A communication method, apparatus and system

Abstract

The application relates to the communication technical field, and discloses a communication method, device and system. The method comprises the following steps: a network device receives a first signal, the first signal is a signal after a second signal transmitted by a terminal device is reflected by a target; first information and / or second information is received, the first information is used for indicating a frequency error of the second signal, and the second information is used for indicating a phase error of the second signal; and the first signal is processed according to the frequency error and / or the phase error. In this way, the network device processes the first signal according to the frequency error and / or the phase error of the received second signal, so as to reduce the Doppler measurement error caused by the fact that the clock of the terminal device and the clock of the network device are not absolutely synchronous, improve the accuracy of the sensing measurement data or the sensing result (so that the accuracy of the sensing measurement data or the sensing result can exceed the accuracy limit of the current clock accuracy specification), and thus improve the sensing performance.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the continuous development of wireless communication technology, its application areas are also constantly expanding and deepening. Against this backdrop, the technology of using wireless base stations for environmental sensing has attracted widespread attention.

[0003] Traditionally, environmental sensing has relied primarily on various specialized sensors, such as cameras and LiDAR. Cameras provide rich visual information, facilitating a direct understanding of the surrounding environment; LiDAR, with its high-precision distance measurement capabilities, plays a crucial role in many scenarios. However, these traditional sensors have some significant limitations. Firstly, their cost is relatively high, with both equipment procurement and subsequent maintenance costs placing considerable economic pressure on large-scale applications. Secondly, their coverage is often limited, requiring a large number of devices to form a network for widespread monitoring. This not only increases deployment complexity but may also lead to greater difficulties in data processing and management.

[0004] In contrast, wireless base stations possess unique advantages. They are ubiquitous, widely distributed throughout cities, forming a vast and dense network. This extensive distribution allows wireless base stations to cover a wider area, from bustling urban centers to remote rural regions. Furthermore, wireless base stations operate 24 / 7, unaffected by time or weather conditions, continuously providing data support for environmental sensing. Based on these advantages, wireless base stations have demonstrated enormous application potential in multiple sensing fields.

[0005] However, when using wireless base stations for environmental perception, further research is needed to improve perception performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system for improving sensing performance. The sensing method and apparatus can also be considered as a communication method and apparatus, or an integrated communication and sensing method and apparatus.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a first communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first communication device" in this application can refer to a first communication equipment (or a sensing device or a communication-sensing integrated device, such as a network device), a component in the first communication equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication equipment. For example, in the method provided in the first aspect, the first communication device receives a first signal, which is a signal reflected from a target after a second signal transmitted by a terminal device; receives first information and / or second information, where the first information is used to indicate the frequency error of the second signal, and the second information is used to indicate the phase error of the second signal; and processes the first signal according to the frequency error and / or the phase error.

[0008] Using the above method, the network device receives the frequency error and / or phase error of the second signal reported by the terminal device, and processes the received first signal according to the frequency error and / or phase error, for example, by compensating for the measurement result of the first signal. Then, based on the compensated measurement result, the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion is determined, thereby facilitating the reduction of Doppler measurement error caused by the non-absolute synchronization of the clocks of the terminal device and the network device, improving the accuracy of the sensing measurement data or sensing results (so that the accuracy of the sensing measurement data or sensing results can exceed the accuracy limit of the current clock accuracy specification), thereby improving the sensing performance.

[0009] Based on the first aspect mentioned above, at least one of the following possible designs exists:

[0010] In one possible design, processing the first signal based on the frequency error and / or the phase error includes: compensating for the measurement results of the first signal based on the frequency error and / or the phase error.

[0011] This makes the measurement results of the compensated first signal more accurate.

[0012] In one possible design, processing the first signal based on the frequency error and / or the phase error further includes: determining the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion based on the compensated measurement result; determining the velocity vector of the target motion based on the Doppler frequency shift; the method further includes: sending the velocity vector to the sensing network element.

[0013] Thus, since the Doppler frequency shift is determined based on the compensated measurement results, the accuracy of the Doppler frequency shift can be improved, thereby improving the accuracy of the velocity vector of the target motion.

[0014] In one possible design, processing the first signal based on the frequency error and / or the phase error further includes: determining the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion based on the compensated measurement result; the method further includes: sending the Doppler frequency shift to a sensing network element, the Doppler frequency shift being used to determine the velocity vector of the target motion.

[0015] In one possible design, the first information includes any of the following: the difference between the center frequency of the second signal and a reference frequency, the reference frequency being determined based on the clock frequency of the network device; the center frequency of the second signal; the difference between the clock frequency of the terminal device and the clock frequency of the network device at the time the second signal is transmitted; and the clock frequency of the terminal device at the time the second signal is transmitted.

[0016] Thus, the first information can be used to indicate the frequency error of the second signal through any of the above methods, allowing for greater flexibility.

[0017] In one possible design, the second information includes at least one of the following: the cumulative phase change of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at a first time, the first time being the transmission time of the second signal; the index of the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at the first time; and the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at the first time.

[0018] Thus, the first information can be used to indicate the phase error of the second signal through any of the above methods, allowing for greater flexibility.

[0019] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending third information, the third information being used to indicate the reporting of frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

[0020] In this way, network devices can use third-party information to instruct or request terminal devices to report frequency errors and / or phase errors, thereby enabling terminal devices to report when needed, which helps save transmission resources.

[0021] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate the timing of reporting frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

[0022] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending a fifth message, the fifth message being used to instruct the terminal device to maintain clock stability within a time window; wherein maintaining clock stability includes: maintaining the absolute value of the frequency error of the signal transmitted within the time window to be less than or equal to a first threshold, and maintaining the absolute value of the phase error of the signal transmitted within the time window to be less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0023] In this way, after receiving the fifth information, the terminal device can try its best to keep the clock stable within the time window according to its own capabilities, thereby avoiding excessive frequency and / or phase errors of the signal.

[0024] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending a sixth message, the sixth message being used to indicate the accuracy requirements for frequency error and / or phase error.

[0025] For example, network devices can determine the required accuracy of frequency error and / or phase error based on sensing needs, and then send this information to terminal devices. This allows terminal devices to measure and report frequency error and / or phase error based on the accuracy requirements indicated by the network devices, thereby meeting the sensing needs.

[0026] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second communication device" in this application can refer to a second communication equipment (e.g., a terminal device), a component within the second communication equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication equipment. For example, in the method provided in the second aspect, the second communication device sends a second signal, which is received by a network device via a first signal reflected from a target; it also sends first information and / or second information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the frequency error of the second signal, and the second information is used to indicate the phase error of the second signal, and the frequency error and / or the phase error are used to process the first signal.

[0027] Based on the first aspect mentioned above, at least one of the following possible designs exists:

[0028] In one possible design, the first information includes any of the following: the difference between the center frequency of the second signal and a reference frequency, the reference frequency being determined based on the clock frequency of the network device; the center frequency of the second signal; the difference between the clock frequency of the terminal device and the clock frequency of the network device at the time the second signal is transmitted; and the clock frequency of the terminal device at the time the second signal is transmitted.

