Positioning method, terminal device, and positioning device

Abstract

The present application provides a positioning method, a terminal device, and a positioning device. The method comprises: a terminal device receives a first message sent by a network device, the first message being used by the terminal device to receive reference signals sent by the network device at different positions; the terminal device, at a first position, receives a first reference signal sent by the network device; the terminal device, at a second position, receives a second reference signal sent by the network device, first measurement information of the first reference signal and second measurement information of the second reference signal being used for positioning the terminal device.

Description

Positioning method, terminal device and positioning device Technical Field

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

[0002] When locating a terminal device, a common method currently used is to have the terminal device receive reference signals sent by multiple network devices for positioning, or to have multiple network devices receive reference signals sent by the terminal device for positioning. These positioning methods require high consistency in the hardware performance of multiple network devices, which is not conducive to improving the positioning accuracy of the terminal device.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a positioning method, terminal device, and positioning device. The following introduces various aspects of the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for positioning is provided, including: a terminal device receives a first message sent by a network device, the first message being used for the terminal device to receive a reference signal sent by the network device at different locations; the terminal device receives the first reference signal sent by the network device at a first location; the terminal device receives the second reference signal sent by the network device at a second location; wherein first measurement information of the first reference signal and second measurement information of the second reference signal are used to locate the terminal device.

[0006] According to a second aspect, a method for positioning is provided, comprising: a positioning device sends first configuration information to multiple base stations, the first configuration information being used to configure time information of reference signals sent by the multiple base stations; the positioning device receives second configuration information sent by the multiple base stations, the second configuration information including configuration information of reference signals determined by the multiple base stations based on the time information; wherein the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations is the same, and the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations are used to position a terminal device.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a first message sent by a network device, wherein the first message is used for the terminal device to receive a reference signal sent by the network device at different locations; a receiving unit for receiving a first reference signal sent by the network device at a first location, and receiving a second reference signal sent by the network device at a second location; wherein the first measurement information of the first reference signal and the second measurement information of the second reference signal are used to locate the terminal device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a positioning device is provided, including: the positioning device sends first configuration information to multiple base stations, the first configuration information is used to configure the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations; the positioning device receives second configuration information sent by the multiple base stations, the second configuration information includes the configuration information of the reference signals determined by the multiple base stations based on the time information; wherein the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations is the same, and the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations are used to locate the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the terminal device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the first aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a positioning device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the network device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the second aspect.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the above-mentioned terminal device and / or positioning device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the terminal device or positioning device in the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a communication device (for example, a terminal device or a network device) to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a positioning device) to perform some or all of the steps of the methods of the above aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a memory and a processor. The processor can call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the above aspects.

[0015] This application utilizes the mobility of terminal devices. Terminal devices can receive reference signals sent by the same network device at different locations, or send reference signals to the same network device at different locations. The received phase of the reference signal can be used to locate the terminal device. The positioning process involves only one receiving end, i.e., the hardware performance of the receiving end is completely consistent, and only one transmitting end, i.e., the hardware performance of the transmitting end is completely consistent. Therefore, the solution of the embodiments of this application is conducive to improving positioning accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG1 is a wireless communication system 100 used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of estimating the direction of incoming waves based on an antenna array.

[0018] FIG3 is a schematic flowchart of a positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG4 is a schematic flowchart of another positioning method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] FIG5 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a positioning device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 used in an embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system 100 may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120. The network device 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area and may communicate with the terminal device 120 within the coverage area.

[0025] FIG1 exemplarily shows a network device and two terminals. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple network devices and each network device may include other numbers of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0026] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0027] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system, satellite communication system, etc.

[0028] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in V2X or D2D, etc. For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and smart home devices communicate without relaying the communication signal through the base station.

[0029] The network device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and may also be referred to as an access network device or a radio access network device. For example, the network device may be a base station. The network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. A base station can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmission point (TRP), transmission point (TP), master station MeNB, secondary station SeNB, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node or the like, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, a modem or a chip used to be set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. The base station can also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device D2D, vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. The base station can support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the network equipment.

[0030] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0031] In some deployments, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device may include a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0032] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0033] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0034] Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) can refer to the combination of communication and perception. Perception is the use of certain means to detect the state of the surrounding environment, such as detecting the position, direction, height, speed, and distance of an object. It can also determine the shape of an object and even the movements and gestures of a person. In a narrow sense, ISAC can refer to a communication system with the capabilities of ranging, speed measurement, angle measurement, imaging, target detection, target tracking, and target recognition. In the early days, it was also called "radar communication integration." In a broad sense, ISAC refers to a communication system that can perceive the attributes and states of all services, networks, users, terminals, and environmental objects. Its perception capabilities can exceed those of traditional radars. As the communication spectrum expands from the traditional Sub6G to millimeter waves, the reduction in wavelength has continuously improved the ability of perception.

