Sidelink positioning method and communication device

Abstract

Provided are a sidelink positioning method and a communication device. The method comprises: a first device determines, on the basis of first information, a propagation time between a first terminal device and a second terminal device, so as to position the second terminal device. The first information is used for indicating a time difference between a time at which a pilot signal is received and a time at which a pilot signal is sent by the same terminal device. The time at which the pilot signal is sent is a time converted on the basis of the actual time at which the pilot signal is sent. The time at which the pilot signal is sent and the time at which the pilot signal is received are for pilot signals at different moments.

Description

Sideways positioning method and communication device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a sideways positioning method and communication device. Background Art

[0002] Round trip time (RTT) positioning can locate a terminal device by measuring the time interval between the time a signal is sent and the time a return signal is received. However, in side-by-side positioning, RTT positioning may have certain errors in some cases, such as when there is a synchronization time difference between the terminal devices participating in side-by-side positioning.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a sideways positioning method and a communication device. The following describes in detail various aspects of the embodiments of the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a side positioning method is provided, comprising: a first device determines the propagation time between a first terminal device and a second terminal device based on first information to locate the second terminal device; wherein the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the same terminal device receives a pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, the time for sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the time when the pilot signal is actually sent, and the time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different moments.

[0006] In the second aspect, a side positioning method is provided, including: a first terminal device sends first information to a first device, the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, the time of sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a side positioning method is provided, comprising: a second terminal device sends first information to a first device, the first information being used by the first device to determine a propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device so as to locate the second terminal device, and the first information being used to indicate a time difference between a time when the first terminal device receives a pilot signal and a time when the pilot signal is sent, the time for sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different moments.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a first device, and the device includes: a determination unit, used to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on first information to locate the second terminal device; wherein the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the same terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, and the time of sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a first terminal device, and the device includes: a first sending unit, used to send first information to the first device, the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, the time of sending the pilot signal is the time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

[0010] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a second terminal device, and the device includes: a first sending unit, used to send first information to the first device, the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, the time of sending the pilot signal is the time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

[0011] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a transceiver, a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store programs, and the processor is used to call the programs in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send signals so that the communication device executes the method as described in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a device is provided, comprising a processor for calling a program from a memory so that the device executes a method as described in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor for calling a program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as described in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a program is stored, wherein the program enables a computer to execute the method as described in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a program, wherein the program enables a computer to execute the method according to any one of the first to third aspects.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program is provided, which enables a computer to execute the method as described in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0017] In the embodiment of the present application, when determining the round-trip delay between terminal devices, the time of sending or receiving a signal is converted or corrected. The conversion or correction takes into account factors that cause positioning errors, such as synchronization time difference, thereby helping to improve the accuracy of positioning results. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system architecture of a wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present application may be applied.

[0019] FIG2 is a flow chart of an air interface RTT positioning method.

[0020] FIG3 is an example diagram of an RTT positioning method in an air interface.

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the principle of the sideways RTT positioning method

[0022] FIG5 is a flow chart of the side-by-side positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] FIG6 is an example diagram of a sideways RTT positioning method.

[0024] FIG. 7 is an example diagram of another sideways RTT positioning method.

[0025] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0027] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0028] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a device that can be used in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Communication system architecture

[0031] FIG1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary system architecture of a wireless communication system 100 to which embodiments of the present application may be applied. The wireless communication system 100 may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120. The network device 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area and may communicate with the terminal device 120 within the coverage area.

[0032] FIG1 exemplarily shows a network device and a terminal device. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include one or more network devices 110 and / or one or more terminal devices 120. For a network device 110, the one or more terminal devices 120 may all be located within the network coverage of the network device 110, or all be located outside the network coverage of the network device 110, or some may be located within the coverage of the network device 110 and others outside the network coverage of the network device 110. This is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0033] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0034] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system, satellite communication system, etc.

[0035] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in V2X or D2D, etc. For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and smart home devices communicate without relaying the communication signal through the base station.

[0036] The network device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and may also be referred to as an access network device or a radio access network device. For example, the network device may be a base station. The network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. A base station can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmission point (TRP), transmission point (TP), master station MeNB, secondary station SeNB, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node or the like, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem or chip used to be set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The base station can also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device D2D, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. The base station can support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the network equipment.

[0037] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0038] In some deployments, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device may include a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0039] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0040] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0041] RTT positioning method

[0042] The NR sidelink system supports RTT positioning. RTT is the time interval between the time a signal is sent and the time a return signal is received. This time interval reflects the total time from when the transmitter sends a signal to when the receiver receives the return signal.

[0043] The following describes the RRT positioning method in conjunction with Figure 2. The method shown in Figure 2 can be applied to air interface (Uu interface) communications. The method shown in Figure 2 includes steps 0 to 12.

[0044] In step 0, the location management function (LMF) obtains the TRP information required for multi-round-trip time (Multi-RTT) positioning.

[0045] In step 1, the LMF requests the positioning capabilities of the target device.

[0046] In step 2, the LMF sends an NRPPa location information request message to the serving gNB to request the uplink (UL) information of the target device.

[0047] In step 3, the serving gNB determines the resources available for uplink synchronization reference signals, such as uplink sounding reference signal (UL-SRS).

