Information processing equipment and communication equipment

Abstract

Appropriate use of wireless sensing. [Solution] A communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit receives a sensing request and transmits a sensing product corresponding to the sensing request. The control unit determines the type of sensing product and generates the sensing product according to the determined type.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, a communication apparatus, an information processing method, and a communication method in a mobile communication system.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, studies on wireless sensing technology using radio frequency signals have 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 an information processing device and a communication device that can appropriately utilize wireless sensing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a communication unit that receives a sensing request and transmits a sensing product corresponding to the sensing request, and a control unit that determines the type of the sensing product and generates the sensing product according to the determined type.

[0009] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a communication unit that, upon receiving a first sensing request, transmits a second sensing request to a participant selected from among a plurality of communication devices, and receives a sensing product corresponding to the second sensing request and type information representing the type of the sensing product from the participant, and a control unit that processes the sensing product based on the type information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of this disclosure, wireless sensing can be appropriately utilized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [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 variation of the second sensing procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a third sensing step according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] 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.

[0013] In this disclosure, text enclosed in parentheses () may indicate an explanation of the preceding text (e.g., a spelling explanation), a paraphrase, a specific example, or supplementary information. Similarly, text enclosed in square brackets ([]) may be interpreted as part of the overall meaning of the text, or as excluding (ignoring) the brackets. Note that parentheses () and square brackets ([]) may also be used for purposes / meanings other than those described above.

[0014] In this disclosure, "A / B" and "at least one of A and B" may be interpreted as mutually exclusive. In this disclosure, "A / B / C" may mean "at least one of A, B, and C".

[0015] In this disclosure, a Network Function (NF) may include, for example, at least one of the following: • Application Function (AF) (for example, a function that implements an application server outside the 5G Core Network (5GC)), • Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (for example, a function to manage UE registration, location, etc.) • Data Network (DN) (for example, a function that enables data networks outside of 5GC), • Location Management Function (LMF) (for example, a function for controlling communication related to location information services) • Non-3GPP Inter-Working Function (N3IWF) (for example, the ability to connect untrusted non-3GPP access networks with 5GC), ·Network Exposure Function(NEF) (e.g., a function that provides an external application interface for NF services of 5GC), ·Network Slice Selection Function(NSSF) (e.g., a function that selects network slices), ·Network Data Analytics Function(NWDAF) (e.g., a function that analyzes network data), ·Operation, Administration and Maintenance(Management)(OAM) (e.g., a function that provides means for operation, administration and maintenance), ·Policy Control Function(PCF) (e.g., a function that controls the quality, policies, etc. of the data transfer path), ·Session Management Function(SMF) (e.g., a function that manages sessions), ·Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function(TNGF) (e.g., a function that connects a trusted non-3GPP access network and 5GC), ·Trusted WLAN Interworking Function(TWIF) (e.g., a function that connects 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 that provides a radio access network), ·User Equipment(UE) (e.g., a function that provides user access to network services via a wireless interface), ·Unified Data Management(UDM) (e.g., a function that stores / manages subscriber information, UE authentication information, etc.), ·Unified Data Repository(UDR) (e.g., a function that manages authentication / authorization based on subscriber information), • User Plane Function (UPF) (for example, a function that transmits user data packets).

[0016] It should be noted that these are merely examples, and it is understood that other non-fundamental features are also covered in this disclosure.

[0017] <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.

[0018] 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).

[0019] 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.

[0020] In other words, terms related to 5G in this disclosure can be interpreted as terms related to other technologies / systems. Furthermore, if 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.

[0021] In System 1, UE10 receives wireless communication services using Network (NW) 3000. NW3000 corresponds to the cellular network to which UE10 can connect.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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).

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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).

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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).

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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)).

[0030] The sensing of UE10 / BS20 / NF Server 30 / Application Server 40 may be at least one of monostatic sensing, bistatic sensing, or multistatic sensing.

[0031] Monostatic sensing may be a sensing method in which the system itself transmits a sensing signal (e.g., a specific reference signal) and receives an echo signal [from the target] to acquire sensing data. Bistatic sensing may be a sensing method 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 sensing receiver receives the signal [affected by the target]. Multistatic sensing may refer to a sensing method in which multiple sensing transmitters / multiple sensing receivers exist for a target.

[0032] 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.

[0033] In this disclosure, NF may include a Sensing Function (SF) that manages, controls, and analyzes sensing.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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].

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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).

[0038] <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.

[0039] <<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.

[0040] Furthermore, BS20, NF server 30, and application server 40 may have a similar functional configuration. For this reason, in Figure 2, 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". For example, BS20 comprises a control unit 210, a communication unit 220, an input / output unit 230, and a storage unit 240. The following description will focus on the functional blocks of UE10, but it should be understood that similar descriptions apply to other devices.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] <<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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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).

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] <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.

[0069] In the following descriptions of this disclosure, reference numerals may be omitted. For example, UE in the following descriptions may mean UE10.

[0070] 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.

