Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: an LMF receiving first information from a terminal device or a network device, wherein the first information indicates that the terminal device is located within a near-field communication range or a far-field communication range corresponding to the network device; and then, the LMF selecting an appropriate positioning method on the basis of the first information, so as to position the terminal device. The method can prevent the problem of a positioning result being inaccurate due to an inappropriate positioning method being used because an LMF cannot directly sense whether a terminal device is located within a near-field communication range or a far-field communication range.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 30, 2023, with application number 202311428393.1 and application name “Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] As the antenna panel increases in size and the communication frequency band becomes higher, the near-field communication range of the base station may be further expanded. For example, the communication radius can reach tens of meters or even hundreds of meters, so near-field communication will become possible in the future. The positioning method in far-field communication is generally based on the plane wave assumption, and the equal phase surface of the plane wave is a plane. However, the plane wave assumption does not hold true in the near field. Near-field communication needs to be modeled based on the spherical wave model. The equal phase surface during the propagation of electromagnetic waves is a sphere. It can be understood that since the channel models used in the near-field communication range and the far-field communication range are different, the positioning methods that can be used should also be different. Since the location management function (LMF) network element cannot directly sense whether the terminal device is in the near-field communication range and the far-field communication range, it may use an inappropriate positioning method, resulting in inaccurate positioning of the terminal device.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can avoid the problem of inaccurate positioning results caused by using inappropriate positioning methods due to the inability of the positioning management function network element to directly perceive that the terminal device is within the near-field communication range or the far-field communication range.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a location management function network element, or may be executed by a component of the location management function network element (e.g., a chip or circuit), without limitation. For ease of description, the following description uses execution by a location management function network element (LMF) as an example.

[0007] The method includes: LMF receives first information, the first information indicates that the terminal device is in the near-field communication range or far-field communication range corresponding to the network device; LMF selects an appropriate positioning method based on the first information to locate the terminal device.

[0008] In certain implementations of the first aspect, the LMF receives the first information, including: the LMF receives the first information from the terminal device.

[0009] In one embodiment, the network device may specify a condition or method for the terminal device to send the first information to the LMF. For example, two possible conditions or methods for the terminal device to report the first information are given below.

[0010] Example 1: The network device configures an event trigger for the terminal device. Once the event occurs, the terminal device reports the first information to the LMF. In this example, the trigger event can be when the terminal device switches between far-field and near-field, or when the terminal device enters the near-field, or when the far-field reference signal measured by the terminal device is higher than a given threshold, or when the near-field reference signal measured by the terminal device is higher than a given threshold.

[0011] Example 2: The network device may request the terminal device to periodically report the first information. For example, the network device may configure the above conditions or methods to the terminal device when the positioning service is initiated, or the network device may also send the above conditions or methods through a broadcast message, for example, by sending information corresponding to the above conditions or methods in the SIB or posSIB. In another embodiment, the terminal device may send the first information to the LMF on its own. For example, the terminal device reports the first information to the LMF before each positioning.

[0012] In another embodiment, the terminal device may send the first information to the LMF based on a request from the LMF. For example, the LMF may request the terminal device to report the first information before each positioning operation. In certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information is carried in a positioning protocol message. For example, the positioning protocol message is an LPP message.

[0013] In certain implementations of the first aspect, the positioning protocol message is used to request assistance data for positioning measurement. For example, the positioning protocol message is a Request Assistance Data message; or the positioning protocol message is used to provide location information of the terminal device. For example, the positioning protocol message is a Provide Location Information message.

[0014] In certain implementations of the first aspect, the first information is carried in a non-access stratum (NAS) message or a location service (LCS) message.

[0015] In certain implementations of the first aspect, a NAS message or an LCS message is used to initiate a positioning service request.

[0016] In certain implementations of the first aspect, the LMF receives the first information, including: the LMF receives the first information from the network device.

[0017] In certain implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: the LMF sends a first request message to the network device, the first request message requests the network device to report that the terminal device is in the near-field communication range or the far-field communication range; then the LMF receives the first information from the network device, including: the LMF receives a first request response message from the network device, the first request response message includes the first information.

[0018] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a terminal device, or may be executed by a component of the terminal device (such as a chip or circuit), without limitation. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a terminal device.

[0019] The method includes: the terminal device determines first information, the first information indicates that the terminal device is in a near-field communication range or a far-field communication range corresponding to the network device; the terminal device sends the first information to a positioning management function LMF.

[0020] In certain implementations of the second aspect, the first information is carried in a positioning protocol message.

[0021] In certain implementations of the second aspect, the positioning protocol message is used to request provision of assistance data for positioning measurement; or, the positioning protocol message is used to provide location information of the terminal device.

[0022] In certain implementations of the second aspect, the first information is carried in a non-access stratum (NAS) message or a location service (LCS) message.

[0023] In certain implementations of the second aspect, a NAS message or an LCS message is used to initiate a positioning service request.

[0024] In certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device receiving system broadcast information from the network device, the broadcast information indicating that the terminal device receiving the broadcast information is within a near-field communication range or a far-field communication range. For example, the network device sets one bit in a master information block (MIB) to indicate the near-field information or the far-field information. For example, the network device sets one bit in a system information block (SIB) 1 or other SIB to indicate the near-field or far-field information.

[0025] In certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device determining, based on historically acquired location information of the terminal device, whether the terminal device is located in a near-field communication range or a far-field communication range.

[0026] For example, the terminal device obtains its own position in the most recent positioning. At this time, the terminal device can compare the historical positioning result with the near-field communication range to determine whether it has entered the near field.

[0027] For example, the near field communication range here can be a theoretical range of the radiated near field, or a specified or configured range, which is not specifically limited in this application. For example, the communication radius of the theoretical range of the radiated near field can generally be expressed as Where D is the maximum geometric dimension of the antenna and λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave. However, this also depends on the specific channel model, etc. This application does not limit the formula for calculating the communication radius of the radiation near-field area.

[0028] Optionally, in order to estimate the near-field range based on the theoretical radiation near-field formula, the terminal device can also obtain information #1 from the network device. Information #1 may include at least one of the following parameters: the maximum geometric dimensions of the antenna of the serving cell network device, the frequency or wavelength information of the electromagnetic wave, and the position of the antenna.

[0029] In certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device determining, based on channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal, that the terminal device is located in a near-field communication range or a far-field communication range.

[0030] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a network device, or may be executed by a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) in the network device, without limitation. For ease of description, the following description is based on an example of execution by a network device.

[0031] The method includes: the network device determines first information, the first information indicates that the terminal device is in a near-field communication range or a far-field communication range corresponding to the network device; the network device sends the first information to a positioning management function LMF.

[0032] For example, the network device may determine whether the terminal device is located in the near field based on a reference signal (eg, SRS) or other signal sent by the terminal device, and thereby determine the first information.

[0033] For example, the terminal device may provide the network device with far-field and near-field information of the terminal device, such as reporting the far-field and near-field information of the terminal device by the terminal device, thereby helping the network device determine the first information. For example, the terminal device may report the far-field and near-field information of the terminal device to the network device via an RRC message, a media access control (MAC) message, or a UCI message.

[0034] Optionally, the terminal device may also report the far-field and near-field information to the network device based on the method or conditions described in implementation method one.

[0035] Optionally, in this implementation method, the manner or conditions for the terminal device to report the far-field and near-field information to the network device may also be configured by the network device, or the network device may request the terminal device to report the far-field and near-field information.

[0036] In certain implementations of the third aspect, the method also includes: the network device receives a first request message from the LMF, the first request message requests the network device to report that the terminal device is in the near-field communication range or the far-field communication range; then the network device sends the first information to the LMF, including: the network device sends a first request response message to the LMF, the first request response message includes the first information.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a location management function network element, or may be executed by a component of the location management function network element (e.g., a chip or circuit), without limitation. For ease of description, the following description uses execution by a location management function network element LMF as an example.

