Communication method and application device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and an application device, which can be applied to the field of satellite communication, such as NTN. The communication method comprises: receiving a reference signal in a reference signal processing window after receiving first information. The first information is used to indicate the length of the reference signal processing window in each period, and the length of the reference signal processing window in adjacent two periods is different. In this way, the terminal side can receive and measure the reference signal sent by the network side (such as a moving satellite) along with the change of time, thereby reducing the positioning delay and improving the positioning accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Terminal devices (e.g., user equipment, UE) may need to determine their location during use. For example, a UE can use location for navigation or emergency calls. Currently, terminal devices can achieve location by observing the observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) technology. This technology, also known as downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), mainly involves the terminal device receiving and measuring the reference signal time difference of arrival (RSTD) of reference signals (such as position reference signals (PRS)) transmitted by several cells.

[0003] As the location of network devices changes (e.g., due to satellite movement) and the effects of downlink timing drift (DL), the time difference (e.g., RSTD) between reference signals from different network devices arriving at the terminal device may be constantly changing, potentially leading to the inability to receive reference signals from one or more network devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a communication method and application device, which enables the terminal to receive and measure reference signals sent by the network side (such as moving satellites) as time changes, thereby reducing positioning delay and improving positioning accuracy.

[0005] Firstly, this application discloses a communication method. This method can be applied to a first communication device, which can be a terminal as a finished product, a component or module with terminal functions, a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), chip system, or processor) that can be applied to the terminal to perform communication functions. Alternatively, it can be a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions. The method includes: receiving first information, which indicates the length of a reference signal processing window in each cycle, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window differs in adjacent cycles; and receiving a reference signal within the reference signal processing window, the reference signal being used for positioning. This facilitates the terminal side receiving and measuring the reference signal transmitted by the network side (such as a moving satellite) as time changes, thereby reducing positioning delay and improving positioning accuracy.

[0006] Secondly, this application discloses a communication method that can be applied to a second communication device. The second communication device can be a network device as a final product, a component or module with network device functions, or a communication chip (e.g., a processor, baseband chip, or chip system) applicable to a network device. This second communication device can also be a third communication device, or other communication devices, without limitation. The following example uses a second communication device. The method includes: sending first information, which indicates the length of a reference signal processing window in each period, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window differs in adjacent periods; and sending a reference signal within the reference signal processing window, the reference signal being used for positioning. This facilitates the terminal side receiving and measuring the reference signal sent by the network side (e.g., a moving satellite) as time changes, thereby reducing positioning delay and improving positioning accuracy.

[0007] In this application, the reference signal processing window can be used to receive a reference signal. In some feasible implementations, the reference signal can be a position reference signal (PRS), or it can be a tracking reference signal (TRS), cell reference signal (CRS), channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), demodulation reference signal (DMRS), phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS), primary synchronization signals (PSS), secondary synchronization signals (SSS), synchronization signal block (SSB), etc. When the reference signal is a PRS, the reference signal processing window can be a PRS processing window (PPW).

[0008] In some feasible implementations, the reference signal processing window can also be used to measure the reference signal to obtain measurement results. These results can be the time difference of arrival of at least two reference signals, such as the time difference of arrival of signals from different satellites. The measurement results can also be the angle of arrival of at least two reference signals, or they can be the reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), etc.

[0009] This application does not limit the period of the reference signal processing window or the number of reference signals to be processed within one period of the reference signal processing window. The number of periods of the reference signal processing window can be greater than or equal to 2. The number of reference signals to be processed within one period of the reference signal processing window can be one or more, for example, 3.

[0010] In this application, two adjacent periods refer to a period and the next period of that period, or a period and the previous period of that period. A period and the next period of that period may be temporally adjacent or temporally non-adjacent. The length of the reference signal processing window can specifically be the length of the reference signal processing window in different periods, or the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period (also known as the initial length).

[0011] The primary information can be indicated through system information or configuration information. Examples include system information block (SIB), radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control-control element (MAC CE) signaling, and downlink control information (DCI).

[0012] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the first information includes an initial length and a first change value, wherein the initial length is the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period, and the first change value is the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between any two adjacent periods. Thus, the first information can determine the length of the reference signal processing window in each period based on the initial length and the first change value.

[0013] In this application, the change in length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods can have three different cases. Case one involves the reference signal processing window having the same change in length within any two adjacent periods. In other words, the change in length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods can be the first change value.

[0014] Optionally, in Case 1, the first information may include a first change value, which can avoid indicating multiple equal change values, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0015] In the second scenario, the change in length of the reference signal processing window may not be equal between any two adjacent periods.

[0016] In scenario three, the length change of the reference signal processing window can be equal in some two adjacent periods, while the length change can be unequal in other two adjacent periods.

[0017] This application does not limit the number of first change values ​​in cases two and three. The number of first change values ​​can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to the number of periods of the reference signal processing window. Optionally, if the absolute values ​​of the length changes in any two adjacent periods are equal, a first change value and information indicating whether the first change value is positive or negative can be used to indicate the specific change value.

[0018] In this application, the first change value can be positive or negative. That is, the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods can be increasing or decreasing, or it can be described as the length of the reference signal processing window within one period being increasing or decreasing relative to the previous adjacent period, or it can be described as the length of the reference signal processing window within one period being increasing or decreasing with time relative to the previous adjacent period.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect or the second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the first information may also include the identifiers of each cycle of the reference signal processing window.

[0020] In some feasible implementations, the first information also includes the validity period of the change in length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods. The validity period can be the validity period for an increase in length within two adjacent periods, or the validity period for a decrease in length within two adjacent periods. The first information can include the validity period for an increase in length within two adjacent periods, and / or the validity period for a decrease in length within two adjacent periods. The validity period of the change value can be determined by the identifier of the period corresponding to the change value. For example, the validity period can be configured with the identifier of the corresponding period through the valid-duration(period) field to indicate whether the length change of the corresponding period and its adjacent periods is an increase or a decrease. Thus, based on the period indicated by the validity period, and whether the validity period is the validity period for an increase or a decrease in length between two adjacent periods, the dynamic change value of the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods can be obtained, and the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be obtained.

[0021] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the first information includes the length of the reference signal processing window within each period. Thus, the first information can directly determine the length of the reference signal processing window within each period.

[0022] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the first information further includes a first field indicating whether the first change value is positive or negative. This facilitates the terminal side in receiving and measuring reference signals transmitted by the network side (such as moving satellites) over time.

[0023] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is in units of one of the following: time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, or parts per million (ppm). Here, ppm represents the frequency deviation, such as the permissible deviation value at a specific center frequency, where the frequency is in Hertz (Hz). Thus, the length of the reference signal processing window can be configured in units of time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, or ppm, or it can be described as the length of the reference signal processing window being at the time slot level, symbol level, subframe level, millisecond level, or ppm level.

[0024] It is understood that by using units other than time slots to configure the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods, the granularity and flexibility of the reference signal processing window length configuration are increased. This helps to improve the accuracy of configuring the length of the reference signal processing window, avoid configuring an excessively long reference signal processing window that would affect normal communication on the terminal side, and improve positioning accuracy.

[0025] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is N units, where N is a decimal or an integer. It can be understood that when the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is a decimal, it can be understood that the change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is based on a decimal level, improving the flexibility of adjusting the length of the reference signal processing window. Furthermore, in some scenarios, the length of the PPW is less than 1ms. If the length of the PPW is represented by milliseconds at the decimal level, the accuracy of configuring the PPW length can be improved, avoiding the impact of configuring an excessively long PPW length on normal communication on the terminal side, and improving positioning accuracy.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect or the second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the first information is determined by the second information, which includes a resource set identifier, and the resource set identifier includes the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information.

[0027] In this application, the parameters indicated or included in the first information can be referred to as first parameters, and the parameters indicated or included in the second information can be referred to as second parameters. The second information may include one or more pieces of first information, or it can be understood as configuration information for one or more pieces of first information, thereby enabling the determination of one or more pieces of first information, i.e., the length of one or more reference signal processing windows in each cycle, based on the second information.

[0028] In some feasible implementations, the first parameter may include an identifier of the reference signal processing window. Further, the first parameter may also include the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period, i.e., the initial length, and the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between any two adjacent periods, such as a first change value, so that the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be determined based on the initial length and the first change value. Alternatively, the first parameter may include an identifier of the reference signal processing window and the length of the reference signal processing window in each period, so that the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be directly determined.

[0029] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some feasible implementations, the second information is used to indicate the period of the reference signal processing window. That is, the second parameter may include the period of the reference signal processing window. Thus, when the first parameter may include the identifier and initial length of the reference signal processing window, as well as the change in length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods, and when the resource set identifier of the second information includes the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information, the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be determined based on the period determined by the second information and the first information.

[0030] The second parameter can be configured with the same information or parameters for multiple reference signal processing windows or reference signal processing window sets, based on one or more reference signal processing windows corresponding to the resource set identifier. For example, the second parameter may optionally include one or more of the following: the repetition factor of the reference signal processing window resource, the time interval of the reference signal processing window resource, the time slot offset of the reference signal processing window resource set, the bandwidth of the reference signal processing window resource, and the starting position of the reference signal processing window.

[0031] It is understood that by indicating the same second parameter for one or more reference signal processing windows through the second information, and the second parameter being different from the first parameter, the flexibility of configuring reference signal processing windows can be improved. Furthermore, the second parameter can configure information or parameters for multiple reference signal processing windows or sets of reference signal processing windows, which can save signaling overhead.

[0032] In some feasible implementations, the second information is determined by the third information.

[0033] In this application, the third information includes one or more second information, or can be understood as the third information being configuration information for one or more second information, thereby enabling the determination of one or more second information based on the third information. Compared to the second information, the third information can indicate more information or parameters of the reference signal processing window, further enhancing the flexibility of configuring the reference signal processing window and saving signaling overhead.

[0034] This application does not limit the parameters in the third information. The parameters in the third information can be called third parameters, and can be different from the first and second parameters, applicable to more reference signal processing windows. In some feasible implementations, the third parameter may include one or more of the following: subcarrier spacing, cyclic prefix, frequency domain position reference point, etc.