[0048] In step 3a, the serving gNB configures a UL-SRS resource set for the target device.

[0049] In step 4, the serving gNB provides the UL-SRS configuration information to the LMF via the NRPPa location information response message. It should be noted that whether the SRS configuration is earlier than the downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) configuration depends on the implementation method.

[0050] In step 5 (including steps 5a to 5c), in the case of semi-persistent or aperiodic SRS, the LMF can request activation of the UE's SRS transmission by sending an NRPPa Positioning Activation Request message to the target device's serving gNB. The gNB then activates the UE's SRS transmission and sends an NRPPa Positioning Activation Response message. The target device then begins UL-SRS transmission according to the time domain behavior of the UL-SRS resource configuration.

[0051] In step 6, the LMF provides the UL information to the selected gNB via the NRPPa Measurement Request message. The message includes all the information required to enable the gNB / TRP to perform UL measurements.

[0052] In step 7, the LMF sends an LTE positioning protocol (LPP) provide assistance data message to the target device. The message includes any assistance data required by the target device to perform the necessary DL-PRS measurements.

[0053] In step 8, the LMF sends an LPP request location information message to request multi-round trip time (Multi-RTT) measurement.

[0054] In step 9a, DL-PRS measurement is performed, where the target device measures the DL-PRS transmitted by all gNBs provided in step 7.

[0055] In step 9b, UL-SRS measurements are performed, where each gNB configured in step 6 measures the SRS from the target device.

[0056] In step 10, the target device reports the DL-PRS measurement result of the multi-round-trip delay to the LMF. The report is included in the LPP Provide Location Information message.

[0057] In step 11, each gNB reports the SRS measurement results to the LMF, which is included in the NRPPa Measurement Response message.

[0058] In step 12, the LMF sends an NRPPa positioning deactivation message to the serving gNB.

[0059] Finally, the LMF can determine the round trip time (RTT) of each gNB and calculate the location of the target device by calculating the receive-transmit time difference measurement of the UE and gNB based on the corresponding UL and DL measurements provided in steps 10 and 11.

[0060] In some protocols (such as TS 38.215R17), air interface-based RTT positioning is achieved by calculating the time difference between the terminal device's transmit and receive times. The time difference between the terminal device's receive and receive times is the difference in timing between the downlink subframe it receives and the uplink subframe it sends.

[0061] The calculation method of the time difference between the terminal device and the receiving device is as follows: The time difference between the terminal device and the receiving device = T UE-RX -T UE-TX . T UE-RX Refers to the timing of the terminal device receiving the downlink subframe #i from the base station (or transmission / receiption point (TP)). The subframe #i can be defined based on the time of the first transmission path detected by the terminal device. UE-TX Refers to the timing of the terminal device transmitting uplink subframe #j. This uplink subframe #j is closest in time to downlink subframe #i. Simply put, the transmit / receive time difference of a terminal device is the time interval between when the terminal device receives a downlink subframe from the base station and when it transmits an uplink subframe that is close in time to the received downlink subframe, as shown in Figure 3.

[0062] The transmission / reception difference shown in Figure 3 represents the round-trip delay between the terminal device and the base station. This round-trip delay can be defined as the time interval (or time difference) between the time the network device receives the uplink subframe and the frame header. This is possible because the downlink subframes sent by the base station are time-aligned with the subframes sent by the terminal device, and the transmission / reception time difference of the terminal device is an integer multiple of the number of subframes. Since the transmission delay of the positioning signal generally cannot exceed one subframe, the round-trip delay between the terminal device and the base station calculated using this method is consistent with actual conditions.

[0063] It should be noted that the round-trip delay calculated according to the above method may include timing advance (TA) (such as T1 in Figure 3), so when calculating the distance between the base station and the terminal device, correction based on the timing advance is required.

[0064] The RTT positioning method can also be applied to the side communication scenario. The RTT positioning method in the side communication is introduced below with reference to FIG4 .

[0065] The SL-RTT positioning method can utilize measurements of sidelink signals received by the target UE from one or more anchor terminal devices (such as anchor UE1 to anchor UEEn in Figure 4), as well as measurements of sidelink signals sent from the target UE at one or more anchor UEs. Furthermore, the position of the target terminal device (such as the target UE shown in Figure 4) can be estimated based on these measurement results.

[0066] The anchor terminal device is a user terminal that serves as a reference point or benchmark for positioning, measurement, or other functions. Anchor terminal devices are typically used to provide reference signals or perform measurements to support positioning of other terminals.

[0067] In sideline communications, sideline positioning can be achieved by measuring the time delay between the received and transmitted sideline signals. However, in some cases, such as when there is a synchronization time difference between the terminal devices participating in sideline positioning, the RTT positioning method may have certain errors.

[0068] In the previously mentioned RTT positioning method for the Uu interface, the terminal device can determine its downlink and uplink timing based on the base station's timing. However, unlike the Uu interface, for sidelink communication, synchronization time differences may exist between multiple terminal devices. For example, if the target UE and anchor UE use different time bases or reference clocks, or if timing errors are caused by terminal device clock drift, these differences may result in synchronization time differences between multiple terminal devices, affecting the consistency and accuracy of positioning.