[0038] The method includes: LMF sends a first request message to the network device, the first request message is used to request the network device to send a first reference signal or change the configuration information of the first reference signal, the first reference signal is a reference signal within the near-field communication range corresponding to the network device; LMF receives a first request response message from the network device, the first request response message includes the configuration information of the first reference signal.

[0039] In the above technical solution, enabling LMF to initiate a near-field reference signal configuration request to the network side can avoid inaccurate positioning results caused by the terminal device entering the near-field range.

[0040] For example, the first request information includes information #1, and information #1 includes at least one of the following parameters:

[0041] 1) Transmission characteristic information of the first reference signal. For example, the transmission characteristic information includes information such as period and bandwidth.

[0042] 2) Distance and angle information corresponding to the first reference signal. For example, the terminal device is requested to transmit the first reference signal within a specified distance range, where the distance specified for transmitting the first reference signal represents a radius distance centered on the TRP or reference antenna, or the distance and angle corresponding to the first reference signal are the distance and angle of the energy convergence center of the beam corresponding to the first reference signal relative to the reference antenna of the network device.

[0043] For example, if the distance range is [d1, d2], the distance range may be within a circular area represented by two radii centered on the reference antenna. When beamforming the first reference signal, the network device may adjust the beamforming so that the first reference signal is focused within the range represented by [d1, d2]. That is, the energy convergence center of the beam corresponding to the first reference signal is within the range represented by [d1, d2].

[0044] 3) Instructing the network device to transmit a reference signal using a reference signal resource, where the reference signal frequency domain resource corresponds to different frequency domain units. For example, the frequency domain unit may be a subcarrier, etc. In certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the configuration information of the first reference signal includes angle information and distance information corresponding to the first reference signal, where the distance corresponding to the first reference signal is the angle and distance between the energy convergence center point of the beam corresponding to the first reference signal and a reference antenna of the network device.

[0045] In certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the method also includes: the LMF receives a second request message from the terminal device, the second request message is used to request the LMF to send or change the configuration information of the first reference signal; the LMF sends a second request response message to the terminal device, the second request response message includes the configuration information of the first reference signal.

[0046] In certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the second request message includes first information, and the first information indicates that the terminal device is within the near field communication range.

[0047] In certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the second request message includes second information, where the second information indicates an identifier of at least one reference signal received by the terminal device or a reference signal received power RSRP of at least one reference signal measured by the terminal device.

[0048] In a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device, or can also be executed by a component of the terminal device (such as a chip or circuit), without limitation. For ease of description, the following description is based on the example of execution by a terminal device.

[0049] The method includes: the terminal device sends a second request message to the positioning management function LMF, the second request message is used to request the LMF to send or change the configuration information of the first reference signal, the first reference signal is a reference signal within the near-field communication range corresponding to the network device; the terminal device receives a second request response message from the LMF, the second request response message includes the configuration information of the first reference signal.

[0050] In certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the configuration information of the first reference signal includes angle information and distance information corresponding to the first reference signal beam, wherein the distance corresponding to the first reference signal is the angle and distance between the energy convergence center point of the beam corresponding to the first reference signal and the reference antenna of the network device.

[0051] In certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the second request message includes first information, and the first information indicates that the terminal device is within a near field communication range.

[0052] In certain implementations of the fifth aspect, the terminal device carries relevant information of the received reference signal in the second request message, the LMF carries the relevant information in the first request message and sends it to the network device, and the network device determines the supported reference signal configuration based on the relevant information. For example, the second request message includes second information, and the second information indicates an identifier of at least one reference signal received by the terminal device or index information of a measured synchronization signal block (SSB), or the second information indicates RSRP of at least one reference signal measured by the terminal device or energy information of the measured SSB.

[0053] In the above technical solution, the second information can assist LMF in determining the rough location of the terminal, thereby facilitating the determination of the first information.

[0054] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is used to execute the method provided in any one of the first to fifth aspects. Specifically, the communication device may include a unit and / or module for executing the method provided in the first aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first aspect, or, include a unit and / or module for executing the method provided in the second aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the second aspect, or, include a unit and / or module for executing the method provided in the third aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the third aspect, or, include a unit and / or module for executing the method provided in the fourth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fourth aspect, or, include a unit and / or module for executing the method provided in the fifth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fifth aspect.

[0055] In one implementation, the communication device is a device (e.g., a terminal device, an LMF, or a network device). When the communication device is a device, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit may be at least one processor. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0056] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a device (e.g., a terminal device, an LMF, or a network device). When the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a device, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0057] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a memory for storing programs; at least one processor for executing computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to execute the method provided by the first aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first aspect, or to execute the method provided by the second aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the second aspect, or to execute the method provided by the third aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the third aspect, or to execute the method provided by the fourth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fourth aspect, or to execute the method provided by the fifth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fifth aspect.

[0058] In one implementation, the communication device is a device (such as a terminal device, a LMF, or a network device).

[0059] In another implementation, the device is a chip, a chip system, or a circuit used in a device (such as a terminal device, a LMF, or a network device).

[0060] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a processor for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0061] For the operations such as sending and acquiring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or if they do not conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be understood as processor output, reception, input and other operations, and can also be understood as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and antenna. This application does not limit this.

[0062] In the ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a program code for execution by a device, wherein the program code includes instructions for executing the method provided by the first aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first aspect, or includes instructions for executing the method provided by the second aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the second aspect, or includes instructions for executing the method provided by the third aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the third aspect, or includes instructions for executing the method provided by the fourth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fourth aspect, or includes instructions for executing the method provided by the fifth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fifth aspect.

[0063] In the tenth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method provided by the first aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first aspect, or the computer is caused to execute the method provided by the second aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the second aspect, or the computer is caused to execute the method provided by the third aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the third aspect, or the computer is caused to execute the method provided by the fourth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fourth aspect, or the computer is caused to execute the method provided by the fifth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fifth aspect.

[0064] In the eleventh aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in the memory through the communication interface, executes the method provided by the first aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first aspect, or executes the method provided by the second aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the second aspect, or executes the method provided by the third aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the third aspect, or executes the method provided by the fourth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fourth aspect, or executes the method provided by the fifth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fifth aspect.

[0065] Optionally, as an implementation, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored on the memory. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by the first aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first aspect, or execute the method provided by the second aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the second aspect, or execute the method provided by the third aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the third aspect, or execute the method provided by the fourth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fourth aspect, or execute the method provided by the fifth aspect or any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the fifth aspect.

[0066] In the twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising at least one of the terminal device, LMF and network device mentioned above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0068] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 200 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0069] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the basic process of downlink positioning.

[0070] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a near-field communication range and a far-field communication range.

[0071] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 500 provided in this application.

[0072] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation method of LMF receiving first information given in this application.

[0073] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an on-demand PRS transmission process provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0074] FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 800 provided in this application.

[0075] FIG9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1100 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0076] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] Before introducing the embodiments of the present application, the following points are first explained.

[0079] First, in this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their internal logical relationships.

[0080] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may not depend on other features in certain scenarios, and may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios, without limitation.

[0081] It can be understood that the solutions in the embodiments of this application can be used in combination, and the explanations or descriptions of each term, similar operations or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained with each other in each embodiment, and this application does not limit this.

[0082] Second, in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" 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 and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c. Wherein a, b and c can be single or multiple, respectively.

[0083] Third, throughout this application, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical references are used for descriptive purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they are used to distinguish between different messages, rather than to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that these references are interchangeable, where appropriate, to allow for the description of scenarios beyond the embodiments of this application.

[0084] Fourth, in this application, the terms "comprise" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or are inherent to these processes, methods, products or apparatuses.

[0085] Fifth, in this application, "indication" can include direct indications and indirect indications. When describing that a certain indication information indicates A, it can include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but it does not mean that the indication information must contain A.