[0035] Optionally, the PPW configuration can be set up with a three-layer structure similar to the PRS configuration: PPW frequency layer, PPW resource set, and PRW resource. In this case, the third piece of information can be understood as the configuration information based on the PPW frequency layer, the second piece of information can be the configuration information based on the PPW resource set, and the first piece of information can be understood as the configuration information based on the PPW resource.

[0036] Specifically, a configuration information based on a PPW frequency layer can contain configuration information based on one or more PPW resource sets, and a configuration information based on a PPW resource set can contain configuration information based on one or more PPW resources. In other words, PPW parameters can be divided into three levels: layer, resource set, and resource. The scope of PPW parameters at the layer level covers all resources within the PPW frequency layer (resources of one or more PPW resource sets); the scope of PPW parameters at the set level covers all resources within a PPW resource set (one or more PPW resources); and the scope of PPW parameters at the resource level covers a single PPW resource. This expands the dimensions of the configuration reference signal processing window, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0037] Thirdly, this application discloses a communication device, including units, modules, or means for performing the steps of the first or second aspect or any of the implementation methods described above. The modules, units, or means can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0038] Fourthly, this application discloses a communication device including a processor for executing computer programs or instructions, which, when executed, cause the methods of any one of the first to second aspects or any possible implementations described above to be implemented. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory.

[0039] Optionally, the communication device may also include interface circuitry, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components via the interface circuitry.

[0040] Optionally, the communication device may also include a memory.

[0041] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some feasible examples, the communication device may be a first communication device or a second communication device. The first communication device may be a terminal as a final product, a component or module with terminal functions, a circuit or chip that can be applied to the terminal to perform communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, a chip system or processor), or a logic node, logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions.

[0042] In conjunction with the third or fourth aspect, in some feasible examples, the communication device may be a second communication device, which may be a network device as a final product, a component or module with network device functions, or a communication chip (such as a processor, baseband chip, or chip system) that can be applied in a network device.

[0043] In one implementation, the second communication device can be a non-terrestrial network device, such as a satellite.

[0044] Fifthly, this application provides a communication system comprising a first communication device and a second communication device. When the first communication device operates in the communication system, it performs the methods described in the first aspect or in feasible examples thereof. When the second communication device operates in the communication system, it performs the methods described in the second aspect or in feasible examples thereof.

[0045] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a communication system that includes communication devices as described in the third or fourth aspect or any of the possible embodiments thereof.

[0046] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of the first to second aspects or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0047] Eighthly, this application provides a computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of the first to second aspects or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0048] Ninthly, this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for calling and executing instructions stored in a memory, causing a communication device on which the chip or chip system is mounted to perform the method of any one of the first to second aspects or any possible implementation thereof.

[0049] Optionally, the chip also includes a communication interface for receiving or sending signals.

[0050] Optionally, the chip or chip system may also include memory.

[0051] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a chip including: an input interface, an output interface, and a processing circuit. The input interface, the output interface, and the processing circuit are connected via internal connection paths. The processing circuit is used to execute the method of any of the above aspects or possible examples. Optionally, the chip also includes a memory. The input interface, the output interface, the processor, and the memory are connected via internal connection paths. The processor is used to execute code in the memory. When the code is executed, the processor is used to execute the method of any of the above aspects or possible examples.

[0052] In one aspect, this application provides a chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface, the communication interface and at least one processor being interconnected via a line, the at least one processor being used to run computer programs or instructions to perform the methods in any of the above aspects or possible examples.

[0053] It should be understood that the implementation and beneficial effects of the above-mentioned aspects can be mutually referenced. Attached Figure Description

[0054] The accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0055] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an NTN communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a PPW configuration method provided by TS38.331;

[0058] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of a MAC CE signaling activation or deactivation PPW provided by existing technology;

[0059] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of receiving PRS provided by existing technology;

[0060] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a MAC CE signaling activation or deactivation PPW provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration method of a PPW provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of receiving PRS provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another PPW configuration method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another method for receiving PRS provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0069] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) communication systems, new radio (NR) communication systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, internet of things (IoT) communication systems, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) communication systems, integrated sensing and communication systems, frequency division duplex (FDD) communication systems, time division duplex (TDD) communication systems, wireless projection communication systems, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) communication systems, public land mobile network (PLMN) communication systems, non-public network (NPN) communication systems, and future communication systems, or can be used for non-3rd generation partnerships. Projects, 3GPP communication systems, etc., are not restricted.

[0071] The method provided in this application can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems (also known as non-terrestrial network communication), or scenarios where NTN and terrestrial networks (TN) are integrated. Here, NTN can be a communication system integrated with other communication systems such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future communication systems, such as NR NTN, IoT NTN, etc. NTN communication systems can be, for example, satellite communication systems, and can also include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other aerial access network equipment; this application does not limit this.

[0072] For example, please refer to Figure 1A , Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1AAs shown, the communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The terminal device can be connected to the network device wirelessly or via a wired connection, enabling uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) communication. Terminal devices can also connect to each other wirelessly or via a wired connection, enabling sidelink (SL) communication.

[0073] Terminal devices and network devices, network devices and network devices, and terminal devices and terminal devices can communicate using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. This application does not limit the spectrum resources used by terminal devices and network devices.

[0074] The terminal equipment involved in this application is an entity on the user side used to receive or transmit signals, providing voice and / or data to the user. Terminal equipment can be a terminal, user equipment (UE), access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile device, mobile station, mobile station, mobile terminal, mobile client, mobile unit, remote station, remote terminal, remote unit, wireless unit, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device, etc. Among them, the access terminal can be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal in a future communication system, terminal in a future evolved PLMN, or terminal in a future NPN, etc.

[0075] Terminal equipment can also be a communication module, satellite phone, or its components with satellite communication capabilities, or a satellite communication terminal, such as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) (commonly referred to as a VSAT terminal), portable station, fixed station, vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminal, etc. It should be understood that a satellite communication terminal can serve as a micro base station to further provide data interfaces to accessed user equipment. Hereinafter, it will sometimes be simply referred to as a terminal.

[0076] exist Figure 1A In this example, network devices are represented by access network (AN) nodes. Access network nodes can also be called radio access network (RAN) nodes, or simply access networks. Access network nodes are used to connect terminal devices to the wireless network. In other words, the access network provides access services to terminal devices, enabling them to access (or connect to) the network. Access networks can support both wired and wireless access.

[0077] Optionally, the access network consists of multiple AN / RAN nodes. AN / RAN nodes can include, but are not limited to: access points (APs), enhanced node Bs (eNBs), home evolved node Bs (HNBs), baseband units (BBUs), next-generation node Bs (gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), transmission points (TPs), or other access nodes, such as wireless relay nodes or wireless backhaul nodes. AN / RAN nodes can be one or more antenna panels, or network nodes constituting gNBs or transmission points, such as BBUs or distributed units (DUs), or devices performing RAN functions in communication systems such as D2D, V2X, M2M, and U2U. AN / RAN nodes can be radio controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios, open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), or access networks in future communication systems, etc., without any limitations.

[0078] In some deployments, a gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and a dedicated unit (DU). The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some of the gNB's functions, and the DU implements others. For example, the CU handles non-real-time protocols and services, implementing radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer functions. The DU handles physical layer protocols and real-time services, implementing radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layer functions. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and active antenna-related functions. RRC layer information is generated by the CU and is ultimately encapsulated by the DU's PHY layer to become PHY layer information, or it may be derived from PHY layer information. Therefore, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can be considered as being sent by the DU, or by the DU+AAU. It is understood that network devices can be one or more of the following: CU nodes, DU nodes, and AAU nodes. Furthermore, a CU can be classified as a network device in the radio access network (RAN) or a network device in the core network (CN); this application does not limit this classification.

[0079] Furthermore, the solution provided in this application can be applied to satellite communication systems, such as 5G systems or NTN integrated into future evolved communication systems. In this case, the network equipment can be a satellite with access network equipment functionality, or an access network device deployed on a satellite. In some satellite communication scenarios, the network equipment can also be a satellite communication terminal, such as a portable station, a fixed station, a vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminal. It should be understood that in these scenarios, the satellite communication terminal communicates with the satellite and can act as a micro base station or satellite data station to further provide data interfaces to user equipment accessing the satellite communication terminal.

[0080] In some satellite communication scenarios, network equipment can also be satellite communication terminals, such as portable stations, fixed stations, vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminals. It should be understood that in these scenarios, the satellite communication terminal communicates with the satellite and can act as a micro base station to further provide data interfaces to user equipment accessing the satellite communication terminal. Network equipment can also be a satellite (or satellite base station) or HAPS, or base station equipment mounted on a satellite / HAPS. The satellite can include at least one of the following: geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites (or geosynchronous orbit satellites) or non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO) satellites. Non-geostationary earth orbit satellites can include at least one of the following: medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites or low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, without limitation. Network equipment can also be a gateway station (or ground station, earth station, signal gateway, gateway, or gateway station).

[0081] In such Figure 1A The network architecture shown illustrates network devices using access network nodes as an example. Furthermore, Figure 1A The number and types of network devices and terminal devices included in the network architecture shown are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. For example, it may also include more or fewer terminal devices communicating with the network devices. Similarly, it may include more or fewer network devices communicating with the terminal devices. For the sake of brevity, they are not described one by one in the accompanying drawings.

[0082] Optionally, the communication system may also include Figure 1A Network devices not shown, such as core network devices, data network devices, etc.

[0083] In different communication systems, core network equipment (hereinafter referred to as core network) can correspond to different devices. For example, in a 3G communication system, it can correspond to the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and / or the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN); in a 4G communication system, it can correspond to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and / or the Serving Gateway (S-GW); and in a 5G communication system, it can correspond to policy control function (PCF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, application function (AF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, location management function (LMF) network elements, user plane function (UPF) network elements, etc.

[0084] Among them, the UPF network element is responsible for managing the transmission of user plane data and quality of service (QoS) control, traffic statistics and other functions. It can perform user data packet forwarding according to the routing rules of the session management network element, such as sending uplink data to the data network or other user plane network elements, and forwarding downlink data to other user plane network elements or (R)AN network elements.