[0069] To address the above issues, an embodiment of the present application provides a sideways positioning method to improve the accuracy of the RTT positioning method in a sideways system. The embodiment of the present application is described in detail below.

[0070] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a sideways positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method in Figure 5 is described from the perspective of the interaction between the first device, the first terminal device, and the second terminal device.

[0071] The first device is a device capable of performing positioning management, such as LMF, or a terminal device with positioning management function. In some embodiments, the first device may be a positioning server.

[0072] The first terminal device and the second terminal device may be terminal devices participating in sideline positioning. The method shown in Figure 5 can be used to locate the first terminal device or the second terminal device. In some embodiments, the first terminal device may be the anchor UE mentioned above, i.e., the reference terminal device, and the second terminal device may be the target UE mentioned above, i.e., the device to be located. The method shown in Figure 5 will be described below using the positioning of the second terminal device as an example.

[0073] 5 , in step S510 , the first device determines a propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on first information.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to indicate the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal (which may be referred to as the receiving and sending time difference), or the time interval. The pilot signal is sent and the pilot signal is received by the same terminal device, or in other words, the first information may be used to indicate the time difference between the time the same terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time it sends the pilot signal. For example, the first information may be used to indicate the time difference between the time the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time it sends the pilot signal. As another example, the first information may be used to indicate the time difference between the time the second terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time it sends the pilot signal. As another example, the first information may be used to indicate the time difference between the time the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time it sends the pilot signal, as well as the time difference between the time the second terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time it sends the pilot signal.

[0075] In some embodiments, the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal may be the time of actually receiving the pilot signal and the time of actually sending the pilot signal, respectively. For example, when there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first information may indicate the time difference between the time of actually sending the pilot signal and the time of actually sending the pilot signal.

[0076] In some embodiments, the time for sending the pilot signal may be the converted time for sending the pilot signal, or the time for receiving the pilot signal may be the converted time for receiving the pilot signal. Alternatively, the time for sending the pilot signal may be the corrected time for sending the pilot signal, and / or the time for receiving the pilot signal may be the corrected time for receiving the pilot signal.

[0077] For example, when there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first information may indicate the time difference between the converted time of sending the pilot signal and the actual time of receiving the pilot signal, or the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the converted time of receiving the pilot signal.

[0078] In some embodiments, the converted time for sending the pilot signal can be determined based on the actual time for sending the pilot signal. In some embodiments, the converted time for sending the pilot signal can be determined based on the actual time for sending the pilot signal and the synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device. For example, the converted time for sending the pilot signal can be the sum of the actual time for sending the pilot signal and the synchronization time difference. The synchronization time difference can be a positive value or a negative value, and the positive or negative value of the synchronization time difference depends on the timing of the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0079] In some embodiments, the converted time of receiving the pilot signal can be determined based on the actual time of receiving the pilot signal. In some embodiments, the converted time of receiving the pilot signal can be determined based on the actual time of receiving the pilot signal and the synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device. For example, the converted time of receiving the pilot signal can be the sum of the actual time of receiving the pilot signal and the above-mentioned synchronization time difference. The synchronization time difference can be a positive value or a negative value, and the positive or negative value of the synchronization time difference depends on the timing of the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0080] To simplify the method for calculating the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the time for sending the pilot signal may be the converted time for sending the pilot signal, and the time for receiving the pilot signal may be the actual time for receiving the pilot signal. In other words, the first information may be used to indicate the time difference between the converted time for sending the pilot signal and the actual time for receiving the pilot signal.

[0081] It should be noted that the above-mentioned time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal refer to pilot signals at different moments. For example, the time for sending the pilot signal refers to the pilot signal sent by the second terminal device to the first terminal device in subframe #j, and the time for receiving the pilot signal refers to the pilot signal sent by the first terminal device in subframe #i received by the second terminal device.

[0082] In some embodiments, the pilot signal is a reference signal used for sideways positioning. For example, the pilot signal may be a positioning reference signal (PRS).

[0083] In some embodiments, the first information is used to determine the RTT between the first terminal device and the second terminal device. That is, the method shown in FIG5 can be applied to the RTT positioning method.

[0084] When determining the round-trip delay between a first terminal device and a second terminal device, embodiments of the present application convert or correct the time it takes to send or receive a pilot signal. This conversion or correction takes into account factors that contribute to positioning errors, such as the synchronization time difference between the first and second terminal devices, thereby helping to improve the accuracy of positioning results.

[0085] As mentioned above, whether there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device may affect the positioning accuracy of the terminal devices. The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is introduced below for the above two situations respectively.

[0086] Sidelink communications typically support the following three potential synchronization sources: global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), base stations, and synchronization reference terminals. A synchronization reference terminal refers to a terminal that can synchronize directly to a GNSS or base station. Alternatively, a synchronization reference terminal can also refer to a terminal that can synchronize to other synchronization reference terminals. If no resources are configured for a terminal's sidelink carrier, the terminal can typically only use a GNSS or base station as a synchronization source.

[0087] From this, it can be seen that when the first terminal device or the second terminal device is the synchronization source, such as when the first terminal device is the synchronization source of the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is the synchronization source of the first terminal device, there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first device may receive information indicating whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source. For example, this information may be carried in the first information mentioned above, or the first information may include this information. This information may be reported by the synchronization source device in the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

[0089] In some embodiments, the synchronization source information may include one or more of the following: a synchronization source identifier (such as an ID); whether the first terminal device is the synchronization source of the second terminal device; and whether the second terminal device is the synchronization source of the first terminal device.

