Communication sensing method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a communication sensing method and apparatus, and a storage medium. The method comprises: on a first time-domain resource and a first frequency-domain resource, transmitting a sensing signal to a target to be detected, and on the first time-domain resource and a second frequency-domain resource, receiving at least one communication signal from at least one station, wherein the first frequency-domain resource and the second frequency-domain resource do not overlap each other; and receiving an echo signal reflected by the target to be detected. The sensing signal can be transmitted to the target to be detected whilst the at least one communication signal from the at least one station is received, and thus the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi sensing signal transmission and reception can be improved in a conventional communication state, thereby improving the sensing performance.

Description

Communication sensing method, device and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on July 29, 2023, with application number 202310949623.2 and invention name “Communication Perception Method, Device and Storage Medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication perception method, device and storage medium. Background Art

[0003] In addition to being used for communication functions, Wi-Fi technology can also be used to implement wireless sensing functions, such as intrusion detection, motion recognition, gesture recognition, etc.

[0004] As shown in Figure 1, a schematic diagram of a Wi-Fi radar is shown. During normal communication between Wi-Fi devices A and B, their signals reach the target and can be reflected back to Wi-Fi devices A and / or B by the target. This allows a radar-like device to be constructed for wireless sensing, and to obtain information such as the distance, speed, and Doppler of the target. This technology is called "Wi-Fi radar" technology.

[0005] The calculation of velocity / Doppler information is based on the phase change of the echo signal at multiple moments. Its theoretical maximum detectable velocity v max It is related to the observation time interval τ of the echo signal. The smaller the observation time interval τ is, the greater the maximum detectable velocity v max The bigger.

[0006] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a Wi-Fi device acting as a transmitter capable of simultaneous sensing. Because the Wi-Fi communication system utilizes a time division duplex (TDD) mechanism, when Wi-Fi device X acts as a transmitter, its receiver (RX) is idle. At this point, the RX can be turned on to receive echo data from the target, enabling a radar device to detect the target's status.

[0007] However, when Wi-Fi device X acts as a receiver, its RX must receive the communication signal from the other end (Wi-Fi device Y in the figure). Even if its TX is idle at this time, the radar device cannot be constructed and the detection function will be interrupted. Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the inability of the Wi-Fi device to sense simultaneously when acting as a receiver.

[0008] According to the above description, if the Wi-Fi device continuously acts as a transmitter, its detection function can be maintained well. However, if the Wi-Fi device acts as a receiver intermittently, the continuity of radar detection cannot be guaranteed. When the detection interval is too large, the maximum detectable speed of the radar is v max Take 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz center frequencies as an example, to ensure v max ≥5m / s (supporting conventional human motion detection), requiring detection intervals of ≤6.25ms and ≤2.59ms, respectively. Furthermore, when the observation intervals are not uniform, speed measurement accuracy decreases. Overall, when detection opportunities cannot be guaranteed, overall perception performance will degrade.

[0009] In view of this, under normal communication conditions, how to improve the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi sensing signal transmission and reception, thereby improving sensing performance, is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0010] Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present application provides a communication perception method, device, and storage medium to improve the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi perception signal transmission and reception in a conventional communication state, thereby improving perception performance.

[0012] In a first aspect, a communication sensing method is provided, comprising: transmitting a sensing signal to a target under test on a first time domain resource and a first frequency domain resource, receiving at least one communication signal from at least one station on the first time domain resource and a second frequency domain resource, wherein the first frequency domain resource and the second frequency domain resource do not overlap; and receiving an echo signal reflected from the target under test. In this aspect, by simultaneously transmitting the sensing signal to the target under test while receiving at least one communication signal from at least one station, the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi sensing signal transmission and reception can be improved in normal communication conditions, thereby enhancing sensing performance.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: performing sensing measurements on the target based on the echo signal. In this implementation, by transmitting a sensing signal to the target, an echo signal from the target is received, thereby performing sensing measurements on the target and obtaining the target's position, distance, velocity, Doppler information, and other information. Furthermore, since echo signals from the target can be continuously received in a normal communication state, the detection interval can be reduced, the uniformity of the observation interval can be improved, and ultimately, sensing performance can be enhanced.

[0014] In another possible implementation, the first time domain resource may be configured as an integer multiple of a symbol duration. In this implementation, the time domain resource for sending the perception signal may be the same as or different from the time domain resource for receiving at least one communication signal.