[0071] In this disclosure, sensing, wireless sensing, and collaborative sensing (CS) may be interpreted interchangeably. CS may mean sensing in which multiple BS / UEs perform overlapping area / time sensing [and obtain sensing results based on this sensing data].

[0072] 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, in the first to third steps described below, SF receives a first sensing request and sends a second sensing request, which may cover the following: "either the SF or 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."

[0073] In the following procedure, UE may be interpreted as UE / BS. For example, UE information may be interpreted as BS information, and the BS to be sensed may be determined based on the BS information.

[0074] <<First step in sensing>> Figure 4 shows an example of a first sensing step according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] 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 participants (which may also be called subjects, implementers, etc.) (e.g., UE information, area information, time information, etc., or a combination thereof). The information to identify the sensing participants may also be called sensing participant identification information, participant identification information, or simply identification information.

[0076] 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.

[0077] The UE information only needs to be information that identifies the UE to be sensed, 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 phone number itself, or information related to the phone number (e.g., Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN)).

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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 also be information indicating prohibited routes. Area information may be included in UE information.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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 specific time]. The unit of time may be expressed as, for example, seconds, minutes, hours. Furthermore, time information is not limited to information that directly represents "time," but may also represent information that represents some kind of timing.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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).

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] Furthermore, the requesting party / SF / NEF may derive at least one of the UE information, area information, and time information based on a predetermined setting / value (which may be called a default setting / value, for example). For example, the default value for time information may indicate a predetermined time after the current time.

[0087] 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.

[0088] For example, the SF may identify the requesting UE based on the UE information of the first sensing request in step S101 and determine the BS / UE located near the requesting UE as a participant. Alternatively, the SF may determine the BS / UE located in or near the area based on the area information of the first sensing request in step S101 as a participant.

[0089] Whether a device is near the requesting 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 determined based on time information.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] In this disclosure, the sensing means and the sensing method may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0093] 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).

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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) at which this sensing capability information is updated.

[0096] The update timing may be before step S101 (which may be called step S100, for example), before step S102, or at any other time.

[0097] It is preferable that the SF controls the transmission of the above query to update information regarding sensing capability immediately before step S102.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] The second sensing request from the SF to the participant may be sent using, for example, RRC signaling (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message).

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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 control than for individual sensings that are not CS.

[0104] 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.).

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] The requesting party may also perform sensing themselves and derive sensing results / sensing data, and may calculate the final sensing result based on these sensing results / sensing data and the received sensing results / sensing data (for example, by integrating these results / data).

[0108] In this disclosure, sensing results / sensing data may be interpreted interchangeably with information regarding sensing results.

[0109] 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.

[0110] <<Second step in sensing>> In the first procedure described above, for example, sensing data is sent from the participant to the SF30, sensing results are generated from the sensing data in the SF30, and the sensing results are sent from the SF30 to the AF40 / UE10. However, this sequence is not necessarily the optimal procedure.

[0111] For example, if the sensing data is image data, the amount of traffic for sensing between the participant and the SF30 may become large. Also, if a large number of sensing requests are generated simultaneously, sensing data will be sent to the SF30 from many participants, which may increase the load on the SF30.

[0112] Therefore, the second step of sensing may specify the type of sensing product that the participant should generate. For example, the type of sensing product may be raw data, intermediate data, or sensing results. Alternatively, an entity that generates sensing results from sensing data (such as UE10, BS20, or a predetermined NF in the core network) may be specified. For example, a participant may generate feature data by extracting features from image data obtained through sensing. In this case, the feature data may be sent from the participant to SF30, and SF30 may generate sensing results from the feature data from one or more participants. Alternatively, a participant may generate sensing results from sensing data obtained through sensing. In this case, the sensing results may be sent from the participant to SF30, and SF30 may forward those sensing results to AF40 / UE10.

[0113] Figure 6 shows an example of a second sensing procedure according to one embodiment of this disclosure. In this embodiment, AF40 is the source of the sensing request. However, UE10 may be the source of the sensing request instead of AF40. Also, UE10 and / or BS20 shown in Figure 4 may act as participants in sensing. That is, UE10 and / or BS20 may collect specified sensing data in response to the sensing request. Therefore, in the following description, multiple communication devices (UE10 and / or BS20) that can act as participants in sensing may be referred to as "candidate participants". In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, participant P1 is selected from among a number of candidate participants.

[0114] In S201, capability information is transmitted from each candidate participant (i.e., each UE10 and / or each BS20) to SF30. The capability information may include information representing feasible sensing methods. The information representing feasible sensing methods may be information relating to the sensing capabilities shown in Figure 5. The sensing methods may include at least one of 3GPP sensing and non-3GPP sensing.

[0115] 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 an object or environment.

[0116] Non-3GPP sensing refers to sensing defined outside of the 3GPP standard, and may use wireless communication technologies / frequencies of non-3GPP standards such as Wi-Fi, or it may use technologies other than wireless communication technologies. Non-3GPP sensing may also include at least one of the following: Wi-Fi sensing, image sensing, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), cameras, radar, sonar, ultrasonic waves, infrared, etc.