[0090] If the first terminal device is the synchronization source for the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is the synchronization source for the first terminal device, the first terminal device can determine the propagation time between the first and second terminal devices based solely on the transmit / receive time difference of the terminal device that receives the return pilot signal. The terminal device that receives the return pilot signal is the terminal device, between the first and second terminal devices, that receives the return pilot signal. For example, if the first terminal device transmits a pilot signal to the second terminal device and receives the returned pilot signal from the second terminal device, the first terminal device is the terminal device that receives the return pilot signal.

[0091] Taking the terminal device that receives the feedback frequency signal as the first terminal device as an example, in some embodiments, the first device can determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device only based on the time difference between sending and receiving of the first terminal device, or in other words, the first device can determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device not based on the time difference between sending and receiving of the second terminal device.

[0092] Assuming the first terminal device is the one receiving the return signal, since the second terminal device is synchronized with the first, the difference in the second terminal's transmit and receive times is an integer multiple of the number of subframes. Typically, the transmission delay between terminals is less than one subframe. Therefore, when estimating the time-of-flight distance using propagation time ranging, the difference in the second terminal's transmit and receive times includes an integer multiple of the number of subframes. This is clearly an estimation error and can be ignored.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first information may be reported by the terminal device that receives the feedback frequency signal from the first terminal device and the second terminal device, that is, the first terminal device reports the first information to the first device.

[0094] In some embodiments, since the propagation delay of the pilot signal is usually less than the length of a subframe, the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device can be the difference between the transmission and reception time of the terminal device that receives the feedback pilot signal and the length of the complete subframe contained therein, such as the transmission and reception difference shown in Figure 6.

[0095] For example, the first information may be mod(d, T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod represents the remainder.

[0096] In some embodiments, the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device can be mod(t,T) / 2, where T is the subframe duration and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first device may send a first indication message to the first terminal device or the second terminal device, where the first indication message is used to instruct the first terminal device or the second terminal device not to report the time difference between the time when the pilot signal is actually sent and the time when the pilot signal is received. As described, the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device can be determined based solely on the transmit and receive time difference of the terminal device that receives the return pilot signal. Therefore, in order to reduce overhead, the terminal device that does not receive the return pilot signal may not report the transmit and receive time difference of the pilot signal. Accordingly, if there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first device sends the first indication message to the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first indication information may be sent by the synchronization source device to the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

[0099] In some embodiments, if there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first device receives second information indicating the synchronization time difference. For example, the second information can be used to calculate the time for sending the pilot signal.

[0100] The second information may be reported by the first terminal device or the second terminal device, or the second information may be reported by a synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

[0101] In some embodiments, before the first device receives the second information, the first device may send a report request for the second information to the synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device. Whether the report request is sent to the first terminal device or the second terminal device may be determined based on the synchronization status of the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0102] In some embodiments, a synchronization source in the system can send information about terminal devices synchronized with it to a first device, allowing the first device to determine whether there is a synchronization difference between the first and second terminal devices. For example, the first device can receive third information sent by one or more synchronization sources, which indicates the terminal devices synchronized with the one or more synchronization sources. Because this behavior can be reported in advance before side-by-side positioning, this method helps reduce positioning latency.

[0103] In order to be compatible with the RTT positioning method of the air interface, the definition of the time difference between sending and receiving in the air interface can be referred to in the side communication. For example, the time difference between sending and receiving of the terminal device can be defined as T UE-RX –T UE-TX , that is, the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal, that is, the time difference between sending and receiving mentioned above.

[0104] Taking UE2 in FIG6 as an example, the parameters associated with the above-mentioned sending and receiving time difference are introduced.

[0105] In some embodiments, the time T for receiving the pilot signal UE-RX It may be the timing of the sidelink subframe #i received by UE2 from UE1, which is defined by the first path detected in time.

[0106] If there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the timing boundaries of the sideline transmissions are the same, that is, the timing of the sideline reception is the same as the timing boundary of the closest sideline transmission. This means that the timing of the sideline subframe #j (such as the subframe in which UE2 transmits the pilot signal) is closest to the timing of the sideline subframe #i (such as the subframe in which UE2 receives the pilot signal from UE1), as shown in Figure 6.

[0107] Therefore, the time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX is one or more of the following: the time when the pilot signal is sent; the timing of the second subframe, which is the subframe closest to the time when the pilot signal is received; and the timing of the third subframe, which is the subframe for sending the pilot signal. If UE2 reports the transmission time information of SL-PRS, then T UE-TX It can be the time when the pilot signal is sent or the timing of the third subframe. If UE2 does not report the transmission time information of SL-PRS, then T UE-TX It may be the timing of the second subframe mentioned above. The timing of the subframe mentioned here may include, for example, the start time or the end time of the subframe.

[0108] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced below with reference to FIG7 .

[0109] Referring to FIG. 7 , the first terminal device may be UE1, and the second terminal device may be UE2, wherein UE1 may be the target UE in the sidewalk positioning, and UE2 may be the anchor UE in the sidewalk positioning.

