Procedure for calculating a position

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (100) for calculating the position of an application device (10), comprising the following steps, which are performed by the application device (10): - Sending (101) a sidelink positioning reference signal (5) to a target (20), - Receiving (102) a reflection of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal (7) from the target (20), - Combining (103) sensing information and positioning information, wherein the sensing information is based on information regarding the reflection of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal (7), and wherein the positioning information is based on distance measurement information regarding the sent positioning reference signal (5), - Calculating (104) a position of the application device (10) based on the combined sensing and positioning information.

Description

The invention relates to a method for calculating a position. Furthermore, the invention relates to a user device for the same purpose. In addition, the invention relates to a corresponding computer program and a computer-readable medium. State of the art Radio frequency sensing has become increasingly important as the need for intelligent devices grows dramatically. Unlike traditional sensing, radio frequency sensing uses existing radio signals or devices to passively sensing the surrounding environment at low cost and with widespread deployment. Cellular networks, such as 5G wireless networks, provide access to high frequencies, wide bandwidth, or antenna arrays, making them suitable for radio frequency sensing. The signals transmitted by a radio device and received by another object or device contain variations caused by other objects in the surrounding environment between the transmitter and receiver. Consequently, measurements of these signals can be used to sensing the environment. In radio-based positioning within a cellular network, a device can locate itself and be located using the transmitted and received radio waves. Radio-based positioning in a cellular network, particularly in a 5G network, effectively utilizes the characteristics of radio signals to determine the location of a device. The object can be a building or any device capable of receiving a radio signal, such as a smartphone, drone, or vehicle. Positioning can be achieved using various methods, such as Time of Arrival (ToA), Time of Arrival (TDoA), or Angle of Arrival (AoA), to calculate the object's position. These methods rely on measuring the time a signal takes to travel from the transmitter to the receiver (object) or the angle at which the signal reaches the receiver.Given the high frequency and wide bandwidth of 5G signals, they provide higher resolution for positioning, making positioning more accurate than in previous generations of cell networks. Furthermore, cell networks operate devices with reduced capabilities. Currently, these devices, known as RedCap UEs, can only transmit or receive data with limited bandwidth. However, the positioning reference signals are transmitted with high bandwidth. Therefore, due to the limited bandwidth, the device with reduced capabilities cannot efficiently support detection and / or positioning. Disclosure of the invention It is therefore an object of the present invention to at least partially overcome the disadvantages described above. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for a user device to improve positioning by combining information based on detection and positioning in a cell network. The above problem is solved by a method with the features of claim 1 and an application device with the features of claim 7. Further features and details of the invention are disclosed in the respective dependent claims, the description, and the drawings. The features and details described in connection with the method according to the invention also apply to both the application device according to the invention and the application device according to the invention with reduced capability, and vice versa, so that mutual reference can always be made with regard to the disclosures concerning the individual aspects of the invention. The problem is solved in particular by a method for calculating a position for a user device, which is executed on the user device. The method according to a first aspect of the invention comprises the following steps, which are executed by a user device: - Sending a sidelink positioning reference signal to a target, - Receiving a reflection of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal from the target, - Combining acquisition information and positioning information, wherein the acquisition information is based on information regarding the reflection of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal, and wherein the positioning information is based on ranging information regarding the sent positioning reference signal, - Calculating a position of the user device based on the combined acquisition and positioning information. This allows the user device to advantageously perform a more efficient sidelink positioning and / or acquisition procedure within a cell network. Furthermore, this advantageously improves the user device's ability to determine its own location, such as its relative position to another device, or to acquire accurate positioning information. Combining refers to the process of combining multiple pieces of information, data, or measurements to determine the precise position of the user device or user apparatus. The positioning reference signal (PRS) range, for example, can be a range obtained from a positioning reference system, such as GPS (Global Positioning System), or any other technology used for positioning within a cell network. The acquisition range can be, for example,The range of a sensor or set of sensors can provide information about the position of an object or its environment. Combining the detection and positioning information benefits from combining data from both the PRS range and the detection range to obtain a more accurate estimate of the user device's position. By effectively leveraging the strengths and capabilities of both detection and positioning, the combination process improves the accuracy and reliability of the user device's position estimate. In cell networks, precise positioning is achieved using dedicated positioning or sensing reference signals. These signals span the available bandwidth. Positioning can be defined as determining the location of an active user device, such as a device with sufficient and complete receive and transmit capabilities. Sensing describes the process of detecting and locating passive targets, i.e., objects without receive capabilities. A sidelink positioning reference signal is used for device-to-device (D2D) or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication scenarios in LTE or 5G networks.The Sidelink