[0117] Furthermore, capability information may include information representing the computing power of the processor and memory capacity implemented in the device (i.e., each UE10 and / or each BS20). In addition, capability information may include information representing the load on the device (e.g., the utilization rate of the processor / memory implemented in the device). Furthermore, capability information may include information representing the remaining capacity of the battery provided by the device. In this disclosure, capability of a device may mean at least one of the following, and may be interpreted as interchangeable with each other: the computing power of the device, the capacity of the device (memory / storage), the load on the device (e.g., the utilization rate of the device's processor / memory / storage), the power capability of the device (e.g., the remaining capacity of the device's battery).

[0118] SF30 may request capability information from each candidate participant, or it may request capability information for each candidate participant (UE) from other NFs (e.g., UDMs). For example, SF30 may periodically request capability information from each candidate participant. Alternatively, SF30 may request capability information from each candidate participant in response to a predetermined trigger (e.g., a sensing request sent from AF40). In this case, each candidate participant may send its own capability information to SF30 in response to the request from SF30.

[0119] The SF30 stores and manages capability information acquired from each candidate participant in its storage device. Of the capability information, fixed information (e.g., information representing executable sensing methods, information representing processor processing power and memory capacity, etc.) may be stored in the SF30's storage device in advance. In addition, of the capability information, dynamically changing information (e.g., information representing processor / memory usage, battery remaining capacity, etc.) may be acquired periodically or in response to predetermined triggers and stored in the storage device.

[0120] SF30 may acquire information representing the network status from other NFs (e.g., NWDAF). For example, SF30 may acquire information representing the network status periodically or in response to a predetermined trigger. Specifically, SF30 may acquire information representing the status of the network to which SF30 belongs (NW3000 in Figure 1), the network between SF30 and UE10 / BS20, or the wireless access network configured by UE10 / BS20. For example, SF30 may acquire information representing the delay time between SF30 and BS20, and / or the delay time between SF30 and other NF servers 30 within NW3000. In addition, SF30 may acquire information representing the congestion status of SF30 itself (e.g., packet loss rate) as information representing the network status.

[0121] In S202, the source of the sensing request (in this case, AF40) sends a first sensing request to SF30. The first sensing request may be the same as the sensing request sent in S101 shown in Figure 4. In this case, the first sensing request may include information to identify the sensing participants (e.g., UE information, area information, time information, or a combination thereof). The first sensing request may also include service requirement information representing the requirements for the sensing service. The service requirement information may include one or more of the following: information specifying the sensing method (e.g., 3GPP sensing, image sensing), information specifying the sensing accuracy, information specifying the maximum sensing delay, information specifying the frequency of the sensing signal, information specifying the resources allocated to sensing, and information specifying the acceptable false positive rate.

[0122] In S203, SF30 selects (or discovers) a participant from among the candidate participants based on the first sensing request. At this time, SF30 may select one or more participants based on the information for identifying the sensing participant included in the first sensing request. For example, UE10 / BS20 located within a predetermined area may be selected as a participant. Alternatively, SF30 may select one or more participants based on service requirements information, capability information of each candidate participant, and / or information representing the network status. For example, UE10 / BS20 that satisfy the requirements expressed in the service requirements information may be selected as a participant. Specifically, UE10 / BS20 located within a predetermined area and satisfying the requirements expressed in the service requirements information may be selected as a participant. At this time, UE10 with low processor usage, UE10 with low memory usage, or UE10 with a large remaining battery capacity may be preferentially selected. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, participant P1 is selected. Participant P1 is either UE10 or BS20.

[0123] The SF30 may select participants and assign sensing methods to the selected participants. For example, in the case of detecting the distance to an object based on a first sensing request, the SF30 may assign 3GPP sensing to the selected participants. Alternatively, when image recognition is requested, the SF30 may assign image sensing using a camera to the selected participants.

[0124] In S204, SF30 determines the type of sensing product that the participant should generate. The sensing product includes data / information obtained as a result of sensing by the participant. That is, the sensing product may include sensing data obtained directly by sensing (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "raw data"). Raw data related to 3GPP sensing may include, for example, data representing the delay time of the reflected signal corresponding to the sensing signal, or data representing the phase difference corresponding to the direction from which the reflected signal is coming. Raw data related to image sensing may include, for example, pixel data.

[0125] Furthermore, the sensing product may include sensing results obtained based on the sensing data. In 3GPP sensing, the sensing results may include, for example, the distance to the object or the direction in which the object is located. In image sensing, the sensing results may represent, for example, what the object is (car, bicycle, pedestrian, etc.).

[0126] Furthermore, the sensing product may include intermediate data (or intermediate results) between the raw data and the sensing result. Intermediate data may mean any form of data / information generated during the process of obtaining the sensing result from the raw data. For example, intermediate data in image sensing may be feature data representing the position of each feature point extracted from the pixel data. Intermediate data may also correspond to data that shows at least one of the features (e.g., feature quantities, feature points, point clouds, etc.) extracted from the raw data.

