Positioning method and device

Abstract

This application relates to a positioning method and apparatus, and pertains to the field of communication technology. The method is applied to a first device and includes: camping on a first cell of a first operator; obtaining a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) of a second cell of a second operator; sending first crowdsourced data from the second cell to a second device, the first crowdsourced data being obtained based on the SSB of the second cell; and receiving first location information of the first device sent by the second device. This improves the flexibility of crowdsourced positioning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a positioning method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Terminal devices can employ various positioning methods, such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning and crowdsourced positioning. A terminal device can choose one or more of these methods for positioning. For example, in scenarios with weak GNSS coverage, such as under overpasses, tunnels, or other obstructed environments, or in severely multipath environments like urban canyons or underground parking garage entrances, the terminal device can use crowdsourced positioning to obtain its location information.

[0003] Crowdsourced location methods can be divided into two stages. In the first stage, multiple terminal devices assist a server in building a database. Specifically, multiple terminal devices send their respective location information and crowdsourced data to the server. The location information indicates the location of the terminal devices. This location information can be obtained through other positioning methods (such as GNSS positioning, wireless fidelity (WiFi) positioning, Bluetooth (BT) positioning, ultrawideband (UWB) positioning, etc.). Crowdsourced data can include wireless communication network data, etc. The server builds a database based on the location information and crowdsourced data of each terminal device. In the second stage, the terminal devices acquire the crowdsourced data and send it to the server. The server uses an algorithm to determine the location information corresponding to the crowdsourced data based on the crowdsourced data and the database. The server then sends the location information to the terminal devices. Currently, crowdsourced location methods have relatively poor flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a positioning method and apparatus to improve the flexibility of crowdsourced positioning.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] Firstly, a positioning method is provided. This method is applied to a first device, or to a device corresponding to the first device, or to circuits, chips, chip systems, software, or modules within the device. For ease of understanding, the following description uses an application to a terminal device as an example. The method includes: attaching to a first cell of a first operator; obtaining the synchronization signal block (SSB) of a second cell of a second operator; sending first crowdsourced data from the second cell to the second device, the first crowdsourced data being obtained based on the SSB of the second cell; and receiving first location information of the first device sent by the second device.

[0007] In the above technical solution, the terminal device camps on one of the multiple first cells of the first operator. The terminal device can detect not only the SSB of the camped first cell but also the SSBs of other first cells. The terminal device can also perform crowdsourced positioning by detecting the SSBs of one or more second cells of a non-camped second operator. This improves the flexibility of crowdsourced positioning. Furthermore, when the signal strength of multiple detectable first cells of the first operator near the terminal device is poor, or when the number of detectable first cells of the first operator is small, the terminal device is not limited to crowdsourced positioning solely based on the SSBs of the first cells; it can also perform crowdsourced positioning by detecting the SSBs of one or more second cells of a non-camped second operator to improve positioning accuracy. For example, in some scenarios, the positioning accuracy of the terminal device can be improved by 50%.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: obtaining the SSB of the first cell; and sending second crowdsourced data of the first cell, which is obtained based on the SSB of the first cell, to the second device. In the above possible implementation, the terminal device not only reports the first crowdsourced data of the second cell based on the SSB of the second cell, but also reports the second crowdsourced data of the first cell based on the SSB of the first cell. This can transform single-operator positioning into multi-operator positioning. Even if the signal of the first cell is good, due to different operator network deployment strategies, the signals of different operators have a complementary effect, which can increase the amount of crowdsourced data and further improve positioning accuracy.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending the second location information of the first device to the second device; receiving indication information sent by the second device, the indication information being used to indicate a second cell. In the above possible implementation, the terminal device obtains coarse second location information and reports the second location information to the server. The server can obtain indication information of operators near the terminal device (e.g., public land mobile network identity (PLMNID) and / or frequency points) based on the database and the second location information. The terminal device can then selectively obtain the SSB of the nearby second cell based on the indication information. In this way, the terminal device can not only improve the positioning effect but also efficiently obtain the SSB of the second cell, reduce crowdsourced positioning time, and improve user experience.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second location information includes at least one of the following: location information obtained through Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning, crowdsourced positioning, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) positioning, Bluetooth (BT) positioning, Ultra Wide Bandwidth (UWB) positioning, visual positioning, sensor positioning, or cellular network positioning. In the above possible implementations, the terminal device can reuse the second location information obtained through GNSS positioning, crowdsourced positioning, WiFi positioning, BT positioning, UWB positioning, visual positioning, sensor positioning, or cellular network positioning. Even if the positioning effect of these methods is poor, the coarse second location information obtained by these methods can be utilized to obtain indication information. Therefore, the terminal device can more efficiently obtain the SSB of the second cell of the second operator based on the indication information.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second cell comprises M second cells, where M is an integer greater than 1. The first crowdsourced data includes: N crowdsourced data points from N of the M second cells, and partial information from MN crowdsourced data points from MN of the M second cells, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. The partial information includes at least one of the following: physical layer cell identifier, SSB index, SSB reference signal received power (RSRP), SSB reference signal received quality (RSRQ), cell RSRP, cell RSRQ, or frequency point. In the above possible implementation, the terminal device does not need to report all M crowdsourced data points from the M cells to the server. For a portion of the cells, the terminal device can report all information from the first crowdsourced data. For another portion of the cells, the terminal device can report partial information from the first crowdsourced data, while the remaining information does not need to be reported. For the remaining information that does not need to be reported, the terminal device can reduce processing power consumption.

[0012] Secondly, a positioning method is provided. This method is applied to a second device, or to a device corresponding to the second device, or to circuits, chips, chip systems, software, or modules within the device. For ease of understanding, the following description uses an application to a server as an example. The method includes: receiving second crowdsourced data from a first cell of a first operator sent by a first device; receiving first crowdsourced data from a second cell of a second operator sent by the first device; and sending first location information of the first device to the first device based on the first and second crowdsourced data.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the server can receive not only second crowdsourced data from one or more first cells sent by the terminal device, but also first crowdsourced data from one or more second cells sent by the terminal device, and obtain the terminal device's first location information based on the crowdsourced data from multiple operators. This improves the flexibility of crowdsourced positioning. Furthermore, when the signal in the first cell is poor or the number of cells is small, single-operator positioning can be transformed into multi-operator positioning. Even if the signal in the first cell is good, due to different operator network deployment strategies, the signals of different operators have a complementary effect, which can also increase the amount of crowdsourced data and further improve positioning accuracy.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving second location information of the first device sent by the first device. Based on the second location information, instruction information is sent to the first device, the instruction information indicating a second cell. In the above possible implementations, the server can obtain instruction information (e.g., PLMNID and / or frequency point) of the operator near the terminal device based on the coarse second location information sent by the terminal device. The terminal device can then selectively obtain the SSB of the nearby second cell based on the instruction information. This not only improves the positioning effect but also assists the terminal device in efficiently obtaining the SSB of the second cell, reducing crowdsourced positioning time and improving user experience.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the second location information includes at least one of the following: GNSS positioning location information, crowdsourced positioning location information, WiFi positioning location information, BT positioning location information, UWB positioning location information, visual positioning location information, sensor positioning location information, or cellular network positioning location information. In the above possible implementations, the second location information can be information obtained from multiple positioning methods such as GNSS positioning, crowdsourced positioning, WiFi positioning, BT positioning, UWB positioning, visual positioning, sensor positioning, or cellular network positioning. Even if the positioning effect of these methods is poor, the coarse second location information obtained by these methods can be utilized to obtain indication information. Therefore, the terminal device can more efficiently obtain the SSB of the second cell of the second operator based on the indication information.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the second cell comprises M second cells, where M is an integer greater than 1. The first crowdsourced data includes: N crowdsourced data points from N of the M second cells, and partial information from MN crowdsourced data points from MN of the M second cells, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M. The partial information includes at least one of the following: physical layer cell identifier, SSB index, SSB RSRP, SSB RSRQ, cell RSRP, cell RSRQ, or frequency point. In the above possible implementation, it is not necessary to receive all the information from the M crowdsourced data points of the M cells. For a subset of cells, all the information from the first crowdsourced data can be received. For another subset of cells, partial information from the first crowdsourced data can be received, while the remaining information can be omitted. For the remaining information that is not received, the power consumption during processing can be reduced.