[0085] The AMF (Access Default Mode) network element is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The LMF (Local Mode Default Mode) network element manages and controls location service requests from target terminals and processes location-related information. The SMF (Supply, Service Default Mode) network element manages sessions, allocating and releasing resources for terminal device sessions. The UDM (User Default Mode) network element manages the context of user subscriptions, such as storing terminal device subscription information. The PCF (Policy and Charging Rules Function) network element is responsible for user policy management. Similar to the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) network element in LTE, it is primarily responsible for policy authorization, quality of service (QoS), and generating charging rules, and distributing these rules to the UPF (User Default Mode) network element via the SMF network element to complete the installation of the corresponding policies and rules. The AF (Application Default Mode) network element can be a third-party application control platform or the operator's own equipment. The AF network element is responsible for application management and can provide services to multiple application servers.

[0086] In this application embodiment, a network element may also be referred to as a functional network element, functional entity, node, device, etc. A network element can be a network component implemented on dedicated hardware, a software instance running on dedicated hardware, or an instance of virtualized functionality on a suitable platform; for example, the aforementioned virtualization platform can be a cloud platform. In different communication systems, the above... Figure 1B The network elements such as AMF, SMF, PCF, and NWDAF shown may have other names, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0087] In this embodiment, the data network device is hereinafter referred to as the data network. The data network is used to provide business services to users. Generally, the client is a terminal, and the server is the data network. The data network provided by the data network can be a private network, such as a local area network (LAN). The data network can also be an external network not managed by an operator, such as the Internet. The data network can also be a proprietary network jointly deployed by operators, such as a network providing Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services.

[0088] Optionally, the communication system may also include Figure 1AThe positioning management device, not shown, also known as a location management network element, is primarily responsible for positioning management. For example, the positioning management device receives positioning requests from other network elements (such as access and mobility management network elements), collects user positioning data, and obtains the user's location through positioning calculations. The location management network element can also manage and configure base stations or positioning management units, and configure positioning reference signals, etc. This application does not limit the name of the positioning management device; for example, it can also be called a positioning device, location server, positioning service center, or positioning processing center, etc. The positioning management device involved in this application's embodiments can be an LMF network element, a location management component (LMC), or a local location management function (LLMF) located in the access network device, or other network elements with similar functions. For ease of description, the following embodiments will use an LMF as an example for the positioning management device.

[0089] In a 5G core network-based positioning architecture, the LMF (Location Management Function) element can be responsible for supporting different types of location services for the target UE, including UE positioning and transmitting auxiliary data to the UE. Its control plane and user plane are the Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centre (E-SMLC) and the Service Location Protocol (SLP), respectively. The LMF element can interact with the next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB) / gNB and the UE in the following ways:

[0090] It exchanges information with ng-eNB / gNB through NR positioning protocol A (NRPPa) messages, such as obtaining PRS and SRS configuration information, cell timing, cell location information, etc.

[0091] The system communicates with the UE via LTE positioning protocol (LPP) messages to exchange UE capability information, auxiliary information, and measurement information.

[0092] In some embodiments, network devices and terminal devices may also be referred to as communication devices, which may be general-purpose devices or special-purpose devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0093] This application does not limit the location of terminal devices and network devices; they can be in a fixed state or in a mobile state. Terminal devices and network devices can be deployed on land, water, air, etc. In the embodiments of this application, network devices deployed in the air can be referred to as non-terrestrial network devices, and network devices deployed on the ground can be referred to as terrestrial network devices. An NTN communication system includes at least one non-terrestrial network device and one terrestrial network device; all network devices in a terrestrial communication system are terrestrial network devices. Terrestrial network devices, relative to non-terrestrial network devices, are stationary or move at a relatively slow speed. That is, non-terrestrial network devices, relative to terrestrial network devices, can be high-speed mobile network devices.

[0094] Non-terrestrial network equipment may include satellites, high-altitude platforms (HAPs), drones, hot air balloons, low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, high-Earth orbit satellites, etc., without limitation. The term "satellite" in this application can refer to a collection of satellites and other network equipment related to satellite communication; therefore, in this application, the descriptions "satellite" and "satellite network equipment" are equivalent.

[0095] Please see Figure 1B , Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an NTN communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1B Taking an NTN communication system integrating 5G communication systems as an example, it should be understood that the solutions provided in this application embodiment can be applied to NTN systems integrating future evolved communication systems. The access network can be a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN), and the core network can be a 5G core network (5G CN). The 5G core network equipment consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities, such as... Figure 1B The diagram shows a 5G control plane processing unit and a 5G user plane processing unit. The 5G control plane processing unit may include... Figure 1B The network elements include Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) and Location Management Function (LMF) elements, and may also include PCF, UDM, AF, SMF, etc. (not shown in the figure). Figure 1B The architecture shown can be understood as an NTN-based NG-RAN architecture.

[0096] The interface between terminal equipment and network equipment in a wireless link can be called an air interface, such as the NR Uu interface. The NG interface serves as the interface between the access network and the core network, such as... Figure 1B The interfaces between 5G base stations and ground stations, between ground stations and 5G user plane processing units, and between ground stations and AMF network elements are mainly used for exchanging non-access stratum (NAS) signaling in the core network, as well as user service data. The Xn interface is the interface between access networks, such as... Figure 1B The interface between 5G base stations is mainly used for signaling interactions such as handover. The N6 interface can serve as the interface between the core network and the data network.

[0097] The above interfaces are illustrated using a 5G communication system. Different communication systems may use different names. For example, in a 4G communication system, the interface between access networks can be an X2 interface, and the interface between the access network and the core network can be an S1 interface, etc. Of course, in future communications, the names of these interfaces may remain unchanged or can be replaced with other names; this application does not limit this.

[0098] like Figure 1B As shown, an NTN system may include at least one terminal device, at least one non-terrestrial network device, and at least one terrestrial network device. The non-terrestrial network device is a satellite, such as a 5G base station. The terrestrial network device may include a ground station, a 5G base station, a 5G user plane processing unit, a 5G control plane processing unit, and data network equipment. The ground station is responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between the satellite (access network equipment) and the core network equipment. The functions of the terminal device and various network devices are as described above and will not be repeated here. The terminal device in NTN can be called an NTN terminal, such as an NTN-UE.

[0099] Satellites can communicate with each other as follows: Figure 1B The satellites shown have inter-satellite links (ISLs). These satellites can be referred to as regenerative sanitaries with inter-satellite links. The ISL between two satellites is connected via the Xn interface. Signaling exchange and user data transmission between access network devices can be completed between satellites. Alternatively, satellites may not have inter-satellite links.

[0100] Figure 1B The system architecture shown is a typical architecture in an NTN communication system. In reality, other system architectures can exist, such as transparent satellite access architectures (e.g., RAN architecture with transparent satellite), etc., which are not limited here.

[0101] In a transparent satellite access architecture, terminal devices access the network via an air interface, while 5G base stations are deployed on the ground and connected to ground stations that communicate with the satellite. This means that non-terrestrial network devices and ground stations within terrestrial network devices can act as radio frequency units (RF units), and access networks (such as base stations) within terrestrial network devices can perform RAN (Access Node B) functions (or access service functions). In the scenario corresponding to the transparent satellite access architecture, the satellite's role is: radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification. In other words, the satellite can achieve transparent forwarding, acting as a layer 1 relay to regenerate physical layer signals, without involving any higher protocol layers.

[0102] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The number and types of communication devices included in the network architecture shown are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0103] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the relevant concepts involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced first.

[0104] (1) The reference signal (RS) can be a pilot signal, which is a known signal provided by the transmitter to the receiver for channel estimation or channel sounding. The reference signal may include one or more of the following: PRS, TRS, SRS, CRS, CSI-RS, DMRS, PT-RS, PSS, SSS, SSB, etc.

[0105] CRS can be used by terminal devices to perform channel evaluation on the downlink physical channels of network devices, sending channel quality indications (CQI) or RSRP. It can also be used by terminal devices to obtain channel state information (CSI) and as a basis for selecting the cell to camp on. SRS is used for uplink channel measurement, time-frequency synchronization, beam management, etc. PT-RS is used for phase noise localization and compensation.

[0106] CSI-RS is used for downlink channel measurement, acquiring downlink channel state information, beam management, radio resource management (RRM) measurement / radio link monitoring (RLM) measurement and fine-grained time-frequency positioning, mobility management, rate matching, etc. A TRS can be a collection of CSI-RS resources (CSI-RS resource set), which includes a trs-Info field indicating that the CSI-RS resource set is used for TRS.

[0107] DMRS is used for channel estimation to demodulate the corresponding physical channels, such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). DMRS is a signal known to the receiver. Based on the received data signal and the known DMRS signal, the receiver can obtain the fading characteristics of the wireless channel, i.e., the channel coefficients, which are used to recover the received data signal.

[0108] It is understood that PDSCH and PDCCH in the embodiments of this application are merely examples of downlink data channels and downlink control channels. PUSCH and PUCCH in the embodiments of this application are examples of uplink data channels and uplink control channels. In different systems and different scenarios, data channels and control channels may have different names, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0109] The Support Bus (SB) can include a synchronization signal (SS) and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). The synchronization signal, including the PSS and SSS, helps terminal devices perform downlink synchronization, such as time or frequency synchronization, to prepare for subsequent access to the wireless network. The PBCH can be used to transmit the master information block (MIB), which indicates basic information related to the terminal device's access to the wireless network, such as indicating the candidate time domain position of the PDCCH. The PDCCH can be used to transmit downlink control information (DCI), which instructs the terminal device when or on what frequency to receive broadcast information scheduled by the DCI.

[0110] (2) PRS, relative to other reference signals, allows terminal equipment to measure more signals, improving positioning performance. Access network equipment can configure PRS on one or more PRS resources in a channel. PRS transmission depends on the number of configured ports. PRS resources can span resource elements of multiple physical resource blocks (PRBs) within one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in a time slot. For example, a PRS resource can span one symbol in a time slot and include one port for transmission. PRS transmission can be mapped to coherent OFDM symbols in that time slot or to interleaved OFDM symbols in that time slot.

