Wireless communication method and communication device

Abstract

Provided are a wireless communication method and a communication device. The method comprises: a communication device determining the distance between a satellite and a terminal device on the basis of the movement speed of the satellite and a first RTT, wherein the first RTT is determined by means of a first positioning signal and a second positioning signal, the first positioning signal is sent by the satellite to the terminal device, and the second positioning signal is sent by the terminal device to the satellite. The present application proposes that, when the distance between the satellite and the terminal device is calculated, not only an RTT but also the movement speed of the satellite needs to be taken into consideration. That is to say, dynamic position change conditions of the satellite and the terminal device can be taken into consideration when the distance between the satellite and the terminal device is calculated, thus positioning the terminal device more accurately.

Description

Wireless communication method and communication device Technical Field

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

[0002] In communication systems, terminal devices can be positioned based on round-trip time (RTT). In non-terrestrial networks (NTN) systems, RTT can be determined between satellites and terminal devices by transmitting uplink (UL) positioning signals and downlink (DL) positioning signals. Based on the RTT, the communication device can determine the distance between the terminal device and the satellite. Furthermore, based on this distance, the communication device can locate the terminal device. Compared with terrestrial networks (TN) systems, RTT positioning for NTN systems still has room for improvement.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a wireless communication method and a communication device. The following introduces various aspects involved in the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising: a communication device determining a distance between a satellite and a terminal device based on a moving speed of the satellite and a first RTT; wherein the first RTT is determined by a first positioning signal and a second positioning signal, the first positioning signal is sent by the satellite to the terminal device, and the second positioning signal is sent by the terminal device to the satellite.

[0006] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a determination unit for determining the distance between a satellite and a terminal device based on the moving speed of the satellite and a first RTT; wherein the first RTT is determined by a first positioning signal and a second positioning signal, the first positioning signal is sent by the satellite to the terminal device, and the second positioning signal is sent by the terminal device to the satellite.

[0007] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the communication device executes some or all of the steps in the method of the first aspect.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the above-mentioned communication device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the communication device in the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a communication device to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in each of the above aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0011] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, which includes a memory and a processor. The processor can call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the above aspects.

[0012] This application proposes that when calculating the distance between a satellite and a terminal device, not only the RTT but also the satellite's speed should be considered. In other words, the distance between a satellite and a terminal device can be calculated by taking into account the dynamic position changes of the satellite and the terminal device, thereby more accurately locating the terminal device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0014] FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining RTT.

[0015] FIG2B is an example diagram of a single-path delay.

[0016] FIG3 is an example diagram of a multi-RTT positioning scenario.

[0017] FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] FIG5 is another example diagram of single-path delay.

[0019] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a device for communication provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Communication System

[0023] FIG1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 used in an embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system 100 may include communication devices. The communication devices may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120.

[0024] FIG1 exemplarily shows a network device and two terminals. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple network devices and each network device may include other numbers of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0025] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0026] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system, satellite communication system, etc.

[0027] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or device-to-device (D2D). For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and smart home devices communicate without relaying the communication signal through a base station.

[0028] The network device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device. The network device may also include an access network device. The access network device may provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and may communicate with the terminal device 120 located within the coverage area. The access network device may also be referred to as a radio access network device or a base station. The access network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to a wireless network. Access network equipment can broadly cover various names as follows, or replace the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master eNB (MeNB), secondary eNB (SeNB), multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. A base station may also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip used to be set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. A base station may also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. A base station may support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the access network device.

[0029] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0030] The communication equipment involved in a wireless communication system can include not only access network equipment and terminal equipment, but also core network elements. Core network elements can be implemented by devices, that is, core network elements are core network devices. It is understood that core network devices can also be a type of network equipment.

[0031] The core network elements in the embodiments of the present application may include network elements that process and forward user signaling and data. For example, the core network equipment may include core network access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), user plane gateway, location management function (LMF) and other core network equipment. Among them, the user plane gateway may be a server with functions such as mobility management, routing, and forwarding of user plane data, generally located on the network side, such as a serving gateway (SGW) or a packet data network gateway (PGW) or a user plane network element function entity (UPF). Of course, the core network may also include other network elements, which are not listed here one by one.