[0086] Sixth, in this application, "sending information to XX (device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the device. This can include sending information to the device directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from XX (device) or receiving information from XX (device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the device, which can include receiving information from the device directly or indirectly. The information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can still understand the valid information from the source.

[0087] Seventh, the arrows or boxes shown by dotted lines in the schematic diagrams of the accompanying drawings in the specification of this application represent optional steps or optional modules.

[0088] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR) and future communication systems, vehicle-to-other devices (V2X), where V2X may include vehicle to network (V2N), vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle to infrastructure (V2I), vehicle to pedestrian (V2P), etc., long term evolution-vehicle (LTE-V), Internet of Vehicles, machine type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), etc. things, IoT), long term evolution-machine (LTE-M), machine to machine (M2M), etc.

[0089] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, an audio device, a terminal device in a future 5G network or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0090] The terminal device in this application can also be a road side unit (RSU). RSU is a facility deployed on the roadside for auxiliary communication in the vehicle-mounted delay-tolerant network. It is directly connected to the backbone network and can communicate wirelessly with the vehicle. Compared with the vehicles in the vehicle-mounted delay-tolerant network, RSU has better communication capabilities, coverage and transmission speed, and can communicate with multiple vehicles at the same time. In addition, RSU has a large storage space that can store information and increase the probability of communication. Therefore, by deploying relevant RSU in the road traffic system, on the one hand, it can effectively solve the existing vehicle-mounted Internet access problem, and on the other hand, it can greatly increase the communication opportunities between vehicles. By caching messages through RSU, efficient transmission of messages between vehicles can be achieved.

[0091] Exemplarily, the terminal device may include: a radio resource control (RRC) signaling interaction module, a media access control (MAC) signaling interaction module, and a physical (PHY) signaling interaction module. Among them, the RRC signaling interaction module may be: a module used by the network device and the terminal device to send and receive RRC signaling. The MAC signaling interaction module may be: a module used by the network device and the terminal device to send and receive MAC control element (CE) (MAC-CE) signaling. PHY signaling and data may be: a module used by the network device and the terminal device to send and receive uplink control signaling or downlink control signaling, uplink and downlink data, or downlink data.

[0092] The network device in the embodiment of the present application can be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and the network device includes but is not limited to: an evolved nodeB (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a home base station (for example, home evolved nodeB, or home nodeB, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), or the network device can be a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a network device in a 5G network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network, etc., and can be an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP) or a transmission and reception point (TRP), etc., and can be a new wireless system (new The gNB or transmission point (TRP or TP) in the radio (NR) system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or transmission point, is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] In some deployments, the gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some gNB functions, while the DU implements some gNB functions. For example, the CU is responsible for processing non-real-time protocols and services, and implementing the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers. The DU is responsible for processing physical layer protocols and real-time services, and implementing the functions of the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, RF processing, and active antenna-related functions. Because RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is converted from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can also be considered to be sent by the DU, or by a combination of the DU and the AAU. It is understood that the network device may include one or more of a CU node, a DU node, and an AAU node. In addition, the CU may be classified as a network device in an access network (RAN) or a network device in a core network (CN), which is not limited in this application.

[0094] The network device in the embodiment of the present application may also be an open radio access network (O-RAN) device (open RAN, or ORAN), that is, the network device includes multiple RAN nodes, and the multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal device to achieve wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the network device. As an example, the RAN node can be a CU, DU, CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), or radio unit (RU), etc. Among them, the CU and DU can be set separately, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a BBU. The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, for example, a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). For example, in some deployments, the network device may include a centralized unit (CU) and a DU. In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be referred to as O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be referred to as O-DU (Open DU), CU-CP may also be referred to as O-CU-CP (Open CU-CP), CU-UP may also be referred to as O-CU-UP (Open CU-UP), and RU may also be referred to as O-RU (Open RU). For convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and / or RU as examples for description. Any unit in the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and / or RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0095] Optionally, for network elements in the ORAN system, each network element may implement the protocol layer functions shown in Table 1 below.

[0096] Table 1

[0097] It should be noted that, in the ORAN system, the network device in this application may be one or more network elements in Table 1 above.

[0098] The following describes the architecture of the CU and DU of an access network device. The access network device includes at least one CU and at least one DU. Optionally, the access network device also includes at least one RU.

[0099] The following is an introduction using the example of an access network device including a CU and a DU. The CU has some functions of the core network, and the CU may include a CU-CP and a CU-UP. The CU and the DU may be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement. For example, the CU is configured to implement the functions of the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and the protocol layers above it (for example, the RRC layer and / or the SDAP layer). The DU is configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers below the PDCP layer (for example, the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and / or the physical (PHY) layer). For another example, the CU is configured to implement the functions of the protocol layers above the PDCP layer (such as the RRC layer and / or the SDAP layer), and the DU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer and the protocol layers below it (for example, the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and / or the PHY layer, etc.).

[0100] When a CU includes a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the CU-CP is used to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and the CU-UP is used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when the CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, RRC layer, and SDAP layer, the CU-CP is used to implement the RRC layer functions and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and the CU-UP is used to implement the SDAP layer functions and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer.

[0101] The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network that implement control plane functions. The network elements in the core network that implement control plane functions can be access and mobility function network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in the 5G system. The access and mobility function network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as location update of terminal devices, registration network of terminal devices, and switching of terminal devices.

[0102] The CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network that implement user plane functions. Network elements in the core network that implement user plane functions, such as the User Plane Function (UPF) in the 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices.

[0103] The above configuration of CU and DU is only an example, and the functions of CU and DU can also be configured as needed. For example, the CU or DU can be configured to have the functions of more protocol layers, or the CU or DU can be configured to have partial processing functions of the protocol layer. For example, some functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers above the RLC layer are set in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers below the RLC layer are set in the DU. For another example, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to the service type or other system requirements. For example, according to the delay, the functions whose processing time needs to meet the smaller delay requirement are set in the DU, and the functions that do not need to meet the delay requirement are set in the CU.

[0104] The DU and RU can work together to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and RU can be configured in various ways according to the design. For example, the DU is configured to implement the baseband function, and the RU is configured to implement the mid-RF function. For another example, the DU is configured to implement the high-layer functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement the low-layer functions in the PHY layer or to implement the low-layer functions and the RF functions. The high-layer functions in the physical layer may include a part of the functions of the physical layer, which is closer to the MAC layer, and the low-layer functions in the physical layer may include another part of the functions of the physical layer, which is closer to the mid-RF side.

[0105] It should be noted that the network device can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with an integrated circuit, or a chip, chip system, module or control unit in the aforementioned device or apparatus, and this application does not limit this. It should be noted that in this application, when referring to a network device, it can refer to the network device itself, or it can refer to a chip, functional module or integrated circuit in the network device that performs the method provided in this application, and this application does not limit this.

[0106] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system to which the embodiments of the present application may be applied is first described.

[0107] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The communication system 100 includes a terminal device (represented as a UE in FIG1 ), a radio access network (represented as a next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) in FIG1 ), and a core network.

[0108] The radio access network includes one or more next-generation evolved node Bs (ng-eNBs) and gNBs. An ng-eNB represents an LTE base station connected to the 5G core network, and a gNB represents a 5G base station connected to the 5G core network. Communication between ng-eNBs, between two ng-eNBs, or between two gNBs occurs over the Xn interface. The Xn interface is also called the XnAP interface. The radio access network connects to the core network via the NG-C interface.

[0109] The core network includes other functions such as access and mobility management function (AMF) and location management function (LMF).