[0035] Integrated communication and perception have many applications. For example, to prevent leaks, collisions, and noise caused by reckless drone flights, efficient and cost-effective low-altitude security systems are needed. While various detection solutions are currently available in the drone security market, they all face numerous technical, efficiency, and cost limitations. Integrated communication and perception technology can transform multiple base stations deployed in low-altitude security areas into radars. Combined with the computing power within the base stations, this enables the rapid deployment of low-altitude security systems. As long as the base station signal is reachable, intruding drones can be located and tracked in real time, allowing the security system to make subsequent decisions based on the detection results. Conversely, based on the imaging, mapping, and environmental reconstruction capabilities provided by integrated interawareness, the system can transition from passive to active, deploying drones for reconnaissance, logistics delivery, and other activities. Multi-station perception capabilities can also enable autonomous navigation and route planning in unknown environments. In connected vehicle scenarios, interawareness systems can provide real-time perception of traffic flow on the road, enabling efficient collaboration between people, vehicles, and roads, ensuring traffic safety and improving the efficiency of transportation systems. The integrated synaesthesia system leverages the high location and wide coverage of communication base stations to provide real-time, large-scale perception of lane flow and vehicle speed, while also detecting pedestrian or animal intrusions. This allows for effective road management, ensuring traffic safety, and improving traffic efficiency. In smart homes, it can implement functions such as turning lights on and off when someone approaches and off when they leave; switching between controlling any appliance through different gestures, such as playing a virtual piano; sending notifications to residents when a child climbs onto a window or balcony or an elderly person falls; and triggering security alarms when someone enters the home while the resident is away. The system can identify family members through refined gait monitoring and recognition, and further analyze the proportion of time spent by each family member on activities such as using a computer, watching TV, sleeping, and walking, as well as activity intervals and sleep quality. The system can also monitor the climate and manage public safety. In climate monitoring scenarios, leveraging the ubiquitous nature of wireless networks, base stations can transmit integrated communication and sensing signals. By combining the characteristics of wireless signal attenuation caused by water molecules, dust, and various chemical substances, the base stations can analyze the changing characteristics of the integrated signal strength, enabling real-time monitoring of precipitation, pollutant emissions, and air quality. In public safety management, real-time sensing capabilities enable typhoon warnings, flood warnings, and sandstorm warnings, preserving time for disaster preparedness. In healthcare, integrated communication and sensing systems not only enable high-speed communication but also effectively implement health monitoring and management. Related technologies have already enabled the use of communication signals to monitor a person's breathing and heart rate. When abnormal breathing or heart rate is detected, warning information is transmitted back to the user in real time via a communication link, enabling real-time monitoring. Terahertz can detect cancerous tissue and dental caries, as well as monitor sweat, tears, saliva, peripheral blood, and tissue fluid.

[0036] Perception can include target detection, for example, localization of a target. Localization can include sensing data such as distance, speed, and angle of a target.

[0037] Because communication and perception have different design and optimization goals and performance evaluation metrics, the optimal transmission scheme for communication may not be optimal for perception, and conversely, the optimal transmission scheme for perception may not be optimal for communication. Therefore, to achieve integrated communication and perception, we must consider how to combine these two functions from the bottom up, minimizing performance losses in both communication and perception and achieving overall design goals.

[0038] Current communication networks utilize a large number of base stations, enabling full collaboration between them. For example, base station 1 transmits a sensing signal, which, after reflecting off a target object, is received by base station 2 and performs sensing calculations. This processing approach fully leverages the positional differences between base stations for target detection, such as distance and angle estimation. However, it also increases the complexity and resource utilization of inter-base station resource coordination.

[0039] To ensure that the signal reflected by the target object can be received by base station 2 and does not cause interference to base station 2, the reflected signal must be as orthogonal as possible to other signals from base station 2. When multiple base stations participate in sensing, the network needs to coordinate and allocate more resource blocks, which reduces resource utilization and increases the complexity of resource coordination.

[0040] When a single station communicates and senses, since the receiving and transmitting ends share the same clock source, synchronization between the two has little impact on perception. For multi-station sensing, since signal transmission and reception are performed by different base stations, clock asynchrony between base stations will significantly impact perception accuracy. For communication systems, microsecond-level synchronization errors between base stations can meet the basic requirements of low-latency, highly reliable communication. However, for integrated sensing, positioning accuracy must reach at least the meter or even decimeter level. A 1-microsecond synchronization error between the receiving and transmitting base stations can result in a 300-meter distance perception error. Therefore, achieving multi-station sensing requires controlling the synchronization error between base stations to the nanosecond or even picosecond level.

[0041] In scenarios involving the integration of synaesthesia, high precision is required for object position detection. For example, scenarios involving operating any appliance through different gestures, playing a virtual piano, and detecting children climbing windows and elderly people falling all place high demands on the positioning of the device under test. Furthermore, the mobility of these devices further increases the difficulty of positioning.

[0042] Signal processing in communication systems can be performed in three ways: time-domain signal processing, frequency-domain signal processing, and spatial-domain signal processing. The time and frequency domains are inversely related, so time-domain and frequency-domain processing are interrelated, while spatial-domain processing is relatively independent. In practical applications, the appropriate signal processing method is often selected based on actual needs.