[0032] In some deployments, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device may include a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0033] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0034] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0035] NTN

[0036] NTN can provide communication services to users in a non-terrestrial manner. That is, it can communicate with terminal devices through non-terrestrial network equipment such as satellites (SAT) and UAS platforms.

[0037] Terrestrial network communications are difficult to deploy in locations like oceans, mountains, and deserts. Furthermore, due to the cost of deploying and operating communications equipment, terrestrial communications typically don't cover sparsely populated areas. NTN offers many advantages over terrestrial networks. First, NTN networks are not restricted by geographic location. In theory, satellites orbit the Earth, allowing satellite coverage to reach every corner of the globe. Furthermore, non-terrestrial network equipment can cover areas far larger than those covered by terrestrial equipment. This means that NTN cells can cover a much wider area.

[0038] Non-terrestrial network equipment may move relative to the Earth, so in an NTN, cells may move across the Earth's surface. This phenomenon can make it difficult for network equipment to reliably determine the location of a terminal device, or even the country to which it belongs, making it difficult for the NTN to support regulatory services. Therefore, relying solely on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) reports from terminal devices is unreliable, and combining GNSS reports with network-based solutions can improve reliability. Therefore, network operators should cross-check the terminal device's location in addition to the terminal's reported GNSS position based on satellite navigation positioning to meet potential regulatory requirements.

[0039] Positioning technology

[0040] As communication technologies mature, some communication systems (such as 5G systems) can implement an increasing number of communication algorithms. These algorithms can include high-speed information transmission and positioning technologies. For example, the NTN system described above can achieve terminal device positioning not only through GNSS but also through communication algorithms to meet the needs of the NTN system.

[0041] Some wireless communication systems may include a server. The location coordinates of a terminal device may be calculated in the server. Such a server may also be called a positioning server.

[0042] The positioning server may be a network device with a positioning function provided by an operator. The network device with a positioning function may be a core network device or a cloud server. For example, the positioning server involved in the embodiment of the present application may include one or more of a location management function (LMF), a location management component (LMC), and a local location management function (LLMF) located in the network device, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0043] Among positioning technologies, RTT positioning technology is given priority due to its high accuracy and its independence from timing synchronization between network devices and terminal devices. The following describes RTT positioning technology.

[0044] RTT positioning

[0045] In a communication system, RTT positioning needs to be determined based on the UL signal and DL signal transmitted between the network device and the terminal device. The signal can be, for example, a reference signal or a pilot signal. Figure 2A is an example diagram of a method for determining RTT.

[0046] The method shown in FIG2A can be performed by an initializing device and a responding device. The responding device can be a device to be located. For example, the responding device can be a terminal device, and the initializing device can be a network device. The network device can be, for example, an access network device.

[0047] The method shown in FIG. 2A may include steps S210 to S240 .

[0048] Step S210: The initializing device sends an RTT measurement request to the responding device.

[0049] Step S220: The initializing device sends an RTT measurement signal 1 to the responding device.

[0050] The initializing device sends RTT measurement signal 1 at time t0. Due to transmission delay, the responding device receives RTT measurement signal 1 at time t1. That is, the time of arrival (TOA) of RTT measurement signal 1 is at time t1.

[0051] The RTT measurement signal 1 may include, for example, a DL positioning reference signal (PRS).

[0052] Step S230: The responding device sends an RTT measurement signal 2 to the initializing device.

[0053] The responding device sends RTT measurement signal 2 at time t2. Due to transmission delay, the initiating device receives RTT measurement signal 2 at time t3. That is, the TOA of RTT measurement signal 2 is at time t3.

[0054] The RTT measurement signal 2 may include, for example, a sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0055] When the initialization device is a network device, the difference between time t3 and time t0 (t3-t0) can be expressed as the time difference between the network device receiving and sending. The time difference between the network device receiving and sending can be obtained by gNB. Rx-Tx express.

[0056] In some embodiments, the gNB Rx-Tx Can meet: gNB Rx-Tx =T gNB-RX -T gNB-TX Among them, T gNB-RX It can be the transmission reference point (TRP) (or simply reference point) containing the reception timing of the uplink subframe #i of the SRS associated with the terminal device, defined by the first detected time path. gNB-TX It can be the TRP transmission timing of the downlink subframe #j that is closest in time to the subframe #i received from the terminal device. A plurality of SRS resources can be used to determine the start of one subframe containing SRS.

