Methods for providing and receiving requested collection data in a communication network

Abstract

Method for providing collection data to a node (14) of a communication network (10) comprising the following: - Receiving, by a first node (12) of the communication network (10), a request message from a second node (14) of the communication network (10), wherein the request message includes a request for data collection and specifies a time requirement for the requested data collection; - Determine, via the first node (12), whether the requested acquisition data can be provided to the second node (14) within the specified time requirement; and - Sending, through the first node (12), based on a result of determining, a response message that includes the following ◯ the requested collection data to provide the requested collection data to the second node (14), or ◯ an offer to provide alternative collection data to the second node (14) instead of the requested collection data.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for providing acquisition data to a node of a communication network and a corresponding method for receiving acquisition data from a node in a communication network. The invention further relates to a first node, a second node, a computer program, and a non-volatile, computer-readable medium. State of the art

[0002] The current focus of cellular networks such as LTE and 5G-NR is primarily on communication services. However, the emergence of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) suggests that sensing will become an additional service of the 6G infrastructure. ISAC uses radio-based sensing to utilize communication signals for environmental sensing, generating radar-like images.

[0003] ISAC is categorized into two main classes: infrastructure-based capture and device-side capture. Infrastructure-based capture refers to capture performed by the network infrastructure, specifically 3GPP infrastructure-based capture, while device-side capture involves the user device performing the capture functionality.

[0004] Infrastructure-based ISAC can offer several advantages over traditional car radars, particularly regarding integration with existing communication networks. However, ISAC alone may not achieve optimal performance in key radio-based detection metrics such as resolution, range, and speed. Therefore, incorporating measurements from other sensor modalities, such as cameras, radar, lidar, or ultrasonic sensors, is essential to improve overall system performance through techniques like sensor fusion.

[0005] Consequently, it is essential to define an interface with specific requirements between a non-3GPP sensor entity or sensor fusion entity and the 3GPP network (or another third-party application). Establishing this interface enables the seamless integration of diverse sensor data with the 3GPP infrastructure, leading to improved accuracy and reliability in data acquisition applications. Disclosure of the invention

[0006] According to a first aspect, a procedure for providing collection data to a node of a communication network is provided.

[0007] The procedure according to the first aspect includes: - Receiving, by a first node of the communication network, a request message from a second node of the communication network, wherein the request message includes a request for acquisition data and specifies a time requirement for the requested acquisition data; - Determine, via the first node, whether the requested data collection can be provided to the second node within the specified time requirement; and - Sending, through the first node, based on a result of determining, a response message that includes the following ◯ the requested collection data to provide the requested collection data to the second node, or ◯ an offer to provide alternative collection data to the second node instead of the requested collection data.

[0008] The procedure according to the first aspect can be understood as a procedure carried out by the first node of the communication network, in particular the operation of the first node.

[0009] According to a second aspect, a procedure for receiving acquisition data from a first node of a communication network is provided.

[0010] The procedure according to the second aspect includes: - Sending a request message to the first node by a second node of the communication network, wherein the request message includes a request for data collection and specifies a time requirement for the requested data collection; and - Received, by the second node, a reply message that includes the following ◯ the requested collection data, or ◯ an offer by the first node to provide alternative data collection nodes instead of the requested data collection data.

[0011] The procedure according to the second aspect can be understood as a procedure carried out by the second node of the communication network, in particular the operation of the second node.

[0012] According to a third aspect, a first node of a communication network is provided, wherein the first node is configured to execute the procedure according to the first aspect or its embodiments.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect, a second node of a communication network is provided, the second node being configured to execute the method according to the second aspect or its embodiments.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program is provided that includes machine-readable instructions to cause the - the first node, as defined by the third aspect, performs the procedure according to the first aspect and / or its embodiments, and / or - the second node, as defined by the fourth aspect, executes the procedure according to the second aspect and / or its embodiments.

[0015] According to a sixth aspect, a non-volatile, computer-readable medium is provided on which a computer program, as defined by the fifth aspect, is stored.

[0016] The communication network is preferably a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network can be configured as a cellular network, preferably according to the 3GPP specifications, e.g., according to 3GPP Release 18 or higher, or as a wireless local area network (LAN), preferably according to the IEEE 802.11 specifications.