[0015] In another possible implementation, the sensing signal is a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) signal or an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal. In this implementation, the sensing signal can be an FMCW signal with better detection performance, a conventional OFDM signal, or a signal with another waveform, and can be flexibly determined based on detection requirements.

[0016] In another possible implementation, the sensing signal is the OFDM signal, and the sensing signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates that the OFDM signal is used for sensing. In this implementation, when the sensing signal is a conventional OFDM signal, the sensing signal may further include first indication information indicating that the OFDM signal is used for sensing. After receiving the OFDM signal, at least one station may learn that the OFDM signal is used for sensing, thereby learning that the peer terminal has wireless sensing capabilities and may send a sensing task request to the peer terminal.

[0017] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a trigger frame to the at least one station, the trigger frame including information about the following resources: the first time domain resources, the first frequency domain resources, and the second frequency domain resources. In this implementation, configuring resources for sending the awareness signal through the trigger frame enables the awareness signal to be sent simultaneously with receiving communication signals, thereby improving the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi awareness signal transmission and reception in normal communication conditions and enhancing awareness performance.

[0018] In another possible implementation, after the trigger frame is sent, the access point sends the perception signal once according to resource allocation in the trigger frame.

[0019] In another possible implementation, after the trigger frame is sent, the access point sends the sensing signal according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame until the number of signals indicated in the trigger frame is met. That is, information about the number of signals is included in the trigger frame.

[0020] In yet another possible implementation, after the trigger frame is sent, the access point sends the perception signal according to resource allocation in the trigger frame until a new trigger frame is generated.

[0021] In another possible implementation, the higher the required range resolution, the more first frequency domain resources are allocated. In this implementation, the required range resolution is inversely proportional to the bandwidth of the sensing signal. Therefore, based on actual detection requirements, the higher the required range resolution, the more first frequency domain resources are required to be allocated.

[0022] In another possible implementation, the trigger frame includes second indication information, which is used to indicate that the transmitting end has wireless sensing capabilities. In this implementation, by carrying the indication information in the trigger frame to indicate that the transmitting end has wireless sensing capabilities, the peer end, upon receiving the trigger frame, can send a sensing task request to the peer end.

[0023] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: sending a physical layer protocol data unit (PHY protocol data unit, PPDU) to the at least one station, the PPDU including third indication information, the third indication information being used to indicate that the transmitting end has a wireless awareness capability. In this implementation, when the PPDU is sent downlink to the station, the indication information can be carried in the PPDU to indicate that the transmitting end has a wireless awareness capability, so that after receiving the trigger frame, the peer end can send a perception task request to the peer end.

[0024] In the second aspect, a communication perception device is provided for implementing the communication perception method in the above-mentioned first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect. The device can be a communication perception device, or a module applied to a communication perception device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logical node, a logical module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication perception device. In one implementation, the communication perception device may include a sending unit, a receiving unit, and may also include a processing unit. The sending unit and the receiving unit may be independent or combined together (which may be referred to as a "transceiver unit").

[0025] In a possible implementation, the communication sensing device may include a sending unit, a receiving unit, and a processing unit. The sending unit and the receiving unit may be independent or combined (referred to as a "transceiver unit").

[0026] Among them, the sending unit is used to send a perception signal to the target to be measured on the first time domain resource and the first frequency domain resource; the receiving unit is used to receive at least one communication signal from at least one site on the first time domain resource and the second frequency domain resource, and the first frequency domain resource and the second frequency domain resource do not overlap; and the receiving unit is also used to receive the echo signal reflected by the target to be measured.

[0027] Optionally, the processing unit is further configured to perform perception measurement on the target to be measured based on the echo signal.

[0028] Optionally, the first time domain resource is configurable to be an integer multiple of a symbol duration.

[0029] Optionally, the sensing signal is a frequency modulated continuous wave signal or an OFDM signal.

[0030] Optionally, the perception signal is the OFDM signal, and the perception signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates that the OFDM signal is used for perception.

[0031] Optionally, the sending unit is further used to send a trigger frame to the at least one site, where the trigger frame includes information about the following resources: the first time domain resources, the first frequency domain resources, and the second frequency domain resources.