[0057] Step S240: The responding device sends the difference between time t2 and time t1 (t2-t1) to the initializing device via an RTT report. In the case where the responding device is a terminal device, the difference between time t2 and time t1 can be expressed as the time difference between the terminal device receiving and sending. The time difference between the terminal device receiving and sending can be expressed as the time difference between the terminal device receiving and sending. Tx-Rx express.

[0058] In some embodiments, the UE Tx-Rx Can meet: UE Tx-Rx =T UE-TX -T UE-RX Among them, T UE-RX is the timing of the downlink subframe #i received by the terminal device from the transmission point (TP), defined by the first detected time path. UE-TX is the terminal device transmission timing of the uplink subframe #j that is closest in time to the subframe #i received from the TP. Multiple DL PRSs or CSI-RSs can be used to determine this subframe.

[0059] Based on time t0, time t3 and the difference between time t2 and time t1 received, RTT can be calculated. For example, RTT can satisfy: RTT = t3-t0-(t2-t1). Or, based on UE Tx-Rx and gNB Rx-Tx The RTT can be obtained. That is, the RTT can satisfy: RTT = gNB Rx-Tx -UE Tx-Rx .

[0060] For example, the terminal device may transmit an RTT report to the positioning server, where the RTT report may include the UE time measured for at least one network device. Tx-Rx The network device may transmit an RTT report to the positioning server, which may include the gNB Rx-Tx The positioning server can be based on RTT = gNB Rx-Tx -UE Tx-Rx Determine RTT. RTT report can also be called measurement report.

[0061] For the communication system, before step S210, the positioning server may send PRS configuration information to the terminal device to indicate the DL PRS configuration associated with different network devices. The positioning server may also indicate SRS information to the terminal device so that the terminal device transmits UL PRS based on the SRS information for the network device to measure.

[0062] After obtaining the RTT, the one-way path delay can be obtained. For example, the one-way path delay R can satisfy (gNB Rx-Tx -UE Tx-Rx ) / 2. As shown in Figure 2B, gNB Rx-Tx and UE Tx-Rx The time difference between them is equal to twice the single path delay R.

[0063] The distance d between the network device and the terminal device can satisfy: d = R × c, where c represents the speed of light.

[0064] Based on the distance between the network device and the terminal device, the terminal device can be positioned.

[0065] Exemplarily, RTT positioning technology can use multiple RTTs to achieve positioning. For example, in a communication system, multiple RTTs can be measured between a network device and a terminal device. Based on these multiple RTTs, the distance between the terminal device and each network device can be determined, thereby calculating the terminal device's location.

[0066] As shown in Figure 3, terminal device positioning can be achieved using three network devices: gNB1, gNB2, and gNB3. The distance between the terminal device and the corresponding gNB can be calculated based on the RTT1 between gNB1 and the terminal device, the RTT2 between gNB2 and the terminal device, and the RTT3 between gNB3 and the terminal device, thereby determining the terminal device's location.

[0067] It should be noted that FIG3 is only an example, and the positioning of the terminal device can be achieved through other numbers of network devices.

[0068] RTT Positioning in NTN

[0069] Taking satellites as an example of non-terrestrial network equipment, multi-RTT technology can be divided into the following two types: single-satellite multi-RTT and multi-satellite multi-RTT.

[0070] Single-satellite multi-RTT can use the movement of satellites (such as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites) to perform multiple measurements at different times, thereby obtaining the distances between multiple reference points of the satellite and the terminal device, and then determining the location of the terminal device.

[0071] Multi-satellite multi-RTT is to measure based on multiple satellites at similar times to obtain the distance between multiple satellites and terminal devices, and then determine the location of the terminal device.

[0072] Unlike terrestrial communications, non-terrestrial network devices in NTN scenarios can move at high speeds. For example, LEOs can move at very high speeds (e.g., 7.6 km / s). Therefore, RTT positioning in NTNs may cause positioning anomalies due to the high-speed movement of non-terrestrial network devices.

