Apparatus and method for performing wireless sensing in wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to performing wireless sensing in a wireless communication system, and proposes, for efficient interference management of sensing performance via shared and / or dedicated communication media, a sensing transmission control procedure, a sensing sequence decoding procedure that mitigates cross-interference based on a sensing sequence having auto-correlation characteristics, and a preemptive sensing procedure that suppresses sensing execution by surrounding sensing stations. A method performed by a first apparatus during sensing transmission control comprises the steps of: determining a transmission parameter; transmitting a signal related to measurement on the basis of the determined transmission parameter; and receiving results of the measurement from a second apparatus, wherein the transmission parameter includes at least one of a beam direction and power and may be determined on the basis of at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal, which is transmitted by the first apparatus, then reflected by a sensing target, and received at the second apparatus, and second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node that performs a sensing assistance function.

Description

Device and method for performing wireless sensing in a wireless communication system

[0001] The following description relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to a device and method for performing wireless sensing in a wireless communication system.

[0002] Wireless access systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication services, such as voice and data. Typically, wireless access systems are multiple access systems that support communications with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmission power). Examples of multiple access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA).

[0003] In particular, as numerous communication devices demand greater communication capacity, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) communication technologies are being proposed, improving upon existing radio access technology (RAT). Furthermore, massive machine type communications (mMTC), which connects numerous devices and objects to provide diverse services anytime and anywhere, as well as communication systems that consider reliability and latency-sensitive services / user equipment (UE), are being proposed. Various technological configurations are being proposed for these purposes.

[0004] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for performing wireless sensing in a wireless communication system.

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing interference of wireless sensing in a wireless communication system.

[0006] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for controlling transmission parameters for transmitting a sensing signal in a wireless communication system.

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for controlling transmission parameters based on at least one of a beam sweeping result and support information related to a sensing target in a wireless communication system.

[0008] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for performing wireless sensing using a sequence having autocorrelation characteristics in a wireless communication system.

[0009] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for negotiating at least one sequence to be used for transmitting a sensing signal between a sensing transmitter and a sensing receiver in a wireless communication system.

[0010] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting sensing signals based on different sequences by multiple sensing transmitters in a wireless communication system.

[0011] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for pre-occupying shared and / or dedicated media for sensing in a wireless communication system.

[0012] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting a sensing preemption-related request message to at least one surrounding sensing transmitter in a wireless communication system.

[0013] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for transmitting a sensing request-related request message to at least one surrounding sensing transmitter in a wireless communication system by a sensing receiver.

[0014] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for providing information related to a sensing failure in a wireless communication system.

[0015] The technical objectives to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical tasks not mentioned can be considered by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the technical configuration of the present disclosure is applied from the embodiments of the present disclosure described below.

[0016] As an example of the present disclosure, a method includes a step in which a first device determines a transmission parameter, a step in which the first device transmits a signal related to measurement based on the determined transmission parameter, and a step in which the first device receives a measurement result from a second device, wherein the transmission parameter includes at least one of a beam direction or power, and the transmission parameter can be determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement for at least one reflected signal transmitted by the first device and then reflected by a sensing target and received by the second device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

[0017] As an example of the present disclosure, the method includes a step of a second device receiving at least one reflection signal reflected by a sensing target after being transmitted by a first device, a step of the second device transmitting first information related to a measurement obtained based on the at least one reflection signal to the first device, a step of the second device receiving a signal related to the measurement, and a step of the second device transmitting a measurement result obtained based on the signal related to the measurement to the first device, wherein the first information may include at least one of a beam direction or power of the at least one reflection signal.

[0018] As an example of the present disclosure, a device includes a transceiver and a processor connected to the transceiver, the processor controlling to determine a transmission parameter, transmit a signal related to measurement based on the determined transmission parameter, and receive a measurement result from another device, the transmission parameter including at least one of a beam direction or power, and the transmission parameter may be determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal transmitted by the device and then reflected by a sensing target and received by the other device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

[0019] As an example of the present disclosure, a device includes a transceiver and a processor connected to the transceiver, wherein the processor controls the device to receive at least one reflection signal reflected by a sensing target after being transmitted by another device, transmit first information related to a measurement obtained based on the at least one reflection signal to the other device, receive a signal related to the measurement, and transmit a measurement result obtained based on the signal related to the measurement to the other device, wherein the first information may include at least one of a beam direction or power of the at least one reflection signal.

[0020] As an example of the present disclosure, a communication device includes at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, direct operations, the operations including: determining a transmission parameter; transmitting a signal related to measurement based on the determined transmission parameter; and receiving a measurement result from another device, wherein the transmission parameter includes at least one of a beam direction or power, and the transmission parameter may be determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal transmitted by the communication device and then reflected by a sensing target and received by the other device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

[0021] As an example of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores at least one instruction executable by a processor, the at least one instruction determining a transmission parameter, transmitting a signal related to measurement based on the determined transmission parameter, and controlling to receive a measurement result from another device, the transmission parameter including at least one of a beam direction or power, and the transmission parameter may be determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal transmitted by a first device and then reflected by a sensing target and received by the other device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

[0022] The above-described aspects of the present disclosure are only some of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and various embodiments reflecting the technical features of the present disclosure can be derived and understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art based on the detailed description of the present disclosure to be described below.

[0023] The following effects may be achieved by embodiments based on the present disclosure.

[0024] The present disclosure can effectively mitigate interference of wireless sensing in a wireless communication system.

[0025] The effects that can be obtained from the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly derived and understood by those skilled in the art to which the technical configuration of the present disclosure is applied, from the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure below. In other words, unintended effects that result from implementing the configuration described in the present disclosure can also be derived by those skilled in the art from the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] The accompanying drawings are intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure and, together with detailed descriptions, may provide embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the technical features of the present disclosure are not limited to specific drawings, and the features disclosed in each drawing may be combined with each other to form new embodiments. Reference numerals in each drawing may indicate structural elements.

[0027] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a communication system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a user equipment (UE) applicable to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of functional separation of a next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) and a 5th generation core (5GC) applicable to the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a general architecture of a 5G (5th generation) system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 5a illustrates an example of sensing interference in a wireless communication system.

[0032] Figure 5b illustrates an example of a hidden node problem in a wireless communication system.

[0033] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a sensing transmission control procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a sensing sequence decoding procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a preemptive sensing procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a procedure for receiving sensing results according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a procedure for transmitting sensing results according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] The following embodiments combine components and features of the present disclosure in a predetermined form. Each component or feature may be considered optional unless explicitly stated otherwise. Each component or feature may be implemented without being combined with other components or features. Furthermore, some components and / or features may be combined to form embodiments of the present disclosure. The order of operations described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be changed. Some components or features of one embodiment may be included in another embodiment or may be replaced with corresponding components or features of another embodiment.

[0039] In the description of the drawings, procedures or steps that may obscure the gist of the present disclosure are not described, and procedures or steps that can be understood by a person skilled in the art are also not described.

[0040] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "comprising" or "including" a component, this does not mean that other components may be included, but rather that other components may be excluded, unless otherwise specifically stated. In addition, terms such as "...part," "...unit," and "module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, the words "a" or "an," "one," "the," and similar related words may be used in the context of describing the present disclosure (especially in the context of the claims below) to include both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context.

[0041] Embodiments of the present disclosure described herein focus on the data transmission and reception relationship between a base station and a mobile station. Here, the base station is understood as a terminal node of a network that directly communicates with the mobile station. Certain operations described herein as being performed by the base station may, in some cases, be performed by an upper node of the base station.

[0042] That is, in a network consisting of multiple network nodes including a base station, various operations performed for communication with a mobile station may be performed by the base station or other network nodes other than the base station. In this case, the term 'base station' may be replaced by terms such as fixed station, Node B, eNB (eNode B), gNB (gNode B), ng-eNB, advanced base station (ABS), or access point.

[0043] Additionally, in embodiments of the present disclosure, the term terminal may be replaced with terms such as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station (MSS), mobile terminal, or advanced mobile station (AMS).

[0044] Additionally, a transmitter refers to a fixed and / or mobile node that provides data or voice services, and a receiver refers to a fixed and / or mobile node that receives data or voice services. Therefore, for uplink, a mobile station can be the transmitter, and a base station can be the receiver. Similarly, for downlink, a mobile station can be the receiver, and a base station can be the transmitter.