[0029] In one possible design, the second information includes at least one of the following: the cumulative phase change of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at a first time, the first time being the transmission time of the second signal; the index of the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at the first time; and the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at the first time.

[0030] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving third information, the third information being used to indicate the reporting of frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

[0031] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate the timing of reporting frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

[0032] In one possible design, the method further includes: receiving fifth information, the fifth information being used to instruct the terminal device to maintain clock stability within a time window; wherein maintaining clock stability includes: maintaining the absolute value of the frequency error of the signal transmitted within the time window to be less than or equal to a first threshold, and maintaining the absolute value of the phase error of the signal transmitted within the time window to be less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0033] In one possible design, the method further includes receiving sixth information, the sixth information being used to indicate the accuracy requirements for frequency error and / or phase error.

[0034] It is understood that the method provided in the second aspect corresponds to the method provided in the first aspect, and the beneficial effects of the relevant technical features in the second aspect can be referred to the description in the first aspect.

[0035] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device that has the functions involved in the first or second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first or second aspect above. The functions, units, or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software.

[0036] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the communication unit can be used to transmit and receive signals to enable communication between the communication device and other devices; the processing unit can be used to perform some internal operations of the communication device. The functions performed by the processing unit and the communication unit can correspond to the operations involved in the first or second aspect described above.

[0037] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor that can be coupled to a memory. The memory can store necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions described in the first or second aspect above. The processor can execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect above, when executed.

[0038] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory of which may store necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the first or second aspect described above. The processor may execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0039] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices via the interface circuit and execute the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0040] Understandably, in the third aspect described above, the processor can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. Furthermore, there can be one or more processors, and one or more memories. The memory can be integrated with the processor or separated from it. In specific implementations, the memory can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or disposed on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory or the arrangement of the memory and processor.

[0041] Fourthly, this application provides a communication system, which may include a first communication device and a second communication device; wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method described in the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to perform the method described in the second aspect.

[0042] For example, a first communication device generates a synchronization signal for a first cell based on a first sequence and sends the synchronization signal; a second communication device receives the synchronization signal and processes the synchronization signal based on the first sequence; wherein the first sequence is a sequence associated with the first cell in a first sequence set, the first sequence set also includes a second sequence, and the first sequence and the second sequence are Gray complementary sequence pairs.

[0043] Fifthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (or computer-readable instructions) in which, when a computer reads and executes some or all of the computer-readable instructions, the method in any of the possible designs of the first or second aspect described above is executed.

[0044] For example, a computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. This includes, but is not limited to, non-transient computer-readable media, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer.

[0045] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a computer program product that, when a computer reads and executes the program or instructions in the computer program product, causes the method in any of the possible designs of the first or second aspect to be executed.

[0046] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a chip (or chip system) including a processor coupled to a memory storing a computer program; the processor is configured to invoke part or all of the computer program in the memory, such that the method in any of the possible designs of the first or second aspect described above is executed. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 2A This application provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another network device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of yet another network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of yet another network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 4AThis is a schematic diagram of a base station's self-transmitting and self-receiving Doppler velocity measurement provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 4B A schematic diagram of end-side assisted Doppler velocity measurement provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the reported frequency error and / or phase error provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 7 The following are possible exemplary block diagrams of the apparatus involved in the embodiments of this application;

[0057] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This application will focus on various aspects, embodiments, or features of a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these solutions may also be used.

[0059] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various wireless communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), short-range wireless communication systems (such as sidelink, wireless fidelity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.), wired networks, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, integrated communication and sensing systems, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication systems (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems), LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems (such as New Radio (NR) systems), Future Communications systems, or other similar communication systems, without limitation.

[0060] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the network architecture includes an access network (AN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200, and optionally, an Internet 300. The access network can be a radio access network (RAN), which can be an access network within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G, or future networks. The RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a communication network combining two or more of these.

[0061] Access network 100 may include at least one access network device (or network device), such as Figure 1110a and 110b may also include at least one terminal device, such as Figure 1 The series consists of 120a-120j. Specifically, 110a is a base station, 110b is a micro-station, 120a, 120e, 120f, and 120j are mobile phones, 120b is a car, 120c is a fuel dispenser, 120d is a home access point (HAP) deployed indoors or outdoors, 120g is a laptop, 120h is a printer, and 120i is a drone. The same terminal device or network device can provide different functions in different application scenarios. For example... Figure 1 The mobile phones included are 120a, 120e, 120f, and 120j. Mobile phone 120a can access base station 110a, connect to car 120b, communicate directly with mobile phone 120e, and access HAP. Car 120b can access HAP and communicate directly with mobile phone 120a. Mobile phone 120f can connect to micro-station 110b, connect to laptop 120g, and connect to printer 120h. Mobile phone 120j can control drone 120i.

[0062] Furthermore, network devices and terminal devices can be fixed-location or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the network devices and terminal devices. The roles of network devices and terminal devices can be relative, for example, Figure 1 The helicopter or drone 120i can be configured as a mobile network device. For terminal devices 120j that access the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal device 120i is a network device; however, for network device 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a network device-to-network device interface protocol; in this case, 120i is also a network device relative to 110a. Therefore, both network devices and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. Figure 1 110a and 110b can be referred to as communication devices with network equipment functions. Figure 1 The 120a-120j in the text can be referred to as communication devices with terminal equipment functions.

[0063] Terminal equipment: A terminal equipment is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can also be called a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminal equipment can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, smart glasses, etc.), in-vehicle equipment (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), satellite terminals, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, smart point of sale (POS) machines, customer-premises equipment (CPE), light user equipment (UE), reduced capability user equipment (REDCAP UE), wireless terminals in industrial control, smart home devices (such as refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), smart robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes, and flying equipment (such as smart robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes), etc. Terminal devices can also be vehicle devices (such as vehicle devices, vehicle modules, vehicle chips, on-board units (OBU) or telematics boxes (T-BOX)).

[0064] Network equipment: In a wireless access network, network equipment provides wireless communication functions for terminal devices. It receives uplink signals from terminal devices, sends downlink signals to terminal devices, or receives echo signals from its own transmitted signals. Network equipment can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, an access node, transmission node, wireless relay node, or wireless backhaul node in a WiFi system. It can also be a small or micro base station with base station functionality, or a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station.

[0065] The following is combined Figure 2A and Figure 2B The structure of network devices will be introduced.

[0066] As one possible implementation, refer to Figure 2A Network equipment includes centralized units (CU) and distributed units (DU), and may also include radio units (RU).