[0110] If UE1 is synchronized with UE2, for example, if UE1 is the synchronization source for UE2 or UE2 is the synchronization source for UE1, UE1 may not report the positioning measurement result to the first device, but UE2 may report the positioning measurement result to the first device. In other words, the first device may determine the propagation time between UE1 and UE2 based on UE2's positioning measurement result. The positioning measurement result mentioned here may include one or more of the following: the time difference between transmitting and receiving, the time when the pilot signal is transmitted, and the time when the pilot signal is received.

[0111] As mentioned above, the first device can determine the propagation time between UE1 and UE2 based on the positioning measurement results of UE1 and UE2, or can determine the propagation time between UE1 and UE2 based only on the positioning measurement results of UE1. Therefore, when UE1 and UE2 synchronize, UE2 can also report a synchronization message between UE1 and UE2 to the first device to instruct the first device on how to determine the propagation time between UE1 and UE2 (i.e., instruct the first device to determine the propagation time between UE1 and UE2 based only on the positioning measurement results of UE1).

[0112] If UE1 and UE2 are not synchronized, that is, there is a synchronization time difference between UE1 and UE2, and UE1 and UE2 are synchronized to the same synchronization source, then UE1 can report the sending and receiving time difference to the first device, UE2 may not report the sending and receiving time difference, and the synchronization source can report the synchronization time difference between UE1 and UE2 to the first device.

[0113] In addition, the synchronization source may also notify UE2 of the above synchronization information (ie, UE1 and UE2 are synchronized to the same synchronization source), so that UE2 can determine whether to report the sending and receiving time difference.

[0114] In some embodiments, one or more synchronization sources may report information of terminal devices synchronized therewith to the first device, so that the first device may request the target UE to report measurement results for the anchor UE based on whether the synchronization sources of the terminal devices are the same or different.

[0115] Before performing side positioning, it is usually necessary to configure positioning resources. The following takes the first device as LMF as an example to introduce a resource configuration process for side positioning, which may include steps 0 to 6.

[0116] In step 0, the LMF obtains the information of the reference device (such as the anchor UE mentioned above) required for multi-round trip time (Multi-RTT) positioning.

[0117] In step 1, the LMF requests the positioning capabilities of the target device.

[0118] In step 2, the LMF sends an NRPPa location information request message to the serving gNB to request the UL or SL information of the target device.

[0119] In step 3, the serving gNB determines the resources available for SL-PRS and configures the SL-PRS resource set for the target device.

[0120] In step 4, the serving gNB provides the SL-PRS configuration information to the LMF via the NRPPa Location Information Response message. The target device starts SL-PRS transmission according to the time domain behavior of the SL-PRS resource configuration.

[0121] In step 5, the LMF provides the SL information to the selected reference device via an NRPPa measurement request message. The measurement request message may include all information required to enable the reference device to perform SL measurements.

[0122] In step 6, each reference device of the LMF configuration measures the PRS transmission from the target device.

[0123] Still taking the first device as LMF as an example, an information interaction process of side positioning is introduced below. The process may include steps 0 to 5.

[0124] The LMF sends an LPP Provide Assistance Data message to the target device in step 0. This message includes any assistance data required by the target device to perform the necessary SL-PRS measurements.

[0125] In step 1, the LMF sends an LPP request location information message to request multi-round trip time (Multi-RTT) measurement.

[0126] In step 2, the target device performs SL-PRS measurements.

[0127] In step 3, the target device reports the SL-PRS measurement result of the multi-round-trip delay to the LMF, wherein the measurement result may include the synchronization time difference, and the report may be included in the LPP Provide Location Information message.

[0128] In step 4, the reference device reports the SL-PRS measurement result to the LMF. The report is included in the LPP Measurement Response message.

[0129] In step 5, the LMF calculates the difference in the target device's transmit and receive time based on the corresponding measurement results provided in steps 3 and 4, thereby determining each round-trip delay; and calculates the target device's location based on multiple round-trip times.

[0130] The method embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 7 . The device embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 8 to 11 . It should be understood that the description of the method embodiment corresponds to the description of the device embodiment. Therefore, for portions not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiment.

[0131] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 800 in FIG8 may be the first device mentioned above. The communication device 800 may include a determining unit 810.

[0132] The determination unit 810 is used to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on the first information to locate the second terminal device; wherein the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the same terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, and the time of sending the pilot signal is based on the time converted from the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

[0133] In some embodiments, the pilot signal is a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS).

[0134] In some embodiments, the first information is information indicating whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

[0135] In some embodiments, if the first terminal device is the synchronization source of the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is the synchronization source of the first terminal device, the first information is reported to the first device by the terminal device that receives the feedback frequency signal among the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod represents the remainder.

[0137] In some embodiments, the first device determines the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on the first information, including: propagation time = mod(t,T) / 2; where T is the subframe duration, and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

[0138] In some embodiments, the device also includes: a first sending unit, used to send first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the first terminal device or the second terminal device does not report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

[0139] In some embodiments, the sending of the first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device includes: if there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first device sends the first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

[0140] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a first receiving unit, configured to receive second information if there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, wherein the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

[0141] In some embodiments, the second information is sent by a synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

[0142] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second sending unit, configured to send a reporting request for the second information to the synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device before the first device receives the second information.