[0017] The communication network comprises at least the first node and the second node. The first node and the second node can be connected via a wired or, preferably, a wireless communication link. The first node and / or the second node can be a radio node(s) of the wireless communication network. The first node and / or the second node can be a base station or a user device, or be encompassed by a base station or a user device. The first node and / or the second node can also be a server or a compute node of the network. The user device can be a vehicle connectivity unit, a smartphone, a wearable device, or any other IoT device. Preferably, the second node is part of a wireless part of the communication system, e.g., a base station, and the first node is part of a wired part of the communication system, e.g., a server.

[0018] Acquisition data can be understood as data representing an environment, particularly that of the first and / or second node. The acquisition data can be of a specific type or acquisition modality, such as radar data, lidar data, sonar data, or camera data. The acquisition data can include data with a specific level of abstraction. Specifically, the acquisition data can include raw data, such as raw images, and / or enriched data, such as radar or lidar point clouds, and / or object-level data, such as object lists. That is, the level of abstraction can be selected from a group of levels that includes a raw data level, an enriched data level, and an object data level.

[0019] Raw data refers specifically to lightly pre-processed or unprocessed measurements with minimal to no information loss. Enriched (pre-processed) data refers to pre-processed measurements and may include noise filtering and other minimal processing steps. For example, enriched data may refer to data that has been lightly processed to make it plausible (corresponding to sampling points for radar or lidar and measured shapes for camera). Enriched data may also be interpretable or understandable to a third party, such as a customer of a data acquisition service, based on the proposed procedures. Enriched data may, for example, include point clouds from radar or lidar sensors combined with metadata to simplify the interpretation of the point clouds.Object-level data refers to data that describes real-world objects, such as a car or a pedestrian, in the form of an object hypothesis.

[0020] Determining whether the requested collection data can be provided may include determining whether the requested collection data is (already) available at the first node. Determining whether the requested collection data can be provided may additionally or alternatively include determining whether the requested collection data - can be determined by the first node, and / or - can be requested by the first node from another node of the communication network and / or from a sensor that is connected or connectable to the communication network.

[0021] The step of determining whether the requested collection data can be provided to the second node within the specified time requirement is preferably performed in response to receiving the request message.

[0022] The response message, containing the requested collection data, is sent to the second node if the first node can provide the requested data to the second node within the specified timeframe. If the first node cannot provide the requested data to the second node within the specified timeframe, the response message may also include a rejection of the requested data. Whether or not the requested data can be provided to the first node may depend on... - availability of the requested collection data at the first node, and / or - an access information indicating whether the second node meets a set of access requirements for the requested collection data to be provided to it by the second node.

[0023] Acquisition data can be requested for a specific task, such as scanning a defined area, tracking a particular object, or obtaining enriched data from one or more specific sensor modalities, such as radar, camera, lidar, or ultrasound. The type of requested acquisition data can be selected based on the specific task. For scanning a defined area, acquisition data representing an occupancy grid can be requested. For tracking an object, acquisition data representing an object list can be requested.

[0024] The request message can be sent on a shared physical uplink channel (PUSCH), shared physical downlink channel (PDSCH), or shared physical sidelink channel (PSSCH) of the wireless communication network. Similarly, the response message can be sent on a PDSCH, PUSCH, or PSSCH. The request and / or response message can also be sent using a wireless communication link compliant with one of the IEEE 802.11 or IEEE 802.3 standards.

[0025] The proposed solution addresses the challenge of requesting and providing acquisition data in a communication network. To this end, a communication protocol is provided as a suitable interface for managing and responding to requests for acquisition data with specific time requirements within a communication network. This enables, in particular, the provision of acquisition data such as camera, radar, lidar, or ultrasound data to a cellular communication network. Therefore, acquisition data generated by radio nodes of the cellular communication network through (radar) acquisition using the network's radio resources can be complemented by acquisition data generated without using the network's radio resources.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the first aspect, the method further comprises: - requesting, by the first node, preferably in response to the received request message, acquisition information from at least one sensor that is connectable to or connected to the first node, wherein the requested acquisition data includes the acquisition information and / or is determined by the first node based on the acquisition information.

