Information transmission method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides an information transmission method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: an access network node sends first information to a location management function (LMF) node, the first information being used for indicating the amount of information supported to be carried by a system message; the LMF node sends second information to the access network node, the second information being used for indicating at least one segment of a positioning system information block, and the amount of information of each segment being less than or equal to the amount of information supported to be carried by the system message; and the access network node sends at least one system message, each system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block. The transmission efficiency of positioning assistance information can be improved.

Description

Information transmission method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on June 25, 2023, with application number 202310757999.3 and application name “Information Transmission Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to an information transmission method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] Positioning is a key function in mobile communication systems. Mobile communication system protocols define various positioning technologies, including those based on time difference of arrival (TDOA) and angle of arrival (AOA). Positioning includes uplink positioning performed by multiple access network nodes based on reference signals sent by terminals, and downlink positioning, in which terminals perform positioning measurements.

[0004] During the downlink positioning process, the location management function (LMF) node needs to provide the terminal with auxiliary information for positioning measurement. Specifically, the LMF node sends the access network node a positioning system information block carrying the auxiliary information, and the access network node broadcasts the system information block through a system message. Auxiliary information includes multiple types, and the amount of information of different types of auxiliary information may vary. For example, the amount of positioning auxiliary information related to the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is large. When the amount of positioning auxiliary information is large, it may exceed the amount of information that can be carried by a system message of the access network node. Therefore, how to effectively use the positioning auxiliary information has become an urgent problem to be solved in the downlink positioning process.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide an information transmission method and a communication device, which can improve the transmission efficiency of positioning assistance information.

[0007] In a first aspect, an information transmission method is provided, the method comprising: an access network node sending first information to a location management function (LMF) node, the first information being used to indicate an amount of information supported by a system message. The LMF node sending second information to the access network node, the second information being used to indicate at least one segment of a location system information block, the amount of information in each segment being less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message. The access network node sending at least one system message, each system message carrying one segment of the location system information block.

[0008] Exemplarily, the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

[0009] According to the above scheme, the access network node can provide the LMF node with the amount of information supported by the SI message, so that the LMF node can reasonably segment the posSIB according to the amount of information supported by the SI message, thereby achieving the complete transmission of posSIB to the terminal through the access network node with high transmission efficiency, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of positioning auxiliary information.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before the access network node sends the first information to the LMF node, it also includes: the LMF node sends third information to the access network node, and the third information is used to request the system message to support the amount of information carried.

[0011] According to the above solution, when the LMF node needs to obtain the amount of information supported by the system message of the access node, it can send third information to the access network node. Based on the obtained third information, the access network node sends first information indicating the amount of information supported by the system message to the LMF node. This can achieve on-demand information transmission and reduce unnecessary transmission resource usage.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the third information is carried in a sending and receiving point TRP information request message, and the first information is carried in a TRP information response message.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0014] The type of the positioning system information block, the periodic duration of the access network node broadcasting the system message, or the priority of broadcasting the positioning system information block.

[0015] With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the at least one system message includes multiple system messages, and the multiple system messages are system messages in multiple consecutive system message periods.

[0016] According to the above solution, system messages in multiple consecutive periods carry segments of posSIB that match the amount of information supported by the system messages, so that posSIB is transmitted through system messages in multiple consecutive periods, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of positioning assistance information.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the access network node sends fourth information to the terminal, or the LMF node sends fourth information to the terminal, wherein the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages of the at least one system message.

[0018] According to the above solution, the terminal can also obtain the number of segments of the posSIB from the network side (such as an access network node or LMF node), so that the terminal can know the length of time required to obtain the complete posSIB, receive system messages at the appropriate time to obtain the posSIB, and improve the accuracy of positioning measurement results. This can avoid positioning failures caused by the terminal obtaining the posSIB too early, resulting in positioning information being invalid due to timeout, or due to inaccurate terminal movement, or due to the terminal obtaining the posSIB too late, resulting in the terminal not obtaining the positioning assistance information within the specified time and being unable to feedback the measurement results.

[0019] In a second aspect, an information transmission method is provided, which can be executed by an access network device or a module (such as a chip or chip system) configured in (or used for) an access network device. The following description takes an access network node as an example.

[0020] The method includes: an access network node determining first information indicating an amount of information supported by a system message. The access network node sending the first information to a location management function (LMF) node. The access network node receiving second information from the LMF node indicating at least one segment of a location system information block, each segment having an amount of information less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message. The access network node sending at least one system message, each system message carrying one segment of the location system information block.

[0021] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

[0022] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the access network node receives third information from the LMF node, where the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

[0023] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the third information is carried in a sending and receiving point TRP information request message, and the first information is carried in a TRP information response message.

[0024] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0025] The type of the positioning system information block, the periodic duration of broadcasting the system message, or the priority of broadcasting the positioning system information block.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the at least one system message includes multiple system messages, and the multiple system messages are system messages in multiple consecutive system message periods.

[0027] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the access network node sends fourth information to the terminal, where the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages in the at least one system message.

[0028] In a third aspect, an information transmission method is provided. This method can be performed by a communication device having a positioning measurement function (LMF) or a module (such as a chip or chip system) configured in (or used for) a communication device. The following description uses an LMF node as an example.

[0029] The method includes: a LMF node receiving first information from an access network node, the first information being used to indicate an amount of information supported by a system message; the LMF node determining second information, the second information being used to indicate at least one segment of a positioning system information block, the amount of information of each segment being less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message; and the LMF node sending the second information to the access network node.

[0030] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

[0031] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the LMF node sends third information to the access network node, where the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

[0032] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the LMF node sends fourth information to the terminal, where the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages in the at least one system message.

[0033] In a fourth aspect, an information transmission method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal or a module (such as a chip) configured in (or used for) a terminal. The following description will be made using a terminal as an example.

[0034] The method includes: a terminal receiving fourth information from an access network node or a positioning management function (LMF) node, the fourth information being used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or the number of system messages of at least one system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block, each system message carrying one segment of the positioning system information block. The terminal receiving, based on the fourth information, at least one system message from the access network node.