positioning reference signal can be sent and received directly between devices without involving the base station or node B to assist in determining the relative position of one device to another. This is particularly advantageous in scenarios requiring direct communication between devices, such as autonomous vehicle communication or public safety applications. According to a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the target comprises a user device with reduced capability, comprising a transmitter / receiver, wherein the transmitter / receiver comprises an operating frequency range for receiving and / or transmitting data for sensing and / or positioning. This type of user device has reduced capabilities, such as a smaller number of antennas and reduced receive and transmit bandwidth. The reduced-capability user device, or Redcap-UE, is a device of limited complexity, where complexity refers to processing data for higher modulation and coding at very high data rates. Furthermore, such a UE provides only limited transmit power, which allows the device or user device to operate on batteries for a sufficient duration. Additionally, this type of UE provides only limited bandwidth, which reduces complexity and / or transmit power. The reduced-capability device can advantageously support the data acquisition performed by the user device. Optionally, the target can be, for example, a device. A device can be understood as a physical or virtual object configured for a specific purpose or function. According to a further embodiment, the transmitted sidelink positioning reference signal comprises a bandwidth, wherein the bandwidth of the sidelink positioning reference signal is greater than the operating frequency range of the reduced-capability user device, wherein the method further comprises the following step: - Receiving the positioning information based on a partial sidelink positioning reference signal from the reduced-capability user device. This enables a more efficient data acquisition procedure and advantageously increases the capabilities to support a more accurate and precise calculation of the user device's position in a cell network. According to a further embodiment, the user device comprises a Sidelink location management function and a Sidelink acquisition management function, wherein the Sidelink acquisition management function is colocated with the Sidelink location management function, and the combining is performed by the Sidelink acquisition management function. The method comprises the following further steps: - Receiving the positioning information, in particular a relative position, of the target from the Sidelink location management function, - Providing the combined acquisition information and positioning information to an application layer in a cell network for further use. Here, the received positioning information is preferably requested by the user device. This enables faster and more efficient data acquisition and positioning because the respective management functions are located within the user device. Furthermore, this has the advantage of significantly increasing the speed at which the user device's position can be calculated. This is particularly beneficial if the user device is located in an autonomous vehicle, as it allows for faster provision of accurate and precise positioning. According to another embodiment, the combination step is performed by the Sidelink location management function, wherein the method includes the following further step: - Receiving the acquisition information from the Sidelink acquisition management function, - Providing the combined acquisition information and positioning information to an application layer in a cell network for further use. Here, the received acquisition information is preferably requested by the user device. This enables faster and more efficient execution of acquisition and positioning because the respective management functions are located in the user device. Furthermore, this has the advantage that the speed of calculating the user device's position can be significantly increased. This is further advantageous if the user device is located in an autonomous vehicle, as it allows for faster provision of accurate and precise positioning. According to a further embodiment, the method comprises the following additional steps: - Sending acquisition information to the application layer at the Sidelink acquisition management function, wherein the acquisition information includes an acquisition report, - Sending positioning information to the application layer at the Sidelink location management function, wherein the positioning information includes a positioning report, and wherein the combining is performed by a combination function in the application layer. This has the advantage that the combined information is directly available in the application layer and can be used to improve the user experience. Furthermore, this enables faster and more efficient data processing of the detection and / or positioning information, as the application layer can directly access the required information without having to go through additional layers. This also advantageously reduces the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access. According to a second aspect of the invention, an application device is provided for calculating a position in a cell network. The application device comprises a transmitter / receiver configured to send and / or receive a sidelink position reference signal. The application device includes a memory for storing computer-executable instructions and a processor coupled to the transmitter / receiver and the memory. The processor is configured to execute the steps of the method according to the invention. Consequently, the application device according to the invention provides the same advantages that have been described in detail with respect to the method according to the invention. According to another embodiment, the user device includes a Sidelink location management function and a Sidelink detection management function, wherein the Sidelink location management function and / or the Sidelink detection management function are configured to combine the detection information and the positioning information. This allows the user device to advantageously improve its capabilities in terms of more efficient and accurate detection and / or positioning. According to another embodiment, the Sidelink location management function and / or the Sidelink detection management function are configured to provide the combined detection and positioning information to an application layer in a cell network for further use. According to another embodiment, the Sidelink detection management function is colocated with the Sidelink location management function. This enables faster and more efficient data acquisition and positioning because the respective management functions are located on the user device. Furthermore, this has the advantage of significantly increasing the speed at which the user device's position can be calculated. This is further advantageous if the user device is located in an autonomous vehicle, as it allows for faster provision of accurate and precise positioning. According to a third aspect, a computer program is provided which includes instructions to cause the user device according to the second aspect or its respective embodiments to perform the steps of the procedure according to the first aspect or its respective embodiments. According to a fourth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided which contains the computer program stored according to the third aspect. Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which embodiments of the invention are described in detail with respect to the drawings. In this context, the features mentioned in the claims and in the description can be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. The figures show: Fig. 1: an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention; Fig. 2: another exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention; Fig. 3: another exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention; and Fig. 4: another exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention. The core of the invention lies in combining the received positioning reference signal (PRS signal) reflected by the target and the received partial PRS signal within the receiver bandwidth of the RedCap. This means that in a situation where the acquisition bandwidth exceeds the RedCap bandwidth, the reflected PRS signal, which covers the full acquisition bandwidth, can be used, for example, by the user device or alternatively by a node, such as a gNode B, either monostatically or bistically. Consequently, the position of the user device can be calculated by combining or unifying the PRS-RedCap distance measurement based on the partial reception of the PRS signal and the acquisition distance measurement based on the PRS reflected by the target. The reflected PRS signal is not an active PRS signal response from the target or object, such as a device with reduced capability. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the method 100 according to the invention for a user device 10. Fig. 1 illustrates, according to one embodiment of the invention, a method 100 for calculating a position on a user device 10, wherein the method comprises the following steps: In step 101, a sidelink positioning reference signal 5 is sent to a target 20. This starts the acquisition and positioning procedure on a user device 10. According to step 102, a reflection 7 of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal 5 is received from the target 20. In step 103, the acquisition information and positioning information are combined, wherein the acquisition information is based on the information regarding the reflection of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal 5 and wherein the positioning information is based on the distance measurement information regarding the sent positioning reference signal 5.Then, in step 104, the position of the user device 10 is calculated based on the combined detection and positioning information. Fig. 2 illustrates a further embodiment of the method 100 according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows a schematic flowchart of the process of detection 1 and positioning 2. Fig. 2 shows the various signals 5, 6, 7 that are sent to a user device 20 with reduced capability and received by the user device 10 during the execution of detection 1 and positioning 2. In Fig. 2, a positioning reference signal 5 is shown, wherein the signal 5 covers a full detection bandwidth. Furthermore, a reflected signal 7 of the transmitted signal 5 is shown. The signal 7 is reflected by a target 20, which covers the full detection bandwidth. The signal 7 is not to be understood as an active response from the target 20, but simply as a (passive) reflection 7 of the transmitted signal 5.The reflection signal 7 is received very quickly at the user device 10, since the reflection 7 requires no processing but depends only on the distance. Furthermore, a partial positioning reference signal 6 covers the bandwidth of the user device's operating frequency range with reduced capability, which is smaller than the full acquisition bandwidth. Fig. 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the method 100 according to the invention. Fig. 3 depicts the method 100 according to the invention being carried out by a user device 10 and a reduced-capability device 20 in a cell network. The user device 10 can, for example, be a vehicle component 10. The user device sends a sidelink positioning reference signal 5 to a target 20, which, according to this embodiment, can, for example, be a reduced-capability user device 20. In this situation, the acquisition bandwidth of the transmitted signal 5 exceeds the bandwidth of the operating frequency range of the reduced-capability device 20. Consequently, the reduced-capability device 20 sends a response 6, wherein the response 6 comprises acquisition data based on the partial reception of the sidelink positioning reference signal 6.The partial reception is caused by the smaller bandwidth of the operating frequency range of the user device 20 with its reduced capability. Figure 3 also shows that the user device 10, however, receives the reflected sidelink positioning reference signal 7, which covers a full acquisition bandwidth. Fig. 4 shows an exemplary further embodiment of the method 100 according to the invention. Fig. 4 illustrates a user device 10 and a target 20. In this figure, the user device 10 receives the acquisition data based on the partial reception of the sidelink positioning reference signal 6, receiving the reflected sidelink positioning reference signal 7. According to this embodiment, the user device 10 comprises a sidelink location management function 11 (SLMF) and a sidelink acquisition management function 12 (SSeMF). The sidelink acquisition management function 12 is colocated with the sidelink location management function 11. Alternatively, the sidelink acquisition management function 12 can also be arranged differently than shown in Fig. 4. The sidelink acquisition management function 12 can, for example, be arranged in a further device or function of the cell network. According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the sidelink acquisition management function 12 performs an acquisition procedure or acquisition 1. This is done by sending a positioning reference signal 5 (PRS) over a sidelink channel. The sidelink acquisition management function 12 then requests the relative position of the acquired target 20 from the sidelink location management function 11. The sidelink location management function 11 provides the relative position of the target 20. The