[0143] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second receiving unit, configured to receive third information sent by one or more synchronization sources, wherein the third information is used to indicate a terminal device synchronized with the one or more synchronization sources.

[0144] In some embodiments, the time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX It is one or more of the following: the moment of sending the pilot signal; the timing of the second subframe, which is the sending subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; and the timing of the third subframe, which is the subframe for sending the pilot signal.

[0145] In some embodiments, the timing of the subframe includes a start time or an end time of the subframe.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first device is a positioning server.

[0147] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in another embodiment of the present application. The communication device 900 in Figure 9 may be the first terminal device mentioned above.

[0148] The communication device 900 may include a first sending unit 910, used to send first information to the first device, the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent. The time for sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

[0149] In some embodiments, the pilot signal is a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS).

[0150] In some embodiments, the first information is information indicating whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

[0151] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second sending unit, configured to send the first information to the first device if the first terminal device is a terminal device that receives a feedback frequency signal when the first terminal device is a synchronization source for the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is a synchronization source for the first terminal device.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod represents the remainder.

[0153] In some embodiments, the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is mod(t,T) / 2, where T is the subframe duration and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

[0154] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a first receiving unit for receiving first indication information sent by the first device or synchronization source, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the first terminal device does not report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

[0155] In some embodiments, the receiving of the first indication information sent by the first device or synchronization source includes: if there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, then the receiving of the first indication information sent by the first device or synchronization source.

[0156] In some embodiments, the device also includes: a second receiving unit, used to receive a reporting request for second information sent by the first device if there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and the first terminal device is a synchronization source, and the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

[0157] In some embodiments, the time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX It is one or more of the following: the moment of sending the pilot signal; the timing of the second subframe, which is the sending subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; and the timing of the third subframe, which is the subframe for sending the pilot signal.

[0158] In some embodiments, the timing of the subframe includes a start time or an end time of the subframe.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first device is a positioning server.

[0160] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in yet another embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1000 in Figure 10 may be the second terminal device mentioned above.

[0161] The communication device 1000 may include a first sending unit 1010, used to send first information to the first device, the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, the time of sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

[0162] In some embodiments, the pilot signal is a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS).

[0163] In some embodiments, the first information is information indicating whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

[0164] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second sending unit, configured to send the first information to the first device by the second terminal device when the first terminal device is the synchronization source of the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is the synchronization source of the first terminal device, if the second terminal device is a terminal device that receives a feedback frequency signal.

[0165] In some embodiments, the first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod represents the remainder.

[0166] In some embodiments, the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is mod(t,T) / 2, where T is the subframe duration and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

[0167] In some embodiments, the device also includes: a first receiving unit, used to receive first indication information sent by the first device or synchronization source, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the second terminal device does not report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

[0168] In some embodiments, the receiving of the first indication information sent by the first device or synchronization source includes: if there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the second terminal device receives the first indication information sent by the first device or synchronization source.

[0169] In some embodiments, the device also includes: a second receiving unit, which is used to receive a reporting request for second information sent by the first device if there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and the second terminal device is a synchronization source, and the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

[0170] In some embodiments, the time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX It is one or more of the following: the moment of sending the pilot signal; the timing of the second subframe, which is the sending subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; and the timing of the third subframe, which is the subframe for sending the pilot signal.

[0171] In some embodiments, the timing of the subframe includes a start time or an end time of the subframe.

[0172] In some embodiments, the first device is a positioning server.

[0173] FIG11 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in FIG11 indicate that the unit or module is optional. Apparatus 1100 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. Apparatus 1100 may be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0174] The device 1100 may include one or more processors 1110. The processor 1110 may support the device 1100 to implement the method described in the method embodiment above. The processor 1110 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0175] The apparatus 1100 may further include one or more memories 1120. The memories 1120 store programs that can be executed by the processor 1110, causing the processor 1110 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 1120 may be independent of the processor 1110 or integrated into the processor 1110.

[0176] The apparatus 1100 may further include a transceiver 1130. The processor 1110 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1130. For example, the processor 1110 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1130.

[0177] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device provided in the present invention, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present invention.

[0178] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to the communication device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0179] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute the method executed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0180] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0181] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0182] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0183] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0184] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0185] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0186] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0187] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0188] 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 device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as 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 mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0189] 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 embodiment according to actual needs.

[0190] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0191] In the above embodiments, it 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 the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The 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. For example, the computer instructions can 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 can be any available medium that can be read by a computer 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 magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0192] 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. A side-travel positioning method, characterized in that: include: The first device determines the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on the first information to locate the second terminal device; Among them, the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the same terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when it sends the pilot signal. The time for sending the pilot signal is converted based on the time when the pilot signal is actually sent. The time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The pilot signal is a positioning reference signal PRS.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first information is information used to indicate whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that If the first terminal device is the synchronization source of the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is the synchronization source of the first terminal device, the first information is reported to the first device by the terminal device that receives the feedback frequency signal among the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod means taking the remainder.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first device determines the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on the first information, including: propagation time=mod(t,T) / 2; Wherein, T is the subframe duration, and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first device sends first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first terminal device or the second terminal device not to report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first device sending first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device includes: If there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first device sends the first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: If there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first device receives second information, where the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The second information is sent by a synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that Before the first device receives the second information, the method further includes: The first device sends a request for reporting the second information to a synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first device receives third information sent by one or more synchronization sources, where the third information is used to indicate a terminal device synchronized with the one or more synchronization sources.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX One or more of the following: The time when the pilot signal is sent; The timing of the second subframe, the second subframe being a transmission subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; as well as The timing of the third subframe, where the third subframe is a subframe for sending a pilot signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The timing of the subframe includes the start time or the end time of the subframe.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The first device is a positioning server.