[0027] The sensor can be a radar, a camera, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, or a common or integrated detection and communication unit.

[0028] The integrated detection and communication unit can be configured to perform (radar) detection of its surroundings or environment using radio resources from the communication network. Performing detection preferably involves transmitting a radar waveform using radio resources from the communication network. Preferably, performing detection further involves receiving a reflection of the radar waveform from one or more objects or radar targets in the environment. The reflection of the radar waveform can include reflected and / or (back-)scattered components of the transmitted radar waveform. The objects can be vehicles, vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, infrastructure elements, buildings, etc.

[0029] The sensor can be connected to the first node via a wired or wireless communication link. The acquisition information can include raw data, pre-processed data, or fused data. Requesting the acquisition information preferably includes specifying the defined time requirement in the request to receive acquisition information that meets that requirement. This allows the requested acquisition data to be flexibly provided to the second node.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the first aspect, the method further comprises: - requesting, by the first node, preferably in response to the received request message, further acquisition information from at least one further sensor that is connectable to or connected with the first node, the requested acquisition data is determined by the first node by merging the acquisition information and the further acquisition information.

[0031] The provided acquisition data preferably corresponds to the result of fusing the acquisition information with further acquisition information. This allows information with high information gain to be provided to the second node, while saving resources compared to independently sending all received acquisition information.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the temporal requirement represents - a start time and / or an end time and / or a duration of a data collection window for the requested data collection, and / or - a rate for providing the requested collection data.

[0033] The acquisition window can represent a time period for capturing the environment or acquiring the data that represents the environment. The rate can represent the time intervals at which the acquisition data should be updated or refreshed. This allows the resources of the communication network to be used effectively by aligning them with the specific requirements of the second node.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the request message further specifies a requirement for an abstraction level of the requested acquisition data, whereby the abstraction level can be selected from a group that includes: raw data level, enriched data level, object data level, and occupancy grid data level. The request message can also specify that the requested acquisition data should be provided with different abstraction levels. This can prevent a waste of acquisition and / or communication resources by providing acquisition data with an abstraction level that corresponds to the specified requirement of the second node.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the request message further specifies a requirement for an area to be represented by the requested acquisition data. The area can be the full field of view or a subset of a field of view of one or more sensors that are connectable to or connected to the first node. This allows the acquisition and / or communication resources to be used effectively by providing the acquisition data for the area as specifically required by the second node.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the request message further specifies a requirement for a type or modality of the requested acquisition data, whereby the type / modality can be selected from a group that includes: ISAC acquisition data, radar acquisition data, camera acquisition data, lidar acquisition data, and ultrasonic acquisition data. Here, acquisition data of multiple types or modalities can be requested by the second node. This allows the provision of the acquisition data to be further tailored to the requirements of the second node.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the request message further specifies a requirement for the quality of the requested acquisition data. Depending on the data structure (objects or raster) and level of abstraction (point cloud, objects, features), the quality can be determined using various performance indicators, e.g., range and / or velocity resolution, i.e., the ability to distinguish or resolve between two adjacent objects; acquisition / measurement uncertainty; and detection probability, which represents the probability that a real object is detected or measured by the sensor. Based on the specified quality requirement, a quantity of acquisition resources for generating the requested acquisition data can be determined. This also allows the provision of the acquisition data to be adapted to the requirements of the second node.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the requested acquisition data is included in the response message in the form of occupancy probabilities and / or emptiness probabilities for a plurality of grid cells of a defined grid. The grid is a representation of a defined area within the field of view of one or more sensors. This is particularly advantageous for a task of scanning or acquiring an area.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the requested acquisition data is contained in the response message in the form of a state vector or multiple state vectors representing the state of objects. The state vector can include one or more attributes of the respective object, such as position, velocity, acceleration, size, yaw rate, etc. This is particularly advantageous for a task of tracking an object based on the requested acquisition data.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the first and / or second aspect, the requested acquisition data is included in the response message in the form of range information, speed information, angle information, and / or signal strength information. A periodogram may also be included in the response message. This is particularly advantageous when requesting enriched data.

