Ranging or sidelink positioning method, apparatus, communication device and storage medium

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, the method being executed by a first terminal, the method including a step of determining whether to send notification information to a first network function based on a first predetermined result and / or a second predetermined result, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the first predetermined result including a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function, the second predetermined result including a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, but is not limited to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular to a method, apparatus, communication device and storage medium for ranging or sidelink positioning. [Background technology]

[0002] In one scenario, ranging refers to determining the distance between two or more terminals and / or the direction and / or relative positioning between one terminal and another terminal via a PC5 interface. Conventionally, the calculation of the ranging result can be performed by a Location Management Function (LMF). However, when the calculation of the ranging result is performed based on the LMF, it is necessary to interact with the LMF in the network, which requires a cumbersome interaction process, resulting in long delay and high complexity. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The disclosed embodiments disclose a method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium for ranging or sidelink positioning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, the method being performed by a first terminal, the method comprising: determining whether to send notification information to the first network function based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result; The notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function, the second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal includes the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, the method being performed by a first network function, the method comprising: receiving notification information sent by a first terminal, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal; In response to receiving the notification information, a step of introducing an LMF to perform a positioning operation of the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the predetermined operation including ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and measurement result calculations is included.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, the method being performed by a core network device, the method comprising: receiving notification information sent by a first terminal via an access network, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal; In response to receiving the notification information, performing a predetermined operation, the predetermined operation including ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and measurement result calculations.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a ranging or sidelink positioning device, the device comprising: a decision module configured to decide whether to send notification information to the first network function based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result; The notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function, the second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal includes the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a ranging or sidelink positioning device, the device comprising: It has a receiving module and an introducing module, the receiving module is configured to receive notification information sent by a first terminal, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal; The introduction module is configured to introduce an LMF to perform a positioning operation of the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal in response to receiving the notification information, and the predetermined operation includes ranging or sidelink positioning measurement and measurement result calculation.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a ranging or sidelink positioning device, the device comprising: Equipped with the first network function, the first network function is configured to receive, via an access network, notification information sent by a first terminal, and to perform a predetermined operation in response to receiving the notification information; the notification information is used to indicate that there is no available positioning server terminal for a ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal including the first terminal and a second terminal; The predetermined operations include ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and measurement result calculations.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication device, the communication device comprising: a processor; a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; The processor, when executing the executable instructions, is configured to implement a method according to any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] According to an eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer storage medium having a computer-executable program stored thereon, the executable program, when executed by a processor, implementing a method according to any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a determination is made as to whether to send notification information to a first network function based on a first predetermined result and / or a second predetermined result, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for a ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and a second terminal. Here, whether to transmit the notification information to the first network function is determined based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result. That is, whether to transmit the notification information to the first network function needs to be adapted to the result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support the positioning server function and / or the result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. Therefore, if the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports the positioning server function, it is not necessary to use an LMF for ranging or sidelink positioning. Alternatively, if the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports the positioning server function and has discovered the positioning server terminal, it is not necessary to use an LMF for ranging or sidelink positioning. This can reduce delay and complexity when performing ranging or sidelink positioning compared to directly determining to use an LMF for ranging or sidelink positioning. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sidelink positioning scenario according to an example embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 4]1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a method for ranging or sidelink positioning according to an example embodiment; [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a ranging or sidelink positioning device according to an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a ranging or sidelink positioning device according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a ranging or sidelink positioning device according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment; [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a base station in accordance with an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Illustrative examples are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings refer to the same or similar elements unless otherwise specified. The embodiments described in the following illustrative examples do not represent all embodiments consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0015] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. As used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0016] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, and third are used to describe various pieces of information, but it should be understood that these pieces of information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish between pieces of information of the same type. For example, first information can be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information can be referred to as first information, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Depending on the context, the word "if" used herein can be interpreted as "if," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0017] For simplicity and ease of understanding, the text will use the terms "large" or "small" when characterizing size relationships, however, one skilled in the art will understand that the term "large" also encompasses the meaning of "greater than or equal to," and that "small" also encompasses the meaning of "less than or equal to."

[0018] 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on mobile communication technology, and the wireless communication system may include several user devices 110 and several base stations 120.

[0019] Here, the user device 110 may be a device that provides a user with a voice connection and / or a data connection. The user device 110 can communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN). The user device 110 may be a sensor device, a mobile phone, or a computer with an Internet of Things user device, such as a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-integrated, or vehicle-mounted device. For example, the user device 110 may be a station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile, remote station, access point, remote user device, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, or user equipment. Alternatively, the user device 110 may be an unmanned aerial vehicle. Alternatively, the user device 110 may be an in-vehicle device, such as an in-vehicle computer with wireless communication capabilities, or a wireless user device of an external in-vehicle computer, or may be a roadside device, such as a street light, traffic light, or other roadside device with wireless communication capabilities.