[0045] Embodiments of the present disclosure are wireless access systems such as IEEE 802.xx system, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) system, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, 3GPP 5G (5 thgeneration) NR (New Radio) system and 3GPP2 system, and in particular, embodiments of the present disclosure may be supported by 3GPP TS (technical specification) 38.211, 3GPP TS 38.212, 3GPP TS 38.213, 3GPP TS 38.321 and 3GPP TS 38.331 documents.

[0046] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to other wireless access systems and are not limited to the aforementioned systems. For example, they can also be applied to systems implemented after the 3GPP 5G NR system, and are not limited to a specific system.

[0047] That is, obvious steps or parts not described in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be explained by referring to the above documents. In addition, all terms disclosed in this document can be explained by the above standard documents.

[0048] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the technical configurations of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0049] Additionally, specific terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and the use of such specific terms may be changed to other forms without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

[0050] The following technology can be applied to various wireless access systems such as CDMA (code division multiple access), FDMA (frequency division multiple access), TDMA (time division multiple access), OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access), and SC-FDMA (single carrier frequency division multiple access).

[0051]

[0052] For clarity, the following description is based on a 3GPP communication system (e.g., LTE, NR, etc.), but the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto. LTE may refer to technology after 3GPP TS 36.xxx Release 8. Specifically, LTE technology after 3GPP TS 36.xxx Release 10 may be referred to as LTE-A, and LTE technology after 3GPP TS 36.xxx Release 13 may be referred to as LTE-A pro. 3GPP NR may refer to technology after TS 38.xxx Release 15. 3GPP 6G may refer to technology after TS Release 17 and / or Release 18. "xxx" refers to a standard document detail number. LTE / NR / 6G may be collectively referred to as a 3GPP system.

[0053] For background information, terms, abbreviations, etc. used in this disclosure, reference may be made to standard documents published prior to the present invention. For example, reference may be made to the 36.xxx and 38.xxx standard documents.

[0054] For terms, abbreviations, and other background technologies that may be used in this document, please refer to the following standard documents published prior to this document. In particular, terms, abbreviations, and other background technologies related to LTE / EPS (Evolved Packet System) can refer to the 36.xxx series, 23.xxx series, and 24.xxx series, and terms, abbreviations, and other background technologies related to NR (new radio) / 5GS (5G system) can refer to the 38.xxx series, 23.xxx series, and 24.xxx series.

[0055] Hereinafter, this specification is described based on the terms defined above.

[0056] The three key requirement areas for 5G include (1) Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), (2) Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), and (3) Ultra-reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC).

[0057] Some use cases may require optimization across multiple domains, while others may focus on just one Key Performance Indicator (KPI). 5G supports these diverse use cases in a flexible and reliable manner.

[0058] Communication system applicable to the present disclosure

[0059] Although not limited thereto, the various descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operational flowcharts of the present disclosure disclosed in this document may be applied to various fields requiring wireless communication / connectivity (e.g., 5G) between devices.

[0060] Hereinafter, more specific examples will be provided with reference to the drawings. In the drawings / descriptions below, the same drawing reference numerals may represent identical or corresponding hardware blocks, software blocks, or functional blocks, unless otherwise described.

[0061] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a communication system applied to the present disclosure.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 1, a communication system (100) applied to the present disclosure includes a wireless device, a base station, and a network. Here, the wireless device refers to a device that performs communication using a wireless access technology (e.g., 5G NR, LTE) and may be referred to as a communication / wireless / 5G device. Although not limited thereto, the wireless device may include a robot (100a), a vehicle (100b-1, 100b-2), an XR (extended reality) device (100c), a hand-held device (100d), a home appliance (100e), an IoT (Internet of Things) device (100f), and an AI (artificial intelligence) device / server (100g). For example, the vehicle may include a vehicle equipped with a wireless communication function, an autonomous vehicle, a vehicle capable of performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication, etc. Here, the vehicles (100b-1, 100b-2) may include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones). The XR devices (100c) include augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) / mixed reality (MR) devices, and may be implemented in the form of head-mounted devices (HMDs), head-up displays (HUDs) installed in vehicles, televisions, smartphones, computers, wearable devices, home appliances, digital signage, vehicles, robots, etc. The portable devices (100d) may include smartphones, smart pads, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), computers (e.g., laptops, etc.), etc. The home appliances (100e) may include TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, etc. The IoT devices (100f) may include sensors, smart meters, etc. For example, the base station (120) and the network (130) may also be implemented as wireless devices, and a specific wireless device (120a) may act as a base station / network node to other wireless devices.

[0063] Wireless devices (100a to 100f) can be connected to a network (130) via a base station (120). AI technology can be applied to the wireless devices (100a to 100f), and the wireless devices (100a to 100f) can be connected to an AI server (100g) via a network (130). The network (130) can be configured using a 3G network, a 4G (e.g., LTE) network, a 5G (e.g., NR) network, etc. The wireless devices (100a to 100f) can communicate with each other via the base station (120) / network (130), but can also communicate directly (e.g., sidelink communication) without going through the base station (120) / network (130). For example, vehicles (100b-1, 100b-2) can communicate directly (e.g., V2V (vehicle to vehicle) / V2X (vehicle to everything) communication). In addition, IoT devices (100f) (e.g., sensors) can communicate directly with other IoT devices (e.g., sensors) or other wireless devices (100a to 100f).

[0064] Wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c) can be established between wireless devices (100a to 100f) / base stations (120), and base stations (120) / base stations (120). Here, the wireless communication / connection can be established through various wireless access technologies (e.g., 5G NR) such as uplink / downlink communication (150a), sidelink communication (150b) (or D2D communication), and base station-to-base station communication (150c) (e.g., relay, IAB (integrated access backhaul)). Through the wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c), the wireless device and base station / wireless device, and base stations and base stations can transmit / receive wireless signals to / from each other. For example, the wireless communication / connection (150a, 150b, 150c) can transmit / receive signals through various physical channels. To this end, based on various proposals of the present disclosure, at least some of various configuration information setting processes for transmitting / receiving wireless signals, various signal processing processes (e.g., channel encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, resource mapping / demapping, etc.), resource allocation processes, etc. may be performed.

[0065] Figure 2 illustrates an example of a UE applicable to the present disclosure.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 2, the UE (200) may include a processor (102), memory (104), a transceiver (106), one or more antennas (108), a power management module (141), a battery (142), a display (143), a keypad (144), a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card (145), a speaker (146), and a microphone (147).

[0067] The processor (102) may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts disclosed herein. The processor (102) may be configured to control one or more other components of the UE (200) to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or flowcharts disclosed herein. A layer of a radio interface protocol may be implemented in the processor (102). The processor (102) may include an ASIC, other chipset, logic circuit, and / or data processing device. The processor (102) may be an application processor. The processor (102) may include at least one of a DSP, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a modem (modulator and demodulator).

[0068] The memory (104) is operatively coupled to the processor (102) and can store various information for operating the processor (102). The memory (104) may include ROM, RAM, flash memory, a memory card, a storage medium, and / or other storage devices. When the implementation is implemented in software, the techniques described herein may be implemented using modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed herein. The modules may be stored in the memory (14) and executed by the processor (102). The memory (104) may be implemented within the processor (102) or external to the processor (102), in which case it may be communicatively coupled to the processor (102) via various methods known in the art.

[0069] A transceiver (106) is operably coupled to the processor (102) and is capable of transmitting and / or receiving radio signals. The transceiver (106) may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver (106) may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. The transceiver (106) may control one or more antennas (108) to transmit and / or receive radio signals.

[0070] The power management module (141) can manage the power of the processor (102) and / or the transceiver (106). The battery (142) can supply power to the power management module (141).

[0071] The display (143) can output the results processed by the processor (102). The keypad (144) can receive input to be used by the processor (102). The keypad (144) can be displayed on the display (143).

[0072] A SIM card (145) is an integrated circuit that securely stores an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and associated keys, and can be used to identify and authenticate subscribers in mobile devices such as mobile phones and computers. Additionally, contact information can be stored on many SIM cards.

[0073] The speaker (146) can output sound-related results processed by the processor (102). The microphone (147) can receive sound-related input to be used by the processor (102).