[0032] Optionally, the higher the range resolution required for detection, the more first frequency domain resources are required.

[0033] Optionally, the trigger frame includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless perception function.

[0034] Optionally, the sending unit is further used to send a PPDU to the at least one site, where the PPDU includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless perception function.

[0035] In another possible implementation, the communication perception device in the second aspect includes a processor coupled to a memory; the processor is configured to enable the device to perform the corresponding functions in the above-mentioned communication perception method. The memory is used to couple with the processor, which stores the necessary programs (instructions) and / or data for the device. Optionally, the communication perception device may also include a communication interface for enabling communication between the device and other network elements. Optionally, the memory may be located inside the communication perception device or outside the communication perception device.

[0036] In another possible implementation, the communication perception device in the second aspect includes a processor and a transceiver, the processor is coupled to the transceiver, and the processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction to control the transceiver to receive and send information; when the processor executes the computer program or instruction, the processor is also used to implement the above method through a logic circuit or execute code instructions. The transceiver can be a transceiver, a transceiver circuit or an input-output interface, which is used to receive signals from other communication perception devices other than the communication perception device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication perception devices other than the communication perception device. When the communication perception device is a chip, the transceiver is a transceiver circuit or an input-output interface.

[0037] When the communication sensing device in the second aspect is a chip, the sending unit may be an output unit, such as an output circuit or a communication interface; the receiving unit may be an input unit, such as an input circuit or a communication interface. When the communication sensing device is a terminal, the sending unit may be a transmitter or a transmitter; and the receiving unit may be a receiver or a receiver.

[0038] In a third aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method described in the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect is implemented.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided. When the instructions are executed on a communication perception device, the communication perception device executes the method described in the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect.

[0040] In a fifth aspect, a communication perception system is provided, which includes at least one site, a target to be measured, and a communication perception device as described in the second aspect or any one of the implementations of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a Wi-Fi radar;

[0042] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing that a Wi-Fi device can simultaneously sense when acting as a transmitter;

[0043] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing that a Wi-Fi device as a receiving end cannot sense at the same time;

[0044] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a Wi-Fi wireless communication system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of resource partitioning based on OFDMA provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a downlink OFDMA system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of sending a trigger frame for resource allocation during uplink OFDMA according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of an uplink OFDMA system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG9 is a flow chart of a communication perception method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG10a is a schematic diagram of time domain resource allocation of a sensing signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG10b is a schematic diagram of time domain resource allocation of another sensing signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG11a is a schematic diagram of the overall format of a trigger frame according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG11b is a schematic diagram of the format of the common information field of the trigger frame shown in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG11c is a schematic diagram of the format of the user information field of the trigger frame according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG12 is a schematic diagram showing that a Wi-Fi device can simultaneously sense when acting as a receiving end;

[0056] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication sensing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication perception device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0059] It should be understood that 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), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, 5G communication system and future 6G communication system, etc.

[0060] It should also be understood that the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to various communication systems based on non-orthogonal multiple access technology, such as sparse code multiple access (SCMA) systems. Of course, SCMA can also be called other names in the field of communications; further, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to multi-carrier transmission systems that adopt non-orthogonal multiple access technology, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC), generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM), filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (F-OFDM) systems, etc.

[0061] It should also be understood that the embodiments of the present application can be applied to LTE systems, 5G systems and subsequent evolution systems such as 6G, or other wireless communication systems that adopt various wireless access technologies, such as systems that adopt code division multiple access, frequency division multiple access, time division multiple access, orthogonal frequency division multiple access, single carrier frequency division multiple access and other access technologies, and are particularly suitable for scenarios that require channel information feedback and / or the application of secondary precoding technology, such as wireless networks that apply massive multiple input multiple output (Massive MIMO) technology, wireless networks that apply distributed antenna technology, etc.

[0062] It should also be understood that the embodiments of the present application can be applied to Wi-Fi wireless communications. The Wi-Fi wireless communication system includes an access point (AP) and a station (STA). A workstation can also be referred to as a station. The wireless communication scenarios involved may include: communication between AP and STA, communication between AP and AP, and communication between STA and STA. The embodiments of the present application are illustrated by taking the communication between AP and STA as an example. As shown in Figure 4, AP1 can communicate wirelessly with STA1 and STA2, and AP2 can also communicate wirelessly with STA1 and STA2. It should be understood that the methods described in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to communication between AP and AP, and communication between STA and STA.