[0020] The base station 120 may be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. Here, the wireless communication system may be the 4th generation mobile communication (4G) system, also referred to as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a 5G system, also referred to as a new radio system or a 5GNR system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a next-generation system of the 5G system. Among these, the access network in the 5G system may be called a New Generation-Radio Access Network (NG-RAN).

[0021] The base station 120 may be an evolved base station (eNB) used in a 4G system. Alternatively, the base station 120 may be a base station (gNB) using a centralized-distributed architecture in a 5G system. When the base station 120 adopts a centralized-distributed architecture, it typically includes a central unit (CU) and at least two distributed units (DUs). The centralized unit is provided with protocol stacks for a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, while the distributed units are provided with a Physical (PHY) layer protocol stack. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to a specific implementation of the base station 120.

[0022] The base station 120 and the user device 110 can establish a wireless connection through a wireless air interface. In different implementations, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on a fourth generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard. Alternatively, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on a fifth generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, for example, the wireless air interface is a new air interface. Alternatively, the wireless air interface may be a wireless air interface based on a next-generation mobile communication network technology standard such as 5G.

[0023] In some embodiments, an end-to-end (E2E) connection may be established between user devices 110. For example, this applies to scenarios such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication (V2V to vehicle), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication in vehicular network communication.

[0024] Here, the above user device can be considered as a terminal device in the following examples.

[0025] In some embodiments, the wireless communication system described above may also include a network management device 130 .

[0026] The base stations 120 are each connected to a network management device 130. Here, the network management device 130 may be a core network device in a wireless communication system, for example, a mobility management entity (MME) in an evolved packet core network (EPC). Alternatively, the network management device may be another core network device, such as a serving gateway (SGW), a public data network gateway (PGW), a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), or a home subscriber server (HSS). The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the implementation form of the network management device 130.

[0027] In order to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art, the embodiments of the present disclosure will enumerate several embodiments to clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Of course, those skilled in the art can understand that the several embodiments provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented alone or in combination with the methods of other embodiments in the embodiments of the present disclosure, or can be implemented alone or in combination with some methods of other related technologies. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0028] To better understand the technical solutions described in any embodiment of the present disclosure, an application scenario in the related art will be described first.

[0029] In one embodiment, ranging or sidelink positioning uses PC5 to position the terminal.

[0030] The following are the terms used for ranging or sidelink positioning:

[0031] Reference UE is a terminal that identifies the reference plane and reference direction for ranging-based services and sidelink positioning.

[0032] A target terminal (Target UE) is a terminal whose distance, direction and / or position is measured relative to a reference plane, reference direction and / or position of a reference terminal in ranging-based services and sidelink positioning.

[0033] Note that a terminal participating in ranging or sidelink positioning can be either a target terminal or a reference terminal and can switch roles in the same ranging or sidelink positioning session.

[0034] An assistant terminal (UE) is a terminal that supports ranging or sidelink positioning when direct ranging or sidelink positioning between a reference terminal and a target terminal is not supported.

[0035] A Located UE is a terminal whose location is known or can be known using Uu-based positioning. A Located UE can be used to determine the location of a target UE using ranging or sidelink.

[0036] The Location Server UE is a terminal that provides the location server functionality on behalf of the LMF for sidelink positioning and ranging via sidelink. It interacts with target terminals, reference terminals, auxiliary terminals, and positioning terminals as needed to calculate the location of the target terminal.

[0037] Sidelink positioning uses PC5 to position the terminal.

[0038] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, ranging and sidelink positioning services can be supported regardless of network (e.g., 5G) coverage. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing how 5G provides ranging services to terminals with or without 5G coverage. When a licensed band is used for ranging, it must be fully under the control of the operator.

[0039] In one embodiment, the ranging or sidelink positioning process may include the following steps:

[0040] In step a, ranging or sidelink positioning request / response (e.g., received / sent between a third-party UE, an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), and an LMF); In step b, measurements between two UEs or between one UE and multiple UEs; In step c, the calculation of the result (eg, in the location server UE and / or LMF), the location server UE supports at least one of the following functions:

[0041] Function 1: Receive / send ranging / sidelink positioning requests / responses to / from the UE or LMF.

[0042] Function 2: Calculate the result.

[0043] The location server UE can be co-located with the reference UE or target UE, or can be a standalone UE.

[0044] The calculation of the result may be performed by the location server UE, the LMF, or both, but in order to reduce network latency and complexity, the inclusion of the LMF in the calculation of the result should be avoided whenever possible.

[0045] Therefore, how to determine whether an LMF is involved to expose ranging or sidelink positioning between two UEs or between one UE and multiple UEs to a third party UE, an application function AF or a network function NF of the 5G core network is an issue that needs to be considered.