[0035] According to the above solution, the terminal can also obtain the number of segments of the posSIB from the network side (such as an access network node or LMF node), so that the terminal can know the length of time required to obtain the complete posSIB, receive system messages at the appropriate time to obtain the posSIB, and improve the accuracy of positioning measurement results. This can avoid positioning failures caused by the terminal obtaining the posSIB too early, resulting in positioning information being invalid due to timeout, or due to inaccurate terminal movement, or due to the terminal obtaining the posSIB too late, resulting in the terminal not obtaining the positioning assistance information within the specified time and being unable to feedback the measurement results.

[0036] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

[0037] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: the terminal receiving request information from an LMF node, the request information being used to request the terminal to perform positioning measurement, the request information including time information at which the terminal feeds back positioning measurement results. The terminal receiving, based on the fourth information, at least one system message from an access network node, including: the terminal receiving, based on the time information and the fourth information, the at least one system message from the access network node.

[0038] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: the terminal determining, based on the at least one system message, a positioning system information block, where the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information; the terminal obtaining, based on the positioning assistance information, a positioning measurement result; and the terminal sending, to an LMF node, the positioning information, where the positioning information includes the positioning measurement result.

[0039] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. In one design, the device may include a module corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect or any one of the embodiments of the second aspect. The module may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the device includes: a processing unit for determining first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the amount of information supported by the system message. A transceiver unit is used to send the first information to a positioning management function LMF node. The transceiver unit is also used to receive second information from the LMF node, wherein the second information is used to indicate at least one segment of a positioning system information block, and the amount of information of each segment is less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message. The transceiver unit is also used to send at least one system message, each system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block.

[0040] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

[0041] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive third information from the LMF node, and the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

[0042] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the third information is carried in a sending and receiving point TRP information request message, and the first information is carried in a TRP information response message.

[0043] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0044] The type of the positioning system information block, the periodic duration of broadcasting the system message, or the priority of broadcasting the positioning system information block.

[0045] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the at least one system message includes multiple system messages, and the multiple system messages are system messages in multiple consecutive system message cycles.

[0046] In combination with the fifth aspect, in certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the transceiver unit is also used to send fourth information to the terminal, and the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages in the at least one system message.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. In one design, the device may include a module corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the third aspect or any one of the embodiments of the third aspect. The module may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving first information from an access network node, the first information being used to indicate the amount of information supported by a system message. A processing unit for determining second information, the second information being used to indicate at least one segment of a positioning system information block, the amount of information in each segment being less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message. The transceiver unit is also used to send the second information to the access network node.

[0048] In combination with the sixth aspect, in certain implementations of the sixth aspect, the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

[0049] In combination with the sixth aspect, in certain implementations of the sixth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send third information to the access network node, where the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

[0050] In combination with the sixth aspect, in certain implementations of the sixth aspect, the transceiver unit is also used to send fourth information to the terminal, and the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages in the at least one system message.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided. In one design, the device may include a module corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect or any one of the embodiments of the second aspect. The module may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving fourth information from an access network node or from a positioning management function LMF node, the fourth information being used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or the number of system messages of at least one system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block. A processing unit is used to control the transceiver unit to receive at least one system message from the access network node based on the fourth information, each system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block.

[0052] In combination with the seventh aspect, in some implementations of the seventh aspect, the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

[0053] In conjunction with the seventh aspect, in some implementations of the seventh aspect, the transceiver unit is configured to receive request information from an LMF node, the request information being used to request a terminal to perform positioning measurement, the request information including time information at which the terminal feeds back a positioning measurement result. The processing unit is specifically configured to control the transceiver unit to receive the at least one system message from the access network node based on the time information and the fourth information.

[0054] In conjunction with the seventh aspect, in certain implementations of the seventh aspect, the processing unit is further configured to determine, based on the at least one system message, a positioning system information block, where the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information. The processing unit is further configured to obtain a positioning measurement result based on the positioning assistance information. The transceiver unit is further configured to send the positioning information to an LMF node, where the positioning information includes the positioning measurement result.

[0055] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor. The processor can implement the method in any possible implementation of the second to fourth aspects and the second to fourth aspects. Optionally, the communication device further comprises a memory, the processor is coupled to the memory, and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the method in any possible implementation of the second to fourth aspects and the second to fourth aspects. Optionally, the communication device further comprises a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface. In an embodiment of the present application, the communication interface can be a transceiver, a pin, a circuit, a bus, a module, or other types of communication interfaces, without limitation.

[0056] In one implementation, the communication apparatus is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device). When the communication apparatus is a communication device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0057] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a communication device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a communication device, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0058] Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0059] In a ninth aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of any possible implementation of the second to fourth aspects and any possible implementation of the second to fourth aspects.

[0060] In a specific implementation, the processor may be one or more chips, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0061] In the tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions), which, when executed, enables a computer to execute the method in the above-mentioned second to fourth aspects and any possible implementation of the second to fourth aspects.

[0062] In the eleventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions) which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in the above-mentioned first to sixth aspects and any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects.

[0063] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the aforementioned at least one access network node and the aforementioned at least one LMF node. Optionally, the communication system further comprises the aforementioned at least one terminal.

[0064] It can be understood that for the beneficial effects of the features corresponding to the first aspect in the second to eighth aspects, please refer to the relevant description in the first aspect and no repetition will be given. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG2 is a schematic flow chart of a downlink positioning process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an SI window provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG4 is a schematic flow chart of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG5 is another schematic flow chart of the information transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG6 is another schematic flow chart of the information transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of an example of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of another example of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0074] In the embodiments of this application, " / " can indicate that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" can be used to describe the existence of three relationships between the associated objects. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exists simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. To facilitate the description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the words "first" and "second" can be used to distinguish them in the embodiments of this application. The words "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or order of execution, and the words "first" and "second" do not necessarily mean different. In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete way to facilitate understanding. In the embodiments of the present application, at least one (kind) can also be described as one (kind) or multiple (kinds), and multiple (kinds) can be two (kinds), three (kinds), four (kinds) or more (kinds), and this application does not limit it.

[0075] It should also be understood that the term "and / or" in this document simply describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B together, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, "A / B" means: A or B.

[0076] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) system, such as 5G new radio (NR) system, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system, and future communication systems such as sixth generation mobile communication system. This application is not limited to this.

