplink positioning reference signals are configured separately, the downlink positioning reference signal is usually configured by the core network side via NAS signaling. However, NAS signaling has a large transmission latency, resulting in a large configuration latency when configured via NAS signaling. Furthermore, the configuration time of the downlink and uplink positioning reference signals is uncertain, and there may be situations where the configuration of one positioning reference signal is completed while waiting for the configuration of the other positioning reference signal, which also leads to a large overall configuration latency. In addition, when configuring the two reference signals separately, the configuration information of the two reference signals needs to be carried in different signaling or messages, and the configuration information of the two reference signals needs to be encapsulated separately, resulting in a large configuration overhead. In this application, bidirectional reference signals are configured simultaneously in the same configuration, eliminating the need to wait for the configuration of one reference signal to be completed, as is required in separate configurations. This reduces configuration latency, and when the reference signal is used for sensing, the sensing results can be quickly obtained based on the reference signal. Furthermore, the elimination of separate encapsulation and other processing also reduces configuration overhead.

[0181] Furthermore, the reference signal configuration can be activated / deactivated via the first signaling, allowing the first communication device to flexibly activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration according to actual conditions. This enables flexible transmission and reception of the first and second reference signals, such as supporting the transmission and reception of aperiodic bidirectional reference signals, thereby supporting the measurement and reporting of aperiodic transmission-reception time differences and improving the transmission flexibility of the reference signals. Moreover, when the first signaling is LP-WUS, the transmission and reception of bidirectional reference signals in low-power mode can be enabled, thereby supporting terminal energy saving and reducing terminal power consumption.

[0182] Furthermore, since the configuration timing of each reference signal is uncertain when the two reference signals are configured independently, the time interval between the reception and transmission times of the two configured reference signals is unstable and may be large. In this application, when bidirectional reference signals are configured simultaneously in the same configuration, the time interval between the transmission and reception times of the bidirectional reference signals can be guaranteed to be stable. Moreover, since two reference signals can be configured, the difference between the transmission and reception times of the two reference signals can be controlled, minimizing the time difference between the reference signals, thereby enabling the determination or suppression of timing offset and local oscillator frequency offset between the two devices.

[0183] In one possible implementation, the reference signal configuration information is also used to configure a feedback resource for (the second communication device) to feed back the time difference (i.e., time difference #1) between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0184] Based on this implementation, a bidirectional reference signal and a feedback resource for feeding back the time difference corresponding to the bidirectional reference signal can be configured in the same configuration. Compared to configuring the feedback resource through another configuration information, the configuration latency of the feedback resource can also be reduced, enabling the second communication device to promptly feed back the time difference between the first and second reference signals to the first communication device, ensuring the effectiveness of the time difference, and thereby improving the accuracy of the sensing or positioning results determined based on the time difference.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the reference signal configuration information includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal (denoted as the first offset), an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal (denoted as the second offset), or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource (denoted as the third offset).

[0186] For example, when the reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal, the reference signal configuration information includes a first offset and a second offset. When the reference signal configuration information is also used to configure feedback resources, the reference signal configuration information further includes a third offset.

[0187] As one possible implementation, an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal is used to determine the starting reception position of the first reference signal. This offset can be a time-domain offset between the starting reception position of the first reference signal and the first reference position.

[0188] For example, the first reference position can be the time domain position of the first signaling. The time domain position of the first signaling can be the start reception position, start time domain position, end reception position, or end time domain position of the first signaling.

[0189] As one possible implementation, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal is used to determine the starting transmission position of the second reference signal (or the starting time-domain position of the second reference signal). This offset can be a time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the second reference position.

[0190] For example, the second reference position can be the time domain position of the first signaling, such as the start time domain position or the end time domain position of the first signaling, as can be referred to in the foregoing relevant descriptions, which will not be repeated here.

[0191] Alternatively, the second reference position can be the time domain position of the first reference signal, such as the start reception position, start time domain position, end reception position, or end time domain position of the first reference signal.

[0192] The starting reception position of the first reference signal can be the time-domain position at which reception of the first reference signal begins, even if reception of the first reference signal is not guaranteed at this starting position. The starting time-domain position of the first reference signal can also be the time-domain position at which the first reference signal is received, for example, the time corresponding to the first path of the first reference signal. Similarly, the ending reception position of the first reference signal can be the time-domain position at which reception of the first reference signal ceases. The ending time-domain position of the first reference signal can be the time corresponding to the last path of the first reference signal.

[0193] As one possible implementation, the offset of the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource is used to determine the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource. This offset can be the time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource and the third reference position.

[0194] For example, the third reference position can be the time domain position of the second reference signal, such as the start reception position, start time domain position, end reception position, or end time domain position of the second reference signal. Refer to the aforementioned description of the time domain position of the first reference signal, which will not be repeated here. Alternatively, the third reference position can be the time domain position of the first signaling. Refer to the aforementioned description of the time domain position of the first signaling, which will not be repeated here.

[0195] It is understood that the aforementioned first reference position, second reference position, or third reference position may also have other implementations. For example, the first reference position, second reference position, or third reference position may be a reference position configured by the first communication device, or may be a reference position known and understood by both the first communication device and the second communication device, without limitation.

[0196] In one possible implementation, the reference signal configuration information further includes at least one of the following: resource configuration information of the first reference signal, resource configuration information of the second reference signal, or resource configuration information of the feedback resource.

[0197] For example, when the reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal, the reference signal configuration information further includes resource configuration information for the first reference signal and resource configuration information for the second reference signal. When the reference signal configuration information is also used to configure feedback resources, the reference signal configuration information further includes resource configuration information for the feedback resources.

[0198] As one possible implementation, the resource configuration information of the first reference signal is used to configure at least one of the following of the first reference signal: resources, resource set, period, pattern, bandwidth, or antenna port.

[0199] For example, the resources of the first reference signal can be time-frequency resources. The resource configuration information of the first reference signal may include, for example, the number of OFDM symbols, time units, time slots, or the number of patterns transmitted in the time domain, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, the number of REs occupied in the frequency domain, the subcarrier spacing, the start frequency domain position, the number of combs, etc. The resource set of the first reference signal may include multiple resources, each of which may correspond to a resource identifier. The pattern of the first reference signal may indicate the RE positions that the first reference signal can occupy.

[0200] As one possible implementation, the resource configuration information of the second reference signal is used to configure at least one of the following: resources, resource set, period, pattern, bandwidth, or antenna port. Refer to the relevant description of the resource configuration information of the first reference signal; it will not be repeated here.

[0201] As one possible implementation, the resource configuration information of the feedback resource can be used to configure the time-frequency location, period, bandwidth, etc. of the feedback resource without restriction.

[0202] The following is through Figure 6 The first reference signal, second reference signal, and feedback resource (optional) configured in the reference signal configuration information are illustrated by way of example. For example, taking LP-WUS as the first signaling, at the LP-WUS monitoring location, the first communication device sends LP-WUS ( Figure 6 (represented by WUS in Chinese), and correspondingly, the second communication device detects LP-WUS. Taking LP-WUS as an example of indicating activation reference signal configuration information, it can be determined based on the first offset, second offset, and third offset in the reference signal configuration information. Figure 6 Taking OS1, OS2, and OS3 as examples, the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, and the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource are determined. Furthermore, based on the resource configuration information of the first reference signal, the resource configuration information of the second reference signal, and the resource configuration information of the feedback resource in the reference signal configuration information, the time-frequency position of the first reference signal, the time-frequency position of the second reference signal, and the time-frequency position of the feedback resource can be determined respectively, such as... Figure 6 The rectangular position marked RS1 can represent the time-frequency position of the first reference signal, the rectangular position marked RS2 can represent the time-frequency position of the second reference signal, and the rectangular position marked feedback resource can represent the time-frequency position of the feedback resource.

[0203] based on Figure 6 The example shown, combined with Figure 4 The communication method shown involves a second communication device monitoring LP-WUS according to a configuration. When LP-WUS indicates the activation of reference signal configuration information, the device starts receiving a first reference signal at an offset of OS1 after LP-WUS (at the end domain position of LP-WUS), sends a second reference signal at an offset of OS2 after the first reference signal (at the end reception position or the start reception position of the first reference signal), and feeds back the time difference between the first and second reference signals at an offset of OS3 after the second reference signal (at the end domain position or the start reception position of the first reference signal).