[0073] For example, due to the high-speed movement of satellites, the time delay between the satellite and the terminal device may change, which may affect the performance of the communication link and, in turn, the RTT positioning accuracy. For example, the timing drift (or time drift) of the downlink service link can be a factor that needs to be considered for RTT positioning in NTN scenarios. For another example, due to the high-speed movement of satellites, the duration of the DL subframe received by the terminal device or the uplink subframe received by the satellite may change (shorten or increase).

[0074] Doppler shift can cause time drift. Doppler shift is a frequency change caused by the linear motion of either the source or the receiver relative to the observer. This frequency change affects the phase and timing characteristics of the signal. When a signal undergoes Doppler shift, the frequency of the signal changes, which in turn causes a phase shift. For example, in an NTN system, as a satellite approaches a terminal device, the wavelength of the received signal shortens, causing the frequency to increase; while as the satellite moves away from the terminal device, the wavelength lengthens, causing the frequency to decrease. Therefore, Doppler shift causes the phase of the received signal to mismatch with its original transmission time, resulting in time drift. Therefore, time drift can be caused by phase changes rather than actual clock drift. The signal receiver can perform corrections to compensate for the time drift caused by Doppler shift. This is crucial in many applications, particularly those requiring high-precision time and phase synchronization, such as satellite communications, radar, and satellite navigation systems.

[0075] In the case of relatively low-speed relative motion between the terminal device and network equipment (compared to the terminal device and satellite), for example, if the terminal device is on a high-speed train, assuming the train is moving at 300 km / h, it would take an hour to reach the propagation distance of 300 km corresponding to one subframe (assuming a subframe length of 1ms, the signal propagates 300 km in 1ms). The difference in transmit and receive time is much less than one hour. In contrast, for a satellite, a typical operating speed is 7.5 km / s at an altitude of 750 km. Assuming a subframe length of 1ms, in 1ms, the signal propagates 300 km, and the satellite travels 7.5 km. Therefore, when the satellite moves along the line connecting to the terminal device, it can reach the propagation distance corresponding to one subframe in 40 seconds.

[0076] In response to the above problems, this application proposes to consider the influence of the moving speed of non-ground network devices in RTT positioning technology, so as to achieve more accurate positioning.

[0077] FIG4 is a schematic flow chart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in FIG4 can be performed by a communication device. The communication device may include one or more of the following: a terminal device, a network device, and a positioning server. The network device may include a non-terrestrial network device (e.g., a satellite).

[0078] The method shown in FIG. 4 may include step S410 .

[0079] Step S410: The communication device determines the distance between the satellite and the terminal device according to the moving speed of the satellite and the first RTT.

[0080] The first RTT can be determined using a first positioning signal and a second positioning signal. The first positioning signal can be sent by a satellite to the terminal device, and the second positioning signal can be sent by the terminal device to the satellite. For example, the first positioning signal can be a PRS, and the second positioning signal can be an SRS.

[0081] For example, the first RTT can be determined by the first time difference and the second time difference. The time difference between the satellite receiving the second positioning signal and the satellite sending the first positioning signal can be the first time difference. That is, the first time difference can be the gNB mentioned above. Rx-Tx The time difference between the terminal device sending the second positioning signal and the terminal device receiving the first positioning signal may be the second time difference. That is, the second time difference may be the UE Tx-Rx .

[0082] Optionally, the distance between the satellite and the terminal device can be directly represented by the absolute distance between the satellite and the terminal device, or by the moving distance of the satellite relative to the terminal device within the time corresponding to the sending and receiving time difference (i.e., the moving distance within the first RTT).

[0083] In NTN's RTT positioning, this application proposes that when calculating the distance between a satellite and a terminal device, not only the RTT but also the satellite's speed should be considered. This means that the dynamic positional changes of the satellite and the terminal device can be taken into account when calculating the distance between the satellite and the terminal device, thereby more accurately positioning the terminal device. For example, by taking into account the satellite's speed, Doppler shift can be corrected, enabling accurate positioning measurement results based on the first positioning signal and / or the second positioning signal, thereby ensuring positioning performance and accuracy.