[0067] The CU (Core Unit) is a logical node that carries the radio resource control (RRC) layer, service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of network equipment. The CU connects to network elements in the core network (i.e., core network elements) through interfaces such as E2 interfaces. For example, the CU and core network elements can communicate via a backhaul interface. Optionally, the CU may possess some core network functions. The CU connects to the DU (User Unit) through interfaces such as F1 interfaces. These interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol for the F1 interface, defining the signaling procedures for F1 in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0068] Furthermore, the CU can be divided into the CU control plane (CU-CP) and the CU user plane (CU-UP). The CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. The CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system.

[0069] The DU (Dedicated Unit) is a logical node that carries the radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (PHY) layer, and other functions. The higher physical layer functions include one or more of the following: forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, or modulation / demodulation. The CU (Combined Unit) and DU can communicate via a mid-band interface.

[0070] A DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU via interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. The RU is a logical node carrying lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entities. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes one or more of the following processing functions: fast Fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The DU and RU may or may not be co-located.

[0071] The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through a lower-layer split CUS-plane (LLS-CUS) interface. LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces, respectively providing the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane). In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0072] As another possible implementation, see reference Figure 2B , Figure 2B Taking network devices implemented via chips as an example, such as RAN chips, a RAN chip may include CU, DU, and RU. The CU communicates with core network elements through a backhaul interface, which carries the traffic between the CU and core network elements. The CU may include a central processing unit (CPU) based on x86 or ARM architecture, as well as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or other accelerators. The CPU and FPGA, GPU, or other accelerators may communicate through a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface.

[0073] The CU and DU communicate via a midhaul interface, which carries the traffic between the CU and DU. The DU may include an x86 or ARM architecture CPU, as well as FPGAs, GPUs, or other accelerators, which can communicate with the FPGA, GPU, or other accelerators via a PCIe interface.

[0074] The DU and RU communicate via a fronthaul interface, which carries the traffic between the DU and RU. If the network equipment uses an integrated DU, the integrated DU can include the functions of both the DU and RU, and the network equipment may not need to include a separate RU. The RU may include a RAN fronthaul processing unit, a digital processing unit, and an RF processing unit. The RAN fronthaul processing unit is implemented, for example, using an FPGA or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The digital processing unit is implemented, for example, using an FPGA or an ASIC. The RU can be connected to an antenna to communicate with at least one terminal device.

[0075] It is understood that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-CP), and RU can also be called an open RU (O-RU). For ease of description, the embodiments of this application use CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0076] The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0077] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various possible scenarios, such as perception scenarios. Perception can be understood as a technology capable of acquiring information about the environment and / or the characteristics of objects within it. Wireless signals in a communication system possess corresponding perception capabilities, enabling the perception and identification of specific areas / objects / events. When the technical solutions of this application are applied to perception scenarios, Figure 1 The illustrated network architecture may also include sensing function (SF) network elements; see details below. Figure 3A or Figure 3B .

[0078] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of another network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application, which is a perception network architecture. For example... Figure 3A As shown, the network architecture includes UE, network equipment, SF network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, network data analytics function (NWDAF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, location management function (LMF) network elements, and user plane function (UPF) network elements.

[0079] The SF (Sensing Element) network element is a device or component deployed in the core network to provide network sensing capabilities. It can also be called a sensing network element, sensing management function (SeMF) network element, or other names without specific limitations. The SF network element can establish interfaces and interact with other network elements such as AMF, NEF, UDM, NWDAF, PCF, LMF, and UPF. For example:

[0080] NS1: A new NS1 interface is added between the sensing network element and the AMF network element. This interface can transmit sensing control signaling; for scenarios where sensing measurement data is uploaded from the control plane, this interface can also transmit sensing measurement data.

[0081] NS2: A new NS2 interface is added between the sensing network element and the NEF network element. This interface can transmit signaling messages between the sensing network element and the service-side application function (AF) network element through the NEF, and at the same time open the sensing results to the AF network element.

[0082] NS3: A new NS3 interface is added between the sensing network element and the UDM network element. Through this interface, authentication or authorization can be achieved, and UE sensing subscription information, service AMF information or other information can be obtained.

[0083] NS4: A new NS4 interface is added between the sensing network element and the NWDAF network element. Through this interface, the sensing network element can work with the NWDAF to complete AI (Artificial Intelligence) processing related to sensing services.

[0084] NS5: A new NS5 interface is added between the sensing network element and the PCF network element. Through this interface, the sensing network element can transmit information such as the sensing requirements, QoS requirements or sensing results of the sensing service to the PCF. The PCF then makes a decision to generate PCC policies related to the sensing service.

[0085] NS6: A new NS6 interface is added between the sensing network element and the LMF network element. Through this interface, the sensing network element can obtain location-related information, such as the sensing area, the RAN information of the sensing target, and the location information of the sensed UE.

[0086] NS7: The sensing network element and the UPF network element have added NS7 interface. Sensing measurement data can be directly transmitted from the network device to the sensing network element, or it can be indirectly forwarded to the sensing network element through the UPF network element.

[0087] In addition to the newly added interfaces mentioned above, existing interfaces (such as N1, N2, N5, N8, N33, etc.) must support the transmission of information related to sensing services, such as authentication information, sensing service type, sensing service quality requirements, sensing measurement data, and sensing results.

[0088] Understandably, SF network elements can be deployed independently based on sensing requirements, or they can be co-deployed with 5G core network (5GC) network elements (such as LMF network elements). For example, when SF network elements are co-deployed with LMF network elements, SF network elements can reuse the interfaces between LMF network elements and AMF, NEF, UDM, NWDAF, PCF, and other network elements for sensing interaction. Sensing control signaling between LMF network elements (including SF network elements) and network devices / UEs is transmitted through AMF network elements; sensing measurement data acquired by network devices / UEs can be transmitted to LMF network elements (including SF network elements) via the control plane, for example, using the LTE positioning protocol (LPP) or NR positioning protocol Annex (NRPPa), or it can be transmitted via the user plane, using UPF network elements for forwarding or directly to LMF network elements (including SF network elements).

[0089] Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of another network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application, which is a perception network architecture. For example... Figure 3B As shown, the network architecture includes UE, network devices, sensing functions (SF), and optionally, some core network elements such as AMF, NEF, or NWDAF.

[0090] In this network architecture, the SF network element is relatively independent of the 5GC, requiring little or no interaction with the 5GC. For scenarios where sensing needs exist only within a specific area, or where sensing is the only requirement, this architecture can provide sensing services without 5GC control or with only a few network elements involved in control. Furthermore, the localized deployment of SF network elements ensures that sensing measurement data or results do not leave the campus, thus meeting enterprise requirements for the security and privacy of sensing measurement data or results, and reducing sensing latency. This architecture is simple, flexible, efficient, has few transmission nodes, is easy to deploy, and can optionally support UE-related sensing requirements, with implementation schemes for authorization, mobility management, and billing functions considered on demand.