[0110] LMF is responsible for supporting different types of location services related to UE, including positioning of UE and transmission of auxiliary data to UE. LMF may exchange signals with RAN, such as ng-eNB or gNB, and UE. For example, LMF and ng-eNB or gNB exchange information through new radio positioning protocol annex (NRPPa) messages, such as obtaining configuration information of positioning reference signal (PRS), sounding reference signal (SRS), cell timing, cell location information, etc. For another example, LMF and UE transmit UE capability information, auxiliary information, measurement information, etc. through LTE positioning protocol (LPP) messages.

[0111] The AMF entity can receive location service requests related to the UE from the location services (LCS) entity of the 5G core network (5G core, 5GC), or the AMF itself can start some location services on behalf of a specific UE and forward the location service request to the LMF.

[0112] The terminal device connects to the radio access network via the ng-eNB via the LTE-Uu interface. The terminal device can also connect to the radio access network via the gNB via the NR-Uu interface.

[0113] It should also be understood that the communication system 100 may include one or more terminal devices, for example, one or more terminal device groups (such as the UE set shown in FIG1 ). A gNB may send data or control signaling to one or more terminal devices. Multiple gNBs may also simultaneously send data or control signaling to a single terminal device.

[0114] Optionally, the ng-eNB and gNB in ​​Figure 1 can also be replaced by TRP, TP, reception point (RP), cell, etc.

[0115] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 200 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the wireless communication system 200 may include at least one terminal device, such as UE101 shown in Figure 2. The wireless communication system 200 may also include multiple network devices (for example, the network device may be a base station (BS) or TRP, and the base station is taken as an example below), wherein the multiple base stations include a base station of a service cell of the terminal device 101 and base stations of one or more neighboring cells of the service cell. The base station of the service cell (also referred to as a service base station) is shown as 102 in Figure 2, and the base stations of the neighboring cells (also referred to as neighboring base stations) include base stations 103 and base stations 104 (not shown in the figure). Both the network device and the terminal device can be configured with multiple antennas, and the network device and the terminal device can communicate using multi-antenna technology.

[0116] Optionally, the base station in Figure 2 can be replaced by TRP, TP, RP, cell, etc.

[0117] In addition to network devices and terminal devices, the wireless communication system 200 may also include an LMF network element 105. The LMF network element 105 can be used to implement location estimation of terminal devices. The LMF network element 105 can be deployed inside the core network, that is, the LMF network element 105 is also a core network element. The LMF network element 105 can communicate with network devices through an AMF network element (not shown in the figure). For ease of description, in the embodiment of the present application, the LMF network element sending information to the network device through the AMF network element is referred to as the LMF network element sending information to the network device. In other words, the LMF network element sending a message to the network device in the embodiment of the present application can be understood as the LMF network element first sending the information to the AMF network element, and the AMF network element forwarding the information to the network device. Optionally, if there is an interface between the LMF network element and the network device, the LMF network element can directly send the information to the network device.

[0118] In some embodiments, some functions of LMF network element 105, such as the location management component (LMC), can be integrated into the network device. For example, base station 102 of the serving cell and base stations 103 and 104 of two neighboring cells all have integrated LMCs. The LMC of the LMF network element integrated into the network device sending information to the network device can also be considered as the LMF network element sending information to the network device.

[0119] It should be noted that the communication system architecture shown in FIG2 is merely an example and is not limited to other architectures. For example, FIG2 shows base station 102 of a serving cell and base stations 103 and 104 of two neighboring cells. Obviously, communication system 200 may also include base stations of more neighboring cells.

[0120] In communication systems 100 and 200, LMF network elements communicate with base stations using the NRPPa protocol. LMF network elements communicate with UEs using the LPP protocol. LMFs exchange cell information with base stations using the NRPPa protocol, such as cell reference signal configuration, cell timing information, and cell geographic location information. LMFs also communicate with UEs using the LPP protocol, including UE capability information, assistance information, and measurement information.

[0121] It should be noted that the names of the various network elements and interfaces in Figures 1 and 2 are merely examples. This application does not exclude the possibility that the network elements may be named differently in the future, or that the functions of the network elements may be merged. As technology evolves, any device or network element that can implement the functions of the aforementioned network elements falls within the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, the aforementioned network elements may also be referred to as entities, devices, apparatuses, functions, or modules, etc., and this application does not specifically limit these terms.

[0122] It should also be noted that the above-mentioned network architecture applied to the embodiment of the present application is only an example of a network architecture described from the perspective of a traditional point-to-point architecture and a service-oriented architecture. The network architecture applicable to the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiment of the present application.

[0123] Below, some terms or concepts in the embodiments of the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0124] 1. Beam: The electromagnetic wave radiation pattern of a group of antenna systems.

[0125] 2. Beamforming: A technique for establishing antenna radiation patterns. Specifically, beamforming is the process of adjusting the amplitude or phase of the signal on the RF link to form a directional electromagnetic wave radiation direction.

[0126] 3. Reference signal received power (RSRP): RSRP measures the power of the reference signal received by the UE. The reference signal here is sent by the base station and measured by the UE. The unit of RSRP is dBm.

[0127] 4. TRP: A group of geographically co-located antennas (e.g., an antenna array with one or more antenna elements) that supports TP and / or RP functionality.

[0128] Positioning is an important function in mobile communication systems, requiring the system to provide users' location information in real time. Currently, the target UE (target UE) can be located through positioning technology, so that the positioning initiator that initiates the positioning service can obtain the location information of the target UE. The positioning initiator can be LCS, UE, or AMF network element. For example: LCS requests the target UE's service AMF to locate the target UE; or, the target UE's service AMF decides to locate the target UE; or, the target UE requests the positioning service from its service AMF, such as due to positioning or transmission of auxiliary information. When the positioning service is triggered, the LMF will further perform positioning-related operations. LMF needs to interact with the base station, such as obtaining auxiliary information related to air interface positioning; LMF also needs to interact with the target UE, such as the capability transmission process, including obtaining the UE's positioning capability, providing the UE with positioning-related auxiliary information, etc.

[0129] In existing positioning, positioning can be performed by transmitting and / or receiving positioning-related reference signals by the target UE, and positioning methods supported in NR and LTE can be used to achieve positioning of the target UE. For example, the positioning-related reference signals include PRS and / or SRS, where PRS is a downlink signal and SRS is an uplink signal.

[0130] Currently, positioning methods include uplink positioning methods and downlink positioning methods. Among them, the uplink positioning method sends a reference signal related to positioning (such as SRS) in the uplink, and the base station performs position calculation. Typical positioning methods include uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) and uplink angle of arrival (UL-AOA). These two positioning methods determine the UE's position by measuring the time difference (TDOA) or angle of arrival (AOA) between the positioning-related signals sent by the UE and the arrival of multiple cell base stations. Correspondingly, the downlink positioning method sends a reference signal related to positioning (such as PRS) in the downlink, and the terminal performs position calculation. Typical positioning methods include downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA). The following describes the basic process of downlink positioning in detail using downlink positioning as an example.

[0131] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the basic process of downlink positioning. As shown in Figure 3, the downlink positioning process includes:

[0132] 301. The LMF obtains UE capabilities through the LPP capability transfer process.

[0133] The UE capability may include the UE's ability to process downlink (DL) reference signals (RS). For ease of description, the process is described using the PRS as an example.

[0134] 302. The LMF sends a TRP information request to multiple NG-RAN nodes. Correspondingly, the NG-RAN nodes receive the TRP information request.

[0135] The TRP information request may be used to request TRP information of a TRP. Exemplarily, the TRP information may include at least one of the following: cell information, coordinates, TRP ID of the NG-RAN TRP, PRS configuration, etc. Among them, the PRS configuration may include the time domain resource configuration of the PRS, the frequency domain resource configuration of the PRS, etc. Exemplarily, the time domain resource configuration of the PRS includes the period of the PRS, the slot offset, etc., which are not listed here one by one. The frequency domain resource configuration of the PRS may include the frequency point, comb size, etc., which are not listed here one by one.