[0017] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a unit for performing the method provided by the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0018] Fourthly, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: a processor and a transceiver; the processor and the transceiver performing the method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0019] Fifthly, a server is provided, the server comprising: a processor and a transceiver; the processor being configured to control the transceiver to perform the method provided by the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0020] Sixthly, a communication system is provided, the communication system comprising the terminal equipment provided in the fourth aspect and the server provided in the fifth aspect.

[0021] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein program code is stored therein, the program code being invoked by a processor to perform the methods provided by the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0022] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided that, when the computer program product is run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided by the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0023] It is understood that the communication device, terminal equipment, server, communication system, computer-readable storage medium or computer program product of any of the positioning methods provided above are used to execute the corresponding methods provided above. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods provided above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating a crowdsourcing stage of crowdsourcing positioning provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the positioning stage of crowdsourced positioning as provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 5 This application provides an illustration of a positioning scenario. Figure 1 ;

[0029] Figure 6 This application provides an illustration of a positioning scenario. Figure 2 ;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 ;

[0032] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 ;

[0033] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a first communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a second communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a server provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0037] In this application embodiment, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application embodiment are only used to distinguish features of the same type and should not be construed as indicating relative importance, quantity, order, etc.

[0038] The terms "exemplary" or "for example" used in the embodiments of this application are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0039] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "information," "signal," "message," "channel," and "signaling" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Similarly, "of," "corresponding (relevant)," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that, without emphasizing their distinction, their intended meanings are consistent. Furthermore, the " / " mentioned in this application can be used to indicate an "or" relationship.

[0040] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the various embodiments can be arranged and combined to form a complete solution.

[0041] To facilitate understanding, the application scenarios of the embodiments of this application will be introduced first. The embodiments of this application can be applied to communication systems.

[0042] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, a communication system may include terminal devices, access devices, and servers.

[0043] In some examples, the access device can send information to the terminal device, which then performs measurements based on this information. The server can use the measurement reports reported by the terminal device as features, associate them with location information, and use algorithms to estimate the location for positioning.

[0044] For example, the access device can be an access point (AP) of a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network, such as a router.

[0045] For example, access equipment can also be network equipment of a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network may comply with the third-generation partnership project (3GPP) wireless communication standards or other wireless communication standards. The wireless communication network may employ radio access technology (RAT). Network equipment can also be called a network element, or simply a network element. Network equipment typically belongs to operators or infrastructure providers. Network equipment can be further divided into radio access network (RAN) equipment (which can be simply referred to as access network equipment) and core network (CN) elements.

[0046] Access network equipment is used to implement access-related functions, providing network access functionality to authorized users in specific areas, and determining transmission links of different qualities to transmit user data based on user level, service requirements, etc. Access network equipment forwards control signals and user data between terminal equipment and core network elements. Access network equipment may include base stations (BS). Base stations are sometimes also referred to as access points (AP) or transmission reception points (TRP). Specifically, a base station can be a generation Node B (gNB) in a 5G new radio (NR) system, an evolutionary Node B (eNB) in a 4G long term evolution (LTE) system, or other base stations. Base stations can also be classified as macro base stations, micro base stations, pole stations, or small stations. Micro base stations are sometimes also referred to as small base stations or small cells. In future mobile communication systems, access network equipment may have other naming conventions, all of which are covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application, and this application does not impose any limitations on them.

[0047] Furthermore, core network elements are primarily responsible for maintaining the subscription data of the mobile network and providing terminals with functions such as session management, mobility management, policy management, and security authentication. Core network elements include user plane functions (UPF), authentication server functions (AUSF), access and mobility management functions (AMF), session management functions (SMF), network slice selection functions (NSSF), network exposure functions (NEF), network function repository functions (NRF), policy control functions (PCF), unified data management (UDM), unified data repository (UDR), application functions (AF), and location management functions (LMF).

[0048] Furthermore, access network devices can connect to core network elements wirelessly or via wired means. Core network elements and access network devices can be set as independent and different physical devices. Alternatively, the functions of core network elements and the logical functions of access network devices can be integrated into the same physical device. Or, a single physical device can integrate some of the functions of core network elements and some of the functions of access network devices.

[0049] In other examples, the terminal device can be a device located at the edge of the network. The terminal device can establish a connection with network devices and provide wireless communication services to users based on the services of the network devices. Because the terminal device has a closer relationship with the user, it is sometimes referred to as user equipment (UE) or subscriber unit (SU). Furthermore, unlike base stations which are typically located in fixed locations, terminal devices often move with the user and are sometimes referred to as mobile stations (MS). When the terminal device is within the service range of an access device (such as an AP or network device), the access device can connect the terminal device to the network. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, watches, augmented reality (AR) terminals, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), smart robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, and roadside units with terminal functions. The terminal device in this application embodiment can also be an on-board module, on-board unit, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit that is built into the vehicle as one or more components or units.

[0050] In some examples, the servers can be a server cluster. Servers can be called cloud servers, or servers deployed in the cloud. Servers can vary considerably in configuration and performance. A server may include at least one processor and memory. Memory can be used to store applications or data. Servers may also include power supplies, wired or wireless network interfaces, input / output interfaces, and other components.

[0051] Terminal devices can communicate with servers through access devices. For example, a terminal device can communicate with a server through an access point in a WiFi network (i.e., the access device is the access point), or a terminal device can communicate with a server through a RAN device in a cellular network (i.e., the access device is the RAN device). For ease of description, in the following text, communication between the terminal device and the server through an access device will be simplified as communication between the terminal device and the server.

[0052] Terminal devices can employ various positioning methods, such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning and crowdsourced positioning. A terminal device can use one or more methods for positioning. For example, when GNSS positioning is unavailable, or the positioning effect is poor, or when the terminal device needs to conserve power consumed by GNSS, the terminal device can use a crowdsourced positioning method to obtain its location information from a server. It is understood that the embodiments of this application do not limit the scenario in which the terminal device performs crowdsourced positioning, and the crowdsourced positioning method can also be executed simultaneously with the GNSS positioning method. The crowdsourced positioning method can be executed indoors or outdoors.

[0053] GNSS can include various positioning systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). A terminal device can receive multiple signals from navigation satellites, and these signals may have time differences. The terminal device can use these time differences and signal propagation speeds to calculate the distance between itself and the multiple navigation satellites, and then determine its location information using an algorithm. In this embodiment, the location information can be used to indicate the location of the terminal device. For example, the location information may include at least one of the following: location coordinates (latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude, etc.), location range, region, time, or accuracy. Terminal devices using GNSS positioning consume significant power. Furthermore, in scenarios with weak coverage (such as indoors, under overpasses, and tunnels, or multipath scenarios like urban canyons and underground parking garage entrances), GNSS positioning performance is poor.

[0054] Crowdsourced location services can estimate the location of terminal devices based on crowdsourced data and fingerprint matching algorithms, thereby locating the devices. The following will introduce... Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a possible crowdsourced location process for a communication system. The crowdsourced location method can be divided into two stages.

[0055] The first phase can be called the crowdsourcing phase, or the map building phase, or the offline database building phase. This phase involves multiple terminal devices. These devices assist the server in building the database. For example... Figure 2As shown, multiple terminal devices may include terminal device A1, terminal device A2, and terminal device A3. It is understood that terminal devices A1 to A3 are located in different locations and can obtain corresponding information from different access devices, respectively, to acquire crowdsourcing data. Terminal devices can obtain location information through other positioning methods, such as GNSS positioning, WiFi positioning, Bluetooth (BT) positioning, ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning, visual positioning, sensor positioning, cellular network positioning, and other positioning methods. For example, location information may include the latitude and longitude coordinates and / or the range of latitude and longitude coordinates of the terminal device. For example, terminal device A1 is located at location 1. Terminal device A1 can acquire crowdsourcing data 1 based on information sent by the access device. Terminal device A1 can acquire location information 1 (used to indicate location 1) through other positioning methods (such as GNSS, WiFi, BT, UWB positioning, etc.). Terminal device A1 can send crowdsourcing data 1 and location information 1 to the server. Similarly, terminal device A2 is located at location 2, and terminal device A2 can send crowdsourcing data 2 and location information 2 (used to indicate location 2) to the server. Terminal device A3 is located at location 3, and terminal device A3 can send crowdsourcing data 3 and location information 3 (used to indicate location 3) to the server.