[0043] Time domain processing refers to obtaining the desired information by using the changes in the signal along the time axis. Time domain processing focuses on how the signal changes over time and is usually analyzed by observing the signal's waveform. Time domain processing is more suitable for describing the dynamic characteristics of the signal and changes in time series. Frequency domain processing refers to obtaining the desired information, such as signal frequency, by using the changes in the signal along the frequency axis. Spatial domain processing describes the spatial characteristics of the signal. By arranging multiple antenna elements in space to collect signals on multiple paths, it reduces the multipath effect and interference that the signal experiences during propagation and improves the performance of the receiving system. Spatial sampling usually involves sampling spatial signals at different locations at the same time.

[0044] The following uses the linear array as an example to introduce the processing method of spatial signals.

[0045] Referring to Figure 2, the antenna array shown in Figure 2 includes M antennas, each of which can receive signals sent by the transmitter. The direction of the incoming wave can be estimated based on the signals received by the two antennas. In the scheme shown in Figure 2, the wavefront received by the antenna and the direction of the incoming wave are perpendicular to each other. According to the principle of far-field electromagnetic waves, the received signals at the wavefront of different antennas are the same. The length of the ellipse in Figure 2 reflects the wave path difference between the received signals of antenna 1 and antenna 2. The calculation formula for the wave path difference is as follows:

[0046] Among them, d D represents the path difference, λ represents the wavelength, Indicates the phase difference.

[0047] In array signal processing, multiple antennas sample the signal simultaneously, creating a snapshot. To ensure phase correlation between antennas and that the spatially sampled signal conforms to the Nyquist theorem for spatial sampling, a snapshot requires that the spacing between antennas be less than half a wavelength. In this case, the channels corresponding to two adjacent antennas are considered coherent.

[0048] Based on the principles of positioning geometry, current positioning systems determine an object's position by measuring the distance between it and a reference point. For example, when a terminal measures signals from different transmitting devices (e.g., transmitters) for positioning, these transmitting devices must be located in different locations to transmit the signals. Alternatively, when a terminal transmits signals and receives them from different receiving devices (e.g., receivers) for positioning, these receiving devices must be located in different locations to receive the signals. As can be seen from the above, positioning a terminal requires measuring the distance between the terminal and at least two reference points.

[0049] There are two ways to measure the distance between an object and a reference point. One is to determine the distance between the object and the reference point based on the time difference, and the other is to determine the distance between the object and the reference point based on the phase difference. The following describes each method.

[0050] When locating an object, the distance between the object and a reference point can be measured based on the signal's time of flight. Positioning is performed by measuring the difference in signal transmission time between the object and different reference points. Time-of-flight ranging (TDF) calculates distance by measuring the time difference between signals traveling from different transmitting devices to receiving devices, or vice versa. The distance difference is calculated by multiplying the time difference by the speed of light.

[0051] Phase difference ranging can calculate distance based on the phase difference of the propagating signal. When the transmitted signal reaches the receiving device, there is a phase difference in the signal received by the receiving device due to the different distances from different transmitting devices to the receiving device, or the different distances from the same transmitting device to different receiving devices. By measuring the phase difference, the distance difference from different transmitting devices to the receiving device, or the distance difference from the same transmitting device to different receiving devices, can be inferred. Phase difference ranging is commonly used in radar systems, communication systems, and some precision ranging equipment. In the global positioning system (GPS), the phase difference between the satellite and the receiving device is used to calculate the distance from the receiving device to the satellite.

[0052] Whether it is a ranging system based on phase difference or a ranging system based on time difference, the synchronization requirements for signals between different devices are high. For example, for a scenario where a receiver receives signals sent by different transmitters for positioning, the clocks of different transmitters need to be synchronized, and the consistency requirements for the hardware performance (such as hardware processing delay) of different transmitters are high. For another example, for a scenario where different receivers receive signals sent by transmitters for positioning, the clocks of different receivers need to be synchronized, and the consistency requirements for the hardware performance (such as hardware processing delay) of the receivers are high.

[0053] To reduce the requirement for device hardware performance consistency, the embodiments of the present application propose that, by leveraging the mobility of terminal devices, terminal devices can be configured as different transmitting devices or receiving devices at different locations. For example, a terminal device can receive reference signals sent by a network device at different locations, or a terminal device can send reference signals to a network device at different locations. Since this process involves a transmitting device and a receiving device, i.e., the hardware performance of the transmitting device and the hardware performance of the receiving device are completely consistent, errors introduced by the transmitting or receiving device hardware can be eliminated by processing the measurement information of the reference signal. For example, hardware phase errors of the device can be eliminated by using phase differences, or clock errors of the device can be eliminated by using time differences. Therefore, the solutions of the embodiments of the present application can improve positioning accuracy.

[0054] The following describes the solution of the embodiment of the present application in detail with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 shows a solution with a terminal device as a receiving end.

[0055] 3 , in step S310 , a terminal device receives a first reference signal sent by a network device at a first location. In other words, the network device sends the first reference signal to the terminal device when the terminal device is at the first location.

[0056] In step S320, the terminal device receives a second reference signal sent by the network device at the second location. In other words, the network device sends the second reference signal to the terminal device when the terminal device is at the second location. The first location and the second location are different.

[0057] The terminal device may be any of the terminal devices described above. In some embodiments, the terminal device may be a terminal device in a communication-aware integration system. The network device may be any of the network devices described above. In some embodiments, the network device may be a base station.