[0046] It should be noted that the side link in the present disclosure may also be understood as, but is not limited to, a direct link or a side link.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3 , this embodiment provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, where the method is performed by a first terminal, and the method includes the following steps:

[0048] In step 31, it is determined whether to send notification information to a first network function based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result.

[0049] Here, the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0050] Here, the terminal according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an in-vehicle terminal, a roadside unit (RSU), a smart home terminal, an industrial sensing device, and / or a medical device, etc. In some embodiments, the terminal may be a Redcap terminal or a new air interface NR terminal of a predetermined version (e.g., an R17 NR terminal).

[0051] The base station according to the present disclosure may be of various types, such as a base station of a third generation mobile communication (3G) network, a base station of a fourth generation mobile communication (4G) network, a base station of a fifth generation mobile communication (5G) network, or other evolved base stations.

[0052] The network function according to the present disclosure may be various types of network functions, such as a network function of a fifth generation mobile communication (5G) network or other evolved network functions. The network function may be an AMF or an LMF, etc.

[0053] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information transmitted by a first network function, the device determines whether to transmit notification information to the first network function based on a first predetermined result and / or a second predetermined result. Here, the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support the positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and a second terminal. Note that the ranging or sidelink positioning request information may indicate the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0054] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal, the network function determines whether to send notification information to a first network function based on a first predetermined result and / or a second predetermined result. Here, the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and a second terminal. Note that the ranging or sidelink positioning request information may indicate the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0055] In one embodiment, in response to performing ranging / sidelink positioning between the first terminal and a second terminal, a determination is made as to whether to send notification information to a first network function based on a first predetermined result and / or second predetermined result information, wherein the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0056] In one embodiment, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal transmits the notification information to the first network function in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having discovered a positioning server terminal, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal includes the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0057] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and a positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results.

[0058] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and a positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results. Information on the ranging or sidelink positioning results is sent to the first network function.

[0059] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and a positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results. Information on the ranging or sidelink positioning results is sent to a third-party terminal.

[0060] In one embodiment, the ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by a first network function is received, and in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results.

[0061] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results.

[0062] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, wherein the predetermined operation includes ranging or sidelink positioning measurement and measurement result calculation.

[0063] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring the ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to the first network function.

[0064] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring the ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to a third party terminal.

[0065] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by a first network function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, wherein the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0066] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain ranging or sidelink positioning results, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0067] In one embodiment, when the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovers a positioning server terminal, a predetermined operation is performed among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0068] In one embodiment, when the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovers a positioning server terminal, predetermined operations are performed among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to the first network function.

[0069] In one embodiment, when the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovers a positioning server terminal, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring the ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating the measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to a third-party terminal.

[0070] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by a first network function, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered a positioning server terminal, a predetermined operation is performed among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, wherein the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0071] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal, where the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered a positioning server terminal, performing a predetermined operation among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0072] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by a first network function or ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal, the second terminal is discovered, and the first predetermined result is obtained by determining whether the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports a positioning server function. Based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result, the first network function determines whether to send notification information to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support the positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0073] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information transmitted by a first network function or ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal, the second terminal is discovered, and a first predetermined result is obtained by determining whether the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports a positioning server function. In response to determining that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support the positioning server function, a discovery operation for the positioning server terminal is performed to obtain the second predetermined result. Based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result, a determination is made as to whether notification information is to be sent to the first network function. Here, the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support the positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0074] In addition, the discovery operation of the positioning server terminal may be performed based on ProSe discovery of Mode A, or the discovery operation of the positioning server terminal may be performed based on ProSe discovery of Mode B. In one embodiment, the result of the discovery operation may be indicated based on additional information.

[0075] In one embodiment, a first terminal transmits (may be broadcasted) discovery request information, where the discovery request information indicates the capabilities of the positioning server terminal to be discovered (the capabilities may be indicated by a new parameter). A positioning server terminal having the capabilities receives the discovery request information and then determines whether it has the capabilities. In response to determining that it has the capabilities, the positioning server terminal transmits discovery response information to the first terminal, and the first terminal receives the discovery response information transmitted by the positioning server terminal. In response to receiving the discovery response information, the first terminal determines that the positioning server terminal has been discovered.

[0076] It should be noted that if a terminal receives the discovery request information and determines that the terminal does not have the capability, the discovery request information is ignored.

[0077] In one embodiment, in response to the discovery of multiple positioning server terminals, the positioning server terminal is selected for ranging or sidelink positioning based on predetermined information, where the predetermined information includes at least one of capability information of the positioning server terminal, a pre-configured identity (ID) of the positioning server terminal, a distance between the positioning server terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, and a signal strength between the positioning server terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. In response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovering a positioning server terminal, predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain ranging or sidelink positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a determination is made as to whether to send notification information to a first network function based on a first predetermined result and / or a second predetermined result, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for a ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and a second terminal. Here, whether to transmit the notification information to the first network function is determined based on a first predetermined result and / or a second predetermined result. That is, whether to transmit the notification information to the first network function needs to be adapted to the result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support the positioning server function and / or the result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. Therefore, if the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports the positioning server function, it is not necessary to use an LMF for ranging or sidelink positioning. Alternatively, if the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports the positioning server function and has discovered the positioning server terminal, it is not necessary to use an LMF for ranging or sidelink positioning. This can reduce delay and complexity when performing ranging or sidelink positioning compared to directly determining to use an LMF for ranging or sidelink positioning.