[0136] 303. The NG-RAN node sends a TRP information response to the LMF. Correspondingly, the LMF receives the TRP information response.

[0137] It is understood that the TRP information response is used to respond to the TRP information request. The TRP information response may carry the information requested by the LMF.

[0138] 304. The LMF provides the UE with the assistance data required for measurement and / or calculation through the assistance data transfer process. The assistance data may include cell information of multiple TRPs, PRS configuration, etc.

[0139] 305. The LMF sends a request location information to the UE, and the UE receives the request location information.

[0140] The requested location information can be used to request the UE to measure the PRS to obtain corresponding measurement values ​​or position estimation results. For example, in DL-TDOA positioning technology, the LMF can request the UE to measure the downlink reference signal arrival time difference (DL RSTD) by requesting the location information.

[0141] 306. The UE measures the PRS and obtains the measurement result.

[0142] 307. The UE sends provided location information to the LMF and reports the measurement value or location estimation result to the LMF. Correspondingly, the LMF receives the provided location information.

[0143] Optionally, the UE supports different modes for positioning. For example, the LMF calculates the location information of the target UE, which can be called an LMF-based mode or a UE-assisted mode. For another example, the target UE calculates its own location information, which can be called a UE-based mode.

[0144] For example, for the DL-TDOA positioning method, if it is LMF-based, the target UE needs to report to the LMF the DL RSTD obtained by the target UE from measuring PRSs of multiple base stations, and the LMF calculates the location information of the target UE based on the DL RSTD reported by the UE.

[0145] For example, if it is UE-based, the target UE can calculate its own location information based on the DL RSTD obtained by measuring PRS from multiple base stations and the auxiliary information provided by the network side, and provide the UE's location information to the LMF through a location information message.

[0146] The following describes the near-field communication involved in this application. When an antenna radiates a wireless signal in free space, the electromagnetic diffraction domain of the wireless signal can be divided into an inductive near-field region, a radiating near-field region, and a far-field region based on the radiation characteristics of the wireless signal in free space. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of each region, with the communication radii corresponding to the inductive near-field region and the radiating near-field region being d1 and d2, respectively.

[0147] Optionally, the near-field communication range described in this application may be a radiated near-field area. For example, the near-field communication range can generally be determined using formula (1), but this is also related to the specific channel model, etc. This application does not limit the formula used to calculate the communication radius of the radiated near-field area.

[0148]

[0149] Where D is the maximum geometric dimension of the antenna, and λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

[0150] Optionally, the near-field communication range described in this application may be a specified or configured range. For example, the near-field communication range is a portion of the radiation near-field area that is indicated or configured, and this application does not limit this. For example, an area with a communication radius of d3 may be specified as the near-field communication range, where d3 may be specified by the protocol or configured by the network side.

[0151] As antenna panels grow larger and communication frequency bands increase, the near-field communication range of base stations may be further expanded, with the communication radius potentially reaching tens or even hundreds of meters. This makes near-field communication possible in the future. Positioning methods in far-field communication are generally based on the plane wave assumption, where the isophase surface of a plane wave is a plane. However, the plane wave assumption does not hold true in the near field. Near-field communication must be modeled based on a spherical wave model, where the isophase surface during electromagnetic wave propagation is a sphere. Because the channel models used in near-field and far-field communication differ, the applicable positioning methods should also be different. Currently, LMF may not be able to detect whether the UE is in the far field or near field, resulting in inaccurate positioning of the terminal device.

[0152] In view of this, the present application proposes a communication method that can effectively solve the above technical problems. The communication method proposed in the present application is described in detail below.

[0153] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 500 provided by the present application. The method includes the following steps.

[0154] S510, LMF receives first information, the first information indicates that the terminal device is in the near field communication range or far field communication range corresponding to the network device.

[0155] Several possible implementations of the LMF receiving the first information are given below in conjunction with FIG. 6 .

[0156] Implementation method 1: During the positioning process, the terminal device moves from the far field to the near field or from the near field to the far field. The terminal device determines the first information and sends the first information to the LMF. Correspondingly, the LMF receives the first information from the terminal device.

[0157] For example, a terminal device can determine that it has entered the near field in the following ways:

[0158] 1) The terminal device determines whether it has entered the near field based on the near field information or near field indication carried by the network device in the system broadcast information.

[0159] For example, the network device sets 1 bit in a master information block (MIB) to indicate near-field information or far-field information.

[0160] For example, the network device indicates the near-field or far-field information through system information blocks (SIB) 1 or other SIBs, for example, by using 1 bit to indicate the near-field or far-field information.

[0161] 2) The terminal device determines whether it has entered the near field based on the historically acquired location information of the terminal device.

[0162] For example, the terminal device obtains its own position in the most recent positioning. At this time, the terminal device can determine whether it has entered the near field based on the comparison of the historical positioning result and the near field communication range. For example, the near field communication range here can be the theoretical range of the radiated near field shown in formula (1), or a specified or configured range, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0163] Optionally, in order to estimate the near-field range based on the theoretical radiation near-field formula, the terminal device can also obtain information #1 from the network device. Information #1 may include at least one of the following parameters: the maximum geometric dimensions of the antenna of the serving cell network device, the frequency or wavelength information of the electromagnetic wave, and the position of the antenna.

[0164] For example, the terminal device may obtain information #1 from the network device through system information, or the terminal device may obtain information #1 through dedicated signaling. For example, the dedicated signaling may be radio resource control (RRC) signaling or LPP signaling.

[0165] 3) The terminal device determines whether it has entered the near field based on the channel information obtained by measuring the reference signal. For example, the terminal device measures the reference signal, such as the channel status information (CSI) reference signal (CSI-RS) or PRS, and the terminal device can estimate the channel based on the measurement results. For example, if the channel characteristics are closer to the channel characteristics in the near field, the terminal device is considered to have entered the near field range.

[0166] 4) The terminal device determines this based on the received reference signal energy (RSRP). For example, when the terminal device is in the far field, it can measure the RSRP of received reference signal #1. If the RSRP measured by the terminal device falls below a certain threshold during movement, the terminal device can be considered to have entered the near field. Reference signal #1 is a signal transmitted in the far field.

[0167] For example, the first information indicates the switch between far field and near field. For example, the first information is indicated by 1 bit, and the LMF knows that the terminal device is currently in the far field. When the 1 bit information is received again, it indicates that the terminal device has switched from the far field to the near field.

[0168] For example, the first information indicates whether the terminal device is in the far field or in the near field. For example, the first information is indicated by 1 bit, and if the 1 bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device is in the far field, and if the 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device is in the near field, and vice versa.

[0169] For example, the first information is carried in the first field. For example, if the first field is near-field, it indicates that the terminal device is in the far field; if the first field is far-field, it indicates that the terminal device is in the far field.

[0170] Optionally, as shown in Case 1 in Figure 6, the terminal device transmits the first information to the LMF via a positioning protocol message, that is, the first information is carried in the positioning protocol message. For example, the positioning protocol message is described below as an LPP message.

[0171] For example, the LPP message is used to request assistance data for positioning measurement. For example, the LPP message is a Request Assistance Data message.

[0172] For example, the LPP message is used to provide location information of the terminal device, and the location information of the terminal device may be a measurement value that can be used to determine the terminal device and / or a location estimation result of the terminal device, etc. For example, the LPP message is the Provide Location Information message in 307 of FIG. 3 .

[0173] In one embodiment, the network device may specify a condition or method for the terminal device to send the first information to the LMF. For example, two possible conditions or methods for the terminal device to report the first information are given below.

[0174] Example 1: The network device configures an event trigger for the terminal device. Once the event occurs, the terminal device reports the first information to the LMF.

[0175] For example, the trigger event may be when the terminal device switches between far field and near field, or when the terminal device enters the near field, or when the far field reference signal measured by the terminal device is higher than a given threshold, or when the near field reference signal measured by the terminal device is higher than a given threshold.

