First communication device, second communication device, communication method, and communication system

Abstract

Appropriate use of wireless sensing. [Solution] A first communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a receiving unit that receives a sensing request specifying sensing content, and a transmitting unit that, when sensing is not performed with the sensing content, transmits a notification indicating that the sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a first communication device, a second communication device, a communication method, and a communication system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, research on wireless sensing technology using radio frequency signals has been progressing. For example, 5G wireless sensing using signals of the 5th generation mobile communication system New Radio (5G NR) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP (registered trademark)) (for example, Non-Patent Document 1), Wi-Fi sensing using signals of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), etc. have been studied.

[0003] In addition, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), which integrates a communication function and a sensing function, has been studied.

[0004] Information regarding characteristics of an object (such as shape, size, orientation, speed, position, distance between objects, or relative movement, etc.) may be acquired by wireless sensing.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0006] As mentioned above, wireless sensing is being considered for 3GPP 5G NR, but progress has not yet been made in considering specific methods for controlling sensing. If this is not clearly defined, the accuracy (performance) of wireless sensing may be insufficient, potentially leading to increased communication overhead due to false object detection and a decline in the quality of services provided by external application functions.

[0007] Therefore, one of the objectives of this disclosure is to provide a first communication device, a second communication device, a communication method, and a communication system that can appropriately utilize wireless sensing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a receiving unit that receives a sensing request specifying sensing content, and a transmitting unit that, if sensing is not performed with the sensing content, transmits a notification indicating that the sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, wireless sensing can be appropriately utilized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic functional configuration of each device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic hardware configuration of each device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a first sensing step according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of information management regarding sensing capabilities in an SF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a second sensing step according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a procedure for a sensing refusal notification according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the processing content of a CN that receives a sensing rejection notice according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of participant processing related to sensing instructions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows another example of participant processing related to sensing instructions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this specification and in the drawings, elements that can be described similarly are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations can be omitted.

[0012] In the present disclosure, the text enclosed by “()” in a sentence may indicate explanations (such as spelling explanations), paraphrases, specific examples, supplementary explanations, etc. for the immediately preceding text. Also, in the present disclosure, the text enclosed by “[]” in a sentence may be interpreted as the meaning of the entire sentence including this part, or the meaning of the entire sentence may be interpreted without including this part (ignoring it). Note that “()” and “[]” may be used for other purposes / meanings.

[0013] In the present disclosure, “A / B” and “at least one of A and B” may be read as each other. Also, in the present disclosure, “A / B / C” may mean “at least one of A, B, and C”.

[0014] In the present disclosure, the network function (Network Function (NF)) may include, for example, at least one of the following: · Application Function (AF) (for example, a function that realizes an application server outside the 5G core network (5GC)), · Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) (for example, a function that manages the registration, location, etc. of a UE), · Data Network (DN) (for example, a function that realizes a data network outside the 5GC), · Location Management Function (LMF) (for example, a function for communication control related to location information services), · Non-3GPP Inter-Working Function (N3IWF) (for example, a function that connects an untrusted non-3GPP access network and the 5GC), · Network Exposure Function (NEF) (for example, a function that provides an application interface of the NF service of the 5GC to the outside), · Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) (for example, a function that selects a network slice) ·Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) (e.g., a function for analyzing network data), ·Operation, Administration and Maintenance (Management) (OAM) (e.g., a function for providing means for operation, administration and maintenance), ·Policy Control Function (PCF) (e.g., a function for controlling the quality, policy, etc. of the data transfer path), ·Session Management Function (SMF) (e.g., a function for managing sessions), ·Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) (e.g., a function for connecting a trusted non-3GPP access network and 5GC), ·Trusted WLAN Interworking Function (TWIF) (e.g., a function for connecting a trusted non-3GPP access network and 5GC for 5G-incompatible UEs via a Wireless Local Area Network (LAN)), ·(Radio) Access Network ((R)AN) (e.g., a function for providing a radio access network), ·User Equipment (UE) (e.g., a function for a user to access network services via a wireless interface), ·Unified Data Management (UDM) (e.g., a function for storing / managing subscriber information, UE authentication information, etc.), ·Unified Data Repository (UDR) (e.g., a function for managing authentication / authorization based on subscriber information), ·User Plane Function (UPF) (e.g., a function for transmitting user data packets).

[0015] Note that these are merely examples, and it is naturally understood that other NFs are also covered in this disclosure.

[0016] <System> Figure 1 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. System 1 includes User Equipment (UE) 10, Base Station (BS) 20, Network Function (NF) server 30, and Application Server 40. System 1 may also be called a [wireless / information] communication system.

[0017] System 1 is, for example, a system that conforms to a 3GPP Technical Specification (TS). More specifically, for example, System 1 may be a system that conforms to a TS for a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G) or New Radio (NR).

[0018] System 1 is not limited to this example and may include systems utilizing Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG (where x is, for example, an integer or decimal)), New Radio (NR), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM®), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi®), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX®), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth®, and other wireless communication methods, as well as next-generation systems that are extended, modified, created, or defined based on these.

[0019] In other words, terms related to 5G in this disclosure can be interpreted as terms related to other technologies / systems. Furthermore, when such interpretations are made, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, for example, NF can be interpreted as having a similar function (or a device having a similar function) to the NF of 5G.

[0020] In System 1, UE10 receives wireless communication services using Network (NW) 3000. NW3000 corresponds to the cellular network to which UE10 can connect.

[0021] In this disclosure, cellular network may be interpreted as mobile network, wireless communication network, 5G core network (5GC), [3GPP] access network, etc. 5GC may include, for example, an optical fiber network. In this disclosure, 5GC, network, physical network, and core network (CN) may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0022] UE10 connects to NW3000 via BS20. UE10 may be a mobile device (mobile communication terminal) such as a smartphone, tablet, or wearable device, or it may be a fixed communication terminal. UE10 may be a device mounted on a moving object (e.g., a vehicle), the moving object itself, or a device included in the moving object (held by a person riding in the moving object).

[0023] UE10 may utilize (or be equipped with) a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) / Embedded SIM (eSIM) of an operator providing wireless communication services using NW3000. Furthermore, UE10 may switch connections to different operators' NW3000s by switching the Access Point Name (APN) configuration profile.

[0024] In System 1, the communication link going to (receiving) BS20 and going out of (transmitting) UE10 may be called the uplink (UL), and the communication link going out of (transmitting) BS20 and going to (receiving) UE10 may be called the downlink (DL).

[0025] BS20 provides UE10 with a Radio Access Network (RAN). An area on the Radio Access Network where wireless communication is possible is also called a cell. In this disclosure, BS and (Radio) Access Network ((R)AN) may be used interchangeably.

[0026] BS20 is, for example, a gNB. The gNB provides NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE and is connected to 5GC via the NG interface. BS20 may also be an en-gNB. The en-gNB provides NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE and operates as a secondary node in E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0027] UE10 / BS20 / NF Server 30 / Application Server 40 may have wireless sensing capabilities, for example, they may have a sensing transmitter / receiver. UE10 / BS20 may use the sensing transmitter / receiver to perform wireless sensing around its own terminal and acquire sensing data.

[0028] UE10 / BS20 / NF Server 30 / Application Server 40 may have devices (cameras, sensors, lasers, etc.) for sensing means other than wireless sensing (e.g., image sensing, light detection and ranging (LiDAR)).

[0029] The sensing of UE10 / BS20 / NF Server 30 / Application Server 40 may be at least one of monostatic sensing, bistatic sensing, or multistatic sensing.

[0030] Monostatic sensing may be a type of sensing in which the system itself transmits a sensing signal (e.g., a specific reference signal) and receives an echo signal [from the object] to acquire sensing data. Bistatic sensing may be a type of sensing in which the system itself or a cooperating UE10 / BS20 / NF server 30 / application server 40's sensing transmitter transmits a signal, and the cooperating UE10 / BS20 / NF server 30 / application server 40 or the system's own sensing receiver receives the above signal [affected by the object]. Multistatic sensing may refer to a type of sensing in which there are multiple sensing transmitters / multiple sensing receivers for an object.

[0031] The NF server 30 provides at least one of the functions of the NF described above. Figure 1 shows an NF server 30 providing an AMF, an NF server 30 providing an SMF, an NF server 30 providing a UPF, and so on. In this disclosure, the NF server 30 and NFs (e.g., AMF, NEF, NSSF, PCF, SMF, etc.) are interchangeable.

