Positioning signal sending method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications. Provided are a positioning signal sending method and apparatus, and a storage medium, which are used for perfecting a sending mode of a sidelink positioning signal, so as to flexibly send a sidelink positioning reference signal. The method comprises: receiving first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating the activation of a sidelink positioning reference signal (SLPRS); and sending an SLPRS to a second terminal device on the basis of the first indication information.

Description

Method, device and storage medium for sending positioning signal

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on September 27, 2023, with application number 202311290246.2 and application name “A positioning signal sending method, device and storage medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the rapid advancement of communications technology, high-precision positioning has been identified as a key research project within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for fifth-generation mobile networks or wireless systems (5G). New radio (NR) positioning scenarios primarily include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) outdoor and indoor applications, ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) / Internet of Things (IoT). It also requires high security, scalability, high availability, and guaranteed accuracy in high-speed applications.

[0004] Existing positioning technologies primarily include uplink, downlink, and both uplink and downlink positioning. Uplink positioning involves the access network device detecting the SRS sent by the terminal device, while downlink positioning involves the terminal device detecting the PRS sent by the access network device. Both the terminal device and the access network device perform detection. As positioning needs and application scenarios expand, the demand for positioning accuracy is becoming increasingly demanding.

[0005] With the increasing demand for connected vehicles and autonomous driving technologies, there is a desire to enable vehicles to measure each other's positions and determine their relative positions, also known as sidelink positioning. In sidelink positioning, two directly connected devices, one transmitting a sidelink positioning reference signal and the other measuring it, calculate the relative distance and angle to determine the relative position. Currently, the transmission method for sidelink positioning reference signals is relatively simple, and the transmission of sidelink positioning reference signals is inflexible, resulting in limited application scenarios for sidelink positioning.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a positioning signal sending method, device and storage medium, which are used to improve the sending method of sidelink positioning signals so as to flexibly send sidelink positioning reference signals.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, a positioning signal sending method is provided, which is applied to a first terminal device, and the method includes: the first terminal device receives first indication information sent by an access network device, and the first indication information is used to indicate the activation of a sidelink positioning reference signal SL PRS; the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication information.

[0010] Based on the method of the first aspect, when it is necessary to activate the first terminal device to send a sidelink positioning signal to the second terminal device, the access network device can send a first indication message to the first terminal device. This allows the first terminal device to send an SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication message. This approach makes the transmission of the SL PRS more flexible, and the terminal can be activated to send the sidelink positioning signal at any time as needed, without relying on a fixed time point or conditions.

[0011] In one possible design, the first terminal device sends hybrid automatic repeat request confirmation HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information to the access network device.

[0012] Based on this possible design, after the first terminal device correctly receives the first indication information sent by the access network device, it sends a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ) ACK message corresponding to the first indication information to the access network device. This allows the access network device to promptly determine whether the first terminal device has correctly received the first indication information. Furthermore, if the first terminal device fails to correctly receive the first indication information, the access network device may resend the first indication information to the first terminal device.

[0013] In one possible design, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS activation indication, a transmission period of SL PRS, a transmission duration of SL PRS, or a first parameter for determining the start time of sending SL PRS.

[0014] Based on this possible design, the access network device configures the first indication information and sends it to the first terminal device, so that the first terminal device can determine the SL PRS to be sent to the second terminal device. The resource index of the SL PRS is used to indicate the time-frequency resources of the SL PRS sent by the first terminal device to the second terminal device, so that the second terminal device can effectively select and use specific resources to send positioning signals. The resource pool index to which the SL PRS belongs is used to indicate the resource pool to which the SL PRS sent by the first terminal device to the second terminal device belongs, so as to adapt to different scenarios and needs to select resources in the resource pool to send the SL PRS. The SL PRS activation indication is used to instruct the first terminal device to send the SL PRS to the second terminal device. Information such as the transmission period of the SL PRS, the transmission duration of the SL PRS, and the first parameter for determining the start time of sending the SL PRS is used to notify the first terminal device of the specific conditions that need to be met in the process of sending the SL PRS to the second terminal device.

[0015] In one possible design, the first parameter includes a first time offset value or a first time window.

[0016] Based on this possible design, the first terminal device can specifically determine the start time of sending the SL PRS based on the first parameter.

[0017] In one possible design, the starting time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, and is offset by the first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the first indication information; or, the starting time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information to the access network device, and is offset by the first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information to the access network device.

[0018] Based on this possible design, by using the first indication information or the time corresponding to the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information to determine the start time of SL PRS transmission and adding a time offset value, conflicts and interference can be avoided and the efficiency of signal transmission can be improved. This can reduce signal overlap and contention, allowing each signal to be correctly received and processed at the appropriate time.

[0019] In one possible design, the start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after receiving the first indication information; or, the start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

[0020] Based on this possible design, limiting the start time of SL PRS transmission to the first time window after sending the first indication information or sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information can improve the accuracy of the start time of SL PRS transmission. By constraining the start time of SL PRS transmission, it can ensure that SL PRS is sent within a specific time window, thereby enhancing the accuracy and stability of the positioning algorithm.

[0021] In one possible design, the first indication information is carried in a media access control element MAC CE.

[0022] Based on this possible design, the first indication information is carried in the media access control element MAC CE, which makes the sending of SL PRS more flexible and can be activated and sent at any time as needed without relying on a fixed time point or condition.

[0023] In one possible design, the first terminal device receives second indication information sent by the access network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate deactivation of the SL PRS; the first terminal device stops sending the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the second indication information.

[0024] Based on this possible design, the sending of SL PRS is made more flexible and can be deactivated and stopped at any time as needed without being dependent on a fixed time point or condition.

[0025] In one possible design, after receiving the second indication information, HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information is sent.

[0026] Based on this possible design, after the first terminal device correctly receives the second indication information sent by the access network device, it sends a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement (HARQ) ACK message corresponding to the second indication information to the access network device. This allows the access network device to promptly determine whether the first terminal device has correctly received the second indication information. Furthermore, if the second terminal device fails to correctly receive the first indication information, the access network device may resend the second indication information to the first terminal device.

[0027] In one possible design, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS deactivation indication, or a second parameter for determining the end time of sending the SL PRS.

[0028] Based on this possible design, the first terminal device can promptly understand the resources and resource sets of the SL PRS that needs to stop sending, as well as the end time of sending the SL PRS, and stop sending the SL PRS in time based on the SL PRS deactivation indication.

[0029] In one possible design, the second parameter includes a second time offset value or a second time window.

[0030] Based on this possible design, the first terminal device specifically determines the end time of sending the SL PRS based on the first parameter.