[0176] Example 2: The network device may request the terminal device to periodically report the first information.

[0177] For example, the network device may configure the above conditions or methods to the terminal device when the positioning service is initiated, or the network device may send the above conditions or methods through a broadcast message, for example, sending information corresponding to the above conditions or methods in SIB or posSIB.

[0178] In another manner, the terminal device may send the first information to the LMF on its own. For example, the terminal device reports the first information to the LMF before each positioning.

[0179] In another embodiment, the terminal device may send the first information to the LMF based on the request of the LMF. For example, the LMF requests the terminal device to report the first information before each positioning. Optionally, as shown in Case 2 in Figure 6, the first information is carried in a non-access stratum (NAS) message or a location services (LCS) message. The terminal device transmits the first information to the AMF through the NAS message or the LCS message, and then the AMF transmits the first information to the LMF.

[0180] For example, the NAS message or the LCS message is used to initiate a positioning service request. For example, for a mobile originated location request (MO-LR) positioning initiated by a terminal, the second request message is a MO-LR request message.

[0181] Implementation method 2: The network device determines the first information and sends the first information to the LMF. Correspondingly, the LMF receives the first information from the network device.

[0182] For example, if the network device is an O-RAN device, the step of determining and sending the first information may be implemented by the CU-CP, CU-UP or DU and / or RU.

[0183] For example, the network device may determine whether the terminal device is located in the near field based on a reference signal (eg, SRS) or other signal sent by the terminal device, and thereby determine the first information.

[0184] For example, the terminal device may provide the network device with the far-field and near-field information of the terminal device, such as the terminal device reporting the far-field and near-field information of the terminal device, thereby helping the network device determine the first information. For example, the terminal device may report the far-field and near-field information of the terminal device to the network device via an RRC message, a MAC message, or an uplink control information (UCI) message.

[0185] For example, the network device may also determine the first information based on a measurement result of a reference signal or a measurement result of other signals reported by the terminal device, such as a radio resource management (RRM) measurement result.

[0186] Optionally, the terminal device may also report the far-field and near-field information to the network device based on the method or conditions described in implementation method one.

[0187] Optionally, in this implementation method, the manner or conditions for the terminal device to report the far-field and near-field information to the network device may also be configured by the network device, or the network device may request the terminal device to report the far-field and near-field information.

[0188] Optionally, the sending of the first information by the network device to the LMF may be triggered by a request from the LMF, or may be actively reported by the network device.

[0189] For example, if triggered by an LMF request, before the network device sends the first information to the LMF, the method also includes: the LMF sends a first request message to the network device, the first request message requests the network device to report that the terminal device is in the near-field communication range or the far-field communication range, and correspondingly, the network device receives the first request message from the LMF; thereafter, the network device sends a first request response message to the LMF, the first request response message includes the first information, and correspondingly, the LMF receives the first request response message from the network device.

[0190] For example, in the uplink positioning process, the first request message may be a positioning information request (positioning information response) message, and the first request response message may be a positioning information response (positioning information response) message.

[0191] S520, LMF selects an appropriate positioning method to locate the terminal device based on the first information.

[0192] Specifically, when the terminal device enters the near field, the near-field positioning method is used to locate the target terminal device. When the terminal device enters the near field, the far-field positioning method is used to locate the target terminal device. This method can avoid the problem of inaccurate positioning results caused by the LMF being unable to sense the terminal device entering the near-field communication range and using an inappropriate positioning method.

[0193] Another technical problem raised by this application and the corresponding solution are described in detail below.

[0194] In the downlink positioning process shown in Figure 3, the LMF obtains PRS configuration information from the network device and provides the relevant information to the terminal device. Furthermore, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has introduced an on-demand PRS process, where the terminal device or LMF can request on-demand transmission or change of reference signal configuration. The on-demand PRS configuration process is described below using the PRS as an example reference signal, using Figure 7 as an example.

[0195] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an on-demand PRS transmission procedure provided in an embodiment of the present application. The procedure may include the following steps.

[0196] 700. The LMF obtains information about the on-demand PRS configuration supported by the TRP through the NRPPa TRP information exchange process.

[0197] The on-demand PRS process initiated by the UE may include steps 701 and 702:

[0198] 701. The LMF provides a pre-defined PRS configuration to the UE.

[0199] As an example, the LMF may send the predefined PRS configuration via an LPP message such as a provide assistance data message.

[0200] As another example, the LMF may send a predefined PRS configuration to the access network device through an NRPPa message, and then the access network device sends the predefined PRS configuration through a positioning system information block (posSIB).

[0201] In the embodiment of the present application, each PRS configuration may be associated with a PRS configuration ID.

[0202] 702. The UE sends an LPP assistance data request message to the LMF. Correspondingly, the LMF receives the LPP assistance data request message.

[0203] Exemplarily, the LPP request assistance data message may be used to send an on-demand PRS request (on-demand PRS request), which may request an identifier (ID) of a predefined PRS configuration, or the on-demand PRS request may be used to request specific parameters of the PRS configuration.

[0204] For example, an on-demand PRS request may be a request for PRS transmission, or may be a request for a change in PRS transmission characteristics. The change in PRS transmission characteristics shown here may also be referred to as a change in PRS configuration or a change in PRS configuration. Requesting PRS transmission may also mean requesting a change in PRS configuration or a change in PRS configuration.

[0205] The on-demand PRS process initiated by the LMF may include step 703:

[0206] 703. For the on-demand PRS initiated by the LMF, the LMF may exchange LPP messages with the UE, such as obtaining the UE's measurement results or the UE's downlink PRS positioning capability.

[0207] In addition to steps 701 to 703 above, the on-demand PRS transmission process may further include the following steps:

[0208] 704. The LMF determines whether PRS transmission is required or changes PRS transmission characteristics.

[0209] Exemplarily, the LMF may perform the above step 704 based on the positioning accuracy. The embodiment of the present application does not limit how the LMF determines whether PRS transmission is required or changes the PRS transmission characteristics.

[0210] If the LMF determines in S704 that PRS transmission or change of PRS transmission characteristics is required, S705 is executed.

[0211] 705. The LMF requests the serving gNB / TRP and the non-serving gNB / TRP to transmit PRS or change the configuration of the PRS being transmitted through an NRPPa PRS configuration request message.

[0212] 706. The serving gNB / TRP and the non-serving gNB / TRP provide the successfully configured or changed PRS configuration via an NRPPa PRS configuration response message.

[0213] 707. The LMF provides the PRS configuration or error cause to the UE through an LPP provide assistance data message.

[0214] For example, if the on-demand PRS request is successfully responded to, the changed PRS configuration may be sent to the UE. If the LMF determines not to respond to the on-demand PRS request, or the base station rejects the LMF's PRS configuration request, the LMF may send an error cause to the UE.

[0215] The on-demand PRS request process shown in FIG7 is only an example. For relevant descriptions of FIG7 , please refer to the description of the standard, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0216] It can be understood that the configuration of the reference signal can also be changed on demand within the near field range. As an example, after the LMF obtains the measurement results or position estimation results of the UE, if the measurement results or position estimation results obtained based on the current PRS cannot meet the current positioning accuracy requirements, the LMF can initiate an on-demand PRS request process for the near field range. As another example, if the current PRS cannot meet the current positioning or measurement requirements of the UE, the UE can initiate an on-demand PRS request process for the near field range. As another example, in the near field range, since the beam is focused at a certain angle and distance, there may be a coverage blind spot. When the positioning service is initiated, if the area where the terminal device is located is in the coverage blind spot of the beam within the near field range, or the reference signal corresponding to the beam within the near field range is weak, the UE also initiates an on-demand PRS request for the near field range to support the positioning service. For the combination of Figures 3 and 7, the embodiments of the present application will no longer be listed one by one.