[0032] In this disclosure, NF may include a Sensing Function (SF) that manages, controls, and analyzes sensing.

[0033] The application server 40 may correspond to the above-mentioned AF as defined for the 5G Core Network (5GC). In this disclosure, the application server 40, app, AF, etc., are interchangeable.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the application server 40 may be an external application server (external AF) belonging to a network outside 5GC (which may also be called an untrusted AF, located outside the operator's trust domain), and may communicate with the NF server 30 within 5GC via the NEF. The application server 40 may also be an internal application server (internal AF) included within 5GC (which may also be called a trusted AF, located within the operator's trust domain), although this is not shown in the figure, and may communicate with the NF server 30 within 5GC [without going through the NEF].

[0035] The application server 40 (e.g., an untrusted AF) may support the exchange of information by service providers other than telecommunications carriers to provide services related to the UE10 using communications, via an API that makes the 5GC services (NF, especially control NF) accessible from the outside. Such exchange of information may include, for example, requesting and obtaining information about the location / state of the UE10, and specifying the quality of service (such as communication speed) for the UE10.

[0036] Any device shown in Figure 1 may also be called a network node, node, server, [wired / wireless] communication device, information processing device, etc. Furthermore, the lines between devices in Figure 1 indicate logical connections and do not necessarily have to be physically connected directly (they may be connected indirectly via another device).

[0037] <Configuration of each device> Examples of the configurations of each device (UE10, BS20, NF server 30, application server 40) according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described.

[0038] <<Functional Configuration>> Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic functional configuration of each device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, UE10 includes a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, an input / output unit 130, and a storage unit 140.

[0039] Furthermore, BS20, NF Server 30, and Application Server 40 may have a similar functional configuration. For this reason, in Figure 3, the symbols for the functional blocks corresponding to each device are also shown, with the largest digit of the symbol representing each device (for example, for BS20, the largest digit "2" in "20") replaced with "1". The following explanation will focus on the functional blocks related to UE10, but it should be understood that the same explanation applies to the other devices.

[0040] This example primarily shows the functional blocks of the characteristic parts of this embodiment, and each device may also have other functional blocks necessary for other processes. Furthermore, the configuration may omit some functional blocks.

[0041] The control unit 110 controls the UE 10 and provides various functions. For example, the control unit 110 may control communication with other devices via the communication unit 120. The control unit 110 may also acquire information necessary for processing based on information received via the communication unit 120. The control unit 110 may also be called a processing unit.

[0042] The communication unit 120 communicates (transmits / receives) with other devices via wired or wireless connections. The communication unit 120 may obtain information from the received signal and output it to the control unit 110, or it may convert information input from the control unit 110 into a signal and transmit it. The communication unit 120 may be configured as an integrated transmitting and receiving unit (a unit capable of both transmitting and receiving), or it may be composed of separate transmitting and receiving units.

[0043] The input / output unit 130 may include an input unit that accepts input from a human operator or acquires information by performing measurements (sensing) of the surrounding environment. The input unit may be connected to a predetermined device, storage medium, etc., and accept data input. The input unit may output the input results to, for example, the control unit 110.

[0044] Furthermore, the input / output unit 130 may include an output unit that outputs data, content, etc., in a format perceptible to humans. The output unit may include a display unit that displays images, an audio output unit that outputs sound, and the like.

[0045] Either the communication unit 120 or the input / output unit 130, or a combination thereof, may function as a sensing transmitter / receiver. Sensing performed via the communication unit 120 may be wireless sensing, while sensing performed via the input / output unit 130 may be non-wireless sensing. The sensing unit may be called a sensing unit, a measurement unit, etc. For example, the measurement unit may perform sensing using the sensing method described later and acquire the sensed data.

[0046] The memory unit 140 stores (holds) various information that the UE 10 uses for processing. The control unit 110 may instruct the memory unit 140 to read or write data.

[0047] <<Hardware Configuration>> Figure 3 shows an example of a schematic hardware configuration of each device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Each device comprises an antenna 910, a radio frequency (RF) circuit 920, a processor 930, a network interface 940, an input / output device 950, a memory 960, and a storage device 970.

[0048] For example, the control unit X10 (X=1, 2, 3, 4; the same applies hereafter) described above may be implemented by a processor 930. The communication unit X20 may be implemented by an antenna 910 / RF circuit 920 / network interface 940. The input / output unit X30 may be implemented by an input device / output device 950. The storage unit X40 may be implemented by a memory 960 / storage 970.

[0049] The hardware configuration of each device may include one or more of the elements shown in Figure 3, or it may be configured without some of the elements. For example, UE10 may not have a network interface 940.

[0050] Antenna 910 converts a signal into radio waves and radiates the radio waves into space. Antenna 910 also receives radio waves in space and converts the radio waves into signals. Multiple antennas 910 may be mounted, or they may include a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna, or they may include a single antenna for transmitting and receiving. Antenna 910 may include a directional antenna, or it may include multiple antenna elements.

[0051] The RF circuit 920 performs analog processing on the signals transmitted and received via the antenna 910. The RF circuit 920 may include filters (e.g., high-frequency filters, low-pass filters), amplifiers, modulators, frequency synthesizers, analog-to-digital conversion circuits, digital-to-analog conversion circuits, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) / Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing circuits, and the like.

[0052] The RF circuit 920 may perform amplification, filtering, and demodulation to a baseband signal on the received radio frequency band signal and output it to the processor 930. The RF circuit 920 may also perform modulation to a radio frequency band, filtering, and amplification on the baseband signal input from the processor 930 and transmit the radio frequency band signal via the transmitting and receiving antenna 910. The RF circuit 920 may also perform physical layer processing (for example, processing of lower-level functions of the physical layer), and may perform beamforming processing such as analog beamforming and digital beamforming.

[0053] The processor 930 may control the entire device. The processor 930 may read programs (program code), software (software modules), data, etc., from the storage 970 into the memory 960 and perform various processes according to these. For example, the processor 930 may execute and control an operating system (OS) program loaded into the memory 960.

[0054] The processor 930 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control units, arithmetic units, registers, etc. The processor 930 may also include a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), and the like.

[0055] The processor 930 may perform digital processing of signals transmitted and received via the antenna 910 and the RF circuit 920. This digital processing may include processing at the physical layer (e.g., processing of higher-level functions of the physical layer), processing at layers above the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and processing such as modulation, demodulation, coding, decoding, and scrambling. The processor 930 also processes signals transmitted and received via the network interface 940.

[0056] The processor 930 may include multiple processors or it may be a single processor. The multiple processors may include a baseband processor that performs the digital processing and one or more processors that perform other processing (e.g., overall control).

[0057] The network interface 940 may be, for example, a network adapter, which is connected to an external network via a wired connection and performs signal transmission and reception.

[0058] The RF circuit 920, processor 930, and network interface 940 may be configured as an integrated unit. The RF circuit 920, processor 930, and network interface 940 may also be referred to as a network controller, network card, or communication module.

[0059] The input / output device 950 includes input devices that accept input from the outside or acquire information about the surrounding environment (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, camera, sensor, etc.), output devices that perform output to the outside (e.g., display, speaker, Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamp, etc.), and devices that integrate these (e.g., touch panel). A locator for acquiring location information (e.g., a receiver compatible with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) may also be included as a sensor.

[0060] Memory 960 is a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium that stores programs executed by the processor 930, parameters related to those programs, and various other information. Memory 960 may include at least one of Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), (Electrically EPROM (EEPROM)), Random Access Memory (RAM), and flash memory. All or part of memory 960 may be contained within the processor 930. Memory 960 may also be called registers, cache, main memory, etc.

[0061] Storage 970 is a computer-readable, non-temporary recording medium that stores various types of information. Storage 970 may include, for example, at least one of the following: flexible disks, floppy disks, magneto-optical disks (e.g., Compact Disc ROM (CD-ROM)), digital multipurpose disks, Blu-ray® disks), removable disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., Solid State Drives (SSDs)). Storage 970 may also be called auxiliary storage.

[0062] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 930 and the memory 960, may be connected by a bus for communicating information. A single bus may be used within the device, or different buses may be used between the devices.

[0063] Furthermore, BS20 may be separated into three elements: a Radio Unit (RU), a Distributed Unit (DU), and a Central Unit (CU). The RU implements RF processing and lower-level physical layer functions. The DU implements higher-level physical layer functions, MAC layer functions, and Radio Link Control (RLC) layer functions. The CU implements Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer functions.