[0084] After considering the moving speed of the satellite, NTN's RTT positioning can be implemented based on the terrestrial communication positioning technology in the relevant technology, so that with relatively small changes to the relevant technology, NTN's RTT positioning can also achieve high-precision positioning effects.

[0085] In some embodiments, the cell in which the terminal device is located may include a reference point. The reference point may be any point within the cell. For example, the reference point may be the center of the cell or a known point within the cell. The satellite's velocity may include a first component velocity on a line connecting the satellite and the reference point. In other words, the first component velocity may be the component of the satellite's velocity on the line. The distance between the satellite and the terminal device may be determined based on the first component velocity.

[0086] As you can understand, satellites typically maintain a constant altitude as they orbit the Earth, depending on their trajectory. The first component of velocity reflects the speed at which a satellite is approaching or receding. Therefore, using the first component of velocity to calculate the distance between a terminal device and a satellite will result in more accurate results.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first component velocity can be determined based on the satellite's direction of movement (or running direction) and the angle between a connecting line. The connecting line is the connecting line between the terminal device and the satellite described above. Based on the angle, the satellite's velocity can be mapped to the connecting line direction, thereby obtaining the first component velocity.

[0088] In some embodiments, the moving direction of the satellite and / or the direction of the connecting line can be determined based on the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0089] In some embodiments, the distance d between the satellite and the terminal device may satisfy the following: d = R × (c + v). R may represent a one-way path delay. c may represent the speed of light. v may represent a first component of the speed. R may be determined based on the first RTT. For example, R may be half of the first RTT.

[0090] It is understood that when calculating the distance d, a reference point is selected. When the distance between the reference point and the terminal device is far, the calculated distance d will not accurately reflect the distance between the terminal device and the satellite. Therefore, this application proposes a method for correcting the distance d to obtain a weighted distance. The weighted distance can more accurately reflect the distance between the terminal device and the satellite.

[0091] For example, the first position can be obtained by solving the position of the terminal device based on the distance d. The moving speed of the satellite may include a second component speed on the line connecting the first position and the satellite. The line connecting the first position and the satellite may be a second line. The second component speed may be determined based on the angle between the satellite's moving direction and the second line. The weighted distance d2 between the satellite and the terminal device may satisfy: d2 = R × (c + v2); wherein R represents the one-way path delay, the R is determined based on the first RTT, c represents the speed of light, and v2 represents the second component speed.

[0092] The location of the terminal device can be calculated again by weighted distance to obtain more accurate location information.

[0093] As a possible implementation manner, the communication device may perform the following steps to determine the distance between the terminal device and the satellite.

[0094] In step 1, the communication device determines the satellite's direction of movement based on the satellite ephemeris. The communication device can also determine the direction of the connection between the terminal's satellites based on the satellite ephemeris information. Based on the connection direction and the direction of movement, the communication device can determine the angle between the satellite's direction of movement and the connection direction.

[0095] Step 2: Based on the moving direction and running speed of the satellite and the angle calculated in step 1, the communication device can calculate the moving speed of the satellite in the connecting direction (ie, the first component speed).

[0096] Step 3: Based on the moving speed of the satellite in the direction of the satellite terminal connection and the time difference between sending and receiving, the communication device calculates the moving distance of the satellite relative to the terminal device within the time corresponding to the time difference between sending and receiving.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first RTT can be determined by the time difference between the terminal device and the satellite.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first RTT may be determined according to a timing advance (TA).

[0099] As shown in Figure 5, when the terminal device reports the time difference between sending and receiving, it uses the timing of the uplink subframe as a reference, but the time of actually receiving the first signal is determined by the subframe header according to the timing of the downlink subframe. As shown in Figure 5, TA1, this application proposes that TA1 can be expressed as the sum of an integer number of subframes and a subframe that is less than one. In other words, TA can satisfy n*t s +t 0_UE Where n can be an integer. s is the length of a subframe. 0_UE It indicates the time when an integer number of subframes is seen in TA and less than one subframe is seen. As can be seen from Figure 5, t 0_UE UE Tx-Rx .