[0041] According to a further aspect of the invention, a communication network is provided which includes at least the first node according to the third aspect and the second node according to the fourth aspect.

[0042] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for operating the communication network is provided. The method for operating the communication network comprises the steps of the method according to the first aspect or its embodiments and the steps of the method according to the second aspect or its embodiments.

[0043] The non-volatile, computer-readable medium is preferably configured to store the computer program to be executed by a processor of the first node and / or the second node. The non-volatile, computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, and any other non-volatile storage devices. Description of the characters

[0044] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the figures, which are not to be understood as limiting the claims and are explained in more detail below. Fig. Figure 1 schematically represents a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 schematically represents an architecture of a communication network according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 schematically represents methods according to embodiments of the invention; Fig. 4 schematically illustrates methods according to embodiments of the invention; and Fig. Figure 5 schematically illustrates methods according to embodiments of the invention.

[0045] Fig. Figure 1 schematically represents a wireless communication network 10 according to one aspect of the invention. The communication network 10 comprises a first node 12 configured as a server 12, a second node 14 configured as a base station 14, and a further node 16 configured as a user device 16. The further node 16 is arranged on a vehicle 18.

[0046] The first node 12 is connected to the second node 14 via a wired or wireless communication link 20. Furthermore, the first node 12 is connected to sensor units 18a, 18b, configured as stationary radar sensors 18a, 18b, via wired or wireless communication links 22a, 22b. The radar sensors 18a, 18b can be configured as roadside units or be part thereof.

[0047] For example, to increase the field of view of an onboard sensor system of vehicle 18, the additional node 16 can be configured to request acquisition data regarding an area 24 from the second node 14. To provide the requested acquisition data to the additional node 16, the second node 14 can be configured to request the respective acquisition data from server 12.

[0048] For this purpose, the second node 14 preferably comprises a non-volatile, computer-readable medium containing machine-readable instructions and a processor configured to load and execute the machine-readable instructions to cause the second node 14 to request acquisition data according to the method of the second aspect, as further described in Fig. 3 shown.

[0049] Accordingly, the first node 12 preferably comprises a non-volatile, machine-readable medium containing machine-readable instructions and a processor configured to load and execute the machine-readable instructions to cause the first node 12 to provide acquisition data according to the method of the first aspect, as further described in Fig. 3. shown.

[0050] The data collection will be requested within a specified timeframe, in particular based on at least one of the following: - a start time and / or an end time of a data collection window for the requested data collection, and / or - a rate for providing the requested collection data.

[0051] The specified time requirement may depend on the task for which the data collection is requested / provided.

[0052] Acquisition data can be requested for a task selected from scanning area 24, tracking a specific object that may be located within area 24, or obtaining enriched data from one or more specific sensor modalities, such as radar, camera, lidar, or ultrasound. The type of requested acquisition data can be selected based on the specific task. To scan a defined area, acquisition data representing an occupancy grid can be requested. To track an object, acquisition data representing an object list can be requested.

[0053] Here, scanning an area can be understood as the (repeated) acquisition of a defined area of ​​interest within a defined timeframe. Tracking one or more objects can be understood as determining the trajectory of one or more moving objects within a defined timeframe, preferably as long as the object(s) remain within a defined area, e.g., an area monitored (captured) by one or more sensors assigned to an application provider. To track an object, the object can first be identified using acquisition data. The identified object can then be assigned a (unique) identifier to mark it.

[0054] Requesting enriched data from one or more sensor modalities can be understood as obtaining or generating specific sensor data in a basic form, e.g., acquisition data such as point clouds from radar sensors or radio nodes performing integrated acquisition and communication, preferably supplemented by metadata. In the case of a request for enriched acquisition data, the provided acquisition data is preferably supplied without fusion.

[0055] Fig. Figure 2 schematically represents an architecture of a communication network 10' according to an embodiment of the invention. The depicted architecture allows a requesting node of the communication network 10' to request, preferably, fused acquisition data from one or more (non-3GPP) sensor(s) such as camera, radar, lidar, or ultrasonic sensors.