[0127] Based on the capability information of the participant selected in S203, SF30 determines the type of sensing product that the participant should generate. Capability information is provided by each candidate participant in S201. Some of the capability information may be fixed. The capability information of each candidate participant is stored, for example, in the memory device of SF30.

[0128] For example, if the selected participant's processor capacity is low, SF30 may decide that the participant should output raw data. Conversely, if the selected participant's processor capacity is high, SF30 may decide that the participant should generate intermediate data or sensing results. For example, if the selected participant's processor or memory usage is high, SF30 may decide that the participant should output raw data. Conversely, if the selected participant's processor or memory usage is low, SF30 may decide that the participant should generate intermediate data or sensing results. For example, if the selected participant's battery level is low, SF30 may decide that the participant should output raw data. Conversely, if the selected participant's battery level is high, SF30 may decide that the participant should generate intermediate data or sensing results.

[0129] SF30 may determine the type of sensing output that the participant should generate based on the requirements of the sensing service specified by the first sensing request. The requirements of the sensing service may include sensing accuracy and maximum delay, etc. For example, if the required sensing accuracy is high and the computational load for generating sensing results from sensing data is large, SF30 may decide that the participant should output raw data. Conversely, if the required sensing accuracy is low and the computational load for generating sensing results from sensing data is small, SF30 may decide that the participant should generate sensing results. Also, if the participant's computing power is insufficient for the required maximum delay, SF30 may decide that the participant should output raw data. Conversely, if the participant's computing power is sufficiently high for the required maximum delay, SF30 may decide that the participant should generate intermediate data or sensing results. If the required maximum delay is small, the sequence with the shortest processing time may be selected from among the following: a sequence in which the participant outputs raw data and the SF30 generates sensing results; a sequence in which the participant outputs intermediate data and the SF30 generates sensing results; and a sequence in which the participant outputs sensing results and the SF30 receives those sensing results.

[0130] When determining the type of sensing output, SF30 may consider the state of the network (such as the wireless access network provided by NW3000 and BS20 as shown in Figure 1). For example, when the network is not congested, SF30 may decide that the selected participant outputs raw data. Conversely, when the network is congested, SF30 may decide that the selected participant generates intermediate data or sensing results in order to suppress the traffic involved in sensing. Generally, intermediate data contains less information than raw data, and sensing results contain less information than intermediate data.

[0131] SF30 may determine type information based on changes in the participant's capabilities. For example, SF30 may decide that a participant should output raw data based on an increase in the participant's processor or memory usage. Alternatively, SF30 may determine type information based on changes in the network state. For example, SF30 may decide that a participant should output sensing results based on an increase in network traffic.

[0132] In S205, SF30 sends a second sensing request to the selected participant (i.e., participant P1). The second sensing request may include information describing the sensing method to be performed. The second sensing request may also include the service requirements information described above. In other words, the second sensing request may include some or all of the information contained in the first sensing request.

[0133] In addition, the second sensing request may include type information. The type information represents the type of sensing product that the participant should generate, as determined by SF30 in S204. For example, the type information may represent raw data, intermediate data, or sensing results. The second sensing request may also be sent to the participant via a predetermined NF within NW3000.

[0134] In S206, the participant (Participant P1 in Figure 6) performs the specified sensing in response to receiving the second sensing request. That is, Participant P1 performs sensing based on the second sensing request. Specifically, Participant P1 performs sensing according to the information representing the sensing method. As a result, Participant P1 obtains sensing data related to the requested sensing.

[0135] In S207, participant P1 processes the sensing data acquired in S206 based on the type information. For example, if the type information represents "sensing result", participant P1 generates a sensing result by processing the sensing data. In cases where 3GPP sensing is performed, participant P1 may calculate the distance to the object and the direction in which the object is located. In cases where the sensing data is image data, participant P1 may determine what the object is (car, bicycle, pedestrian, etc.) by image analysis.

[0136] When the type information represents "intermediate data," participant P1 generates intermediate data (or intermediate results) by processing the sensing data. For example, if the sensing data is image data, participant P1 may generate feature data representing the position of each feature point extracted from the image data. When the type information represents "raw data," participant P1 may skip processing S207. Also, if the type information is not included in the second sensing request, participant P1 may generate sensing products corresponding to a specific type (which may be called the default type).

[0137] Participants may generate and transmit sensing products of a different data type than the specified type to SF30 in response to changes in the state of their device. For example, if a participant cannot generate a sensing product of the specified type, or if it is undesirable to generate such a product, they may generate and transmit sensing products of a different data type to SF30. Specifically, when a "sensing result" is requested based on type information, and the participant's load is higher than a predetermined threshold level, the participant may transmit raw data (or intermediate data) to SF30. Furthermore, when a second sensing request does not include type information, the participant may autonomously determine the optimal data type based on the state of their device, etc. For example, if the participant's load is lower than a predetermined threshold level, they may autonomously decide to transmit the sensing result. Furthermore, if the participant's load is higher than a predetermined threshold level, they may autonomously decide to transmit raw data (or intermediate data). In these cases, it is preferable that the participant transmits type information representing the data type determined by the participant, along with the sensing product, to SF30 in S208, which will be described later.