[0100] If the effect of integer multiple subframe length is removed, the uplink timing should be ahead of the downlink timing by t 0_UE . What the terminal device reports is not the actual time difference between sending and receiving, but the time difference specified in the TN system. That is, the terminal device reports the actual index difference between the uplink subframe j and the downlink subframe i received for positioning pilot. Among them, the uplink subframe j is closest in time to the downlink subframe i received from TP for positioning pilot. As shown in Figure 5. The downlink subframe i is the subframe in which the terminal device receives the downlink pilot sent by UTSRP, and the uplink subframe j is the subframe closest to subframe i, but no uplink pilot is sent in this uplink subframe.

[0101] It can be seen that the time difference between sending and receiving reported by the terminal equipment marked in Figure 5 is UE Tx-RxIt can be reflected by TA information. Or, TA information can reflect UE Tx-Rx That is, the TA information can contain t 0_UE Because the network equipment can obtain UE information through TA information. Tx-Rx Therefore, the terminal device may not send UE Tx-Rx , thereby reducing the number of UE Tx-Rx Power and resources consumed.

[0102] It should be noted that the UE is determined by TA information Tx-Rx And / or the terminal device does not report UE Tx-Rx The technical solution can be applied to a TN system or an NTN system, and this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive first configuration information sent by the network device. The first configuration information may be used to instruct the terminal device whether to report and send the second time difference. In other words, the first configuration information may be used to configure whether the terminal device reports the UE Tx-Rx .

[0104] It is understandable that, based on the first configuration information, this application can be combined with the related art where the terminal device needs to report the UE Tx- Rx compatible with the technical solutions.

[0105] It should be noted that the present application does not limit the manner of transmitting the first configuration information. For example, the network device may send the first configuration information in the form of broadcast.

[0106] In some embodiments, the first configuration information may be applicable to terminal devices in all cells, that is, all terminal devices in the cell may use the same configuration.

[0107] In some embodiments, the network device may configure different first configuration information for different terminal devices. For example, the first configuration information may be set based on the first information of the terminal device. The first information may include one or more of the following information of the terminal device: positioning service level, power consumption of the terminal device, and power reserve. For example, the first configuration information may indicate that when the positioning service level of the terminal device is high, the terminal device needs to report the UE Tx-Rx , in order to achieve more accurate positioning. For another example, the first configuration information may indicate that: when the current power consumption of the terminal device is high, the terminal device does not need to report to the UE Tx-Rx , in order to avoid the increase of power consumption of the terminal device. For another example, the first configuration information may indicate that when the power reserve of the terminal device is small, the terminal device does not need to report the UE Tx-Rx, to avoid excessive power consumption of terminal equipment.

[0108] The positioning server can receive the TA information of the terminal device. The TA information of the terminal device can be sent by the terminal device or sent to the positioning server by other network devices.

[0109] The TA information may include one or more of the following information: the value of TA, whether TA is adjusted, the adjustment amount of TA, etc.

[0110] It should be noted that in the NTN system, the TA of the terminal device changes rapidly over time. Therefore, in the NTN system, the TA information of the terminal device needs to be reported to the positioning server in a timely manner so that the positioning server can perform accurate positioning.

[0111] In some embodiments, the terminal device's TA information is determined and notified by the access network device. Alternatively, the terminal device may report its self-determined TA information to the access network device. In this case, if the positioning server and the access network device are separately located, the positioning server can communicate with the access network to obtain the terminal device's TA information. For example, if the positioning server is located on the ground, it can more conveniently communicate with the ground access network device to obtain the terminal device's TA information. If the positioning server is located within the access network device, the positioning service itself can obtain the terminal device's TA information.

[0112] In some embodiments, the TA information of a terminal device is adjusted or determined by the terminal device itself. For example, the terminal device may measure downlink pilot signals to adjust the TA. In this case, the terminal device needs to report the TA information to the network device or positioning server each time it adjusts the TA. After receiving the TA information, the network device may send it to the positioning server.

[0113] In some cases, the uplink TA corresponding to a terminal device receiving the first positioning signal may be different from the uplink TA corresponding to the terminal device transmitting the second positioning signal. For example, in the NTN system, due to the high-speed movement of satellites, the distance between the satellite and the terminal device is constantly changing. To maintain uplink synchronization, the TA changes rapidly, which may lead to the above situation. Continuing with Figure 5, TA1 is the TA when the terminal device receives the first positioning signal, and TA2 is the TA when the terminal device transmits the second positioning signal. TA1 and TA2 may be different.