[0077] It should be understood that the positioning method provided in this application can be applied to various scenarios, for example, it can be applied to one or more of the following communication scenarios: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), massive machine type of communication (mMTC), Internet of Things (IOT), device to device (D2D), vehicle to vehicle (V2V), etc., and this application does not limit this.

[0078] Figure 1 is a communication system architecture diagram applicable to the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, in this communication system, user equipment (UE) is connected to the radio access network via the next-generation NodeB (ng-eNB) and gNB respectively through the LTE-Uu and / or NR-Uu interfaces; the radio access network (RAN) is connected to the core network via the access and mobility management function (AMF) node through the NG-C interface. The next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) includes one or more NG-RAN nodes. The one or more NG-RAN nodes may include ng-eNB and / or gNB. The ng-eNB is an LTE base station accessing the 5G core network, and the gNB is a 5G base station accessing the 5G core network. The core network includes an AMF node and a location management function (LMF) node, etc. The AMF node is used to implement functions such as access management, and the LMF node is used to implement functions such as positioning. The AMF node and the LMF node are connected via the NL1 interface. The LMF node is used to provide different types of location services for UEs, including but not limited to UE positioning and delivery of assistance data to the UE. The control plane of the LMF node is the enhanced serving mobile location center (E-SMLC), which is used to manage the coordination and scheduling of resources required for UE location. The user plane of the LMF is the secure user plane location (SUPL) positioning platform (SLP), which can interact and transmit on the user plane through the SUPL protocol. The UE shown in Figure 1 can be a SUPL-enabled terminal (SET).

[0079] It should be understood that Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture of the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, but the present application is not limited to this. The communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application can also be applied to other communication system architectures.

[0080] The radio access network may be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The radio access network may also be an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The radio access network may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0081] An access network node, which can be an access network device, an access network entity or an access node, constitutes a part of the communication system to help terminals achieve wireless access.

[0082] In one possible scenario, the access network node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The access network node may be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the access network node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device, etc. For example, the access network device in the vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the access network node in this application may also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The access network node in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network node.

[0083] In another possible scenario, multiple access network nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different access network nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the access network node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0084] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, and CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP. O-CU-CP can implement the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) control plane (PDCP control plane, PDCP-C). CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP. O-CU-UP can implement the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) and the PDCP user plane (PDCP-user plane, PDCP-U). RU may also be called O-RU. Among them, O-DU can implement radio link control (RLC), medium access control (MAC) and part of the functions of the physical (PHY) layer (which can be called the physical layer high (PHY-high) layer functions), and O-RU can implement part of the functions of the PHY layer (which can be called the physical layer low (PHY-low) layer functions).

[0085] For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0086] A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0087] It should be understood that in this application, "sending information / data to... (such as a terminal)" can be understood as the destination end of the information being the terminal. It can include sending information / data directly or indirectly to the terminal. "Receiving information / data from... (such as a terminal)" can be understood as the source end of the information being the terminal, which can include receiving information / data directly or indirectly from the terminal. The information / data may be subjected to necessary processing between the source end and the destination end of the information / data transmission, such as format changes, etc., but the destination end can understand the valid information / data from the source end. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0088] In this application, "sending information / data" refers only to the direction of information / data transmission, including direct transmission over the air interface and indirect transmission by the processing unit through the air interface. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the module interface. "Receiving information / data" refers only to the direction of information / data transmission, including direct reception over the air interface and indirect reception by the processing unit through the air interface. "Receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the module interface.

[0089] The following first introduces the relevant technologies and terms involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0090] 1. Downlink (DL) Positioning Process

[0091] Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart of the downlink positioning process. As shown in Figure 2, the downlink positioning process may include but is not limited to the following steps:

[0092] 1. The LMF node obtains UE capabilities through the LTE positioning protocol (LPP) capability transfer process, such as the UE's processing capability for positioning reference signals (PRS).

[0093] 2. The LMF node sends a TRP information request message to multiple NG-RAN nodes.

[0094] 3. The NG-RAN node sends a TRP information response message to the LMF node. The response message includes TRP information, which may include cell information, TRP location information (such as coordinates, etc.), TRP ID of TRP and PRS configuration, etc.

[0095] 4. The LMF node provides positioning assistance information to the UE. The positioning assistance information may include cell information, PRS configuration, and other information used by the UE to measure PRS.

[0096] Specifically, the LMF node can send the broadcast information of the positioning system information block (posSIB) carrying the positioning assistance information to the RAN node via an assistance information control message, instructing the RAN node to broadcast the posSIB. The message includes the posSIB type and the periodic duration for broadcasting the posSIB. After receiving the assistance information control message, the RAN node broadcasts a system information (SI) message carrying the posSIB according to the instruction of the LMF node.

[0097] 5. The LMF node sends a request message to the UE, where the request message is used to request the UE to measure the PRS. For example, the request message may be called a Request Location Information message.

[0098] 6. The UE performs measurement on the PRS and obtains measurement results, which may include downlink reference signal arrival time difference (DL reference signal time difference, DL RSTD) and downlink reference signal received power (DL reference signal received power, DL RSRP).

[0099] 7. The UE sends the measurement results to the LMF node, which determines the UE's location based on the TRP information and the measurement results. For example, the measurement results can be carried in a Provide Location Information message.

[0100] 2. Positioning System Information Block posSIB

[0101] Positioning assistance data includes various types of assistance data, such as GNSS Common Assistance Data, GNSS Generic Assistance Data, observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) assistance data, barometric assistance data, terrestrial beacon system (TBS) assistance data, NR DL-TDOA / DL-AOD assistance data, and on-demand DL-PRS configurations. Different assistance data types include different assistance data elements (assistanceDataElement). Each type of assistance data corresponds to a posSibType. The mapping between different posSibTypes and different assistance data types is shown in Table 1.

[0102] Table 1

[0103] 3. Broadcasting of system information

[0104] System information is divided into master information blocks (MIBs) and system information blocks (SIBs). There are multiple types of SIBs, such as SIB1, SIB2, ..., and SIBx. Each type of SIB carries different system information. One type of SIB is the posSIB, which is used to carry positioning assistance information.