[0111] The configuration of the PRS can be determined through the configuration information of the measurement gap (MG) and / or the configuration information of the PRS processing window (PPW). In this article, the configuration information of the PPW can also be referred to as the measurement processing window configuration information.

[0112] Understandably, if a terminal device has only one RF path, it cannot simultaneously transmit and receive signals on the serving cell and receive signals on a neighboring cell at the same frequency. In other words, if the terminal device uses a single RF module to perform measurements and transmit / receive signals, it cannot operate on two different frequency points simultaneously. In this case, the terminal device needs to use a gap measurement method to measure the signals received on the different frequency points. During the measurement gap, the terminal device stops transmitting and receiving signals on the serving cell, adjusts the RF path to the different frequency point, and receives signals from neighboring cells at the different frequency. After the measurement gap ends, the RF path switches back to the current cell frequency.

[0113] The gap can be configured by the network device, meaning the network device can configure the measurement gap repetition period (MG). The parameters in the MG configuration information include one or more of the following: measurement gap repetition period (MGRP), measurement offset (gapOffset), measurement gap length (MGL), or measurement gap timing advance (MGTA). MGRP configures the gap period, for example, 4ms, 20ms, 80ms, or 160ms. GapOffset configures the starting position of the gap, starting from the first subframe within the period, with the measurement offset set of values ​​{0, 1, ..., MGRP-1}. For example, MGRP = 160ms, with 160 possible measurement offset values. Another example is MGRP = 20ms, with the measurement offset set of values ​​{0, 1, ..., 19}. MGL configures the gap length, for example, MGL can be 1.5ms, 3ms, 3.5ms, 4ms, 5.5ms, or 6ms. If MGTA is configured, the measurement gap begins before the gap subframe appears, meaning the measurement gap starts earlier than the time interval (ms) and ends before the latest subframe appears. The MGTA is 0.25ms or 0.5ms.

[0114] As mentioned above, the terminal device stops transmitting and receiving signals on the serving cell during the measurement gap, therefore, PRS measurement cannot be performed during the measurement gap. In the prior art, PRS can be measured outside the measurement gap. For example, technology standards (TS) 38.214 specifies that the UE can perform PRS measurement outside the measurement gap and inside the active DL bandwidth part (BWP), where the PRS has the same digital system as the active DLBWP.

[0115] If the UE can measure signals from other TRPs within the measurement gap, and can only be configured via RRC, the latency is relatively large. Therefore, PPW (Pressure Point-of-Warp) is introduced, which measures PRS without measurement gaps. This allows the terminal device to measure PRS transmitted by the serving base station without interrupting the measurement, thus improving positioning performance. Within PPW, the priority of PRS and other signals and communication data can be determined based on the terminal device's capabilities; for example, the terminal device can prioritize processing PRS.

[0116] The configuration information of a PPW can include one or more of the following parameters: identifier (e.g., the identifier of the downlink PRS processing window (DL-PPW-ID)), starting position (e.g., starting timeslot), period, length, type, and priority. The PPW identifier can be a pre-configured ID. The starting position and period can be indicated by a single parameter, such as the PPW period and starting timeslot (DL-PPW-PeriodicityAndStartSlot). DL-PPW-PeriodicityAndStartSlot represents the PPW period and the offset of the starting timeslot relative to the system frame number (SFN#0) timeslot #0 of the serving cell configuring the PPW. The PPW period can be a timeslot-level period, and the length can indicate the number of timeslots occupied by the PPW. For example, a length of 1 indicates that the PPW occupies 1 timeslot, a length of 2 indicates that the PPW occupies 2 timeslots, and so on. The type can be described with reference to TS38.214, and the priority can be as described in TS38.214 to indicate the priority between PDCCH or PUSCH or CSI-RS and PRS.

[0117] For example, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a PPW configuration method provided by TS38.331. Figure 2 The "-17" indicates that the parameter is applicable to version R17. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the configuration parameters and their corresponding parameter types in the pre-configuration of a PPW (such as DL-PPW-PreConfig-r17) can be represented by a sequence (SEQUENCE). Configuration parameters may include the PPW identifier (such as dl-PPW-ID-17), the PPW period and start slot (such as dl-PPW-PeriodicityAndStartSlot-r17), length (such as length-r17), type (such as type-r17), priority (priority-17), etc. Figure 2 In this configuration, the PPW identifier can be configured via DL-PPW-PreConfig-r17, and the PPW period and start slot can be configured via DL-PPW-PeriodicityAndStartSlot-17. The length of the PPW can be an integer between 1 and 160, and the PPW type and priority can be optional configuration parameters. The PPW type can be one of type1A, type1B, and type2, and the PPW priority can be one of st1, st2, and st3.

[0118] In this embodiment, the length of the PPW can be the length of the PPW in any period, or it can be the length of the PPW in the first period; no limitation is made here. The length of the PPW in the first period can be called the initial length of the PPW, which can be determined according to the length in the PPW configuration, such as... Figure 2 The length-r17 in the value corresponds to an integer between 1 and 160.

[0119] In TS38.214, PRS parameters can be indicated through three layers of configuration information. These three layers are based on the positioning frequency layer, the PRS resource set, and the PRS resource. A configuration based on the positioning frequency layer can contain one or more configurations based on a PRS resource set, and a PRS resource set can contain one or more configurations based on a PRS resource. In other words, PRS parameters are divided into three levels: layer, resource set, and resource. Layer-level PRS parameters apply to all resources within the positioning frequency layer (resources within one or more PRS resource sets), set-level PRS parameters apply to all resources within a PRS resource set (one or more PRS resources), and resource-level PRS parameters apply to a single PRS resource.

[0120] The positioning frequency layer, or simply frequency layer, is a collection of one or more PRS resource sets spanning one or more TRPs, all with the same values ​​for specific parameters. The parameters of the PRS indicated in the configuration information based on the positioning frequency layer can include sub-carrier space (SCS), cyclic prefix (CP), and frequency domain location reference point. The sub-carrier space of the PRS resource can be represented by DL-PRS-SubcarrierSpacing, and the cyclic prefix of the PRS resource can be represented by DL-PRS-CyclicPrefix. The frequency domain location reference point can be point A, such as DL-PRS-PointA, which is the frequency domain location reference point of the lowest subcarrier and is used to indicate the absolute frequency of the reference resource block.

[0121] A PRS resource set is a set of PRS resources used to transmit PRS signals. The parameters of a PRS resource set may include identifier, period, number of repetitions, time interval, muting pattern, SFN offset, time interval offset, comb type, start position, and resource size.

[0122] The PRS resource set is identified by DL-PRS-ResourceSetID and can be associated with a specific TRP (identified by the TRP ID). The period of the PRS resource set is defined by DL-PRS-periodicity. This means that each PRS resource in the PRS resource set has the same period in the time slot. The time slot, where μ = 0, 1, 2, 3. The number of repetitions of a PRS resource set can be represented by the DL-PRS-ResourceRepetitionFactor, which defines the number of times each DLPRS resource is repeated in a single instance of the DL PRS resource set. Time slots. The time slot of a PRS resource set can be represented by DL-PRS-ResourceTimeGap, which defines the time slot offset between two duplicate instances of the same DL-PRS-ResourceID within the DL PRS resource set. The suppression mode of a PRS resource set can be represented by DL-PRS-MutingPattern, which defines a bitmap containing the time positions at which DL PRS resources are not expected to be transmitted for the DL PRS resource set. The SFN offset of a PRS resource set can be represented by DL-PRS-SFN0-Offset, which defines the time offset of SFN#0 slot #0 in the transmitting cell relative to SFN#0 slot #0 in RAN2. The slot offset of a PRS resource set can be represented by DL-PRS-ResourceSetslotOffset, which defines the slot offset relative to SFN#0 slot #0. The comb type of a PRS resource set can be represented by the PRS comb size (also known as "comb density") N (DL-PRS-CombSizeN), where allowed values ​​are given in Section 7.4.1.7.1 of TS38.211, where N represents the subcarrier spacing (or frequency / frequency modulation spacing) in each symbol of the PRS resource configuration. The starting position and occupied resource size of the PRS resource set can be represented by the PRS resource bandwidth (e.g., DL-PRS-ResourceBandwidth) and the PRS starting PRB (e.g., DL-PRS-StartPRB). DL-PRS-ResourceBandwidth defines the number of resource blocks configured for PRS transmission. The granularity is 4 PRBs, with a minimum of 24 PRBs and a maximum of 272 PRBs. DL-PRS-StartPRB defines the starting PRB index of the DLPRS resource relative to the reference point.

[0123] The parameters of a PRS resource are used to indicate the PRS resource's ID, parameters required for sequence generation and resource mapping, and its quasi-colocation (QCL) relationship. These parameters may include a list of PRS resources (e.g., DL-PRS-ResourceList), the PRS resource identifier (e.g., DL-PRS-ResourceId), the PRS sequence identifier (e.g., DL-PRS-SequenceId), the PRS RE offset (e.g., DL-PRS-ReOffset), the PRS resource slot offset (e.g., DL-PRS-ResourceOffset), the PRS resource symbol offset (e.g., DL-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset), the number of PRS symbols (e.g., DL-PRS-NumSymbols), and the PRS QCL information (e.g., DL-PRS-QCL-Info).

[0124] DL-PRS-ResourceList is used to identify DL PRS resources included in a DL PRS resource set. DL-PRS-Resourceld is used to determine the DL PRS resource configuration identifier. DL-PRS-Sequenceld is used to initialize the Cinit value used in the pseudo-random generator (as per Section 7.4.1.7.2 of TS38.211) to generate a DLPRS sequence for a given DL PRS resource. DL-PRS-ReOffset defines the starting RE offset of the first symbol within the DLPRS resource in the frequency range. DL-PRS-ResourceSlotOffset is used to determine the starting slot of the DLPRS resource relative to the corresponding DL-PRS-ResourceSetSlotOffset. DL-PRS-ResourceSymbolOffset is used to determine the starting symbol of the DL PRS resource within the starting slot. DL-PRS-NumSymbols defines the number of symbols of the DLPRS resource within a slot; allowed values ​​are given in Section 7.4.1.7.1 of TS38.211. DL-PRS-QCL-Info defines any quasi-colocation information of the DL PRS resource with other reference signals. The DL PRS can be configured as "QCL-Type-D" with DL PRS or SS / PBCH blocks from either the serving or non-serving cell. The DL PRS can be configured as "QCL-Type-C" with synchronization signal (SS) or physical broadcast channel (PBCH) blocks from either the serving or non-serving cell. If the DL PRS is configured with both "QCL-Type-C" and "QCL-Type-D" with SS / PBCH blocks, the indicated SSB indices should be the same.