[0056] The server can build a database based on a large amount of crowdsourced data and location information. Figure 2 Only three terminal devices are shown in the diagram, but the actual number may be more. Locations 1-3 can be considered as three reference points, and location information 1-3 can include the latitude and longitude information of these three reference points. Crowdsourced data 1-3 can indicate the signal status received at that location. The propagation path of the signal to each location is different, therefore each location has a unique signal characteristic parameter. This unique signal characteristic parameter can serve as a unique identifier for the location, figuratively called a "fingerprint," and the crowdsourced data can be referred to as a fingerprint. The server can store the latitude and longitude coordinates of the three reference points, as well as the signal status received at each location, in a database.

[0057] For WiFi fingerprint database construction, a series of WiFi tuples currently received by the terminal device can be used as the fingerprint. That is, crowdsourced data can include WiFi data. For example, a WiFi fingerprint can include at least one of the following: the media access control (MAC) address of the WiFi access point, or the received signal strength indication (RSSI).

[0058] For 5G synchronization signal block (SSB) fingerprint database construction, the primary method is to obtain the 5G SSB measurement report (MR) as the fingerprint. That is, crowdsourced data can include 5G SSB MR data. For example, 5G SSB MR data can include at least one of the following: public land mobile network identity (PLMNID), PLMNID list, tracking area code (TAC), cell ID, frequency point, physical layer cell ID, SSB index, SSB reference signal received power (RSRP), SSB reference signal received quality (RSRQ), and the cell's RSRP or RSRQ. 5G multi-beam fingerprint crowdsourced positioning differs from WiFi fingerprint crowdsourced positioning technology. For example, 5G multi-beam fingerprint crowdsourcing positioning technology focuses on the RSRP of multiple SSBs in a 5G NR base station. It uses the RSRP and / or RSRQ of multiple cells received by the user, as well as the RSRP and / or RSRQ of multiple SSBs within each cell, as features. These signal features are then associated with location information for fingerprint matching and positioning. The accuracy of 5G multi-beam fingerprint positioning technology is related to the quality of the fingerprint database.

[0059] Crowdsourced data is not limited to MR data and WiFi data from 5G SSB. It can also include other information, such as Bluetooth data, sensor data, and so on.

[0060] The second stage can be called the positioning stage. The second stage is geared towards a single terminal device. For example... Figure 3As shown, terminal device A1 moves to location 2 and can perform crowdsourced positioning. Terminal device A1 can obtain crowdsourced data 4 corresponding to location 2. Terminal device A1 sends crowdsourced data 4 to the server. The server compares the signal feature parameters of the crowdsourced data 4 sent by the terminal device with an existing location fingerprint database. The server can estimate the location of the terminal device using a fingerprint matching algorithm to obtain location information 4. The positioning algorithm based on fingerprint database matching can include: k-nearest-neighbors (KNN) classification, Naive Bayes, or deep learning algorithms, etc. For example, applying deep learning algorithms for fingerprint positioning can improve the accuracy and robustness of positioning through the training and learning of neural networks. After obtaining location information 4, the server can send location information 4 back to terminal device A1. Thus, terminal device A1 can obtain location information 4 and complete the positioning.

[0061] Crowdsourced location technology transforms fingerprint database surveying—a task that previously required professionals with complex equipment and significant time investment—into a process accomplished by a large number of users using their own devices. Specifically, it involves users tagging geographical locations with Really Simple Syndication (RSS) signals, enabling adaptive updates and maintenance of fingerprint data as the environment changes. This significantly reduces the time and labor costs associated with fingerprint collection.

[0062] This application uses network devices that are access devices in wireless communication networks as an example, and crowdsourced data that are wireless communication network data as an example, to introduce a crowdsourced positioning method.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the terminal device receives SSB from one or more network devices of the operator it is attached to, obtains crowdsourced data based on the SSB, and reports it to the server for location.

[0064] In this system, operators can deploy access network equipment (e.g., base stations) in multiple locations. The service coverage area of ​​each access network device can be called a cell. Multiple cells can exist near a terminal device. When a terminal device powers on or switches from one area to another, it can perform cell searches across multiple cells. The terminal device can choose the cell with the best signal strength for random access. After random access, the terminal device camps on that cell, which can be called the serving cell. The terminal device can make service requests and transmit data through this cell. After camping, the terminal device can acquire the SSB (Service Subsystem Bus) of one or more cells of the camping operator in an idle, connected, or inactive state. In this embodiment, the operator of the cell where the terminal device camps is called the first operator. One or more cells of the first operator are all called first cells. The terminal device camps on one first cell of the first operator. Other operators besides the first operator, i.e., operators where the terminal device does not camp on any of their cells, are called second operators. One or more cells of the second operator are called second cells.

[0065] In some examples, this implementation can be applied to Figure 1 The communication system shown can be applied to terminal devices and servers within that system, or to chips or circuits within terminal devices and servers; this application does not limit this application. The following examples illustrate its application to terminal devices and servers. Figure 4 As shown, this implementation may include the following steps:

[0066] S110: The terminal device is stationed in the first cell of the first operator.

[0067] For example, there may be multiple first cells belonging to a first operator near the terminal device. The terminal device camps on one of the multiple first cells, such as the first cell on which the terminal device camps can be the cell with the better signal quality measured by the terminal device.

[0068] S120: The terminal device obtains the SSB of the first cell.

[0069] For example, the embodiments of this application do not limit the order of execution of steps S110 and S120.

[0070] For example, the SSB can be used for timing synchronization, cell search, and measurement. The SSB can include a synchronization signal (SS) and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), etc. In NR, terminal devices can obtain information such as the physical layer cell ID and SSB index through the SSB.

[0071] When acquiring a Service Signal Base (SSB), the terminal device can measure the RSRP and RSRQ of the SSB, as well as the RSRP and RSRQ of the cell. An SSB corresponds to a beam; for example, each SSB index corresponds to one SSB. Measuring an SSB can be understood as measuring a beam, i.e., the RSRP or RSRQ of the SSB, or the RSRP or RSRQ obtained by measuring the beam corresponding to that SSB. Therefore, the RSRP of an SSB can be called the RSRP of a beam. Beam RSRP, also known as beam-level RSRP, refers to the reference signal power strength measured under beamforming technology, reflecting the channel quality in a specific beam direction. The terminal device can perform measurements on multiple SSBs within a cell. Cell RSRP, also known as cell-level RSRP, refers to the average power value received by the terminal device from all SSBs in the entire cell. It is used to evaluate the coverage quality of the terminal device within the entire cell. For example, when a terminal device measures the RSRP0 of SSB0, the RSRP1 of SSB1, and the RSRP2 of SSB2 in a cell, the RSRP of the cell can be the average of RSRP0, RSRP1, and RSRP2. The concepts of SSB RSRQ and cell RSRQ can be found by referring to the concepts of SSB RSRP and cell RSRP, and will not be repeated here. The SSB RSRQ can be referred to as beam RSRQ.

[0072] The PBCH can be used to indicate common information, and decoding the PBCH can obtain the master information block (MIB). MIB information may include fields such as the system frame number, the subcarrier offset (kssb) of the SSB, access control information, cell selection information, or cell reselection information. The SSB index is obtained through the PBCH DMRS (demodulation reference signal) and the kssb of the MIB information. MIB information can also be used to indicate information related to the time-frequency resources carrying the system information block (SIB) (such as SIB1), such as the common subcarrier spacing (SCS), the pre-pilot position of type A of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmitting SIB1, and the scheduling information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmitting downlink control information (DCI) of SIB1. Terminal devices can obtain the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) ID, PLMNID list, Tracking Area Code (TAC), and Cell ID through SIB1. In future communication systems, SSB may also include other information, or the above information may enable other functions. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0073] For example, the SSB obtained by the terminal device may come from a first cell. This first cell may be the first cell where the terminal device is camped, i.e., the serving cell.

[0074] For example, the terminal device can be located in the center of the serving cell, far from neighboring cells. The terminal device can perform cell search and measurement, decode the PBCH and SIB1, and access the serving cell. Besides identifying the frequency point and cell ID, the terminal device also needs to identify the synchronization signal block index (SSB index), i.e., the transmit beam ID of the network device (e.g., the base station). The terminal device can obtain one or more SSBs of the serving cell. The terminal device decodes the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS) of each SSB. During this process, it can obtain the physical layer cell ID information, thus obtaining the physical layer cell ID of the serving cell. The terminal device can also obtain the SSB index during the decoding of each SSB. The terminal device measures the RSRP and RSRQ of each SSB. Based on the RSRP and RSRQ of one or more SSBs, it measures the RSRP and RSRQ of the serving cell. The terminal device can decode the PBCH of the SSB to obtain the MIB. Terminal devices can obtain SIB1 based on the time and frequency resource information of SIB1 in MIB. Based on SIB1, they can obtain PLMNID or a list of PLMNIDs, TAC, serving cell ID, or frequency point.