[0056] The communication network 10' comprises a wireless, specifically a cellular, communication network 10a' with a base station 14a' and a core network 14b'. The base station 14a' and the core network 14b' are connected via a communication link 15', e.g., an Xn communication link according to the 3GPP specifications. The base station 14a' can be configured to perform (radar) detection of an area 24' using radio resources of the wireless communication network 10a'. For this purpose, the base station 14a' can be configured to transmit a detection signal S1 and to receive a reflection signal R1 generated by a reflection of the detection signal S1 in the area 24'.

[0057] The communication network 10' also includes a server 12'. The server 12', e.g., an application server or a cloud computing unit, is connected to a plurality of sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'. The sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' are configured to detect the area 22'. Each of the sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' is configured to provide the server 12' with its respective detection information, representing at least parts of the area 22'. The sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' can be configured as radar sensors, cameras, lidar, or ultrasonic sensors. The server 12' preferably includes a sensor fusion unit 12' configured to fuse the acquisition information provided by the sensors 18a', 18b' ...,18i' to generate a representation of the area 22'.

[0058] In addition, the communication network 10' includes another server 26', e.g. an application server of a service provider.

[0059] Server 12', the other server 26' and the cellular communication network 10a' are connected via one or more wired and / or wireless communication links 28a', 28b', 28c', 28d'.

[0060] According to one embodiment of the invention, one of the nodes 14a', 14b' of the cellular communication network 10a' is configured to request acquisition data from the server 12'. Accordingly, the server 12' is configured to receive each request and provide the requested acquisition data.

[0061] Furthermore, server 12' can be configured to request collection data generated by base station 14a'. The additional server 24' can be configured to request collection data generated by base station 14a' and / or provided by server 12'. Base station 14a' and / or server 12' can be configured to provide the requested collection data to the additional server 26'.

[0062] Fig. Figure 3 schematically illustrates methods 100 and 200 according to embodiments of the invention.

[0063] Method 200 for receiving acquisition data from a first node 12' of a communication network, e.g. the first node 12' of Fig. 2, includes sending, through a second node 14a' of the communication network, e.g. the base station 14a' or the core network 14b' of Fig. 2, a request message to the first node 12', wherein the request message includes a request for acquisition data and specifies a time requirement for the requested acquisition data. The request message may further specify at least one requirement selected from a group that includes: an acquisition task, a type of acquisition result, an acquisition area, and an acquisition quality.

[0064] The procedure 100 for providing acquisition data to the node 14a' of the communication network comprises a step 110 of receiving, by the first node 12', the request message sent by the second node 14a', wherein the request message includes the request for the acquisition data and specifies the time requirement for the requested acquisition data.

[0065] The procedure 100 further includes a step 120 of determining, by the first node 12', whether the requested acquisition data can be provided to the second node 14a' in accordance with the specified time requirement, and preferably with the other specified requirements.

[0066] Furthermore, the procedure 100 includes a step 130 of sending, by the first node 12', based on a result of determining, a response message containing the requested collection data for provision to the second node 14a', or an offer to provide alternative collection data to the second node 14a' instead of the requested collection data. The response message may include a collection report containing collection data that meets the specified requirements.

[0067] The procedure 200 includes a further step 220 of receiving, by the second node 14a', the reply message which includes the requested collection data or the offer by the first node 12' to provide the alternative collection data node instead of the requested collection data.

[0068] The format and / or content of the request message and / or the response message may depend on the task for which the data is being requested. The request message and / or the response message may be configured as a data structure comprising multiple data fields.

[0069] For the task of scanning an area, the request message can include the following: - a first data field that specifies a type of requested collection data, in particular the type "occupancy grid", - a second data field that specifies a start time of a data collection window for generating the requested data collection data, - a third data field that specifies an end time of the data collection window and / or a duration of the data collection window, - a fourth data field that specifies a refresh rate for refreshing or updating the requested collection data, e.g. twice per second, - a fifth data field that specifies a defined area to be captured or sampled to generate the requested capture data, - a sixth data field that indicates the quality of the data collected, for example represented by a quality level, and / or the size and / or shape of the occupancy grid.