[0031] In one possible design, the sending end time of SL PRS is after receiving the second indication information, and is offset by the second time offset value relative to the time of receiving the second indication information; or, the sending end time of SL PRS is after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information, and is offset by the second time offset value relative to the time of sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0032] Based on this possible design, the SL PRS sending end time is determined by using the second indication information or the time corresponding to the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information, and adding a time offset value so that the SL PRS is correctly stopped from sending at the appropriate time.

[0033] In one possible design, the end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after receiving the second indication information; or, the end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0034] Based on this possible design, limiting the end time of SL PRS transmission to the second time window after sending the second indication information or sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information can improve the accuracy of the end time of SL PRS transmission. By constraining the end time of SL PRS transmission, it can be ensured that SL PRS is ended within a specific time window, thereby enhancing the accuracy and stability of the positioning algorithm.

[0035] In one possible design, the second indication information is carried in the MAC CE.

[0036] Based on this possible design, the second indication information is carried in the media access control element MAC CE, which makes the sending of SL PRS more flexible and can be deactivated and stopped at any time as needed without relying on a fixed time point or condition.

[0037] In a second aspect, a positioning signal sending method is provided, which is applied to an access network device. The method includes: generating first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate activation of a direct positioning reference signal SL PRS; and sending the first indication information.

[0038] Based on the method of the second aspect, when it is necessary to activate the first terminal device to send a sidelink positioning signal to the second terminal device, the access network device can generate first indication information and send the first indication information to the first terminal device, so that the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication information.

[0039] In one possible design, the access network device receives hybrid automatic repeat request confirmation HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information sent by the first terminal device.

[0040] Based on this possible design, the access network device receives hybrid automatic repeat request confirmation (HARQ) ACK information corresponding to the first indication information sent by the first terminal device, so that the access network device can promptly understand whether the first terminal device has correctly received the first indication information. If the first terminal device fails to correctly receive the first indication information, the access network device can resend the first indication information to the first terminal device.

[0041] In one possible design, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS activation indication, a transmission period of SL PRS, a transmission duration of SL PRS, or a first parameter for determining the start time of sending SL PRS.

[0042] In one possible design, the first parameter includes a first time offset value or a first time window.

[0043] In one possible design, the SL PRS is sent starting at a time after the first terminal device receives the first indication information and is offset by a first time offset value relative to a time when the first terminal device receives the first indication information; or

[0044] The start time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information, and is offset by the first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information; or,

[0045] The SL PRS transmission start time is within the first time window after the first terminal device receives the first indication information; or,

[0046] The start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

[0047] Based on the above three possible designs, the access network device can instruct the first terminal device to configure and send different SL PRSs, making the SL PRS configuration more flexible. Different configuration methods can be used for different demand scenarios.

[0048] In one possible design, the first indication information is carried in the MAC CE.

[0049] Based on this possible design, the first indication information is carried in the media access control element MAC CE, which makes the sending of SL PRS more flexible and can be activated and sent at any time as needed without relying on a fixed time point or condition.

[0050] In one possible design, second indication information is generated, and the second indication information is used to indicate deactivation of SL PRS; the second indication information is sent.

[0051] Based on this possible design, the sending of SL PRS is made more flexible and can be deactivated and stopped at any time as needed without being dependent on a fixed time point or condition.

[0052] In one possible design, the access network device receives HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information sent by the first terminal device.

[0053] Based on this possible design, the access network device can promptly learn whether the first terminal device has correctly received the second indication information. If the second terminal device fails to correctly receive the first indication information, the access network device can resend the second indication information to the first terminal device.

[0054] In one possible design, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS deactivation indication, or a second parameter for determining the end time of sending the SL PRS.

[0055] In one possible design, the second parameter includes a second time offset value or a second time window.

[0056] In one possible design, the sending end time of the SL PRS is after the first terminal device receives the second indication information, and is offset by a second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the second indication information; or,

[0057] The end time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information, and is offset by the second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information; or,

[0058] The sending end time of the SL PRS is within the second time window after the first terminal device receives the second indication information; or,

[0059] The end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0060] Based on the above three possible designs, the access network device can instruct the first terminal device to stop sending the SL PRS at different times, making the SL PRS sending more flexible.

[0061] In one possible design, the second indication information is carried in the MAC CE.

[0062] Based on this possible design, the second indication information is carried in the media access control element MAC CE, which makes the sending of SL PRS more flexible and can be deactivated and stopped at any time as needed without relying on a fixed time point or condition.

[0063] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the first aspect and will not be described in detail here. The communication device has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of the first aspect mentioned above. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing the corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. In one possible design, the communication device includes: a transceiver module for receiving a first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate the activation of a side link positioning reference signal SL PRS; the transceiver module is also used to send the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication information. These modules can perform the corresponding functions in the method example of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0064] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the second aspect and will not be repeated here. The communication device has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of the second aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing the corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. In one possible design, the communication device includes: a processing module for generating a first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate the activation of the direct positioning reference signal SL PRS; a transceiver module for sending the first indication information. These modules can perform the corresponding functions in the method example of the second aspect, please refer to the detailed description in the method example for details, and will not be repeated here.

[0065] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be the first terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiment, or a chip provided in the first terminal device. The communication device may also be the access network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment, or a chip provided in the access network device. The communication device includes one or more processors; the one or more processors are configured to run computer programs or instructions. When the one or more processors execute the computer programs or instructions, the communication device executes the positioning signal transmission method as described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or executes the positioning signal transmission method as described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0066] In one possible design, the communication device further includes one or more memories, the one or more memories being coupled to the one or more processors, and the one or more memories being used to store the above-mentioned computer programs or instructions. In one possible implementation, the memory is located outside the communication device. In another possible implementation, the memory is located inside the communication device. In an embodiment of the present application, the processor and the memory may also be integrated into one device, that is, the processor and the memory may also be integrated together. In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver, which is used to receive information and / or send information.

[0067] In one possible design, the communication device further includes one or more communication interfaces, the one or more communication interfaces are coupled to one or more processors, and the one or more communication interfaces are used to communicate with other modules outside the communication device.

[0068] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be the first terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiment or a chip disposed in the first terminal device, or the communication device may also be the access network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment or a chip disposed in the access network device. The communication device includes an input / output interface and a logic circuit; the input / output interface is used to input and / or output information; the logic circuit is used to execute the positioning signal sending method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or execute the positioning signal sending method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, and process and / or generate information based on the information.

[0069] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program code, wherein when the computer program code is run, the method described in any one of the above aspects is executed.