[0075] For example, the SSB obtained by the terminal device may come from multiple first cells. These multiple first cells may include the serving cell, and may also include co-frequency neighboring cells and / or inter-frequency neighboring cells of the serving cell. The terminal device may obtain one or more SSBs from each first cell.

[0076] For example, the terminal device may be located in an area where the signal coverage of the serving cell and neighboring cells overlaps. The terminal device may perform cell search and measurement, decode PBCH and SIB1, obtain one or more SSBs of the serving cell, and obtain one or more SSBs of each neighboring cell. The terminal device may obtain, based on one or more SSBs of the serving cell and SIB1: the physical layer cell ID of the serving cell, the index of one or more SSBs of the serving cell, the RSRP of each SSB in the one or more SSBs of the serving cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in the one or more SSBs of the serving cell, the RSRP of the serving cell, the RSRQ of the serving cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of the serving cell, or the frequency point. The terminal device can also obtain the following based on one or more SSBs of each neighboring cell and SIB1: the physical layer cell ID of each neighboring cell, the index of one or more SSBs of each neighboring cell, the RSRP of each SSB in one or more SSBs of each neighboring cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in one or more SSBs of each neighboring cell, the RSRP of each neighboring cell, the RSRQ of each neighboring cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of each neighboring cell, or the frequency point.

[0077] S130: The terminal device sends the second crowdsourcing data of the first cell to the server.

[0078] S140: The server receives the second crowdsourcing data sent by the terminal device.

[0079] For example, the terminal device can communicate with the server through an access point on a WiFi network. Alternatively, the terminal device can communicate with the server through a network device on a cellular network; for instance, the terminal device can communicate with the server through a network device of a first operator. Figure 4 (Not shown).

[0080] For example, the second crowdsourced data may be obtained based on the SSB of the first cell. The second crowdsourced data may include at least one of the following: information about the operator's service network of the first operator, cell information of the first cell, beam information of the first cell, or signal strength information of the received signal from the first cell.

[0081] The operator's service network information may include at least one of the following: the service network identifier (e.g., PLMNID), a list of service network identifiers (e.g., PLMNID list), or a tracking area code (TAC). Cell information may include at least one of the following: the cell identifier (e.g., cell ID), the physical layer cell identifier (e.g., physical layer cell ID), or a frequency point. Beam information may include at least one of the following: the SSB index, the SSB's RSRP, or the SSB's RSRQ. Signal strength information may include at least one of the following: the cell's RSRP or the cell's RSRQ.

[0082] For example, if the SSB obtained by the terminal device comes from a first cell, then the number of second crowdsourced data sent by the terminal device to the server is one. Alternatively, one first cell corresponds to one set of second crowdsourced data. The second crowdsourced data is obtained based on one or more SSBs of this first cell.

[0083] For example, the SSB obtained by the terminal device comes from the serving cell. The terminal device sends a second crowdsourced data to the server. This second crowdsourced data may include at least one of the following: the physical layer cell ID of the serving cell, one or more SSB indices of the serving cell, the RSRP of each SSB in one or more SSBs of the serving cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in one or more SSBs of the serving cell, the RSRP of the serving cell, the RSRQ of the serving cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of the serving cell, or the frequency point.

[0084] For example, if the SSBs obtained by the terminal device come from multiple first cells, then the number of second crowdsourced data sent by the terminal device to the server is the same as the number of those multiple first cells. In other words, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the multiple first cells and multiple sets of second crowdsourced data. Each set of second crowdsourced data is obtained based on one or more SSBs from a first cell.

[0085] For example, the SSB obtained by the terminal device comes from the serving cell and a neighboring cell. The terminal device sends two sets of second crowdsourced data to the server. One set of second crowdsourced data includes at least one of the following: the physical layer cell ID of the serving cell, one or more SSB indices of the serving cell, the RSRP of each SSB in the one or more SSBs of the serving cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in the one or more SSBs of the serving cell, the RSRP of the serving cell, the RSRQ of the serving cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of the serving cell, or the frequency point. The other set of second crowdsourced data includes at least one of the following: the physical layer cell ID of the neighboring cell, one or more SSB indices of the neighboring cell, the RSRP of each SSB in the one or more SSBs of the neighboring cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in the one or more SSBs of the neighboring cell, the RSRP of the neighboring cell, the RSRQ of the neighboring cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of the neighboring cell, or the frequency point.

[0086] S150: The server sends the location information of the terminal device to the terminal device based on the second crowdsourced data.

[0087] S160: The terminal device receives the location information of the terminal device sent by the server.

[0088] For example, the server obtains the location information corresponding to the second crowdsourced data by using a fingerprint matching algorithm based on the fingerprint database.

[0089] For example, the server can generate a fingerprint database for each operator. Based on the service network information of the first operator in the second crowdsourced data, the server can select the fingerprint database of the first operator from multiple operator fingerprint databases. Based on the fingerprint database of the first operator, the server can obtain the location information corresponding to the second crowdsourced data through a fingerprint matching algorithm.

[0090] In this implementation method, the positioning effect is also poor. Figure 3 Taking the example of terminal device A1 moving to location 2 and needing to perform crowdsourced positioning, this is an illustration.

[0091] like Figure 5As shown, the access network equipment deployed by the first operator is relatively sparse, with a small number of cells. For example, the access network equipment deployed by the first operator includes access network equipment B1 and access network equipment B2. Terminal device A1 camps in the first cell of the first operator's access network equipment B1. At this time, the signal of the first cell where terminal device A1 camps is poor (e.g., wireless communication power is 85 dBm), and the signals of other first cells of the first operator (e.g., the cell of access network equipment B2) are also poor (e.g., wireless communication power is 95 dBm). The poor SSB signal of the first operator's first cell obtained by terminal device A1 results in poor crowdsourced positioning performance. For example, the proportion of locations indicated by location information that can be located within a 99-meter range is 95%.

[0092] from Figure 5 It can be seen that the second operator has deployed access network equipment, such as access network equipment C1 and access network equipment C2, near terminal device A1. Access network equipment C1 and C2 are closer to terminal device A1 and send better SSB signals. However, terminal device A1 cannot report the SSBs of access network equipment C1 and C2, and can only utilize the weakly covered access network equipment B1 and B2, resulting in poor crowdsourced positioning accuracy.

[0093] like Figure 6 As shown, the access network equipment deployed by the first operator is relatively sparse, with a small number of cells. For example, the access network equipment deployed by the first operator includes access network equipment B1. Terminal device A1 camps in the first cell of the first operator's access network equipment B1. At this time, the signal of the first cell where terminal device A1 camps is relatively good (e.g., wireless communication power of 50 dBm), but there are no other cells of the first operator nearby. Terminal device A1 can only perform crowdsourced positioning through one first cell, and the information for crowdsourced positioning is not rich enough, resulting in poor crowdsourced positioning performance.

[0094] from Figure 6 It can be seen that the second operator has deployed access network equipment, such as access network equipment C1, near terminal device A1. The SSB signal transmitted by access network equipment C1 is relatively good. However, terminal device A1 cannot report the SSB of access network equipment C1 and can only utilize the weakly covered access network equipment B1, resulting in poor crowdsourced positioning accuracy.

[0095] In another possible implementation, the terminal device receives SSB from a non-resident operator's network equipment, obtains crowdsourced data based on the SSB, and reports it to the server for location.

[0096] In some examples, this implementation can be applied to Figure 1The communication system shown can be applied to terminal devices and servers within that system, or to chips or circuits within terminal devices and servers; this application does not limit this application. The following examples illustrate its application to terminal devices and servers. Figure 7 As shown, this implementation may include the following steps:

[0097] S210: The terminal device is stationed in the first cell of the first operator.

[0098] S220: The terminal device obtains the SSB of the second cell of the second operator.

[0099] For example, the content of the SSB of the second cell of the second operator can be referenced from the content of the SSB of the first cell of the first operator. Further details of the embodiments in this application will not be repeated here.

[0100] For example, the SSB obtained by the terminal device may come from a second cell.