[0070] For the task of scanning an area, the response message can include the following: - a first data field that indicates a timestamp of the requested data collection - a second data field that specifies a size and / or shape of the grid and / or a number of cells in the grid, - a third data field that specifies an origin of a coordinate system for the grid - a fourth data field, preferably comprising a plurality of subfields, wherein the fourth data field, preferably the plurality of subfields, specifies for each of the cells of the grid an occupancy probability and / or an emptiness probability and / or an uncertainty, - optionally a fifth data field that specifies an elevation level, e.g. ground level, bridge level, etc. - optionally a sixth data field that specifies a speed in one or two dimensions, e.g. x and y.

[0071] The response message can include additional data fields to account for a movement pattern by considering results from multiple previous acquisition or sampling procedures of the area, e.g., to indicate the direction of movement of occupied or empty cells. This is advantageous for ray selection algorithms. Additionally or alternatively, the response message can include further data fields that specify the types and / or an identifier of one or more objects in the sampled area.

[0072] Sending the reply message may require a data rate of approximately 64 Mbps when covering a scanning area of ​​200 meters by 200 meters with a resolution of 0.1 m per cell. Please note that different resolutions and / or requested parameters will result in different data rates.

[0073] For the task of tracking an object, the request message can include the following: - a first data field that specifies a type of requested capture data, in particular the type "object list", where the object list may include an object hypothesis such as vehicles, pedestrians, etc. - a second data field that specifies a start time of a data collection window for generating the requested data collection data, - a third data field that specifies an end time of the data collection window and / or a duration of the data collection window, - optionally a fourth data field that specifies a refresh rate for refreshing or updating the requested collection data, - a fifth data field that specifies a defined area to be captured or sampled to generate the requested capture data, - a sixth data field that indicates the quality of the collected data, which is represented, for example, by a quality level.

[0074] For the task of tracking an object, the response message can preferably include the following for each identified object. - a first data field that specifies an object identifier, - a second data field that includes a time value, - a third data field that specifies a state vector of the object, e.g., at least one of a position, a speed, a size of the object. - optionally a fourth data field that specifies certain or estimated attributes of the object's state, e.g., acceleration, yaw axis of the object, - optionally a fifth data field that specifies a type, class or category of the object, e.g. car, pedestrian, tree, house, bridge, - a sixth data field that specifies a measure of uncertainty for one or more elements or attributes of the state vector, e.g. a covariance matrix, - a seventh data field that indicates the probability of the object's existence, i.e., how likely the object hypothesis is to describe an object in the real world, - an eighth data field that indicates a detection probability, which may depend on the object's position within the sensor's field of view that detects the object, - optionally a ninth data field that specifies further attributes or elements of the state vector, e.g. an age since creation.

[0075] The time reference can include a timestamp corresponding to the generation of the acquisition data, e.g., the point in time at which a state vector of an object is recorded, particularly in a case where the acquisition data consists of a snapshot of the environment. The time reference can additionally or alternatively include a time interval or duration, especially of the time interval, e.g., if a measurement of the environment is valid for more than one snapshot or if multiple observations are sent within the same response message.

[0076] The detection probability describes the likelihood that a real object will be measured by the sensor. This usually depends on the location (distance) and the type of object (e.g., car vs. pedestrian). The existence probability describes the likelihood that an estimated object, based on one or more detections, actually exists. Typically, the existence probability starts low with the first detection and reaches a value close to 1.0 after several detection cycles. It then remains high, even in the case of some missed detections.

[0077] Sending the reply message may require a data rate of approximately 1 Mbps when using high-performance radar sensors with 10,000 sampling points per frame.

[0078] For the task of requesting enriched data, the request message can include the following: - a first data field that specifies one or more sensor modalities, e.g. radar, camera, lidar, ultrasound, integrated sensing and communication, - a second data field that specifies a start time of a data collection window for generating the requested data collection data, - a third data field that specifies an end time of the data collection window and / or a duration of the data collection window, - a fourth data field that specifies a refresh rate for refreshing or updating the requested collection data, - a fifth data field that specifies a defined area to be captured or sampled to generate the requested capture data, - a sixth data field that indicates the quality of the collected data, which is represented, for example, by a quality level.