[0091] In this network architecture, the SF network element directly connects to network devices, and both sensing control plane signaling messages and sensing measurement data are transmitted via the newly defined interface NS1. When the UE participates in sensing, control plane signaling messages are forwarded to the SF network element through the AMF network element, and sensing measurement data is transmitted via NS1. Furthermore, the SF network element may also have interfaces with 5GC network elements (such as AMF, NEF, or NWDAF) to control the AF network element to provide sensing service requirements to the SF network element through core network functions.

[0092] NS1: An NS1 interface is added between the sensing network element and the network device. This interface transmits sensing control signaling or sensing measurement data. In one deployment implementation, the sensing function can also be deployed at the base station.

[0093] NS2: A new NS2 interface may be added between the sensing network element and the AMF network element. This interface receives sensing service requests from the UE or transmits signaling messages between the sensing network element and other network elements in the core network, such as interaction messages with the UDM network element.

[0094] NS3: A new NS3 interface may be added between the sensing network element and the NEF network element. This interface transmits signaling messages that the sensing network element relays through the NEF network element for interaction with the service-side AF. At the same time, it opens the sensing results to the AF network element. The interaction between the sensing function and the AF network element may not go through the NEF network element. In actual deployment, NS2 and NS3 will be selected. That is, the AF network element sends sensing service requests indirectly to the SF network element or directly to the SF network element (without the NEF network element) through NS2 (NEF network element); or, the AF network element sends sensing service requests to the SF through N33 (NEF network element) and NS2 (AMF network element).

[0095] NS4: A new NS4 interface may be added between the sensing network element and the NWDAF network element. Through this interface, the sensing network element and the NWDAF network element can jointly perform intelligent analysis and prediction to generate sensing results.

[0096] The network architecture and business scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0097] Based on the network architecture described above, this application will study related implementations to improve sensing performance; for example, this application will study how to improve the accuracy of sensing measurement data (such as Doppler frequency shift caused by target motion) or sensing results (such as the speed of target motion). The target (or sensing target) can alter the propagation characteristics of wireless signals through electromagnetic wave interaction mechanisms (such as reflection, diffraction, or scattering). For example, the target may be a passive device that cannot transmit or receive signals, but can reflect, diffract, or scatter signals. The targets in this application include, but are not limited to, mobile entities such as vehicles and drones.

[0098] The velocity of a moving target plays a crucial role in describing its motion state; therefore, among the many parameters in moving target monitoring, velocity is a critical measurement. In traditional target velocity measurement techniques, Kalman filtering and target tracking algorithms are the mainstream solutions. These methods progressively correct target motion parameters through recursive processing of multi-frame observation data. The core idea is to establish a mathematical model of the state equation and observation equation, using prior information and real-time measurements for optimal estimation. For example, in vehicle tracking scenarios, the system needs to continuously collect position coordinates at multiple time points, obtain an initial velocity value through differential calculation, and then continuously optimize the estimation result through the prediction-update mechanism of Kalman filtering. This method relies on the accumulation of multiple frames of data (usually requiring at least 2-3 observation cycles), resulting in significant time delays. In high-speed scenarios (such as autonomous driving), this delay may cause the warning system to fail.

[0099] Therefore, the need for Doppler velocity measurement has arisen. Doppler velocity measurement is a wireless velocity measurement technology based on the Doppler effect. When there is relative motion between the signal source (i.e., the transmitter of the sensing signal, such as a base station) and the moving target (such as a vehicle or drone), the frequency of the received signal will change: when the target is closer to the signal source, the received signal frequency increases, and when the target is farther away from the signal source, the received signal frequency decreases. By measuring this frequency shift (i.e., Doppler frequency shift), combined with the wavelength of the signal, the speed of the target can be calculated.

[0100] (1) Specific implementation of Doppler velocity measurement

[0101] One method of Doppler velocity measurement involves using a base station to transmit and receive data. For example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4A As shown, a base station can transmit sensing signals at a specific frequency. When the sensing signal encounters a target, it generates an echo signal, which is received by the base station. The base station can determine the Doppler frequency shift f caused by the target's motion by receiving the echo signals from the same target multiple times and analyzing the phase changes corresponding to different echoes. b Then, the radial velocity of the target motion is determined according to the following formula:

[0102] f b =2V r f0 / c

[0103] Where f0 represents the center frequency of the sensing signal transmitted by the base station, c represents the speed of light, and V r This represents the component of the target's velocity vector in the radial direction (the line connecting the target and the base station).

[0104] In other words, base station self-transmission and self-reception can only determine the radial velocity of the target, but cannot obtain the target's velocity vector, i.e., cannot obtain the target's true motion state. Therefore, one possible solution is end-side assistance, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4B As shown, besides the base station's own transmission and reception, the base station can also instruct the terminal device to send sensing signals. These sensing signals, upon encountering a target, will generate a reflected signal, which is then received by the base station. Since the path vector from terminal to target to base station differs from the path vector from base station to target to base station, an additional Doppler observation perspective can be obtained through end-side assistance, thus enabling the acquisition of the target's velocity vector. For example, for the base station's own transmission and reception path (i.e., base station to target to base station), its Doppler frequency shift is denoted as f. b For the end-side auxiliary path (i.e., terminal-target-base station), its Doppler frequency shift is denoted as f. u The location of the base station is (x b ,y b The location of the terminal device is (x u ,y u The target's location is (x t ,y t Then, the following direction vectors can be listed:

[0105] A=(x b -x t ,y b -y t )

[0106] B = (x t -x u ,y t -y u )

[0107] At the same time, the velocity vector of the target motion can be denoted as V = (V x V y Let the wavelength of the signal be denoted as λ, then we have the following vector equation:

[0108]

[0109] By solving this vector equation, the velocity vector V of the target motion can be determined.

[0110] (2) Measurement of Doppler frequency shift

[0111] Typically, a single Doppler shift measurement is called a complete measurement, with a duration of 10–100 milliseconds (ms). A complete measurement includes K independent channel state information (CSI) measurements, where K is typically 4–256 (the value of K depends on the required accuracy of the Doppler shift). A single independent CSI measurement can distinguish targets at different distances. For targets at the same distance, the measurement result can be denoted as Cd[k], where Cd[k] includes information such as the measured phase, k represents the number of CSI measurements (k = 1, 2, ..., K), and d represents the target distance. When the target moves, the phase obtained from different CSI measurements will change due to the Doppler effect. Therefore, FFT or other analyses can be performed on the sequence Cd to obtain the Doppler shift caused by the target motion (e.g., Doppler shift f). b or Doppler frequency shift f u ).

[0112] As described above regarding Doppler velocimetry, for end-side assisted Doppler velocimetry, the accuracy of the Doppler frequency shift measured by the base station affects the accuracy of the target's velocity vector. However, after the terminal device and base station complete initial clock synchronization, due to hardware characteristics or environmental factors, the terminal device's clock may still experience frequency drift and / or phase drift, preventing absolute clock synchronization between the terminal device and base station. This, in turn, leads to an inaccurate Doppler frequency shift f measured by the base station. u Inaccuracy affects the accuracy of the velocity vector of the target's motion.