[0204] As one possible implementation, the second communication device can be in a sleep state before detecting the first signaling. Upon detecting the first signaling, and if the first signaling indicates the activation of reference signal configuration information, the second communication device can be in an active state, receiving a first reference signal, transmitting a second reference signal according to the reference signal configuration information, and feeding back the time difference between the first and second reference signals. For example, in... Figure 6 In the example shown, the second communication device transmits and receives reference signals and feeds back the corresponding time difference during the active time. After feeding back the time difference, the second communication device can enter sleep mode again (e.g., in...). Figure 6 (It is in a dormant state during the inactive period shown) and continues to monitor the first signaling at the next monitoring location.

[0205] For example, the activation time mentioned above can be the On Duration period in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mechanism. Furthermore, in this application, the sleep state can be replaced by a low-power state, and the activation state can be replaced by a normal power state. The power consumption in the low-power state is lower than the power consumption in the normal power state.

[0206] In one possible implementation, the reference signal configuration information further includes configuration information for the measurement time window of the first reference signal and / or a measurement threshold. In this scenario, the reception time of the first reference signal can include the path time within the measurement time window during which the corresponding signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold.

[0207] As one possible implementation, the configuration information of the measurement time window of the first reference signal may include at least one of the following: the start time of the measurement time window, the interval between the start time of the measurement time window and the reference time, or the length of the measurement time window.

[0208] The start time of the measurement window, which is included in the configuration information of the measurement time window, can be represented by the wireless frame number, time slot number, OFDM symbol index, etc.

[0209] The reference time can be one of the following: the time corresponding to the first path of the first reference signal, the path time or sampling time corresponding to the known target, the time corresponding to the first path within the measurement time window of the first reference signal where the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold, the time corresponding to the line of sight (LOS) path of the first reference signal, or the reception time or transmission time of the configured signal / channel.

[0210] For example, the first diameter of the first reference signal can be understood as the first diameter measured by the second communication device when it receives the first reference signal, or the diameter of the first reference signal measured first, or the strongest diameter of the first reference signal measured.

[0211] The known target can be a target whose location, distance, and other information have been acquired by the first communication device; the path time or sampling time corresponding to the known target can be the time it takes for the signal to reach the receiving end after being reflected, scattered, or diffracted by the known target during transmission.

[0212] The configured signal / channel reception or transmission time can be the signal / channel reception or transmission time configured by the first communication device to the second communication device before transmitting the reference signal configuration information. Alternatively, it can be the signal / channel reception or transmission time obtained by the second communication device before obtaining the path reception time of the first signal, or it can be the signal / channel reception or transmission time obtained by the second communication device simultaneously with obtaining the path reception time of the first signal. For example, the signal / channel reception time may include the reception time of the LOS path or other multipath paths.

[0213] As one possible implementation, the reference time can be configured by the first communication device, such as by including the reference time in the configuration of the measurement time window. For example, the first communication device can configure the reference time and the interval between the start time of the measurement time window and the reference time, and the second communication device can determine the start time of the measurement time window based on the reference time and the interval.

[0214] For example, such as Figure 7As shown, t0 is the reference time. For example, t0 could be the initial path time corresponding to the first reference signal, the path time or sampling time corresponding to a known target, or the reception or transmission time of the configured signal / channel. The interval between the start time of the measurement time window and the reference time is tw, so the start time of the measurement time window is t0+tw. Furthermore, the length of the measurement time window is a. The second communication device can measure the first reference signal within the time window from t0+tw to t0+tw+a. The time corresponding to the initial path where the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal can be t3.

[0215] Based on this implementation, the first communication device can configure a measurement time window for the first reference signal, thereby enabling the first communication device to flexibly configure the corresponding measurement time window according to service requirements. This allows the second communication device to measure the first reference signal within the corresponding measurement time window, obtaining the relevant measurement results required by the service, thus ensuring service performance and improving user experience. For example, when the reference time is the path time or sampling time corresponding to a known target, since the first communication device can obtain information such as the location of the known target, setting the reference time to the path time or sampling time corresponding to the known target, different intervals between the reference time and the start time of the measurement time window can reflect different regional ranges. Therefore, by setting this interval, the sensing area can be restricted, allowing the second communication device to focus on measuring the transmission of the first reference signal within the sensing area, thereby achieving the sensing of the target within the sensing area.

[0216] In one possible implementation, given the existence of a measurement time window for the first reference signal, the time difference between the first and second reference signals fed back by the second communication device (i.e., the aforementioned time difference #1) may be implemented in the following four ways:

[0217] Method 1: The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes the first time difference.

[0218] The first time difference includes the transmission time of the second reference signal and the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time difference between the corresponding signal quality within the measurement time window of the first reference signal being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold.

[0219] As one possible implementation, signal quality can be represented by reference signal received path power (RSRPP), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). Path time can be understood as the reception time of the path.

[0220] For example, such as Figure 7As shown, the signal quality is represented by RSRPP, with the start and end times of the measurement time window t0+tw (denoted as ts) and t0+tw+a, and the measurement threshold is... Figure 7 The horizontal dashed line shown indicates that, taking the transmission time of the second reference signal as tu as an example, within this measurement time window, the corresponding signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold includes t3, t4, t5, and t6. Then the first time difference includes: tu-t3, tu-t4, tu-t5, and tu-t6.

[0221] As one possible implementation, in actual reporting, the first time difference can be taken as the absolute value of the difference between the second time difference and the transmission time of the second reference signal. That is, the reported first time difference is a positive value.

[0222] Based on the above method one, by reporting the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the multipath time when the signal quality within the measurement time window is greater than the measurement threshold, the transmit and receive time difference corresponding to the target in the desired area or distance can be obtained, thereby enabling the perception of the target in the desired area or distance.

[0223] Method 2: The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes the third time difference and the fourth time difference.

[0224] The third time difference includes the difference between the time during which the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window. The fourth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window. Signal quality can be referred to the relevant explanation in Method 1 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0225] For example, based on Figure 7 The example shown uses the start and end times of the measurement time window t0+tw (denoted as ts) and t0+tw+a. The signal quality is represented by RSRPP, and the measurement threshold is... Figure 7 The horizontal dashed line indicates that, taking the transmission time of the second reference signal as tu as an example, within this measurement time window, the corresponding signal quality times greater than or equal to the measurement threshold include t3, t4, t5, and t6. Therefore, the third time difference includes: t3-ts (denoted as Δt21), t4-ts (denoted as Δt22), t5-ts (denoted as Δt23), and t6-ts (denoted as Δt24). When the transmission time of the second reference signal is tu, the fourth time difference includes: tu-ts (denoted as Δt3).

[0226] Based on this example, the first communication device can determine, according to the third and fourth time differences, the time interval between the path time corresponding to a signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold and the transmission time of the second reference signal. For example, taking the third time difference as including Δt21, the time interval between the transmission time of the second reference signal and t3 can be obtained through the following relationship:

[0227] t3-ts=Δt21

[0228] tu-ts=Δt3

[0229] but:

[0230] tu-t3=Δt3+ts-Δt21-ts=Δt3-Δt21

[0231] In the above relationship, Δt21 and Δt3 are both known quantities, so the value of t3-tu can be obtained.

[0232] As one possible implementation, in actual reporting, the third time difference can be the absolute value of the difference between the path time corresponding to the signal quality being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold and the start time of the measurement time window, and the fourth time difference can be the absolute value of the difference between the start time of the measurement time window and the transmission time of the second reference signal. That is, the reported third and fourth time differences can be positive values.

[0233] Based on the second method described above, since the multipath time corresponding to signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window is relatively close to the start time of the measurement time window, the difference between the two (i.e., the third time difference) is small, requiring fewer quantization bits and reducing feedback overhead. Furthermore, by reporting the third and fourth time differences, the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the multipath time within the measurement time window where signal quality is greater than the measurement threshold can be determined. This allows for the acquisition of the transmit / receive time difference corresponding to the target within the desired area or distance, thereby enabling the sensing of the target within that desired area or distance.

[0234] Method 3: The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes the fifth time difference and the sixth time difference.

[0235] The fifth time difference includes the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the first time. The first time is the reception time of the first path (also called the first path or first diameter) whose signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal.

[0236] The sixth time difference includes at least one difference between a second time and a first time. The second time is the reception time of a non-first path within the measurement time window of the first reference signal, corresponding to a signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold.