[0063] The AP and STA in the embodiments of the present application may structurally include a media access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer. The AP and STA may transmit information and / or data via a PPDU. When the AP and STA use different wireless communication protocols, the PPDU frame structure may also vary.

[0064] As mentioned in the background, if a Wi-Fi device continuously acts as a transmitter, its detection function can be maintained well. However, if the Wi-Fi device intermittently acts as a receiver, the continuity of radar detection cannot be guaranteed.

[0065] Furthermore, existing technologies operate standalone Wi-Fi radar devices on dedicated channels, which continuously occupies communication channels and cannot be deeply integrated with existing Wi-Fi communication devices.

[0066] For example, in the prior art, switching between communication mode and radar mode is done in a time-division manner. The radar mode in this method occupies an extra time window, which may cause communication delay to deteriorate.

[0067] To address the aforementioned issue of how to ensure the continuity of Wi-Fi radar detection and improve overall perception performance, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication perception solution. By simultaneously receiving at least one communication signal from at least one station and sending a perception signal to the target under test, the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi perception signal transmission and reception can be improved under normal communication conditions, thereby enhancing perception performance.

[0068] First, let’s explain the terms that may be used in the embodiments of this application:

[0069] (1) As mentioned above, by processing the echo signal, the distance, speed / Doppler and other information of the target to be measured can be obtained.

[0070] The calculation of distance information is based on the difference between the sensing signal and the echo signal. A typical method is to perform correlation processing on the sensing signal and the echo signal. In theory, the detection distance resolution R res Related to the bandwidth B of the sensing signal / echo signal:

[0071] That is, the higher the bandwidth, the finer the theoretical distance resolution. Where c is the speed of light.

[0072] The calculation of velocity / Doppler information is based on the phase change of the echo signal at multiple moments, i.e., the Doppler effect. A typical method is to use discrete Fourier transform (DFT) to process the echo data at multiple consecutive observation moments.

[0073] Theoretically, the velocity resolution v res Related to the continuous observation time T:

[0074] That is, the longer the continuous observation time, the finer the theoretical velocity resolution.

[0075] Theoretically, the maximum detectable speed v max Related to the observation time interval τ:

[0076] That is, the smaller the observation time interval, the greater the theoretical maximum detectable speed.

[0077] (2) Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) mechanism

[0078] The OFDMA mechanism allows multiple users to share bandwidth resources by dividing the bandwidth into resource units (RUs), thereby improving the efficiency of multi-user communication.

[0079] As shown in Figure 5, an OFDMA-based resource partitioning diagram is provided in an embodiment of the present application. The time domain unit can be a symbol, and the frequency domain unit can be a subcarrier. The OFDMA mechanism divides the frequency domain into multiple subcarriers. For example, the Wi-Fi 6 standard defines the bandwidth of each subcarrier as 78.125 kHz; the corresponding time domain is divided into symbols, with each symbol being 12.8 μs. A specific number of subcarriers is called a RU.

[0080] For downlink OFDMA, the AP can flexibly allocate RUs of different bandwidths to different STAs based on factors such as the client's functionality, the size of the data packet, the required quality of service (QoS) of the application, and channel conditions. As shown in Figure 5, the AP allocates frequency domain resources to 6 STAs, and each STA is allocated one or more RUs. As shown in Figure 6, a schematic diagram of downlink OFDMA provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The AP encapsulates the data of multiple STAs into a PPDU frame and sends it to multiple STAs at the same time, thereby amortizing the preamble overhead and air interface contention overhead.

[0081] For uplink OFDMA, as shown in Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of sending a trigger frame for resource allocation during uplink OFDMA provided by an embodiment of the present application, the AP first agrees with multiple STAs through the trigger frame on the timing and window period of their respective uplink transmissions, and indicates the subchannels, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rate and transmit power that each STA can use, so that the transmissions of all STAs can start and / or end at the same time, thereby reducing uplink contention and achieving better bandwidth utilization, as shown in Figure 8, a schematic diagram of uplink OFDMA provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] The communication perception method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below:

[0083] As shown in Figure 9, a flow chart of a communication perception method provided in an embodiment of the present application is provided. In this embodiment, an AP is used as the execution subject of the method, but the execution subject can also be other communication perception devices. In this embodiment, the AP can serve as both a transmitter and a receiver. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0084] S901. The AP sends a trigger frame to at least one STA. Correspondingly, the at least one STA receives the trigger frame.