[0070] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a chip system, comprising a processor for implementing the method described in any of the above aspects. In one possible design, the chip system further comprises a memory for storing program instructions and / or data. The chip system may be composed of a chip alone or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0071] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method described in any one of the above aspects is implemented.

[0072] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which, when run on a computer, enables the method described in any of the above aspects to be executed.

[0073] In an eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which may include the communication device as described in the third aspect and the communication device as described in the fourth aspect.

[0074] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any possible implementation method in the third to eleventh aspects can be referred to the technical effects brought about by any aspect in the first to second aspects or different possible implementation methods in any aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0075] It is understandable that, provided that the solutions are not contradictory, the solutions in each aspect can be combined. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0076] FIG1 is a physical layer structure diagram of a sidelink provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a semi-persistent SRS activation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a coverage scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a partial coverage scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an out-of-coverage scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG7 is a flow chart of a positioning signal sending method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of SL-PRS activation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of SL-PRS activation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] FIG10 is a flow chart of a positioning signal sending method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of SL-PRS activation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of SL-PRS activation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] Before describing the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are described.

[0091] Sidelink communication is a device-to-device (D2D) direct communication technology that allows high-speed, low-latency data transmission between two or more devices without the need for a base station or other network node. This communication method is very useful for applications that require real-time interaction and high-speed data transmission, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, smart cities, and industrial automation.

[0092] The activation mode of the sidelink transmission may be to activate / deactivate using data control information (DCI) in a Type 2 Configured Grant.

[0093] In some embodiments, sidelink transmission is activated or deactivated by configuring certain key conditions in DCI format 3_0. These key conditions include the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process number and frequency resource allocation. As shown in Table 1, when all HARQ process numbers are 0, sidelink transmission is active; when all HARQ process numbers are 1, sidelink transmission is active. If frequency resource allocation exists, sidelink transmission can be activated by setting all HARQ process numbers to 1.

[0094] Table 1

[0095] The main reference channels in Sidelink communication are the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), and the physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0096] Sidelink communication modes are categorized into unicast, multicast, and broadcast. Unicast is one-to-one communication between one device and another. Multicast is one device communicating with a group of devices. Broadcast is one device communicating with all devices.

[0097] Exemplarily, Figure 1 provides a physical layer structure diagram of the sidelink. As shown in Figure 1, within the time-frequency resources of the sidelink, the PSCCH is mapped starting from the lowest PRB of the PSSCH, occupying the same symbol as part of the PSSCH but separated by frequency. After the PSCCH is sent, the PSSCH will occupy the entire frequency domain to send data (DATA) and demodulation reference signal (DMRS). Therefore, in order to ensure uniform power distribution, the symbol-level PSSCH power control scheme is divided into two categories: symbols without PSCCH and symbols with PSCCH. The header of the sidelink time-frequency resource is the automatic gain control technology (AGC), and the tail of the sidelink time-frequency resource is the guard band (GAP).

[0098] Uu positioning is the transmission of positioning reference signals, positioning assistance data, positioning measurement results and other information between user equipment (UE) through the universal user network interface (Uu). Among them, Uu positioning requires the participation of the base station. It mainly includes uplink positioning, downlink positioning and uplink and downlink positioning. Among them, uplink positioning is the base station detecting the sounding reference signal (SRS) sent by the UE, downlink positioning is the UE detecting the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the base station, and uplink and downlink positioning requires both the UE and the base station to perform detection.

[0099] In uplink positioning, the UE can send SRS to the base station in various modes: periodic, aperiodic, and semi-persistent. Each transmission mode is implemented by configuring the high-level parameter resourceType for the SRS resource set and SRS resources, which specifies the time domain type. Currently, there are three time domain types of SRS: periodic SRS, aperiodic SRS, and semi-persistent SRS.

[0100] For periodic SRS, all parameters for periodic SRS resources configured as periodic SRS resources are configured by higher-layer signaling, and the UE transmits periodically based on the configured parameters. All SRS resources within the same SRS resource set have the same periodicity. Considering that the NR system supports various subcarrier spacings, and different subcarrier spacings correspond to different slot lengths, the period of periodic SRS resources and the offset within the period are configured in units of slots. The minimum configurable period for periodic SRS resources is 1 slot, and the maximum period is 2560 slots.

[0101] Aperiodic SRS, the time domain type is configured as aperiodic SRS resource and is activated through DCI signaling. Each time the UE receives SRS trigger signaling that triggers aperiodic SRS resources, the UE transmits the SRS corresponding to the triggered SRS resource. The SRS trigger signaling in the DCI contains 2 bits, and the 2 bits can represent 4 states. One state indicates that the aperiodic SRS transmission is not triggered, and the other 3 states indicate the triggering of the first, second, and third SRS resource groups respectively; one state can trigger one or more SRS resource sets, and the multiple SRS resource sets corresponding to one state can correspond to multiple carriers.

[0102] Semi-persistent SRS, the time domain type is configured as semi-persistent SRS resources and is also sent periodically during the activation period. The difference between it and periodic SRS is that the UE does not send SRS after receiving the high-level signaling configuration about the semi-persistent SRS resources. For example, after receiving the deactivation command of the semi-persistent SRS resources sent by the MAC layer, the UE stops sending SRS. The periodic transmission of the SRS corresponding to the semi-persistent SRS resources begins only after receiving the activation signaling about the semi-persistent SRS resources sent by the MAC layer. Therefore, compared with periodic SRS resources, the configuration, activation and deactivation of semi-persistent SRS resources are faster and more flexible than high-level signaling, and are suitable for fast transmission of services requiring lower latency. Similar to periodic SRS resources, the base station configures the period and offset within the period for the semi-persistent SRS resources through high-level signaling, and all SRS resources in the same SRS resource set have the same periodicity.

[0103] For example, FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a semi-persistent SRS activation provided by the present application. After the media access control element (MAC CE) transmitted by the PDSCH indicates the activation / deactivation instruction, the UE will activate the SRS in the slot n corresponding to the HARQ-ACK information transmitted by the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). (i.e., 3×the number of slots in one subframe) Start / stop sending SRS.

[0104] With the increasing demand for connected vehicles and autonomous driving technologies, there is a desire to enable vehicles to measure each other's positions and determine their relative positions, also known as sidelink positioning. Sidelink positioning utilizes sidelinks to transmit sidelink positioning reference signals (SLPRS) and perform terminal device positioning measurements.

[0105] In some embodiments, during sidelink positioning, two directly connected devices, one transmitting a positioning reference signal and the other measuring it, can calculate the relative position relationship by calculating the relative distance and angle. Alternatively, if the positions of the devices are fixed and known, the absolute position can be calculated.