[0138] In S208, participant P1 transmits the sensing product to SF30. The sensing product is the data / information generated in the processing of S207. Specifically, when the type information represents "sensing result", participant P1 transmits the sensing result to SF30. When the type information represents "intermediate data", participant P1 transmits the intermediate data to SF30. When the type information represents "raw data", participant P1 transmits the raw data to SF30. The sensing product may also be transmitted to SF30 via a predetermined NF within NW3000.

[0139] In S209, SF30 generates the sensing result specified by the first sensing request based on the sensing product transmitted from participant P1. That is, if SF30 obtains raw data as the sensing product, it generates the sensing result from that raw data. Also, if SF30 obtains intermediate data as the sensing product, it generates the sensing result from that intermediate data. Note that if SF30 obtains the sensing result as the sensing product, it may skip the process in S209.

[0140] In S210, SF30 transmits the sensing results generated in S209 (or sensing results obtained from the participant) to the requester of the first sensing request. At this time, SF30 may transmit the sensing results to the requester via a predetermined NF within NW3000. Alternatively, SF30 may transmit the sensing results to a predetermined device specified by the first sensing request, or to a predetermined device designated in advance.

[0141] Thus, according to the second step, the participant is notified of type information representing the type of sensing product to be generated, and the participant sends the sensing product of the data type represented by that type information to the SF30. In this case, the SF30 can collect the sensing product with the appropriate data type to satisfy the requirements of the sensing service. Therefore, the sensing system as a whole is more likely to satisfy the requirements of the sensing service. In addition, the efficiency of the sensing process is improved. For example, in the case where the participant generates sensing results or intermediate data from sensing data and sends it to the SF30, the load on the SF30 is reduced. In this case, the traffic for sensing may also be reduced compared to the case where the participant outputs raw data.

[0142] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, SF30 or the participant generates the sensing results, but the second step is not limited to this sequence. For example, an entity that generates sensing results from sensing artifacts may be specified. As an example, SF30 may specify an entity (such as UE10, BS20, or a predetermined NF in the core network) that generates sensing results from sensing artifacts. In this case, SF30 may determine the entity that generates sensing results in conjunction with S203-S204. SF30 or the participant may send the sensing artifacts to the entity. The entity may generate sensing results from the sensing artifacts and send them to SF30 or the requester of the first sensing request.

[0143] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, SF30 transmits the sensing results to the source of the sensing request, but the second step is not limited to this sequence. For example, SF30 may transmit raw or intermediate sensing data to the source. In this case, the source generates the sensing results from the raw or intermediate data. Alternatively, SF30 may request a predetermined NF within NW3000 to perform the process of obtaining the sensing results from the raw or intermediate sensing data. In this case, the sensing results may be transmitted from the NF to AF40, or the sensing results may be transferred from the NF to AF40 via SF30.

[0144] Figure 7 shows an example of a variation of the second sensing procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the sequence shown in Figure 6, SF30 determines the type of sensing product. In contrast, in the variation shown in Figure 7, a participant designated by SF30 determines the type of sensing product.

[0145] S201 to S203 are substantially the same in Figures 6 and 7. That is, SF30 selects a participant to perform sensing from among several candidate participants. In this embodiment, participant P1 is selected. Participant P1 may be UE10 or BS20.

[0146] In S221, SF30 sends a second sensing request to participant P1, which was selected in S203. The second sensing request may include information representing the sensing method to be performed and the service requirements information described above, similar to the second sensing request sent in S205 in Figure 6. However, the second sensing request sent in the sequence shown in Figure 7 does not need to include the type information sent in S205 in Figure 6.

[0147] In S222, participant P1 determines the type of sensing product to be generated. That is, participant P1 obtains type information representing the type of sensing product to be generated. Participant P1 may make the decision in S222 in response to receiving a second sensing request (for example, immediately after receiving the second sensing request, or after a certain period of time has elapsed since receiving it), or may make the decision in S222 triggered by a change in its capabilities / network state, as described later.