[0064] In this disclosure, BS20 may include a single device that implements all the functions of RU, DU, and CU, or it may include multiple devices, each implementing some of the functions of RU, DU, and CU.

[0065] Furthermore, other devices in this disclosure may also be implemented by multiple devices located physically separately from each other. Conversely, multiple different devices in this disclosure (for example, two or more of UE10, BS20, NF server 30, and application server 40) may be implemented as a single device.

[0066] Furthermore, all or part of the devices described herein may mean logical devices implemented by virtual machines, containers, Docker, etc., or physical devices that operate such logical devices.

[0067] <Example of operation> The following describes examples of the operation of each device / function according to the embodiments of this disclosure. The communication methods (wireless communication methods, control methods) described below may be applied to the system 1 described above.

[0068] In the following descriptions of this disclosure, reference numerals may be omitted. For example, UE in the following descriptions may mean UE10.

[0069] In the following description, each device / function may be interpreted as one or more functional blocks (e.g., control unit 110, communication unit 120) or hardware configuration (e.g., RF circuit 920, processor 930) within the device / function.

[0070] In this disclosure, sensing, wireless sensing, and collaborative sensing (CS) may be interpreted interchangeably. CS may mean sensing that involves multiple BS / UEs performing overlapping area / time sensing (for example, sensing that calculates sensing results based on sensing data obtained from these sensings).

[0071] In this disclosure, SF may be interpreted as other NFs in the NW (e.g., NWDAF), or as SF / other NFs. One or more steps (processes) performed by one device / function in the following description may be interpreted as steps performed in a distributed manner by multiple devices / functions. For example, one of these devices / functions may perform part of the one or more steps, and the other may perform the remainder of the one or more steps. For example, the first / second steps described below describe SF receiving a first sensing request and sending a second sensing request, but this may also cover the following: "One of the SF and the other NF receives the first sensing request, [sends information to the other (e.g., that the first sensing request has been received, an instruction to send a second sensing request, etc.)] and the other sends a second sensing request."

[0072] In the following procedure, UE may be interpreted as UE / BS. For example, UE information may be interpreted as BS information, and based on the BS information, the BS of the sensing participant described below, the requesting party or any other BS, a BS included in or near the sensing target area, etc., may be determined.

[0073] <<First step in sensing>> Figure 4 shows an example of a first sensing step according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0074] In step S101, the sensing requester (e.g., AF or UE) sends a sensing request (which may also be called the first sensing request) to the SF. The sensing request may include information to identify the sensing participant (which may also be called the implementer) (e.g., UE information, area information, time information, or any combination thereof). The information to identify the sensing participant may also be called sensing participant identification information, participant identification information, or simply identification information.

[0075] In this disclosure, if the sensing requester is a UE / trusted AF, the transmission and reception between the requester and the SF (e.g., sending a sensing request) may not be conducted via the NEF (via the BS or directly). If the sensing requester is an untrusted AF, the transmission and reception between the requester and the SF may be conducted via the NEF.

[0076] Note that UE information only needs to be information that identifies the UE of the sensing participant, and may include, for example, at least one of the following: ·Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI), ·Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), ·NR Cell Global Identifier (NCGI), • NR Cell Identify (NCI) or Cell Identifier (Identifier (ID) gNB ID, • Internet Protocol (IP) address (e.g., Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) address, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) address, IPv6 prefix), • MAC address, • External Group Identifier • Internal Group Identifier Any other identifier to identify the UE (e.g., UE ID), the UE's telephone number itself, or information related to the telephone number (e.g., Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN))).

[0077] The UE information included in a sensing request may include UE information indicating the UE that requested the sensing (which may also be called the requesting UE or demanding UE). The requesting UE may be the UE that sends the sensing request, or it may be the UE that notifies the AF that it wishes to receive the sensing results.

[0078] Area information may be information indicating the area to be sensed, for example, information indicating the area (region / domain) where the UE is located [currently, in the past, or in the future]. Area information may be included in the UE information.

[0079] The above area may be indicated by at least one of the following: a range of latitude and longitude [from a reference point], distance [from a reference point], a geographical area, a tracking area (TA), or it may be predefined by the requesting party / SF / NEF. The area information may include at least one of the following: a reference point, a range of latitude and longitude [from a reference point], distance [from a reference point], an address / shape indicating the geographical area, a list of TA identifiers (Tracking Area Identity (TAI)), a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) ID, or an area identifier (Identifier (ID)) predefined by the requesting party / SF / NEF. The above reference point may be pre-set by the requesting party / SF / NEF, or it may be the current location of the UE.

[0080] Time information may be information indicating the time [of the sensing target], and may include information about the time [when the UE is located in the above region / area]. The above time may be identified based on at least one of the following: start time, end time, duration from the start time, time zone, period, offset [of the period from a particular time]. The unit of time may be expressed, for example, seconds, minutes, hours, etc.

[0081] Furthermore, if the UE information is an external (proprietary) ID different from the ID (e.g., GPSI) of a 3GPP domain (under 5GS management), the requesting party / NEF may have information regarding the mapping (correspondence) between the 3GPP domain ID and the external ID. In this disclosure, UE information may be interpreted as UE information converted to a 3GPP domain ID by the NEF or another NF.

[0082] Furthermore, in this disclosure, UE information may be in list format or any format (e.g., array format, vector format, etc.). In other words, the information in this disclosure may be interpreted as information [list], identifying information, specifying information, etc. The UE information may include one or more values ​​that represent an individual UE (e.g., one IP address) or one or more values ​​that represent multiple UEs (e.g., a range of IP addresses, the area information mentioned above).

[0083] The requesting party may derive the remaining information from one or two of the following: UE information, area information, and time information. Furthermore, the requesting party may derive at least one of the UE information, area information, and time information based on predetermined settings / values ​​(which may be called default settings / values). For example, the default value for time information may indicate a predetermined time after the current time.

[0084] The requesting party may derive the remaining information from any or two of the following: UE information, area information, time information, etc. Furthermore, the SF / NEF may derive at least one of the following information not included in the sensing request: UE information, area information, time information, etc., based on any or two of the UE information, area information, time information, etc. included in the sensing request. For example, the requesting party / SF / NEF may have prior knowledge of the correspondence between UEs and areas, and may derive area information from UE information, or UE information from area information, based on that correspondence.

[0085] Furthermore, the requesting party / SF / NEF may derive at least one of the UE information, area information, and time information based on predetermined settings / values ​​(which may be called default settings / values, for example). For example, the default value for time information may indicate a predetermined time after the current time.

[0086] In step S102, the SF discovers the sensing participants (hereinafter also referred to as participants) [based on the first sensing request]. In this disclosure, discovery, determination, identification, etc., may be interpreted interchangeably. The participants may be one or more devices (BS / UE). If multiple participants are discovered, the sensing may be a CS or individual sensings.

[0087] For example, the SF may identify a [requesting party or any] UE based on the UE information of the first sensing request in step S101, and determine a BS / UE located near that [requesting party or any] UE as a participant. Alternatively, the SF may determine at least one of the UEs indicated by the UE information of the first sensing request in step S101 as a participant. Furthermore, the SF may determine a BS / UE located in or near an area based on the area information of the first sensing request in step S101 as a participant.

[0088] Whether a UE is near the requesting UE or any other UE, or is included in / near the area, may be determined based on the location information of each device (requesting UE, each BS, each UE), or based on the communication / connection status of each device. The SF may determine as a participant any BS / UE that is expected to be included in / near the area at a time specified based on time information.

[0089] The first sensing request may include information that explicitly or implicitly designates the CS, and the SF may decide, based on this information, to take control for the CS with respect to the first sensing request (for example, to discover multiple participants). The information that implicitly designates the CS may be the aforementioned UE information, area information, or information indicating sensing accuracy.

[0090] The SF may receive information regarding sensing capabilities (which may also be called sensing functions) from the BS / UE in advance. The SF may determine which BS / UEs are candidates for participation based on the sensing capabilities of each BS / UE, and may select participants from among the candidates in step S102. The information regarding sensing capabilities may include information indicating that [the device] supports / has (or does not support / does not have) sensing [functions / capabilities], or it may include information indicating the available sensing means [of the device]. The information regarding sensing capabilities may be included in UE capability information, or it may be included in any inter-device messages / signaling.

[0091] In this disclosure, the sensing means and the sensing method may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0092] Prior to step S102, the SF may send an inquiry to the BS / UE requesting it to report information regarding sensing capabilities. The BS / UE may then send information regarding sensing capabilities to the SF in response to the inquiry. The sending and receiving of such inquiries and information regarding sensing capabilities may be controlled via a specific NF (e.g., AMF).