[0217] This application proposes another communication method that can support on-demand reference signal requests within the near field. The communication method proposed in this application is described in detail below.

[0218] FIG8 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 800 provided by the present application. The method includes the following steps.

[0219] S810: The LMF sends a first request message to a network device. The first request message is used to request the network device to send a first reference signal or change configuration information of the first reference signal. The first reference signal is a reference signal within the near-field range. In response, the network device receives the first request message from the LMF. Optionally, the first reference signal may be a PRS or other positioning-related reference signal, which is not limited in this application.

[0220] Optionally, the first request information includes information #1, and information #1 includes at least one of the following parameters:

[0221] 1) Transmission characteristic information of the first reference signal. For example, the transmission characteristic information includes information such as period and bandwidth.

[0222] 2) Distance and angle information corresponding to the first reference signal. For example, the terminal device is requested to transmit the first reference signal within a specified distance range, where the distance specified for transmitting the first reference signal represents a radius distance centered on the TRP or reference antenna, or the distance and angle corresponding to the first reference signal are the distance and angle of the energy convergence center of the beam corresponding to the first reference signal relative to the reference antenna of the network device.

[0223] For example, if the distance range is [d1, d2], the distance range may be within a circular area represented by two radii centered on the reference antenna. When beamforming the first reference signal, the network device may adjust the beamforming so that the first reference signal is focused within the range represented by [d1, d2]. That is, the energy convergence center of the beam corresponding to the first reference signal is within the range represented by [d1, d2].

[0224] 3) Instructing the network device to send a reference signal through a reference signal resource, where the reference signal frequency domain resource corresponds to different frequency domain units. For example, the frequency domain unit may be a subcarrier or the like.

[0225] S820: The network device sends a first request response message to the LMF, where the first request response message includes configuration information of the first reference signal. Correspondingly, the LMF receives the first request response message from the network device.

[0226] For example, the first request message is the PRS configuration request message in 705 of FIG. 7 , and the first request response message is the PRS configuration request message in 706 of FIG. 7 .

[0227] Optionally, the network device side may have multiple sets of first reference signal configurations, and the first reference signal configuration obtained in this step may be part or all of the information in a set of first reference signal configurations that meets current requirements among the multiple sets of first reference signal configurations.

[0228] For example, any one set of configuration information among the multiple sets of first reference signal configuration information includes angle information and distance information corresponding to the first reference signal corresponding to the configuration information.

[0229] It can be understood that the above method can enable LMF to initiate a near-field reference signal configuration request to the network side, which can avoid inaccurate positioning results caused by the terminal device entering the near-field range.

[0230] Optionally, before S810, the terminal device may trigger configuration for acquiring the first reference signal, and the method further includes:

[0231] S830: The terminal device sends a second request message to the LMF, where the second request message is used to request the LMF to send or change the first reference signal configuration information. The corresponding LMF receives the second request message from the terminal device.

[0232] For example, the second request message includes information #2, which requests the configuration information of the first reference signal required for transmission, such as the period, bandwidth, distance, and angle corresponding to the first reference signal. Then, the first request message in S810 may also include information #2.

[0233] For example, the second request message includes first information, and the first information indicates that the terminal device is in a near field communication range.

[0234] For example, the terminal device may carry relevant information of the received reference signal in the second request message, and the LMF may carry the relevant information in the first request message and send it to the network device, and the network device determines the supported reference signal configuration based on the relevant information. For example, the second request message includes second information, and the second information indicates the identifier of at least one reference signal received by the terminal device or the index information of the measured SSB, or the second information indicates the RSRP of at least one reference signal measured by the terminal device or the energy information of the measured SSB. The second information can assist the LMF in determining the rough position of the terminal, thereby facilitating the determination of the first information.

[0235] S840, LMF sends a second request response message to the terminal device, where the second request response message includes the first reference signal configuration information.

[0236] For example, the second request message in S830 can be the LPP request assistance data (LPP assistance data) message in 702 of Figure 7, and the LPP provide assistance data message can be used to initiate an on-demand request. The second request response message in S840 can be the LPP provide assistance data (LPP provide assistance data) message of Figure 7, and the LPP provide assistance data message can include the reference signal configuration corresponding to the on-demand request.

[0237] For example, if the network device is an O-RAN device, S810 and S820 may be implemented by a CU-CP, a CU-UP, or a DU.

[0238] It should be understood that the order of execution of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily mean the order in which they are executed. The order in which the processes are executed should be determined by their functions and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application. It should also be understood that in some of the above-mentioned embodiments, the devices in the existing network architecture are mainly used as examples for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of the devices. For example, devices that can achieve the same functions in the future are applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0239] It can be understood that in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by devices (such as the above-mentioned LMF, terminal devices, network devices, etc.) can also be implemented by components of the devices (such as chips or circuits).

[0240] The method provided by the embodiments of the present application is described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 8 . The method is primarily described from the perspective of the interaction between the LMF, network devices, and terminal devices. It will be appreciated that, in order to implement the aforementioned functions, the LMF, network devices, and terminal devices include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the respective functions.

[0241] Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is performed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware 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.

[0242] Hereinafter, the communication device provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to Figures 9 and 10. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for the content that is not described in detail, please refer to the above method embodiment. For the sake of brevity, some content will not be repeated. In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the LMF or terminal device or network device can be divided according to the above method example. 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-mentioned integrated module 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 embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0243] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, the device 1100 may include a communication unit 1110 and a processing unit 1120. The communication unit 1110 can communicate with the outside world, and the processing unit 1120 is used for data processing. The communication unit 1110 may also be referred to as a communication interface or a transceiver unit.

[0244] Optionally, the transceiver unit may include a receiving unit and a sending unit, which is not limited in this application.

[0245] In one possible design, the apparatus 1100 may implement steps or processes corresponding to those executed by the LMF in the above method embodiments, wherein the processing unit 1120 is configured to perform operations related to processing the LMF in the above method embodiments, and the communication unit 1110 is configured to perform operations related to sending the LMF in the above method embodiments. For example, in method 800, the communication unit 1110 may be configured to perform the operations performed by the LMF in S820, and the processing unit 1120 may be configured to perform the operations performed by the LMF in S830.

[0246] In another possible design, the apparatus 1100 may implement steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment, wherein the communication unit 1110 is used to perform the reception-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1120 is used to perform the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment. For example, in method 500, the communication unit 1110 may be used to perform the operations performed by the terminal device in S530, and the processing unit 1120 may be used to perform the operations performed by the terminal device in S510 and S520. For another example, in method 800, the communication unit 1110 may be used to perform the operations performed by the terminal device in S820 and S840, and the processing unit 1120 may be used to perform the operations performed by the terminal device in S810.

[0247] In another possible design, the apparatus 1100 may implement steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the network device in the above method embodiments, wherein the processing unit 1120 is configured to perform processing-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiments, and the communication unit 1110 is configured to perform sending-related operations of the network device in the above method embodiments. For example, in method 500, the communication unit 1110 may be configured to perform the operations performed by the network device in S530. For another example, in method 800, the communication unit 1110 may be configured to perform the operations performed by the network device in S840.

[0248] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 1120 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit so that the communication device 1100 implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0249] It should be understood that the device 1100 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art can understand that the device 1100 can be specifically the LMF in the above embodiment, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the LMF in the above method embodiment, or the device 1100 can be specifically the terminal device in the above embodiment, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above method embodiment, or the device 1100 can be specifically the network device in the above embodiment, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiment. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0250] The apparatus 1100 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the LMF in the above-mentioned method, or the apparatus 1100 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the terminal device in the above-mentioned method, or the apparatus 1100 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the network device in the above-mentioned method. The functions can be implemented by hardware, or can be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the communication unit can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the communication unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the communication unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing unit, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the sending and receiving operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0251] In one implementation, the communication device is a device (e.g., a terminal device, an LMF, or a network device). When the communication device is a device, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit may be at least one processor or processor-related circuit. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit (e.g., including a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit). Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0252] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a device (e.g., a terminal device, an LMF, or a network device). When the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a device, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated in the chip, chip system, or circuit.