[0113] For example, due to initial crystal oscillator errors in terminal devices (low-cost crystal oscillators in terminal devices have inherent errors, and initial synchronization may not completely eliminate them), the clock of the terminal device may experience frequency drift. For instance, if the clock frequencies of the base station and the terminal device are fc1 and fc2 respectively, and the terminal device transmits a wireless signal with a center frequency of A = q * fc1, the actual center frequency of the wireless signal is q * fc2. However, the base station's default true value is q * fc1, where q represents the frequency multiplication factor, which can be an integer or a fraction. Assuming there is no Doppler shift, the actual frequency received by the base station is q * fc2. Through comparison, the base station will consider that a Doppler shift of frequency q * fc1 - q * fc2 has been detected, thus the detected Doppler shift f is... u Inaccurate.

[0114] For example, the phase-locked loop (PLL) of a terminal device's clock may exhibit non-ideal characteristics due to noise interference, temperature drift, or power fluctuations during actual operation, leading to random reversals of its phase-locked point and consequently, phase errors in the output signal. As described above, to measure the Doppler frequency shift caused by target motion, multiple CSI measurements need to be repeated within a short period, and the phase changes between these measurements need to be analyzed. Between these measurements, the terminal device's PLL may experience random phase jumps between 0 and π (the jumps can be positive or negative phases). For instance, if the time points for N consecutive measurements are {tk}, the phase jump values ​​at these time points are {nk}, and the actual Doppler phase shifts are {pk}, then the final measured Doppler phase shift is {pk+nk}, and the detected Doppler frequency shift f is... u Inaccurate.

[0115] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, apparatus, and system in which a network device receives the frequency error and / or phase error of a second signal reported by a terminal device, and processes the received first signal according to the frequency error and / or phase error, thereby improving the accuracy of sensing measurement data or sensing results and thus improving sensing performance.

[0116] The method provided in this application embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The method provided in this application embodiment involves a first communication device and / or a second communication device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first communication device" in this application can refer to a first communication device (or sensing device or integrated communication and sensing device, such as a network device), a component used in the first communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the communication device's functions. Similarly, the "second communication device" in this application can refer to a second communication device (e.g., a terminal device), a component used in the second communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the communication device's functions. The component used in the communication device can be a component within the communication device, or it can be independent of the communication device but coupled to it. In this application embodiment, the example of "the first communication device being a network device and the second communication device being a terminal device" is used for description.

[0117] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the process may include:

[0118] S501, the terminal device sends a second signal.

[0119] S502, the network device receives a first signal, which is the signal after the second signal transmitted by the terminal device is reflected by the target.

[0120] The term "reflection" here is a typical expression of the interaction between electromagnetic waves and a target. It can also be replaced with terms such as scattering, diffraction, or other similar wave phenomena, depending on the specific physical scenario. In other words, this term is only used to characterize the change in the return or propagation characteristics of a signal after it has been acted upon by a target, and does not involve a strict definition of a specific wave phenomenon. For example, the first signal can be called the reflected signal or echo signal of the second signal.

[0121] The second signal can be a reference signal, a sensing signal, or other possible signals; for example, the second signal is a sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0122] Optionally, prior to S501, the network device can send information a to the terminal device. Information a instructs the terminal device to send SRS (e.g., periodically send SRS). Information a includes time-frequency resource information for carrying the SRS. After receiving information a, the terminal device periodically sends SRS on the corresponding time-frequency resources, such as SRS1, SRS2, SRS3, etc. Correspondingly, the network device receives the reflected signals of SRS1, SRS2, and SRS3. The aforementioned second signal can be any one of SRS1, SRS2, and SRS3.

[0123] S503, the terminal device sends first information and / or second information to the network device; correspondingly, the network device receives the first information and / or second information.

[0124] (1) Introduce the first piece of information.

[0125] For example, the terminal device can measure (determine) the frequency error of the second signal and send first information to the network device, the first information indicating the frequency error of the second signal. The frequency error of the second signal refers to the difference between the center frequency of the second signal and a reference frequency; the reference frequency is determined based on the clock frequency of the network device, for example, the center frequency of the second signal is q*fc2, and the reference frequency is q*fc1, where fc1 represents the clock frequency of the network device, and q represents the frequency multiplication factor. Further optionally, the frequency error of the second signal refers to the difference between the center frequency of the second signal and the reference frequency caused by frequency drift of the terminal device's clock after the terminal device and the network device have completed initial clock synchronization.

[0126] There are several ways in which the first information indicates the frequency error of the second signal. For example, the first information may include at least one of the following ① to ④, or the first information may include any one of the following ① to ④:

[0127] ① The difference between the center frequency of the second signal and the reference frequency.

[0128] ②The center frequency of the second signal.

[0129] ③ The difference between the clock frequency of the terminal device and the clock frequency of the network device at the time of transmission of the second signal. The transmission time of the second signal can be the time when the second signal is started, or it can be the time domain resources occupied by the second signal; for example, the transmission time of the second signal is a specific moment, or the transmission time of the first signal is defined by a relative time unit (for example, the transmission time of the second signal includes the symbol y in time slot x), and there is no specific limitation.

[0130] ④ The frequency of the terminal device's clock during the transmission time of the second signal.

[0131] Specifically, when the first information includes ①, the network device can directly obtain the frequency error of the second signal; when the first information includes ②, ③, or ④, the network device can calculate the frequency error of the second signal. For example, when the first information includes ②, the network device can calculate the frequency error of the second signal based on ②, the frequency of the network device's clock, and the frequency multiplication factor; when the first information includes ③, the network device can calculate the frequency error of the second signal based on ③ and the frequency multiplication factor; when the first information includes ④, the network device can calculate the frequency error of the second signal based on ④, the frequency of the network device's clock, and the frequency multiplication factor.

[0132] Optionally, the first information may also include other possible information, such as information used to identify the second signal, such as the transmission time of the second signal, without any specific limitation.

[0133] (2) Introduce the second piece of information.

[0134] For example, the terminal device can measure (determine) the phase error of the second signal and send second information to the network device, the second information indicating the phase error of the second signal. The phase error of the second signal refers to the difference between the phase of the second signal and the theoretically expected phase; for example, the phase error of the second signal refers to the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at a first time; or, in other words, the initial phase deviation introduced at the first time due to the random phase jump of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock, where the first time is the transmission time of the second signal.

[0135] There are several ways in which the second information indicates the phase error of the second signal. For example, the second information may include at least one of the following ① to ③, or the second information may include any one of the following ① to ③:

[0136] ① The cumulative phase change of the terminal device's clock phase-locked loop (PLL) at the first time. The cumulative phase change of the terminal device's clock PLL at the first time refers to the cumulative phase change of the terminal device's clock PLL from the reference time to the first time. The reference time can be indicated or configured by the network device to the terminal device, and is not specifically limited. Assuming the reference time is time t0, the phase of the terminal device's clock PLL at time t0 is 0, the phase jump value of the terminal device's clock PLL at time t1 is π, the phase jump value of the terminal device's clock PLL at time t2 is π / 2, and the phase jump value of the terminal device's clock PLL at time t3 is -π / 2. Therefore, the cumulative phase change of the terminal device's clock PLL at time t1 is π, the cumulative phase change at time t2 is 3π / 2, and the cumulative phase change at time t3 is π.

