Positioning method, terminal device, trigger device, and network device

Abstract

The present application relates to a positioning method, a terminal device, a trigger device, a network device, a chip, a computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a computer program, and a communication system. The positioning method comprises: a terminal device receives a first signal sent by a trigger device, the first signal comprising first identifier information, and the first identifier information being related to a reception area of the first signal; and the terminal device sends a second signal to a network device, the second signal comprising the first identifier information, and the first identifier information being used by the network device to determine the position of the terminal device. According to embodiments of the present application, the accuracy of positioning performed for the terminal device can be improved.

Description

Positioning method, terminal device, trigger device and network device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a positioning method, a terminal device, a triggering device, a network device, a chip, a computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a computer program, and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] In wireless communication systems, terminal devices can be located based on the communication time difference between network equipment and the terminal. For zero-power terminals that communicate using backscatter technology, distance estimation and positioning can also be performed by detecting reflected energy. With the rapid development of information technology, improving the accuracy of terminal positioning is becoming increasingly important.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a positioning method, terminal device, trigger device, network device, chip, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, computer program, and communication system, which can improve the accuracy of positioning of terminal devices.

[0005] This embodiment of the present application provides a positioning method, including:

[0006] The terminal device receives a first signal sent by the triggering device, wherein the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to a receiving area of ​​the first signal;

[0007] The terminal device sends a second signal to the network device; wherein the second signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0008] This embodiment of the present application provides a positioning method, including:

[0009] The trigger device sends a first signal to the terminal device; wherein the first signal is used to indicate first identification information, and the first identification information is related to the receiving area of ​​the first signal; the first identification information is used to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0010] This embodiment of the present application provides a positioning method, including:

[0011] The network device receives a second signal from the terminal device; wherein the second signal includes first identification information obtained by the terminal device based on the first signal received by the terminal device, and the first identification information is related to a reception area of ​​the first signal;

[0012] The network device determines the location of the terminal device based on the first identification information.

[0013] An embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, including:

[0014] The first communication unit is used to receive a first signal sent by a triggering device and send a second signal to a network device; wherein the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to a receiving area of ​​the first signal; the second signal includes the first identification information, and the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0015] An embodiment of the present application provides a triggering device, including:

[0016] The second communication unit is used to send a first signal to the terminal device; wherein the first signal is used to indicate first identification information, and the first identification information is related to the receiving area of ​​the first signal; the first identification information is used to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0017] An embodiment of the present application provides a network device, including:

[0018] a third communication unit, configured to receive a second signal from a terminal device; wherein the second signal includes first identification information obtained by the terminal device based on the first signal received by the terminal device, and the first identification information is related to a reception area of ​​the first signal;

[0019] The first processing unit is used to determine the location of the terminal device based on the first identification information.

[0020] An embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program, the transceiver is used to communicate with other devices, and the processor is used to call and execute the computer program stored in the memory to enable the terminal device to perform the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0021] An embodiment of the present application provides a triggering device, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program, the transceiver is used to communicate with other devices, and the processor is used to call and execute the computer program stored in the memory to enable the triggering device to perform the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0022] An embodiment of the present application provides a network device, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program, the transceiver is used to communicate with other devices, and the processor is used to call and execute the computer program stored in the memory to enable the network device to perform the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0023] The embodiment of the present application provides a chip for implementing the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0024] Specifically, the chip includes: a processor, which is used to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0025] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a device, the device executes the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0026] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0027] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0028] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, including a terminal device, a trigger device and a network device for executing the above-mentioned positioning method.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present application, a terminal device receives a first signal, which includes first identification information related to its receiving area, so that the first identification information can be carried in a second signal sent by the terminal device to the network device, enabling the network device to use the first identification information to determine the location of the terminal device, thereby improving the accuracy of positioning the terminal device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system using an RFID system as an example.

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the backscatter communication principle.

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the principle of energy harvesting for zero-power devices.

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the circuit for resistive load modulation.