[0101] For example, a terminal device may be located in an overlapping area of ​​the signal coverage of a serving cell and a second cell. The terminal device can perform cell search and measurement, decode the PBCH and SIB1, and obtain one or more SSBs of this second cell. In addition to identifying the frequency point and cell ID, the terminal device also needs to identify the Synchronization Signal Block Index (SSB ID), which is the transmit beam ID of the network device (e.g., the base station). The terminal device decodes the PSS and SSS of each SSB. During this process, it can obtain information for calculating the Physical Layer Cell ID, thus obtaining the Physical Layer Cell ID of this second cell. The terminal device can also obtain the SSB index during the decoding of each SSB. The terminal device measures the RSRP and RSRQ of each SSB. Based on the RSRP and RSRQ of one or more SSBs, it measures the RSRP and RSRQ of this second cell. The terminal device can decode the PBCH of the SSB to obtain the MIB. Terminal devices can obtain SIB1 based on the time and frequency resource information of SIB1 in MIB. Based on SIB1, they can obtain PLMNID or a list of PLMNIDs, TAC, the cell ID of this second cell, or frequency point.

[0102] As another example, the SSB obtained by the terminal device may come from multiple second cells. The terminal device may obtain one or more SSBs from each second cell.

[0103] For example, the terminal device may be located in an overlapping area of ​​the serving cell and multiple second cells. The terminal device may perform cell search and measurement, decode PBCH and SIB1, and obtain one or more SSBs of each of the multiple second cells. The terminal device may obtain, based on one or more SSBs of each second cell and based on SIB1: the physical layer cell ID of each second cell, the index of one or more SSBs of each second cell, the RSRP of each SSB in one or more SSBs of each second cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in one or more SSBs of each second cell, the RSRP of each second cell, the RSRQ of each second cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of each second cell, or the frequency point.

[0104] S230: The terminal device sends the first crowdsourced data of the second cell to the server.

[0105] S240: The server receives the first crowdsourced data from the second cell of the second operator sent by the terminal device.

[0106] For example, the first crowdsourced data may be obtained based on the SSB of the second cell. The first crowdsourced data may include at least one of the following: information about the operator's service network of the second operator, cell information of the second cell, beam information of the second cell, or signal strength information of the received signal from the second cell.

[0107] The information on the operator's service network, cell information, beam information, and the strength information of the received signal can be referred to the content in the aforementioned embodiments, and will not be repeated here in the embodiments of this application.

[0108] For example, if the SSB obtained by the terminal device comes from a second cell, then the number of second crowdsourced data sent by the terminal device to the server is one. Alternatively, one second cell corresponds to one set of second crowdsourced data. The second crowdsourced data is obtained based on one or more SSBs of this second cell.

[0109] For example, the second crowdsourced data may include at least one of the following: the physical layer cell ID of the second cell, one or more SSB indices of the second cell, the RSRP of each SSB in one or more SSBs of the second cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in one or more SSBs of the second cell, the RSRP of the second cell, the RSRQ of the second cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of the second cell, or the frequency point.

[0110] For example, if the SSBs obtained by the terminal device come from multiple second cells, then the number of second crowdsourced data sent by the terminal device to the server is the same as the number of those multiple second cells. In other words, each of the multiple second cells corresponds one-to-one with a single piece of second crowdsourced data. Each piece of second crowdsourced data is obtained based on one or more SSBs from a single second cell.

[0111] For example, each piece of second crowdsourced data includes at least one of the following: the physical layer cell ID of each second cell, one or more SSB indexes of each second cell, the RSRP of each SSB in one or more SSBs of each second cell, the RSRQ of each SSB in one or more SSBs of each second cell, the RSRP of each second cell, the RSRQ of each second cell, the PLMNID or PLMNID list of the first operator, TAC, the cell ID of each second cell, or the frequency point.

[0112] S250: The server sends the terminal device's first location information to the terminal device based on the first crowdsourced data.

[0113] S260: The terminal device receives the first location information of the terminal device sent by the server.

[0114] For example, the first location information can be used to indicate the location of the terminal device. For instance, the first location information may include at least one of the following: location coordinates (latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude, etc.), location range, region, time, or precision. Compared to greater than... Figure 4 The location information shown indicates a more precise location, with the first location information indicating a more detailed location. For example, the first information indicates a location within a 55-meter range in 95% of cases.

[0115] For example, the server also stores a database of a second operator. The server can select the database of the second operator from multiple operator databases based on the service network information of the second operator in the first crowdsourced data. The server can obtain the first location information corresponding to the first crowdsourced data through an algorithm based on the first crowdsourced data and the second operator's database.

[0116] In this embodiment, when GNSS positioning, WiFi positioning, sensor positioning, and NR positioning are all ineffective, the terminal device can obtain better positioning information through crowdsourced positioning. Furthermore, the terminal device is camped on a first cell of a first operator. When the signals of multiple detectable first cells of the first operator near the terminal device are all poor, or when the number of detectable first cells of the first operator is small, if the terminal device performs crowdsourced positioning solely based on the SSB of the first cell, the positioning effect may be poor, or it may fail to locate, or it may attempt to rebuild under weak signal or out-of-synchronization conditions in the first cell, or attempt to re-access the cell after network loss, leading to positioning failure. In this embodiment, the terminal device is not limited to crowdsourced positioning solely based on the SSB of the first cell. The terminal device can perform crowdsourced positioning based on the SSB of a second cell of a non-camped second operator. In some scenarios, the positioning accuracy of the terminal device can be improved by 50%. This can alleviate the problem of poor crowdsourced positioning performance and improve positioning effectiveness in more scenarios.

[0117] In some examples, the terminal device acquires the SSB of a second operator's cell, which incurs power consumption overhead. Therefore, the terminal device can save power consumption in the following ways.

[0118] In the first approach, the terminal device acquires the SSB of the second cell within a first time period. The duration of the first time period is less than or equal to the duration during which the acquisition of the SSB is permitted.

[0119] For example, the allowed duration for acquiring an SSB can be a maximum duration preset by the terminal device for acquiring the SSB of the second cell. When the duration of the first time period is less than or equal to the allowed duration for acquiring the SSB, the terminal device can acquire the SSB of the second cell. After the allowed duration for acquiring the SSB has expired, the terminal device cannot acquire the SSB of the second cell.

[0120] In this implementation, the terminal device presets a maximum duration. If the maximum duration is exceeded, even if the terminal device has not acquired all the SSBs of nearby detectable second cells, it cannot acquire any more SSBs. Instead, it needs to obtain the first crowdsourced data based on the already acquired SSBs and report it to the server. This controls the duration for the terminal device to acquire SSBs of second cells, saving power consumption.

[0121] In the second approach, there are K detectable second cells belonging to a second operator near the terminal device. K is an integer greater than 1. The terminal device actually acquires the SSBs of M of the K second cells. M is less than or equal to the number of second cells allowed to acquire SSBs. M is a positive integer less than or equal to K.

[0122] For example, the number of second cells allowed to acquire SSBs can be the maximum number of second cells allowed to acquire SSBs preset by the terminal device. In some cases, the maximum number of second cells allowed to acquire SSBs by the terminal device is more than the number K of second cells that the terminal device can detect. In this case, the terminal device actually acquires the SSBs of the K detectable second cells. That is, M equals K.

[0123] In other cases, if the maximum number of second cells for which the terminal device is allowed to acquire SSBs is less than the number of second cells K that the terminal device can detect, then the terminal device actually acquires the maximum number of second cell SSBs. That is, M equals the maximum number.

[0124] In this embodiment, the terminal device presets a maximum number. When the number K of detectable second cells is small, the terminal device can acquire the SSBs of K second cells. When the number K of detectable second cells is large, the terminal device does not need to detect all K second cells, but only a portion of them. This controls the number of second cells whose SSBs the terminal device acquires, saving power consumption.

[0125] In the third method, the terminal device actually acquires the SSBs of M second cells. The first crowdsourced data sent by the terminal device to the server includes: N crowdsourced data from N second cells out of the M second cells, and partial information from MN crowdsourced data from MN second cells out of the M second cells, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M.

[0126] For example, some information can be obtained by decoding the SS and PBCH from the SSBs of the MN cells, without the terminal device needing to decode the SIB1 of the MN cells. For instance, some information may include at least one of the following: physical layer cell ID, SSB index, SSB RSRP, SSB RSRQ, cell RSRP, cell RSRQ, or frequency point. For the MN second cells, the terminal device needs to decode the SS and PBCH to obtain beam information for better positioning, and simultaneously obtain the physical layer cell ID. The terminal device can report the physical layer cell ID along with the information to the server.