[0085] In this embodiment, the AP can allocate time-frequency resources to at least one STA with which it is performing data transmission, so that the at least one STA can transmit data to the AP on the allocated time-frequency resources. For example, the AP allocates second frequency domain resources to at least one STA. If the AP allocates frequency domain resources to a single STA, the AP allocates the second frequency domain resources to the STA. If the AP allocates frequency domain resources to multiple STAs, the AP can divide the second frequency domain resources into multiple RUs based on the aforementioned OFDMA mechanism, flexibly allocating RUs of different bandwidths to different STAs.

[0086] In addition, the AP may also allocate first frequency domain resources to itself for sending the perception signal. For example, the AP may allocate the first frequency domain resources (including one or more RUs) to the AP's own basic service set identifier (BSSID).

[0087] Figure 10a shows a schematic diagram of time domain resource allocation for sensing signals according to an embodiment of the present application. The AP allocates first frequency domain resources to itself and second frequency domain resources to STA1-STA6. Each STA is allocated one or more RUs in the second frequency domain resources. Furthermore, the AP allocates the first time domain resources to itself and STA1-STA6, meaning that the time domain resources allocated to itself and STA1-STA6 are the same.

[0088] Figure 10b shows another example of time domain resource allocation for sensing signals according to an embodiment of the present application. The AP allocates first frequency domain resources to itself and second frequency domain resources to STA1-STA6. Each STA is allocated one or more RUs in the second frequency domain resources. Furthermore, the AP allocates the first time domain resources to itself and the second time domain resources to STA1-STA6. This means that the time domain resources allocated to the AP are smaller than those allocated to STA1-STA6.

[0089] For example, an AP can use a trigger frame to carry information about time-frequency resources allocated to at least one STA and information about time-frequency resources allocated to the AP itself. Specifically, the trigger frame includes information about the following resources: first time domain resources, first frequency domain resources, and second frequency domain resources. The trigger frame carries information about the time-frequency resources allocated to the AP itself, notifying the at least one STA that the time-frequency resources are allocated to the AP itself.

[0090] As shown in Figure 11a, a schematic diagram of the overall format of a trigger frame shown in an embodiment of the present application is provided. The trigger frame includes the following fields: frame control, duration, receiving addresses (RA), timing advance (TA), common info, user info list, padding, and frame check sequence (FCS). The above-mentioned resource information can be located in the above-mentioned resource allocation field. Exemplarily, the above-mentioned resources can also be reserved or pre-defined by the protocol. Therefore, this step is optional and is represented by a dotted line in the figure.

[0091] 11b is a schematic diagram of the format of the common information field of the trigger frame shown in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the common information field includes the following subfields: trigger type, uplink length (UL length), more trigger frames (more TF), call request (CS required), uplink bandwidth (UL BW), guard interval and high-efficiency long training sequence type (GI and HE-LTF type), multi-user-multiple input and multiple output high-efficiency long training sequence mode (MU-MIMO HE-LTF mode), number of high-efficiency long training sequence field symbols and midamble periodicity, uplink space-time block code (UL STBC), low-density parity check code extra symbol segment (LDPC extra symbol segment), AP transmit power (AP Tx power), pre-FEC padding factor, data packet extension disambiguation (PE disambiguation), uplink spatial multiplexing (UL spatial multiplexing) reuse), Doppler, UL HE-SIG-A2 reserved, reserved fields, and trigger dependent common info.

[0092] As shown in Figure 11c, it is a format diagram of the user information field of the trigger frame shown in an embodiment of the present application. The user information field includes the following subfields: the last 12 bits of the association identifier (AID) 12, resource unit allocation (RU allocation), uplink forward error correction code coding type (UL FEC Coding Type), uplink high-efficiency modulation and coding system (UL HE-MCS), uplink dual-carrier modulation DCM, spatial stream allocation / receive address-resource unit information (SS allocation / RA-RU information), uplink target receive power (UL target receive power), reserved field and trigger-related user information (trigger dependent user info).

[0093] The AP may also agree on a transmission timing and window with at least one STA through a trigger frame, so that at least one STA can transmit data according to the transmission timing within the same transmission window.