[0137] Thus, when the second information includes ①, after receiving the second information, the network device can determine the phase jump value of the terminal device's clock phase-locked loop at the first time (e.g., time t3) and the cumulative phase change of the terminal device's clock phase-locked loop at the time preceding the first time (e.g., time t2), which is the phase error of the second signal.

[0138] ② The index of the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop (PLL) of the terminal device's clock at the first moment. This index can be called the phase jump point. Since the PLL of the terminal device may randomly jump between {-π, π}, {-π, π} can be divided into multiple phase jump points. For example, {-π, π} can be divided into 8 phase jump points, namely {0, 1, 2, ..., 7}. The phase jump value corresponding to phase jump point 0 is -π, the phase jump value corresponding to phase jump point 1 is -π / 4, the phase jump value corresponding to phase jump point 2 is -π / 2, and so on. The phase jump point of the PLL of the terminal device's clock at the first moment is one of these 8 phase jump points.

[0139] Thus, when the second information includes ②, after receiving the second information, the network device can determine the phase jump value of the terminal device's clock phase-locked loop at the first time, i.e., the phase error of the second signal, based on the phase jump point of the terminal device's clock phase-locked loop at the first time.

[0140] ③ The phase jump value of the terminal device's clock phase-locked loop at the first time. Thus, when the second information includes ②, the network device receives the second information and can directly obtain the phase error of the second signal.

[0141] Optionally, the first information may also include other possible information, such as information used to identify the second signal, such as the transmission time of the second signal, without any specific limitation.

[0142] (3) The accuracy of frequency error and the accuracy of phase error are introduced.

[0143] For example, the frequency error of the second signal meets the accuracy requirement for frequency error, and the phase error of the second signal meets the accuracy requirement for phase error. Here, the accuracy of the frequency error measures the degree of accuracy of the frequency error, and the accuracy of the phase error measures the degree of accuracy of the phase error; the higher the accuracy, the closer the measured error is to the true deviation. The accuracy requirements for frequency error and / or phase error can be predefined, pre-configured, or configured, and are not specifically limited.

[0144] For example, a network device sends a sixth piece of information to a terminal device. This sixth piece of information indicates the required accuracy of frequency error and / or phase error. Specifically, the network device can determine the required accuracy of frequency error and / or phase error based on the sensing requirements, and then send this information to the terminal device. This allows the terminal device to measure and report the frequency error and / or phase error according to the accuracy requirements indicated by the network device, thereby meeting the sensing requirements.

[0145] Taking the accuracy requirement of the sixth information indicating frequency error as an example (the accuracy requirement of the sixth information indicating phase error can be referred to), one implementation is that the sixth information indicates a continuous accuracy range. For example, the sixth information includes an accuracy range parameter. Assuming the accuracy range parameter is 0 to 1 Hz, the accuracy of the frequency error is required to be within this accuracy range.

[0146] Another implementation involves setting the frequency error accuracy to multiple discrete levels, such as level A: 1Hz, level B: 10Hz, level C: 20Hz, and level D: 50Hz. These levels can be predefined, pre-configured, or configured. In this case, the sixth message can indicate the required frequency error accuracy by carrying specific level identifiers (such as A, B, C, and D). For example, if the sixth message indicates level A, then the required frequency error accuracy is no more than 1Hz.

[0147] (4) The specific implementation of the terminal device sending the first information and / or the second information is described.

[0148] For example, a terminal device may measure and report frequency error and / or phase error based on a request from a network device.

[0149] For example, a network device sends third information to a terminal device. This third information instructs the reporting of frequency and / or phase errors of at least one signal, or requests the measurement and / or reporting of frequency and / or phase errors of at least one signal, including a second signal. The third information can be understood as a request indicating an intention to request, while the specific number of requests (i.e., the exact number covered by "at least one") may not be explicitly indicated. For instance, the third information might be a single bit; a value of 1 indicates a request to measure and report frequency and / or phase errors. The terminal device then measures and reports the frequency and / or phase errors of at least one signal based on the third information. The terminal device can report the frequency and / or phase errors of each signal it measures to the network device; alternatively, it can measure the frequency and / or phase errors of multiple signals and report all of them to the network device simultaneously, without any specific limitation.

[0150] Optionally, the network device may also send a fourth message to the terminal device, which indicates the timing of reporting frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal.

[0151] For example, the fourth piece of information indicates scheduled or periodic reporting. In this case, the fourth piece of information may include the duration of the reporting period and the start time of the reporting; optionally, it may also include the end time of the reporting. The terminal device can determine multiple reporting opportunities based on the fourth piece of information. For example, see... Figure 6 As shown, if the reporting start time is t0 and the reporting period duration is T, then the terminal device can determine the reporting timing at time t0, time t0+T, time t0+2T, and so on. If the terminal device sends SRS1 and SRS2 within the time period from t0 to t0+T, and SRS3 and SRS4 within the time period from t0+T to t0+2T, then the terminal device can report the frequency and / or phase errors of SRS1 and SRS2 at time t0+T, and report the frequency and / or phase errors of SRS3 and SRS4 at time t0+2T. Assuming the second signal is SRS2, the terminal device can send the first information and / or the second information at time t0+T.

[0152] For example, the fourth message indicates one-to-one reporting, meaning that a measurement is completed and reported immediately after a request is received. In this case, the fourth message implicitly indicates the timing of the report. In this scenario, the network device can send the third message multiple times, and the terminal device will immediately complete a measurement and report each time it receives the third message.

[0153] For example, the fourth information may indicate multiple reporting time points, meaning the fourth information directly indicates multiple reporting opportunities. The time intervals between adjacent reporting time points can be the same (i.e., periodic reporting) or different. In this case, the terminal device can report the frequency error and / or phase error of the signal at the multiple reporting time points indicated by the fourth information.

[0154] (5) Introduce other possible information that the network device may send to the terminal device.

[0155] In addition to the information described above, network devices can also send other possible information to terminal devices. For example, a fifth message can be sent from the network device to the terminal device, which is used to instruct the terminal device to keep the clock stable within a time window.

[0156] The start time of the time window is no later than the transmission time of the first signal among at least one signal, and the end time of the time window is no earlier than the transmission time of the last signal among at least one signal. For example, the time window includes at least one sensing frame / sensing slot / sensing symbol. The fifth piece of information may include at least one of the following: the start time, the end time, and the duration of the time window.