[0127] The second crowdsourced data corresponding to each of the N second cells may include: physical layer cell ID, SSB index, SSB RSRP, SSB RSRQ, second cell RSRP, second cell RSRQ, first operator's PLMNID or PLMNID list, TAC, second cell ID, or frequency point.

[0128] In this implementation, the terminal device does not need to report all M crowdsourced data from M cells to the server. For some cells, the terminal device can report all information from the first crowdsourced data. For other cells, the terminal device can report some information from the first crowdsourced data, while the remaining information does not need to be reported. For the remaining information that does not need to be reported, the terminal device can reduce processing power consumption.

[0129] For example, the terminal device searches for second cells of a second operator, sorting the second cells according to signal strength, which can be the cell's RSRP and / or RSRQ. The terminal device sequentially decodes the PBCH and SIB1 of each second cell to determine if the PLMNID (or PLMNID list), TAC, and cell ID can be obtained from the SIB1. Among the cells where the PLMNID or PLMNID list, TAC, and cell ID can be obtained from the SSB, N cells are selected as the N second cells that need to report all crowdsourced data, and the remaining cells are designated as cells that only report partial crowdsourced data. The first crowdsourced data obtained by the terminal device can come from standalone (SA) cells or non-standalone (NSA) cells. Cells where the PLMNID or PLMNID list, TAC, and cell ID cannot be obtained may be NSA cells; these cells are designated as cells that only report partial crowdsourced data.

[0130] In one scenario, the terminal device can be pre-configured or have its frequency band or frequency point information pre-defined by the protocol. Alternatively, the server's database can pre-store the frequency band or frequency point information of the second operator. The terminal device can load a portion of the database from the server to obtain the frequency band or frequency point information of the second operator. Based on the frequency band or frequency point of the second operator, the terminal device can obtain the SSB (Special Service Bus) from the second cell of the second operator.

[0131] In another scenario, the terminal device can traverse all frequency bands or frequency points to obtain the SSB of multiple cells. For multiple cells, SSB1 decoding is performed; some cells will successfully obtain their PLMNID (or PLMNID list), while others will not.

[0132] If PLMNID (or a list of PLMNIDs) can be successfully obtained for some cells among multiple cells, the terminal device can determine which cells in the SIB1 decryption belong to the first operator's first cell and which belong to the second operator's second cell. From the decrypted SIB1 cells, N second cells are selected to report all information from the first crowdsourced data.

[0133] For some cells in a network where PLMNIDs (or PLMNID lists) are unavailable, terminal devices typically cannot determine which cells are the first cell and which are the second cell based on the PLMNIDs (or PLMNID lists). Terminal devices can report partial information about the crowdsourced data corresponding to all these cells. When the server receives this partial information, it can determine the location information corresponding to the crowdsourced data based on an algorithm using each operator's database.

[0134] The first, second, and third methods described above can be implemented individually or in combination. For example, after the allowed time for acquiring SSBs has elapsed, the terminal device may stop acquiring SSBs from second cells even if the maximum number of second cells it can acquire has not yet been reached. Another example: if there are five detectable second cells near the terminal device, and the maximum number of second cells the terminal device is allowed to acquire SSBs from is three, since the measurement time has not exceeded the allowed time for acquiring SSBs, the number of second cells the terminal device can acquire SSBs from can be greater than three; for example, the terminal device may actually acquire SSBs from four second cells. The more second cells the terminal device measures, the better the positioning effect. The fewer second cells the terminal device measures, the lower the power consumption. The terminal device can choose the number of second cells to measure based on a trade-off between positioning performance and power consumption.

[0135] In some possible implementations, the terminal device can be pre-configured or pre-defined by protocols for multiple operators' frequency bands or frequency points, and SSB detection can be performed one by one based on this frequency band or frequency point information to determine the nearest second operator. This method is inefficient.

[0136] In other possible implementations, the terminal device can request information about nearby operators from the server to determine the frequency band of the second cell. This method is more efficient. Figure 7 The proposed scheme may also include Figure 8 Before step 220, the embodiment may further include the following steps:

[0137] S211: The terminal device sends its second location information to the server.

[0138] S212: The server receives the second location information of the terminal device sent by the terminal device.

[0139] For example, the second location information can be used to indicate the location of the terminal device. For instance, the second location information may include at least one of the following: location coordinates, location range, time, or precision. The second location information differs from the first location information. The first location information can indicate a more precise location, while the second location information is used to indicate a more approximate location. The first location information can be real-time location information, while the second location information can be historical location information. The second location information is not the final location result obtained by the crowdsourcing location method in this application embodiment. The role of the second location information is to assist the server in obtaining the indication information of the second operator (e.g., PLMNID and / or frequency point; the indication information can also be other forms of information, such as information used to indicate the second cell in future communication systems, which is not limited in this application embodiment). The server can determine the operators near the terminal device based on the second location information and send the indication information (e.g., PLMNID and / or frequency point) of the operators near the terminal device to the terminal device, so that the terminal device knows how to obtain the SSB of the second cell of the second operator.

[0140] The range of the location determined by the first location information can be smaller than the range of the location determined by the second location information. Alternatively, the precision of the location determined by the first location information can be greater than the precision of the location determined by the second location information.

[0141] For example, the second location information includes at least one of the following: GNSS positioning location information, crowdsourced positioning location information, WiFi positioning location information, BT positioning location information, UWB positioning location information, visual positioning location information, sensor positioning location information, or cellular network positioning location information, etc. It is understood that the second location information is not limited to the location information obtained by these positioning methods. For example, the second location information may also include location information obtained by positioning methods from future communication systems or other systems. Crowdsourced positioning location information may include current or historical crowdsourced positioning location information. Current crowdsourced positioning location information may include: at the current moment, that is, when the terminal device needs to perform... Figure 7 When using the more precise crowdsourcing location method shown, the terminal device first executes... Figure 4 The location information obtained by the crowdsourced location method shown is relatively coarse. Historical crowdsourced location information can include: at a historical moment, that is, when the terminal device needed to perform... Figure 7Prior to the more precise crowdsourced positioning method shown, the terminal device had already executed the location information obtained by the crowdsourced positioning method. The GNSS positioning location information may include current or historical GNSS positioning location information. The current GNSS positioning location information and historical GNSS positioning location information can be referenced from the current crowdsourced positioning location information and historical crowdsourced positioning location information, which will not be elaborated further in this embodiment. The cellular network positioning location information may include at least one of the following: uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA), downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), round trip time (RTT), and other positioning location information.

[0142] S213: The server sends an instruction message to the terminal device based on the second location information. The instruction message is used to indicate the second cell.

[0143] S214: The terminal device receives the instruction information sent by the server.

[0144] Specifically, S220 may include: obtaining the SSB of the second operator's cell according to the instruction information.

[0145] For example, the indication information may include at least one of the following: the identifier of the second operator's serving network (such as PLMNID), frequency point, or frequency band range. For instance, when the terminal device obtains a PLMNID or any PLMNID from a list of PLMNIDs based on the SSB of the second cell, and this PLMNID matches the PLMNID in the indication information sent by the server, the terminal device sends first crowdsourced data to the server. The indication information can be used to assist the terminal device in obtaining the SSB of the second cell. The indication information can also be used to assist the terminal device in obtaining other information about the second cell to obtain crowdsourced data. For example, this crowdsourced data may be crowdsourced data obtained based on information from the LTE system, or crowdsourced data obtained based on information from a future communication system. In addition to SSB crowdsourced data, the crowdsourced data in this application embodiment may also include the relative time of arrival (TOA) or time difference of arrival (TDOA) of a single path or multipath based on the tracking reference signal (TRS), the power delay profile (PDP) spectral power, and the TOA, TDOA, and PDP spectral power of a single path or multipath that may correspond to different trajectories at different times. This invention includes, but is not limited to, SSB and TRS, and may also include Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) of PDCCH, or DMRS of PDSCH, etc. For example, it may be based on SSB signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), CSI-RS index, CSI-RSRSRP, CSI-RS RSRQ, CSI / SINR, TOA, TDOA, PDP spectral power, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0146] In this embodiment, the terminal device uses GNSS positioning, or Figure 4The diagram illustrates various positioning methods used to obtain second location information, including crowdsourced positioning, WiFi positioning, BT positioning, UWB positioning, visual positioning, sensor positioning, and cellular network positioning, based on the SSB of the residing operator's cell. However, the diagrams show poor positioning accuracy or the location information being from historical moments, resulting in coarse second location data. The terminal device can report this second location information to a server. The server can then use its database and the second location information to obtain indications from nearby operators. Based on these indications, the terminal device can then selectively obtain the SSB of nearby second cells. This not only improves positioning accuracy but also efficiently obtains the SSB of second cells, reduces crowdsourced positioning time, and enhances the user experience.