[0074] In implementations of this specification, a UE may operate as a transmitter in the uplink and as a receiver in the downlink. In implementations of this specification, a base station may operate as a receiver in the uplink and as a transmitter in the downlink. In this specification, a base station may be referred to as a Node B (Node B), an eNode B (eNB), or a gNB, and may not be limited to a specific form.

[0075] In addition, for example, the UE may be implemented in various forms depending on the use case / service. The UE may be composed of various components, devices / parts, and / or modules. For example, each UE may include a communication device, a control device, a memory device, and additional components. The communication device may include a communication circuit and a transceiver. For example, the communication circuit may include one or more processors and / or one or more memories. For example, the transceiver may include one or more transceivers and / or one or more antennas. The control device is electrically connected to the communication device, the memory device, and the additional components, and may control the overall operation of each UE. For example, the control device may control the electrical / mechanical operation of each UE based on a program / code / command / information stored in the memory device. The control device may transmit information stored in the memory device to an external device (e.g., another communication device) via the communication device via a wireless / wired interface, or may store information received from an external device (e.g., another communication device) via the communication device via a wireless / wired interface in the memory device.

[0076] Additional components may be configured in various ways depending on the type of UE. For example, the additional components may include at least one of a power unit / battery, an input / output (I / O) device (e.g., an audio I / O port, a video I / O port), a driving device, and a computing device. In addition, the UE is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in the form of a robot (100a in FIG. 1), a vehicle (100b-1 and 100b-2 in FIG. 1), an XR device (100c in FIG. 1), a portable device (100d in FIG. 1), a home appliance (100e in FIG. 1), an IoT device (100f in FIG. 1), a digital broadcasting terminal, a hologram device, a public safety device, an MTC device, a medical device, a fintech device (or a financial device), a security device, a climate / environmental device, an AI server / device (100g in FIG. 1), a base station (120 in FIG. 1), or a network node. UE can be used in mobile or fixed locations depending on the use case / service.

[0077] The various components, devices / parts, and / or modules of the UE may all be connected to each other via a wired interface, or at least some of them may be connected wirelessly via a communication device. In addition, each component, device / part, and / or module of the UE may further include one or more elements. For example, the control device may be configured by a set of one or more processors. For example, the control device may be configured by a set of a communication control processor, an application processor (AP), an electronic control unit (ECU), a graphics processing unit, and a memory control processor. As another example, the memory device may be configured by a random access memory (RAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and / or a combination thereof.

[0078] 5G system architecture applicable to the present disclosure

[0079] The 5G system is an advanced technology from the 4th generation LTE mobile communication technology. It supports new radio access technology (RAT: Radio Access Technology), extended LTE (eLTE) as an extended technology of LTE (Long Term Evolution), and non-3GPP (e.g., WLAN) access through the evolution or clean-state structure of the existing mobile communication network structure.

[0080] 5G systems are defined as service-based, and the interactions between network functions (NFs) within the architecture for 5G systems can be expressed in two ways as follows.

[0081] - Reference point representation: Represents the interaction between NF services within NFs described by a point-to-point reference point (e.g., N11) between two NFs (e.g., AMF and SMF).

[0082] Service-based representation: Network functions (e.g., AMF) within the control plane (CP) allow other authorized network functions to access their services. This representation also includes point-to-point reference points, if necessary.

[0083] 5GC (5G Core) can include various components, some of which include access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), policy control function (PCF), user plane function (UPF), application function (AF), unified data management (UDM), and non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF).

[0084] The UE connects to the data network via the UPF via the next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) that includes the gNB. The UE can receive data services via untrusted non-3GPP access points, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs). To connect non-3GPP access points to the core network, an N3IWF may be deployed.

[0085] The N3IWF manages interworking between non-3GPP access and 5G systems. When a UE is connected to a non-3GPP access (e.g., WiFi, also known as IEEE 802.11), it can connect to a 5G system via the N3IWF. The N3IWF performs control signaling with the AMF and connects to the UPF via the N3 interface for data transmission.

[0086] AMF can manage access and mobility in 5G systems. It can also manage non-access stratum (NAS) security. It can also handle mobility in idle states.

[0087] The UPF functions as a gateway for transmitting and receiving user data. A UPF node can perform all or part of the user plane functions of a 4G mobile communications S-GW (serving gateway) and P-GW (packet data network gateway).

[0088] The UPF acts as a boundary point between the next generation RAN (NG-RAN) and the core network, and is an element that maintains the data path between the gNB and the SMF. In addition, the UPF acts as a mobility anchor point when the UE moves across the area served by the gNB. The UPF can perform the function of handling PDUs. For mobility within the NG-RAN (e.g., NG-RAN defined after 3GPP Release-15), the UPF can route packets. In addition, the UPF can also act as an anchor point for mobility with other 3GPP networks (e.g., RAN defined before 3GPP Release-15), such as UTRAN (UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) terrestrial radio access network), E-UTRAN (evolved-UTRAN), or GERAN (GSM (global system for mobile communication) / EDGE (enhanced data rates for global evolution) radio access network). A UPF may correspond to the termination point of a data interface toward a data network.

[0089] The PCF is a node that controls the operator's policies. The AF is a server that provides various services to UEs. The UDM is a server that manages subscriber information, similar to the HSS (home subscriber server) of 4G mobile communications. The UDM (460) stores and manages subscriber information in a unified data repository (UDR).

[0090] The SMF can perform the function of assigning an IP (Internet protocol) address to the UE. In addition, the SMF can control the PDU (protocol data unit) session.

[0091] For convenience of explanation below, the drawing symbols for AMF, SMF, PCF, UPF, AF, UDM, N3IWF, gNB, or UE may be omitted, and operation may be performed by referring to the matters described in standard documents published prior to this document.

[0092] Figure 3 illustrates an example of functional separation of NG-RAN and 5GC (5th generation core) applicable to the present disclosure.

[0093] Referring to Figure 3, the UE connects to a data network (DN) via a next-generation RAN. The control plane function (CPF) node performs all or part of the functions of the mobility management entity (MME) of 4G mobile communications, and all or part of the control plane functions of the serving gateway (S-GW) and the PDN gateway (P-GW). The CPF node includes the AMF and the SMF.

[0094] The UPF node functions as a gateway through which user data is transmitted and received.

[0095] The authentication server function (AUSF) authenticates and manages UEs. The Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) is a node for network slicing, as described below.

[0096] The network exposure function (NEF) provides a mechanism to securely expose the services and functions of the 5G core.

[0097] The reference points shown in Fig. 3 are as follows. N1 represents a reference point between the UE and the AMF. N2 represents a reference point between the (R)AN and the AMF. N3 represents a reference point between the (R)AN and the UPF. N4 represents a reference point between the SMF and the UPF. N5 represents a reference point between the PCF and the AF. N6 represents a reference point between the UPF and the DN. N7 represents a reference point between the SMF and the PCF. N8 represents a reference point between the UDM and the AMF. N9 represents a reference point between the UPFs. N10 represents a reference point between the UDM and the SMF. N11 represents a reference point between the AMF and the SMF. N12 represents a reference point between the AMF and the AUSF. N13 represents a reference point between the UDM and the AUSF. N14 represents a reference point between the AMFs. N15 represents a reference point between a PCF and an AMF in a non-roaming scenario, and a reference point between an AMF and a PCF of a visited network in a roaming scenario. N16 represents a reference point between SMFs. N22 represents a reference point between an AMF and an NSSF. N30 represents a reference point between a PCF and an NEF. N33 may represent a reference point between an AF and an NEF, and the entities and interfaces described above may be configured with reference to those described in standard documents published before this document. N58 represents a reference point between an AMF and an NSSAAF. N59 represents a reference point between a UDM and an NSSAAF. N80 represents a reference point between an AMF and an NSACF. N81 represents a reference point between an SMF and an NSACF.

[0098] The radio interface protocol is based on the 3GPP radio access network standard. Horizontally, the radio interface protocol consists of the physical layer, data link layer, and network layer. Vertically, it is divided into the user plane for data information transmission and the control plane for control signaling.

[0099] Protocol layers can be divided into L1 (layer-1), L2 (layer-2), and L3 (layer-3) based on the three lower layers of the open systems interconnection (OSI) standard model, which is widely known in communication systems.