[0106] Specifically, the terminal devices send positioning reference signals through the direct communication interface 5 (pose communication 5, PC5), but positioning assistance data, positioning measurement results and other information can be transmitted through the PC5 or Uu interface. Among them, the PC port is a direct communication interface and does not require the participation of the base station.

[0107] As can be seen above, there are currently methods for activating sidelink transmission, but these methods are not suitable for sending SL PRS over sidelink and activating terminal device positioning. Furthermore, the current methods for sending SL PRS over sidelink are not perfect, making it difficult to select a more efficient positioning method based on different scenarios when performing sidelink positioning.

[0108] In order to improve the transmission method of the sidelink positioning signal, the present application provides a positioning signal transmission method, which defines a semi-persistent sidelink positioning signal transmission method to flexibly transmit the sidelink positioning reference signal. The method includes: a first terminal device receives first indication information sent by a base station, the first indication information is used to indicate the activation of the sidelink positioning reference signal SL PRS; based on the first indication information, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device.

[0109] In this way, when it is necessary to activate the first terminal device to send a sidelink positioning signal to the second terminal device, the base station can send a first indication message to the first terminal device. So that the first terminal device can send an SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication message. This method makes the transmission of SL PRS more flexible, and the terminal can be activated to send a sidelink positioning signal at any time as needed, without relying on a fixed time point or condition.

[0110] The following describes the positioning signal sending method provided in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0111] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be used in communication systems in which side links exist, for example, in systems in which there are terminal equipment (UE) that communicate directly with each other through one or more side link (SL) channels, for example, using a PC5 / PC3 interface or WiFi direct. UEs that communicate directly with each other through side links may include vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communications that communicate directly with other vehicles, and vehicle to everything (V2X) communications that communicate with other entities of a wireless communication network, such as roadside units (RSUs), roadside entities such as traffic lights, traffic signs, or pedestrians. The RSU may have the functionality of a base station or a terminal device, depending on the specific network configuration. Other UEs may not be vehicle-related UEs and may include any of the devices mentioned above. Such devices may also communicate directly with each other using SL channels, i.e., D2D communications.

[0112] When considering two UEs communicating directly with each other via a sidelink, the two UEs can be served by the same base station, so that the base station can provide sidelink resource allocation configuration or assistance to the UEs. For example, both UEs can be within the coverage area of ​​the base station, which is called an "in-coverage" scenario. One of the two UEs is within the coverage area of ​​the base station, while the other is not. This is called a "partial coverage" scenario. Both UEs are not within the coverage area of ​​the base station, which is called an "out-of-coverage" scenario.

[0113] For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an in-coverage scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application, wherein two UEs communicating directly with each other are both connected to a base station. The access network device has a coverage area schematically represented by a circle 300. The UEs communicating directly with each other include UE 301 and UE 302, both of which are in the coverage area of ​​the access network device. UE 301 and UE 302 are both connected to the access network device, and in addition, they are directly connected to each other through the PC5 interface. The scheduling and / or interference management of traffic between UEs is assisted by the access network device via control signaling on the Uu interface, which is the radio interface between the base station and the UE. In other words, the access network device provides SL resource allocation configuration or assistance for the UE, and the access network device assigns resources to be used for communication between UEs on the sidelink.

[0114] For example, FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a partial coverage scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. The access network device has a coverage area schematically represented by circle 400. UEs that directly communicate with each other include UE 401 within the coverage area of ​​the access network device, and UE 402 that is not within the coverage area of ​​the access network device. UE 401 is connected to the access network device, while UE 402 is not connected to the access network device. Furthermore, UE 401 and UE 402 are directly connected to each other via the PC5 interface.

[0115] For example, FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an out-of-coverage scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. UE 501 and UE 502 are shown communicating directly with each other via a sidelink, but the two UEs are not connected to the base station, although they may be physically located within the coverage area of ​​the base station, or some or all of the two UEs communicating directly with each other are connected to the base station, but the base station does not provide SL resource allocation configuration or assistance. UE 501 and UE 502 may be connected using the PC5 interface.

[0116] The terminal devices in Figures 3, 4, and 5 may be devices with wireless transceiver capabilities or chips or chip systems that can be installed in the devices, which can allow users to access the network and are devices used to provide voice and / or data connectivity to users. The terminal devices may be fixed or mobile. The terminal devices may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), subscriber units (subscriber units), terminals, mobile stations (MS), or mobile terminals (MT). Specifically, the terminal devices in Figures 3, 4, and 5 may be cellular phones, smart phones, wireless data cards, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wireless modems, handheld devices, or laptop computers. The terminal device can also be a VR terminal, an AR terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in unmanned driving, a wireless terminal in telemedicine, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a vehicle with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capability, an intelligent connected vehicle, a drone with UAV to UAV (U2U) communication capability, etc., without restriction.

[0117] The access network device in Figures 3, 4 and 5 can be any device deployed in the access network that can communicate wirelessly with the terminal device, or described as an access device that the terminal device accesses the communication system in a wireless manner. It can also be a chip or chip system that can be set in the above-mentioned device, mainly used to implement wireless physical control functions, resource scheduling and wireless resource management, wireless access control and mobility management functions. The access network device can also be connected to the core network device in a wireless or wired manner. Specifically, the access network device can be a device that supports wired access or a device that supports wireless access. Exemplarily, the access network device can be an access network (AN) / radio access network (RAN) device, which is composed of multiple AN / RAN nodes. The AN / RAN node can be: an access point (AP), a base station (nodeB, NB), a macro base station, a micro base station (or described as a small station), a pico base station, a balloon station, a relay station, an enhanced base station (enhance nodeB, eNB), a next-generation eNB (next generation eNB, ng-eNB), a next-generation base station (next generation nodeB, gNB), a base station in a 5G communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system or an access node in a wireless-fidelity (WiFi) system, a transmission reception point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), a transmission measurement function (TMF), a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device or some other access node, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the access network device.

[0118] The access network device may also be a centralized unit (CU) / distributed unit (DU) architecture. In this case, the access network device may include two network elements, the CU and the DU. The access network device may also be a control plane-user plane (CP-UP) architecture. In this case, the access network device may include three network elements, the CU control plane (CU-CP), the CU user plane (CU-UP), and the DU, without restriction.

[0119] Optionally, the access network equipment and terminal equipment can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on the water surface; can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the access network equipment and terminal equipment.