[0058] The first reference signal may be any downlink signal. In some embodiments, the first reference signal may be a positioning reference signal (PRS). In other embodiments, the first reference signal may be a pilot signal.

[0059] The second reference signal may be any downlink signal. In some embodiments, the second reference signal may be a PRS. In other embodiments, the second reference signal may be a pilot signal.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may be perceptual signals. For example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may be bird sound signals that are easy to perceive.

[0061] The first reference signal and the second reference signal may be reference signals sent by the network device at different times. For example, the network device may send the first reference signal to the terminal device when the terminal device is at a first location, and may send the second reference signal to the terminal device when the terminal device is at a second location. The first location and the second location are different.

[0062] In some implementations, when the terminal device moves to a first position, the terminal device receives a first reference signal; when the terminal device moves to a second position, the terminal device receives a second reference signal.

[0063] In some implementations, the first position and the second position may be fixed positions, or the distance between the first position and the second position may be a preset distance. For example, it does not matter where the absolute positions of the first position and the second position are, as long as the distance between the first position and the second position is the preset distance.

[0064] Because different locations correspond to different receiving times, the terminal device receiving the first reference signal at a first location can be understood as the terminal device receiving the first reference signal at a first moment, and the terminal device receiving the second reference signal at a second location can be understood as the terminal device receiving the second reference signal at a second moment. The first moment and the second moment are different.

[0065] In some implementations, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are signals of the same type. For example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are reference signals sent by the network device to the terminal device at different times.

[0066] In some embodiments, first measurement information of a first reference signal and second measurement information of a second reference signal are used to locate a terminal device. The terminal device may receive the first reference signal sent by a network device at a first location and measure the first reference signal to obtain first measurement information. The terminal device may receive the second reference signal sent by the network device at a second location and measure the second reference signal to obtain second measurement information.

[0067] The first and second measurement information can be phase information or time information. If the first and second measurement information are phase information, the terminal device can be located using the phase difference. If the first and second measurement information are time information, the terminal device can be located using the time difference. The following describes these two scenarios separately.

[0068] In some implementations, the first measurement information and the second measurement information are phase information, such as the first measurement information may be a first receiving phase, and the second measurement information may be a second receiving phase. If the receiving phase of the first reference signal is the first receiving phase, and the receiving phase of the second reference signal is the second receiving phase, then the phase difference between the first receiving phase and the second receiving phase is used to locate the terminal device. The first receiving phase and the second receiving phase reflect the distance difference between the terminal device and the network device at the two locations, and the positioning device can locate the terminal device using the distance difference. When the terminal device measures the phase, since the first receiving phase and the second receiving phase are measured by the same device (i.e., the terminal device), phase subtraction can eliminate the phase error caused by the hardware delay of the terminal device, thereby improving the positioning accuracy.

[0069] In some implementations, the first measurement information and the second measurement information are time information, such as the first measurement information may be the first receiving moment, and the second measurement information may be the second receiving moment. If the receiving moment of the first reference signal is the first receiving moment, and the receiving moment of the second reference signal is the second receiving moment, then the time difference between the first receiving moment and the second receiving moment is used to locate the terminal device. The first receiving moment and the second receiving moment reflect the distance difference between the terminal device and the network device at the two locations, and the positioning device can locate the terminal device using the distance difference. When the terminal device measures the receiving moment, since the first receiving moment and the second receiving moment are measured by the same device (i.e., the terminal device), subtracting the receiving moments can eliminate the moment error caused by the hardware delay of the terminal device, thereby improving the positioning accuracy.

[0070] 3 , before steps S310 and S320, the method shown in FIG3 further includes step S305. In step S305, the terminal device receives a first message sent by the network device. The first message is used for the terminal device to receive a reference signal sent by the network device at different locations.

[0071] After receiving the first message, the terminal device may receive the reference signal sent by the network device at different locations. For example, after receiving the first message, the terminal device receives the first reference signal sent by the network device at a first location and receives the second reference signal sent by the network device at a second location.

[0072] By receiving the reference signal at a different location after receiving the first message, the terminal device can avoid blindly receiving the reference signal, which is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0073] In some embodiments, the network device may send the first message to the terminal device if the positioning device has a first capability. The first capability may indicate that the positioning device is capable of locating the terminal device based on measurement-related information at different locations. In this case, the first reference signal and the second reference signal received by the terminal device can be signals that can be used for positioning, reducing the blindness of the terminal device in receiving signals.

[0074] The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the type of the first message. In some implementations, the first message may include a first request message, which is used to request the terminal device to send measurement-related information for different locations. The measurement information for different locations may refer to measurement information of reference signals received by the terminal device at different locations. Upon receiving the first request message, the terminal device receives the reference signal sent by the network device at different locations. The measurement-related information includes measurement information and / or the difference in measurement information. As an example, the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send measurement information for different locations. For example, the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send first measurement information and second measurement information. As another example, the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the difference in measurement information for different locations. For example, the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send the difference in first measurement information and second measurement information.