[0100] Below, the present disclosure describes each layer of the wireless protocol. Figure 4 illustrates an example of a general architecture of a 5G (5th generation) system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 4, the AS (access stratum) layer may include a physical (PHY) layer, a medium access control layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and a radio resource control (RRC) layer, and operations based on each layer may be performed by referring to matters described in standard documents published prior to this document.

[0102] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure

[0103] The present disclosure relates to a device and method for performing wireless sensing in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device and method for managing interference in cooperative sensing over shared and / or dedicated media in a wireless communication system.

[0104] In the following description, a transmission-reception point (TRP) means a set of co-located antennas (e.g., an antenna array including at least one antenna element) that support the functionality of a transmission point (TP) and / or a reception point (RP), as defined in TS 38.305. A sensing target means an object or environment that is the subject of a sensing measurement. A sensing target may or may not be connected to a network. A sensing station is a network entity that participates in performing sensing, and may be a sensing transmitter or a sensing receiver. A sensing station may be an entire base station, a remote radio head (RRH), or a remote antenna of a base station. At least one sensing station may be included in a single cell. A sensing assistance function (SAF) is a logical entity that provides assistance information for a sensing target connected to a network.

[0105] Joint communication and sensing (JCAS) is emerging as a key next-generation technology for 6G systems and beyond. By integrating communication and sensing functions within a single system or network, JCAS has the potential to expand the capabilities of existing cellular networks to accommodate new industries that require environmental sensing and perception, such as smart cities, industrial IoT, public safety, and education. In conjunction with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), JCAS can enable carriers to leverage devices connected to existing cellular network infrastructure to deliver innovative services to consumers and industries in a cost-effective manner.

[0106] The wireless signals used for sensing may include existing communication signals and / or newly defined wireless signals. For example, some of the communication signals defined in 3GPP, such as the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), demodulation reference signal (DM-RS), sounding reference signal (SRS), and / or positioning reference signal (PRS), may be used or modified for sensing. Alternatively, new wireless signals separate from existing communication signals may be defined for sensing purposes. The wireless signals used for sensing may be referred to as wireless sensing signals, sensing signals, or other terms having equivalent technical meanings thereto. Wireless sensing may include transmitting sensing signals to detect various sensing objects and / or movements of sensing objects that are already connected to the network or not, and estimating the range, velocity, and / or position of the sensing objects based on signals affected by, for example, reflection, refraction, or diffraction, of the sensing objects. In the present disclosure, a signal affected by reflection, refraction, or diffraction by a sensing target may be referred to as an echo signal or a reflection signal.

[0107] In these 6G wireless sensing characteristics, the following aspects are observed:

[0108] 1) Sensing relies on echo signals reflected by the sensing target. Therefore, the transmission range of the sensing signal can be much larger than that of a conventional communication signal. For example, if the transmission range from the TRP to the UE or vice versa is compared to the downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) coverage of a conventional communication signal, the path distance from the sensing transmitter to the sensing receiver can be twice the distance of the DL or UL coverage of the conventional communication signal. For example, the transmission range of the sensing signal can correspond to the round-trip path from the sensing transmitter to the sensing target, then reflected by the sensing target and returned to the sensing receiver. The transmission power of the sensing signal must also take into account the return loss, and must be set sufficiently so that the power of the reflected signal that reaches the receiver through a much longer path is suitable for sensing detection.

[0109] 2) The approved Rel-19 new research item for JCAS channel modeling currently considers all six bistatic / monostatic sensing modes: TRP-TRP bistatic, TRP monostatic, TRP-UE bistatic, UE-TRP bistatic, UE-UE bistatic, and UE monostatic. However, in the case of monostatic, where the same entity transmits and receives the sensing signal, high self-interference cancellation is required to ensure sensing accuracy, making it impractical for practical implementation. Considering the characteristics of wireless sensing and the difficulty of self-interference cancellation, wireless sensing in JCAS is likely to take the form of collaborative sensing (e.g., multi-sensing or bistatic sensing), where the roles of sensing transmitters and sensing receivers are separated.

[0110] 3) Centrally planning and controlling all sensing tasks in the vicinity can avoid cross-interference between different sensing operations. However, this centralized approach requires extensive coordination among sensing stations (e.g., coordinating resources allocated to sensing, timing, etc.) and coordination with neighboring sensing stations for each sensing task, potentially resulting in extensive signaling across the network. A decentralized approach, where each sensing task is independently executed over a shared and / or dedicated sensing medium, could be an attractive option for more easily integrating sensing capabilities into existing cellular networks.

[0111] FIG. 5A illustrates an example of sensing interference in a wireless communication system. Referring to FIG. 5A, a first sensing transmitter (TX1) (510-1) and a first sensing receiver (RX1) (520-1) may perform cooperative sensing to detect a first sensing target, and a second sensing transmitter (TX2) (510-2) and a second sensing receiver (RX2) (520-2) may perform cooperative sensing to detect a second sensing target. At this time, the second sensing transmitter (510-2) may be located within the sensing signal range of the first sensing transmitter (510-1) and the first sensing receiver (520-1). In this case, the sensing signal transmitted from the second sensing transmitter (510-2) may act as interference to the first sensing receiver (520-1).

[0112] Fig. 5b illustrates an example of a hidden node problem in a wireless communication system. Referring to Fig. 5b, a first sensing transmitter (TX1) (530-1) and a first sensing receiver (RX1) (540-1) may perform cooperative sensing to detect a first sensing target, and a second sensing transmitter (TX2) (530-2) and a second sensing receiver (RX2) (540-2) may perform cooperative sensing to detect a second sensing target. At this time, the second sensing transmitter (530-2) may be located outside the sensing signal range of the first sensing transmitter (530-1) and the first sensing receiver (540-1), but the first sensing receiver (540-1) may be located within the sensing signal range of the second sensing transmitter (TX2) (530-2) and the second sensing receiver (RX2) (540-2). In this case, the second sensing transmitter (530-2) may act as a hidden node that causes interference with the sensing of the first sensing transmitter (530-1) and the first sensing receiver (540-1). That is, the sensing signal transmitted from the second sensing transmitter (530-2) may act as interference to the first sensing receiver (540-1).

[0113] As sensing ranges improve compared to existing communication coverage and the practical implementation of cooperative sensing becomes easier, the aforementioned hidden node problem and interference management may become more important than ever. In particular, hidden node problems and interference management may become more critical when multiple sensing transmitters or sensing receivers independently perform wireless sensing over a shared medium.

[0114] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes various mechanisms to address interference management of wireless sensing in 6G.

[0115] For efficient interference management of cooperative sensing (e.g., multi-sensing or bistatic sensing) over shared and / or dedicated media, the present disclosure proposes the following three embodiments.

[0116] - Example #1 is a method in which a sensing transmitter dynamically adjusts sensing signal transmission parameters to minimize interference. This method can be useful when the sensing target of interest is connected to a network.

[0117] - Example #2 is a method for effectively mitigating cross-interference by decoding sensing sequences based on sequences with strong auto-correlation characteristics. To this end, each sensing transmitter can select different sequences with auto-correlation characteristics.

[0118] - Example #3 is a preemptive sensing method that alleviates the hidden node problem and resolves interference in advance by suppressing sensing execution of surrounding sensing stations.

[0119]

[0120] Example #1: Sensing Transmission Control

[0121] Embodiment #1 describes a sensing transmission control method for controlling and minimizing interference when performing sensing via shared and / or dedicated media on the transmitter side. Specifically, the sensing transmitter can minimize interference with other sensing operations by adjusting the transmission power of a sensing signal and / or at least one beam toward a sensing target.

[0122] When the sensing target is connected to a network, the sensing transmitter can appropriately adjust the transmission power or at least one beam so that at least one intended sensing receiver can sufficiently detect the reflected signal while minimizing the impact on other sensing activities. The sensing transmitter can utilize available assistance information to adjust the transmission power or at least one beam for transmitting the sensing signal.

[0123] This embodiment can be useful for sensing known objects at low speeds or at rest, or for detecting changes in fixed environments, where the initial sensing beam sweep or support information can be reused for subsequent sensing runs.