[0114] In some embodiments, the device sending TA information can send a time, node, or time period at which the TA can be adjusted. This allows the positioning server to learn the TA corresponding to the transmission of the first positioning signal. In some embodiments, the node at which the TA can be adjusted can meet one or more of the following: network device configuration, pre-configuration, preset value, or protocol requirements. For example, the device sending TA information can report TA information within a first time period before the node.

[0115] It should be noted that the first duration may satisfy one or more of the following: network device configuration, pre-configuration, preset value, or protocol requirements. Taking into account the latency of satellite transmission, the first duration may be longer. For example, the first duration may be expressed in seconds. The first duration may be, for example, 2 seconds. Alternatively, the first duration may be tens of milliseconds (ms) relative to the uplink adjustment time.

[0116] In some embodiments, the device sending the TA information may report the TA information only before adjusting the TA. When the terminal device does not adjust the TA, the device may not send the TA information. In this way, the positioning server can know the TA corresponding to the transmission of the first positioning signal.

[0117] In some embodiments, the TA value may remain unchanged during the first time period, i.e., the TA is not adjusted. The first time period may include: the transmission time period of the first positioning signal and / or the transmission time period of the second positioning signal. In other words, the TA adjustment time may be staggered with the transmission time of the first positioning signal and / or the second positioning signal.

[0118] In some embodiments, the network device can calculate the transmission time period of the first positioning signal based on the satellite's altitude and / or ephemeris information. For example, when performing position calculation, the positioning server can determine the approximate time when the terminal device receives the first positioning signal. For example, the time when the satellite sends the first positioning signal is t s The satellite is 750 km away from the Earth, and the propagation time of the first positioning signal is much less than 1 second. It can be assumed that TA remains unchanged during the transmission period of the first positioning signal.

[0119] In some embodiments, the TA adjustment time may be agreed upon in a protocol. The protocol stipulates the TA adjustment time so that the PRS transmission time and the TA adjustment time can be staggered. The positioning service can obtain TA information based on the recorded TA value and PRS transmission time.

[0120] In some embodiments, the TA corresponding to the time period for transmitting the first positioning signal is the first TA, and the TA corresponding to the time period for transmitting the second positioning signal is the second TA. Tx-Rx ) can be determined based on the first TA and / or the second TA.Tx-Rx It can be determined based on the difference between the first TA and the second TA. Tx-Rx It can be determined based on the difference between TA1 and TA2.

[0121] The method embodiments of the present application are described in detail above, and the device embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the description of the device embodiments, so for parts not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiments.

[0122] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 600 includes a determining unit 610 .

[0123] The determination unit 610 is used to determine the distance between the satellite and the terminal device based on the satellite's moving speed and the first RTT; wherein the first RTT is determined by the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal, the first positioning signal is sent by the satellite to the terminal device, and the second positioning signal is sent by the terminal device to the satellite.

[0124] In some embodiments, the cell where the terminal device is located includes a reference point, the moving speed includes a first component speed on a line connecting the satellite and the reference point, and the distance between the satellite and the terminal device is determined based on the first component speed.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first component velocity is determined based on an angle between the satellite's moving direction and the connecting line.

[0126] In some embodiments, the direction of movement of the satellite and / or the direction of the connection line is determined based on ephemeris information.

[0127] In some embodiments, the distance d between the satellite and the terminal device satisfies: d=R×(c+v); wherein R represents the one-way path delay, R is determined based on the first RTT, c represents the speed of light, and v represents the first component speed.

[0128] In some embodiments, the distance is used to calculate the position of the terminal device to obtain a first position, and the moving speed includes the first position and a second component speed on the satellite line. The weighted distance d2 between the satellite and the terminal device satisfies: d2 = R × (c + v2); where R represents the one-way path delay, R is determined based on the first RTT, c represents the speed of light, and v2 represents the second component speed.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first RTT is determined by the TA.

[0130] In some embodiments, the value of TA remains unchanged during a first time period, where the first time period includes: a transmission time period of the first positioning signal and / or a transmission time period of the second positioning signal.