[0093] Furthermore, the BS / UE may transmit information regarding sensing capabilities to the SF at any time. This timing may occur at a specific period / duration / frequency. The above specific period / duration / frequency may be predetermined, or information indicating the above specific period / duration / frequency may be notified from the SF to the BS / UE.

[0094] When SF receives information about a new / different sensing capability for a given BS / UE, it may store the current timing as the timing (which may be called the update timing) when this sensing capability information is updated.

[0095] The update timing may be before step S101 (which may be called step S100, for example), before step S102, or at any other time.

[0096] It is preferable that the SF controls the transmission of the above query to update information regarding sensing capability immediately before step S102.

[0097] The SF / specific NF (e.g., AMF) may store the sensing capability of the BS / UE in association with at least one of the following: information to identify the BS / UE (e.g., UE information), the update timing, etc. (for example, in the form of a [Reference] table). Note that the SF may not be limited to tables, but may use any format such as lists or arrays to associate and store this information.

[0098] Figure 5 shows an example of information management regarding sensing capabilities in an SF according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This example shows how UE information (e.g., UE ID), the last update date (year, month, day), and available sensing means are managed in a table format. In Figure 5, for example, UE1 is shown to have terahertz waves and millimeter waves available as sensing means, and its last update date is June 20, 2024.

[0099] In step S103, the SF sends a sensing request to the participant [via a BS / UE near the participant]. The sensing request in step S103 (which may be called a second sensing request) may contain the same information as the first sensing request in step S101, or it may contain different information. For example, the UE information (or area information or time information) included in the second sensing request may represent a portion of the content (e.g., some UEs, some areas, some times) included in the UE information (or area information or time information) included in the first sensing request. Second sensing requests to multiple participants may be configured such that the UE information (or area information or time information) included in them, when combined, is the same as or corresponds to the content of the UE information (or area information or time information) included in the first sensing request.

[0100] The second sensing request from the SF to the participant may be sent using, for example, RRC signaling (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message).

[0101] In step S104, each participant who receives a sensing request in step S103 may perform sensing based on the sensing request and collect sensing data. For example, a participant may perform sensing at the time indicated by the time information of the sensing request / in the area indicated by the area information of the sensing request.

[0102] Furthermore, the second sensing request may include information that explicitly or implicitly designates a CS, and based on this information, the participant may determine that the sensing to be performed is a CS and may perform different controls than those for individual sensings that are not CS.

[0103] In step S105, each participant may transmit sensing data to the SF. In step S105, participants may also calculate sensing results based on the sensing data and transmit such sensing results to the SF together with or instead of the sensing data. In this disclosure, participants may also transmit sensing data / sensing results to other devices (e.g., edge servers [in / outside the operator's trust domain], any NF, other AF, etc.).

[0104] In step S106, the SF may calculate the sensing result based on the sensing data / sensing results received from each participant (for example, by integrating these data / results). In this disclosure, the SF may receive sensing data / sensing results directly from participants, or it may receive (acquire) sensing data / sensing results received by other devices (e.g., edge servers [in / outside the operator's trust domain], any NF, other AF, etc.) via said other devices.

[0105] In step S107, the SF may transmit the sensing results (for example, at least one of the sensing results transmitted by the participant in step S105 and the sensing results calculated by the SF in step S106) to the requester of the sensing (requesting AF or requesting UE). The SF may transmit some or all of the sensing data from each participant to the requester along with or instead of the sensing results. In this disclosure, the SF may transmit sensing data / sensing results to other devices (e.g., edge servers [in / outside the operator's trust domain], any NF, other AF, etc.). In this disclosure, the requester of the sensing may receive sensing data / sensing results directly from the SF, or may receive (acquire) sensing data / sensing results received by other devices (e.g., edge servers [in / outside the operator's trust domain], any NF, other AF, etc.) via said other devices. Furthermore, if the requesting UE has notified the AF that it wishes to receive the sensing results, the AF may also send the sensing results / sensing data to the requesting UE.

[0106] In this disclosure, sensing results / sensing data may be interpreted interchangeably with information regarding sensing results.

[0107] According to the first sensing procedure described above, sensing can be performed on UEs in the appropriate area / time. According to the first procedure, for example, sensing from multiple UEs (such as cars) can be integrated to detect the overall situation (such as road conditions). The drawback of sensing by only one UE, such as the existence of parts that cannot be detected due to obstacles, can be expected to be improved by performing CS in the first procedure.

[0108] <<Second step in sensing>> Figure 6 shows an example of a second sensing step according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the second sensing step, it is possible to specify the sensing method to be used for sensing.

[0109] Steps S200-S207 of the second procedure may correspond to steps S100-S107 of the first procedure, respectively. The differences between the second procedure and the first procedure will now be explained. Any part of the second procedure that is not explained [step S20X (where X=0-7)] may include the same content as in step S10X of the first procedure.

[0110] In step S200, the BS / UE may transmit information to the SF regarding the sensing methods it supports. The SF may store (or pre-register) the sensing methods supported by each BS / UE in association with the corresponding BS / UE information. The information regarding the supported sensing methods may indicate at least one of the supported sensing methods, or it may indicate that sensing is not supported (i.e., there is no sensing function).

[0111] Here, the sensing method may include at least one of the following: 3GPP sensing, non-3GPP sensing, etc.

[0112] 3GPP sensing may be sensing as defined in the 3GPP standard, or sensing that uses the wireless communication technology / frequency of the 3GPP standard. 3GPP sensing can detect the effects (reflection, refraction, diffraction, etc.) that a 3GPP wireless signal receives from a target object, environment, etc.

[0113] Non-3GPP sensing may be sensing defined outside of 3GPP standards, and may be sensing using non-3GPP wireless communication technologies / frequencies such as Wi-Fi, or sensing using technologies other than wireless communication technologies. Non-3GPP sensing may include at least one of the following: Wi-Fi sensing, image sensing, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), cameras, radar, sonar, ultrasonic waves, infrared.

[0114] The sensing method may include the frequency used for sensing, and information on the supported sensing method may include information on the frequency used for sensing. The frequency used for sensing may be expressed as an absolute value or a relative value [Hz] from some reference value, or as a predefined range or a name corresponding to that range (e.g., terahertz wave, subterahertz wave, millimeter wave, centimeter wave, frequency range (FR), frequency band). FR may indicate at least one of the frequency ranges defined in 3GPP, such as FR1, FR2, FR2-1, FR2-2, FR3, etc. The frequency band may indicate at least one of the frequency bands defined in 3GPP, for example FR2 could take the range n257-n263. For example n257 corresponds to the 26.5-29.5 GHz band. The frequency band is suitable when specifying frequencies with an intermediate granularity that is finer than the entire millimeter wave range (30-300 GHz band) but coarser than the frequency value. Furthermore, the information regarding supported sensing methods may include only information regarding the frequency used for sensing, [for example, in the case of 3GPP sensing].

[0115] Information regarding supported sensing methods may include information about objects that can be preferably sensed or are desired to be sensed, information about supported or desired sensing services, etc. The information about objects may include, for example, information indicating the gas / liquid / solid (e.g., ice) that is the object. The information about sensing services may include, for example, information indicating sensing services such as detection of a specific gas / liquid / solid (e.g., ice), intruder detection, detection of people / animals on the road, rainfall monitoring, vehicle autonomous driving / navigation, and collision avoidance for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This information may be explicitly or implicitly associated with the sensing method and may be called auxiliary information regarding the sensing method (auxiliary information for identifying the sensing method).

[0116] Information regarding supported sensing methods may be included in the information regarding sensing capability. Prior to step S202, the SF may send an inquiry to the BS / UE to report information regarding supported sensing methods [including information regarding sensing capability]. In response to the inquiry, the BS / UE may send the information regarding supported sensing methods [including information regarding sensing capability] to the SF. The sending and receiving of such inquiries, information regarding supported sensing methods [including information regarding sensing capability], etc., may be controlled via a specific NF (e.g., AMF).

[0117] The timing for registering / updating information about the supported sensing method may be before step S201 (step S200), before step S202, or at any other time.

[0118] It is preferable for the SF to control the transmission of the above query to update information on the sensing capabilities [including information on the sensing methods to be supported] immediately before step S202. This is expected to allow the SF to select a participant capable of performing appropriate sensing, even if the BS / UE varies the available sensing means depending on the environment.