[0124] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a sensing transmission control procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6, in step S601, a first sensing transmitter (TX1) (610-1) performs beam sweeping toward a sensing target of interest. For example, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) may sequentially transmit a signal (e.g., a dedicated pilot signal) in a plurality of beam directions using a plurality of beams. For each sensing transmitter, dedicated pilots for sensing beam sweeping may be pre-allocated. The timing and resource profiles of the dedicated pilots for each sensing transmitter may be shared between sensing stations. Alternatively, resources for sensing beam sweeping may be negotiated with neighboring sensing stations. The neighboring sensing stations may include at least one intended sensing receiver, i.e., at least one sensing receiver that performs cooperative sensing with the first sensing transmitter (TX1).

[0125] In step S603, the sensing receivers (RX1, RX2) (620-1, 620-2) transmit the sensing beam sweeping result to the first sensing transmitter (610-1). Specifically, the sensing receivers (RX) (620-1, 620-2) receive a reflection signal reflected by a sensing target after being transmitted by beam sweeping of the first sensing transmitter (610-1), and measure the power and / or direction of the sensing beam based on the received reflection signal. In step S603, the sensing receivers (620-1, 620-2) may transmit a sensing beam sweeping result signal including the measurement result to the first sensing transmitter (610-1). Here, the sensing receivers (620-1, 620-2) may include at least one intended sensing receiver and / or at least one peripheral sensing receiver.

[0126] In step S605, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) requests support information of the sensing target from the SAF (630). That is, if the sensing target is connected to the network, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) requests support information from the SAF (630).

[0127] In step S607, the SAF (630) transmits support information of the sensing target to the first sensing transmitter (610-1). The support information of the sensing target is information required for adjusting sensing transmission parameters and may include information related to the sensing target. For example, the support information of the sensing target may include at least one of location information, size information, or mobility information of the sensing target. The location information of the sensing target may include at least one of GPS coordinate information, height information, or altitude information.

[0128] In step S609, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) adjusts at least one transmission parameter for transmitting the sensing signal. The first sensing transmitter (610-1) can adjust at least one transmission parameter based on at least one of the sensing beam sweeping result and support information. The transmission parameter can include at least one of the transmission power and the transmission beam. At this time, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) can determine at least one sensing receiver suitable for receiving the sensing signal based on at least one of the sensing beam sweeping result and support information. The first sensing transmitter (610-1) can adjust at least one transmission parameter in consideration of the determined at least one sensing receiver. For example, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) may select the first sensing receiver (620-1) from among the sensing receivers (620-1, 620-2) that have transmitted the sensing beam sweeping result, and adjust at least one transmission parameter so that the selected first sensing receiver (620-1) can receive a reflection signal reflected by the sensing target.

[0129] In step S611, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) transmits a sensing signal toward the sensing target, and the first sensing receiver (620-1) performs measurement on the sensing target based on a reflected signal reflected by the sensing target. According to one embodiment, the sensing signal may be a dedicated pilot signal assigned to the first sensing transmitter (610-1).

[0130] In step S613, the first sensing receiver (620-1) transmits a message including the sensing measurement result to the first sensing transmitter (610-1).

[0131] In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 6, the sensing beam sweeping and the result reporting procedure therefor, i.e., steps S601 and S603, may be performed multiple times based on different transmission parameters. For example, the first sensing transmitter (610-1) may perform multiple sensing beam sweepings, and each sensing beam sweeping may be performed based on different transmission parameters. In addition, each of the sensing receivers (620-1, 620-2) may measure the results of multiple beam sweepings and transmit the measured results to the first sensing transmitter (610-1). Through this, at least one transmission parameter for sensing transmission may be adjusted more accurately.

[0132] According to one embodiment, when a specific situation (e.g., a sensing measurement failure situation) occurs, the sensing receiver may use a message including the sensing measurement result to provide information helpful to the sensing transmitter for subsequent actions of the sensing transmitter, or may suggest to the sensing transmitter to perform an additional beam sweeping procedure (e.g., the procedure of steps S601 and S603) based on a threshold set by the sensing transmitter. The information helpful to the sensing transmitter may include a reason for the sensing measurement failure.

[0133] Example #2: Decoding the Sensing Sequence

[0134] Example #2 describes a sensing sequence decoding method in which a sensing transmitter selects one of the sensing sequences for encoding and coordinates or negotiates the selected sequence with an intended receiver for correct decoding in noisy conditions.

[0135] Sensing signals can be designed to accommodate time- and / or frequency-domain sequences with excellent autocorrelation properties. While this approach incurs additional computational complexity, it effectively mitigates cross-interference between multiple concurrent sensing operations and improves sensing signal detection performance over shared and / or dedicated media without requiring signaling interactions between different sensing operations across the network.

[0136] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a sensing sequence decoding procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] Referring to FIG. 7, in step S701, the first sensing transmitter (710-1) selects a sequence. For example, the first sensing transmitter (710-1) may select one sequence to be used for sensing execution from among a plurality of preset sequences. The sequence to be used for sensing execution may be referred to as a sensing sequence.

[0138] In step S703, the first sensing transmitter (710-1) transmits a sensing request message to the first sensing receiver (720-1), which is at least one intended sensing receiver. The sensing request message may include a selected sequence. In step S705, the first sensing receiver (720-1) obtains the selected sequence from the sensing request message and transmits a sensing response message. That is, the first sensing transmitter (710-1) transmits the selected sequence to the first sensing receiver (720-1) and receives a response thereto, thereby coordinating a sequence to be used for sensing with the first sensing receiver (720-1). The sensing response message may include information indicating whether the sensing sequence coordination was successful. The information indicating whether the sensing sequence coordination was successful may indicate whether the selected sequence is available or whether it collides with another sequence. For example, the first sensing receiver (720-1) can determine whether there is a collision between the selected sequence and a sequence being used or to be used by another sensing transmitter, and, based on whether there is a collision, transmit a sensing response message including at least one of availability of the selected sequence or whether there is a collision with another sequence.

[0139] In one embodiment, if the sensing sequence tuning fails, step S707 is performed. For example, if the sensing response message includes information indicating that the selected sequence is unavailable, step S707 may be performed. On the other hand, if the sensing sequence tuning is successful, step S707 is not performed. For example, if the sensing response message includes information indicating that the selected sequence is available, step S707 may be omitted.

[0140] In step S707, the first sensing transmitter (710-1) may reselect a sensing sequence. The first sensing transmitter (710-1) transmits a sensing request message including the reselected sensing sequence to the first sensing receiver (720-1). At this time, the first sensing receiver (720-1) confirms the selected sensing sequence and transmits a sensing response message.

[0141] In step S709, the second sensing transmitter (710-2) selects a sequence. For example, the second sensing transmitter (710-2) may select one sensing sequence to be used for sensing execution from among a plurality of preset sequences.

[0142] In step S711, the second sensing transmitter (710-2) transmits a sensing request message to the second sensing receiver (720-2), which is at least one intended receiver. The sensing request message may include a selected sequence. In step S713, the second sensing receiver (720-2) transmits a sensing response message. That is, the second sensing transmitter (710-2) transmits the selected sequence to the second sensing receiver (720-2) and receives a response thereto, thereby coordinating a sequence to be used for sensing with the second sensing receiver (720-2). The sensing response message may include information indicating whether the sensing sequence coordination was successful. The information indicating whether the sensing sequence coordination was successful may indicate whether the selected sequence is available.

[0143] In one embodiment, if the sensing sequence tuning fails, step S715 is performed. For example, if the sensing response message includes information indicating that the use of the selected sequence is denied, step S715 may be performed. On the other hand, if the sensing sequence tuning is successful, step S715 is not performed. For example, if the sensing response message includes information indicating that the use of the selected sequence is possible, step S715 may be omitted.

[0144] In step S715, the second sensing transmitter (710-2) may reselect a sensing sequence. The second sensing transmitter (710-2) transmits a sensing request message including the reselected sensing sequence to the second sensing receiver (720-2). The second sensing receiver (720-2) confirms the selected sensing sequence and transmits a sensing response message.

[0145] In step S717, each of the sensing transmitters (710-1, 710-2) performs sensing toward the intended sensing target. That is, each of the sensing transmitters (710-1, 710-2) can transmit a sensing signal toward the intended sensing target. At this time, the sensing signal can include a sequence coordinated with the intended sensing receiver. Each of the sensing receivers (720-1, 720-2) can receive a sensing signal influenced by the sensing target. At this time, each of the sensing receivers (720-1, 720-2) can perform autocorrelation based on the sequence coordinated with the corresponding sensing transmitter, thereby receiving a reflected signal reflected by the sensing target after being transmitted from the corresponding sensing transmitter, and performing a measurement based on the received reflected signal. That is, a reflected signal reflected toward a sensing receiver that is not intended by the sensing target can be filtered out by autocorrelation based on the sensing sequence in each of the sensing receivers (720-1, 720-2).