[0157] Maintaining clock stability within the time window includes: keeping the frequency error (or absolute value of the frequency error) of the transmitted signal within the time window less than or equal to a first threshold, and keeping the phase error (or absolute value of the phase error) of the transmitted signal within the time window less than or equal to a second threshold; or, in other words, keeping the frequency fluctuation range of the clock within a first preset range and the phase fluctuation range of the clock within a second preset range within the time window. The first threshold, second threshold, first preset range, and second preset range can be set according to actual needs and are not specifically limited. Furthermore, after receiving the fifth information, the terminal device can, based on its own capabilities, strive to maintain clock stability within the time window, thereby avoiding excessive frequency and / or phase errors in the signal.

[0158] It is understood that some or all of the information in information a, the third information, the fourth information, the fifth information, and the sixth information mentioned above may be carried in the same message (such as the same RRC message), or these information may be carried in different messages, without any specific limitation.

[0159] For example, there are several scenarios that trigger a network device to request frequency and / or phase errors. For instance, a sensing element acquires a sensing task, analyzes the sensing requirements, and then sends the sensing requirements to the network device, requesting the network device to perform the sensing task (e.g., the sensing task includes: measuring the Doppler frequency shift f). u(or measure the velocity vector of the target's motion); accordingly, the network device determines the auxiliary terminal device (i.e., the "terminal device" mentioned above) needed to perform the sensing task, and then requests the frequency error and / or phase error from the auxiliary terminal device, such as sending some or all of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth information to the auxiliary terminal device.

[0160] S504, The network device processes the first signal based on the frequency error and / or phase error of the second signal.

[0161] For example, the network device compensates for the measurement results of the first signal (such as the phase of the first signal) based on the frequency error and / or phase error of the second signal. For instance, the network device determines a compensation value based on the frequency error and phase error of the second signal, and then compensates for the measurement results of the first signal. Taking the first signal as an example, the network device can compensate for the measurement results of the reflected signals of multiple SRSs based on the frequency error and / or phase error corresponding to multiple SRSs.

[0162] Optionally, the network device determines the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion based on the measurement results of the compensated first signal; for example, the network device determines the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion based on the measurement results of the reflected signals of multiple compensated SRSs, and the specific determination method is not limited. Then, the network device determines the velocity vector of the target motion based on the Doppler frequency shift (refer to the previous description of end-side assisted Doppler velocity measurement) and sends the velocity vector to the sensing network element; alternatively, the network device sends the Doppler frequency shift to the sensing network element, and optionally, also sends other possible information (such as the location information of the network device, the location information of the terminal device, the location information of the target, etc.), so that the sensing network element can determine the velocity vector of the target motion based on the received Doppler frequency shift and other information.

[0163] Using the above method, the network device receives the frequency error and / or phase error of the second signal reported by the terminal device, and processes the received first signal according to the frequency error and / or phase error, for example, by compensating for the measurement result of the first signal. Then, based on the compensated measurement result, the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion is determined, thereby facilitating the reduction of Doppler measurement error caused by the non-absolute synchronization of the clocks of the terminal device and the network device, improving the accuracy of the sensing measurement data or sensing results (so that the accuracy of the sensing measurement data or sensing results can exceed the accuracy limit of the current clock accuracy specification), thereby improving the sensing performance.

[0164] Regarding the above embodiments, it is understood that:

[0165] (1) The above embodiments are described with the network device as a whole as an example. When the network device includes CU, DU and RU (see Figure 2A In this embodiment, the implementation can be further refined as follows: The core network element sends a sensing request to the network device via the backhaul link. After receiving the sensing request, the BBU in the network device generates a clock drift measurement request signaling (such as some or all of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth information mentioned above) by the CU, and sends it to the DU via the midhaul link. The DU then sends it to the RU via the fronthaul link, and the RU sends it to the terminal device via the air interface. After receiving the request signaling, the terminal device reports the clock drift measurement result (such as the first and / or second information) to the network device, that is, it transmits it to the RU via the air interface, and the RU transmits it to the DU via the fronthaul link. The DU transmits it to the CU via the midhaul link, and the CU determines the sensing measurement data (such as the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion) or the sensing result (such as the velocity vector of the target motion) based on the clock drift measurement result reported by the terminal device, and then sends it to the core network element via the backhaul link.

[0166] (2) In this application, “predefined” usually refers to information that is defined by the standard, does not require configuration by other devices, and is recorded / written in advance in the hardware and / or software of the terminal device or network device itself, or can be understood as information that cannot be changed by the network device or terminal device.

[0167] In this application, "pre-configuration" can refer to the server sending relevant information to network devices or terminal devices; alternatively, it can refer to defining the relevant information and pre-writing it into the network devices or terminal devices. This application does not limit the specific method used. Furthermore, the relevant information can be changed or updated.

[0168] (3) In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions in different examples or implementations are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different examples or implementations can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships. In addition, different implementations or different examples can be referenced or referenced by each other.

[0169] (4) The various numerical designations used in this application are for ease of description only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The step numbers in the above flowcharts are merely examples of the execution process and do not constitute a restriction on the order of execution of the steps. That is, the size of each step number does not imply the order of execution, and the execution order of each step should be determined by its function and internal logic. In addition, not all steps shown in the flowcharts are mandatory steps, and some steps can be added or deleted based on actual needs.

[0170] The above mainly describes the solution provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of the interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the first communication device and the second communication device may include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0171] In this application embodiment, the first communication device and the second communication device can be divided into functional units according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0172] When using integrated units, Figure 7 A possible exemplary block diagram of the apparatus involved in an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 may include a processing unit 702 and a communication unit 703. The processing unit 702 is used to control and manage the operation of the device 700. The communication unit 703 is used to support communication between the device 700 and other devices. Optionally, the communication unit 703 is also called a transceiver unit, and may include a receiving unit and / or a sending unit, respectively used to perform receiving and sending operations. The device 700 may also include a storage unit 701 for storing the program code and / or data of the device 700.

[0173] (1) The device 700 can be the first communication device in the above embodiments. The processing unit 702 can support the device 700 in performing the actions of the first communication device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the processing unit 702 mainly performs the internal actions of the first communication device in the method embodiments, and the communication unit 703 can support communication between the device 700 and other devices.

[0174] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 703 is configured to: receive a first signal, the first signal being a signal of a second signal emitted by a terminal device after being reflected by a target; receive first information and / or second information, the first information being used to indicate the frequency error of the second signal, and the second information being used to indicate the phase error of the second signal; and the processing unit 702 is configured to: process the first signal according to the frequency error and / or the phase error.

[0175] Other further technical features can be found in the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0176] (2) The device 700 can be the second communication device in the above embodiments. The processing unit 702 can support the device 700 in performing the actions of the second communication device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the processing unit 702 mainly performs the internal actions of the second communication device in the method embodiments, and the communication unit 703 can support communication between the device 700 and other devices.

[0177] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 703 is configured to: transmit a second signal, the second signal being received by a network device via a first signal reflected from a target; transmit first information and / or second information, the first information indicating a frequency error of the second signal, the second information indicating a phase error of the second signal, the frequency error and / or the phase error being used to process the first signal.