[0120] Optionally, the access network device and the terminal device, and the terminal device and the terminal device can communicate through the authorized spectrum, or can communicate through the unlicensed spectrum, or can communicate through the authorized spectrum and the unlicensed spectrum at the same time. The access network device and the terminal device, and the terminal device and the terminal device can communicate through the spectrum below 6G, or can communicate through the spectrum above 6G, or can communicate through the spectrum below 6G and the spectrum above 6G at the same time. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used between the access network device and the terminal device.

[0121] It should be noted that the terminal equipment and access network equipment in the embodiments of the present application can be one or more chips, or a system on chip (SOC), etc. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are only exemplary figures, and the number of devices included therein is not limited. In addition, in addition to the devices shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the communication system may also include other devices, such as core network equipment, wireless relay equipment and wireless backhaul equipment. The names of the various devices and the names of the various links in Figures 3, 4 and 5 are not restricted. In addition to the names shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the various devices and links may also be named other names without restriction.

[0122] In a specific implementation, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, each terminal device and access network device may adopt the structure shown in Figure 6, or include the components shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 600 may be a terminal device or a chip or system-on-chip in the terminal device; it may also be an access network device or a chip or system-on-chip in the access network device. As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 600 includes a processor 601, a transceiver 602, and a communication circuit 603.

[0123] Furthermore, the communication device 600 may further include a memory 604 , wherein the processor 601 , the memory 604 and the transceiver 602 may be connected via a communication line 603 .

[0124] The processor 601 is a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 601 may also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0125] Transceiver 602 is used to communicate with other devices or other communication networks. Such other communication networks may be Ethernet, radio access networks (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. Transceiver 602 may be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of communication.

[0126] The communication line 603 is used to transmit information between the components included in the communication device 600.

[0127] The memory 604 is used to store instructions, where the instructions may be computer programs.

[0128] The memory 604 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and / or instructions, or a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and / or instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0129] It should be noted that the memory 604 can exist independently of the processor 601 or can be integrated with the processor 601. The memory 604 can be used to store instructions, program code, or some data. The memory 604 can be located within the communication device 600 or outside the communication device 600, without limitation. The processor 601 is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory 604 to implement the positioning signal transmission method provided in the following embodiments of the present application.

[0130] In an example, the processor 601 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 6 .

[0131] As an optional implementation, the communication device 600 includes multiple processors. For example, in addition to the processor 601 in FIG. 6 , it may also include a processor 607 .

[0132] As an optional implementation, the communication apparatus 600 further includes an output device 605 and an input device 606. For example, the input device 606 is a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a joystick, or the like, and the output device 605 is a display screen, a speaker, or the like.

[0133] It should be noted that the communication device 600 may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a network server, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wireless terminal, an embedded device, a chip system, or a device having a structure similar to that shown in FIG6 . Furthermore, the structure shown in FIG6 does not limit the communication device. In addition to the components shown in FIG6 , the communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0134] In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0135] In addition, the actions and terms involved in the various embodiments of this application can refer to each other without limitation. The message names or parameter names in the messages exchanged between the various devices in the embodiments of this application are only examples, and other names can also be used in specific implementations without limitation.

[0136] In combination with the communication system shown in Figure 3, Figure 4 or Figure 5, with reference to Figure 7 below, the positioning signal sending method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described, wherein the terminal device can be any terminal device in the communication system shown in Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5, and the access network device is any access network device in the communication system where the selected terminal device is located. The terminal device and access network device of the following embodiments can all have the components shown in Figure 6. The processing performed by the single execution subject (terminal device or access network device) shown in the embodiment of the present application can also be divided into executions by multiple execution subjects, and these execution subjects can be logically and / or physically separated without restriction.

[0137] FIG7 is a flowchart of a method for sending a positioning signal according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG7 , the method includes the following steps:

[0138] S701: An access network device generates first indication information.

[0139] The first indication information is used to indicate activation of the sidelink positioning reference signal SL PRS.

[0140] Activating SL PRS may also be described as enabling (or using, etc.) SL PRS for positioning.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS activation indication, a transmission period of the SL PRS, a transmission duration of the SL PRS, or a first parameter for determining a start time of sending the SL PRS. The first parameter includes a first time offset value or a first time window.

[0142] The resource pool index to which the SL PRS belongs can be used to determine the resource pool to which the SL PRS sent by the first terminal device to the second terminal device belongs. The resource pool index can be used to identify and distinguish different resource pools, each of which may have different resource allocation strategies, transmission parameters or spectrum configurations, etc. By selecting an appropriate resource pool index, the effective utilization of SL PRS resources can be ensured and specific positioning requirements can be met.

[0143] The resource index of SL PRS may belong to the resource index list of SL-PRS in the resource pool. The resource index of SL PRS is used to determine the resources of SL PRS that need to be activated among the resources of SL-PRS in the resource pool to which SL PRS belongs. The resources of SL PRS corresponding to the resource index of SL PRS may be continuous resources or discrete resources.

[0144] Optionally, the resource pool and the resource index list of the SL-PRS in the resource pool can be configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. As well as the time domain / frequency domain resources corresponding to the resource index of each SL-PRS, including the Comb value, RE offset, occupied symbol, the PSCCH index corresponding to the resource index of each SL-PRS, and the time domain / frequency domain resources corresponding to the PSCCH index, including the number of symbols, the subchannel index in which the PSCCH is located, and the frequency domain position occupied by the PSCCH (such as the RB number or RE number) can all be configured by RRC signaling.

[0145] Optionally, before the access network device generates the first indication information, the first terminal device may report the activation status corresponding to the resource indexes of all currently configured SL-PRSs via uplink transmission MAC CE, so that the access network device can receive such reporting information to understand the activation status of each SL-PRS resource and determine whether the SL-PRS resource index is in use or idle. The access network device can then select appropriate resources for scheduling to other devices based on the reported activation status of the SL-PRS resource index, thereby avoiding resource conflicts and interference.

[0146] The SL PRS activation indication can be used to instruct the first terminal device to enable SL PRS to start positioning.

[0147] The transmission period of the SL PRS may be used to indicate the interval time at which the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device.

[0148] The transmission duration of the SL PRS may be used to indicate the duration for the first terminal device to send the SL PRS to the second terminal device.

[0149] In one possible design, when positioning collaboration or location services are required between terminal devices, one of the terminal devices (usually the master terminal device) can send an SL PRS signal, and the other terminal devices (usually the slave terminal devices) can receive the SL PRS and use it for positioning. The terminal device that needs to send an SL PRS signal can send a positioning request for the terminal device to the access network device. After receiving the positioning request of the terminal device, the access network device generates a first indication information to indicate that the terminal device can activate the SL PRS for positioning between terminal devices.