[0146] In step S719, each of the sensing receivers (720-1, 720-2) transmits the sensing measurement results to each of the corresponding sensing transmitters (710-1, 710-2).

[0147] However, if the first sensing receiver (720-1) fails to perform sensing measurement at step S717, steps S721 and S723 may be performed instead of step S719. The sensing measurement failure may be caused by operation-related problems such as sequence collision, high autocorrelation interference, or time out-of-sync.

[0148] In step S721, the first sensing receiver (720-1) may transmit a sensing measurement failure message to the first sensing transmitter (710-1). The sensing measurement failure message may include information helpful for subsequent operations of the first sensing transmitter (710-1). For example, the sensing measurement failure message may include a reason for the sensing measurement failure or at least one of a proposed sequence. The proposed sequence may include at least one sequence that the sensing receiver proposes to the corresponding sensing transmitter to use for optimal performance.

[0149] In step S723, the first sensing transmitter (710-1) reselects a sequence for re-executing sensing. The first sensing transmitter (710-1) can re-select a sequence for re-executing sensing based on information included in the sensing measurement failure message. The first sensing transmitter (710-1) can transmit a sensing request message including the re-selected sequence to the first sensing receiver (720-1) and receive a sensing response message from the first sensing receiver (720-1). Thereafter, the first sensing transmitter (710-1) can re-execute sensing based on the re-selected sequence.

[0150] In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 7, sensing sequences can be designed to minimize collisions due to random selection.

[0151] In one embodiment, a sensing receiver may be requested to perform different sensing operations from multiple sensing transmitters. In this case, the receiver may perform sensing measurements for each of the multiple sensing transmitters, as long as each of the multiple sensing transmitters selects different sensing sequences.

[0152] According to one embodiment, if a selected sensing sequence in a sensing request message from a sensing transmitter collides with a selected sensing sequence in a sensing request message from another sensing transmitter, a sensing response message transmitted from a sensing receiver may include collision information of the sensing sequences. This is to enable the sensing transmitter to reselect the sensing sequence. Alternatively, as described above, if the sensing sequences collide, a sensing response message transmitted from the sensing receiver may include proposed sequence information. The proposed sequence information may include information related to at least one sensing sequence that can achieve the best performance based on currently planned and / or scheduled sensing execution from the perspective of the sensing receiver.

[0153] Example #3: Preemptive Sensing

[0154] Example #3 describes a preemptive sensing method that aims to establish an interference-free condition for each sensing run and to alleviate the hidden node problem.

[0155] A sensing transmitter and at least one sensing receiver can proactively occupy shared and / or dedicated media by suppressing sensing operations of other nearby sensing stations that could potentially cause interference.

[0156] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a preemptive sensing procedure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 8, in step S801, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) transmits a sensing preemption request message to the second sensing transmitter (810-2). Before executing sensing, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may transmit the sensing preemption request message to at least one sensing transmitter in the vicinity that may potentially cause interference to at least one intended receiver. The sensing preemption request message may include some support information that helps prevent the surrounding transmitters from causing interference. For example, the sensing preemption request message may include at least one of a priority related to the transmission of sensing that the corresponding sensing transmitter plans to execute, or schedule information related to the sensing (e.g., information related to a point in time when the sensing is to be executed). The schedule information related to the sensing may include information about a point in time when the corresponding sensing transmitter intends to use the shared medium for sensing purposes.

[0158] In step S803, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may perform waiting. Before transmitting the sensing request message, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may perform timer-based waiting. For example, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may use a timer to wait until the surrounding sensing transmitters (810-2) are expected not to attempt sensing according to the sensing preemption request message transmitted by the first sensing transmitter (810-1). Alternatively, if the sensing preemption signaling is designed based on requests and responses, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may wait for reception of a sensing preemption response message before transmitting the sensing request message to at least one intended sensing receiver. The first sensing transmitter (810-1) may wait until a sensing preemption response message accepting sensing preemption is received from other sensing transmitters (810-2) to determine whether the sensing preemption request message has been properly processed by the other sensing transmitters that received the sensing preemption request message. In one embodiment, timer-based waiting and sensing preemption response message-based waiting may be used in combination.

[0159] In step S805, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) transmits a sensing request message to the first sensing receiver (820-1) corresponding to at least one intended sensing receiver. The sensing request message may include information necessary for sensing execution. For example, the sensing request message may include priority and / or schedule information (e.g., information related to the timing at which sensing is to be executed) related to the transmission of sensing to be executed by the first sensing transmitter (810-1).

[0160] In step S807, the first sensing receiver (820-1) transmits a sensing preemption request message to the surrounding sensing transmitters (810-2, 810-3). The first sensing receiver (820-1) can generate a sensing preemption request message based on the sensing request message and transmit the generated sensing preemption request message to the surrounding sensing transmitters (810-2, 810-3). For example, the first sensing receiver (820-1) can obtain priority and / or schedule information related to transmission of sensing to be performed by the first sensing transmitter (810-1) from the sensing request message and generate a sensing preemption request message including the obtained information. The first sensing receiver (820-1) can transmit the generated sensing preemption request message to the surrounding sensing transmitters (810-2, 810-3) that may potentially cause interference to the first sensing receiver (820-1). Peripheral sensing transmitters (810-2, 810-3) that may potentially cause interference to the first sensing receiver (820-1) may include hidden nodes from the perspective of the first sensing transmitter (810-1).

[0161] In step S809, the first sensing receiver (820-1) may perform waiting. Before transmitting the sensing response message, the first sensing receiver (820-1) may perform timer-based waiting. For example, the first sensing receiver (820-1) may use a timer to wait until the time at which the surrounding sensing transmitters (810-2, 810-3) are expected not to attempt sensing according to the sensing preemption request message transmitted by the first sensing receiver (820-1). Alternatively, if the sensing preemption signaling is designed based on requests and responses, the first sensing receiver (820-1) may wait for reception of the sensing preemption response message before transmitting the sensing response message to the first sensing transmitter. The first sensing receiver (820-1) may wait until a sensing preemption response message accepting sensing preemption is received from other sensing transmitters (810-2, 810-3) to determine whether the sensing preemption request message received from the first sensing receiver (820-1) has been properly processed by the surrounding sensing transmitters (810-2, 810-3). In one embodiment, timer-based waiting and sensing preemption response message-based waiting may be used in combination.

[0162] In step S811, the first sensing receiver (820-1) transmits a sensing response message to the first sensing transmitter (810-1). That is, if the sensing preemption request is successful, the first sensing receiver (820-1) transmits a sensing response message to the first sensing transmitter (810-1) as a response to the sensing request message. According to one embodiment, the sensing response message may be transmitted after performing at least one of a timer-based wait or a sensing preemption response message-based wait.

[0163] In step S813, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) performs sensing on the sensing target. That is, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) transmits a sensing signal toward the sensing target. The first sensing receiver (820-1) receives the reflected signal reflected by the sensing target and performs measurement on the sensing target based on the reflected signal.

[0164] In step S815, the first sensing receiver (820-1) transmits the sensing measurement result to the first sensing transmitter (810-1).

[0165] In the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 8, the sensing preemption signaling may be designed to include a request and a response. In this case, if the second sensing transmitter (810-2) cannot accept the sensing preemption request message of step S801, the second sensing transmitter (810-2) may transmit a sensing preemption response message to the first sensing transmitter (810-1) that includes information helpful for subsequent operations of the first sensing transmitter (810-1). The information helpful for subsequent operations of the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may include at least one of a reason why the sensing preemption request cannot be accepted, or information related to sensing transmissions scheduled to be executed by the sensing transmitter that received the sensing preemption request message. The information related to sensing transmissions scheduled to be executed by the sensing transmitter may include at least one of information indicating that there are scheduled sensing transmissions, or priority information for transmissions of the scheduled sensing.