[0075] In some implementations, the first message may include first configuration information, which may be used to configure the terminal device to send measurement-related information from different locations. The measurement-related information includes measurement information and / or a difference in measurement information. As an example, the first configuration information may be used to configure the terminal device to send measurement information from different locations. For example, the first configuration message is used to configure the terminal device to send first measurement information and second measurement information. As another example, the first configuration information may be used to configure the terminal device to send a difference in measurement information from different locations. For example, the first configuration message is used to configure the terminal device to send a difference in first measurement information and second measurement information.

[0076] In some implementations, the first message may include second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to configure a reference signal group for multiple base stations, where reference signals in the reference signal group are used to locate the terminal device. For example, the reference signals in the reference signal group may be used to perform a single position solution. A single position solution may refer to determining the location information of the terminal device at the same location.

[0077] In some embodiments, if the terminal device moves at a fast speed, resulting in a long distance between the first position and the second position, the scattering environments of the first position and the second position are quite different, and the multipath environments of the first position and the second position are different, then the difference in measurement information for the two positions cannot be used to locate the terminal device.

[0078] In some embodiments, the terminal device may send first indication information to the network device, where the first indication information may be used to indicate whether the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device. After obtaining the first measurement information and the second measurement information, the terminal device may determine whether the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device. If the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information cannot be used to locate the terminal device, the positioning device may discard the first measurement information and the second measurement information and use other measurement information to locate the terminal device to avoid affecting the positioning accuracy.

[0079] In some embodiments, the terminal device may determine whether the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device based on the first time range. The first time range is used to indicate the time difference between the reception moments of two reference signals that can be used to locate the terminal device. In other words, if the time difference between the reception moment of the first reference signal and the reception moment of the second reference signal is less than or equal to the first time range, the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device. If the reception moment of the first reference signal and the reception moment of the second reference signal are greater than the first time range, the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information cannot be used to locate the terminal device.

[0080] In some embodiments, if the receiving time of the first reference signal and the receiving time of the second reference signal are greater than the first time range, it means that the first position and the second position are far apart, and the channel environment of the terminal device measuring the signal at the first position and the second position is different. The interference caused by the channel environment may not be eliminated by subtracting the measurement information. Therefore, in this case, the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information cannot be used to locate the terminal device.

[0081] The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit the method for determining the first time range. For example, the first time range can be determined by the network device. For another example, the first time range can be determined by the network device. The following describes these two situations respectively.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first time range may be determined by a network device. For example, the network device may send second indication information to the terminal device, where the second indication information may be used to indicate the first time range.

[0083] In some implementations, the first time range may be associated with the time difference between the transmission times of different reference signals transmitted by the network device. This time difference may, for example, be the difference between the transmission times of reference signals that can be used for a position solution. Alternatively, the first time range may be the time difference between the transmission times of two reference signals that can be used to locate the terminal device. Because the transmission time and reception time of the reference signals correspond, the time difference between the transmission times of the reference signals can indirectly indicate the time difference between the reception times of the reference signals.

[0084] In some implementations, the first time range may be associated with the time difference between the reception times of different reference signals received by the terminal device. This time difference may, for example, be the difference between the reception times of reference signals that can be used for a position solution. Alternatively, the first time range may be the time difference between the reception times of two reference signals that can be used to locate the terminal device.

[0085] In some implementations, the first time range may be associated with the first moment. The first moment may be a reference moment of the first time range, and the first time range is the time difference between the sending times of reference signals sent by different base stations. The sending times of reference signals sent by different base stations can be determined by the first moment, so that the receiving time or receiving time period for the terminal device to receive the reference signal can be determined. If the receiving time of the first reference signal and / or the second reference signal is not the above-mentioned receiving time or is not within the above-mentioned receiving time period, it means that the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information cannot be used to locate the terminal device. If the receiving time of the first reference signal and / or the second reference signal is the above-mentioned receiving time or is within the above-mentioned receiving time period, it means that the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first time range may be the time range expected by the terminal device. The terminal device may determine the expected time range based on the current state. For example, the terminal device may determine the first time range based on the moving speed. If the moving speed of the terminal device is faster, the first time range may be smaller; if the moving speed of the terminal device is slower, the first time range may be larger. For another example, the expected time range may be determined based on the moving speed and the carrier frequency of the reference signal. We know that the coherence time is the inverse of the Doppler shift, and the coherence time determines the time interval associated with the channel. The expected time can be determined by the coherence time. Therefore, based on the moving speed and the carrier frequency, the time range expected by the terminal device may be Lc / 2vf, where c is the speed of light and L is an empirical factor. The empirical factor may be determined by the terminal device based on the environment and statistics. The moving speed of the terminal device may be determined by an instrument on the vehicle-mounted device, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0087] In some embodiments, the terminal device may send second indication information to the network device, where the second indication information may be used to indicate the first time range, or in other words, the second indication information may be used to indicate the time range desired by the terminal device. In some implementations, the network device may configure, based on the second indication information, a time at which a base station (e.g., one or more base stations) transmits a reference signal, such that the time at which the base station transmits the reference signal falls within the first time range.