[0178] Other further technical features can be found in the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0179] It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, all units in the device can be implemented entirely through software calls from processing elements; all units can be implemented entirely in hardware; or some units can be implemented through software calls from processing elements, while others are implemented in hardware. For example, each unit can be a separate processing element, or it can be integrated into a chip within the device. Alternatively, it can be stored as a program in memory, called and executed by a processing element of the device. Moreover, these units can be fully or partially integrated together, or implemented independently. The processing element here can also be called a processor, which can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, the operations or units described above can be implemented through integrated logic circuits in the processor element or through software calls from processing elements.

[0180] In one example, a unit in any of the above devices can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the methods described above, such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these forms of integrated circuits. As another example, when a unit in the device can be implemented in the form of a processing element scheduler, the processing element can be a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), or other processor capable of calling programs. Furthermore, these units can be integrated together to implement a system-on-chip (SoC).

[0181] The receiving unit described above is an interface circuit of the device, used to receive signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the receiving unit is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices. The transmitting unit described above is an interface circuit of the device, used to transmit signals to other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, the transmitting unit is an interface circuit for the chip to transmit signals to other chips or devices.

[0182] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 may include one or more processors 801. Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a memory 802, which may be located inside or outside the communication device 800. It is understood that... Figure 8 Only the main components of the communication device are shown; the communication device may further include a transceiver (not shown in the figure).

[0183] Specifically, processor 801 can be a CPU, a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. Processor 801 may further include a hardware chip. The aforementioned hardware chip can be an ASIC, a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The aforementioned PLD can be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an FPGA, a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0184] The processor 801 and memory 802 are interconnected. Optionally, the processor 801 and memory 802 are interconnected via bus 803; bus 803 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 8 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0185] In one alternative implementation, memory 802 is used to store programs, etc. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. Memory 802 may include RAM, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices. Processor 801 executes the application program stored in memory 802 to implement the above functions, thereby realizing the functions of communication device 800.

[0186] For example, the communication device 800 may be the first communication device or the second communication device in the above embodiments.

[0187] In one embodiment, when the communication device 800 implements the functions of the first communication device in the above method embodiment, the transceiver can perform the transmit and receive operations executed by the first communication device in the above method embodiment; the processor 801 can perform other operations besides the transmit and receive operations executed by the first communication device in the above method embodiment. For specific details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0188] In one embodiment, when the communication device 800 implements the functions of the second communication device in the above method embodiment, the transceiver can perform the transmit and receive operations executed by the second communication device in the above method embodiment; the processor 801 can perform other operations besides the transmit and receive operations executed by the second communication device in the above method embodiment. Specific details can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0189] The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application are used interchangeably. "At least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC.

[0190] The ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. For example, the first sequence and the second sequence refer to two different sequences, and do not indicate that the content, priority, or importance of these two sequences are different. Words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0191] Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a list of units is not necessarily limited to those units, but may include other units not expressly listed or inherent to those processes, methods, products, or apparatuses. The methods and apparatuses provided in the embodiments of this application are based on the same or similar technical concepts. Since the principles by which the methods and apparatuses solve the problems are similar, implementations of the apparatus and methods can be referred to mutually, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0192] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0193] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0194] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0195] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a first signal, which is the signal after the second signal transmitted by the terminal device is reflected by the target; Receive first information and / or second information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the frequency error of the second signal and the second information is used to indicate the phase error of the second signal; The first signal is processed based on the frequency error and / or the phase error.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Processing the first signal based on the frequency error and / or the phase error includes: The measurement results of the first signal are compensated based on the frequency error and / or the phase error.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Processing the first signal based on the frequency error and / or the phase error further includes: Based on the compensated measurement results, determine the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion; The velocity vector of the target motion is determined based on the Doppler frequency shift. The method further includes: The velocity vector is sent to the sensing network element.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Processing the first signal based on the frequency error and / or the phase error further includes: Based on the compensated measurement results, determine the Doppler frequency shift caused by the target motion; The method further includes: The Doppler frequency shift is sent to the sensing network element, and the Doppler frequency shift is used to determine the velocity vector of the target motion.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first information includes any one of the following: The difference between the center frequency of the second signal and a reference frequency, wherein the reference frequency is determined based on the clock frequency of the network device; The center frequency of the second signal; The difference between the clock frequency of the terminal device and the clock frequency of the network device during the transmission time of the second signal; The frequency of the clock of the terminal device during the transmission time of the second signal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The second information includes at least one of the following: The cumulative phase change of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at a first time, where the first time is the transmission time of the second signal; The index of the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at the first time; The phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the clock of the terminal device at the first time.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a third message, the third message being used to indicate the reporting of frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fourth message, the fourth message being used to indicate the timing of reporting frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fifth message, which is used to instruct the terminal device to keep the clock stable within the time window; The step of keeping the clock stable includes: keeping the absolute value of the frequency error of the signal transmitted within the time window less than or equal to a first threshold, and keeping the absolute value of the phase error of the signal transmitted within the time window less than or equal to a second threshold.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a sixth message, which indicates the accuracy requirements for frequency error and / or phase error.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: A second signal is sent, and the second signal is received by the network device after being reflected by the first signal from the target. Send first information and / or second information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the frequency error of the second signal, and the second information is used to indicate the phase error of the second signal, and the frequency error and / or the phase error is used to process the first signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first information includes any one of the following: The difference between the center frequency of the second signal and a reference frequency, wherein the reference frequency is determined based on the clock frequency of the network device; The center frequency of the second signal; The difference between the clock frequency of the terminal device and the clock frequency of the network device during the transmission time of the second signal; The frequency of the clock of the terminal device during the transmission time of the second signal.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The second information includes at least one of the following: The cumulative phase change of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at a first time, where the first time is the transmission time of the second signal; The index of the phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the terminal device's clock at the first time; The phase jump value of the phase-locked loop of the clock of the terminal device at the first time.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third information, the third information being used to indicate the reporting of frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information, the fourth information being used to indicate the timing of reporting frequency error and / or phase error of at least one signal, the at least one signal including the second signal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fifth information, which is used to instruct the terminal device to keep the clock stable within a time window; The step of keeping the clock stable includes: keeping the absolute value of the frequency error of the signal transmitted within the time window less than or equal to a first threshold, and keeping the absolute value of the phase error of the signal transmitted within the time window less than or equal to a second threshold.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive sixth information, which indicates the accuracy requirements for frequency error and / or phase error.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor coupled to a memory in which a computer program is stored; the processor is configured to invoke part or all of the computer program in the memory such that the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17 is executed.

19. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, and the second communication device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 17.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that, when some or all of the computer program is executed by a computer, causes the method described in any one of claims 1 to 17 to be performed.

21. A computer program product, characterized in that, When a computer reads and executes a program or instruction in the computer program product, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 17 is performed.

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