[0094] To distinguish it from a conventional trigger frame, the trigger frame in this embodiment may also include second indication information, which indicates that the AP has wireless sensing capabilities. Thus, upon receiving the trigger frame, at least one STA parses the second indication information to learn that the AP has wireless sensing capabilities and can then send a sensing task request to the AP.

[0095] Exemplarily, the second indication information may be located in a reserved subfield (also called a reserved bit) in a common information field or a user information field of a trigger frame.

[0096] In addition, the distance resolution R required to be detected is res The relationship between the bandwidth B of the sensing signal and the echo signal shows that the higher the bandwidth, the finer the theoretical distance resolution. Therefore, based on the detection performance requirements, if a higher distance resolution is required, more first frequency domain resources can be allocated to the AP itself.

[0097] Table 1 below shows several typical range resolutions R res Relationship with bandwidth B:

[0098] Table 1

[0099] S902. At least one STA sends at least one communication signal to the AP using the first time domain resource and the second frequency domain resource. Correspondingly, the AP receives at least one communication signal from the at least one STA using the first time domain resource and the second frequency domain resource.

[0100] The AP allocates time-frequency resources to at least one STA, so each STA can send communication signals to the AP on the allocated time-frequency resources. Correspondingly, the AP receives communication signals sent by each STA on the corresponding time-frequency resources.

[0101] Exemplarily, each STA may send a communication signal to the AP within a configured transmission window and at a configured transmission timing.

[0102] S903. The AP sends a sensing signal to the target to be measured using a first time domain resource and a first frequency domain resource.

[0103] Because the AP has allocated time-frequency resources to itself, the AP can send a perception signal to the target under test using the allocated time-frequency resources (i.e., the first time-domain resources and the first frequency-domain resources). For example, the AP's TX can send the perception signal and the communication signal separately with the at least one STA in a configured transmission window according to the configured transmission timing based on the allocated time-frequency resources. That is, steps S902 and S903 can be performed simultaneously.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 3 of the background art, when the AP, as a receiving end, receives a communication signal sent by at least one STA, its TX is idle and cannot send a sensing signal, thus causing discontinuous detection.

[0105] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG12 , a schematic diagram illustrating simultaneous sensing when a Wi-Fi device is acting as a receiving end is provided. By allocating time and frequency resources to the AP itself, the AP can still transmit sensing signals to the target to be measured and perform sensing measurements on the target even when receiving communication signals from at least one STA. This improves the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi sensing signal transmission and reception under normal communication conditions, thereby enhancing sensing performance.

[0106] Regarding the sending of perception signals, there are several implementations:

[0107] In one implementation, after the trigger frame is sent, the AP may send a perception signal once according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame.

[0108] In another implementation, the trigger frame may further include a signal number. After the trigger frame is sent, the AP may send sensing signals according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame until the number of signals indicated in the trigger frame is met. By sending multiple sensing signals, sensing performance can be improved.

[0109] In another implementation, after the trigger frame is sent, the AP may send a sensing signal according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame until a new trigger frame is generated. By sending multiple sensing signals, the sensing performance may be improved.

[0110] Exemplarily, the sensing signal is a frequency modulated continuous wave signal, which has good detection performance.

[0111] Exemplarily, the sensing signal is an OFDM signal. Furthermore, the sensing signal may include first indication information, which indicates that the OFDM signal is used for sensing. Thus, upon receiving the OFDM signal, at least one STA parses the first indication information to determine that the AP has wireless sensing capabilities, thereby sending a sensing task request to the AP. Exemplarily, the first indication information may be located in a reserved bit of the OFDM signal.

[0112] The AP can choose to send corresponding sensing signals based on detection requirements.

[0113] S904: The target to be measured reflects an echo signal to the AP. Correspondingly, the AP receives the echo signal reflected by the target to be measured.

[0114] After receiving the sensing signal, the target to be measured may reflect an echo signal, and the AP may receive the echo signal reflected by the target to be measured.

[0115] After receiving the at least one communication signal and the echo signal, the AP may perform conventional decoding on the at least one communication signal, sense the target to be measured based on the echo signal, and obtain information of the target to be measured, such as distance, speed, etc.