16. A sideways positioning method, characterized in that: include: The first terminal device sends first information to the first device, the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, the time of sending the pilot signal is based on the time converted from the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal are for different moments Pilot signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The pilot signal is a positioning reference signal PRS.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The first information is information used to indicate whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: In the case where the first terminal device is a synchronization source for the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is a synchronization source for the first terminal device, if the first terminal device is a terminal device that receives a feedback frequency signal, the first terminal device sends the first information to the first device.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod means taking the remainder.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is mod(t,T) / 2, where T is the subframe duration, and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

22. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first terminal device receives first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first terminal device not to report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The first terminal device receives first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source, including: If there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first terminal device receives the first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source.

24. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: If there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and the first terminal device is a synchronization source, the first terminal device receives a reporting request for second information sent by the first device, where the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

25. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 24, characterized in that The time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX One or more of the following: The time when the pilot signal is sent; The timing of the second subframe, the second subframe being a transmission subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; as well as The timing of the third subframe, where the third subframe is a subframe for sending a pilot signal.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that The timing of the subframe includes the start time or the end time of the subframe.

27. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 26, characterized in that The first device is a positioning server.

28. A sideways positioning method, characterized in that: include: The second terminal device sends first information to the first device, and the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device so as to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, and the time for sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the actual time of sending the pilot signal, and the time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that The pilot signal is a positioning reference signal PRS.

30. The method according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The first information is information used to indicate whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that The method further comprises: In the case where the first terminal device is a synchronization source for the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is a synchronization source for the first terminal device, if the second terminal device is a terminal device that receives a feedback frequency signal, the second terminal device sends the first information to the first device.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that The first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod means taking the remainder.

33. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that The propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is mod(t,T) / 2, where T is the subframe duration, and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

34. The method according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second terminal device receives first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source, and the first indication information is used to instruct the second terminal device not to report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

35. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that The second terminal device receives the first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source, including: If there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the second terminal device receives the first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source.

36. The method according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The method further comprises: If there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and the second terminal device is a synchronization source, the second terminal device receives a reporting request for second information sent by the first device, where the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

37. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 36, characterized in that The time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX One or more of the following: The time when the pilot signal is sent; The timing of the second subframe, the second subframe being a transmission subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; as well as The timing of the third subframe, where the third subframe is a subframe for sending a pilot signal.

38. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that The timing of the subframe includes the start time or the end time of the subframe.

39. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 38, characterized in that The first device is a positioning server.

40. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is a first device, and the device includes: a determining unit, configured to determine a propagation time between a first terminal device and a second terminal device based on the first information, so as to locate the second terminal device; Among them, the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the same terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when it sends the pilot signal. The time for sending the pilot signal is converted based on the time when the pilot signal is actually sent. The time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

41. The device according to claim 40, characterized in that The pilot signal is a positioning reference signal PRS.

42. The device according to claim 40 or 41, characterized in that The first information is information used to indicate whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

43. The device according to claim 42, characterized in that If the first terminal device is the synchronization source of the second terminal device, or the second terminal device is the synchronization source of the first terminal device, the first information is reported to the first device by the terminal device that receives the feedback frequency signal among the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

44. The device according to claim 43, characterized in that The first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod means taking the remainder.

45. The device according to claim 44, characterized in that The first device determines the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device based on the first information, including: propagation time=mod(t,T) / 2; Wherein, T is the subframe duration, and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

46. ​​The apparatus according to claim 40 or 41, characterized in that The device also includes: The first sending unit is used to send first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first terminal device or the second terminal device not to report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

47. The device according to claim 46, characterized in that The sending first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device includes: If there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first device sends the first indication information to the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

48. The apparatus according to claim 40 or 41, characterized in that The device also includes: The first receiving unit is configured to receive second information if there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, where the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

49. The device according to claim 48, characterized in that The second information is sent by a synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device.

50. The device according to claim 49, characterized in that The device also includes: The second sending unit is used to send a reporting request for the second information to the synchronization source of the first terminal device or the second terminal device before the first device receives the second information.

51. The apparatus according to any one of claims 40 to 50, characterized in that The device also includes: The second receiving unit is used to receive third information sent by one or more synchronization sources, wherein the third information is used to indicate the synchronization source and the synchronization source. Terminal devices synchronized by multiple synchronization sources.

52. The apparatus according to any one of claims 40 to 51, characterized in that The time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX One or more of the following: The time when the pilot signal is sent; The timing of the second subframe, the second subframe being a transmission subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; as well as The timing of the third subframe, where the third subframe is a subframe for sending a pilot signal.