[0079] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 4 , this embodiment provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, where the method is performed by a first terminal, and the method includes the following steps:

[0081] In step 41, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not discovering a positioning server terminal, sending notification information to the first network function.

[0082] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and a positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results.

[0083] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and a positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results. Information on the ranging or sidelink positioning results is sent to the first network function.

[0084] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and a positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results. Information on the ranging or sidelink positioning results is sent to a third-party terminal.

[0085] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 5 , this embodiment provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, where the method is performed by a first terminal, and the method includes the following steps:

[0087] In step 51, predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning management function LMF to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and measurement result calculations.

[0088] In one embodiment, the ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by a first network function is received, and in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results.

[0089] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and not having found a positioning server terminal, the notification information is sent to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. Predetermined operations are performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning management function (LMF) to obtain ranging and positioning results, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results.

[0090] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 6 , this embodiment provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, where the method is performed by a first terminal, and the method includes the following steps:

[0092] In step 61, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, and / or in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovering a positioning server terminal, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, wherein the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0093] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring the ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to the first network function.

[0094] In one embodiment, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring the ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to a third party terminal.

[0095] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by a first network function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, wherein the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0096] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain ranging or sidelink positioning results, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0097] In one embodiment, when the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovers a positioning server terminal, predetermined operations are performed among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operations include measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to the first network function.

[0098] In one embodiment, when the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovers a positioning server terminal, a predetermined operation is performed between the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring the ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating the measurement result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to a third-party terminal.

[0099] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by a first network function, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered a positioning server terminal, a predetermined operation is performed among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, wherein the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0100] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal, where the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support a positioning server function, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered a positioning server terminal, performing a predetermined operation among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0101] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 7 , this embodiment provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, where the method is performed by a first terminal, and the method includes the following steps:

[0103] In step 71, the second terminal is discovered in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by the first network function or ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal.

[0104] In step 72, determine whether the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports a positioning server function to obtain the first predetermined result.

[0105] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by the first network function or ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal, the second terminal is discovered, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal determines whether the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports a positioning server function to obtain the first predetermined result. Based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result, it is determined whether to send notification information to the first network function, where the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support the positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0106] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information transmitted by the first network function or ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal, the second terminal is discovered, and a first predetermined result is obtained by determining whether the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports a positioning server function. In response to determining that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal does not support the positioning server function, a discovery operation for the positioning server terminal is performed to obtain the second predetermined result. Based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result, a determination is made as to whether notification information is to be sent to the first network function. Here, the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support the positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0107] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 8 , this embodiment provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, where the method is performed by a first terminal, and the method includes the following steps:

[0109] In step 81, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function, a discovery operation of the positioning server terminal is performed to obtain the second predetermined result.

[0110] For an explanation of step 81, please refer to the explanations of steps 71 and 72; they will not be repeated here.

[0111] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 9 , this embodiment provides a method for ranging or sidelink positioning, where the method is performed by a first network function, and the method includes the following steps:

[0113] In step 91, notification information sent by a first terminal is received, and the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0114] In step 92, in response to receiving the notification information, an LMF is introduced to perform a ranging or sidelink positioning operation of the terminal, where the predetermined operation includes ranging or sidelink positioning measurement and measurement result calculation.

[0115] Here, the terminal according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an in-vehicle terminal, a roadside unit (RSU), a smart home terminal, an industrial sensing device, and / or a medical device, etc. In some embodiments, the terminal may be a Redcap terminal or a new air interface NR terminal of a predetermined version (e.g., an R17 NR terminal).

[0116] The base station according to the present disclosure may be of various types, such as a base station of a third generation mobile communication (3G) network, a base station of a fourth generation mobile communication (4G) network, a base station of a fifth generation mobile communication (5G) network, or other evolved base stations.

[0117] The network function according to the present disclosure may be various types of network functions, such as a network function of a fifth generation mobile communication (5G) network or other evolved network functions. The network function may be an AMF or an LMF, etc. For example, the first network function may be an AMF.

[0118] In one embodiment, the ranging or sidelink positioning request information is sent to a first terminal, where the ranging or sidelink positioning request information may indicate the first terminal and a second terminal. Notification information sent by the first terminal is received, where the notification information is used to indicate that no positioning server terminal is available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, where the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal. In response to receiving the notification information, an LMF is introduced to perform a positioning operation for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, where the predetermined operation includes ranging or sidelink positioning measurement and measurement result calculation.