[0125] Currently, as in TS38.321, the network side dynamically activates / deactivates the PPW via signaling from the Medium Access Control (MAC) element (MAC CE). For an example, please refer to... Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a MAC CE signaling activation or deactivation PPW provided by existing technology. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the MAC CE signaling for activating or deactivating the PPW can be indicated via N bytes (octet, OCT), and may include the following parameters:

[0126] numEntry: This field represents the number of entries in the MAC CE, N-1. 00 indicates N equals 2; 01 indicates N equals 3, and so on. The numEntry field is 2 bits long.

[0127] Serving Cell ID: This field identifies the serving cell to which MACCE applies. The Serving Cell ID field is 5 characters long.

[0128] PPWID: This field represents the index of the PPW configured on the DLBWP activated by the serving cell identified by the aforementioned Serving Cell ID. A PPW ID of 0 corresponds to the first entry in the PPW configuration list of dl-PPW-IDs in ascending order in TS38.331. In this BWP, a PPW ID of 1 corresponds to the second entry in the list, and so on. The Serving Cell ID field is 2 bits long.

[0129] A / D: This field indicates whether the PPW is activated or deactivated. A value of 1 indicates activation, otherwise deactivated. The A / D field is 1 bit long.

[0130] R: Reserved bit, set to 0.

[0131] (3) Positioning technologies can include uplink, downlink, and uplink / downlink positioning. Uplink positioning involves the network device detecting the uplink reference signal sent by the terminal device; downlink positioning involves the terminal device detecting the downlink reference signal sent by the network device; and uplink / downlink positioning requires both the terminal device and the network device to perform detection. In general, it can be categorized into uplink positioning methods, downlink positioning methods, and uplink / downlink positioning methods. It should be noted that uplink and downlink are relative terms. If the transmission direction from the network device to the terminal device is downlink (as used in this example), then the transmission direction from the terminal device to the network device is uplink; conversely, if the transmission direction from the network device to the terminal device is uplink, then the transmission direction from the terminal device to the network device is downlink.

[0132] It should be understood that both downlink and uplink / downlink positioning require the terminal device to measure the downlink reference signal. Downlink positioning methods can include: downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) positioning, downlink angle of arrival (DL-AOA) positioning, downlink angle of departure (DL-AOD) positioning, and multi-roundtrip time (multi-RTT) positioning, etc. These techniques can measure the location of the terminal device using two or more network devices at fixed locations.

[0133] The following example uses OTDOA technology, also known as DL-TDOA. It primarily involves a terminal device receiving and measuring the RSTD (Reference Downlink Message Signal) of a downlink reference signal (such as a PRS) sent by a network device (e.g., a TRP or base station). The terminal device then reports the RSTD along with the measurement results to the network device or location management device, such as an LMF (Local Management Function). The network device or location management device uses the known location of the network device and multiple RSTDs to locate the terminal device. Alternatively, the terminal device may not report the measurement results; instead, it can determine its location based on the known location of the network device and multiple RSTDs.

[0134] In NTN scenarios, when a terminal device uses DL-TDOA for positioning, it primarily treats multiple non-terrestrial network devices (such as satellites) as equivalent to multiple TRPs. The terminal device measures the time difference of arrival of reference signals from different non-terrestrial network devices to determine its position.

[0135] Due to satellite movement and downlink timing drift, the time difference (e.g., RSTD) between PRS signals from different satellites arriving at the UE may constantly change. For example, please refer to... Figure 4 , Figure 4 Period#0, Period#1, and Period#2 represent the first, second, and third periods, respectively. The duration of each period (Period#0, Period#1, and Period#2) should be equal to the duration of the previous period. Figure 4The numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3 represent the durations of the four time slots. Period #1 is the next period after Period #0, and Period #2 is the next period after Period #1. PRS #1 and PRS #2 represent PRS transmitted by different satellites; for example, PRS #1 is the PRS transmitted by satellite #1, and PRS #2 is the PRS transmitted by satellite #2. L1 is the time interval between the start of receiving PRS #1 and the end of receiving PRS #2 within Period #0; L2 is the time interval between the start of receiving PRS #1 and the end of receiving PRS #2 within Period #1; and L3 is the time interval between the start of receiving PRS #1 and the end of receiving PRS #2 within Period #2. L1, L2, and L3 can be understood as the time interval between the arrival times of PRS transmitted by satellite #2 and satellite #1 in different periods. Figure 4 As shown, the arrival time difference or time interval between PRS transmitted by sat#2 and sat#1 varies in different periods. For example, the arrival time interval L2 of PRS transmitted by sat#2 and sat#1 in Period#1 is greater than the arrival time interval L1 of PRS transmitted by sat#2 and sat#1 in Period#0, but less than the arrival time interval L3 of PRS transmitted by sat#2 and sat#1 in Period#2. When the length of the PPW configured on the network side is equal in each period, it may be impossible to receive PRS signals from one or more satellites. For example, if the length of the PPW in each period is... Figure 4 In the case where 0 in the PPW corresponds to 1 time slot, it is impossible to receive the PRS sent by Sat#2 within the periods of Period#1 and Period#2.

[0136] Based on this, this application proposes a communication method in which the length of the PPW can be different in two adjacent cycles, which is beneficial for the terminal to receive reference signals from different satellites, thereby reducing positioning delay and improving positioning accuracy.

[0137] The communication method provided in this application embodiment will be described in detail below. The communication device involved in this communication method may include a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device may be a terminal as a final product, such as the various terminal devices mentioned above, or a component or part with terminal functions, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core), chip system, or processor that can be applied to the terminal to perform communication functions, or a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions. The second communication device may be a network device as a final product, such as the various network devices mentioned above, or a component or part with network device functions, or a communication chip (such as a processor, baseband chip, or chip system) that can be applied to the network device. The system architecture of the terminal device and the network device can be referred to Figure 1A or Figure 1B The description will not be repeated here.

[0138] Optionally, the communication method is applicable to NTN communication scenarios, meaning that the second communication device in the method can be a non-terrestrial network device.

[0139] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0140] S501, the second communication device sends first information to the first communication device. The first information is used to indicate the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle. The length of the reference signal processing window is different in two adjacent cycles.

[0141] Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first information from the second communication device.

[0142] Optionally, before step S501, the second communication device determines the first information.

[0143] In the embodiments of this application, the reference signal processing window can be used to receive a reference signal and also to measure the reference signal. The reference signal can be a PRS, or other reference signals such as TRS, SRS, CRS, CSI-RS, DMRS, PT-RS, PSS, SSS, SSB, etc., which are not limited here. When the reference signal is a PRS, the reference signal processing window can be a PPW. The PPW and the reference signal can be referred to the foregoing, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] This application does not limit the period of the reference signal processing window or the number of reference signals to be processed within one period of the reference signal processing window. The number of periods of the reference signal processing window can be greater than or equal to 2. The number of reference signals to be processed within one period of the reference signal processing window can be one or more, for example, 3. This document uses one reference signal within one period as an example.

[0145] In the embodiments of this application, two adjacent cycles refer to one cycle and the next cycle, or one cycle and the previous cycle. This document primarily uses one cycle and the next cycle as examples of two adjacent cycles. A cycle and its next cycle can be adjacent in time, or they can be not adjacent in time; that is, the end time of one cycle can be the start time of the next cycle, or the end time of one cycle can be a certain time interval from the start time of the next cycle. In other words, the time interval between the end time of one cycle and the start time of the other in two adjacent cycles can be greater than or equal to 0.

[0146] In some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is in units of one of the following: time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond (ms), or per million units (ppm). Here, ppm represents the frequency deviation, such as the allowable deviation value at a specific center frequency, where the frequency is in Hertz (Hz). Thus, the length of the reference signal processing window can be configured in units of time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, or ppm, or it can be described as the length of the reference signal processing window being at the time slot level, symbol level, subframe level, millisecond level, or ppm level.

[0147] The length of the reference signal processing window can be the length of the reference signal processing window in different periods, or the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period (also known as the initial length). When the unit of the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is a symbol or subframe, compared to configuring the PPW length in time slots in the prior art, this can be understood as using a smaller or finer-grained unit than a time slot, for example, 2 symbols, meaning that the length of the PPW increases by 2 symbols in each period. This increases the granularity and flexibility of the reference signal processing window length configuration, which helps improve the accuracy of configuring the reference signal processing window length, avoids configuring an excessively long reference signal processing window that could affect normal communication on the terminal side, and improves positioning accuracy.

[0148] When the initial length of the reference signal processing window in the first cycle is in units of time slots, and the change in the length of the reference signal processing window in two adjacent cycles is in units of symbols or subframes, compared to the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle being in units of time slots, the change in the length of the reference signal processing window in subsequent cycles can be reduced. This is beneficial for improving the accuracy and flexibility of configuring the length change of the reference signal processing window, avoiding the impact on normal communication on the terminal side due to configuring an excessively long reference signal processing window, and improving positioning accuracy.

[0149] When the length variation of the reference signal processing window and / or the reference signal processing window in two adjacent cycles is measured in ppm, it is beneficial to improve the accuracy and flexibility of configuring the length variation of the reference signal processing window and enhance positioning accuracy.

[0150] In some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent cycles is N units, where N is a decimal or an integer.

[0151] For example, if N is an integer, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods can be one or more time slots, or one or more symbols, or one or more subframes, or one or more milliseconds.