[0166] In one embodiment, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may not know precisely which surrounding sensing transmitters may interfere with the intended first sensing receiver (820-1). In this case, the first sensing transmitter (810-1) may transmit a sensing request message to the first sensing receiver (820-1), and in response, receive a sensing response message from the first sensing receiver (820-1), and then transmit a sensing preemption request message to the surrounding sensing transmitters based on the sensing response message. In this case, the sensing response message may include information on the surrounding sensing transmitters that may interfere with sensing from the perspective of the first sensing receiver (820-1).

[0167] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network system supporting wireless sensing may include at least one sensing station, or at least one sensing assistance function (SAF). A sensing station is a network entity involved in performing sensing, and may include at least one of a sensing transmitter that transmits a wireless signal toward a sensing target through wireless sensing, or a sensing receiver that receives a wireless signal transmitted from the sensing transmitter and reflected by the sensing target. An SAF may be a logical entity that provides assistance information about a sensing target of interest connected to the network.

[0168] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a sensing station may include at least one of the entire base station, a remote radio head, or a remote antenna of the base station. One or more sensing stations may be included within a single cell.

[0169] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensing procedure of the SAF and / or sensing stations may include at least one of the following procedures. For example, the sensing procedure may include at least one of a procedure in which a sensing transmitter selects at least one sensing receiver for a sensing target of interest, a sensing transmission control procedure, a sensing sequence decoding procedure, a preemptive sensing procedure, or a procedure in which sensing is executed from a sensing transmitter to at least one sensing receiver and a procedure in which sensing measurements are collected from the at least one sensing receiver.

[0170] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a sensing transmission control procedure may include the following operations. For example, the sensing transmission control procedure may include an operation of adjusting a wireless signal transmission parameter (e.g., transmission power or beam) for sensing by a sensing transmitter. The operation of adjusting the wireless signal transmission parameter may be performed once or multiple times based on at least one of a measurement value obtained by sweeping a sensing beam or assistance information of an SAF. The sensing transmitter may sweep a sensing beam toward an intended sensing receiver, receive feedback on a measurement value for the sensing beam sweep from the sensing receiver, and use the fed-back measurement value to adjust the wireless signal transmission parameter. The sensing transmitter may request assistance information of a sensing target from the SAF and obtain assistance information of the sensing target from the SAF. The assistance information of the sensing target may include at least one piece of information related to a location (e.g., GPS coordinates, altitude, and / or height), a size, or a mobility of the sensing target.

[0171] In one embodiment, in a specific situation (e.g., a sensing failure at a sensing receiver), the sensing receiver may transmit information to the sensing transmitter that is helpful for subsequent operations of the sensing transmitter (e.g., the reason for the sensing failure or information suggesting additional sensing beam sweeping procedures). The information helpful for subsequent operations may be based on some threshold value set by the sensing transmitter.

[0172] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a sensing sequence decoding procedure may include the following operations. A sensing station may include a pool of sequences having an autocorrelation property and being mapped to a wireless signal for sensing. The sensing sequence decoding procedure may include an operation in which a sensing transmitter selects a sequence from the sequence pool, and an operation in which the sensing transmitter coordinates the selected sequence with an intended sensing receiver. The sequence pool may include sequences having an autocorrelation property and being mapped to a wireless signal for sensing. The sensing transmitter may reselect a sequence based on feedback from the intended sensing receiver. The feedback may include at least one of conflict information of the selected sequence or a proposed sequence. The sensing transmitter may encode the selected sequence or the reselected sequence and transmit it as a wireless sensing signal, and the sensing receiver may detect the wireless sensing signal using the sequence coordinated with the sensing transmitter.

[0173] When a specific situation occurs (e.g., a sensing failure situation of a sensing receiver), the sensing receiver can transmit information (e.g., a reason for failure or a suggested sequence) to the sensing transmitter that is helpful for subsequent actions.

[0174] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a proactive sensing procedure may include the following operations. A sensing transmitter may transmit a sensing request message containing information necessary for sensing to an intended sensing receiver. The information necessary for sensing may include at least one of information related to the priority of a sensing transmission to be executed or a schedule for a sensing transmission to be executed.

[0175] A sensing station may transmit a sensing preemption request message to at least one surrounding sensing transmitter. The sensing preemption request message may include assistance information that helps prevent at least one surrounding sensing transmitter from interfering with the sensing station. For example, the assistance information may include at least one of information related to the sensing transmission priority or the sensing station's scheduled sensing timing.

[0176] A sensing station that has transmitted a sensing preemption request message can wait through a timer-based standby mode until at least one surrounding sensing transmitter is expected not to attempt wireless sensing by considering the sensing preemption request message of the sensing station.

[0177] A sensing station that has transmitted a sensing preemption request message can receive a response message to the sensing preemption request from at least one peripheral sensing transmitter. The response message to the sensing preemption request can indicate whether the sensing preemption request of the at least one peripheral sensing transmitter is accepted. If the at least one peripheral sensing transmitter rejects the sensing preemption request, the response message to the sensing preemption request can include information that is helpful for subsequent operations of the sensing station. For example, the response message to the sensing preemption request can include at least one of a reason for rejecting the sensing preemption request, sensing transmissions scheduled to be executed by the corresponding peripheral sensing transmitter, or a priority of the sensing transmissions scheduled to be executed by the corresponding peripheral sensing transmitter.

[0178] A sensing receiver can transmit a response message to a sensing station in response to a sensing request message from the sensing station. The response message to the sensing request message can be transmitted when the sensing receiver successfully preempts sensing of surrounding transmitters. The response message to the sensing request message can include information about at least one surrounding sensing transmitter that may cause interference from the sensing receiver's perspective.

[0179] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a procedure for receiving sensing results according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 illustrates a method performed by a first device operating as a sensing transmitter. The first device may be a sensing station comprising at least a portion of a base station. For example, the sensing station may be the entire base station, a remote radio head of the base station, or a remote antenna of the base station.

[0180] Referring to FIG. 9, in step S901, the first device determines a transmission parameter. The transmission parameter may include at least one of a transmission power or a beam of a signal. According to one embodiment, the first device may sequentially transmit a signal in a plurality of beam directions using a plurality of beams to determine the transmission parameter, and may obtain first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal from at least one sensing receiver that receives at least one reflected signal reflected by a sensing target. The first information may include at least one of a beam direction or power of the at least one reflected signal. According to one embodiment, the first device obtains second information related to sensing support for the sensing target from a node (e.g., an SMF) that performs a sensing assistance function. The second information may include at least one of location information (e.g., GPS coordinate information, height information, or altitude information, etc.), size information, or mobility information of the sensing target. The first device may determine at least one of a transmission power or a beam of the sensing signal based on at least one of the first information and the second information. According to one embodiment, the first device can select at least one sensing receiver from among the sensing receivers that transmitted the first information, and determine transmission parameters taking into account the selected sensing receiver.

[0181] In step S903, the first device transmits a signal related to sensing measurement. The first device transmits a sensing signal for sensing a sensing target based on the determined transmission parameters. According to one embodiment, the sensing signal may be a dedicated pilot signal pre-allocated for the first device. The sensing signal may be a communication signal pre-defined in 3GPP (e.g., CSI-RS, DM-RS, SRS, and / or PRS), or a signal in the form of a modified form of a pre-defined communication signal. According to one embodiment, the sensing signal may include a sequence pre-coordinated or negotiated between the first device and the second device.

[0182] In step S905, the first device receives a measurement result. The first device receives the measurement result from a second device, which is at least one sensing receiver selected from among a plurality of sensing receivers. The measurement result may include data related to the sensing target measured by the second device based on a reflected signal transmitted from the first device and reflected by the sensing target and received by the second device. According to one embodiment, if the sensing measurement by the second device fails, the measurement result may include a reason for the sensing measurement failure or information helpful for subsequent operations of the first device. For example, the information helpful for subsequent operations of the first device may include information suggesting the performance of an additional beam sweeping procedure, or at least one of a suggested sequence.

[0183] According to one embodiment, the first device may include a sensing station operating as a sensing transmitter as described in Embodiments #1 to #3 with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. The first device may further perform at least one operation of the sensing transmitter as described in Embodiments #1 to #3.