[0237] For example, based on Figure 7 The example shown uses the start and end times of the measurement time window t0+tw (denoted as ts) and t0+tw+a. The signal quality is represented by RSRPP, and the measurement threshold is... Figure 7 The horizontal dashed line indicates that, taking the transmission time of the second reference signal as tu as an example, within this measurement time window, the corresponding signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold includes the following time periods: t3, t4, t5, and t6. Among these, the first time period within this measurement time window where the corresponding signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold is the one corresponding to t3, and the reception time of this first time period is t3. Therefore, the first time is t3, and the fifth time difference is tu-t3 (denoted as Δt31). Similarly, if at least one second time period includes t4, t5, and t6, then the sixth time difference includes: t4-t3 (denoted as Δt32), t5-t3 (denoted as Δt33), and t6-t3 (denoted as Δt34).

[0238] Based on this example, the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the corresponding path times within the measurement time window where the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold can include: tu-t4=(tu-t3)-(t4-t3)=Δt31-Δt32, ..., and so on.

[0239] Method 4: The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes the seventh time difference and the eighth time difference.

[0240] The seventh time difference includes the difference between the time when the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal and the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal. The eighth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal.

[0241] For example, based on Figure 7 In the example shown, the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal can be t0. This can be understood by replacing the start time of the measurement time window in Method 2 with the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal; further details are omitted.

[0242] In one possible implementation, the second communication device may further perform sensing measurements on the first reference signal within the measurement time window of the first reference signal, based on a measurement threshold, to obtain a sensing measurement result. This sensing measurement result can then be reported to the first communication device, which can perform fusion sensing or similar functions based on the result; alternatively, the sensing measurement result may not be reported, and the second communication device may perform appropriate processing based on the result, without limitation.

[0243] In one possible implementation, the reference signal configuration information further includes at least one of the following: whether to enable / deactivate the first signaling to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information, and sensing assistance information.

[0244] As one possible implementation, when the reference signal configuration information indicates that the first signaling is activated / deactivated, the second communication device monitors the first signaling at the monitoring location of the first signaling according to the signaling configuration information.

[0245] As one possible implementation, sensing auxiliary information is used to assist sensing measurements. For example, the sensing auxiliary information may include beam information of the first and second reference signals, such as reference signal beam identifiers or reference signal identifier information, so that the second communication device can identify the reference signal beam or reference signal and report it. The sensing auxiliary information may also include cell identifier information corresponding to the first or second reference signal, the time difference range that the first communication device expects the second communication device to report, etc. After obtaining the time difference (such as the time difference between the first and second reference signals), the second communication device can determine whether the time difference exceeds the time difference range. If it exceeds the time difference range, it can choose not to report.

[0246] In one possible implementation, if the first configuration information includes multiple configurations, these configurations can be distributed in the form of a configuration list (CF list). Each configuration corresponds to a configuration identifier (CF ID). Each configuration includes signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information. The content of the signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information can be found in the above descriptions and will not be repeated here.

[0247] For example, taking the first configuration information as including configuration 0 (CF0) and configuration 1 (CF1), and the first signaling as LP-WUS, as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the first communication device can activate different configurations at different times via the first signaling. For example, CF0 can be activated during activation time 1, and CF1 can be activated during activation time 2. Figure 8 The configuration settings for CF0 and CF1 shown can be referenced. Figure 6 The relevant explanations in the document will not be repeated here.

[0248] As one possible implementation, the first configuration information includes multiple sets of configurations, and different sets of configurations can correspond to different business requirements, such as perception requirements.

[0249] For example, different configurations can correspond to different sensing accuracies or resolutions, so the bandwidths of the first reference signal and / or the second reference signal configured in different configurations can be different. For instance, the bandwidth of the first reference signal configured in configuration 0 is bandwidth 1, the bandwidth of the first reference signal configured in configuration 1 is bandwidth 2, and / or, the bandwidth of the second reference signal configured in configuration 0 is bandwidth 3, and the bandwidth of the second reference signal configured in configuration 2 is bandwidth 4. Alternatively, different configurations can correspond to different measurement reporting periods, so the periods of the first reference signal and / or the second reference signal configured in different configurations can be different. Alternatively, different configurations can correspond to different fuzzy precisions in velocity measurement, so the patterns of the first reference signal and / or the second reference signal configured in different configurations can be different. Alternatively, different configurations can correspond to different measurement tasks, and the data processing complexity of different measurement tasks may be different; therefore, the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource configured in different configurations can be different.

[0250] As one possible implementation, the same configuration parameters can exist in multiple configurations included in the first configuration information. For example, the signaling configuration information in different configurations can be the same, such as configuring the same monitoring location for the first signaling or configuring the same number of states that the first signaling can indicate.

[0251] As one possible implementation, if the first configuration information includes multiple configurations, the first signaling may also include a configuration identifier to indicate which configuration's reference signal configuration information the first signaling activates / deactivates.

[0252] For example, taking the multiple configurations including a first configuration as an example, the first communication device can send a first signaling (which can be referred to as the first signaling configured in the first configuration) according to the signaling configuration information in the first configuration. The first signaling may include an identifier of the first configuration, indicating that the first signaling is used to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information in the first configuration. When the second communication device detects the first signaling used to activate the reference signal configuration information in the first configuration, it receives a first reference signal, sends a second reference signal according to the reference signal configuration information in the first configuration, and feeds back the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0253] For example, if the same monitoring location for the first signaling is configured in multiple configurations included in the first configuration information, the first signaling may include a configuration identifier. If different monitoring locations for the first signaling are configured in multiple configurations of the first configuration information, the first signaling may not include a configuration identifier. The second communication device can determine the reference signal configuration information for activating / deactivating the first signaling by monitoring its location.

[0254] For example, taking the first configuration information as including configuration 0 and configuration 1, where the monitoring position of the first signaling configured in configuration 0 is position 0 and the monitoring position of the first signaling configured in configuration 1 is position 1, if the second communication device detects the first signaling at position 0, then the first signaling is used to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information in configuration 0; if the second communication device detects the first signaling at position 1, then the first signaling is used to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information in configuration 1.

[0255] Based on this possible implementation, the first communication device can send multiple configurations through the first configuration information. Therefore, different parameters can be configured in different configurations according to different service or sensing requirements to achieve different service or sensing needs, improving configuration flexibility and supporting richer sensing tasks. Furthermore, by carrying a configuration identifier indicating the activated reference signal configuration information through the first signaling, the second communication device can correctly send and receive reference signals according to the activated reference signal configuration information.

[0256] In one possible implementation, when the first signaling is a MAC CE, the first configuration information may further include the logical channel identification (LCID) or codepoint of the MAC CE.

[0257] The LCID or coded point included in the first configuration information is used by the second communication device for identification, indicating whether to activate / deactivate the MAC CE of the reference signal configuration information. For example, if the LCID included in the first configuration information is LCID#1, then after receiving a MAC CE, if the LCID in the MAC subheader of that MAC CE is LCID#1, the second communication device can know that the MAC CE is used to indicate whether to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information. Therefore, it can continue to parse the MAC CE to determine whether the first communication device activates or deactivates the corresponding reference signal configuration information.

[0258] As one possible implementation, if the first configuration information includes multiple configurations, different configurations can correspond to different LCIDs. In this case, the specific configuration can be identified through the LCID. The second communication device can use the LCID to determine which configuration's reference signal configuration information the first communication device has activated / deactivated. Furthermore, in this scenario, the LCIDs corresponding to different configurations can be carried in the corresponding configurations, or they can be carried in the first configuration information, alongside the multiple configurations, without restriction.

[0259] For example, taking the first configuration information as including configuration 0 and configuration 1, if configuration 0 corresponds to LCID#1 and configuration 1 corresponds to LCID#2, then after the second communication device receives a certain MAC CE, if the MAC CE carries LCID#1, the second communication device can know that the MAC CE is used to indicate whether to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information in configuration 0; if the MAC CE carries LCID#2, the second communication device can know that the MAC CE is used to indicate whether to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information in configuration 1; if the LCID carried in the MAC CE is neither LCID#1 nor LCID#2, the second communication device can determine that the MAC CE is not used to indicate whether to activate / deactivate the above-mentioned reference signal configuration information.

[0260] As another possible implementation, if the first configuration information includes multiple configurations, different configurations can correspond to the same LCID. In this case, the MAC CE carrying the LCID also needs to carry a configuration identifier to indicate whether to activate / deactivate the reference signal configuration information in the configuration identified by the configuration identifier.

[0261] Based on this implementation, the first communication device can configure the LCID or coding point of the MAC CE as the first signaling, so that the second communication device can correctly identify the MAC CE as the first signaling based on the LCID or coding point, thereby parsing the MAC CE to obtain the indication of the activation / deactivation reference signal configuration information of the first communication device, and then promptly sending and receiving reference signals according to the activation indication of the first communication device, so as to avoid missing the activation indication of the first communication device and being unable to send and receive reference signals in a timely manner.