53. The device according to claim 52, characterized in that The timing of the subframe includes the start time or the end time of the subframe.

54. The apparatus according to any one of claims 40 to 53, characterized in that The first device is a positioning server.

55. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is a first terminal device, and the device includes: A first sending unit is used to send first information to a first device, where the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device so as to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives a pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, where the time for sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the time when the pilot signal is actually sent, and the time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

56. The device according to claim 55, characterized in that The pilot signal is a positioning reference signal PRS.

57. Apparatus according to claim 55 or 56, characterised in that The first information is information used to indicate whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

58. The device according to claim 57, characterized in that The device also includes: The second sending unit is used to send the first information to the first device if the first terminal device is a terminal device that receives a feedback frequency signal when the first terminal device is a synchronization source for the second terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source for the first terminal device.

59. The device according to claim 58, characterized in that The first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod means taking the remainder.

60. The device according to claim 59, characterized in that The propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is mod(t,T) / 2, where T is the subframe duration, and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

61. The apparatus according to claim 55 or 56, characterized in that The device also includes: The first receiving unit is used to receive first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first terminal device not to report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

62. The device according to claim 61, characterized in that The receiving first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source includes: If there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source is received.

63. The apparatus according to claim 55 or 56, characterized in that The device also includes: The second receiving unit is used to receive a reporting request for second information sent by the first terminal device if there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and the first terminal device is a synchronization source, wherein the second information is used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

64. The apparatus according to any one of claims 55 to 63, characterized in that The time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX One or more of the following: The time when the pilot signal is sent; The timing of the second subframe, the second subframe being a transmission subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; as well as The timing of the third subframe, where the third subframe is a subframe for sending a pilot signal.

65. The device according to claim 64, characterized in that The timing of the subframe includes the start time or the end time of the subframe.

66. The apparatus according to any one of claims 55 to 65, characterized in that The first device is a positioning server.

67. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is a second terminal device, and the device includes: A first sending unit is used to send first information to a first device, where the first information is used by the first device to determine the propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device so as to locate the second terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the time difference between the time when the first terminal device receives the pilot signal and the time when the pilot signal is sent, where the time for sending the pilot signal is a time converted based on the time when the pilot signal is actually sent, and the time for sending the pilot signal and the time for receiving the pilot signal are for pilot signals at different times.

68. The device according to claim 67, characterized in that The pilot signal is a positioning reference signal PRS.

69. Apparatus according to claim 67 or 68, characterised in that The first information is information used to indicate whether the first terminal device or the second terminal device is a synchronization source.

70. The device according to claim 69, characterized in that The device also includes: The second sending unit is used to send the first information to the first device by the second terminal device when the first terminal device is the synchronization source of the second terminal device or the second terminal device is the synchronization source of the first terminal device and if the second terminal device is a terminal device that receives a feedback frequency signal.

71. The device according to claim 70, characterized in that The first information is mod(d,T), where T is the subframe duration, d is the time difference between the actual time when the first terminal device sends the pilot signal and the time when it receives the pilot signal, and mod means taking the remainder.

72. The device according to claim 71, characterized in that The propagation time between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is mod(t,T) / 2, where T is the subframe duration, and t is the time difference between the time of receiving the pilot signal and the time of sending the pilot signal indicated in the first information.

73. The apparatus according to claim 67 or 68, characterized in that The device also includes: The first receiving unit is used to receive first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source, and the first indication information is used to instruct the second terminal device not to report the time difference between the actual time of sending the pilot signal and the time of receiving the pilot signal.

74. The device according to claim 73, characterized in that The receiving first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source includes: If there is no synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, the second terminal device receives the first indication information sent by the first device or the synchronization source.

75. The apparatus according to claim 67 or 68, characterized in that The device also includes: The second receiving unit is used for, if there is a synchronization time difference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and the second terminal device is a synchronization source, the second terminal device receiving a reporting request for second information sent by the first device, the second information being used to indicate the synchronization time difference.

76. The apparatus according to any one of claims 67 to 75, characterized in that The time T for sending the pilot signal UE-TX One or more of the following: The time when the pilot signal is sent; The timing of the second subframe, the second subframe being a transmission subframe closest to the time of receiving the pilot signal; as well as The timing of the third subframe, where the third subframe is a subframe for sending a pilot signal.

77. The device according to claim 76, characterized in that The timing of the subframe includes the start time or the end time of the subframe.

78. The apparatus according to any one of claims 67 to 77, characterized in that The first device is a positioning server.

79. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a transceiver, a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send a signal so that the communication device executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15, any one of claims 16 to 27, or any one of claims 28 to 39.

80. A device, characterized in that The device comprises a processor, configured to call a program from a memory so as to cause the device to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or any one of claims 16 to 27, or any one of claims 28 to 39.

81. A chip, characterized in that: It comprises a processor, which is used to call a program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, any one of claims 16 to 27, or any one of claims 28 to 39.

82. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A program is stored thereon, the program causing a computer to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, any one of claims 16 to 27, or any one of claims 28 to 39.

83. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises a program which causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, any one of claims 16 to 27, or any one of claims 28 to 39.

84. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program enables a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or any one of claims 16 to 27, or any one of claims 28 to 39.

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