[0150] S702. The access network device sends first indication information to the first terminal device; correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first indication information sent by the access network device.

[0151] In one possible design, after the first terminal device correctly receives the first indication information sent by the access network device, the first terminal device sends a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment (HARQ ACK) information corresponding to the first indication information to the access network device. The hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information is used to notify the access network device that the first terminal device has correctly received the first indication information.

[0152] In one possible design, the first indication information is carried in a media access control element MAC CE. This makes the transmission of the SL PRS more flexible and can be activated and sent at any time as needed without relying on a fixed time point or condition.

[0153] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG8 , the access network device may carry the first indication information in the MAC CE and carry it in the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to send it to the first terminal device.

[0154] S703. The first terminal device sends an SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication information.

[0155] In the first possible design, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the SL PRS resource index, the resource pool index to which the SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS activation indication, the SL PRS transmission period, the SL PRS transmission duration and the first parameter for determining the start time of sending the SL PRS contained in the first indication information.

[0156] In the second possible design, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the resource index of the SL PRS, the index of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS activation indication, the transmission duration of the SL PRS and the first parameter for determining the start time of sending the SL PRS contained in the first indication information. In particular, since the transmission period of the SL PRS is not clearly specified in the first indication information, the first terminal device can send the SL PRS a preset number of times during the transmission duration of the SL PRS, and the time interval for sending the SL PRS can also be based on a preset time interval or randomly. In particular, the preset number of times and the preset time interval can be pre-configured or stored in the first terminal device.

[0157] Exemplarily, the first terminal device sends an SL PRS to the second terminal device once within the transmission duration of the SL PRS after the start time of sending the SL PRS.

[0158] In another example, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device five times within the transmission duration of the SL PRS after the start time of sending the SL PRS, and the sending interval of the SL PRS is 1 second.

[0159] In a third possible design, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the resource index of the SL PRS, the index of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS activation indication, the transmission period of the SL PRS, and the first parameter for determining the start time of sending the SL PRS contained in the first indication information. In particular, since the transmission duration of the SL PRS is not specified in the first indication information, the first terminal device will continue to send the SL PRS to the second terminal device until it receives the SL PRS deactivation indication; or, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS according to the preset duration. The preset duration can be pre-configured or stored in the first terminal device.

[0160] In a fourth possible design, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the resource index of the SL PRS, the SL PRS activation indication, the transmission period of the SL PRS, the transmission duration of the SL PRS and the first parameter for determining the start time of sending the SL PRS contained in the first indication information. Since the first indication information does not clearly specify the resource pool index to which the SL PRS belongs, the first terminal device will determine the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs according to a pre-agreed agreement, and may pre-store the resource index list of the SL-PRS of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs determined by the pre-agreed agreement in the first terminal device, so as to determine the resources of the SL PRS that need to be scheduled based on the resource index of the SL PRS contained in the first indication information.

[0161] In a fifth possible design, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the resource pool index to which the SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS activation indication, the transmission period of the SL PRS, the transmission duration of the SL PRS, and the first parameter for determining the start time of sending the SL PRS contained in the first indication information. In this case, since the resource index of the SL PRS is not clearly specified in the first indication information, the first terminal device will determine the resource index of the SL PRS according to a pre-agreed agreement, or the resource index of the SL PRS can be stored in the first terminal device.

[0162] In the sixth possible design, the first terminal device sends the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the resource index of the SL PRS, the index of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS activation indication, the transmission period of the SL PRS and the transmission duration of the SL PRS contained in the first indication information. Since the first indication information does not include the first parameter for determining the start time of sending the SL PRS, the first terminal can start sending the SL PRS within a preset time after receiving the first indication information. The preset time can be predetermined or stored in the first terminal device.

[0163] In which case, when the first indication information includes the first parameter, the start time of sending the SL PRS can be determined according to the first parameter.

[0164] In one possible design, the start time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, and is offset by a first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the first indication information.

[0165] In another possible design, as shown in Figure 8, the start time of sending SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information, and is offset by the first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

[0166] In this way, determining the start time of SL PRS transmission based on the transmission time corresponding to the first indication information or the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information, and adding a time offset value can avoid conflicts and interference and improve signal transmission efficiency. This can reduce signal overlap and contention, allowing each signal to be correctly received and processed at the appropriate time.

[0167] In another possible design, the start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after the first terminal device receives the first indication information.

[0168] In another possible design, as shown in Figure 9, the start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information. In this way, by constraining the start time of sending the SL PRS to a specific time window, the accuracy and stability of the positioning algorithm are enhanced.

[0169] Based on this, when it is necessary to activate the first terminal device to send a sidelink positioning signal to the second terminal device, the access network device can send a first indication message to the first terminal device. This allows the first terminal device to send the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication message. This approach makes the transmission of the SL PRS more flexible and can be activated and sent at any time as needed, without relying on fixed time points or conditions.

[0170] In the above process, the first terminal device stops sending SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the transmission duration of SL PRS in the first indication information sent by the access network device to the first terminal device. Another possible design is that the access network device sends a second indication information to the first terminal device to stop the first terminal device from sending SL PRS to the second terminal device. As shown in Figure 10, a flowchart of a positioning signal sending method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in Figure 10. The method includes the following steps:

[0171] S1001. The access network device generates second indication information.

[0172] The second indication information is used to indicate deactivation of SL PRS.

[0173] Deactivating the SL PRS may also be described as deactivating (or deactivating, or stopping use, or canceling, or not using, etc.) the SL PRS for positioning.

[0174] The second indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS deactivation indication, or a second parameter for determining the end time of sending the SL PRS, wherein the second parameter includes a second time offset value or a second time window.

[0175] The resource index to which the SL PRS belongs can be used to determine the resource pool to which the SL PRS that the first terminal device stops sending to the second terminal device belongs.

[0176] The resource index of the SL PRS may be used to determine the resource of the SL PRS that has stopped being sent in the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs.

[0177] Before the access network device generates the first indication information, the first terminal device can report the activation status corresponding to all currently configured SL-PRS resource indexes through uplink transmission MAC CE, so that the access network device can understand the activation status of each SL-PRS resource by receiving this reporting information and determine whether the SL-PRS resource index is in use or idle. In this way, the access network device can select appropriate resources for scheduling to other devices based on the reported activation status of the SL-PRS resource index, thereby avoiding resource conflicts and interference.

[0178] The SL PRS deactivation indication can be used to instruct the first terminal device to stop using SL PRS positioning.

[0179] S1002. The access network device sends second indication information to the first terminal device; correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the second indication information sent by the access network device.