[0119] In one embodiment, the method further comprises: transmitting the ranging or sidelink positioning request information to a first terminal, where the ranging or sidelink positioning request information may indicate the first terminal and a second terminal; receiving notification information transmitted by the first terminal, where the notification information is used to indicate that no positioning server terminal is available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, where the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal includes the first terminal and the second terminal; and performing a positioning operation for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal based on the first terminal, the second terminal, and an LMF in response to receiving the notification information, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0120] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal or a core network function, the ranging or sidelink positioning request information is transmitted to a first terminal, where the ranging or sidelink positioning request information may indicate the first terminal and a second terminal. Notification information transmitted by the first terminal is received, where the notification information is used to indicate that no positioning server terminal is available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, where the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal. In response to receiving the notification information, the device performs a positioning operation for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal based on the first terminal, the second terminal, and an LMF, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

[0121] In one embodiment, a method for receiving notification information sent by a first terminal, the notification information being used to indicate that no positioning server terminal is available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal, and, in response to receiving the notification information, introducing an LMF to perform a positioning operation for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, where the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result, performing the ranging or sidelink positioning operation to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result, and transmitting information of the ranging or sidelink positioning result to a third party terminal or a core network function.

[0122] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 10 , this embodiment provides a ranging or sidelink positioning method, which is performed by a core network device, and includes the following steps:

[0124] In step 101, notification information sent by a first terminal is received via an access network, and the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0125] In step 102, in response to receiving the notification information, a predetermined operation is performed, the predetermined operation including ranging or sidelink positioning measurement and measurement result calculation.

[0126] Here, the terminal according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an in-vehicle terminal, a roadside unit (RSU), a smart home terminal, an industrial sensing device, and / or a medical device, etc. In some embodiments, the terminal may be a Redcap terminal or a new air interface NR terminal of a predetermined version (e.g., an R17 NR terminal).

[0127] The base station according to the present disclosure may be of various types, such as a base station of a third generation mobile communication (3G) network, a base station of a fourth generation mobile communication (4G) network, a base station of a fifth generation mobile communication (5G) network, or other evolved base stations.

[0128] The core network according to the present disclosure may include various network functions, and the network functions may be of various types, such as a network function of a fifth generation mobile communication (5G) network or other evolved network functions. The network functions may be an AMF or an LMF, etc. For example, the first network function may be an AMF.

[0129] In one embodiment, in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal or a core network function via an access network, a first network function transmits the ranging or sidelink positioning request information to a first terminal via the access network. The first network function receives notification information transmitted by the first terminal via the access network, the notification information being used to indicate that no positioning server terminals are available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal. In response to receiving the notification information, the first network function performs a predetermined operation to obtain ranging or sidelink positioning results, the predetermined operation including measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating measurement results, and transmits the ranging or sidelink positioning result information to the third party terminal or a core network function via the access network.

[0130] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0131] To better understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, the technical solutions of the present disclosure will be further illustrated through the following two exemplary embodiments.

[0132] Note that during the ranging / sidelink positioning process, the positioning server UE function needs to be performed (i.e., receive / send ranging / sidelink positioning requests / responses and result calculations to / from the UE or LMF). If neither the ranging / sidelink positioning UE (i.e., reference UE nor target UE) supports the positioning server UE function, it needs to discover a positioning server UE. The ranging / sidelink positioning UE interacts with the positioning server UE to transmit measurement data and results. However, if it cannot discover a nearby positioning server UE, the ranging / sidelink positioning UE needs to request assistance from the network to select an appropriate LMF for result calculation. In a network-based solution, the ranging / sidelink positioning UE receives a ranging or sidelink positioning request from the serving AMF. When the AMF receives a ranging / sidelink positioning request from the LMF, third-party UE, GMLC, or NEF, it sends a ranging / sidelink positioning UE request to the UE.

[0133] In a non-network based solution, the ranging / sidelink positioning UE receives measurement / sidelink positioning requests directly from the third party UE.

[0134] In both scenarios, when a ranging / sidelink positioning UE receives a positioning request, it initiates discovery of another ranging / sidelink positioning UE. After successful discovery of the other UE, capability information is exchanged between them.

[0135] If both terminals support the location server UE functionality, further measurements and calculation of results are performed by only the two UEs. Otherwise, the ranging / sidelink positioning UE indicates the capabilities of the positioning server UE as additional discovery information and discovers the positioning server UE using Mode A or Mode B Proximity Service (ProSe) discovery. The ranging / sidelink positioning UE may be provided with or preconfigured with a positioning server terminal identifier, in which case the ranging / sidelink positioning UE discovers the positioning server UE based on the preconfigured identifier. If multiple positioning server UEs are discovered, the positioning server UE is selected based on its capabilities, the preconfigured positioning server UE ID, distance, and signaling strength.