[0262] As one possible implementation, when the first signaling is MAC CE, the monitoring location of the first signaling configured in the signaling configuration information can be the monitoring location of the PDSCH carrying MAC CE, such as configuring the period and offset of the PDSCH.

[0263] Based on this implementation, the monitoring location of the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE can be configured in the first configuration information, eliminating the need for a second communication device to blindly detect the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to determine the location of the PDSCH scheduled by the PDCCH, thereby saving power consumption caused by blind PDCCH detection. Furthermore, eliminating the need for PDCCH scheduling also saves resources used to carry the PDSCH, achieving resource conservation.

[0264] In one possible implementation, when the first signaling is a MAC CE, the MAC CE may also indicate at least one of the following: whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the second reference signal, whether to indicate the cell or bandwidth part (BWP) to which the first and second reference signals belong, the cell identifier or BWP identifier to which the first and second reference signals belong, the carrier type carrying the first and second reference signals, the signal type having a spatial relationship with the first and second reference signals, the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource, the measurement time window of the first reference signal, or the measurement threshold.

[0265] As one possible implementation, the resources / resource set of the first reference signal can be indicated by the first communication device through reference signal configuration information. For example, the reference signal configuration information includes resource configuration information of the first reference signal, which can be used to configure the resources / resource set of the first reference signal. For example, the resource configuration information of the first reference signal can configure at least one resource, or configure at least one resource set, wherein the configured resources or resource set are used to transmit the first reference signal. Each resource can correspond to a resource identifier, and a resource set can include at least one resource, with each resource set corresponding to a resource set identifier.

[0266] For example, whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal can include two levels of indication: 1) whether to enable the MAC CE to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal; 2) when the MAC CE is enabled to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, indicating whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal.

[0267] For example, when enabling the MAC CE to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, the MAC CE may also indicate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal to be activated or deactivated. For example, this may include an identifier of the activated or deactivated resource, or an identifier of the activated or deactivated resource set.

[0268] For example, when the MAC CE indicates activation of reference signal configuration information, the MAC CE may further indicate the resource / resource set for activating the first reference signal, and the identifier of the activated resource / resource set. Accordingly, the second communication device may receive the first reference signal from the activated resource / resource set. When the MAC CE indicates deactivation of reference signal configuration information, the MAC CE may further indicate the resource / resource set for deactivating the first reference signal, and the identifier of the deactivated resource / resource set.

[0269] As one possible implementation, the resources / resource set of the second reference signal can be indicated by the first communication device through reference signal configuration information. For example, the reference signal configuration information includes resource configuration information of the second reference signal, which can be used to configure the resources / resource set of the second reference signal. For explanations regarding whether to activate or deactivate the resources / resource set of the second reference signal, and the activation or deactivation of the resources / resource set of the second reference signal, please refer to the above explanation of the resources / resource set of the first reference signal, which will not be repeated here.

[0270] As one possible implementation, whether the MAC CE indicates the cell or BWP to which the first and second reference signals belong can be understood as whether the MAC CE is used to indicate the cell or BWP to which the first and second reference signals belong. If the MAC CE is used to indicate the cell or BWP to which the first and second reference signals belong, the MAC CE may further include an identifier of the cell to which the first and second reference signals belong or a BWP identifier.

[0271] For example, when the second communication device is a terminal, the cell to which the first and second reference signals belong may be the same as or different from the cell where the terminal is camped (or accessed). For different cells, the first communication device can be configured with different measurement or reporting configurations. For example, for the cell where the terminal is camped (or accessed) or a specific cell, a larger measurement time window or a higher measurement threshold can be configured. The second communication device can measure or report the reference signals according to the measurement or reporting configuration corresponding to the cell to which the first and second reference signals belong.

[0272] As one possible implementation, the carrier type carrying the reference signal can be a normal carrier or a supplementary carrier. For example, the carrier type carrying the first reference signal can be a normal carrier, and the carrier type carrying the second reference signal can be a normal carrier; or, the carrier type carrying the first reference signal can be a normal carrier, and the carrier type carrying the second reference signal can be a supplementary carrier. For example, different carrier types can be associated with different measurement or reporting configurations.

[0273] As one possible implementation, spatial relationships can also be understood as quasi-colocation (QCL) relationships. Spatial relationships or QCL relationships are used to indicate that multiple resources / signals have one or more identical or similar communication characteristics. For multiple resources / signals with QCL relationships, the same or similar communication configurations can be used.

[0274] For example, resources / signals with a QCL relationship have the same or similar parameters; or, the parameters of one resource / signal (also called QCL parameters) can be used to determine the parameters of another resource / signal with a QCL relationship; or, two resources / signals have the same parameters; or, the parameter difference between two resources / signals is less than a certain threshold. The parameters may include one or more of the following: delay spread, Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average delay, average gain, spatial Rx parameters, etc. The spatial Rx parameters may include one or more of the following: angle of arrival (AOA), average AOA, AOA spread, angle of departure (AOD), average departure angle AOD, AOD spread, receive antenna spatial correlation parameters, transmit antenna spatial correlation parameters, transmit beam, receive beam, and resource identifier.

[0275] For example, QCL relationships can include QCL relationships of type D. A type D QCL is used to indicate a beam, that is, a QCL defined based on spatial reception parameters. Resources / signals with a QCL type D relationship have the same spatial characteristics and can be received using the same receiving beam.

[0276] For example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal have a spatial relationship. The signal that has a spatial relationship with the first reference signal and the second reference signal may include: a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a PRS, other first reference signals transmitted on the first link, or other second reference signals transmitted on the second link.

[0277] Based on this implementation, by indicating a signal that has a spatial relationship with the first reference signal and the second reference signal, the second communication device can determine the spatial parameters of the first reference signal and the second reference signal, thereby receiving the first reference signal and sending the second reference signal based on the spatial parameters, thus improving the transmission and reception performance of the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0278] As one possible implementation, the MAC CE can indicate an offset (i.e., a first offset) of the starting reception position of the first reference signal. Exemplarily, the first offset can be configured directly by the MAC CE. In this case, the reference signal configuration information may not include the first offset, or if the reference signal configuration information also includes the first offset, the first offset configured by the MAC CE shall prevail.

[0279] Alternatively, for example, a first offset set can be configured in the reference signal configuration information. The first offset set includes at least one offset, each offset corresponding to an identifier. The MAC CE can indicate the identifier of a certain offset in the first offset set, and the offset corresponding to the identifier is the first offset.

[0280] As one possible implementation, the MAC CE can indicate an offset (i.e., a second offset) from the starting transmission position of the second reference signal. Exemplarily, the second offset can be configured directly by the MAC CE. In this case, the second offset may not be included in the reference signal configuration information, or if it is included in the reference signal configuration information, the second offset configured by the MAC CE shall prevail.

[0281] Alternatively, for example, a second offset set can be configured in the reference signal configuration information. The second offset set includes at least one offset, each offset corresponding to an identifier. The MAC CE can indicate a certain offset identifier in the second offset set, and the offset corresponding to that identifier is the second offset.

[0282] As one possible implementation, MAC CE can indicate the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource (i.e., the third offset). Please refer to the relevant explanations above when MAC CE indicates the first or second offset, which will not be repeated here.

[0283] As one possible implementation, the MAC CE can indicate the measurement time window of the first reference signal, for example, indicating at least one of the following: the start time of the measurement time window, the interval between the start time and the reference time, and the length of the measurement time window.

[0284] For example, the measurement time window of the first reference signal can be directly indicated by the MAC CE. Alternatively, multiple measurement time windows can be configured in the reference signal configuration information, and the MAC CE can configure an identifier for one of these multiple measurement time windows. The measurement time window corresponding to this identifier is the measurement time window of the first reference signal. Refer to the relevant explanations regarding the MAC CE indicating the first offset or the second offset described above; they will not be repeated here.

[0285] As one possible implementation, the MAC CE can indicate a measurement threshold. For example, the measurement time window can be configured directly by the MAC CE, or multiple measurement thresholds can be configured in the reference signal configuration information, and the MAC CE can indicate the identifier of one of these multiple measurement thresholds. Refer to the relevant explanations regarding the MAC CE indicating the first or second offset described above; they will not be repeated here.

[0286] Based on the above implementation, the relevant parameters of the reference signal can be configured or reconfigured through MAC CE, or a parameter in the parameter set can be indicated by MAC CE, so that the first communication device can flexibly adjust the relevant configuration of the reference signal according to the actual situation, further improving the flexibility and rationality of the configuration, thereby improving the sensing / positioning performance.