[0131] In an optional embodiment, the determining unit 610 may be a processor 710. The communication device 600 may further include a memory 720 and a transceiver 730, as specifically shown in FIG7 .

[0132] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in FIG7 indicate that the unit or module is optional. Apparatus 700 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. Apparatus 700 may be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0133] The device 700 may include one or more processors 710. The processor 710 may support the device 700 to implement the method described in the method embodiment above. The processor 710 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0134] The apparatus 700 may further include one or more memories 720. The memories 720 store programs that can be executed by the processor 710, causing the processor 710 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 720 may be independent of the processor 710 or integrated into the processor 710.

[0135] The apparatus 700 may further include a transceiver 730. The processor 710 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 730. For example, the processor 710 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 730.

[0136] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device provided in the present invention, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present invention.

[0137] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to the communication device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0138] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute the method executed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0139] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0140] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0141] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0142] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0143] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0144] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0145] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0146] In the embodiments of this application, the term "include" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Alternatively, the term "include" in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicates" or "is used to determine." For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B."

[0147] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0148] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0149] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0150] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0151] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0152] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The communication device determines the distance between the satellite and the terminal device according to the moving speed of the satellite and the first round-trip time RTT; The first RTT is determined by a first positioning signal and a second positioning signal, the first positioning signal is sent by the satellite to the terminal device, and the second positioning signal is sent by the terminal device to the satellite.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The cell where the terminal device is located includes a reference point, the moving speed includes a first component speed on a line connecting the satellite and the reference point, and the distance between the satellite and the terminal device is determined according to the first component speed.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first component velocity is determined based on an angle between the satellite moving direction and the connecting line.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The moving direction of the satellite and / or the direction of the connecting line is determined based on the ephemeris information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The distance d between the satellite and the terminal device satisfies: d=R×(c+v); wherein R represents the one-way path delay, R is determined based on the first RTT, c represents the speed of light, and v represents the first component speed.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The distance is used to calculate the position of the terminal device to obtain a first position, and the moving speed includes a second component speed on the line connecting the first position and the satellite. The weighted distance d2 between the satellite and the terminal device satisfies: d2=R×(c+v2); wherein R represents a one-way path delay, R is determined based on the first RTT, c represents the speed of light, and v2 represents the second component speed.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The first RTT is determined by a timing advance TA.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that In a first time period, the value of the TA remains unchanged, and the first time period includes: a transmission time period of the first positioning signal and / or a transmission time period of the second positioning signal.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A determination unit, configured to determine a distance between the satellite and the terminal device according to a moving speed of the satellite and a first round-trip time RTT; The first RTT is determined by a first positioning signal and a second positioning signal, the first positioning signal is sent by the satellite to the terminal device, and the second positioning signal is sent by the terminal device to the satellite.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that The cell where the terminal device is located includes a reference point, the moving speed includes a first component speed on a line connecting the satellite and the reference point, and the distance between the satellite and the terminal device is determined according to the first component speed.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that The first component velocity is determined based on an angle between the satellite moving direction and the connecting line.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that The moving direction of the satellite and / or the direction of the connecting line is determined based on the ephemeris information.

13. The communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The distance d between the satellite and the terminal device satisfies: d=R×(c+v); wherein R represents the one-way path delay, R is determined based on the first RTT, c represents the speed of light, and v represents the first component speed.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, characterized in that The distance is used to calculate the position of the terminal device to obtain a first position, and the moving speed includes a second component speed on the line connecting the first position and the satellite. The weighted distance d2 between the satellite and the terminal device satisfies: d2=R×(c+v2); wherein R represents a one-way path delay, R is determined based on the first RTT, c represents the speed of light, and v2 represents the second component speed.

15. The communication device according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that: The first RTT is determined by a timing advance TA.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that In a first time period, the value of the TA remains unchanged, and the first time period includes: a transmission time period of the first positioning signal and / or a transmission time period of the second positioning signal.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

18. A device, characterized in that: The device comprises a processor, which is used to call a program from a memory so that the device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

19. A chip, characterized in that: It comprises a processor, which is used to call a program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A program is stored thereon, and the program enables a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

21. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises a program which causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

22. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program enables a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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