[0105] SIBs other than SIB1 are broadcast in SI messages of access network nodes. SIB1 includes a scheduling information list, which includes scheduling information for each SI message broadcast by the access network node. The scheduling information includes SIB mapping information (sib-MappingInfo), which indicates the type of SIB carried by the SI message. The scheduling information also includes SI periodicity (SI-Periodicity) information, which indicates the periodic duration of the SI message. SI messages are transmitted in SI windows. The SI windows corresponding to different SI messages have the same length, which is indicated by the SI window length (si-WindowLength) information in SIB1. The SI windows corresponding to different SI messages do not overlap.

[0106] For example, Figure 3 shows three SI windows, namely SI window #1, SI window #2 and SI window #3. The three SI windows have the same length and do not overlap. SI window #1, SI window #2 and SI window #3 correspond to SI message #1, SI message #2 and SI message #3, respectively. Among them, the periodic duration of SI message #1 and SI message #3 is 80ms, and the periodic duration of SI message #2 is 160ms.

[0107] For posSIB, one SI message can carry multiple types of posSIBs. The scheduling information of the SI message in SIB1 indicates the type of posSIB carried by the SI message, as well as the period of the SI message. For example, the scheduling information indicates that the SI message carrying the posSIB is SI message #1, the period of SI message #1 is 80ms, and the SIB types carried by SI message #1 are posSIB type 1-1 (posSibType1-1) and posSIB type 1-2 (posSibType1-2). If the terminal needs to receive posSibType1-1, it can receive SI message #1 in SI window #1 according to the scheduling information in SIB1, thereby obtaining the required positioning assistance information.

[0108] The amount of information carried by the positioning assistance data carried by a posSIB may vary depending on its type. For example, the amount of information contained in GNSS-related positioning assistance information is relatively large, while the size of the SI message that can be broadcast by the access network node is limited, for example, by the capabilities of the access network node and / or the terminal. There may be an SI message that cannot carry a posSIB with such a large amount of information. The LMF node can segment the posSIB carrying the positioning assistance data before sending it to the access network node. The access network node can broadcast the posSIB by sending different segments of the posSIB in SI messages carrying the posSIB in multiple cycles. The present embodiment proposes that the LMF node's segmentation of the posSIB must match the size of the access network node's SI message. If a segment is larger than the SI message, the access network node will still be unable to transmit the segment of the posSIB. If a segment is too small, the number of SI messages sent by the access network node to carry the posSIB segment will increase, resulting in unnecessary transmission delays. Therefore, the access network node can provide the LMF node with the amount of information supported by the SI message, so that the LMF node can reasonably segment the posSIB according to the amount of information supported by the SI message, thereby achieving the complete transmission of posSIB to the terminal through the access network node with high transmission efficiency, thereby realizing the effective transmission of posSIB.

[0109] FIG4 is a schematic flow chart of an information transmission method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method 400 includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0110] S401: The access network node sends first information to the LMF node, where the first information is used to indicate the amount of information supported by the system message.

[0111] Correspondingly, the LMF node receives the first information from the access network node, and determines the amount of information supported by the system message of the access network node based on the first information.

[0112] In this application, the system message may also be referred to as a system information message, ie, an SI message, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0113] The amount of information supported by the system message indicated by the first information may specifically be the amount of information supported by the system message used to carry posSIB. The amount of information may also be called message size, and the unit of the amount of information indicated by the first information may be bits or bytes.

[0114] The amount of information supported by the system message indicated by the first information may be the maximum amount of system message information supported by the access network node, or the maximum amount of information that the system message can carry. Alternatively, the amount of information may be the amount of system message information expected by the access network node, as determined by the access network node based on coverage requirements. However, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0115] In one implementation, before the access network node sends the first information to the LMF node, the LMF node sends third information to the access network node, where the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

[0116] That is to say, the LMF node can send a request message (i.e., the third message) to the access network node for requesting the amount of information supported by the system message. After the access network node receives the request message from the LMF node, it responds to the request message and sends the first message to the LMF node to indicate the amount of information supported by the system message.

[0117] Exemplarily, the third information is included in a TRP information request message, and the first information is included in a TRP information response message.

[0118] In another implementation, the access network node may also actively send the first information to the LMF node after establishing a connection with the LMF node, and provide the LMF node with the amount of information supported by the system message bearer.

[0119] S402: The LMF node sends second information to the access network node, where the second information is used to indicate at least one segment of the positioning system information block posSIB, and the information volume of each segment is less than or equal to the information volume supported by the system message bearer.

[0120] The posSIB is used to carry positioning assistance information, which is used for positioning measurement. It should be understood that the positioning assistance information is carried in the posSIB, and at least one segment of the posSIB can also be referred to as at least one segment of the positioning assistance information, that is, each segment of the posSIB carries a segment of the positioning assistance information. The second information indicates at least one segment of the posSIB, which can also be understood as indicating at least one segment of the positioning assistance information.

[0121] After receiving the first message, the LMF node determines whether to segment the posSIB based on the amount of positioning assistance information or the amount of posSIB information required to be sent to the access network node, as well as the amount of information supported by the system message. If the amount of posSIB information is less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message, the LMF node determines that the posSIB does not need to be segmented. The LMF node may send second information to the access network node, indicating that the posSIB is a segment, i.e., a complete segment of the posSIB.

[0122] If the amount of information in the posSIB is greater than the amount of information supported by the system message, the LMF node segments the posSIB based on the amount of information in the posSIB and the amount of information supported by the system message, resulting in multiple segments of the posSIB, each with an amount of information less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message. The LMF node indicates the multiple segments of the posSIB via second information. Accordingly, upon receiving the second information from the LMF node, the access network node determines the multiple segments of the posSIB. Specifically, the second information may indicate the number of posSIB segments, the type of posSIB, and the specific content of the posSIB segments.

[0123] The type of the posSIB may be a posSibType shown in Table 1, and the positioning assistance information carried by the posSIB may be an assistance data element (assistanceDataElement) corresponding to the posSibType shown in Table 1. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and the type of the posSIB may be a newly defined posSIB type not shown in Table 1, and the positioning assistance information carried by the posSIB may be an assistance data element or assistance data corresponding to the posSIB type.