[0152] For example, the length of the reference signal processing window can be in the form of a time slot or milliseconds, and N can be configured to be 1.2, so the length of the reference signal processing window is 1.2 slots or 1.2 ms. Alternatively, the unit of the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods can be milliseconds, and N can be configured to be 0.1, so the first change value can be 0.1 ms.

[0153] It's understandable that when the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in its length between two adjacent periods is a decimal, it can be interpreted as the change in the length of the reference signal processing window being based on a decimal level, thus improving the flexibility of adjusting the length of the reference signal processing window. Furthermore, in some scenarios, the PPW length is less than 1ms. Using milliseconds as a decimal representation of the PPW length can improve the accuracy of configuring the PPW length, preventing excessively long PPW configurations from affecting normal communication on the terminal side and improving positioning accuracy.

[0154] Optionally, the primary information can be indicated by system information or configuration information. For example, SIB, MAC CE signaling or RRC signaling, DCI, etc., are not limited here.

[0155] This application does not limit the first information and can be implemented through the following two methods.

[0156] In a first embodiment, the first information includes an initial length and a first change value. The initial length can be, as previously described, the length of the reference signal processing window within the first period, and the first change value can be the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between any two adjacent periods.

[0157] The change in the length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods can have the following three different cases. Case one: the change in the length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods is equal. In other words, the change in the length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods can be the first change value.

[0158] Optionally, in Case 1, the first information may include a first change value, which can avoid indicating multiple equal change values, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0159] Scenario 2: The length changes of the reference signal processing window may be unequal between any two adjacent periods. Scenario 3: The length changes of the reference signal processing window may be equal between some two adjacent periods, and unequal between others.

[0160] This application does not limit the number of first change values ​​in cases two and three. The number of first change values ​​can be greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to the number of periods of the reference signal processing window. Optionally, if the absolute values ​​of the length changes in any two adjacent periods are equal, a first change value and information indicating whether the first change value is positive or negative can be used to indicate the specific change value.

[0161] In the embodiments of this application, the first change value can be a positive or negative number. That is, the change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent cycles can be increasing or decreasing, or it can be described as the length of the reference signal processing window within one cycle being increasing or decreasing relative to the previous adjacent cycle, or it can be described as the length of the reference signal processing window within one cycle being increasing or decreasing with the increase of time relative to the previous adjacent cycle.

[0162] In some feasible implementations, the first information also includes a first field that indicates whether the change in length of the reference signal processing window is positive or negative over two adjacent periods.

[0163] For example, if the first information includes a first change value, the first field is used to indicate whether the first change value is positive or negative.

[0164] For example, a first field of 0 indicates that the first change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is positive, and a first field of 1 indicates that the first change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is negative. Alternatively, a first field of 0 indicates that the first change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is negative, and a first field of 1 indicates that the first change in the length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is positive.

[0165] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 The example assumes that the length change of the reference signal processing window is equal in any two adjacent periods, and that this change is the first value. The reference signal processing window is used as the power-to-weight ratio (PPW) for illustration. Figure 6 The transmission method of PRS shown can be understood as follows: Figure 3 Improvements. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the MAC CE signaling for activating or deactivating the PPW can include Figure 3 The numEntry, Serving Cell ID, PPW ID, A / D, and R values ​​can be found in the reference. Figure 3 The description will not be repeated here.

[0166] Figure 6 The MAC CE signaling shown may also include Figure 3The characters Sign and Incremental / decremental are not shown in the diagram. Incremental / decremental can represent the change in length of the reference signal processing window within a period and the next adjacent period, such as the first change value. Sign can be used as the first field to indicate whether the change in length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is positive or negative, i.e., whether the length of the reference signal processing window increases or decreases within two adjacent periods. For example, Sign = 0 indicates that the first change in length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is positive, and Sign = 1 indicates that the first change in length of the reference signal processing window within two adjacent periods is negative. Therefore, when Incremental / decremental is 1, the unit of length of the reference signal processing window is time slots, and Sign is 0, if the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period can be 1 time slot, then the length in the second period can be 2 (1+1) time slots, the length in the third period can be 3 (1+2) time slots, and so on. With Incremental / decremental set to 1, the length of the reference signal processing window is measured in time slots, and Sign is set to 1, the length of the reference signal processing window can be 3 time slots in the first period, 2 (3-1) time slots in the second period, and 1 (2-1) time slots in the third period.

[0167] Figure 6 Taking the length of a PPW as an example, using a PPW ID to represent the length of a PPW, in fact, Figure 6 The MAC CE signaling shown can indicate the length of one or more PPWs.

[0168] The parameters of the reference signal processing window can be found by referring to Figure 7 , Figure 7 An example is given using the reference signal processing window PPW, where the length of PPW and / or the change in length of PPW between two adjacent periods are in time slots. Figure 7 As shown, the pre-configured parameters of a PPW can include the PPW's identifier (e.g., DL-PPW-ID-r17), the PPW's period and start slot (e.g., DL-PPW-PeriodictyAndStartSlot-r17), the PPW's length (e.g., length-r17), the PPW's type (e.g., type-r17), and the PPW's priority (e.g., priority-r17). Figure 7 Can be regarded as Figure 2 The improvements, including PPW identification, PPW period and start time slot, PPW length, PPW type, and PPW priority, can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 2The description will not be repeated here. Figure 7 In this implementation, the PPW length is 1, which can be considered as the initial length of PPW in the first cycle being one time slot. The first change value of PPW is 1, and it is incremental. Therefore, the length of PPW in the second cycle is 2 (1+1) time slots, the length of PPW in the third cycle is 3 (1+2) time slots, and so on. In some other feasible implementations, the first change value of PPW can be decremental.

[0169] exist Figure 7 The transmission diagram of PRS under the configuration shown can be referred to. Figure 8 , Figure 8 It can be understood as Figure 4 With improvements, the length of the PPW varies in different cycles. Figure 8 Period#0, Period#1, and Period#2, PRS#1 and PRS#2, and L1, L2, and L3 can be referenced. Figure 4 The description will not be repeated here. With the first change value being 1, the length of PPW in each cycle can be referenced... Figure 7 The description states that the length of PPW within Period #0 is 1 time slot for PPW#L1, 2 time slots for PPW#L2 within Period #1, and 3 time slots for PPW#L3 within Period #2. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the terminal can receive PRS from PPW in different periods of Period #0, Period #1, and Period #2. For example, the UE can receive PRS#1 sent by sat#1 and PRS#2 sent by sat#2 in one time slot represented by PPW#L1 in Period #0; the UE can receive PRS#1 sent by sat#1 and PRS#2 sent by sat#2 in two time slots represented by PPW#L2 in Period #1; and the UE can receive PRS#1 sent by sat#1 and PRS#2 sent by sat#2 in three time slots represented by PPW#L3 in Period #2.

[0170] It is understood that in the first implementation, if the change in length of the reference signal processing window is equal in any two adjacent periods and equal to the first change value, then the length of the reference signal processing window in different periods increases or decreases according to the first change value, which is beneficial for the terminal to receive and measure the reference signal sent by the network side (such as a moving satellite) as time changes.

[0171] In some feasible implementations, the first information may further include identifiers of each period of the reference signal processing window. In this case, the first change value may be the change in length of the period determined by the period identifier and the length of the period within an adjacent period.

[0172] For different periods, the (first) change value of the length of the reference signal processing window in one period compared to the length of another adjacent period can be the same or different. When the first information includes different first change values, these different first change values ​​can all be positive, or all be negative, or some can be positive and others negative, etc., without limitation. The first change value in the first information can be one or more.

[0173] Optionally, if the changes in length of the first period compared to the adjacent period are all positive and equal, or if the changes in length of the first period compared to the adjacent period are all negative and equal, the first information may include the first period and the validity period of the change value. The first period may be any period of the reference signal processing window. The change value may be a first change value, and the validity period of the change value can be determined by the identifier of the period corresponding to the change value.

[0174] Alternatively, if the length changes of the first period compared to its adjacent period are all positive and equal, and the length changes of the second period compared to its adjacent period are all negative and equal, the first information may include the validity period of the first period and the length changes within that first period, as well as the validity period of the second period and the length changes within that second period. The first period and the second period may be one or more periods of a reference signal processing window. The length changes within the first period may be equal to or unequal to the length changes within the second period. The validity period of the changes can be determined by the identifier of the period corresponding to the changes. Whether the changes are positive or negative can be indicated by bits or fields, such as incremental for positive values ​​and decremental for negative values, etc., without limitation. Thus, the length of each period can be determined by the identifier of the reference signal processing window in periods with increasing length and their corresponding validity periods, and / or the identifier of the reference signal processing window in periods with decreasing length and their corresponding validity periods, thereby obtaining the dynamic length changes of the reference signal processing window in two adjacent periods.

[0175] Refer to the parameters of the signal processing window or refer to... Figure 9 , Figure 9 The example uses the reference signal processing window PPW, and the length of PPW and / or the change in length of PPW between two adjacent periods are in time slots. Figure 9The pre-configured parameters for a PPW can include the PPW's identifier (e.g., DL-PPW-ID-r17), the PPW's period and start slot (e.g., DL-PPW-PeriodictyAndStartSlot-r17), the PPW's length (e.g., length-r17), the PPW's type (e.g., type-r17), and the PPW's priority (e.g., priority-r17), etc. Figure 7 same, Figure 9 It can also be regarded as Figure 2 The improvements can be referenced in these parameters. Figure 2 The description will not be repeated here.

[0176] exist Figure 9 In this context, the PPW length is 1, meaning the initial length of the PPW in the first cycle is one time slot. The parameters of the reference signal processing window can also include the length increment and its corresponding validity period, as well as the length decrement and its corresponding validity period. The length increment can be indicated by `Incremental`, the decrement by `Decremental`, and the validity period by the validity-duration (period) of the cycle. The first cycle is indicated within this validity period, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the first period identifiers for the validity period indication corresponding to the increase in the PPW length are 0, 1, and 2, respectively, and the first period identifier for the validity period indication corresponding to the decrease in the PPW length is 3. When the first period identifier is 0, 1, or 2, the first change value is an increase of 1. When the first period identifier is 3, the first change value is a decrease of 1. Therefore, the PPW length in the second period is 2 (1+1) time slots, the PPW length in the third period is 3 (1+2) time slots, and the PPW length in the fourth period is 2 (3-1) time slots.