[0136] <Example 1> As shown in FIG. 11 , this embodiment provides a ranging or sidelink positioning method, which includes the following steps:

[0137] In step 111, the serving AMF of UE1 receives a ranging or sidelink positioning service request (or ranging or sidelink positioning service request information) from a third-party UE or a 5GC NF.

[0138] In step 112, if there is no operator policy instructing the use of LMF, the AMF sends a ranging or sidelink positioning service request to UE1.

[0139] In step 113, UE1 discovers UE2. UE1 and UE2 exchange their capabilities to determine whether they need to use the location server UE, namely: If neither UE1 nor UE2 supports the positioning server function, UE1 or UE2 needs to discover the positioning server UE; If not, there is no need to discover the positioning server UE and step 35 is performed.

[0140] In step 114, UE1 or UE2, or both, perform a discovery operation using the ProSe discovery method of Mode A or Mode B to discover the location server UE by indicating the capability of the location server UE as additional discovery information. If multiple location server UEs are discovered, the location server UE is selected based on its capability, pre-configured location server UE ID, distance, and signaling strength.

[0141] Option A (Start) corresponds to the dotted box in which it is located in the diagram.

[0142] In step 115, if the positioning server UE is selected successfully, ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and result calculations (if necessary) are performed between UE1, UE2 and the selected positioning server UE.

[0143] In step 116, UE1 responds to the AMF with the ranging or sidelink positioning result.

[0144] Option A (End) Option B (Start) corresponds to the dotted box in which option B is located in the diagram.

[0145] In step 117, if UE1 and UE2 fail to discover and select a positioning server UE, UE1 notifies the AMF that there is no available positioning server UE.

[0146] In step 118, the AMF decides to introduce the LMF for positioning.

[0147] In step 119, ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and result calculations are performed between UE1, UE2 and the selected LMF.

[0148] In step 120, the AMF sends the positioning result information of the ranging or sidelink positioning to the third-party UE or the network function of the 5G core network.

[0149] Option B (Exit) It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 12 , this embodiment provides a ranging or sidelink positioning method, which includes the following steps:

[0151] In step 121, UE1 receives a ranging or sidelink positioning service request (or ranging or sidelink positioning service request information) from a third-party UE.

[0152] In step 122, UE1 discovers UE2. UE1 and UE2 exchange their capabilities to determine whether they need to use the location server UE, namely: If neither UE1 nor UE2 supports the positioning server function, UE1 or UE2 needs to discover the positioning server UE; If not, there is no need to discover the positioning server UE and step 35 is performed.

[0153] In step 123, UE1 or UE2, or both, perform a discovery operation using the ProSe discovery method of Mode A or Mode B to discover the location server UE by indicating the capability of the location server UE as additional discovery information. If multiple location server UEs are discovered, the location server UE is selected based on its capability, pre-configured location server UE ID, distance, and signaling strength.

[0154] Option A (Start) corresponds to the dotted box in which it is located in the diagram.

[0155] In step 124, if the positioning server UE is selected successfully, ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and result calculations (if necessary) are performed between UE1, UE2 and the selected positioning server UE.

[0156] In step 125, UE1 responds with the ranging or sidelink positioning result to the third party UE.

[0157] Option A (End) Option B (Start) corresponds to the dotted box in which option B is located in the diagram.

[0158] In step 126, if UE1 and UE2 fail to discover and select a positioning server UE, UE1 notifies the AMF that there is no available positioning server UE.

[0159] In step 127, the AMF decides to introduce the LMF for positioning.

[0160] In step 128, ranging or sidelink positioning measurements and result calculations are performed between UE1, UE2 and the selected LMF.

[0161] In step 129, the AMF sends the positioning result information of ranging or sidelink positioning to UE1.

[0162] In step 130, the AMF sends the positioning result information of the ranging or sidelink positioning to the third-party UE or the network function of the 5G core network.

[0163] Option B (Exit) It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 13 , this embodiment provides a ranging or sidelink positioning device, which includes a determining module 131.

[0165] The determination module 131 is configured to determine whether to send notification information to the first network function based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result.

[0166] Here, the notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal. The first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function. The second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal. The ranging or sidelink positioning terminals include the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0167] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 14 , this embodiment provides a ranging or sidelink positioning device, which includes a receiving module 141 and an introduction module 142 .

[0169] The receiving module 141 is configured to receive notification information sent by a first terminal, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal.

[0170] The introduction module 142 is configured to introduce an LMF to perform a positioning operation of the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal in response to receiving the notification information, and the predetermined operation includes ranging or sidelink positioning measurement and measurement result calculation.

[0171] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0172] As shown in FIG. 15 , this embodiment provides a ranging or sidelink positioning device, which includes a first network function 151.

[0173] The first network function 151 is configured as follows.