[0079] For the task of requesting enriched data, the response message can include the following: - a first data field that indicates a timestamp of the requested data collection - a second data field that specifies angular information, in particular representing an angle of incidence of a (reflected) detection signal received by the sensor that generated the detection information or the detection data angle, - a third data field that specifies a periodogram with parameters selected from range, speed, signal strength, preferably displayed as a heatmap, - optionally a fourth data field that provides channel state information, e.g. amplitude and / or phase values ​​of received acquisition signals for one or more subcarriers when using radio resources to acquire the area.

[0080] Sending the reply message may require a data rate of approximately 20 Gbps if radar sensors or integrated sensing and communication are used to generate the sensing data and to send spectral data, especially periodograms.

[0081] Consequently, the proposed solution supports various tasks or use cases, allows the provision of acquisition data with different levels of abstraction (enriched data, point clouds, object lists, periodograms, etc.) and enables an estimation of the required data rate for the respective task.

[0082] Fig. Figure 4 schematically illustrates methods 300 and 400 according to embodiments of the invention. Methods 300 and 400 represent an embodiment for a detection triggering process, e.g., from an application server to one or more sensors that are managed or controlled by the application server.

[0083] Method 300 of operating a first node 12' of a communication network, e.g. the first node 12' of Fig. 2, comprises step 310 of sending a service request to one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i', which are connectable to or connected to the first node 12', to request a data collection service. The one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' may be under the control of the first node 12' or may at least be accessible to the first node 12'.

[0084] The procedure 400 of operating one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' which are connectable or connected to the first node 12' comprises a step 410 of receiving the service request sent by the first node 12'.

[0085] The procedure 400 comprises a step 420 of sending a detection device completion message from one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ...,18i' to the first node 12' upon completion of a detection device.

[0086] The procedure 300 comprises a step 320 of receiving the detection device-completed message sent by one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ...,18i'.

[0087] Procedure 300 includes a step 330 of sending a detection activation request message to the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' in response to receiving the detection device completed message.

[0088] Procedure 400 includes step 430 of receiving the capture activation request message sent by the first node 12'.

[0089] The procedure 400 further comprises a step 440 of sending a capture activation response message from one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' to the first node 12' in response to receiving the capture activation request message to acknowledge or reject the capture activation request.

[0090] Procedure 300 includes step 340 of receiving the detection activation response message sent by one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0091] The procedure further includes step 450 of performing a capture by the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' and sending a capture report message to the first node 12', which includes a result of the captured data.

[0092] The procedure 300 includes a step 350 of receiving the acquisition report message sent by one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0093] Fig. Figure 5 schematically illustrates methods 500, 600, and 700 according to embodiments of the invention. Methods 500, 600, and 700 represent an embodiment for a detection trigger process, e.g., from an application server to a sensor system 30' or a detection means with one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0094] Method 500 of operating a first node 12' of a communication network, e.g. the first node 12' of Fig. 2, includes a step 510 of sending a capture activation request message to the capture system 30' with a capture management function 32' and the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0095] The procedure 600 of operating the capture management function 32' includes a step 610 of receiving the capture activation request message sent by the first node 12'.

[0096] The procedure 600 comprises a step 620 of sending a detection device message to the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0097] The procedure 700 of operating one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' includes a step 710 of receiving the acquisition device message sent by the acquisition management function 32'.

[0098] Procedure 700 includes a step 720 of sending a detection device completion message from the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' to the detection management function 32' upon completion of a detection device.

[0099] The procedure 600 comprises a step 630 of receiving the detection device-completed message sent by the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0100] The procedure 600 comprises a step 640 of sending a capture activation request message to the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' to activate a capture procedure by the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0101] The procedure 700 includes a step 730 of receiving the detection activation request message by one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0102] The procedure 700 further includes a step 740 of sending a capture activation response message from one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' to the capture management function 32' in response to receiving the capture activation request message to acknowledge or reject the capture activation request.

[0103] Procedure 600 includes step 650 of receiving the detection activation response message sent by one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0104] Procedure 600 includes step 660 of sending a capture activation response message, which is sent from the capture management function 32' to the first node 12'.

[0105] Procedure 500 includes step 520 of receiving the capture activation response message sent by the capture management function 32'.

[0106] The procedure 700 comprises a step 750 of performing a capture by the one or more sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i' and sending a capture report message to the capture management function 32', which includes a result of the capture performed.