[0148] Participant P1 may decide, based on their capabilities, what type of sensing output to generate. Specifically, Participant P1 may decide to output raw data when their device's computing power (e.g., the power of their processor) is lower than a threshold level related to computing power. Conversely, Participant P1 may decide to generate intermediate data or sensing results when their device's computing power (e.g., the power of their processor) is higher than a threshold level related to computing power. Participant P1 may also decide to output raw data when their device's load (e.g., the usage rate of their processor or memory) is higher than a threshold level related to load. Conversely, Participant P1 may decide to generate intermediate data or sensing results when their device's load (e.g., the usage rate of their processor or memory) is lower than a threshold level related to load. Furthermore, Participant P1 may decide to output raw data when their battery level is lower than a threshold level related to battery level. Conversely, participant P1 may decide to generate intermediate data or sensing results when their battery level is above a threshold level related to battery level. In this disclosure, any threshold level may be indicated by a second sensing request, notified to participant P1 in advance, or defined by a standard. In this disclosure, threshold level, threshold, value, etc., may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0149] Participant P1 may determine the type of sensing product to generate based on the requirements of the sensing service specified by the second sensing request. The requirements of the sensing service may include sensing accuracy and maximum delay, etc. For example, if the required sensing accuracy is high and the computational load for generating sensing results from sensing data is large, participant P1 may decide to output raw data. If the required sensing accuracy is low and the computational load for generating sensing results from sensing data is small, participant P1 may decide to generate sensing results. Also, if participant P1's computational power is insufficient for the required maximum delay, participant P1 may decide to output raw data. If participant P1's computational power is sufficiently high for the required maximum delay, participant P1 may decide to generate intermediate data or sensing results. If the required maximum delay is small, the sequence with the shortest processing time may be selected from among the following: a sequence in which participant P1 outputs raw data and SF30 generates sensing results; a sequence in which participant P1 outputs intermediate data and SF30 generates sensing results; and a sequence in which participant P1 outputs sensing results and SF30 receives those sensing results.

[0150] Participant P1 may consider the state of the network (such as the wireless access network provided by NW3000 and BS20 as shown in Figure 1) when determining the type of sensing product. Alternatively, Participant P1 may determine the type of sensing product based on the state of the network between Participant P1 and the destination of the sensing product (e.g., SF30). Participant P1 may measure the state of the network or obtain information representing the state of the network from any NF on NW3000 (e.g., SF30 or NWDAF). Alternatively, Participant P1 may obtain information representing the state of the network periodically or in response to a predetermined trigger.

[0151] For example, when the network is not congested, participant P1 may decide to output raw data. Conversely, when the network is congested, participant P1 may decide to generate intermediate data or sensing results in order to reduce the traffic involved in sensing. Generally, intermediate data contains less information than raw data, and sensing results contain less information than intermediate data.

[0152] S206-S207 are substantially the same in Figures 6 and 7. That is, participant P1 performs the specified sensing in response to receiving the second sensing request. As a result, participant P1 obtains sensing data related to the requested sensing. Then, it processes the sensing data obtained in S206. However, in the variation shown in Figure 7, participant P1 processes the sensing data obtained in S206 based on the type determined in S222.

[0153] In S223, participant P1 transmits the sensing product to SF30, similar to S208 shown in Figure 6. The sensing product is the raw data acquired in S206 or the data / information generated in S207. However, in S223, in addition to the sensing product, participant P1 transmits type information to SF30 that represents the type determined in S222. The type information may be, for example, raw data, intermediate data, or information that identifies the sensing result.

[0154] S209 is substantially the same in Figures 6 and 7. That is, SF30 generates the sensing result specified by the first sensing request based on the sensing product transmitted from participant P1. However, SF30 may generate the sensing result based on type information received from participant P1. For example, when the type information represents "raw data", SF30 may recognize that the received sensing product is raw data and generate the sensing result from that raw data. Also, when the type information represents "intermediate data", SF30 may recognize that the received sensing product is intermediate data and generate the sensing result from that intermediate data. Furthermore, when the type information represents "sensing result", SF30 may recognize that the received sensing product is a sensing result and skip processing S209.

[0155] S210 is substantially the same in Figures 6 and 7. That is, SF30 transmits the sensing result generated in S209 (or the sensing result obtained from the participant) to the requester of the first sensing request, to a predetermined device specified by the first sensing request, or to a predetermined device designated in advance.

[0156] <<The third step in sensing>> In the second step described above, a second sensing request is sent to one participant. In contrast, in the third step, a second sensing request is sent to multiple participants. Then, sensing results are obtained based on multiple sensing products from multiple participants. In other words, collaborative sensing (CS) is performed.

[0157] Figure 8 shows an example of a third sensing step according to one embodiment of this disclosure. Note that steps S301 to S310 of the third step correspond to steps S201 to S210 of the second step, as described with reference to Figure 6. The differences between steps S301 to S310 and steps S201 to S210 will be described below.

[0158] S301 is essentially the same as S201 in the second step; that is, SF30 obtains performance information for each candidate participant.

[0159] In S302, AF40 (or UE10) may determine multiple sensing methods depending on the required sensing services. For example, 3GPP sensing and image sensing may be determined for the sensing services required in an autonomous driving application or a driver assistance application. AF40 then sends a first sensing request to SF30 containing information representing the determined multiple sensing methods. This first sensing request may also include information to identify the participants in the sensing described above and / or service requirements information.

[0160] In S303, SF30 selects (or discovers) one or more participants from the candidate participants based on the first sensing request. At this time, SF30 may select multiple participants corresponding to multiple sensing methods. For example, when 3GPP sensing and image sensing are specified in the first sensing request, SF30 may select a participant to perform 3GPP sensing and a participant to perform image sensing, respectively. In this embodiment, participants P1 and P2 are selected. However, SF30 may select one participant to perform multiple sensing methods. Also, SF30 may select multiple participants to perform one sensing method.