[0124] Exemplarily, the second information may be carried in an assistance information control message. Alternatively, the second information may be carried in other messages sent by the LMF node to the access network node.

[0125] Optionally, the second information is further used to indicate a periodic duration for the access network node to broadcast the system message and / or a priority of the access network node to broadcast the posSIB.

[0126] S403: The access network node sends at least one system message, each system message carrying a segment of a positioning system information block.

[0127] The at least one system message is a system message used to carry the posSIB. For example, before sending the at least one system message, the access network node also sends SIB1. The SIB1 includes scheduling information for the system message. The scheduling information is used to indicate that the system message is used to carry the posSIB. For example, the scheduling information can be indicated by the sib-MappingInfo included therein. The scheduling information also indicates the periodic duration of the system message. For example, the scheduling information can be indicated by the SI-Periodicity information included therein. If the second information also indicates the periodic duration of the access network node broadcasting the system message, then the periodic duration of the system message indicated by the scheduling information in the SIB1 is the same as the periodic duration indicated by the second information.

[0128] The access network node determines the segment of the posSIB based on the second information. If the second information indicates the entire segment of the posSIB, the access network node sends the entire segment of the posSIB via a system message. The access network node periodically sends the system message, and in each period, the system message carries the entire segment of the posSIB.

[0129] If the second information indicates multiple segments of the posSIB, the access network node transmits the multiple segments of the posSIB via multiple system messages, each system message including one segment. If the access network node periodically transmits the system message, the multiple system messages may be system messages from multiple consecutive cycles. If the second information indicates that the posSIB includes N segments, the access network node transmits the N segments via system messages from N cycles. The terminal can then obtain the N segments of the posSIB by receiving system messages from any of N consecutive cycles of system messages used to carry the posSIB, thereby obtaining the posSIB.

[0130] Exemplarily, the LMF node may send a request message to the terminal, where the request message is used to request the terminal to perform positioning measurement. Exemplarily, the request message is carried in a Request Location Information message.

[0131] Accordingly, the terminal receives the request information from the LMF node and, based on the request information, determines that it needs to obtain the posSIB. The terminal can then receive a system message carrying the posSIB based on the scheduling information in the SIB1 from the access network node. If the posSIB is carried in a system message, the terminal receives system messages within a cycle to obtain the posSIB. If multiple segments of the posSIB are carried in multiple system messages, the terminal receives system messages within multiple consecutive cycles to obtain the multiple segments and thereby obtain the posSIB. Based on the obtained posSIB, the terminal performs positioning measurements to obtain positioning measurement results. Exemplarily, the positioning measurement results may include one or more of time difference of arrival (TDOA), AOA, AOD, or RSTD.

[0132] The terminal sends positioning information to the LMF node, which includes positioning measurement results. Specifically, the positioning information can be transparently transmitted to the LMF node by the access network node. The LMF node can determine the terminal's location based on the positioning information from the terminal. Exemplarily, the positioning information is carried in a Provide Location Information message.

[0133] According to the above solution, the LMF node obtains the amount of information supported by the system message from the access network node. Based on the amount of information supported by the system message, the LMF node can determine whether to segment the posSIB without fragmentation or to segment it appropriately. This avoids situations where the posSIB cannot be transmitted due to the system message's limited amount of information being unable to carry the posSIB provided by the LMF node or due to fragmentation of the posSIB. This ensures that the posSIB can be fully transmitted to the terminal through the access network node with high transmission efficiency, thus achieving effective transmission of the posSIB.

[0134] During downlink positioning, the request message sent by the LMF node to the terminal for performing positioning measurements includes the time information for the terminal to feedback the positioning measurement results. Specifically, this time information can be recorded as scheduledLocationTime. This indication information is used to indicate that the target device (i.e., the terminal) needs to obtain positioning measurements or position estimates at the valid time T indicated by the time information. In response to the request, the terminal obtains positioning information, which includes the position information obtained by the positioning measurement or the estimated value of the position obtained by the positioning measurement. At this time, the terminal may obtain positioning assistance information through the posSIB and perform positioning measurements or position estimates. If the terminal obtains the posSIB too early, the terminal's positioning information obtained by the LMF node at the specified time may have expired due to timeout or the measurement result may be inaccurate due to terminal movement. If the terminal obtains the posSIB too late, the terminal may not be able to feedback the measurement result to the LMF at the specified time due to failure to obtain the measurement result, resulting in positioning failure. In particular, when the access network node may send the posSIB in segments, the terminal's ability to obtain the complete posSIB is related to the cycle length of the system message carrying the posSIB and the number of segments of the posSIB. The terminal can obtain the cycle duration of the system message from the scheduling information in SIB1. However, the present application proposes that the terminal can also obtain the number of segments of posSIB from the network side, so that the terminal can know the time required to obtain the complete posSIB, receive the system message at the appropriate time to obtain posSIB, and improve the accuracy of the positioning measurement results.

[0135] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of an information transmission method 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0136] S501, the terminal receives fourth information, which is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block, or to indicate the number of system messages carrying at least one system message of the positioning system information block, each system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block.

[0137] In one embodiment, the fourth information is used to indicate the number N of segments of at least one segment of posSIB. After receiving the fourth information, the terminal can determine that it needs to receive N periods of system messages for carrying posSIB based on the fourth information, where N is greater than or equal to 1.

[0138] In another embodiment, the fourth information is used to indicate the number N of system messages carrying at least one system message of the posSIB. That is, the fourth information indicates that the posSIB is carried by system messages of N periods, and that multiple segments of the posSIB are respectively located in system messages of the N periods. The terminal determines, based on the fourth information, to receive system messages in the N periods, and obtains the posSIB based on the N received system messages.

[0139] In one implementation, the fourth information comes from an access network node.

[0140] Exemplarily, the fourth information may be carried in a radio resource control (RRC) message sent by the access network node. For example, the RRC message may be SIB 1. The fourth information may be carried in the scheduling information of the system message for carrying posSIB in SIB 1.

[0141] In another implementation, the fourth information comes from a LMF node.

[0142] Exemplarily, the fourth information may be carried in a positioning protocol message, such as an LPP message, or specifically, in a positioning information request message.

[0143] S502: The terminal receives at least one system message from an access network node according to fourth information.