[0107] The procedure 600 includes a step 670 of receiving the acquisition report message sent by one or each of the multiple sensors 18a', 18b', ..., 18i'.

[0108] Procedure 600 includes step 680 of sending the received capture report message to the first node 12'.

[0109] Procedure 500 includes step 530 of receiving the capture report message sent by the capture management function 32'.

Claims

[1] Method (100) for providing acquisition data to a node of a communication network (10; 10') comprising the following: - Receiving (110), by a first node (12; 12') of the communication network (10; 10'), a request message from a second node (14; 14a', 14b') of the communication network (10; 10'), wherein the request message includes a request for data collection and specifies a time requirement for the requested data collection; - Determine (120), through the first node (12; 12'), whether the requested acquisition data can be provided to the second node (14; 14a', 14b') within the specified time requirement; and - Send (130), through the first node (12; 12'), based on a result of determining (120), a response message comprising the following ◯ the requested collection data to provide the requested collection data to the second node (14; 14a', 14b'), or ◯ an offer to provide alternative collection data to the second node (14; 14a', 14b') instead of the requested collection data. [2] Method (100) according to claim 1, further comprising: - Requesting, by the first node (12; 12'), preferably in response to the received request message, acquisition information from at least one sensor (18a, 18b; 18a', 18b', ..., 18i') that is connectable to or connected with the first node (12; 12'), wherein the requested acquisition data includes the acquisition information and / or is determined by the first node (12; 12') based on the acquisition information. [3] Method (100) according to claim 2, further comprising: - Requesting, by the first node (12; 12'), preferably in response to the received request message, further acquisition information from at least one further sensor (18a, 18b; 18a', 18b', ..., 18i') that is connectable to or connected with the first node (12; 12'), wherein the requested acquisition data is determined by the first node (12; 12') by fusing the acquisition information and the further acquisition information. [4] Method (200) for receiving acquisition data from a first node (12; 12') of a communication network (10; 10') comprising the following: - Sending (210) a request message to the first node (12; 12') by a second node (14; 14a', 14b') of the communication network (10; 10'), wherein the request message includes a request for acquisition data and specifies a time requirement for the requested acquisition data; and - Received (220), by the second node (14; 14a', 14b'), a reply message comprising the following ◯ the requested collection data, or ◯ an offer by the first node (12; 12') to provide alternative data collection nodes instead of the requested data collection. [5] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the time requirement represents the following - a start time and / or an end time and / or a duration of a data collection window for the requested data collection, and / or - a rate for providing the requested collection data. [6] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the request message further specifies a requirement for an abstraction level of the requested acquisition data, wherein the abstraction level can be selected from a group comprising: raw data level, enriched data level, object data level, occupancy grid data level. [7] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the request message further specifies a requirement for an area (24) to be represented by the requested acquisition data. [8] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the request message further specifies a requirement for a type of requested acquisition data, wherein the type can be selected from a group comprising: acquisition data for integrated acquisition and communication, ISAC, radar acquisition data, camera acquisition data, lidar acquisition data, ultrasonic acquisition data. [9] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the request message further specifies a requirement for the quality of the requested acquisition data. [10] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the requested acquisition data are included in the response message in the sense of occupancy probabilities and / or emptiness probabilities for a plurality of grid cells of a defined grid. [11] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the requested acquisition data are included in the response message in the sense of a state vector or several state vectors representing a state of objects. [12] Method (100, 200) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the requested acquisition data are included in the response message in the sense of range information and / or speed information and / or angle information and / or signal strength information. [13] First node (12; 12') of a communication network (10; 10') wherein the first node (12; 12') is configured to perform the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 or 5 to 12. [14] Second node (14; 14a', 14b') of a communication network (10; 10') wherein the second node (14; 14a', 14b') is configured to perform the method (200) according to any one of claims 4 to 12. [15] Computer program that includes machine-readable instructions to cause - the first node (12; 12') according to claim 13 performs the method (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3 or 5 to 12, and / or - the second node (14; 14a', 14b') according to claim 14 performs the method (200) according to one of claims 4 to 12. [16] Non-volatile computer-readable medium on which the computer program according to claim 15 is stored.

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