[0287] In one possible implementation, if the first signaling is DCI, the first configuration information may further include the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code of the DCI and / or the radio network temporary identifier (RNTI).

[0288] The first configuration information includes CRC and / or RNTI, which are used by the second communication device for identification to indicate whether the DCI of the reference signal configuration information is activated / deactivated. For example, if the first configuration information includes CRC#1 and / or RNTI#1, after the second communication device detects the DCI (or PDCCH), if the CRC of the DCI is scrambled by RNTI#1, and / or the CRC of the DCI is CRC#1, then the second communication device can know that the DCI is used to indicate whether the reference signal configuration information is activated / deactivated. Therefore, it can continue to parse the DCI to determine whether the first communication device has activated or deactivated the corresponding reference signal configuration information.

[0289] For example, the CRC or RNTI of a DCI can also be understood as the CRC or RNTI of the PDCCH carrying the DCI, and the two descriptions can be used interchangeably.

[0290] As one possible implementation, when the first configuration information includes multiple configurations, different configurations may correspond to different CRCs and / or RNTIs, or different configurations may correspond to the same CRC and / or RNTI. For reference, see the relevant explanations above when the first signaling is MAC CE and the first configuration information includes LCID, which will not be repeated here.

[0291] Based on this implementation, the first communication device can configure the CRC and / or RNTI of the DCI used as the first signaling, so that the second communication device can correctly identify the DCI used as the first signaling based on the CRC and / or RNTI, thereby transmitting and receiving reference signals in a timely manner.

[0292] As one possible implementation, when the first signaling is DCI, the detection location of the first signaling configured in the signaling configuration information can be the monitoring location of the PDCCH carrying DCI, such as configuring the period and offset of the PDCCH.

[0293] Based on this implementation, the monitoring location of the PDCCH can be configured in the first configuration information, eliminating the need for the second communication device to blindly detect the PDCCH, thereby saving power consumption and resources.

[0294] As one possible implementation, DCI as the first signaling can be understood as a new DCI format.

[0295] As one possible implementation, when the DCI is enabled to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information function, a special value can be set in the bits of the DCI to indicate the activation or deactivation of the reference signal configuration information.

[0296] For example, a dedicated indicator bit can be set in the DCI. When the indicator bit is set to a first value, it indicates that the reference signal configuration information is activated; when the indicator bit is set to a second value, it indicates that the reference signal configuration information is deactivated. For example, the first value is 1, and the corresponding second value is 0; or, the first value is 0, and the corresponding second value is 1.

[0297] Alternatively, the reference signal configuration information can be activated or deactivated by setting special status indicators for existing fields. For example, the bits of the new data indicator (NDI) field in the DCI can be set to 0, and when indicating activation of the reference signal configuration information, the bits of the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process number field can be set to all 0; when indicating deactivation of the reference signal configuration information, the bits of the HARQ process number field can be set to all 1, and the frequency domain resource allocation field can be set to all 1.

[0298] As one possible implementation, in the case where the first configuration information includes multiple configurations, the DCI may also include a configuration identifier indicating which configuration's reference signal configuration information is activated or deactivated.

[0299] As one possible implementation, DCI can also indicate at least one of the following: first offset, second offset, second offset, measurement time window of the first reference signal, or measurement threshold. Please refer to the relevant descriptions of the corresponding parameters indicated by MAC CE above, which will not be repeated here.

[0300] Based on this implementation, the relevant parameters of the reference signal can be configured or reconfigured through DCI, or a parameter in the parameter set can be indicated by DCI, enabling the first communication device to flexibly adjust the relevant configuration of the reference signal according to the actual situation, thereby improving the flexibility and rationality of the configuration and thus improving the sensing / positioning performance.

[0301] In one possible implementation, where the first link is a first sidelink and the second link is a second sidelink, the first signaling can also be sidelink control information (SCI). The implementation of SCI can be found in the above description of DCI, and will not be repeated here.

[0302] In one possible implementation, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal (i.e., the first offset) is associated with at least one of the subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, or carrier frequency.

[0303] As one possible implementation, the subcarrier spacing can be a subcarrier spacing supported or used by the second communication device. For example, the relationship between the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the subcarrier spacing can be: the larger the subcarrier spacing, the more symbols corresponding to the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal; or, the smaller the subcarrier spacing, the fewer symbols corresponding to the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal. Because symbol time is inversely proportional to the corresponding subcarrier spacing, for the same time length, a larger subcarrier spacing requires more symbols, and a smaller subcarrier spacing requires fewer symbols.

[0304] As one possible implementation, the bandwidth can be the bandwidth of a configured second reference signal. For example, the bandwidth can be aggregated or non-aggregated bandwidth. For example, the relationship between the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the bandwidth can be: the larger the bandwidth, the larger the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal; or, the smaller the bandwidth, the smaller the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal. This is because a larger bandwidth may result in a longer potential transmission or reception processing time, thus requiring a longer offset time.

[0305] As one possible implementation, the carrier frequency can be the frequency of the carrier wave of the second reference signal. Different carrier frequencies can correspond to different offsets in the starting transmission position of the second reference signal. For example, the hardware processing capabilities of the second communication device may differ under different carrier frequencies, such as different radio frequency (RF) channel hardware processing capabilities. With different hardware processing capabilities, the signal transmission and reception processing time of the second communication device will be different, thus the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal may be different.

[0306] In one possible implementation, the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal (i.e., the second offset) is associated with at least one of the subcarrier spacing, bandwidth, or carrier frequency.

[0307] The subcarrier spacing can be the subcarrier spacing supported or used by the first communication device, and it is the same as the subcarrier spacing supported or used by the second communication device. The bandwidth can be the bandwidth of the configured first reference signal, and the bandwidth of the first reference signal and the bandwidth of the second reference signal can be the same. The carrier frequency can be the frequency of the carrier of the first reference signal, and it can be the same as the frequency of the carrier of the second reference signal. For a detailed explanation of the specific implementation of this association, please refer to the relevant description of the association corresponding to the second offset; it will not be repeated here.

[0308] In one possible implementation, the offset of the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource (i.e., the third offset) is also associated with at least one of the subcarrier spacing, bandwidth, or carrier frequency.

[0309] The subcarrier spacing can be a subcarrier spacing supported or used by the first communication device / second communication device. The bandwidth can be the bandwidth of the configured first reference signal / second reference signal. The carrier frequency can be the frequency of the carrier of the first reference signal / second reference signal. For a detailed explanation of the specific implementation of this relationship, please refer to the relevant description of the relationship corresponding to the second offset mentioned above; it will not be repeated here.

[0310] In one possible implementation, the relationship between the aforementioned offset and the subcarrier, bandwidth, or carrier frequency can be predefined (e.g., protocol predefined) or preconfigured (e.g., the first communication device preconfigures the second communication device).

[0311] For example, the predefined or preconfigured association between the aforementioned offset and subcarrier may be as shown in Table 1, or may include some of the associations in Table 1. The predefined or preconfigured association between the aforementioned offset and bandwidth may be as shown in Table 2, or may include some of the associations in Table 2.

[0312] Table 1

[0313] Subcarrier spacing (kHz) First offset Second offset Third offset 15 OS11 OS21 OS31 30 OS12 OS22 OS32 60 OS13 OS23 OS33 120 OS14 OS24 OS34 240 OS15 OS25 OS35 480 OS16 OS26 OS36 960 OS17 OS27 OS37

[0314] For example, when the subcarrier spacing is larger and the offset is smaller, OS12 is less than OS11, OS13 is less than OS12, and so on; or, OS22 is less than OS21, OS23 is less than OS22, and so on; or, OS32 is less than OS31, OS33 is less than OS32, and so on.

[0315] Table 2

[0316]

[0317] As one possible implementation, if the association between the first offset / second offset / third offset and the subcarrier, bandwidth or carrier frequency is predefined or preconfigured, the reference signal configuration information may not include the first offset / second offset / third offset, and the second communication device may determine the first offset / second offset / third offset based on the current subcarrier, bandwidth or carrier frequency.

[0318] Alternatively, if the association between the first offset / second offset / third offset and the subcarrier, bandwidth, or carrier frequency is predefined or configured, the reference signal configuration information may also include the first offset / second offset / third offset. In this case, the second communication device may use the first offset / second offset / third offset configured in the reference signal configuration information.

[0319] In one possible implementation, the second communication device may send capability information to the first communication device. This capability information may indicate the time offset supported by the second communication device or the minimum time offset supported by the terminal. The time offset includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal (i.e., a first offset), an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal (i.e., a second offset), or an offset of the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource (i.e., a third offset).