[0088] In some implementations, the positioning device may control the sending time of the reference signal sent by the base station so that the reference signal sent by the base station is within a reasonable time range. The reasonable time range may be, for example, the first time range.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first time range can be indicated to the positioning device by the network device, or the first time range can be indicated to the positioning device by the terminal device, or the first time range can be determined by the positioning device itself, or the first time range is a time range predefined in the protocol. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0090] This application uses a mobile terminal device to transmit or receive different transmitting devices or different receiving devices in an alternative positioning system at different locations, thereby obtaining the effect of multi-point transmission or multi-point reception, so as to facilitate triangulated geometric positioning. When the terminal device moves, the position of the terminal device changes, and the two positions of the terminal device plus the position of the base station obtain three points. These three points can be used as points for triangulated positioning or geometric positioning. These three points include two points with unknown positions, that is, the two positions of the terminal device are unknown. In the current positioning system, the terminal device interacts with multiple (such as two or more) base stations for reference signals at the same time. Multiple base stations and terminal devices constitute multiple points for triangulated positioning or geometric positioning. Among the multiple points, only the position of the terminal device is unknown. The position of the terminal device can be obtained by solving the equation.

[0091] Although the terminal device has two unknown locations in this application, in practice, these two locations can be estimated. In an actual system, multiple base stations can participate in positioning to improve positioning accuracy. Multiple base stations participating in positioning can obtain more information, thereby obtaining the location information of the terminal device at two locations.

[0092] For example, assuming that the two positions of the terminal device are (x1, y1) and (x2, y2), the terminal device measures the phase of the reference signal sent by base station n at the two positions respectively, and obtains the phase difference ω n . Assume that the location coordinates of base station n are (a n ,b n), the distance difference between base station n and the two locations can be calculated based on the position coordinates or by the phase difference. Assuming that the distance differences calculated by the two methods are equal, the following formula is obtained:

[0093] make:

[0094] When the number of base stations is greater than or equal to 4, the location of the terminal device can be estimated by solving the following equation.

[0095] Wherein, N is greater than or equal to 4.

[0096] In some embodiments, if multiple base stations send reference signals at different times, that is, different base stations send reference signals to the terminal device when the terminal device is in different locations, the terminal device's location may have changed when the different base stations send the reference signals. In this case, the above formula is transformed into the following formula:

[0097] As can be seen from the above formula, while the number of base stations and equations increases, the number of unknowns also increases, making it difficult to determine the location of the terminal device. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the timing of the reference signal transmission of each base station so that the base stations try to transmit the reference signals at the same time.

[0098] When a positioning device supports reporting the difference in measurement information from different locations, it sends information to each base station that supports positioning based on the difference in measurements from different locations. This information includes the time when PRSs need to be configured, as well as the time offset. This is the time offset range within which different base stations transmit PRSs. Within this time offset range, the position of the terminal device changes minimally and can be considered unchanged. This allows the device to be assumed to be at the same location even when measurements are taken from different base stations, eliminating the introduction of new unknowns during position calculation.

[0099] The solution of the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figure 4. It should be noted that the solution shown in Figure 4 and the solution shown in Figure 3 can be used alone or in combination with each other, and the embodiment of the present application does not make any specific restrictions on this.

[0100] Referring to Figure 4, in step S410, the positioning device sends first configuration information to multiple base stations. This first configuration information can be used to configure the timing information of reference signals transmitted by the multiple base stations. This timing information can be a time range or a transmission time. The transmission time can include one or more transmission times. The reference signals transmitted by the multiple base stations can be used to locate the terminal device.

[0101] In some embodiments, the positioning device may send the first configuration information to each of the multiple base stations. The first configuration information sent by the positioning device to the multiple base stations may be the same, or in other words, the time information of the reference signals configured by the positioning device for the different base stations may be the same. In other words, the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations is the same.

[0102] In some embodiments, the positioning device sending the first configuration information to multiple base stations may refer to the positioning device sending a configuration request message to the multiple base stations, where the configuration request message is used to request that the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations be configured within the same time range. For example, the positioning device may only indicate to the multiple base stations that the reference signals need to be sent within the same time range, without specifically indicating the time range and / or time of sending the reference signals. The multiple base stations may negotiate to determine the time range and / or time of sending the reference signals, thereby increasing the flexibility of sending the reference signals.

[0103] The multiple base stations in the embodiment of the present application may be base stations in a base station group.

[0104] In step S420, the positioning device receives second configuration information sent by multiple base stations. The second configuration information includes configuration information of reference signals determined by the multiple base stations based on the time information. The base stations can configure the transmission time of the reference signals within the time or time range configured in the first configuration information.

[0105] In some embodiments, multiple base stations may send the second configuration information to the positioning device. The second configuration information sent by the multiple base stations to the positioning device may be the same or different.

[0106] In some embodiments, the configuration information of the reference signal may include a sending time of the reference signal or a sending time range of the reference signal.

[0107] In some embodiments, the second configuration information may include information related to the reference signal transmission time. For example, after receiving the first configuration information sent by the positioning device, the base station may determine the reference signal transmission time based on the first configuration information. Furthermore, the base station may also send information related to the reference signal transmission time to the positioning device.