[0144] After determining the number N of system messages to be received based on the fourth information, the terminal receives the system messages in N periods, where N is greater than or equal to 1.

[0145] Specifically, the LMF node sends a positioning information request message to the terminal, requesting the terminal to perform positioning measurements. The positioning information request message includes the time information when the terminal feeds back the measurement results. Based on the fourth information, the terminal can determine that it needs to receive system messages in N cycles. Based on the time information of the feedback measurement results and the period of the system messages, the terminal selects an appropriate time to start receiving the system messages. Based on the system messages received in the N cycles, the terminal obtains a posSIB and then performs positioning measurements based on the posSIB to obtain positioning measurement results. The terminal sends a positioning information provision message to the LMF node, which includes the positioning measurement results.

[0146] According to the above solution, after the terminal obtains the segment information of posSIB, it can determine the time required to obtain posSIB, so that the terminal can choose the appropriate time to obtain posSIB, perform positioning measurement, and feedback to the LMF node at the specified time, which can ensure the timeliness of the positioning measurement results and improve the accuracy of the positioning measurement results.

[0147] It should be understood that the embodiments shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 of the present application can be implemented in combination. After the access network node provides the LMF node with the amount of system message information, the LMF node provides the access network node with at least one segment of the posSIB. The access network node then sends at least one system message based on the at least one segment of the posSIB provided by the LMF node. This ensures that the posSIB is effectively transmitted. Furthermore, the access network node or LMF node notifies the terminal of the number of posSIB segments, or the number of system messages carrying the segments, allowing the terminal to determine the time required to obtain the posSIB and, therefore, select an appropriate time to receive at least one system message, obtain the posSIB, and provide positioning information to the LMF node at a time specified by the LMF node. This ensures that the positioning information obtained by the LMF node is highly accurate.

[0148] Figure 6 is a schematic flow chart of an information transmission method 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that for the same content as in the previous text in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, reference can be made to the previous description, and for the sake of brevity, no further description is given here. In the method 600 provided in the present application, a terminal can obtain the segmentation status of the posSIB sent by the access network node from another terminal, thereby receiving a system message from the access network node to obtain the posSIB and perform downlink positioning. The method includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0149] S601: Terminal 1 receives fourth information, where the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of posSIB or the number of system messages of at least one system message carrying a segment of a positioning system information block.

[0150] The specific implementation of S601 can refer to the above description of S501 in the embodiment shown in FIG5 , which will not be repeated here.

[0151] S602: Terminal 1 sends the fourth information to Terminal 2.

[0152] Correspondingly, terminal 2 receives the fourth information from terminal 1 .

[0153] A sidelink (SL) communication connection is established between terminal 1 and terminal 2. Terminal 1 can send the fourth information to terminal 2 via the sidelink. Terminal 2 can determine, based on the fourth information obtained from terminal 1, different segments of the posSIB carried by N periodic system messages, thereby obtaining positioning assistance information. Optionally, the fourth information can be carried in a sidelink positioning protocol (SLPP) message or a proximity-based service communication (interface) 5 (PC5) RRC message.

[0154] In one embodiment, terminal 2 may be a terminal that has not established an RRC connection with the network, such as a terminal device in an RRC inactive (RRC_Inactive) state or an RRC idle (RRC_Idle) state. The LMF node sends an LPP message containing the fourth information to terminal 1. After receiving the LPP message from the LMF node and obtaining the fourth information, the terminal may send the fourth information to terminal 2 via a sidelink.

[0155] In another embodiment, terminal 2 may be a terminal that has not established an RRC connection with the access network node. The access network node transmits the fourth information through terminal-specific information. For example, the terminal-specific information may be a UE-specific RRC message. After the terminal obtains the fourth information from the access network node, it may send the fourth information to terminal 2 via a sidelink.

[0156] S603: Terminal 2 receives at least one system message from the access network node according to the fourth information, obtains a positioning system information block, and thereby acquires positioning assistance information required for positioning.

[0157] Terminal 2 can obtain a positioning information request message from the LMF node and determine to perform positioning measurements based on the positioning information request message. Terminal 2 receives N periodic system messages broadcast by the access network node that carry different segments of the posSIB. Terminal 2 determines the posSIB based on the N system messages, thereby obtaining the positioning assistance information carried by the posSIB.

[0158] In one embodiment, the LMF node sends the positioning request message to terminal 1. After receiving the positioning request message from the LMF node, terminal 1 sends the positioning request message to terminal 2. Terminal 2 determines to perform positioning measurement based on the positioning request message. Terminal 2 receives N periods of system messages based on the fourth information, obtains positioning assistance information, and then performs positioning measurement based on the positioning assistance information to obtain a positioning measurement result. Terminal 2 sends positioning information to terminal 1, and the positioning information includes the positioning measurement result. Terminal 1 sends the positioning information to the LMF node. The LMF node can determine the position of terminal 2 based on the positioning information. However, the present application is not limited to this. Terminal 2 can also obtain the positioning information request message from the LMF node through the access network node, and send positioning information including the positioning measurement result to the LMF node through the access network node.

[0159] According to the above scheme, a terminal can obtain the segmentation information of posSIB from another terminal and determine the time required to obtain posSIB. This enables the terminal to select an appropriate time to obtain posSIB, perform positioning measurement, and feedback to the LMF node at a specified time. This can ensure the timeliness of the positioning measurement results and improve the accuracy of the positioning measurement results.

[0160] The method provided by the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following drawings illustrate the communication apparatus and communication equipment provided by the present application. In order to implement the various functions in the method provided by the present application, each network element may include a hardware structure and / or a software module, and implement the above functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. Whether one of the above functions is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0161] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided in the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal, access network node or LMF node in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above-mentioned method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, when the communication device is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the communication device may be a UE as shown in Figure 1. When the communication device is used to implement the functions of the access network node in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the communication device may be an NG-RAN node as shown in Figure 1, such as ng-eNB or gNB. When the communication device is used to implement the functions of the LMF node in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the communication device may be an LMF node as shown in Figure 1. The communication device may also be a module (such as a chip or chip system) applied to a terminal or network device.