[0320] For example, the second communication device may proactively send capability information to the first communication device, or the second communication device may send capability information to the first communication device based on a request from the first communication device.

[0321] As one possible implementation, if the second communication device reports its supported time offset, the time offset subsequently configured by the first communication device can be one of the time offsets supported by the second communication device. If the second communication device reports its supported minimum time offset, the time offset subsequently configured by the first communication device can be greater than or equal to the minimum time offset supported by the second communication device.

[0322] As one possible implementation, the minimum time offset supported by the second communication device can also be understood as the maximum processing time. For example, taking the time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first reference signal as an example, the minimum second offset (or the minimum value of the second offset) can be understood as the maximum processing time related to the first reference signal, such as the maximum time for receiving and measuring the first reference signal.

[0323] Alternatively, taking the first offset as the time-domain offset between the starting reception position of the first reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling as an example, the minimum first offset (or the minimum value of the first offset) can be understood as the maximum processing time related to the first signaling, such as the maximum time for parsing and processing the first signaling.

[0324] Alternatively, taking the time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the third offset and the time-domain position of the second reference signal as an example, the minimum third offset (or the minimum value of the third offset) can be understood as the maximum processing time for the second communication device to determine the time difference, such as the maximum time for the second communication device to determine the transmission and reception time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0325] Based on this implementation, the second communication device reports its supported time offset or the minimum supported time offset, enabling the first communication device to configure the time offset according to the capabilities of the second communication device. This improves the rationality of the configuration and avoids configuring a time offset that the second communication device does not support or a very small time offset, which could prevent the second communication device from transmitting or receiving reference signals. Furthermore, it minimizes the difference between the reception time of the first reference signal and the transmission time of the second reference signal. For example, the first communication device configures a second offset supported by the second communication device, or configures the minimum supported second offset, avoiding a large second offset that would result in a large difference between the transmission and reception times of the first and second reference signals. The smaller the difference between the transmission and reception times of the first and second reference signals, the less impact uncertainties such as frequency drift have on sensing, thereby enabling the first communication device and others to obtain more accurate sensing measurement results.

[0326] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned time offset can also be understood as a time interval or processing time. The processing times corresponding to the first offset, second offset, and third offset can be found in the description of the maximum processing time corresponding to the smallest first offset, second offset, and third offset, and will not be repeated here.

[0327] As one possible implementation, when the first offset is the time-domain offset between the starting reception position of the first reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling, the first offset or its corresponding time interval / processing time can also be described as follows: after receiving the first signaling, the second communication device is not expected to receive the first reference signal earlier than the time of the first offset; or after receiving the first signaling, the second communication device is expected to receive the first reference signal after the time of the first offset.

[0328] When the second offset is the time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first reference signal, the second offset or its corresponding time interval / processing time can also be described as follows: after receiving the first reference signal, the second communication device is not expected to transmit the second reference signal earlier than the time of the second offset; or after receiving the first reference signal, the second communication device is expected to transmit the second reference signal after the time of the second offset.

[0329] When the second offset is the time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling, the second offset or its corresponding time interval / processing time can also be described as follows: after receiving the first signaling, the second communication device is not expected to transmit the second reference signal earlier than the time of the second offset; or after receiving the first signaling, the second communication device is expected to transmit the second reference signal after the time of the second offset.

[0330] In the case where the third offset is the time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource and the time-domain position of the second reference signal, the third offset or its corresponding time interval / processing time can also be described as follows: after the second communication device sends the second reference signal, the second communication device is not expected to send the time difference (i.e., time difference #1) corresponding to the first reference signal and the second reference signal earlier than the time of the third offset; or, after the second communication device sends the second reference signal, the second communication device is expected to send the time difference #1 after the time of the third offset.

[0331] In the case where the third offset is the time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource and the time-domain position of the first signaling, the third offset or its corresponding time interval / processing time can also be described as follows: after receiving the first signaling, the second communication device is not expected to send the time difference #1 earlier than the time of the third offset; or, after receiving the first signaling, the second communication device is expected to send the time difference #1 after the time of the third offset.

[0332] In one possible implementation, before sending the first configuration information, the first communication device may send a request to the second communication device, requesting the second communication device to report whether it supports bidirectional reference signal transmission and reception and time difference reporting; alternatively, the second communication device may proactively report whether it supports bidirectional reference signal transmission and reception and time difference reporting. If the second communication device supports bidirectional reference signal transmission and reception and time difference reporting, the first communication device then sends the first configuration information to the second communication device. Furthermore, whether the second communication device supports bidirectional reference signal transmission and reception and time difference reporting can also be reported to the core network.

[0333] As one possible implementation, if the first configuration information is generated by a core network element (such as an SF network element), the core network element may also send a request to the first communication device, requesting the first communication device to report whether it supports the transmission and reception of bidirectional reference signals; or, the first communication device may proactively report whether it supports the transmission and reception of bidirectional reference signals. If the first communication device supports the transmission and reception of bidirectional reference signals, the first configuration information is sent to the first communication device.

[0334] The above explanation uses the example of a first communication device sending signaling configuration information to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first communication device may not send signaling configuration information. In this scenario, the reference signal configuration information may not be activated or deactivated by the first signaling. The reference signal configuration information can configure a periodic first reference signal and a second reference signal. The second communication device can periodically receive the first reference signal and send the second reference signal based on the reference signal configuration information. That is, it can be understood that the first communication device semi-statically schedules the transmission and reception of the first and second reference signals through the same configuration.

[0335] In one possible implementation, for the above method embodiments, in a CU-DU architecture or ORAN system, the function of RAN node and terminal interaction can be implemented by DU or O-DU. The information sent by the RAN node to the terminal can be generated by DU or O-DU, or it can be generated by CU or O-CU and sent to DU or O-DU. For example, the first configuration information can be generated by CU, or it can be generated by DU, or it can be generated by a core network element. The function of RAN node and core network interaction can be implemented by CU or O-CU. The processing function of the RAN node can be implemented by CU or O-CU, or it can be implemented by DU or O-DU, or it can be jointly implemented by CU and DU (or O-CU and O-DU), without limitation.

[0336] The method provided in this application has been described above. In addition, this application also provides a communication device for implementing the functions described in the above method embodiments.

[0337] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0338] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0339] In one possible implementation, Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a communication device is shown. This communication device can be used to implement the functions of a second communication device. Figure 9 As shown, the communication device includes a controller, a bidirectional reference signal measurement processor, a transmitting processor, and a receiving processor. Example:

[0340] The controller is used to receive and / or send control information, which may be control information from the core network, control information from the CU or DU, or control information from the access network equipment. This control information may include first configuration information, first signaling, etc.

[0341] The receiver processor performs functions related to reception and reception processing, such as receiving a first reference signal and acquiring multipath measurement information corresponding to the first reference signal. The receiver processor may include physical layer functional modules on the receiving side, such as decoders, demodulators, receive MIMO processing modules, OFDM de-resource mapping modules, etc.

[0342] The transmit processor performs functions related to transmission and transmission processing, such as transmitting a second reference signal and transmitting the time difference between the first and second reference signals. The transmit processor may include physical layer functional modules on the transmit side, such as encoders, modulators, transmit MIMO processing modules, OFDM resource mapping modules, etc.

[0343] The bidirectional reference signal measurement processor is used to determine the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal, and inputs the time difference into the transmitting processor so that the transmitting processor can transmit the time difference.

[0344] In another possible implementation, Figure 10 A schematic diagram of another communication device 100 is shown. This communication device 100 includes a processing module 1001 and a transceiver module 1002. This communication device 100 can be used to implement the functions of the first or second communication device described above. For example, the first communication device may be a RAN node, and the second communication device may be a terminal; or the first communication device may be a first terminal, and the second communication device may be a second terminal.

[0345] In some embodiments, the communication device 100 may further include a storage module. Figure 10 (Not shown in the image) is used to store program instructions and data.

[0346] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1002, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 1002 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0347] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1002 may include a receiving module and a sending module, respectively configured to perform receiving and sending steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1001 may be configured to perform processing steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein.

[0348] When the communication device 100 is used to implement the functions of the second communication device:

[0349] The transceiver module 1002 is used to receive first configuration information, which includes signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information. The signaling configuration information is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling, and the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information. The reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal. The first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a first link, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a second link. The first link is a downlink, and the second link is an uplink, or the first link is a first side link, and the second link is a second side link. The processing module 1001 is used to monitor the first signaling according to the signaling configuration information.