[0174] receiving notification information sent by a first terminal via an access network, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal; In response to receiving the notification information, a predetermined operation is performed, the predetermined operation including ranging or sidelink positioning measurement and measurement result calculation.

[0175] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can understand that the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed alone or together with some methods of the embodiments of the present disclosure or some methods of the related art.

[0176] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, the communication device comprising: a processor; a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; The processor, when executing the executable instructions, is configured to implement the methods applicable to any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0177] The processor may include various types of storage media, which may be non-transitory computer storage media that can continue to store information stored in the communication device even after the communication device is powered off.

[0178] The processor can be connected to the memory via a bus or the like, and is used to read executable programs stored in the memory.

[0179] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer storage medium having a computer-executable program stored thereon, the executable program, when executed by a processor, implementing a method of any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0180] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific method by which each module performs the operation is described in detail in the embodiment relating to the method, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0181] As shown in FIG. 16, one embodiment of the present invention provides a terminal structure.

[0182] Referring to the terminal 800 shown in FIG. 16 , this embodiment provides a terminal 800, which may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a message transceiver device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness equipment, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0183] Referring to FIG. 16 , the terminal 800 may include one or more components: a processing component 802, a memory 804, a power component 806, a multimedia component 808, an audio component 810, an input / output (I / O) interface 812, a sensor component 814, and a communication component 816.

[0184] The processing component 802 generally controls the overall operation of the terminal 800, such as operations related to display, calls, data communications, camera operation, and recording operations. The processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 that execute instructions to complete all or some of the steps of the methods described above. Additionally, the processing component 802 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

[0185] Memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operation on device 800. Examples of such data include instructions for any applications or methods operating on terminal 800, contact data, phone book data, messages, photos, videos, etc. Memory 804 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic or optical disk, or a combination thereof.

[0186] The power component 806 provides power to the various components of the terminal 800. The power component 806 may include a power management system, one or more power sources, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to the terminal 800.

[0187] The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the terminal 800 and a user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen for receiving input signals from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors for detecting touches, slides, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors not only detect the boundaries of the touch or slide action, but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide action. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 800 is in an operational mode, such as a photo mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera may have a fixed optical lens system or may have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

[0188] The audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when the terminal 800 is in an operation mode such as a call mode, a recording mode, or a voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in the memory 804 or transmitted via the communication component 816. In some embodiments, the audio component 810 further includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0189] The I / O interface 812 provides an interface between the processing component 802 and a peripheral interface module, which may be a keyboard, a click wheel, buttons, etc. These buttons include, but are not limited to, a home button, volume buttons, a start button, and a lock button.

[0190] The sensor component 814 includes one or more sensors that provide the terminal 800 with status assessments of various aspects. For example, the sensor component 814 can detect whether the device 800 is open or closed, the relative positioning of a component, such as the display and keypad of the terminal 800, and can further detect changes in the position of the terminal 800 or a component within the terminal 800, whether or not a user is in contact with the terminal 800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the terminal 800, and temperature changes of the terminal 800. The sensor component 814 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of a nearby object without physical contact. The sensor component 814 may also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component 814 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0191] The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the terminal 800 and other devices. The terminal 800 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard such as Wi-Fi, 2G, or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 also includes a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0192] In an exemplary embodiment, terminal 800 may be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the above-described methods.

[0193] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, such as memory 804 containing instructions, may also be provided, which may be executed by processor 820 of terminal 800 to complete the above-described method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0194] As shown in FIG. 17, one embodiment of the present disclosure illustrates the structure of a base station. For example, base station 900 may be provided as a network-side device. Referring to FIG. 17, base station 900 includes a processing component 922, which further includes one or more processors and memory resources represented by memory 932 for storing instructions, such as an application program, executable by processing component 922. The application program stored in memory 932 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. Furthermore, processing component 922 is configured to execute instructions for performing any of the aforementioned methods applied to the base station.

[0195] The base station 900 may also include a power component 926 configured to perform power management of the base station 900, a wired or wireless network interface 950 configured to connect the base station 900 to a network, and an input / output (I / O) interface 958. The base station 900 may operate based on an operating system stored in memory 932, such as Windows Server™, Mac OS X™, Unix™, Linux™, FreeBSD™, etc.

[0196] Other embodiments of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art after studying the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention which follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in this disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

[0197] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method of ranging or sidelink positioning performed by a first terminal, comprising: determining whether to send notification information to the first network function based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result; The notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function, the second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal includes the first terminal and a second terminal.

1. A method for ranging or sidelink positioning, comprising:

2. The first network function is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

2. The method of claim 1 .

3. determining whether to send notification information to a first network function based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result, transmitting the notification information to the first network function in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not discovering a positioning server terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 .

4. The method comprises: performing a predetermined operation between the first terminal, the second terminal, and a second network function to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result; The predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating the measurement result.