[0116] Furthermore, when the AP acts as a transmitter, it can also send a PPDU to at least one STA. Accordingly, at least one STA receives the PPDU. Unlike a conventional PPDU, the PPDU can also include third indication information, which is used to indicate that the transmitter (i.e., the AP) has wireless sensing capabilities. Thus, when at least one STA receives the PPDU and parses the third indication information, it can learn that the AP has wireless sensing capabilities and can then send a sensing task request to the AP. Exemplarily, the third indication information can be located in a reserved bit of the PPDU.

[0117] According to a communication sensing method provided in an embodiment of the present application, by simultaneously receiving at least one communication signal from at least one station and sending a sensing signal to a target under test, the temporal continuity of Wi-Fi sensing signal transmission and reception can be improved in a normal communication state, thereby enhancing sensing performance.

[0118] And by carrying indication information through a trigger frame, a perception signal or a PPDU, it is indicated that the sending end has a wireless perception function, so that the receiving end can request the sending end to assist in perceiving the receiving end.

[0119] The above describes the method provided in the embodiments of the present application. The following provides a communication perception device for implementing the above method. It is understood that, in order to implement the method, the communication perception device includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to executing the method. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0120] The communication perception device provided in the embodiment of the present application can be divided into functional modules according to the above method. For example, the functional modules can correspond to each step in the method, or two or more steps can be integrated into one functional module. The above functional modules can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. It should be noted that the division of functional modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of each step corresponding to a functional module:

[0121] A possible structural diagram of a communication sensing device is shown in FIG13. The communication sensing device 1300 includes a sending unit 1301 and a receiving unit 1302, and may also include a processing unit (not shown in the figure). The sending unit 1301 and the receiving unit 1302 may be independent units or a unified sending and receiving unit.

[0122] The sending unit 1301 is used to send a perception signal to the target to be measured on a first time domain resource and a first frequency domain resource; the receiving unit 1302 is used to receive at least one communication signal from at least one site on the first time domain resource and the second frequency domain resource, and the first frequency domain resource and the second frequency domain resource do not overlap; and the receiving unit 1302 is also used to receive an echo signal reflected by the target to be measured.

[0123] Optionally, the processing unit is further configured to perform perception measurement on the target to be measured based on the echo signal.

[0124] Optionally, the first time domain resource is configurable to be an integer multiple of a symbol duration.

[0125] Optionally, the sensing signal is a frequency modulated continuous wave signal or an OFDM signal.

[0126] Optionally, the perception signal is the OFDM signal, and the perception signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates that the OFDM signal is used for perception.

[0127] Optionally, the sending unit 1301 is further configured to send a trigger frame to the at least one site, where the trigger frame includes information about the following resources: the first time domain resources, the first frequency domain resources, and the second frequency domain resources.

[0128] Optionally, the higher the range resolution required for detection, the more first frequency domain resources are required.

[0129] Optionally, the trigger frame includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless perception function.

[0130] Optionally, the sending unit 1301 is further used to send a PPDU to the at least one site, where the PPDU includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless perception function.

[0131] The functions that can be implemented by the communication perception device 1300 can refer to any one of the specific implementation methods in the method embodiments of this application. This application does not limit it and will not be repeated here.

[0132] Figure 14 is a structural diagram of a possible product form of the communication sensing device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 14 is a specific embodiment of the communication sensing device shown in Figure 13.

[0133] As a possible product form factor, communication sensing device 1400 may be an information transmission device / information transmission board. Communication sensing device 1400 includes a processor 1402 and a transceiver 1401. Optionally, communication sensing device 1400 may also include a memory 1403. Processor 1402 is configured to execute the method steps performed by the processing unit in FIG13 . Transceiver 1401 is configured to execute the method steps performed by transmitting unit 1301 and receiving unit 1302 in FIG13 .

[0134] As another possible product form factor, communication sensing device 1400 may be a chip. Communication sensing device 1400 includes a processing circuit 1402 and a communication interface 1401. Optionally, communication sensing device 1400 may also include a storage medium 1403. Processing circuit 1402 is configured to execute the method steps performed by the processing unit in FIG. 13 . Communication interface 1401 is configured to execute the method steps performed by transmitting unit 1301 and receiving unit 1302 in FIG. 13 .

[0135] As another possible product form of the above embodiment, the communication perception device can also be implemented using the following: one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits that can perform the various functions described throughout this application.