[0035] FIG6 is a schematic flowchart of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary application scenario of the positioning method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of an application example of the positioning method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another application example of the positioning method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of an example of binary sequence modulation in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] FIG11 is an interactive flowchart of another application example of the positioning method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] FIG12 is a schematic flowchart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0042] FIG13 is a schematic flowchart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0043] FIG14 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] FIG15 is a schematic block diagram of a trigger device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] FIG16 is a schematic block diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] FIG17 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] FIG18 is a schematic block diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] FIG19 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0050] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE on unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR on unlicensed spectrum (NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum, NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Fifth Generation Communication (5G) system, Sixth Generation Communication (6G) system or other communication systems.

[0051] Generally speaking, traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communications, but will also support, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0052] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, and a standalone (SA) networking scenario.

[0053] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to an unlicensed spectrum, wherein the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as a shared spectrum; or, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to an authorized spectrum, wherein the authorized spectrum can also be considered as an unshared spectrum.

[0054] The embodiments of the present application describe various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices, wherein the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc.

[0055] The terminal device can be a station (STAION, ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a next-generation communication system such as an NR network, or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, etc.

[0056] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water surface (such as ships, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.).

[0057] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc.

[0058] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device may be a device for communicating with a mobile device. The network device may be an access point (AP) in a WLAN, an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a relay station or access point, or a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and a network device (gNB) in an NR network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network or a network device in an NTN network, etc.

[0060] As an example and not a limitation, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device may have a mobile feature, for example, the network device may be a mobile device. Alternatively, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. Optionally, the network device may also be a base station set up in a location such as land or water.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can provide services for a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources used by the cell (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources). The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here may include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0062] FIG1 exemplarily illustrates a communication system 100. The communication system includes a network device 110 and two terminal devices 120. In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices 110, and each network device 110 may include a different number of terminal devices 120 within its coverage area, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0063] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, a device having a communication function in a network / system may be referred to as a communication device. Taking the communication system shown in Figure 1 as an example, the communication device may include a network device and a terminal device having a communication function. The network device and the terminal device may be specific devices in the embodiments of the present application and will not be described in detail here. The communication device may also include other devices in the communication system, such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0064] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0065] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0066] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0067] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application are described below. The following relevant technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0068] (1) Communication based on zero-power devices

[0069] In recent years, the application of zero-power devices has become increasingly widespread. A typical zero-power device is RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), a technology that uses radio coupling between the transmitter and receiver to achieve contactless automatic transmission and identification of tag information. This includes both close-range inductive coupling and long-range electromagnetic coupling. RFID tags, also known as "radio frequency tags" or "electronic tags," are categorized by their power supply method into active, passive, and semi-passive tags. Active tags, also known as active tags, are powered by a built-in battery. Unlike passive radio frequency activation, tags actively transmit information within a set frequency band. Passive tags, also known as passive tags, do not support internal batteries. When a passive tag approaches a reader / writer, electromagnetic induction generates an induced current within the reader / writer antenna's near field. This current drives the tag's chip circuit. The chip circuit transmits the identification information stored in the tag to the reader / writer via the tag antenna. Semi-active electronic tags inherit the advantages of passive electronic tags, such as small size, light weight, low price and long service life. When there is no reader access, the built-in battery only provides power for a small number of circuits in the chip. Only when the reader accesses, the built-in battery supplies power to the RFID chip to increase the tag's reading and writing distance and improve communication reliability.

[0070] As a wireless communication technology, the most basic RFID system consists of two parts: an electronic tag (TAG) and a reader / writer. An electronic tag consists of a coupling component and a chip. Each tag has a unique electronic code and is placed on a target to mark the object. The reader / writer can not only read information from the tag but also write it to the tag, while also providing the energy required for communication. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system using RFID as an example. As shown in Figure 2, after entering an electromagnetic field, the tag receives the radio frequency signal (charging / trigger signal) emitted by the reader / writer. Passive or passive electronic tags use the energy generated by the electromagnetic field in space to transmit the information stored on the tag. The reader / writer reads the information and decodes it, thereby identifying the tag.