[0119] In step S201, the first sensing request sent by the sensing requester (AF or UE) may include, in addition to any or a combination thereof, UE information, area information, time information, etc., information about the sensing method for which the sensing result is desired. Information about the sensing method for which the sensing result is desired may be called sensing [method] specification information, sensing instruction information, desired sensing [method] information, or simply specification information. Multiple sensing methods may be indicated by the sensing specification information.

[0120] Furthermore, the party requesting the sensing may obtain information from the SF in advance regarding the sensing methods supported by each BS / UE. In this case, the party requesting the sensing can, for example, include sensing specification information that includes only the sensing methods supported by the BS / UE in a certain area in the first sensing request, which includes area information indicating that area, thereby ensuring that sensing is performed in a specified manner.

[0121] Furthermore, the sensing specification information may include information / auxiliary information about the sensing method, similar to that described in the information about supported sensing methods above. For example, the sensing specification information may be information indicating a specific sensing method (millimeter wave, LiDAR, etc.), or it may be auxiliary information regarding the sensing method (for example, information indicating that ice detection is desired (requested)).

[0122] If the first sensing request includes supplementary information regarding the sensing method, the SF may determine the actual sensing method [to be performed by the participant] based on that supplementary information.

[0123] In step S202, the SF may determine BS / UEs that support the sensing method indicated in the sensing designation information of step S201 as candidate participants, based on the sensing methods supported by each BS / UE that have been registered / updated in advance, and select participants from among the candidate participants.

[0124] If it is determined to perform control for CS based on the first sensing request in step S201, and if the sensing specification information indicates multiple sensing methods, the SF may decide to associate multiple participants with different sensing methods. The SF may also decide to associate a single participant with multiple sensing methods. In other words, the SF may decide which participant will perform which sensing method.

[0125] In step S203, the second sensing request sent by the SF may include sensing specification information. The SF may send a second sensing request for each participant that includes specification information specifying the corresponding sensing method.

[0126] In step S203, the second sensing request may be sent to the participant by another NF (e.g., NWDAF) instead of the SF. For example, the source of the second sensing request (either the SF or the other NF) may be different from (or the other of the SF or the other NF) the destination of the information on the supported sensing method in step S200, or it may be the same.

[0127] In step S204, each participant who receives the second sensing request in step S203 may perform sensing based on the second sensing request and collect sensing data. For example, a participant may perform sensing using the sensing method indicated by the sensing specification information of the second sensing request.

[0128] Furthermore, the sensing data may include 3GPP sensing data obtained through 3GPP sensing, non-3GPP sensing data obtained through non-3GPP sensing, and so on.

[0129] In step S204, if a participant is already performing sensing [based on a previously received second sensing request] (in other words, sensing based on an older sensing request), they may perform sensing based on the newly received second sensing request in addition to the previously performed sensing, or they may discontinue sensing based on the older sensing request and perform sensing based on the newly received second sensing request. For example, if a participant performing 3GPP sensing receives a second sensing request that includes sensing designation information specifying non-3GPP sensing, they may control themselves to perform only the non-3GPP sensing, or they may control themselves to perform both the 3GPP sensing and the non-3GPP sensing.

[0130] The second procedure may also be used to switch a participant's sensing method if it is anticipated (predicted) or has deteriorated due to factors such as bad weather (rain, etc.) or radio interference. Examples of sensing methods whose accuracy deteriorates in bad weather include cameras (image sensing) and LiDAR. Examples of sensing methods whose accuracy deteriorates in the event of radio interference include sensing using electromagnetic waves (e.g., 3GPP sensing, Wi-Fi sensing). However, even in the event of bad weather, if the sensing is indoors where it is not directly affected by rain or wind, the deterioration of the sensing accuracy of cameras (image sensing), LiDAR, etc., is unlikely to occur.

[0131] Here, information relating to (or around) a device (e.g., weather / location / radio environment) may be called environmental information. Weather information may include, for example, current / past / future weather information / meteorological elements (temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind direction, precipitation, etc.) for the area where the device is located / nearby. Location information may include latitude, longitude, altitude, the speed and direction of travel of the device, etc. Radio environment information may include channel status, channel quality, received power, etc., relating to the device.

[0132] In step S201, the sensing requester may, if the environmental information of a participant / candidate participant changes or is expected to change, send a first sensing request that includes sensing specification information specifying an appropriate sensing method [for at least one of a participant / candidate participant and another participant / candidate participant] based on the environmental information. For example, if the radio environment of a participant performing 3GPP sensing deteriorates, the requester may send a first sensing request that includes sensing specification information specifying camera sensing so that the participant can be requested to use a camera as a sensing method.

[0133] In step S203, if the environmental information of a participant / candidate changes or is expected to change, the SF may send a second sensing request that includes sensing designation information specifying an appropriate sensing method for at least one of a participant / candidate and another participant / candidate, based on the environmental information.

[0134] The sensing requester / SF may determine the appropriate sensing method and / or send a first / second sensing request including sensing specification information specifying the appropriate sensing method if it determines that the sensing accuracy of a particular sensing method of a certain participant / candidate participant deteriorates or improves (for example, falls below / above a certain threshold, or fluctuates above a certain threshold). Such a particular threshold may be defined in advance in the standard, or it may be set for the sensing requester / SF / participant / candidate participant.

[0135] Furthermore, the sensing requester / SF may obtain its own environmental information through its own sensing, or it may obtain it using the internet (for example, a website that provides weather information). Furthermore, the sensing requester / SF may obtain the environmental information of participants / candidate participants based on signals / information transmitted by the participants / candidate participants, or it may obtain it using the internet (for example, a website that provides weather information).

[0136] The sensing requester / SF may determine whether a participant's / candidate's environmental information is changing or has changed based on the aforementioned acquired information (such as its own environmental information and the participant's / candidate's environmental information), signals / information transmitted by the participant / candidate, information obtainable from the Internet, etc., or it may determine based on information transmitted by the SF / sensing requester indicating that a participant's / candidate's environmental information is changing or has changed.

[0137] Furthermore, the sensing requester / SF may determine whether the sensing accuracy of a particular sensing method for a participant / candidate has deteriorated or improved based on the aforementioned information obtained (such as its own environmental information and the environmental information of the participant / candidate), signals / information transmitted from the participant / candidate, and information obtainable from the Internet, or it may determine based on information transmitted by the SF / sensing requester indicating whether the sensing accuracy of a particular sensing method for a participant / candidate has deteriorated or improved.

[0138] If the first sensing request sent by the sensing requester in step S201 does not include sensing designation information, in step S203, the SF may autonomously determine sensing designation information for each participant and include it in each participant's second sensing request and send it. The autonomous determination of sensing designation information for participants may be carried out based on environmental information concerning the participant / candidate participant.

[0139] According to the second sensing procedure described above, for example, the results of multiple sensing methods (e.g., 3GPP sensing and non-3GPP sensing) can be combined to achieve more accurate sensing. The second procedure is expected to improve the shortcomings of using a single sensing method, such as limitations in accuracy or degradation of sensing performance in adverse weather conditions (rain, fog, snow, etc.).

[0140] The sensing specification information described above may also include information specifying the required sensing quality / accuracy / resolution / distance / coverage. For example, sensing quality may be classified into high, medium, and low (low, medium, high) sensing resolution, or low, medium, and high sensing accuracy. In this disclosure, sensing procedure, sensing method, sensing quality, sensing content, etc., may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0141] Furthermore, the first / second sensing request may include information specifying the sensing content, such as UE information, area information, time information, sensing method, sensing quality / accuracy / resolution / distance / coverage, and other information. The sensing content may also correspond to when / where / who / what / why / how the sensing will be performed.

[0142] The participants determined in steps S102 / S202 may be UEs / BS that satisfy specific trigger conditions. These specific trigger conditions may relate to at least one of the following of the BS / UE: location information, movement status, communication status, capabilities, current time, current / future weather, etc.

[0143] In this disclosure, a sensing participant that receives a sensing request may transition to a state in which it executes a sensing task. A UE / BS executing a sensing task may continue to perform the instructed sensing (and transmit data / results) until the sensing stop conditions are met.

[0144] The sensing stop conditions may include at least one of the following: being instructed to stop / modify / release / cancel this sensing (which may also be called sensing request cancellation information); or a certain amount of time elapsed since receiving the sensing request.

[0145] In this disclosure, the first communication device, the [sensing] participant, the sensing device, the sensing receiver, the sensing transmitter, the UE, and the BS may be interchangeable. The sensing device may be a communication device that performs sensing based on instructions from the CN, or it may be a UE / BS. In this disclosure, the second communication device, the CN, the [NF within the CN], and the [SF within the CN] may be interchangeable.