[0177] exist Figure 9 Please refer to the PRS transmission diagram shown in the image. Figure 10 , Figure 10 It can be understood as Figure 4 With improvements, the length of the PPW varies in different cycles. Figure 10 Period#0, Period#1, and Period#2, PRS#1 and PRS#2, and L1, L2, and L3 can be referenced. Figure 4 The descriptions for Period #3 and L4 can also be referenced. Figure 4 The description of [the subject] will not be repeated here. For example... Figure 10As shown, the terminal can receive PRS from PPW in different periods within Period #0, Period #1, Period #2, and Period #3. For example, the UE can receive PRS#1 sent by sat#1 and PRS#2 sent by sat#2 within one time slot represented by PPW#L1 in Period #0; the UE can receive PRS#1 sent by sat#1 and PRS#2 sent by sat#2 within two time slots represented by PPW#L2 in Period #1 and PPW#L4 in Period #3 respectively; and the UE can receive PRS#1 sent by sat#1 and PRS#2 sent by sat#2 within three time slots represented by PPW#L3 in Period #2.

[0178] In this article Figure 4 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 Taking satellite-transmitted PRS as an example, the reference signal actually includes, but is not limited to, PRS, and the network device that transmits the reference signal can include, but is not limited to, satellite, such as TRP.

[0179] It is understood that, in the first embodiment, the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be determined by the initial length in the first information, the identifier of the first period, and the first change value of the length of the reference signal processing window in a period adjacent to the first period. When the length of the reference signal processing window differs in different periods, it is beneficial for the terminal to receive and measure the reference signal transmitted by the network side (such as a moving satellite) as time changes.

[0180] In the second embodiment, the first information includes the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle. That is, the first information includes the length of the reference signal processing window in each of at least two cycles. For example, the first information is {1,2,3}, which, when the unit of the PPW length is a time slot, can be used to indicate that the (initial) length of the reference signal processing window in the first cycle is 1 time slot, the length of the reference signal processing window in the second cycle is 2 time slots, and the length of the reference signal processing window in the third cycle is 3 time slots.

[0181] Optionally, the change in length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods can be equal or unequal. When the change in length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods is equal, the change value can be the aforementioned first change value.

[0182] It is understood that in the second implementation, the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle can be directly obtained through the first information. Then, based on the length of the reference signal processing window in one cycle and its length in adjacent cycles, the change in length within those adjacent cycles can be determined. Thus, the length of the reference signal processing window can vary in different cycles, which is beneficial for the terminal to receive and measure the reference signal transmitted by the network side (such as a moving satellite) as time changes.

[0183] In the two embodiments described above, the unit for the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods can also be one of the following: time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, ppm. Furthermore, the length of the reference signal processing window can also be N units, where N is a decimal or an integer.

[0184] The two implementation methods described above are merely examples of the length or length variation value of the reference signal processing window in the first information. In practice, other implementation methods can also be used to indicate the length of the reference signal processing window in each period. In addition to the information described above, the first information may also include other information about the reference signal processing window, such as the window's identifier, period, starting position (e.g., starting time slot, offset), initial length, type, and priority. Alternatively, different information can be configured separately.

[0185] For example, in some feasible implementations, the first information is determined by the second information. The second information includes a resource set identifier, which includes the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information.

[0186] In the embodiments of this application, the parameters indicated or included in the first information can be referred to as first parameters, and the parameters indicated or included in the second information can be referred to as second parameters. The second information may include one or more pieces of first information, or it can be understood as the second information being configuration information for one or more pieces of first information, thereby enabling the determination of one or more pieces of first information, i.e., the length of one or more reference signal processing windows in each cycle, based on the second information.

[0187] This application does not limit the first and second parameters of the reference signal processing window. In some feasible embodiments, the first parameter may include an identifier of the reference signal processing window. Further, the first parameter may also include the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period, i.e., the initial length, and the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between any two adjacent periods, such as a first change value, so that the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be determined based on the initial length and the first change value. Alternatively, the first parameter may include the identifier of the reference signal processing window and the length of the reference signal processing window in each period, so that the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be directly determined.

[0188] In some feasible implementations, the second information is used to indicate the period of the reference signal processing window. That is, the second parameter may include the period of the reference signal processing window. Thus, when the first parameter may include the identifier and initial length of the reference signal processing window, as well as the change in length of the reference signal processing window within any two adjacent periods, and when the resource set identifier of the second information includes the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information, the length of the reference signal processing window in each period can be determined based on the period determined by the second information and the first information.

[0189] The second parameter can be configured with the same information or parameters for multiple reference signal processing windows or reference signal processing window sets, based on one or more reference signal processing windows corresponding to the resource set identifier. For example, the second parameter may optionally include one or more of the following: the repetition factor of the reference signal processing window resource, the time interval of the reference signal processing window resource, the time slot offset of the reference signal processing window resource set, the bandwidth of the reference signal processing window resource, and the starting position of the reference signal processing window.

[0190] For example, the reference signal processing window is PPW, and the second parameter may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: PPW-ResourceSetId, PPW-periodicity, PPW-ResourceRepetitionFactor, PPW-ResourceTimeGap, PPW-ResourceSetSlotOffset, PPW-ResourceBandwidth, and PPW-StartPRB. Among these, PPW-ResourceSetId indicates the resource set identifier of the PPW. PPW-periodicity indicates the period of the PPW, and PPW-ResourceRepetitionFactor indicates the number of repetitions of each PPW in the PPW resource set. PPW-ResourceTimeGap indicates the time gap between PPW resources, such as the time slot between repeated PPWs. PPW-ResourceSetSlotOffset indicates the time slot offset of the PPW resource set, such as the time slot offset between SFN#0slot#0. PPW-ResourceBandwidth indicates the bandwidth of the PPW resource, and PPW-StartPRB indicates the starting PRB of the PPW. These parameters are similar to those in the PRS resource set.

[0191] It is understood that by indicating the same second parameter for one or more reference signal processing windows through the second information, and the second parameter being different from the first parameter, the flexibility of configuring reference signal processing windows can be improved. Furthermore, the second parameter can configure information or parameters for multiple reference signal processing windows or sets of reference signal processing windows, which can save signaling overhead.

[0192] In some feasible implementations, the second information is determined by the third information.

[0193] In the embodiments of this application, the third information includes one or more second information, or can be understood as the third information being configuration information for one or more second information, thereby enabling the determination of one or more second information based on the third information. Compared to the second information, the third information can indicate more information or parameters of the reference signal processing window, further enabling the flexibility of configuring the reference signal processing window and saving signaling overhead.

[0194] This application does not limit the parameters in the third information. The parameters in the third information can be called third parameters, and can be different from the first and second parameters, applicable to more reference signal processing windows. In some feasible implementations, the third parameter may include one or more of the following: subcarrier spacing, cyclic prefix, frequency domain position reference point, etc.

[0195] For example, the reference signal processing window is PPW, and the third parameter can be DL-PRS-Subcarrier spacing, DL-PRS-CyclicPrefix, DL-PRS-PointA, DL-RRW-Subcarrier spacing, DL-PPW-CyclicPrefix, DL-PPW-PointA, etc. Among them, DL-PRS-Subcarrier spacing, DL-PRS-CyclicPrefix, and DL-PRS-PointA can be referred to the description of parameters in the PRS positioning frequency layer, and will not be repeated here. DL-RRW-Subcarrier spacing, DL-PPW-CyclicPrefix, and DL-PPW-PointA can also be referred to the description of parameters in the PRS positioning frequency layer. DL-RRW-Subcarrier spacing represents the subcarrier spacing of the PRS to be measured in the PPW, DL-PPW-CyclicPrefix represents the cyclic prefix of the PRS to be measured in the PPW, and DL-PPW-PointA represents the frequency domain reference point of the PRS to be measured in the PPW. The above third parameter is just an example. In actual applications, the third parameter may be expressed using different fields, or other third parameters may be included.

[0196] Optionally, the PPW configuration can be set up with a three-layer structure similar to the PRS configuration: PPW frequency layer, PPW resource set, and PRW resource. In this case, the third piece of information can be understood as the configuration information based on the PPW frequency layer, the second piece of information can be the configuration information based on the PPW resource set, and the first piece of information can be understood as the configuration information based on the PPW resource.

[0197] Specifically, a configuration information based on a PPW frequency layer can contain configuration information based on one or more PPW resource sets, and a configuration information based on a PPW resource set can contain configuration information based on one or more PPW resources. In other words, PPW parameters can be divided into three levels: layer, resource set, and resource. The scope of PPW parameters at the layer level covers all resources within the PPW frequency layer (resources of one or more PPW resource sets); the scope of PPW parameters at the set level covers all resources within a PPW resource set (one or more PPW resources); and the scope of PPW parameters at the resource level covers a single PPW resource. This expands the dimensions of the configuration reference signal processing window, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0198] S502, the second communication device sends a reference signal to the first communication device within the reference signal processing window.

[0199] Accordingly, the first communication device receives the reference signal within the reference signal processing window. Step S502 can specifically involve the second communication device transmitting the reference signal within the reference signal processing window of each cycle, based on the period of the reference signal processing window and the length of the reference signal processing window within each cycle. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the reference signal within the reference signal processing window of each cycle, based on the period of the reference signal processing window and the length of the reference signal processing window within each cycle.

[0200] Optionally, the method may further include: the first communication device processing the reference signal within a reference signal processing window. The processing method may include measuring the reference signal, etc., and is not limited thereto. The measurement results obtained from measuring the reference signal may include, but are not limited to, the time difference of arrival of at least two reference signals, the angle of arrival of the reference signal, and the RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, etc. of the reference signal.

[0201] Understandable, Figure 5 In the method shown, different second communication devices can transmit reference signals within one cycle of the reference signal processing window, and the length of the reference signal processing window can be different in two adjacent cycles. This is beneficial for the terminal side to receive and measure the reference signals transmitted by the network side (such as moving satellites) as time changes, thereby reducing positioning delay and improving positioning accuracy.