[0161] In S304, SF30 determines the type of sensing product that each participant P1 and P2 should generate. The method for determining the type of sensing product may be substantially the same as that in S204 of the second step. Furthermore, the method for determining the type of sensing product may be the same for both participants P1 and P2, or it may be different for both participants P1 and P2.

[0162] In S305, SF30 sends a second request to each participant selected in S303. The second sensing request may contain the same information as the request sent in S205 of the second procedure. That is, the second sensing request may include, for each participant, information representing the sensing method to be performed, the service requirements information described above, and type information. The type information represents the type of sensing product that each participant should generate, as described above.

[0163] Each participant P1 and P2 performs sensing in S306 based on the second sensing request. Then, in S307, each participant P1 and P2 processes the sensing data acquired in S306 based on type information. This allows each participant P1 and P2 to obtain the sensing product specified in the second sensing request. After this, in S308, each participant P1 and P2 transmits the sensing product to SF30.

[0164] In S309, SF30 acquires multiple sensing products generated by multiple different sensing methods. In the example shown in Figure 8, SF30 receives sensing products from participants P1 and P2, respectively. Then, SF30 generates a sensing result by fusing the multiple sensing products that it has acquired. At this time, the types of the multiple sensing products may be the same or different. For example, when acquiring sensing products from participants P1 and P2, at least the following cases are possible for the operation of SF30. (1) Obtain raw data from both participants. (2) Obtain raw data from one participant and intermediate data from the other participant. (3) Obtain raw data from one participant and obtain sensing results from the other participant. (4) Obtain intermediate data from both participants. (5) Obtain intermediate data from one participant and obtain sensing results from the other participant. (6) Obtain sensing results from both participants.

[0165] The SF30 may generate multiple sensing results corresponding to multiple different sensing methods. For example, the distance to an object may be calculated based on 3GPP sensing, and the object may be identified based on image sensing. In this case, the final sensing result may be information such as "a pedestrian is present 10 meters ahead."

[0166] Furthermore, multiple sensing products may be fused using known techniques. For example, a method for detecting objects using radar signals and image signals is described in Radar-Camera Fusion for Object Detection and Semantic Segmentation in Autonomous Driving: A Comprehensive Review, arXiv:2304.10410v2 [cs.CV] 23 Aug 2023.

[0167] In S310, SF30 transmits the sensing results generated in S309 to the requester of the first sensing request. At this time, SF30 may transmit the sensing results to the requester via a predetermined NF within NW3000. Alternatively, SF30 may transmit the sensing results to a predetermined device specified by the first sensing request, or to a predetermined device designated in advance.

[0168] Thus, according to the third step, similar to the second step, type information representing the type of sensing product that the participant should generate is notified to the participant, and the participant sends the sensing product to SF30 according to that type information. Here, in the third step, a data type is specified for each of the multiple sensing products generated by multiple sensing methods. Therefore, even in cases where the requirements to be satisfied (sensing accuracy, delay, etc.) differ for each sensing method, the sensing service can be flexibly implemented. It is possible.

[0169] In the example shown in Figure 8, the sensing result is generated by SF30 acquiring and fusing multiple sensing products, but the third step is not limited to this sequence. For example, an entity that generates a sensing result from multiple sensing products may be specified. As an example, SF30 may specify an entity (such as UE10, BS20, or a predetermined NF in the core network) that generates a sensing result from multiple sensing products. In this case, SF30 may determine the entity that generates the sensing result in conjunction with S303 to S304. Alternatively, multiple UE10s may each acquire sensing data as participants, and a BS(gNB)20 accommodating these multiple UE10s may fusing the multiple sensing data to generate a sensing result.

[0170] In the example shown in Figure 8, SF30 generates sensing results and transmits them to AF40 (or UE10). However, SF30 may transmit raw data / intermediate data / sensing results corresponding to each sensing method to AF40, and AF40 may generate sensing results. Alternatively, SF30 may transmit raw data / intermediate data / sensing results corresponding to each sensing method to a predetermined NF, and that NF may generate sensing results. In this case, the sensing results may be transmitted from the NF to AF40, or the sensing results may be transferred from the NF to AF40 via SF30.

[0171] In the example shown in Figure 8, sensing results are generated from sensing products corresponding to two sensing methods, but sensing results may also be generated from sensing products corresponding to three or more sensing methods.

[0172] In the example shown in Figure 8, multiple sensing methods are performed by multiple participants, but multiple sensing methods may also be performed by a single participant. In this case, type information corresponding to each of the multiple sensing methods is transmitted to that single participant. Furthermore, that single participant generates sensing products according to the type information for each sensing method.

[0173] In the example shown in Figure 8, the type of sensing product to be generated by multiple participants is determined by SF30. However, similar to the sequence shown in Figure 7, each participant selected by SF30 may determine the type of sensing product. In this case, it is preferable that each participant transmits type information representing the type of sensing product to SF30, in addition to the sensing product itself. Furthermore, SF30 may generate sensing results based on the sensing products received from each participant by referring to the type information received from each participant.