[0180] In one possible design, after the first terminal device receives the second indication information sent by the access network device, it sends hybrid automatic repeat request confirmation HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information to the access network device. The hybrid automatic repeat request confirmation HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information is used to notify the access network device that the first terminal device has correctly received the second indication information.

[0181] In one possible design, the second indication information is carried in the MAC CE, which makes the sending of the second indication information more flexible, and thus the SL PRS can be deactivated and stopped at any time without relying on a fixed time point or condition.

[0182] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG11 , the access network device may carry the second indication information in the MAC CE and carry it in the PDSCH to send it to the first terminal device.

[0183] S1003. The first terminal device stops sending SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the second indication information.

[0184] In one possible design, the first terminal device stops sending SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the resource index of SL PRS, the resource pool index to which SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS deactivation indication and the second parameter for determining the end time of sending SL PRS contained in the second indication information.

[0185] In a first possible design, the first terminal device stops sending the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the resource index of the SL PRS, the index of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, and the SL PRS deactivation indication contained in the first indication information. Since the second indication information does not include a second parameter for determining the end time of sending the SL PRS, the first terminal device can stop sending the SL PRS within a preset time after receiving the second indication information. The preset time can be pre-configured or stored in the first terminal device.

[0186] It can be understood that the resource index of the SL PRS and the index of the resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs can be pre-configured and stored in the first terminal device.

[0187] In which case, when the second indication information includes a second parameter, the end time of sending the SL PRS can be determined according to the second parameter.

[0188] In one possible design, the end time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device receives the second indication information, and is offset by a second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the second indication information.

[0189] In another possible design, as shown in FIG11 , the end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after the first terminal device receives the second indication information.

[0190] In another possible design, the end time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information to the access network device, and is offset by the second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0191] In another possible design, as shown in reference Figure 12, the end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information to the access network device. In this way, by constraining the end time of sending the SL PRS, it can be ensured that the SL PRS is ended within a specific time window, thereby enhancing the accuracy and stability of the positioning algorithm.

[0192] Based on this, when it is necessary to deactivate the first terminal device from sending the sidelink positioning signal to the second terminal device, the access network device can generate second indication information and send the second indication information to the first terminal device, so that the first terminal device stops sending the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the second indication information.

[0193] It should be noted that the various methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented individually or in combination without limitation.

[0194] It is understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the execution subject may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present application may also perform other operations or variations of various operations. In addition, the various steps may be performed in a different order than those presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it is possible that not all operations in the embodiments of the present application need to be performed.

[0195] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of interaction between devices. It is understandable that, in order to realize the above functions, each device includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiment applied for herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0196] The embodiments of the present application can divide the functional modules of each device according to the above method examples. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0197] FIG13 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 130, where each functional module is divided according to its function. The communication device 130 may include a transceiver module 1301 and a processing module 1302. The processing module 1302, also known as a processing unit, is configured to perform operations other than transceiver operations and may be, for example, a processing circuit or a processor. The transceiver module 1301, also known as a transceiver unit, is configured to perform transceiver operations and may be, for example, an interface circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface.

[0198] In some embodiments, the communication device 130 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 13 ) for storing program instructions and data.

[0199] Exemplarily, the communication device 130 is used to implement the function of the first terminal device. The communication device 130 is, for example, the first terminal device described in the embodiment shown in FIG7 or the embodiment shown in FIG10 .

[0200] Among them, the transceiver module 1301 is used to receive first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the activation of the sidelink positioning reference signal SL PRS; the transceiver module 1301 is also used to send the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the first indication information.

[0201] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 1301 is further configured to send hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

[0202] In one possible implementation method, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS activation indication, a transmission period of SL PRS, a transmission duration of SL PRS, or a first parameter for determining the start time of sending SL PRS.

[0203] In a possible implementation, the first parameter includes a first time offset value or a first time window.

[0204] In one possible implementation method, the SL PRS starts sending after receiving the first indication information, and is offset by the first time offset value relative to the time when the first indication information is received; or, the SL PRS starts sending after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information, and is offset by the first time offset value relative to the time when the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information is sent.

[0205] In one possible implementation, the start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after receiving the first indication information; or, the start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

[0206] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is carried in a media access control element MAC CE.

[0207] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 1301 is configured to receive second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate deactivation of the SL PRS; the transceiver module 1301 is further configured to stop sending the SL PRS to the second terminal device based on the second indication information.

[0208] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 1301 is further configured to send HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information after receiving the second indication information.

[0209] In one possible implementation, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS deactivation indication, or a second parameter for determining the end time of sending the SL PRS.

[0210] In a possible implementation, the second parameter includes a second time offset value or a second time window.

[0211] One possible implementation method is that the sending end time of SL PRS is after receiving the second indication information, and is offset by the second time offset value relative to the time of receiving the second indication information; or, the sending end time of SL PRS is after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information, and is offset by the second time offset value relative to the time of sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0212] In one possible implementation, the end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after receiving the second indication information; or, the end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0213] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is carried in a MAC CE.

[0214] Alternatively, illustratively, the communication device 130 is used to implement the functions of an access network device. The communication device 130 is, for example, the access network device of the embodiment shown in FIG7 or the embodiment shown in FIG10 .

[0215] The processing module 1302 is configured to generate first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate activation of the direct positioning reference signal SL PRS; and the transceiver module 1301 is configured to send the first indication information.

[0216] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 1301 is configured to receive hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

[0217] In one possible implementation method, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS activation indication, a transmission period of SL PRS, a transmission duration of SL PRS, or a first parameter for determining the start time of sending SL PRS.

[0218] In a possible implementation, the first parameter includes a first time offset value or a first time window.

[0219] In a possible implementation, the SL PRS starts sending after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, and is offset by a first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the first indication information; or,

[0220] The start time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information, and is offset by the first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information; or,

[0221] The SL PRS transmission start time is within the first time window after the first terminal device receives the first indication information; or,

[0222] The start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

[0223] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is carried in a MAC CE.

[0224] In a possible implementation, the processing module 1302 is configured to generate second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate deactivation of the SL PRS; and the transceiver module 1301 is configured to send the second indication information.

[0225] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 1301 is configured to receive HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0226] In one possible implementation, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an SL PRS deactivation indication, or a second parameter for determining the end time of sending the SL PRS.

[0227] In a possible implementation, the second parameter includes a second time offset value or a second time window.

[0228] In a possible implementation, the SL PRS transmission end time is after the first terminal device receives the second indication information, and is offset by a second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the second indication information; or,

[0229] The end time of sending the SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information, and is offset by the second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information; or,

[0230] The sending end time of the SL PRS is within the second time window after the first terminal device receives the second indication information; or,

[0231] The end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

[0232] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is carried in a MAC CE.