[0253] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 1200 includes a processor 1210 and a transceiver 1220. The processor 1210 and the transceiver 1220 communicate with each other via an internal connection path. The processor 1210 is configured to execute instructions to control the transceiver 1220 to send and / or receive signals.

[0254] Optionally, the apparatus 1200 may further include a memory 1230, which communicates with the processor 1210 and the transceiver 1220 via an internal connection path. The memory 1230 is used to store instructions, and the processor 1210 may execute the instructions stored in the memory 1230.

[0255] Optionally, the memory 1230 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The memory 1230 is used to store instructions, and the processor 1210 may be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory. When the processor 1210 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 1210 is used to perform the various steps and / or processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments corresponding to the LMF or terminal device.

[0256] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may include one or more memories 1230 .

[0257] Optionally, the memory 1230 may be integrated with the processor 1210 or provided separately.

[0258] In one possible design, apparatus 1200 is configured to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the LMF in the above method embodiments. For example, in method 800, transceiver 1220 may be configured to execute the operations performed by the LMF in S820, and processor 1210 may be configured to execute the operations performed by the LMF in S830.

[0259] In another possible design, apparatus 1200 is used to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above method embodiments. For example, in method 500, transceiver 1220 may be used to execute the operations performed by the terminal device in S530, and processor 1210 may be used to execute the operations performed by the terminal device in S510 and S520. For another example, in method 800, transceiver 1220 may be used to execute the operations performed by the terminal device in S820 and S840, and processor 1210 may be used to execute the operations performed by the terminal device in S810.

[0260] In another possible design, apparatus 1200 is configured to implement the various processes and steps corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiments. For example, in method 500, transceiver 1220 may be configured to execute the operations performed by the network device in S530. For another example, in method 800, transceiver 1220 may be configured to execute the operations performed by the network device in S840.

[0261] In one implementation, the communication device 1200 is a device (e.g., a terminal device, an LMF, or a network device). When the communication device is a device, the transceiver may be an input / output interface; and the processor may be at least one processor-related circuit. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit (e.g., including a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit). Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0262] In another implementation, the communication device 1200 is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a device (e.g., a terminal device, an LMF, or a network device). The transceiver may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processor may be a processing module, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. The sending operation of the device in the above method embodiment can be understood as the chip's output, and the receiving operation of the device in the above method embodiment can be understood as the chip's input.

[0263] Optionally, the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver, which respectively implement the steps of sending and receiving in the device (e.g., terminal device, LMF, or network device) in the embodiments of the present application. When the device 1200 is a chip, the transmitter and receiver can serve as the input and output interfaces of the chip. The transmitter corresponds to output, and the receiver corresponds to input.

[0264] It should be understood that apparatus 1200 may specifically be the LMF, terminal device, or network device described in the above embodiments, or may be a chip or chip system. Correspondingly, transceiver 1220 may be the transceiver circuit of the chip, without limitation herein. Specifically, apparatus 1200 may be used to execute the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the LMF, terminal device, or network device described in the above method embodiments.

[0265] During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0266] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or by software instructions. The above-mentioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, digital signal processing (DSP), ASIC, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component. The processor in the embodiments of the present application can implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly implemented and executed by a hardware decoding processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above-mentioned method.

[0267] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0268] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0269] In addition, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer instructions. When the computer instructions are run on a computer, the operations and / or processes performed by the LMF or terminal device or network device in each method embodiment of the present application are executed.

[0270] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code or instructions. When the computer program code or instructions are run on a computer, the operations and / or processes performed by the LMF or terminal device or network device in each method embodiment of the present application are executed.

[0271] In addition, the present application further provides a chip including a processor. A memory for storing a computer program is provided independently of the chip, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the operations and / or processing performed by the LMF, terminal device, or network device in any of the method embodiments are performed.

[0272] Furthermore, the chip may further include a communication interface. The communication interface may be an input / output interface, or an interface circuit, etc. Furthermore, the chip may further include a memory.

[0273] In addition, the present application also provides a communication system, including the LMF, terminal equipment and at least one network element in the network equipment in the embodiment of the present application.

[0274] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to comprise, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0275] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various exemplary units and algorithmic steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented using hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for ease of description and brevity, the specific operating processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here. 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 illustrative. For example, the division of the units described is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other divisions may be used, such as multiple units or components being combined or integrated into another system, or some features being omitted or not implemented. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interface, or indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, which may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components displayed 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 the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments 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.

[0276] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that can make a contribution or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) 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 USB flash drives, mobile hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks or optical disks.

[0277] It should be understood that references to "embodiments" throughout this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0278] It should also be understood that in this application, "when", "if" and "if" all mean that the network element will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, which is not a time limit, and does not require the network element to make judgment actions when implementing it, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0279] It should also be understood that in each embodiment of the present application, "A corresponds to B" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, and B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0280] 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 communication method, characterized in that: include: The positioning management function LMF receives first information, wherein the first information indicates that the terminal device is in a near field communication range or a far field communication range corresponding to the network device; The LMF selects a suitable positioning method to locate the terminal device based on the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The LMF receives first information, including: The LMF receives the first information from the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first information is carried in a positioning protocol message.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The positioning protocol message is used to request provision of assistance data for positioning measurement; or, The positioning protocol message is used to provide location information of the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first information is carried in a non-access stratum NAS message or a location service LCS message.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The NAS message or the LCS message is used to initiate a positioning service request.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The LMF receives first information, including: The LMF receives the first information from the network device.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: The LMF sends a first request message to the network device, wherein the first request message requests the network device to report that the terminal device is within the near field communication range or the far field communication range; Then the LMF receives the first information from the network device, including: The LMF receives a first request response message from the network device, where the first request response message includes the first information.

9. A method of communication, characterized in that: include: The terminal device determines first information, where the first information indicates that the terminal device is within a near field communication range or a far field communication range corresponding to the network device; The terminal device sends the first information to the location management function LMF.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first information is carried in a positioning protocol message.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The positioning protocol message is used to request provision of assistance data for positioning measurement; or, The positioning protocol message is used to provide location information of the terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first information is carried in a non-access stratum NAS message or a location service LCS message.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The NAS message or the LCS message is used to initiate a positioning service request.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: The terminal device receives system broadcast information from the network device, where the system broadcast information indicates that the terminal device receiving the system broadcast information is located in the near field communication range or the far field communication range; or, The terminal device determines, based on historically acquired location information of the terminal device, that the terminal device is located within the near field communication range or the far field communication range; or, The terminal device determines, based on channel information obtained by measuring a reference signal, that the terminal device is located within the near-field communication range or the far-field communication range.

15. A method of communication, characterized in that: include: The network device determines first information, wherein the first information indicates that the terminal device is within a near field communication range or a far field communication range corresponding to the network device. Communication range; The network device sends the first information to the location management function LMF.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: The network device receives a first request message from the LMF, wherein the first request message requests the network device to report that the terminal device is within the near field communication range or the far field communication range; Then the network device sends the first information to the LMF, including: The network device sends a first request response message to the LMF, where the first request response message includes the first information.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises: a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, or a module for executing the method according to claim 15 or 16.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to execute a computer program stored in a memory so that the apparatus performs the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, or so that the apparatus performs the method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14, or so that the apparatus performs the method as claimed in claim 15 or 16.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: include: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program; when the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, or the computer executes the method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14, or the computer executes the method as claimed in claim 15 or 16.

20. A communication system, characterized in that: Including location management function LMF, terminal equipment and network equipment, The LMF is used to execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, the terminal device is used to execute the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 14, and the network is used to execute the method as described in claim 15 or 16.

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