[0136] The above-mentioned processor can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, and the like. The bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, and the like. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the like. For ease of representation, only one thick line is used in Figure 14, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0137] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware related to program instructions, and the aforementioned program instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program instructions are executed, the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiment are executed; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, ROM, RAM, disk or optical disk, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0138] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application also provides a readable storage medium, which stores computer execution instructions. When a device (which can be a single-chip microcomputer, chip, controller, etc.) or a processor executes the steps in the communication perception method provided in the present application.

[0139] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer execution instructions, and the computer execution instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium; at least one processor of the device can read the computer execution instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and at least one processor executes the computer execution instructions so that the device executes the steps in the communication perception method provided in the present application.

[0140] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application also provides a communication perception system, which includes at least one site, a target to be measured, and the above-mentioned communication perception device.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0142] 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 division of the units is only a logical function division, and 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. The mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0143] Units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and 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 embodiment according to actual needs.

[0144] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by 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 instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted via the computer-readable storage medium. The computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape, a magnetic disk, or an optical medium such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a semiconductor medium such as a solid state disk (SSD).

Claims

1. A communication perception method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending a perception signal to a target to be measured on a first time domain resource and a first frequency domain resource, and receiving at least one communication signal from at least one station on the first time domain resource and a second frequency domain resource, wherein the first frequency domain resource does not overlap with the second frequency domain resource; Receive the echo signal reflected by the target to be measured.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing signal is a frequency modulated continuous wave signal or an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The perception signal is the OFDM signal, and the perception signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates that the OFDM signal is used for perception.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: A trigger frame is sent to the at least one site, where the trigger frame includes information about the following resources: the first time domain resources, the first frequency domain resources, and the second frequency domain resources.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The higher the detection distance resolution is required, the more first frequency domain resources are required.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The trigger frame includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless sensing function.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After the trigger frame is sent, the perception signal is sent once according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After the trigger frame is sent, the perception signal is sent according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame until the number of signals indicated in the trigger frame is met.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After the trigger frame is sent, the perception signal is sent according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame until a new trigger frame is generated.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: A physical layer protocol data unit PPDU is sent to the at least one site, where the PPDU includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless perception function.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The method further includes: performing perception measurement on the target to be measured according to the echo signal.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The first time domain resource is configurable and is an integer multiple of a symbol duration.

13. A communication sensing device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A sending unit, configured to send a perception signal to a target to be measured on a first time domain resource and a first frequency domain resource, and receive at least one communication signal from at least one station on the first time domain resource and a second frequency domain resource, wherein the first frequency domain resource does not overlap with the second frequency domain resource; The receiving unit is used to receive the echo signal reflected by the target to be measured.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that The sensing signal is a frequency modulated continuous wave signal or an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that The perception signal is the OFDM signal, and the perception signal includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates that the OFDM signal is used for perception.

16. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that The sending unit is further used to send a trigger frame to the at least one site, where the trigger frame includes information about the following resources: the first time domain resources, the first frequency domain resources, and the second frequency domain resources.

17. The device according to claim 16, characterized in that The higher the distance resolution required for detection, the more first frequency domain resources are needed.

18. The device according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The trigger frame includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless sensing function.

19. The device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that The sending unit is further used to send the perception signal once according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame after the trigger frame is sent.

20. The device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that The sending unit is further used to send the perception signal according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame after the trigger frame is sent, until the number of signals indicated in the trigger frame is met.

21. The device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that The sending unit is further used to send the perception signal according to the resource allocation in the trigger frame after the trigger frame is sent, until a new trigger frame is generated.

22. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that The sending unit is further used to send a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU to the at least one site, where the PPDU includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the sending end has a wireless perception function.

23. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that The device also includes a processing unit; The processing unit is used to perform perception measurement on the target to be measured according to the echo signal.

24. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 23, characterized in that The first time domain resource is configurable and is an integer multiple of a symbol duration.

25. A communication sensing device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a processor, wherein the processor is coupled to a memory, and the processor is used to call computer program instructions stored in the memory to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instruction, and when the computer program or instruction is executed by the communication perception device, the method as described in any one of claims 1-12 is implemented.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is implemented.

28. A communication sensing device, characterized in that: The device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images