[0233] Exemplarily, the communication device 130 may be a communication device, or a chip used in a communication device, or other combined devices, components, etc. having the functions of the aforementioned communication device. When the communication device 130 is a communication device, the transceiver module 1301 may be a transceiver, which may include an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, etc.; the processing module 1302 may be a processor (or a processing circuit), such as a baseband processor, which may include one or more CPUs. When the communication device 130 is a component having the functions of the aforementioned communication device, the transceiver module 1301 may be a radio frequency unit; the processing module 1302 may be a processor (or a processing circuit), such as a baseband processor. When the communication device 130 is a chip system, the transceiver module 1301 may be the input and output interface of the chip (e.g., a baseband chip); the processing module 1302 may be the processor (or a processing circuit) of the chip system, which may include one or more central processing units. It should be understood that the transceiver module 1301 in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a transceiver or a transceiver-related circuit component; the processing module 1302 can be implemented by a processor or a processor-related circuit component (or, referred to as a processing circuit).

[0234] For example, the transceiver module 1301 can be used to perform all transceiver operations performed by the communication device in the embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 12, and / or to support other processes of the technology described herein; the processing module 1302 can be used to perform all operations other than transceiver operations performed by the communication device in the embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 12, and / or to support other processes of the technology described herein.

[0235] As another possible implementation, the transceiver module 1301 in FIG13 may be replaced by a transceiver, which may integrate the functions of the transceiver module 1301; and the processing module 1302 may be replaced by a processor, which may integrate the functions of the processing module 1302. Furthermore, the communication device 130 shown in FIG13 may also include a memory.

[0236] Alternatively, when the processing module 1302 is replaced by a processor and the transceiver module 1301 is replaced by a transceiver, the communication device 130 involved in the embodiment of the present application may also be the communication device 140 shown in Figure 14, wherein the processor may be the logic circuit 1401 and the transceiver may be the interface circuit 1402. Furthermore, the communication device 140 shown in Figure 14 may also include a memory 1403.

[0237] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product, which, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0238] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program, which, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0239] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by a computer program to instruct the relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the terminal (including the data sending end and / or the data receiving end) of any of the above-mentioned embodiments, such as the hard disk or memory of the terminal. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the above-mentioned terminal, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (smart media card, SMC), a secure digital (secure digital, SD) card, a flash card (flash card), etc. equipped on the above-mentioned terminal. Furthermore, the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also include both the internal storage unit of the above-mentioned terminal and an external storage device. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium is used to store the above-mentioned computer program and other programs and data required by the above-mentioned terminal. The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output.

[0240] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" in the specification, claims and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. "First" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0241] Furthermore, the terms "include," "comprise," and "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or elements is not limited to the listed steps or elements, but may optionally include steps or elements not listed, or may optionally include other steps or elements inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0242] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more. "Multiple" refers to two or more. "At least two (items)" refers to two or three and more. "And / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c, or at least one of a, b, and c, can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple. "When" and "if" both mean that corresponding measures will be taken under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require any judgment action when it is implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0243] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner to facilitate understanding.

[0244] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0245] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed 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 modules or 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 device, 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.

[0246] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed in multiple places. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0247] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0248] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a device (which can be a single-chip microcomputer, chip, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0249] 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 of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for sending a positioning signal, characterized in that: Applied to a first terminal device, the method includes: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate activation of a sidelink positioning reference signal SL PRS; Based on the first indication information, the SL PRS is sent to the second terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an activation indication of the SL PRS, a transmission period of the SL PRS, a transmission duration of the SL PRS, or a first parameter for determining a start time of sending the SL PRS.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first parameter includes a first time offset value or a first time window.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The SL PRS starts sending after the first indication information is received, and is offset by a first time offset value relative to the time when the first indication information is received; or, The SL PRS is sent starting at a time after the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information is sent, and is offset by a first time offset value relative to a time when the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information is sent.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The sending start time of the SL PRS is within a first time window after receiving the first indication information; or, The start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first indication information is carried in a media access control element MAC CE.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving second indication information, where the second indication information is used to instruct deactivation of the SL PRS; Based on the second indication information, stop sending the SL PRS to the second terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: After receiving the second indication information, HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information is sent.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The second indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS deactivation indication, or a second parameter for determining an end time of sending the SL PRS.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The second parameter includes a second time offset value or a second time window.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The sending end time of the SL PRS is after the second indication information is received, and is offset by a second time offset value relative to the time when the second indication information is received; or, The sending end time of the SL PRS is after the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information is sent, and is offset by a second time offset value relative to the sending time of the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The sending end time of the SL PRS is within a second time window after receiving the second indication information; or, The sending end time of the SL PRS is located within the second time window after sending the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in the MAC CE.

15. A method for sending a positioning signal, characterized in that: Applied to access network equipment, the method comprises: Generate first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate activation of a direct positioning reference signal SL PRS; Send the first indication information.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that The first indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, an activation indication of the SL PRS, a transmission period of the SL PRS, a transmission duration of the SL PRS, or a first parameter for determining a start time of sending the SL PRS.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The first parameter includes a first time offset value or a first time window.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The sending start time of the SL PRS is after the first terminal device receives the first indication information, and is offset by a first time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the first indication information; or, The SL PRS is sent starting at a time after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information, and is offset by a first time offset value relative to a time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information; or, The sending start time of the SL PRS is within a first time window after the first terminal device receives the first indication information; or, The start time of sending the SL PRS is within the first time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the first indication information.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in the MAC CE.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that The method comprises: generating second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate deactivation of the SL PRS; Send the second indication information.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The second indication information includes at least one of the following: a resource index of the SL PRS, an index of a resource pool to which the SL PRS belongs, the SL PRS deactivation indication, or a second parameter for determining an end time of sending the SL PRS.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that The second parameter includes a second time offset value or a second time window.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The sending end time of the SL PRS is after the first terminal device receives the second indication information, and is offset by a second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device receives the second indication information; or, The sending end time of the SL PRS is after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information, and is offset by a second time offset value relative to the time when the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information; or, The sending end time of the SL PRS is within a second time window after the first terminal device receives the second indication information; or, The end time of sending the SL PRS is within the second time window after the first terminal device sends the HARQ ACK information corresponding to the second indication information.

26. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 25, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in the MAC CE.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit or module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or comprises a unit or module for executing the method according to any one of claims 15 to 26.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: include: processor; The processor is coupled to the memory; The memory is used to store instructions executable by the processor; When the processor executes the instructions, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 26 is performed.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 26.

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