[0071] RFID is a type of zero-power communication. Key technologies for this type of zero-power communication include energy harvesting, backscatter communication, and low-power computing. As shown in Figure 2, a typical zero-power communication system consists of a reader and a zero-power device (such as a tag). The reader transmits radio waves to provide energy to the zero-power device. An energy harvesting module installed in the zero-power device collects energy from radio waves in space (Figure 2 shows the radio waves emitted by the reader) to drive the low-power computing module of the zero-power device and implement backscatter communication. After obtaining energy, the zero-power device receives control signals from the reader and, based on these signals, transmits data to the reader using backscatter. This data can be stored in the zero-power device itself (such as an identity tag or pre-programmed information, such as the product's production date, brand, and manufacturer). The zero-power device can also be equipped with various sensors, which can then report data collected by these sensors using a zero-power mechanism.

[0072] Communication based on zero-power devices, referred to as zero-power communication, includes the following key technologies:

[0073] 1. Back Scattering

[0074] Figure 3 illustrates the principle of backscatter communication. As shown in Figure 3, a zero-power device (the backscatter tag in Figure 3) receives the carrier signal from a backscatter reader and collects energy through an RF energy harvesting module. This energy then powers a low-power processing module (the logic processing module in Figure 3), which modulates the incoming signal and performs backscattering.

[0075] The main features are as follows: (1) The terminal does not actively transmit signals, but realizes backscatter communication by modulating the incoming signal; (2) The terminal does not rely on traditional active power amplifier transmitters, and uses low-power computing units, which greatly reduces hardware complexity; (3) Combined with energy harvesting, battery-free communication can be realized.

[0076] 2. RF Power Harvesting

[0077] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of energy harvesting. As shown in Figure 4, the RF module is used to harvest electromagnetic wave energy in space through electromagnetic induction, and then drive the load circuit (low-power computing, sensors, etc.), which can achieve battery-free operation.

[0078] 3. Load modulation

[0079] Load modulation is a common method used by zero-power devices to transmit data to readers. Load modulation adjusts the electrical parameters of the zero-power device's oscillating circuit according to the data flow rhythm, thereby changing the magnitude and phase of the zero-power device's impedance. Load modulation techniques primarily include resistive load modulation and capacitive load modulation.

[0080] Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of resistance load modulation. As shown in Figure 5, in resistance load modulation, the load R L A parallel resistor, R3, is connected, called a load modulation resistor. This resistor switches on and off according to the data stream clock. The on and off of switch S is controlled by the binary data encoding. In capacitive load modulation, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the load, replacing the load modulation resistor controlled by the binary data encoding in Figure 5.

[0081] 4. Coding

[0082] Data transmitted by zero-power devices can use various codes to represent binary "1" and "0." RFID systems typically use one of the following encoding methods: non-return-to-zero (NRZ), Manchester, unipolar return-to-zero (Unipolar RZ), differential bi-phase (DBP), Miller, or differential encoding. In simple terms, different pulse signals are used to represent 0 and 1.

[0083] (2) Cellular Passive Internet of Things

[0084] As 5G industry applications expand, the types of connected objects and application scenarios will increase, placing higher demands on the price and power consumption of communication terminals. The application of battery-free, low-cost passive IoT devices has become a key technology for cellular IoT, expanding the types and number of terminals connected to 5G networks and truly realizing the interconnection of everything. Passive IoT devices can be used in cellular IoT based on existing zero-power devices.

[0085] (3) Subcarrier modulation

[0086] Subcarrier modulation involves first modulating a signal onto a carrier wave. For some reason, a second modulation is then performed, using this modulation result to modulate another carrier wave with a higher frequency. Subcarrier modulation is a modulation method commonly used in RFID systems.