[0184] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a procedure for transmitting sensing results according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 illustrates a method performed by a second device operating as a sensing receiver. The second device may be a sensing station comprising at least a portion of a base station. The sensing station may be the entire base station, a remote radio head of the base station, or a remote antenna of the base station.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 10, in step S1001, the second device receives a signal related to measurement. The signal related to measurement may be a reflected signal that is reflected by the sensing target after being transmitted based on transmission parameters determined by the first device. According to one embodiment, before receiving the signal related to measurement, the second device may attempt to receive a reflected signal that is reflected by the sensing target after being transmitted from the first device through a plurality of beams, and may measure a beam direction or power of the received signal. The second device may transmit first information including the beam direction or power of the received signal to the first device. The first information may be used to determine parameters for transmitting the signal related to measurement in the first device. According to one embodiment, the second device may filter out signals other than the reflected signal that is reflected by the sensing target after being transmitted by the first device by performing autocorrelation based on a sequence that has been pre-coordinated or negotiated with the first device. When the reflected signal is received, the second device may perform measurement on the reflected signal.

[0186] In step S1003, the second device transmits the measurement result. The second device transmits the measurement result, which includes data related to the sensing target acquired based on the reflected signal, to the first device. According to one embodiment, if the sensing measurement fails, the measurement result may include the reason for the sensing measurement failure or information helpful for subsequent operations of the first device. For example, the information helpful for subsequent operations of the first device may include information suggesting the performance of an additional beam sweeping procedure, or at least one of a suggested sequence.

[0187] According to one embodiment, the second device may include a sensing station operating as a sensing receiver as described in Embodiments #1 to #3 with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. The second device may further perform at least one operation of the sensing receiver as described in Embodiments #1 to #3.

[0188] It is clear that the examples of the proposed methods described above can also be considered as a type of proposed methods, as they can be included as one of the implementation methods of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the proposed methods described above can be implemented independently, but they can also be implemented in the form of a combination (or merge) of some of the proposed methods. Information regarding the applicability of the proposed methods (or information regarding the rules of the proposed methods) can be defined by a rule such that the base station notifies the terminal of the application of the proposed methods through a predefined signal (e.g., a physical layer signal or a higher layer signal).

[0189] The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the technical ideas and essential features described herein. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all respects but rather as illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present disclosure are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, claims that do not explicitly cite each other in the claims may be combined to form embodiments or incorporated into new claims through post-filing amendments.

[0190] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various wireless access systems. Examples of various wireless access systems include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or 3GPP2 systems.

[0191] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied not only to the various wireless access systems described above, but also to all technical fields that utilize these various wireless access systems. Furthermore, the proposed method can also be applied to mmWave and THz communication systems utilizing ultra-high frequency bands.

[0192] Additionally, embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various applications such as autonomous vehicles and drones.

Claims

1. In terms of method, A step in which the first device determines transmission parameters; a step of the first device transmitting a signal related to the measurement based on the determined transmission parameters; and The first device comprises a step of receiving a measurement result from the second device, The above transmission parameters include at least one of beam direction or power, A method wherein the transmission parameter is determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal transmitted by the first device and then reflected by the sensing target and received by the second device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

2. In claim 1, The first information includes at least one of a beam direction or power of the at least one reflected signal, A method wherein the second information includes at least one of location information, size information, or mobility information of the sensing target.

3. In claim 1, The step of determining the above transmission parameters is: A step in which the first device transmits a signal for sensing using a plurality of beams; A step of receiving the first information from at least one sensing receiver including the second device; A method comprising the step of determining the transmission parameter based on the first information and the second information received from the second device among the at least one sensing receiver.

4. In claim 3, The above measurement result includes information related to a sensing measurement failure of the second device, A method wherein information related to the above sensing measurement failure includes at least one of a reason for the sensing measurement failure or suggestion information related to beam sweeping.

5. In claim 1, The first device further comprises a step of negotiating a sequence with the second device, A method wherein the signal related to the above measurement comprises the negotiated sequence.

6. In claim 5, The steps for negotiating the above sequence are: A step in which the first device transmits a first message including a sequence selected from among a plurality of sequences to the second device; and A method comprising the step of receiving a second message from said second device indicating availability of said selected sequence.

7. In claim 5, A method further comprising the step of the first device renegotiating the sequence with the second device if the second message indicates that the selected sequence is unavailable.

8. In claim 5, The above measurement result includes information related to a sensing measurement failure of the second device, A method in which information related to the above sensing measurement failure includes at least one of a reason for the sensing measurement failure and suggested sequence information.

9. In claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a message relating to a preemption request to at least one other transmitting device, A method wherein the message related to the preemption request includes at least one of priority information or schedule information related to sensing to be performed by the first device.

10. In claim 9, Further comprising the step of transmitting a request message related to sensing to the second device, The request message related to the sensing includes at least one of the priority information or the schedule information related to the sensing to be executed by the first device, A method in which a request message related to the above sensing is transmitted after waiting for a specified time period from the time of transmitting a message related to the above preemption request, or after a response message indicating acceptance of the above preemption request is received.

11. In claim 10, Further comprising a step of receiving a response message related to sensing from the second device, The response message related to the above sensing is received after a message related to a preemption request is transmitted from the second device to at least one peripheral transmitting device, A method in which a signal related to the above measurement is transmitted after a response message related to the above sensing is received.

12. In the method, A step of the second device receiving at least one reflected signal reflected by the sensing target after being transmitted by the first device; A step of the second device transmitting first information related to a measurement obtained based on the at least one reflected signal to the first device; A step in which the second device receives a signal related to measurement; and A step of transmitting a measurement result obtained based on a signal related to the measurement by the second device to the first device, A method wherein the first information comprises at least one of a beam direction and a power of the at least one reflected signal.

13. In claim 12, Further comprising the step of negotiating a sequence related to the signal related to the measurement with the first device, The steps for negotiating the above sequence are: A step of receiving a first message comprising a selected sequence from said first device; A method comprising the step of transmitting a second message to the first device indicating availability of the selected sequence based on whether there is a conflict between the selected sequence and the sequence of at least one other device.

14. In claim 12, The step of the second device receiving a signal related to measurement is: A method comprising the step of performing autocorrelation based on a sequence negotiated with the first device.

15. In claim 12, A step of receiving a request message related to sensing from the first device; and Further comprising a step of transmitting a message related to a preemption request to at least one peripheral transmitting device based on a request message related to the sensing, A method wherein at least one of the request message related to the sensing or the message related to the preemption request includes at least one of priority information or schedule information related to the sensing to be executed by the first device.

16. In claim 15, Further comprising the step of transmitting a response message related to sensing to the first device, A method in which a response message related to the sensing is transmitted after waiting for a specified time period from the time of transmitting a message related to the preemption request to at least one peripheral transmitting device, or after a response message indicating acceptance of the preemption request is received.

17. In the device, Transmitter and receiver; and A processor connected to the transceiver, the processor comprising: Determine the transmission parameters, Transmitting a signal related to the measurement based on the determined transmission parameters, Controls receiving measurement results from other devices, The above transmission parameters include at least one of beam direction or power, A device wherein the transmission parameter is determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal transmitted by the device and then reflected by the sensing target and received by the other device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

18. In the device, Transmitter and receiver; and A processor connected to the transceiver, the processor comprising: Receive at least one reflected signal reflected by the sensing target after being transmitted by another device, Transmitting first information related to a measurement obtained based on at least one of the above reflected signals to the other device, Receives signals related to measurement, Controls the transmission of measurement results obtained based on signals related to the above measurement to the other device, A device wherein the first information comprises at least one of a beam direction and power of the at least one reflected signal.

19. In communication devices, At least one processor; At least one memory storing instructions that direct operations when executed by at least one processor; The above actions are, Step of determining transmission parameters; A step of transmitting a signal related to measurement based on the determined transmission parameters; and comprising a step of receiving measurement results from another device; The above transmission parameters include at least one of beam direction or power, A communication device wherein the transmission parameter is determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal transmitted by the communication device and then reflected by the sensing target and received by the other device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

20. In a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing at least one instruction, At least one instruction executable by the processor, Determine the transmission parameters, Transmitting a signal related to the measurement based on the determined transmission parameters, Controls receiving measurement results from other devices, The above transmission parameters include at least one of beam direction or power, A computer-readable medium in which the transmission parameters are determined based on at least one of first information related to measurement of at least one reflected signal transmitted by the first device and then reflected by the sensing target and received by the other device, or second information related to the sensing target obtained from a node performing a sensing assistance function.

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