[0146] <<Response regarding the feasibility of handling the specified sensing content>> In the above-described case, where a CN requests a sensing participant (e.g., UE, BS) to perform sensing with certain sensing content (sending, specifying, or instructing a sensing request), the sensing participant may notify the CN of certain information if they do not perform sensing with the specified sensing content.

[0147] The specific information mentioned above may also be a notification that the specified sensing will not be performed. Not performing the specified sensing may mean that it is possible to perform it but will not be done [for some reason], or that it is not possible to perform it and therefore will not be done. Therefore, "[will not perform] / will perform" can be interpreted interchangeably with "[cannot perform] / can perform" in the following context.

[0148] A notification that a specified sensing will not be performed may be referred to as a sensing refusal notification, sensing decline notification, sensing error notification, sensing unavailable notification, sensing failure notification (or notification that the specified sensing failed to be performed), sensing non-performance notification (or notification that the specified sensing will not be performed), a [sensing] error message, etc. In this disclosure, terms such as refusal, decline, error, unavailable, failure, non-performance, and non-performance may be interpreted interchangeably. In this disclosure, terms such as notification, report, information, and feedback may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0149] A sensing denial notification may include information (e.g., 1 bit) indicating whether or not the specified sensing can be performed.

[0150] A sensing rejection notice may include information indicating the type of rejection (which may also be called a rejection code). The rejection code may indicate a classification of rejection, such as "rejected," "conditional rejection," or "conditional acceptance." A rejection code of "rejected" may mean that sensing with the specified sensing content, or all sensing, will not be performed for a certain period of time. A rejection code of "conditional rejection" (or "conditional acceptance") may mean that sensing with the specified sensing content, or specific sensing, will not be performed (or will be performed) under certain conditions. Note that "conditional" may be interpreted as "partial."

[0151] A sensing refusal notification may include information indicating the reason (reason for refusal) for not performing sensing with the specified sensing content. This reason may include, for example, insufficient communication resources for sensing, the specified sensing function (or sensor for sensing) is not installed, it is not the right time to perform the specified sensing [even though it is capable of doing so], bad weather (e.g., heavy rain), the device is in a specific status (state), or the device will enter a specific status [soon or at the time indicated by the time information included in the sensing request].

[0152] In this disclosure, "the device is / becomes a specific status" may be interpreted as "the device, a mobile body including the device (e.g., a vehicle), or a specific function / sensor thereof is / becomes a specific status." Here, "being / becoming a specific status" may include at least one of the following: the power is / becomes OFF, the device is / becomes in a sleep state (e.g., low power state, non-sensing state), the device is / becomes in a specific load state (e.g., high load), a predetermined communication module is / becomes in a non-communicating state (e.g., power is OFF, sleep state, idle state, inactive state), or a specific function (e.g., wipers / headlights / parking lights) is / becomes operating or stopped. The predetermined communication module may be at least one of a plurality of communication modules included in the device / mobile body, or it may be a communication module capable of performing sensing of specified sensing content.

[0153] Furthermore, sensing participants may determine (generate) the rejection code / rejection reason for the error message based on whether their device is in / will be in a specific status. For example, a participant may determine that the reason for not performing sensing is bad weather (e.g., rain) because the wipers of the moving object, including their device, are operating. Alternatively, a participant may determine that the reason for not performing sensing is that it is nighttime because the lights of the moving object, including their device, are operating (on).

[0154] A sensing refusal notice may include information regarding the conditions under which sensing is performed. These conditions may indicate prerequisites (which may also be called modification conditions) necessary for performing sensing, and the sensing participant may request that the sensing content be modified to comply with these prerequisites. The sensing corresponding to the modification conditions may include sensing using the same sensing method as indicated in the sensing request above, or sensing using a different sensing method. The information regarding the conditions under which sensing is performed may include information regarding the sensing method to be used, area information indicating the area where sensing will be performed, time information indicating the time when sensing will be performed, information on sensing quality / accuracy / resolution / distance / coverage that can be met [or is expected to be met], and other information that specifies the sensing content.

[0155] For example, if a sensing participant is asked to sense terahertz waves, they may send a sensing refusal notice indicating that they will sense if it is millimeter waves. Also, for example, if a sensing participant is asked to perform arbitrary sensing and is unable to handle the sensing task (process) due to insufficient communication resources, they may send a sensing refusal notice indicating that the reason for not performing the task is insufficient communication resources and that they will perform the sensing at a predetermined time (for example, after 10 minutes).

[0156] The modification conditions may also indicate better (more preferred / recommended) sensing content. In other words, participants can perform sensing as specified by the CN, but if they do not wish to do so, they may propose to the CN, as an alternative, other better sensing content that differs in at least part from the specified sensing content. In this case, the sensing refusal notice including the modification conditions may be called a notification of better (more preferred / recommended) sensing content, a sensing [content] proposal notice, a sensing proposal, a sensing alternative notice, etc. A sensing alternative notice may be a form of sensing refusal notice, for example, a sensing refusal notice in which the refusal code indicates “alternative”. The terms sensing refusal notice and sensing alternative notice in this disclosure may be interchangeable. A sensing alternative notice does not have to include all information indicating a refusal, such as information indicating whether or not to perform the specified sensing, a refusal code, or reasons for refusal.

[0157] A sensing participant may wait for further instructions from the CN for a certain period after sending a sensing rejection notice (they may enter a waiting state for sensing). The value of this specific period may be notified to the sensing participant in advance.

[0158] A sensing participant in a waiting state does not have to perform the specified sensing task (it may be held off / skipped). A sensing participant in a waiting state may monitor (or attempt to receive) the next instruction. A sensing participant may notify the CN of its waiting state (or waiting for the next instruction) by a sensing refusal notice, or by a signaling method other than a sensing refusal notice.

[0159] When CN receives a sensing refusal notice from a sensing participant, it may determine (specify) the following instructions based on the content of the notice and send those instructions to the appropriate recipient. Here, the following instructions may be one or more of the following: (1) A sensing request to the above-mentioned [waiting] sensing participants, asking them to perform sensing with alternative sensing content. (2) Sensing request cancellation information for the above [waiting] sensing participants, (3) A sensing request to the above-mentioned [waiting] sensing participant, asking them to perform sensing with the same sensing content as the previous time (which was rejected), (4) A sensing request to another UE / BS (other potential participant) located near the above [waiting] sensing participant, requesting that they perform sensing with the same sensing content as the rejected content or alternative sensing content. (5) Information to the above-mentioned [waiting] sensing participant indicating that they reject the alternative presented in the sensing alternative notification (which may be called a sensing alternative rejection notification).

[0160] The above (1) may be specified, for example, when the reason for not performing the sensing, as indicated by the sensing refusal notice, is for a specific reason (e.g., the specified sensing function is not available, or it is not the right time to perform the specified sensing). This allows the CN to request an alternative sensing method if the desired sensing method cannot be performed. The alternative sensing content in (1) above may be determined based on the modification conditions of the sensing refusal notice (or sensing alternative notice).

[0161] The above (3) may be specified, for example, when the reason for not performing the sensing, as indicated by the sensing rejection notification, is for a specific reason (e.g., insufficient communication resources). Sensing rejection due to insufficient communication resources can be expected to resolve by resending the sensing request as a retry target, since communication resources may become available after a predetermined time. The sensing request in (3) above may include different time information than the previous one (other information may be the same), or it may indicate a re-execution of the same sensing as the previous one (the sensing method, etc., that was notified last time does not need to be notified again).

[0162] With respect to (4) above, the CN may, after confirming the sensing capabilities (such as sensing means) of other UEs / BS (other candidate participants) located near the [waiting] sensing participant, select a UE / BS to perform sensing in place of the [waiting] sensing participant, and send a sensing request to the selected UE / BS.

[0163] The sensing alternative rejection notice in (5) above may include information (e.g., 1 bit) indicating whether or not the proposed alternative is rejected, or it may include information indicating that the alternative will be accepted if it is partially modified, or it may include information regarding the modified alternative (information specifying the sensing content of the modified alternative).

[0164] The sensing request / cancellation information / sensing alternative rejection notices in (1)-(3) / (5) above may be monitored only in the [sensing] standby state, or may be sent in a resource (or search space) that is monitored only in the [sensing] standby state. The sensing alternative rejection notice in (5) above may be monitored only for a certain period after the sensing alternative notice has been sent, or may be sent in a resource (or search space) that is monitored only in this case.