[0202] The methods of the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above, and the apparatus of the embodiments of this application is provided below.

[0203] Please see Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device may include a transceiver unit 1101 and a processing unit 1102. The transceiver unit 1101 may be a device with signal input (receiving) or output (transmitting) capabilities, used for signal transmission with other devices or other components within a device. The processing unit 1102 may be a device with processing capabilities, including one or more processors, used for executing instructions (or code or programs), for example, processing communication protocols and communication data. This communication device may be a first communication device or a second communication device.

[0204] When the communication device can be a first communication device, wherein:

[0205] The transceiver unit 1101 is used to receive first information, which indicates the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window is different in two adjacent cycles.

[0206] Processing unit 1102 is used to determine the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle based on the first information;

[0207] The transceiver unit 1101 is also used to transmit a reference signal within the reference signal processing window, the reference signal being used for positioning.

[0208] In some feasible implementations, the first information includes an initial length and a first change value, wherein the initial length is the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period, and the first change value is the change in the length of the reference signal processing window in any two adjacent periods.

[0209] In some feasible implementations, the first information may also include identifiers of each period of the reference signal processing window.

[0210] In some feasible implementations, the first information includes the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle.

[0211] In some feasible implementations, the first information further includes a first field, which is used to indicate whether the first change value is positive or negative.

[0212] In some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is in units of one of the following: time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, or ppm per million units.

[0213] In some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is N units, where N is a decimal or an integer.

[0214] In some feasible implementations, the first information is determined by second information, which includes a resource set identifier, the resource set identifier including the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information.

[0215] In some feasible implementations, the second information is used to indicate the period of the reference signal processing window.

[0216] Alternatively, when the communication device can be a second communication device, wherein:

[0217] Processing unit 1102 is used to determine first information, which indicates the length of a reference signal processing window in each cycle, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window is different in two adjacent cycles;

[0218] The transceiver unit 1101 is used to send the first information;

[0219] The transceiver unit 1101 is also used to transmit a reference signal within the reference signal processing window, the reference signal being used for positioning.

[0220] In some feasible implementations, the first information includes an initial length and a first change value, wherein the initial length is the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period, and the first change value is the change in the length of the reference signal processing window in any two adjacent periods.

[0221] In some feasible implementations, the first information may also include identifiers of each period of the reference signal processing window.

[0222] In some feasible implementations, the first information includes the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle.

[0223] In some feasible implementations, the first information further includes a first field, which is used to indicate whether the first change value is positive or negative.

[0224] In some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is in units of one of the following: time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, or ppm per million units.

[0225] In some feasible implementations, the length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is N units, where N is a decimal or an integer.

[0226] In some feasible implementations, the first information is determined by second information, which includes a resource set identifier, the resource set identifier including the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information.

[0227] In some feasible implementations, the second information is used to indicate the period of the reference signal processing window.

[0228] The implementation of the above-mentioned transceiver unit 1101 and processing unit 1102 can be referred to Figure 5 The relevant descriptions of the method embodiments shown are not repeated here.

[0229] Please see Figure 12 , Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 12 As shown, the communication device may include a processor 111. The processor 111, also referred to as a processing unit, can implement certain control functions. When the processor 111 runs, it causes the communication device to execute the functions described in this embodiment. Figure 5Any method described.

[0230] like Figure 12 The communication device shown may further include a storage medium 112, which may also be referred to as a storage unit or a memory. Instructions 114 are stored on the storage medium 112. These instructions 114 can be executed on the processor 111, causing the communication device to perform the functions described in this embodiment. Figure 5 Any method described.

[0231] Optionally, the processor 111 may include instructions 113, which can be executed on the processor 111 to cause the communication device to perform the actions described in this embodiment. Figure 5 Any method described.

[0232] The communication device can be a first communication device or a second communication device, used to implement the method described in the method embodiments. However, the scope of the device described in this application is not limited thereto; the communication device can be a standalone device or part of a larger device. For example, the communication device can be:

[0233] (1) An independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0234] (2) A collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the collection of ICs may include a storage component for storing data and / or instructions;

[0235] (3) ASIC, such as modems;

[0236] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices.

[0237] Please see Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of explanation, Figure 13 Only the main components of the terminal device are shown. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the terminal device includes a processor, memory, control circuitry, antenna, and input / output devices. The processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and data, control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process the data generated by those programs. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency (RF) circuitry is primarily used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is primarily used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are primarily used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0238] When the terminal device is powered on, the processor can read the software program from the storage unit, parse and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal to obtain the RF signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna. This RF signal is further converted into a baseband signal and output to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal back into data and processes the data.

[0239] For ease of explanation, Figure 13 Only one memory and processor are shown. In actual terminal devices, multiple processors and memories may exist. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0240] In one embodiment, the antenna is used to perform the operations performed by the transceiver unit 1101 in the above embodiments. The processor can be used to perform the operations performed by the processing unit 1102 in the above embodiments.

[0241] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer or processor, can implement the relevant steps in the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0242] This application also provides a computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a computer or processor, cause one or more steps of any of the above-described communication methods to be performed. If the constituent modules of the aforementioned devices are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0243] This application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for calling and executing instructions stored in a memory, causing a communication device with the chip installed to perform any of the methods described above.

[0244] This application also provides a chip, including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is used to call and execute instructions stored in the memory, causing a communication device on which the chip is installed to perform any of the above methods.

[0245] This application also provides a chip, including: an input interface, an output interface, and a processing circuit. The input interface, the output interface, and the processing circuit are connected via internal connection paths. The processing circuit is used to execute any of the methods described above. Optionally, the chip further includes a memory. The input interface, the output interface, the processor, and the memory are connected via internal connection paths. The processor is used to execute code in the memory. When the code is executed, the processor is used to execute any of the methods described above.

[0246] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface. The communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one processor is used to run computer programs or instructions to perform any of the methods described above. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0247] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device, as detailed in the following description. Figure 5 The method shown.

[0248] It should be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be RAM, which is used as an external cache. Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code having an instruction or data structure form and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing a storage function for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0249] It should also be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, etc.

[0250] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) is integrated into the processor.

[0251] It should be noted that the memories described herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0252] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments provided herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software 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.

[0253] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0254] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0255] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0256] The steps in the methods of this application can be adjusted, combined, or deleted according to actual needs. Each step in each embodiment can be partially performed (for example, the communication device may not perform the steps performed by the communication device in the above embodiments). The execution order of different steps can be changed. The embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments, different embodiments can be combined with each other, and different steps of different embodiments herein can be combined.

[0257] The modules / units in the device of this application embodiment can be merged, divided, and deleted according to actual needs.

[0258] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0259] In this application, it may refer to a communication protocol or specification, such as the 3GPP communication protocol.

[0260] In this application, unless otherwise specified, "at least one" means "one or more". Unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0261] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0262] In the embodiments of this application, "comprising" can refer to an inclusion relationship or an equality relationship. For example, A includes B, which could mean that A includes B and may also include other content, or that A and B are the same content. In some embodiments, "comprising A," "containing A," "used to indicate A," and "carrying A" can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0263] In the description of this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain piece of information is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed. For example, the information to be instructed can be directly instructed, such as by instructing the information itself or its index. Alternatively, the information to be instructed can be indirectly indicated by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the indicated other information and the information to be instructed. Another example is that only a part of the information to be instructed can be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. Furthermore, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (such as an agreement) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to some extent.

[0264] In the description of this application, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. The "and / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0265] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" 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 the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0266] It is understood that in the description of this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require the device to perform a judgment action when it is implemented, nor do they imply any other limitations. In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to," "in response to determining," "in the case of," "when," "if," and "if..." can be used interchangeably.

[0267] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0268] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate the length of a reference signal processing window in each cycle, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window is different in two adjacent cycles; A reference signal is received within the reference signal processing window; the reference signal is used for positioning.

2. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send first information, which indicates the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window is different in two adjacent cycles; A reference signal is transmitted within the reference signal processing window; the reference signal is used for positioning.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information includes an initial length and a first change value. The initial length is the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period, and the first change value is the change in the length of the reference signal processing window in any two adjacent periods.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first information also includes the identifiers of each cycle of the reference signal processing window.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information includes the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle.

6. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The first information also includes a first field, which is used to indicate whether the first change value is positive or negative.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is in units of one of the following: time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, or ppm per million units.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is N units, where N is a decimal or an integer.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first information is determined by the second information, which includes a resource set identifier, and the resource set identifier includes the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second information is used to indicate the period of the reference signal processing window.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver unit is used to receive first information, which indicates the length of a reference signal processing window in each cycle, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window is different in two adjacent cycles. The processing unit is configured to determine the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle based on the first information; The transceiver unit is also configured to transmit a reference signal within the reference signal processing window, the reference signal being used for positioning.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processing unit is configured to determine first information, which indicates the length of a reference signal processing window in each period, wherein the length of the reference signal processing window is different in two adjacent periods. Transceiver unit, used to send the first information; The transceiver unit is also configured to transmit a reference signal within the reference signal processing window, the reference signal being used for positioning.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first information includes an initial length and a first change value. The initial length is the length of the reference signal processing window in the first period, and the first change value is the change in the length of the reference signal processing window in any two adjacent periods.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first information also includes the identifiers of each cycle of the reference signal processing window.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first information includes the length of the reference signal processing window in each cycle.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The first information also includes a first field, which is used to indicate whether the first change value is positive or negative.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, The length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is in units of one of the following: time slot, symbol, subframe, millisecond, or ppm per million units.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that, The length of the reference signal processing window and / or the change in the length of the reference signal processing window between two adjacent periods is N units, where N is a decimal or an integer.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 18, characterized in that, The first information is determined by the second information, which includes a resource set identifier, and the resource set identifier includes the identifier of the reference signal processing window in the first information.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that, The second information is used to indicate the period of the reference signal processing window.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, which, when running, causes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 to be executed.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It includes a computer program or instructions that, when run, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 to be performed.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 to be performed.

24. A chip or chip system, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor for retrieving and executing instructions stored in a memory, causing a communication device equipped with a chip or chip system to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

25. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1, 3 to 10, and the second communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 10.

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