sidelink acquisition management function 12 combines the relative position information with the acquisition data and provides the combined information to an application layer (not shown) for further use. According to another embodiment, not shown in Fig. 4, the combination step can alternatively be performed in the Sidelink location management function 11. According to this further embodiment, the user device 10 comprises a Sidelink location management function 11 (SLMF) and a Sidelink acquisition management function 12 (SSeMF). The Sidelink acquisition management function 12 is colocated with the Sidelink location management function 11. According to this further embodiment, the Sidelink acquisition management function 12 performs the acquisition 1. The Sidelink location management function 11 requests the acquisition data from the Sidelink acquisition management function 12. The Sidelink acquisition management function 12 provides the acquisition data. The Sidelink location management function 11 combines the information about the relative position with the acquisition data and provides the combined information to the (not shown) application layer. According to another alternative embodiment, which is also not shown in Fig. 4, the combination step can be performed at the application layer level. In this embodiment, the Sidelink acquisition management function 12 sends an acquisition report, including the acquisition data, to the application layer, while the Sidelink location management function 11 sends a location report, including the relative location information, to the application layer. A function or instance in the application layer then combines the acquisition and location information for further use. The above explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention in the context of examples. Of course, individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another if this is technically feasible without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

Method (100) for calculating a position of an application device (10), comprising the following steps performed by the application device (10): - Sending (101) a sidelink positioning reference signal (5) to a target (20), - Receiving (102) a reflection of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal (7) from the target (20), - Combining (103) sensing information and positioning information, wherein the sensing information is based on information regarding the reflection of the sent sidelink positioning reference signal (7), and wherein the positioning information is based on distance measurement information regarding the sent positioning reference signal (5), - Calculating (104) a position of the application device (10) based on the combined sensing and positioning information. Method (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the target (20) comprises a user device with reduced capability comprising a transmitter / receiver, wherein the transmitter / receiver comprises an operating frequency range for receiving and / or transmitting data for sensing and / or positioning. Method (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the transmitted sidelink positioning reference signal (5) comprises a bandwidth, wherein the bandwidth of the sidelink positioning reference signal (5) is greater than the operating frequency range of the reduced-capacity user device (20), and the method (100) further comprises the following step: - Receiving the positioning information based on a partial sidelink positioning reference signal (6) from the reduced-capacity user device (20). Method (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the user device (10) comprises a Sidelink location management function (11) and a Sidelink acquisition management function (12), wherein the Sidelink acquisition management function (12) is collocated with the Sidelink location management function (11), wherein the combining (103) is performed by the Sidelink acquisition management function (12) and the method (100) comprises the following further steps: - receiving the positioning information, in particular a relative position, of the target (20) from the Sidelink location management function (11), - providing the combined acquisition information and positioning information to an application layer in a cell network for further use. Method (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that the combining (103) is performed by the Sidelink location management function (11) and the method (100) comprises the following further step: - Receiving the acquisition information from the Sidelink acquisition management function (12), - Providing the combined acquisition information and positioning information to an application layer in a cell network for further use. Method (100) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the method (100) further comprises the following steps: - sending acquisition information to the application layer at the Sidelink acquisition management function (12), wherein the acquisition information comprises an acquisition report, - sending positioning information to the application layer at the Sidelink location management function (11), wherein the positioning information comprises a positioning report, and wherein the combining is performed by a combination function in the application layer. User device (10) comprising: a transmitter / receiver configured to transmit and / or receive a sidelink position reference signal (5, 6), a memory storing computer-executable instructions, a processor coupled to the transmitter / receiver and the memory, the processor being configured to perform the steps of the method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims. User device (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the user device (10) further comprises a Sidelink location management function (11) and a Sidelink acquisition management function (12), wherein the Sidelink location management function (11) and / or the Sidelink acquisition management function (12) are configured to combine the acquisition information and the positioning information. User device (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the Sidelink location management function (11) and / or the Sidelink detection management function (12) are configured to provide the combined detection information and positioning information of an application layer in a cell network for further use. User device (10) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the Sidelink acquisition management function (12) is collocated with the Sidelink location management function (11). Computer program comprising instructions to cause the user device (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 10 to perform the steps of the method (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Computer-readable medium in which the computer program according to claim 11 is stored.

Images