[0350] Optionally, when the processing module 1001 detects the first signaling according to the signaling configuration information and the first signaling indicates the activation of the reference signal configuration information, the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to receive the first reference signal; the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to send the second reference signal; and the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to provide feedback on the time difference between sending the first reference signal and the second reference signal on the resource.

[0351] Optionally, the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to transmit capability information, which indicates the time offset supported by the second communication device or the minimum time offset supported by the terminal. The time offset includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

[0352] When the communication device 100 is used to perform the functions of the first communication device:

[0353] The transceiver module 1002 is used to send first configuration information, which includes signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information. The signaling configuration information is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling, and the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information. The reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal. The first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a first link, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a second link. The first link is a downlink, and the second link is an uplink, or the first link is a first side link, and the second link is a second side link. The transceiver module 1002 is also used to send the first signaling according to the signaling configuration information.

[0354] Optionally, when the first signaling indicates the activation of the reference signal configuration information, the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to transmit the first reference signal; the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to receive the second reference signal; and the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to receive the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal on the feedback resource.

[0355] Optionally, the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to receive capability information from the second communication device, the capability information indicating the time offset supported by the second communication device or the minimum time offset supported by the terminal. The time offset includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

[0356] When the communication device 100 is used to perform the functions of the first communication device or the second communication device:

[0357] Optionally, the reference signal configuration information is also used to configure feedback resources, which are used to provide feedback on the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0358] Optionally, the reference signal configuration information includes at least one of the following: the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource, wherein the feedback resource is used to feed back the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

[0359] Optionally, the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal is a time-domain offset between the starting reception position of the first reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling; or, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal is a time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first reference signal, or a time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling; or, the offset of the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource is a time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource and the time-domain position of the second reference signal, or a time-domain offset between the starting time-domain position of the feedback resource and the time-domain position of the first signaling.

[0360] Optionally, the reference signal configuration information may also include at least one of the following: whether to enable or deactivate the first signaling to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, the configuration information of the measurement time window of the first reference signal, the measurement threshold, or the sensing assistance information.

[0361] Optionally, the configuration information for the measurement time window may include at least one of the following: the start time of the measurement time window, the interval between the start time of the measurement time window and the reference time, or the length of the measurement time window.

[0362] Optionally, the reference time can be one of the following: the time corresponding to the first path of the first reference signal, the path time or sampling time corresponding to the known target, the time corresponding to the first path within the measurement time window of the first reference signal where the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold, the time corresponding to the LOS path of the first reference signal, or the reception time or transmission time of the configured signal / channel.

[0363] Optionally, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a first time difference, which includes the transmission time of the second reference signal and the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time difference between the corresponding signal quality within the measurement time window of the first reference signal being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold.

[0364] Optionally, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a third time difference and a fourth time difference; wherein, the third time difference includes the difference between the time during which the signal quality of the first reference signal is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold and the start time of the measurement time window; the fourth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window.

[0365] Optionally, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a fifth time difference and a sixth time difference. The fifth time difference includes the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the first time, where the first time is the reception time within the measurement time window of the first reference signal, corresponding to a signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold's first path. The sixth time difference includes at least one second time difference between the first time and the second time, where the second time is the reception time within the measurement time window of the first reference signal, corresponding to a non-first path's signal quality greater than or equal to the measurement threshold's first path.

[0366] Optionally, the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a seventh time difference and an eighth time difference; wherein, the seventh time difference includes the difference between the time when the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal and the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal; the eighth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time corresponding to the first diameter of the first reference signal.

[0367] Optionally, the first signaling is a low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS, a media access control element MAC CE, or downlink control information DCI.

[0368] Optionally, if the first signaling is MAC CE, the first configuration information may also include the logical channel identifier (LCID) or coding point of the MAC CE.

[0369] Optionally, if the first signaling is DCI, the first configuration information may also include the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code of the DCI.

[0370] Optionally, the time offset is associated with at least one of the following: subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, or carrier frequency; the time offset includes at least one of the following: an offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, an offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or an offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

[0371] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0372] In this application, the communication device 100 can be presented in an integrated manner by dividing it into various functional modules. Here, "module" can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0373] In some embodiments, when Figure 10 When the communication device 100 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1002 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1001 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0374] Since the communication device 100 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects it can achieve can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0375] As a possible product form, the first or second communication device described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application.

[0376] As another possible product form, the first or second communication device described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, see [link to documentation]. Figure 11 , Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1100 includes a processor 1101 and a transceiver 1102. The communication device 1100 can be a first communication device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1100 can be a second communication device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 11 Only the main components of the communication device 1100 are shown. In addition to the processor 1101 and transceiver 1102, the communication device may further include a memory 1103 and input / output devices. Figure 11 (Not indicated).

[0377] Optionally, the processor 1101 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs, thereby implementing the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments. The memory 1103 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1102 may include a radio frequency (RF) circuit and an antenna. The RF circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0378] Optionally, the processor 1101, transceiver 1102, and memory 1103 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0379] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1101 can read the software program in the memory 1103, execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1101 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1101. The processor 1101 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0380] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0381] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described communication device 100 can be implemented in hardware using... Figure 11 The communication device 1100 shown is in the form of this device.

[0382] As an example, Figure 10 The function / implementation process of the processing module 1001 can be achieved through... Figure 11 The processor 1101 in the communication device 1100 shown calls computer execution instructions stored in memory 1103 to implement the function. Figure 10 The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1002 can be obtained through Figure 11 This is achieved through the transceiver 1102 in the communication device 1100 shown.

[0383] As another possible product form, the first or second communication device in this application can be adopted. Figure 12 The shown composition structure, or including Figure 12 The components shown. Figure 12 This application provides a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 1200, which may be a first communication device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the first communication device; or, it may be a second communication device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the second communication device.

[0384] like Figure 12 As shown, the communication device 1200 includes at least one processor 1201 and at least one communication interface. Figure 12 (This is merely an example illustration, using a communication interface 1204 and a processor 1201 as examples.) Optionally, the communication device 1200 may also include at least one of a communication bus 1202, a memory 1203, and a computer-readable storage medium 1207.

[0385] Processor 1201 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor (e.g., x86, ARM), a microcontroller, an FPGA, a GPU, a PLD, a state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware circuitry, other suitable hardware configured to perform various functions, or any combination thereof. Processor 1201 may also be other devices with processing capabilities, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0386] The communication bus 1202 is used to connect different components in the communication device 1200, enabling these components to communicate. For example, the communication bus 1202 communicatively couples various circuits together. The communication bus 1202 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 12 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. For example, the communication bus 1202 may include any number of interconnect buses and bridges, depending on the specific application of the communication device and the overall design constraints. In addition, the communication bus 1202 may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits.

[0387] As one possible implementation, the communication interface 1204 is used for communication with other devices or communication networks. Exemplarily, the communication interface 1204 can be a transceiver module, interface, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of communication. The transceiver can be coupled to an antenna array, and the transceiver and antenna array can be used together to communicate with the appropriate network type. The transceiver module is capable of both transmitting and receiving functions. When the transceiver module performs the transmitting function, it can be called a transmitting module (sometimes also called a transmitting unit), and when the transceiver module performs the receiving function, it can be called a receiving module (sometimes also called a receiving unit). The transmitting module and the receiving module can be the same functional module, called the transceiver module, which performs both transmitting and receiving functions; or, the transmitting module and the receiving module can be different functional modules, with "transceiver module" being a collective term for these functional modules.

[0388] As another possible implementation, the communication interface 1204 can also be an input / output interface located within the processor 1201, used to implement signal input and signal output of the processor.

[0389] As another possible implementation, communication interface 1204 can also be understood as a bus interface. It provides an interface between the communication bus and the transceiver. The transceiver can provide an interface or device for communicating with various other devices via wireless / wired transmission media. The transceiver can be coupled to an antenna array, and the transceiver and antenna array can be used together for communication with the appropriate type of network.

[0390] The memory 1203 can be a device with storage function for storing instructions and / or data. The instructions can be computer programs. For example, the memory 1203 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it can also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; it can also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0391] It should be noted that the memory 1203 can exist independently of the processor 1201, or it can be integrated with the processor 1201. The memory 1203 can be located inside or outside the communication device 1200, without limitation.

[0392] The processor 1201 can be used to execute instructions stored in the memory 1203, or to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium 1207, to implement the methods provided in the above embodiments of this application.