[0165] The sensing requests in (1) / (3) / (4) above may include information indicating that they are alternative sensing content.

[0166] Furthermore, if the reason for non-execution indicated by the sensing refusal notice is a specific reason (e.g., insufficient communication resources), the CN may send the next instruction after a specific period has elapsed from a specific timing (e.g., the timing of receiving the sensing refusal notice). This is because if communication resources are insufficient, sending the next instruction immediately would likely result in another refusal. Information regarding specific timings / periods may be specified in the standard beforehand, or may be received from other devices (such as the requester, any NF, or participants).

[0167] Furthermore, if a sensing participant stops sensing for any reason while performing a sensing task, they may send a sensing refusal notification.

[0168] In this disclosure, a sensing request transmitted from the CN to a participant may be referred to as a sensing indication. In this disclosure, a sensing indication and a second sensing request from the CN may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0169] Figure 7 shows an example of a procedure relating to a sensing refusal notification according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, a certain UE (UE1) corresponds to the participant selected in step S102 / 202 described above, and may be read interchangeably with participant (UE / BS).

[0170] In this example, in step S301, the CN sends a sensing request (for example, a request to sense terahertz waves) to a certain UE (UE1). UE1 then decides whether or not to perform sensing based on the sensing content specified by the sensing request.

[0171] In step S302, UE1 determines whether or not to perform the specified sensing based on environmental information, the capabilities and status of its own device, etc. If it is determined that the sensing should be performed, UE1 may perform the sensing and send the sensing data / results to CN, as shown in the first / second steps. The following steps apply when it is determined that the sensing should not be performed.

[0172] If UE1 determines in step S302 above that it will not perform the sensing, it sends a sensing rejection notice to CN in step S303. UE1 may also wait for further instructions. The sensing rejection notice may include information indicating the reason why the specified sensing will not be performed (e.g., the sensor for terahertz waves is not installed, or the weather is heavy rain).

[0173] In step S304, CN determines the following instructions based on the sensing refusal notification. In step S305, CN sends the following instructions to the appropriate recipients. For example, CN may send the following instructions to UE1 (e.g., a sensing request requesting millimeter-wave sensing, or sensing request cancellation information indicating the cancellation of the sensing request in step S301), or it may send the following instructions to other candidate participants besides UE1 (a sensing request indicating the same sensing content as in step S301 or alternative sensing content).

[0174] The CN may determine the processing content based on the rejection code included in the sensing rejection notice. Figure 8 shows an example of the processing content of a CN that has received a sensing rejection notice according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0175] Upon receiving a sensing rejection notice, the CN checks the rejection code indicated in the sensing rejection notice in step S401. If the rejection code indicates "rejection" (step S401-Yes), the CN removes the participant who sent the sensing rejection notice from the list of participants / candidate participants (step S402). In this case, the CN does not need to check any part of the sensing rejection notice other than the rejection code (it may be ignored / discarded). This allows the CN to quickly remove participants who do not perform the specified sensing. The CN may also send sensing request cancellation information to the above participant.

[0176] If the above rejection code does not indicate "rejection" (step S401-No), the CN checks in step S403 whether the above rejection code indicates "conditional rejection" or "conditional acceptance". If the above rejection code indicates "conditional rejection" or "conditional acceptance" (step S403-Yes), the CN checks the rejection reason / change conditions indicated by the sensing rejection notice and checks whether it can be determined that the participant who sent the sensing rejection notice will perform the specified sensing after a certain period of time has elapsed (step S404). The information regarding this certain period of time may be specified in advance in the standard, or it may be received (or set) from any device (requester, any NF, participant, etc.).

[0177] If the participant decides to perform the specified sensing after a certain period of time has elapsed (step S404-Yes), in step S405, CN waits for a certain period of time and then sends a request to the participant again (sending another sensing request indicating the same sensing content).

[0178] If the participant does not decide to perform the specified sensing after a certain period of time has elapsed (step S404-No), CN will determine an alternative sensing method in step S406 and request it from the participant.

[0179] The following is an example of actions related to sensing instructions by a participant (e.g., a UE). In the following example, participants may be substituted for candidate participants.

[0180] Figure 9 shows an example of participant processing related to sensing instructions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This processing flow may be tried periodically or aperiodically.

[0181] In step S501, the participant determines whether or not they have received a sensing instruction. If they do not receive a sensing instruction (step S501-No), this process may be terminated.

[0182] If a sensing instruction is received (step S501-Yes), in step S502, the participant decides whether or not to execute the specified sensing instruction.

[0183] If the participant decides to execute the specified sensing instruction (step S502-Yes), in step S503, the participant may execute the specified sensing instruction and transmit the obtained sensing data / results to the CN.

[0184] If it is decided not to perform the specified sensing instruction (step S502-No), in step S504, the participant determines whether there are any necessary conditions (change conditions) for sensing.

[0185] If there are conditions for modification (step S504-Yes), in step S505, the participant may send a sensing rejection notice to the CN indicating the rejection code "conditional rejection". The sensing rejection notice may include information indicating the above-mentioned conditions for modification.

[0186] If no change conditions exist (step S504-No), in step S506, the participant may send a sensing rejection notice to the CN indicating a rejection code "Rejected". This sensing rejection notice does not include information indicating change conditions.

[0187] Figure 10 shows another example of participant processing related to sensing instructions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Steps S601-S603 and S606 in this example may be the same as steps S501-S503 and S506 in Figure 9, respectively.

[0188] In this example, the participant may process S604 and S605 instead of steps S504 and S505. If it is decided not to perform the specified sensing instruction (step S602-No), in step S604 the participant will determine if there is an alternative sensing method (in other words, attempt to create an alternative).

[0189] If an alternative exists (step S604-Yes), in step S605, the participant may send a sensing alternative notification indicating the above alternative to the CN.

[0190] The participant who sent the sensing alternative notification determines in step S601 whether or not they received a sensing instruction. If they receive a sensing instruction (step S601-Yes), the participant follows the normal flow from step S602. This sensing instruction may have been generated by CN considering the above alternative.

[0191] If a participant who has sent a sensing alternative notification does not receive a sensing instruction (step S601-No), in step S611, they determine whether or not they have received a sensing alternative rejection notification.

[0192] If a sensing alternative rejection notice is received (step S611-Yes), in step S612, the participant may determine that the alternative has been rejected and perform the sensing specified by the most recent sensing instruction (the sensing instruction that the participant rejected in the most recent S602). If successful, the participant may transmit the obtained sensing data / results to the CN.

[0193] If no sensing alternative rejection notice is received within a certain period of time (step S611-No), in step S613, the participant may determine that the alternative is acceptable and perform sensing corresponding to the latest sensing alternative notice (the sensing alternative notice sent by the participant in the most recent S605). If successful, the participant may transmit the obtained sensing data / results to the CN. Information regarding this certain period of time may be specified in advance in the standard, or it may be received (or configured) from any device (such as the requester, CN, or participant).

[0194] As explained above, by using sensing refusal notifications, it becomes possible to take timely and appropriate action if a participant does not respond appropriately to the specified sensing content.

[0195] Furthermore, even if CN does not receive a sensing refusal notice from a sensing participant, it may identify the following instructions described above and send them to the appropriate recipient. For example, if CN sends a sensing request to a sensing participant and does not receive a report of sensing data / results from that participant within a certain period, it may determine that sensing was not performed with the sensing content indicated in the sensing request, and then identify the following instructions described above.