[0162] The communication device 700 includes a transceiver unit 720, which can be used to receive or send information. The communication device 700 can also include a processing unit 710, which can be used to process instructions or data to implement corresponding operations.

[0163] It should be understood that when the communication device 700 is a chip configured in (or used in) a communication device, the transceiver unit 720 in the communication device 700 can be the input / output interface or circuit of the chip, and the processing unit 710 in the communication device 700 can be the processor in the chip.

[0164] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions or data. The processing unit 710 may execute the instructions or data stored in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform corresponding operations.

[0165] The communication device 700 can be used to implement the function of the access network node in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4 above. When the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the access network node in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4 above: the processing unit 710 is used to determine the first information, and the first information is used to indicate the amount of information supported by the system message. The transceiver unit 720 is used to send the first information to the positioning management function LMF node. The transceiver unit 720 is also used to receive second information from the LMF node, and the second information is used to indicate at least one segment of the positioning system information block, and the amount of information of each segment is less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message. The transceiver unit 720 is also used to send at least one system message, and each system message carries a segment of the positioning system information block.

[0166] The communication device 700 can be used to implement the functions of the LMF node in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 4 . When the communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of the LMF node in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 4 : the transceiver unit 720 is configured to receive first information from an access network node, where the first information indicates the amount of information supported by the system message. The processing unit 710 is configured to determine second information, where the second information indicates at least one segment of a positioning system information block, where the amount of information in each segment is less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message. The transceiver unit 720 is further configured to send the second information to the access network node.

[0167] The communication device 700 can be used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 5 . When the communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the transceiver unit 720 is configured to receive fourth information from an access network node or from a positioning management function (LMF) node, where the fourth information indicates the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or the number of system messages of at least one system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block. The processing unit 710 is configured to control the transceiver unit to receive at least one system message from the access network node based on the fourth information, where each system message carries a segment of the positioning system information block.

[0168] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 710 and the transceiver unit 720 , reference may be made to the relevant description in the above method embodiment.

[0169] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 720 in the communication device 700 may include a receiving unit and / or a transmitting unit, wherein the receiving unit is used to receive signals and the transmitting unit is used to transmit signals. The transceiver unit 720 in the communication device 700 may be implemented by, for example, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, an input / output interface, or a pin. When the transceiver unit 720 is a transceiver, the transceiver may be composed of a receiver and / or a transmitter. The processing unit 710 in the communication device 700 may be implemented by at least one processor, or may be implemented by at least one logic circuit. Optionally, the communication device 700 also includes a storage unit, which may be implemented by a memory.

[0170] As shown in Figure 8, the communication device 800 includes a processor 810 and an interface circuit 820. The processor 810 and the interface circuit 820 are coupled to each other. It will be understood that the interface circuit 820 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Among them, the transceiver may include a receiver (or receiver, receiving circuit) and / or a transmitter (or transmitter, transmitting circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals. The input / output interface may include an input interface and an output interface, the input interface is used to input signals, and the output interface is used to output signals. Alternatively, the input / output interface is an interface that can realize the functions of inputting and outputting signals.

[0171] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a memory 830 for storing instructions executed by the processor 810 or storing input data required by the processor 810 to execute instructions or storing data generated after the processor 810 executes instructions.

[0172] In one implementation, the memory 830 may also be integrated into the processor 810 or independent of the processor 810 .

[0173] When the communication device 800 is used to implement the method provided by the above method embodiment, the processor 810 is used to implement the functions of the above processing unit 710 , and the interface circuit 820 is used to implement the functions of the above transceiver unit 720 .

[0174] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the chip can implement the terminal-related functions in the above method embodiments. The chip receives information / data from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information / data may be sent by a network device to the terminal; or the chip sends information / data to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information / data may be sent by the terminal device to the network device.

[0175] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to an access network device, the module can implement the functions related to the access network node in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The module receives information / data from other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information / data can be sent by the terminal to the access network device; or, the module sends information / data to other modules in the access network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information / data can be sent by the access network device to the terminal. The access network device module here can be a chip of the access network device, or it can be a DU or other module (for example, a CU or RU, etc.), the DU can be an O-DU under the O-RAN architecture, the CU can be an O-CU under the O-RAN architecture, and the RU can be an O-RU under the O-RAN architecture.

[0176] In this application, the information / data sent by the access network node to the terminal can be generated by at least one module in the CU, DU, or RU of the access network device and then sent to the terminal. That is, the function of the access network node can be implemented by one or more modules in the access network device. Among them, after the information / data is generated, it can be transmitted (such as transparent transmission or processed and transmitted) to the wireless channel through multiple modules of the access network node, so that the terminal device can receive the information / data from the access network node through the wireless channel.

[0177] For example, in the present application, the system message for carrying the segmented positioning system information block may be sent by the CU of the access network device to the RU, and then sent by the RU to the wireless channel, so that the terminal can receive the system message in the wireless channel. The system message for carrying SIB1 may be sent by the DU to the RU, and then sent by the RU to the wireless channel. The SIB1 may carry scheduling information for carrying system messages other than SIB1. Optionally, the SIB1 may also carry segmented information of the positioning system information block. The fourth information sent by the access network node to the terminal in the foregoing may be the CU of the access network device passing the fourth information to the DU, and then passing it to the RU, and then sending it to the wireless channel by the RU, or the DU of the access network device passing the fourth information to the CU, and then sending it to the terminal (sending from the CU to the terminal may specifically include: the CU passing the fourth information to the DU, and then passing it to the RU, and then sending it to the wireless channel by the RU for easy reception by the terminal).

[0178] In this application, the function of information / data interaction between the access network node and the LMF node can be implemented by the CU of the access network device. Specifically, the access network device can implement information / data interaction with the LMF node through the control plane interface between the CU and the core network (NG-C as shown in Figure 1).

[0179] For example, the first information / second information / third information between the access network node and the LMF node in the previous text can be transmitted through the control plane interface of the CU. For example, the first information sent by the access network node to the LMF node can be transmitted by the control plane interface NG-C of the CU to the AMF node of the core network, and then by the AMF node to the LMF node. The second information / third information sent by the LMF node to the access network node can be sent by the LMF node to the AMF node, and then by the AMF node to the CU through the control plane interface of the CU.