4. The method of claim 3.

5. The second network function is a Positioning Management Function (LMF).

5. The method of claim 4.

6. The method comprises: In response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supporting a positioning server function, performing a predetermined operation between the first terminal and the second terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result; and / or and, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal discovering a positioning server terminal, performing a predetermined operation among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the positioning server terminal to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result; The predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating the measurement result.

2. The method of claim 1 .

7. The method comprises: transmitting the ranging or sidelink positioning result information to the first network function; or and further comprising transmitting the ranging or sidelink positioning result information to a third party terminal.

7. The method according to claim 4 or 6.

8. The method comprises: discovering the second terminal in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information sent by the first network function or ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal; and determining whether the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports a positioning server function to obtain the first predetermined result.

2. The method of claim 1 .

9. The method comprises: and, in response to the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal not supporting a positioning server function, performing a discovery operation of the positioning server terminal to obtain the second predetermined result.

9. The method of claim 8.

10. The step of performing a discovery operation of the positioning server terminal includes: performing a discovery operation based on Mode A Proximity Services (ProSe) discovery; or performing a discovery operation based on Mode B Proximity Services (ProSe) discovery; The discovery operation is a discovery operation for a positioning server terminal.

10. The method of claim 9.

11. The step of performing a discovery operation of the positioning server terminal includes: transmitting discovery request information indicating capability information of the positioning server terminal to be discovered; receiving discovery response information transmitted by the positioning server terminal; The positioning server terminal has the capability indicated by the capability information.

10. The method of claim 9.

12. The method comprises: responsive to discovery of a plurality of positioning server terminals, selecting the positioning server terminal for ranging or sidelink positioning based on predetermined information; The predetermined information includes at least one of capability information of the positioning server terminal, a preset identification identifier (ID) of the positioning server terminal, a distance between the positioning server terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, and a signal strength between the positioning server terminal and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal.

10. The method of claim 9.

13. 1. A method of ranging or sidelink positioning performed by a first network function, comprising: receiving notification information sent by a first terminal, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal; In response to receiving the notification information, introducing an LMF to perform a positioning operation of the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the predetermined operation including measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

1. A method for ranging or sidelink positioning, comprising:

14. The method comprises: and in response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal or a core network function, transmitting the ranging or sidelink positioning request information to the first terminal.

14. The method of claim 13.

15. The method comprises: performing a predetermined operation of the ranging or sidelink to obtain a ranging or sidelink positioning result; and further comprising transmitting the ranging or sidelink positioning result information to a third party terminal or a core network function.

14. The method of claim 13.

16. 1. A method of ranging or sidelink positioning performed by a core network device, comprising: receiving notification information sent by a first terminal via an access network, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal; In response to receiving the notification information, performing a predetermined operation, the predetermined operation including measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result.

1. A method for ranging or sidelink positioning, comprising:

17. The step of performing the predetermined operation includes: performing the predetermined operation by an LMF of the core network.

17. The method of claim 16.

18. The method comprises: In response to receiving ranging or sidelink positioning request information from a third party terminal or a core network function triggering ranging or sidelink positioning, transmitting the ranging or sidelink positioning request information to the first terminal via an access network.

17. The method of claim 16.

19. The method comprises: and further comprising transmitting the ranging or sidelink positioning result information to the third party terminal via the access network.

17. The method of claim 16.

20. a determination module configured to determine whether to send notification information to the first network function based on the first predetermined result and / or the second predetermined result; The notification information is used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the first predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal supports or does not support a positioning server function, the second predetermined result includes a result that the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal has discovered or cannot discover a positioning server terminal, and the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal includes the first terminal and a second terminal. A ranging or sidelink positioning device characterized by:

21. It has a receiving module and an introducing module, the receiving module is configured to receive notification information sent by a first terminal, the notification information being used to indicate that there is no positioning server terminal available for ranging or sidelink positioning terminals, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminals including the first terminal and a second terminal; The introduction module is configured to introduce an LMF to perform a positioning operation of the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal in response to receiving the notification information, and the predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating a measurement result. A ranging or sidelink positioning device characterized by:

22. A first network function is provided, the first network function is configured to receive, via an access network, notification information sent by a first terminal, and to perform a predetermined operation in response to receiving the notification information; the notification information is used to indicate that there is no available positioning server terminal for a ranging or sidelink positioning terminal, the ranging or sidelink positioning terminal including the first terminal and a second terminal; The predetermined operation includes measuring ranging or sidelink positioning and calculating the measurement result. A ranging or sidelink positioning device characterized by:

23. a memory and a processor connected to the memory; The processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 12, 13 to 15, or 16 to 18. A communication device characterized by:

24. and storing computer-executable instructions, which, after being executed by a processor, are capable of implementing the method of any one of claims 1 to 12, 13 to 15, or 16 to 18. A computer storage medium comprising:

Images