[0147] In some possible implementations, the second operator may be a single operator not registered with the terminal device, or it may include multiple operators not registered with the terminal device. For example, if the terminal device is registered with the first cell of operator D1, the terminal device can obtain the first crowdsourcing data based on the SSB of the second cell of operator D2, and the terminal device can also obtain the first crowdsourcing data based on the SSB of the second cell of operator D3. This application does not limit the type or number of second operators.

[0148] In some possible implementations, the terminal device can receive SSBs not only from non-resident operator network equipment and obtain first crowdsourced data based on the SSBs, but also from resident operator network equipment and obtain second crowdsourced data based on the SSBs, and report both types of crowdsourced data to the server for location. Figure 8 The proposed scheme may also include Figure 9 Before steps S240 and S250, this embodiment may further include the following steps:

[0149] S270: The terminal device obtains the SSB of the first cell.

[0150] For example, the terminal device obtains the SSB content of the first cell, which can be referred to Figure 4 The relevant details of the method shown in this application will not be repeated here.

[0151] For example, network equipment deployed by different operators typically operates on different frequencies. Terminal devices can determine, based on these frequencies, which cells among the multiple cells acquiring SSBs belong to the second operator (second cell) and which belong to the first operator (first cell). For multiple operators sharing network infrastructure, there may be instances where some frequencies are the same across different operators. In such cases, the physical layer cell IDs (PINs) of different operators are usually different. The PIN in the crowdsourced data reported by the terminal device can distinguish whether the crowdsourced data corresponds to the first or second operator.

[0152] For example, a terminal device may include multiple radio frequency (RF) channels and multiple baseband (BB) channels. RF channels may be circuits for generating RF signals, and BB channels may be circuits for generating BB signals. The terminal device configures the frequency and bandwidth of at least one first RF channel and at least one first BB channel as the frequency and bandwidth (e.g., cell channel bandwidth or bandwidth part (BWP) bandwidth) of the first cell it is camped in. If the terminal device is in a connected state, it obtains the connected-mode discontinuous reception (CDRX) periodic configuration from the camped first cell and performs service requests and data transmissions with the first cell based on the CDRX. The CDRX period includes an active period (On Duration) and an inactive period (Opportunity for DRX). For example, during the active period, the terminal device configures the frequency and bandwidth of one first RF channel and one first BB channel as the frequency and bandwidth of the camped first cell, thereby performing cell search and measurement, PBCH and SIB1 decoding, and data reception or transmission operations in the camped first cell. If the terminal device does not have a special data receiving or sending task, it will usually go into hibernation during the inactive period and will not communicate with the first cell where it is camped through the first RF channel and the first BB channel.

[0153] By reusing the first RF channel and the first BB channel during the CDRX inactivity period, it is possible to acquire the SSBs of cells from multiple operators at different time periods. For example, during the CDRX activation period, the terminal device configures the frequency and bandwidth of the first RF channel and the first BB channel to the frequency and bandwidth of the first cell, acquires the SSB of the first cell, and communicates with the camped first cell. During the CDRX inactivity period, the terminal device configures the frequency and bandwidth of the first RF channel and the first BB channel to the frequency and bandwidth of the second cell, and acquires the SSB of the second cell. After acquiring the SSB of the second cell, the terminal device can switch the frequency and bandwidth of the first RF channel and the first BB channel back (i.e., reconfigure) to the frequency and bandwidth of the first cell. The first RF channel and the first BB channel need to support both the frequency and bandwidth of the first cell and the frequency and bandwidth of the second cell. In this way, the SSBs of cells from multiple operators can be acquired through time-division multiplexing of the RF channel and the BB channel.

[0154] If the terminal device is in an idle or inactive state, it can treat the paging cycle as CDRX, and then time-division multiplex the RF channel and BB channel to obtain the SSB of multiple operators' cells.

[0155] The terminal device may also include a second RF channel and a second BB channel, which may be idle and not required for communication with the camped first cell.

[0156] By utilizing idle second RF channels and second BB channels, it is possible to acquire the SSBs of multiple operators' cells simultaneously or at different times. For example, a terminal device can configure the second RF channel and second BB channel to use the frequency and bandwidth of a second cell and acquire its SSB. The first RF channel and first BB channel need to support the frequency and bandwidth of the first cell, and the second RF channel and second BB channel also need to support the frequency and bandwidth of the second cell. Thus, the time for acquiring the SSB of the second cell using idle second RF channels and second BB channels is not limited by any time interval, such as the inactive period of CDRX. The terminal device can acquire the SSBs of multiple operators' cells using idle second RF channels, connected second BB channels, or inactive second BB channels. Here, it is necessary to consider the scenario where the first cell is camped has carrier aggregation (CA), such as the secondary cell occupying the third RF channel and the third BB channel. In this case, the first RF channel and the first BB channel need to support the frequency and bandwidth of the first cell, while the second RF channel and the second BB channel need to support the frequency and bandwidth of the second cell, and the third RF channel and the third BB channel need to support the frequency and bandwidth of the secondary cell.

[0157] S280: The terminal device sends the second crowdsourcing data of the first cell to the server.

[0158] S290: The server receives second crowdsourced data from the first cell of the first operator sent by the terminal device.

[0159] For example, the terminal device can communicate with the server through an access point on a WiFi network. Alternatively, the terminal device can communicate with the server through a network device on a cellular network; for instance, the terminal device can communicate with the server through a network device of a first operator. Figure 9 (Not shown).

[0160] For example, the content of the second crowdsourced data sent by the terminal device to the server can be referred to Figure 4 The relevant details of the method shown in this application will not be repeated here.

[0161] Specifically, S250 may include: the server sending the first location information of the terminal device to the terminal device based on the first crowdsourcing data and the second crowdsourcing data.

[0162] For example, the terminal device can execute commands in an idle state, a connected state, or an inactive state. Figures 7-9 The method shown.

[0163] In this implementation, the terminal device can report not only the first crowdsourced data from the second cell, but also the second crowdsourced data from the first cell. When the number of first cells is small, single-carrier positioning can be transformed into multi-carrier positioning. Even if the signal in the first cell is normal, due to different carrier network deployment strategies, the signals from different carriers have a complementary effect, which can also increase the dimensionality of the crowdsourced data and further improve positioning accuracy.

[0164] In some possible implementations, the terminal device includes a subscriber identification module (SIM), or in other words, the terminal device supports a single SIM.

[0165] The terminal device, using the SIM card's user identity, camps on the serving cell of the first operator. For example, the SIM card contains user identification information, such as a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) and a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI). This identification information uniquely indicates the user's identity within the first operator's network. For instance, if the identifier is "xsafsdgd", when the terminal device uses the SIM card to communicate with the first operator's network and camps on the serving cell, it can be assumed that the user identified as "xsafsdgd" is camped on the serving cell. The terminal device can then execute the above method embodiments using the SIM card's user identity.

[0166] In other possible implementations, the terminal device includes multiple SIM cards, for example, the terminal device supports dual cards, including a primary card and a secondary card.

[0167] The terminal device registers with the serving cell as the user of the primary SIM card and / or the secondary SIM card. The serving cell corresponding to the primary SIM card and the serving cell corresponding to the secondary SIM card can be the same cell of the same operator, different cells of the same operator, or cells of different operators.

[0168] The terminal device can execute the above method embodiments as the user of the primary SIM card. Alternatively, the terminal device can execute the above method embodiments as the user of the secondary SIM card. Or, the terminal device can execute the above method embodiments simultaneously as both the user of the primary SIM card and the user of the secondary SIM card. This makes the terminal device's crowdsourced location execution method more flexible.

[0169] In some possible implementations, during the first stage of crowdsourced location, the terminal device may also send crowdsourced data from multiple operators to the server. The server can then generate a database based on the crowdsourced data from multiple operators and the location information of the terminal device.

[0170] The foregoing mainly describes the communication system and positioning method. It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication system includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the structures 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.

[0171] This application embodiment can divide functional modules according to the communication system corresponding to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own 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.