[0393] For example, the processor 1201 may also implement at least one of the following functions, or the processor 1201 executes instructions or computer programs stored in the memory 1203 or computer-readable storage medium 1207 to implement at least one of the following functions: encoding, decoding, rate matching, rate matching de-scrambling, scrambling, modulation, demodulation, layer mapping, fast fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), inverse discrete fourier transform (IDFT), precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, channel equalization, RE de-mapping, digital beamforming (BF), adding cyclic prefix (CP), removing CP, etc.

[0394] Optionally, the processor 1201 and / or memory 1203 may include an artificial intelligence (AI) module, which is used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​module can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio network intelligent controller (RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module can be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0395] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1200 may also include an output device 1205 and an input device 1206. Figure 12 (Not shown in the image). Output device 1205 communicates with processor 1201 and can display information in various ways. For example, output device 1205 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. Input device 1206 communicates with processor 1201 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, input device 1206 can be a mouse, keyboard, touch screen device, or sensor device, etc.

[0396] In some embodiments, the hardware implementation will be apparent to those skilled in the art as described above. Figure 10 The communication device 100 shown can be adopted Figure 12 The communication device 1200 shown is in the form of this device.

[0397] As an example, Figure 10 The function / implementation process of the processing module 1001 can be achieved through... Figure 12 The processor 1201 in the communication device 1200 shown calls computer execution instructions stored in memory 1203 to implement the function. Figure 10 The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1002 can be obtained through Figure 12 This is achieved through the communication interface 1204 in the communication device 1200 shown.

[0398] It should be noted that, Figure 12 The structures shown do not constitute a specific limitation on the first or second communication device. For example, in other embodiments of this application, the first or second communication device may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0399] In one possible implementation, the processor in this application embodiment may include communication and processing circuitry. The communication and processing circuitry may include one or more hardware components that provide a physical structure that performs various processes related to wireless communication or sensing (such as signal reception and / or signal transmission). The communication and processing circuitry may include two or more transmit / receive chains. The functions implemented by the communication and processing circuitry may also be processed on a computer-readable medium.

[0400] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0401] As one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. This memory stores necessary computer programs and data. The computer program may include instructions, which a processor can invoke to instruct the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory may not be present in the communication device.

[0402] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, used to receive computer execution instructions (which are stored in memory and may be read directly from memory or may be transmitted through other devices) and transmit them to the processor.

[0403] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0404] It is understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0405] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0406] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0407] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0408] It is understood that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described in this application can also be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0409] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0410] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0411] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive (SSD)). In this embodiment, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0412] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0413] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely illustrative descriptions of the application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from its scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The system receives first configuration information, which includes signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information. The signaling configuration information is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling, and the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information. The reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal. The first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a first link, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a second link. The first link is a downlink, and the second link is an uplink; or, the first link is a first side link, and the second link is a second side link. The first signaling is monitored according to the signaling configuration information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reference signal configuration information is also used to configure feedback resources, which are used to provide feedback on the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The reference signal configuration information includes at least one of the following: The offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource, wherein the feedback resource is used to feed back the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal is the time-domain offset between the starting reception position of the first reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling; or, The offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal is the time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first reference signal, or the time-domain offset between the starting transmission position of the second reference signal and the time-domain position of the first signaling. or, The offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource is the time domain offset between the starting time domain position of the feedback resource and the time domain position of the second reference signal, or the time domain offset between the starting time domain position of the feedback resource and the time domain position of the first signaling.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The reference signal configuration information further includes at least one of the following: resource configuration information of the first reference signal, resource configuration information of the second reference signal, or resource configuration information of the feedback resource; The resource configuration information of the first reference signal is used to configure at least one of the following of the first reference signal: resources, resource set, period, pattern, bandwidth, or antenna port; The resource configuration information of the second reference signal is used to configure at least one of the following of the second reference signal: resources, resource set, period, pattern, bandwidth, or antenna port.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The reference signal configuration information also includes at least one of the following: Whether to enable or deactivate the first signaling to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, the measurement time window configuration information of the first reference signal, the measurement threshold, or the sensing assistance information.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The configuration information of the measurement time window includes at least one of the following: the start time of the measurement time window, the interval between the start time of the measurement time window and the reference time, or the length of the measurement time window.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The reference time is one of the following: the time corresponding to the first path of the first reference signal, the path time or sampling time corresponding to the known target, or the reception time or transmission time of the configured signal / channel.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, When the first signaling is detected based on the signaling configuration information, and the first signaling indicates activation of the reference signal configuration information, the method further includes: Receive the first reference signal; Send the second reference signal; The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal is transmitted on the feedback resource.

10. The method according to claim 2 or 9, characterized in that, The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a first time difference, which includes the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time difference between the corresponding signal quality being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal.

11. The method according to claim 2 or 9, characterized in that, The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes: a third time difference and a fourth time difference; The third time difference includes the difference between the time when the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window; the fourth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes multiple configurations, and the signaling configuration information and the reference signal configuration information are the signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information in the first configuration; Wherein, the first configuration is one of the multiple configurations, and the first signaling includes the identifier of the first configuration.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The first signaling is a low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS, a media access control element MAC CE, or downlink control information DCI.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first signaling is MAC CE; the first configuration information also includes the logical channel identifier (LCID) or coding point of the MAC CE.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The first signaling is MAC CE; the MAC CE indicates at least one of the following: Whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the first reference signal, whether to activate or deactivate the resource / resource set of the second reference signal, whether to indicate the cell or part of the bandwidth BWP to which the first and second reference signals belong, the cell identifier or BWP identifier to which the first and second reference signals belong, the carrier type carrying the first and second reference signals, the signal type that has a spatial relationship with the first and second reference signals, the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource, the measurement time window or measurement threshold of the first reference signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first signaling is DCI; the first configuration information also includes the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code of the DCI.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1-16, characterized in that, The method further includes: sending capability information, the capability information indicating the time offset supported by the second communication device or the minimum time offset supported by the terminal; The time offset includes at least one of the following: the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1-17, characterized in that, The time offset is associated with at least one of the following: subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, or carrier frequency; The time offset includes at least one of the following: the offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource.

19. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send first configuration information, which includes signaling configuration information and reference signal configuration information; the signaling configuration information is used to configure the monitoring location of the first signaling, the first signaling is used to indicate whether to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, and the reference signal configuration information is used to configure a first reference signal and a second reference signal, wherein the first reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a first link, and the second reference signal is a reference signal transmitted on a second link; wherein the first link is a downlink, and the second link is an uplink, or the first link is a first side link, and the second link is a second side link; The first signaling is sent according to the signaling configuration information.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The reference signal configuration information is also used to configure feedback resources, which are used to provide feedback on the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The reference signal configuration information includes at least one of the following: The offset of the starting reception position of the first reference signal, the offset of the starting transmission position of the second reference signal, or the offset of the starting time domain position of the feedback resource, wherein the feedback resource is used to feed back the time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The reference signal configuration information also includes at least one of the following: Whether to enable or deactivate the first signaling to activate or deactivate the reference signal configuration information, the measurement time window configuration information of the first reference signal, the measurement threshold, or the sensing assistance information.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The configuration information of the measurement time window includes at least one of the following: the start time of the measurement time window, the interval between the start time of the measurement time window and the reference time, or the length of the measurement time window.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The reference time is one of the following: the time corresponding to the first path of the first reference signal, the path time or sampling time corresponding to the known target, or the reception time or transmission time of the configured signal / channel.

25. The method according to any one of claims 19-24, characterized in that, When the first signaling indicates activation of the reference signal configuration information, the method further includes: Send the first reference signal; Receive the second reference signal; The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal is received on the feedback resource.

26. The method according to claim 20 or 25, characterized in that, The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes a first time difference, which includes the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the time difference between the corresponding signal quality being greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal.

27. The method according to claim 20 or 25, characterized in that, The time difference between the first reference signal and the second reference signal includes: a third time difference and a fourth time difference; The third time difference includes the difference between the time when the signal quality is greater than or equal to the measurement threshold within the measurement time window of the first reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window; the fourth time difference is the difference between the transmission time of the second reference signal and the start time of the measurement time window.

28. The method according to any one of claims 19-27, characterized in that, The first signaling is a low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS, a media access control element MAC CE, or downlink control information DCI.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, The first signaling is MAC CE; the first configuration information also includes the logical channel identifier (LCID) or coding point of the MAC CE.

30. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, The first signaling is DCI; the first configuration information also includes the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code of the DCI.

31. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor; the processor is configured to run a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-18, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 19-30.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-18 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 19-30 to be performed.

33. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions; when some or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, they cause the method of any one of claims 1-18 to be performed, or cause the method of any one of claims 19-30 to be performed.

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