[0196] <Note> The following invention is added with respect to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Note 1] A receiving unit that receives a sensing request (for example, a second sensing request, a sensing instruction) that specifies the sensing content, A first communication device (e.g., a sensing participant (UE / BS)) having a transmitting unit that, when it does not perform sensing with the aforementioned sensing content, transmits a notification indicating that it will not perform the sensing (e.g., a sensing refusal notification) or a proposal for sensing content different from the aforementioned sensing content (e.g., a sensing alternative notification). [Note 2] The transmitting unit is the first communication device according to Appendix 1, which transmits the notification including information indicating the reason for not performing the sensing. [Note 3] The transmitting unit is the first communication device according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, which transmits the notification containing information regarding the conditions for performing sensing (e.g., change conditions). [Note 4] The receiving unit is the first communication device described in any of Appendix 1 to 3, which monitors the following instructions for a specific period after transmitting the notification or proposal. [Note 5] The first communication device as described in Appendix 4, wherein the following instruction is a sensing request specifying alternative sensing content, or information to cancel the sensing (e.g., sensing request cancellation information), or information to reject the proposal (e.g., sensing alternative rejection notice). [Note 6] The following instruction is a sensing request specifying the sensing content, if the reason for not performing the sensing is a specific reason, for the first communication device as described in Appendix 4 or Appendix 5. [Note 7] A transmission unit that sends a sensing request specifying the sensing content, A second communication device (e.g., a device in CN, SF) having a receiving unit that receives a notification indicating that the sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content. [Note 8] The notification is a second communication device as described in Appendix 7, which includes information indicating the reason for not performing the sensing. [Note 9] The aforementioned notification is a second communication device as described in Appendix 7 or Appendix 8, which includes information regarding the conditions for performing sensing. [Note 10] The control unit has a control unit that determines the following instructions based on the content of the aforementioned notice or proposal, The transmitting unit is a second communication device according to any one of the appendices 7 to 9, which transmits the following instructions within a specific period after receiving the notification or proposal. [Note 11] The second communication device described in Appendix 10, wherein the following instruction is a sensing request specifying alternative sensing content, or information to cancel the sensing, or information to reject the proposal. [Note 12] The second communication device described in Appendix 10 or Appendix 11 is a sensing request specifying the sensing content if the reason for not performing the sensing is a specific reason. [Note 13] The following instruction is a sensing request indicating the content of sensing to be performed by a communication device (e.g., another candidate participant) located near the destination of the sensing request, as described in any of the appendices 10 to 12 for the second communication device. [Note 14] The steps include receiving a sensing request that specifies the sensing content, A communication method for a first communication device, comprising the step of transmitting a notification indicating that sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content if sensing with the aforementioned sensing content is not performed. [Note 15] The steps include sending a sensing request that specifies the sensing content, A communication method for a second communication device, comprising the step of receiving a notification indicating that the sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content. [Note 16] A communication system comprising a first communication device described in any of the appendices 1 to 6, and a second communication device described in any of the appendices 7 to 13.

[0197] <Variation> In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meaning.

[0198] In this disclosure, terms such as apparatus, circuit, device, section, and unit are interchangeable.

[0199] The information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or corresponding other information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by a given index.

[0200] The names used for parameters and other elements in this disclosure are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, mathematical formulas and other elements that use these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure.

[0201] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0202] Input and output information and signals may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information and signals may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information and signals may be deleted. Input information and signals may be transmitted to other devices.

[0203] Any information described in this disclosure (e.g., variables, constants, parameters) may be notified from any first device (e.g., UE / BS) to any second device (e.g., BS / UE), even if not specifically stated in the embodiments described above. Notification of any information may be interpreted as notification of information indicating / specifying (or relating to) the value of such any information.

[0204] In this disclosure, the words “notify,” “request,” “activate,” “deactivate,” “indicate,” “select,” “configure,” “update,” and “determine” may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0205] In this disclosure, the terms “support,” “control / operate / use,” and “are controllable / operate / available” may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0206] In this disclosure, notification of information is not limited to the manner / embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, notification of information in this disclosure may be carried out by radio access-related signaling, RAN-related signaling, core network-related signaling, other signals, or a combination thereof. In this disclosure, signaling, messages, parameters, fields, information elements (IE), settings, etc., may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0207] Wireless access-related signaling may include signaling related to wireless access (wireless interface) between UE-RAN, and may also fall under Access Stratum (AS) signaling. Wireless access-related signaling may also include physical layer signaling, upper layer signaling, etc.

[0208] Physical layer signaling may include, for example, Downlink Control Information (DCI) and Uplink Control Information (UCI). Upper layer signaling may include, for example, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling and Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling.

[0209] RRC signaling may include broadcast information (e.g., Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)). MAC signaling may include MAC Control Element (MAC CE), MAC Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU), etc.

[0210] RAN-related signaling may include signaling for RAN-to-RAN control, such as Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) signaling.

[0211] Core network-related signaling may include signaling for control between UEs and CNs, such as Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling. Core network-related signaling may also include signaling for control between CNs, such as Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) messages.

[0212] Furthermore, notification of the specified information (for example, notification that "X is the case") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be made implicitly (for example, by not providing notification of the specified information or by providing notification of other information).

[0213] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0214] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0215] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "wireless base station", "relay station", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNB (eNodeB)", "gNB (gNodeB)", "access point", "Transmission Point (TP)", "Reception Point (RP)", "Transmission / Reception Point (TRP)", "panel", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably.

[0216] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0217] Any device in this disclosure may also be called a server, device, transmitter, receiver, wireless communication device, information processing device, etc., and these terms may be interchangeable. Any device in this disclosure may be a device mounted on a moving object, a device contained within a moving object (held by a person riding in the moving object), or the moving object itself. Such moving objects include, but are not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones, multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and items mounted on them. Such moving objects may also be autonomous / autonomous. In this disclosure, a moving object may also be interchangeable with a non-moving object (for example, a non-moving object that a person can ride in).

[0218] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during execution. Furthermore, the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be rearranged or some steps may be omitted, as long as they are consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present various step elements using exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0219] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0220] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, the references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0221] As used in this disclosure, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and any variations thereof mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. The coupling or connection between elements may be via at least one of wired and wireless connections.

[0222] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0223] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0224] In this disclosure, if articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0225] In this disclosure, words such as "decision," "judgment," "determination," "selection," "specification," "calculation," "calculation," "processing," "derivation," "search," "confirmation," "assumption," and "expectation" may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0226] In this disclosure, terms such as "less than or equal to," "less than," "greater than or equal to," "more than," and "equal to" may be interpreted interchangeably. In addition, in this disclosure, terms meaning "good," "bad," "big," "small," "high," "low," "early," "slow," "wide," and "narrow" may be interpreted interchangeably, not limited to the positive, comparative, and superlative degrees. Furthermore, in this disclosure, terms meaning "good," "bad," "big," "small," "high," "low," "early," "slow," "wide," and "narrow" may be interpreted interchangeably, not limited to the positive, comparative, and superlative degrees, by adding "i-th" (where i is any integer) to the expression (for example, "highest" may be interpreted interchangeably with "i-th highest").

[0227] In this disclosure, "of," "for," "regarding," "related to," and "associated with" may be interpreted as being interchangeable.

[0228] Although the invention described herein has been explained in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the invention described herein is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The descriptions herein are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way to the invention described herein.

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives a sensing request specifying the sensing content, A first communication device having a transmitting unit that, when sensing is not performed with the aforementioned sensing content, transmits a notification indicating that the sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the aforementioned sensing content.

2. The first communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the notification including information indicating the reason for not performing the sensing.

3. The first communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the notification containing information regarding the conditions for performing sensing.

4. The first communication device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit monitors the following instructions for a specific period after transmitting the notification or the proposal.

5. The first communication device according to claim 4, wherein the following instruction is a sensing request specifying alternative sensing content, information to cancel the sensing, or information to reject the proposal.

6. The first communication device according to claim 4, wherein the following instruction is a sensing request specifying the sensing content if the reason for not performing the sensing is a specific reason.

7. A transmission unit that sends a sensing request specifying the sensing content, A second communication device having a receiving unit that receives a notification indicating that the sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content.

8. The second communication device according to claim 7, wherein the notification includes information indicating the reason for not performing the sensing.

9. The notification includes information regarding the conditions for performing sensing, as described in claim 7, for the second communication device.

10. The control unit has a control unit that determines the following instructions based on the content of the aforementioned notice or proposal, The second communication device according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the following instructions within a specific period after receiving the notification or the proposal.

11. The second communication device according to claim 10, wherein the following instruction is a sensing request specifying alternative sensing content, information to cancel the sensing, or information to reject the proposal.

12. The second communication device according to claim 10, wherein the following instruction is a sensing request specifying the sensing content if the reason for not performing the sensing is a specific reason.

13. The second communication device according to claim 10, wherein the following instruction is a sensing request indicating the content of sensing to be performed by a communication device located near the destination of the sensing request.

14. The steps include receiving a sensing request that specifies the sensing content, A communication method for a first communication device, comprising the step of transmitting a notification indicating that sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content if sensing with the sensing content is not performed.

15. The steps include sending a sensing request that specifies the sensing content, A communication method for a second communication device, comprising the step of receiving a notification indicating that the sensing will not be performed or a proposal for sensing content different from the sensing content.

16. A communication system comprising a first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a second communication device according to any one of claims 7 to 13.

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