[0174] <Note> The following invention is added with respect to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Note 1] A communication unit that receives a sensing request and transmits a sensing product corresponding to the sensing request, A control unit that determines the type of the sensing product and generates the sensing product according to the determined type, A communication device equipped with the following features. [Note 2] The control unit generates raw data collected by sensing or sensing results obtained by processing the raw data. The communication device described in Appendix 1, characterized by the features described herein. [Note 3] The control unit generates raw data collected by sensing, sensing results obtained by processing the raw data, or intermediate data generated during the process of obtaining the sensing results from the raw data. A communication device as described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized by the features described herein. [Note 4] The control unit determines the type of the sensing product according to the capabilities of the communication device. A communication device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized by the above. [Note 5] The control unit determines the type of the sensing product based on the load of the communication device. A communication device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4, characterized by the above. [Note 6] The control unit determines the type of sensing product based on the requirements of the sensing service specified by the sensing request. A communication device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5, characterized by the features described herein. [Note 7] The control unit determines the type of sensing product based on the state of the network to which the communication device belongs or the state of the network between the communication device and the destination of the sensing product. A communication device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6, characterized by the above. [Note 8] The communication unit transmits type information representing the type of the sensing product along with the sensing product. A communication device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7, characterized by the above. [Note 9] A communication unit that, upon receiving a first sensing request, transmits a second sensing request to a participant selected from among multiple communication devices, and receives a sensing product corresponding to the second sensing request and type information representing the type of the sensing product from the participant, A control unit that processes the sensing product based on the type information, An information processing device equipped with the following features. [Note 10] The steps include: a communication device receiving a sensing request, The communication device determines the type of sensing product, The steps include: the communication device generating the sensing product according to the type; The steps include: the communication device transmitting the sensing product; A communication method that includes this. [Note 11] The process involves an information processing device receiving a first sensing request and sending a second sensing request to a participant selected from among multiple communication devices, The information processing device receives from the participant a sensing product corresponding to the second sensing request and type information representing the type of the sensing product; The information processing device processes the sensing product based on the type information, Information processing methods including

[0175] <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.

[0176] In this disclosure, terms such as apparatus, circuit, device, section, and unit are interchangeable.

[0177] 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.

[0178] 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.

[0179] 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.

[0180] 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.

[0181] 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.

[0182] In this disclosure, the words “notify,” “request,” “activate,” “deactivate,” “indicate,” “select,” “configure,” “update,” and “determine” may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0183] In this disclosure, the terms “support,” “control / operate / use,” and “are controllable / operate / available” may be interpreted as interchangeable.

[0184] 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.

[0185] 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.

[0186] 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.

[0187] 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.

[0188] RAN-related signaling may include signaling for RAN-to-RAN control, such as Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) signaling.

[0189] 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.

[0190] 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 notifying the specified information or by notifying other information).

[0191] 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.

[0192] 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.

[0193] 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.

[0194] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0195] 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).

[0196] 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.

[0197] 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."

[0198] 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.

[0199] 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.

[0200] 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."

[0201] 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.

[0202] 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.

[0203] 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.

[0204] 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").

[0205] In this disclosure, "of," "for," "regarding," "related to," and "associated with" may be interpreted as being interchangeable.

[0206] 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 communication unit that receives a sensing request and transmits a sensing product corresponding to the sensing request, A control unit that determines the type of the sensing product and generates the sensing product according to the determined type, A communication device equipped with the following features.

2. The control unit generates raw data collected by sensing or sensing results obtained by processing the raw data. The communication device according to feature 1.

3. The control unit generates raw data collected by sensing, sensing results obtained by processing the raw data, or intermediate data generated during the process of obtaining the sensing results from the raw data. The communication device according to feature 1.

4. The control unit determines the type of the sensing product according to the capabilities of the communication device. The communication device according to feature 1.

5. The control unit determines the type of the sensing product based on the load of the communication device. The communication device according to feature 1.

6. The control unit determines the type of sensing product based on the requirements of the sensing service specified by the sensing request. The communication device according to feature 1.

7. The control unit determines the type of sensing product based on the state of the network to which the communication device belongs or the state of the network between the communication device and the destination of the sensing product. The communication device according to feature 1.

8. The communication unit transmits type information representing the type of the sensing product along with the sensing product. The communication device according to feature 1.

9. A communication unit that, upon receiving a first sensing request, transmits a second sensing request to a participant selected from among a plurality of communication devices, and receives a sensing product corresponding to the second sensing request and type information representing the type of the sensing product from the participant, A control unit that processes the sensing product based on the type information, An information processing device equipped with the following features.

10. The steps include: a communication device receiving a sensing request, The communication device determines the type of sensing product, The steps include: the communication device generating the sensing product according to the type; The steps include: the communication device transmitting the sensing product; A communication method that includes this.

11. The process involves an information processing device receiving a first sensing request and sending a second sensing request to a participant selected from among multiple communication devices, The information processing device receives from the participant a sensing product corresponding to the second sensing request and type information representing the type of the sensing product, The information processing device processes the sensing product based on the type information, Information processing methods including

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