[0172] When dividing each function into modules according to its corresponding function. Figure 10 A possible structural schematic diagram of the communication device involved in the above embodiments is shown. The first communication device 100 includes: a processing unit 110, an acquisition unit 120, a first transmitting unit 130, and a first receiving unit 140.

[0173] In some possible implementations, processing unit 110 may be used to camp on a first cell of a first operator. Acquisition unit 120 may be used to acquire the SSB of a second cell of a second operator. First sending unit 130 may be used to send first crowdsourced data of the second cell to a second communication device, the first crowdsourced data being obtained based on the SSB of the second cell acquired by acquisition unit 120. First receiving unit 140 may be used to receive first location information of the first communication device 100 sent by the second communication device. Exemplarily, acquisition unit 120 and first receiving unit 140 may be the same unit.

[0174] In some possible implementations, the acquisition unit 120 can also be used to acquire the SSB of the first cell. The first sending unit 130 can also be used to send second crowdsourcing data of the first cell to the second communication device, the second crowdsourcing data being obtained based on the SSB of the first cell acquired by the acquisition unit 120.

[0175] In some possible implementations, the first transmitting unit 130 may also be used to transmit the second location information of the first communication device 100 to the second communication device. The first receiving unit 140 may also be used to receive indication information transmitted by the second communication device, the indication information being used to indicate a second cell.

[0176] In some possible implementations, the second location information includes at least one of the following: GNSS location information, crowdsourced location information, WiFi location information, BT location information, UWB location information, visual location information, sensor location information, or cellular network location information.

[0177] In some possible implementations, the second cell includes M second cells, where M is an integer greater than 1; the first crowdsourced data includes: N crowdsourced data from N second cells out of the M second cells, and partial information from MN crowdsourced data from MN second cells out of the M second cells, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M; the partial information includes: beam information and physical layer cell identifier.

[0178] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of another possible structure of the communication device involved in the above embodiments is shown. The second communication device 200 includes: a second receiving unit 210 and a second transmitting unit 220.

[0179] In some possible implementations, the second receiving unit 210 can be used to receive second crowdsourcing data from a first cell of a first operator sent by the first communication device. The second receiving unit 210 can also be used to receive first crowdsourcing data from a second cell of a second operator sent by the first communication device. The second sending unit 220 can be used to send first location information of the first communication device to the first communication device based on the first crowdsourcing data and the second crowdsourcing data.

[0180] In some possible implementations, the second receiving unit 210 may also be used to receive second location information of the first communication device sent by the first communication device. The second sending unit 220 may also be used to send indication information to the first communication device based on the second location information, the indication information being used to indicate a second cell.

[0181] In some possible implementations, the second location information includes at least one of the following: GNSS location information, crowdsourced location information, WiFi location information, BT location information, UWB location information, visual location information, sensor location information, or cellular network location information.

[0182] In some possible implementations, the second cell includes M second cells, where M is an integer greater than 1; the first crowdsourced data includes: N crowdsourced data from N second cells out of the M second cells, and partial information from MN crowdsourced data from MN second cells out of the M second cells, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M; the partial information includes: beam information and physical layer cell identifier.

[0183] It is understood that each component of the first communication device 100 and the second communication device 200 can be used to implement the corresponding steps in the aforementioned method embodiments. Since the steps and effects have been described in detail in the aforementioned positioning method embodiments, they will not be repeated here.

[0184] The communication device in the embodiments of this application has been described above from the perspective of modular functional entities. The communication device in the embodiments of this application is described below from the perspective of hardware processing.

[0185] This application also provides a first device. The first device may be an electronic device, or a component of an electronic device (e.g., a chip or circuit inside the electronic device). Figure 12 As shown, the first device can be terminal device 300. Terminal device 300 can be... Figure 1 The terminal device in the communication system shown. The terminal device 300 includes a first processor 310 and a first transceiver 320. The first processor 310 and the first transceiver 320 perform the corresponding steps in the above-described positioning method embodiments.

[0186] In some possible implementations, the first processor 310 may perform the functions of an application process (AP). The terminal device may also include a modem, which may be used to perform modulation and demodulation functions.

[0187] Exemplarily, the first processor can be used to perform steps S211 and / or S214. The first processor can send indication information to the modem to request location measurement. The modem can perform at least one of steps S220 and S270 to obtain the SSB. The first processor and the modem can together perform at least one of steps S230 and S280 to send crowdsourced data. The first processor can be used to perform step S260 to receive first location information.

[0188] The modem may include the aforementioned multiple RF channels and multiple BB channels. The modem may time-multiplex the first RF channel and the first BB channel to acquire the SSBs of cells from multiple operators, thereby obtaining crowdsourced data. Alternatively, the modem may utilize idle resources (such as the second RF channel and the second BB channel) to acquire the SSB of a second cell, thereby obtaining the first crowdsourced data. The AP may also be used to perform step 250.

[0189] This application also provides a second device. The second device may be an electronic device, or a component of an electronic device (e.g., a chip or circuitry within the electronic device). Figure 13 As shown, the second device can be server 400. Server 400 can be... Figure 1 The communication system shown includes a server. Server 400 includes a second processor 410 and a second transceiver 420. The second processor 410 controls the second transceiver 420 to perform the corresponding steps in the above-described positioning method embodiments.

[0190] It is understood that each component of the first device and the second device can be used to implement the corresponding steps in the aforementioned method embodiments. Since the steps and effects have been described in detail in the aforementioned positioning method embodiments, they will not be repeated here.

[0191] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code. When the medium is run on a device (e.g., a microcontroller, chip, computer, or processor), the program code can be invoked by the processor to execute one or more steps in the above method embodiments.

[0192] Based on this understanding, this application also provides a computer program product containing instructions. The technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or its processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0193] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A positioning method, characterized in that, Applied to a first device, the method includes: They were stationed in the first community of the first operator; Obtain the synchronization signal block (SSB) of the second cell of the second operator; Send the first crowdsourced data of the second cell to the second device, wherein the first crowdsourced data is obtained based on the SSB of the second cell; Receive the first location information of the first device sent by the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the SSB of the first cell; The second crowdsourced data of the first cell is sent to the second device. The second crowdsourced data is obtained based on the SSB of the first cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the second location information of the first device to the second device; The device receives indication information sent by the second device, the indication information being used to indicate the second cell.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second location information includes at least one of the following: location information from Global Navigation Satellite System positioning, location information from crowdsourced positioning, location information from wireless fidelity positioning, location information from Bluetooth positioning, location information from ultra-wideband positioning, location information from visual positioning, location information from sensor positioning, or location information from cellular network positioning.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The second cell includes M second cells, where M is an integer greater than 1; the first crowdsourced data includes: N crowdsourced data from N second cells in the M second cells, and partial information from MN crowdsourced data from MN second cells in the M second cells, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M; The information includes at least one of the following: physical layer cell identifier, SSB index, SSB reference signal received power, SSB reference signal received quality, cell reference signal received power, cell reference signal received quality, or frequency point.

6. A positioning method, characterized in that, Applied to a second device, the method includes: Receive second crowdsourced data from the first cell of the first operator, sent by the first device; Receive the first crowdsourced data from the second cell of the second operator sent by the first device; Based on the first crowdsourcing data and the second crowdsourcing data, the first location information of the first device is sent to the first device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the second location information of the first device sent by the first device; Based on the second location information, an instruction message is sent to the first device, the instruction message being used to indicate the second cell.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second location information includes at least one of the following: location information from Global Navigation Satellite System positioning, location information from crowdsourced positioning, location information from wireless fidelity positioning, location information from Bluetooth positioning, location information from ultra-wideband positioning, location information from visual positioning, location information from sensor positioning, or location information from cellular network positioning.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The second cell includes M second cells, where M is an integer greater than 1; the first crowdsourced data includes: N crowdsourced data from N second cells in the M second cells, and partial information from MN crowdsourced data from MN second cells in the M second cells, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to M; The information includes at least one of the following: physical layer cell identifier, SSB index, SSB reference signal received power, SSB reference signal received quality, cell reference signal received power, cell reference signal received quality, or frequency point.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, The apparatus includes a unit for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. A terminal device, characterized in that, The terminal device includes a processor and a transceiver; the processor and the transceiver perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-5.

12. A server, characterized in that, The server includes a processor and a transceiver; the processor is configured to control the transceiver to perform the method as described in any one of claims 6-9.

13. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes the terminal device as described in claim 11 and the server as described in claim 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores program code that can be invoked by a processor to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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