[0180] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0181] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, compact disc-read-only memory (CD-ROM) or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in an access network device or a terminal device. The processor and the storage medium can also exist in the access network device or the terminal device as discrete components.

[0182] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the application, the embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, when the computer program code is executed by one or more processors, it enables the device including the processor to execute the method provided in the above method embodiment.

[0183] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device.

[0184] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, which stores the above-mentioned computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by one or more processors, the device including the processor executes the method provided in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0185] As described above, the computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or can include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0186] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including the one or more terminals mentioned above. The system may further include the one or more network devices mentioned above.

[0187] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the devices described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other shown or discussed can be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0188] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this solution based on actual needs.

[0189] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0190] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

[0191] Transistor logic devices and discrete hardware components can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic diagrams of this application. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods of this application can be directly implemented and executed by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0192] In this application, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or a volatile memory, such as a random-access memory (RAM). The memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in this application may also be a circuit or any other device that can implement a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0193] The present application also provides a processing device, including a processor and a (communication) interface; the processor is used to execute any one of the above methods.

[0194] It should be understood that the processing device may be one or more chips. For example, the processing device may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips.

[0195] According to the method provided in the present application, the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when executed by one or more processors, enables the device including the processor to execute the method shown in Figures 4 to 6.

[0196] The technical solution provided in this application can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in this application is generated in whole or in part. The above-mentioned computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium, etc.

[0197] According to the method provided in the present application, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code. When the program code is executed by one or more processors, the device including the processor executes the method shown in Figures 4 to 6.

[0198] According to the method provided in this application, this application also provides a system, which includes the aforementioned one or more access network nodes. The system may further include the aforementioned one or more LMF nodes. Optionally, the system may further include the aforementioned terminal device.

[0199] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the devices described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other shown or discussed can be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0200] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this solution based on actual needs.

[0201] It is understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the relay device and / or the network device may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application. These steps or operations are merely examples. In the embodiments of the present application, other operations or variations of various operations may also be performed. In addition, the various steps may be performed in a different order than those presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it is possible that not all of the operations in the embodiments of the present application need to be performed.

[0202] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An information transmission method, characterized in that: include: The access network node sends first information to the location management function LMF node, where the first information is used to indicate the amount of information supported by the system message; The LMF node sends second information to the access network node, where the second information is used to indicate at least one segment of a positioning system information block, and the amount of information of each segment is less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message; The access network node sends at least one system message, each system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Before the access network node sends the first information to the LMF node, the method further includes: The LMF node sends third information to the access network node, where the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The third information is carried in a TRP information request message for sending and receiving points, and the first information is carried in a TRP information response message.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following: The type of the positioning system information block, the periodic duration of the access network node broadcasting the system message, or the priority of broadcasting the positioning system information block.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The at least one system message includes a plurality of system messages, and the plurality of system messages are system messages in a plurality of consecutive system message cycles.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: The access network node sends fourth information to the terminal, or the LMF node sends fourth information to the terminal, The fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages of the at least one system message.

8. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processing unit, configured to determine first information, where the first information is used to indicate an amount of information supported by the system message; A transceiver unit, configured to send the first information to a location management function LMF node; The transceiver unit is further used to receive second information from the LMF node, where the second information is used to indicate at least one segment of a positioning system information block, and the amount of information of each segment is less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message bearer; The transceiver unit is further used to send at least one system message, each system message carries a segment of the positioning system information block.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further used to receive third information from the LMF node, where the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

10. The device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further used to send fourth information to the terminal, where the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages in the at least one system message.

11. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A transceiver unit, configured to receive first information from an access network node, wherein the first information is used to indicate an amount of information supported by a system message; A processing unit, configured to determine second information, where the second information is used to indicate at least one segment of a positioning system information block, and the amount of information of each segment is less than or equal to the amount of information supported by the system message; The transceiver unit is further configured to send the second information to the access network node.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to send third information to the access network node, where the third information is used to request the amount of information supported by the system message.

13. The device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further used to send fourth information to the terminal, where the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or to indicate the number of system messages in the at least one system message.

14. An information transmission method, characterized in that: include: The terminal receives fourth information from an access network node or from a positioning management function LMF node, where the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or the number of system messages of at least one system message carrying the segment of the positioning system information block, each system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block; The terminal receives at least one system message from an access network node according to the fourth information.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information, and the positioning assistance information is used for positioning measurement.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal receives request information from the LMF node, where the request information is used to request the terminal to perform positioning measurement, and the request information includes time information when the terminal feeds back the positioning measurement result; Receiving, by the terminal according to the fourth information, at least one system message from the access network node, comprising: The terminal receives the at least one system message from the access network node according to the time information and the fourth information.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal determines, according to the at least one system message, a positioning system information block, where the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information; The terminal obtains a positioning measurement result according to the positioning assistance information; The terminal sends the positioning information to the LMF node, where the positioning information includes the positioning measurement result.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver unit, configured to receive fourth information from an access network node or from a positioning management function LMF node, wherein the fourth information is used to indicate the number of segments of at least one segment of the positioning system information block or the number of system messages of at least one system message carrying the segment of the positioning system information block; The processing unit is used to control the transceiver unit to receive at least one system message from the access network node according to the fourth information, each system message carrying a segment of the positioning system information block.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further used to receive request information from the LMF node, the request information is used to request the terminal to perform positioning measurement, and the request information includes time information of the terminal feeding back the positioning measurement result; The processing unit is specifically configured to control the transceiver unit to receive the at least one system message from the access network node according to the time information and the fourth information.

20. The device according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that The processing unit is further configured to determine a positioning system information block according to the at least one system message, wherein the positioning system information block carries positioning assistance information; The processing unit is further configured to obtain a positioning measurement result according to the positioning assistance information; The transceiver unit is further used to send the positioning information to the LMF node, where the positioning information includes a positioning measurement result.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes a processor; the processor is used to execute a computer program or computer instructions in a memory to implement the function of the access network node or the function of the LMF node in the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices, and the processor is used to implement the function of the access network node or the function of the LMF node in the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.

24. A communication system, characterized in that: The method comprises the communication device provided in any one of claims 8 to 10 and the communication device provided in any one of claims 11 to 13.

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