[0108] In some embodiments, the same time information of reference signals sent by multiple base stations may mean that the times at which the reference signals are sent by the multiple base stations are the same. For example, multiple base stations may send reference signals to a terminal device at the same time. In other embodiments, the time information of reference signals sent by multiple base stations may mean that the times at which the reference signals are sent by the multiple base stations are within a preset time range. For example, multiple base stations may send reference signals to a terminal device within the preset time range. In this case, the times at which the reference signals are sent by the multiple base stations may be the same or different, as long as the times at which the reference signals are sent by the multiple base stations are within the preset time range.

[0109] In some embodiments, the preset time range can be determined based on a first moment and a first offset. The first offset can be an offset relative to the first moment. The first moment can be the start moment of the preset time range, or the end moment of the preset time range, or any moment within the preset time range.

[0110] In some implementations, the preset time range can be obtained by taking the first moment as a reference and then performing an offset by a first offset.

[0111] In some embodiments, the first offset may be an offset predefined in the protocol, or the first offset may be indicated by the network device to the positioning device, or the first offset may be indicated by the terminal device to the positioning device.

[0112] In some embodiments, after receiving the second configuration information sent by the base station, the positioning device may determine whether the second configuration information is based on the first configuration information. For example, the positioning device may determine whether the reference signal transmission time configured in the second configuration information meets the timing requirements configured in the first configuration information. If the second configuration information is not based on the first configuration information, the positioning device may request the base station to resend the configuration information.

[0113] In some embodiments, multiple base stations may send a response message to the positioning device. The response message may be used to indicate whether the second configuration information is determined based on the first configuration information. The positioning device may determine whether the second configuration information is determined based on the first configuration information based on the response message.

[0114] The positioning device in the embodiment of the application may be a unit with a positioning solution function, a positioning server, a location management function (LMF), a serving cell, a positioning reference unit or a terminal device.

[0115] The method embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 4 . The device embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 5 to 7 . It should be understood that the description of the method embodiment corresponds to the description of the device embodiment. Therefore, for parts not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiment.

[0116] FIG5 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 500 shown in FIG5 can be any of the terminal devices described above. The terminal device 500 can include a receiving unit 510 and a sending unit 520.

[0117] The receiving unit 510 is used to receive a first message sent by a network device, where the first message is used for a terminal device to receive a reference signal sent by the network device at a different location.

[0118] The sending unit 520 is configured to receive, at a first location, a first reference signal sent by the network device.

[0119] The sending unit 520 is further configured to receive, at a second location, a second reference signal sent by the network device.

[0120] The first measurement information of the first reference signal and the second measurement information of the second reference signal are used to locate the terminal device.

[0121] In some possible implementations, the sending unit is further used to: send first information to the network device, where the first information includes a difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information, and the difference is used to locate the terminal device.

[0122] In some possible implementations, the difference includes one or more of the following: a difference between a first reception phase of the first reference signal and a second reception phase of the second reference signal; a difference between a first reception moment of the first reference signal and a second reception moment of the second reference signal.

[0123] In some possible implementations, the first message satisfies one or more of the following: the first message includes a first request message, and the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send measurement information for different locations and / or the difference of measurement information for different locations; the first message includes first configuration information, and the first configuration information is used to configure the terminal device to send measurement information from different locations and / or the difference of measurement information from different locations; the first message includes second configuration information, and the second configuration information is used to configure a reference signal group for multiple base stations, and the reference signals in the reference signal group are used to locate the terminal device.

[0124] In some possible implementations, the sending unit is further used to: send first indication information to the network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device.

[0125] In some possible implementations, the terminal device further includes a determination unit for determining, based on a first time range, whether a difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device, wherein the first time range is used to indicate a time difference between reception times of two reference signals that can be used to locate the terminal device.

[0126] In some possible implementations, the first time range is determined by the network device, or the first time range may be a time range predefined in a protocol.

[0127] In some possible implementations, the receiving unit is further used to: receive second indication information sent by the network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first time range.

[0128] In some possible implementations, the first time range is related to one or more of the following: the time difference between the sending times of different reference signals sent by the network device; the time difference between the receiving times of different reference signals received by the terminal device; the first moment, the first moment is the reference moment of the first time range, and the first time range is the time difference between the sending times of reference signals sent by different base stations.

[0129] In some possible implementations, the first time range is a time range expected by the terminal device.

[0130] In some possible implementations, the sending unit is further used to: send third indication information to the network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first time range.

[0131] In some possible implementations, the desired time range of the terminal device is determined based on the formula Lc / 2vf, where c is the speed of light, L is an empirical factor, v is the moving speed of the terminal device, and f is the carrier frequency of the reference signal.

[0132] In an optional embodiment, the receiving unit 510 and the sending unit 520 may be a transceiver 730, and the determining unit may be a processor 710. The terminal device 500 may further include a memory 720, as specifically shown in FIG7 .

[0133] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a positioning device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The positioning device 600 shown in FIG6 can be any positioning device described above. The positioning device 600 can include a sending unit 610 and a receiving unit 620.

[0134] The sending unit 610 is configured to send first configuration information to multiple base stations, where the first configuration information is used to configure time information of reference signals sent by the multiple base stations.

[0135] The receiving unit 620 is configured to receive second configuration information sent by the multiple base stations, where the second configuration information includes configuration information of reference signals determined by the multiple base stations based on the time information.

[0136] The time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations is the same, and the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations are used to locate the terminal device.

[0137] In some possible implementations, the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations being the same includes at least one of the following: the time at which the reference signals are sent by the multiple base stations is the same; the time at which the reference signals are sent by the multiple base stations is within a preset time range.

[0138] In some possible implementations, the preset time range is determined based on a first moment and a first offset.

[0139] In some possible implementations, the positioning device further includes a determining unit configured to determine whether the second configuration information is configuration information determined based on the first configuration information.

[0140] In some possible implementations, the receiving unit is further used to: receive response messages sent by the multiple base stations, where the response messages are used to indicate whether the second configuration information is determined based on the first configuration information.

[0141] In some possible implementations, the sending unit is configured to send a configuration request message to multiple base stations, where the configuration request message is used to request that the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations be configured within the same time range.

[0142] In an optional embodiment, the sending unit 610 and the receiving unit 620 may be a transceiver 730, and the determining unit may be a processor 710. The positioning device 900 may further include a memory 720, as specifically shown in FIG7 .

[0143] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 7 indicate that the unit or module is optional. This device 700 can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. Device 700 can be a chip or a communication device. The communication device can be any of the communication devices described above. For example, the communication device can be a terminal device or a positioning device.

[0144] The device 700 may include one or more processors 710. The processor 710 may support the device 700 to implement the method described in the method embodiment above. The processor 710 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0145] The apparatus 700 may further include one or more memories 720. The memories 720 store programs that can be executed by the processor 710, causing the processor 710 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 720 may be independent of the processor 710 or integrated into the processor 710.

[0146] The apparatus 700 may further include a transceiver 730. The processor 710 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 730. For example, the processor 710 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 730.

[0147] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device provided in the present invention, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present invention.

[0148] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to the communication device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0149] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute the method executed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0150] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0151] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0152] In the embodiments of this application, the term "include" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Alternatively, the term "include" in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicates" or "is used to determine." For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B."

[0153] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0154] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0155] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0156] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0157] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0158] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0159] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0160] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0161] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0162] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0163] 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 method for positioning, characterized in that, including: The terminal device receives a first message sent by the network device, where the first message is used for the terminal device to receive a reference signal sent by the network device at different locations; The terminal device receives a first reference signal sent by the network device at a first location; The terminal device receives a second reference signal sent by the network device at a second location; Wherein, the first measurement information of the first reference signal and the second measurement information of the second reference signal are used to locate the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal device sends first information to the network device, where the first information includes the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information, and the difference is used to locate the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The difference includes one or more of the following: The difference between the first reception phase of the first reference signal and the second reception phase of the second reference signal; The difference between the first reception time of the first reference signal and the second reception time of the second reference signal.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first message satisfies one or more of the following: The first message includes a first request message, where the first request message is used to request the terminal device to send measurement information for different locations and / or the difference between measurement information for different locations; The first message includes first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to configure the terminal device to send measurement information from different locations and / or the difference between measurement information from different locations; The first message includes second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to configure a reference signal group for multiple base stations, and the reference signals in the reference signal group are used to locate the terminal device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal device sends first indication information to the network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The method further includes: The terminal device determines whether the difference between the first measurement information and the second measurement information can be used to locate the terminal device based on a first time range, where the first time range is used to indicate the time difference between the reception times of two reference signals that can be used to locate the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first time range is determined by the network device or the first time range is a pre-defined range in the protocol.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The method further includes: The terminal device receives second indication information sent by the network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate the first time range.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein The first time range is related to one or more of the following: The time difference between the transmission times of different reference signals sent by the network device; The time difference between the reception times of different reference signals received by the terminal device; A first moment, where the first moment is the reference moment of the first time range, and the first time range is the time difference between the transmission times of reference signals sent by different base stations.

10. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first time range is the time range expected by the terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The method further includes: The terminal device sends third indication information to the network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the first time range.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The time range expected by the terminal device is determined based on the formula Lc / 2vf, where c is the speed of light, L is an empirical factor, v is the moving speed of the terminal device, and f is the carrier frequency of the reference signal.

13. A method for positioning, characterized in that, Including: The positioning device sends first configuration information to multiple base stations, where the first configuration information is used to configure the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations; The positioning device receives second configuration information sent by the multiple base stations, where the second configuration information includes the configuration information of the reference signals determined by the multiple base stations based on the time information; Wherein, the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations is the same, and the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations are used to position the terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The fact that the time information of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations is the same includes at least one of the following: The moments of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations are the same; The moments of the reference signals sent by the multiple base stations are within a preset time range.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The preset time range is determined based on a first moment and a first offset.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 - 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The positioning device determines whether the second configuration information is the configuration information determined based on the first configuration information.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13-16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The positioning device receives response messages sent by the multiple base stations, where the response messages are used to indicate whether the second configuration information is determined based on the first configuration information.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13-17, characterized in that The positioning device sending first configuration information to multiple base stations includes: The positioning device sends a configuration request message to multiple base stations, where the configuration request message is used to request that the reference signal configurations sent by the multiple base stations be within the same time range.

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