[0087] (IV) Classification of zero-power devices

[0088] Based on the energy source and usage of zero-power devices, zero-power devices can be divided into the following types:

[0089] 1) Passive zero-power devices

[0090] Zero-power devices do not require internal batteries. When they approach a network device (such as an RFID reader), they are within the near-field radiation generated by the network device's antenna. Consequently, the zero-power device's antenna generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, which drives the device's low-power chip circuitry. This enables demodulation of forward link signals (downlink, from the network device to the zero-power device) and modulation of backward link signals (uplink, from the zero-power device to the network device). For backscatter links, the zero-power device uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0091] It can be seen that the passive zero-power device does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link, and is a truly zero-power device.

[0092] Passive zero-power devices do not require batteries, and the RF circuit and baseband circuit are very simple. For example, they do not require LNA (low noise amplifier), PA (power amplifier), crystal oscillator, ADC, etc. Therefore, they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0093] 2) Semi-passive zero-power devices

[0094] Semi-passive zero-power devices do not have conventional batteries themselves, but instead use RF energy harvesting modules to harvest radio wave energy, or solar, light, thermal, or kinetic energy harvesting modules to harvest energy. This harvested energy is then stored in an energy storage unit (such as a capacitor). This energy storage unit then drives the low-power chip circuitry of the zero-power device, performing tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating backward link signals. For backscatter links, the zero-power device uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0095] It can be seen that the semi-passive zero-power device does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link. Although it uses energy stored in capacitors during operation, the energy comes from the radio energy collected by the energy harvesting module. Therefore, it is also a truly zero-power device.

[0096] Semi-passive zero-power devices inherit many advantages of passive zero-power devices, so they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0097] 3) Active zero-power devices

[0098] The zero-power devices used in some scenarios can also be active zero-power devices. Such terminals can have built-in batteries (conventional batteries, such as dry batteries, rechargeable lithium batteries, etc.). The battery is used to drive the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power device. It realizes the demodulation of the forward link signal and the modulation of the reverse link signal. However, for the backscatter link, the zero-power device uses the backscatter implementation method to transmit the signal. Therefore, the zero power consumption of this type of terminal is mainly reflected in the fact that the signal transmission of the reverse link does not require the terminal's own power, but uses the backscatter method. Although the active zero-power device uses a battery, due to the sampling of ultra-low power communication technology, the power consumption is very low, so compared with the existing technology, the battery life can be greatly improved.

[0099] Active zero-power devices, with built-in batteries to power the RFID chip, increase the tag's read and write distance and improve communication reliability. Therefore, they are suitable for scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance and read latency.

[0100] (V) Application scenarios of zero-power devices

[0101] During standardization discussions, the zero-power IoT is also referred to as the Ambient IoT (Ambient power enabled IoT). In some technical literature, it is also referred to as the Passive IoT. The Ambient IoT can be used in at least four scenarios:

[0102] Object recognition, such as logistics, production line product management, and supply chain management;

[0103] Environmental monitoring, such as temperature, humidity, and harmful gas monitoring of working environment and natural environment;

[0104] Positioning, such as indoor positioning, intelligent object search, and production line item positioning;

[0105] Intelligent control, such as intelligent control of various electrical appliances in smart homes (turning on and off air conditioners, adjusting temperature), and intelligent control of various facilities in agricultural greenhouses (automatic irrigation and fertilization).

[0106] As previously explained, after receiving downlink signals and energy, a zero-power device can transmit information back to the network via backscatter on the uplink (UL) frequency. Based on this information, the network device decodes the reflected signal to obtain decoded information. This decoded information can be used to distinguish and identify users. By measuring the reflected signal, the network device can also determine the terminal's location within a certain period of time, i.e., by detecting reflected energy to estimate distance and perform positioning. However, since reflected energy cannot accurately reflect distance, the positioning accuracy of zero-power devices is not high.

[0107] FIG6 is a schematic flow chart of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method can optionally be applied to the system shown in FIG1 , but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents.

[0108] S610: The terminal device receives a first signal sent by a triggering device, where the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to a receiving area of ​​the first signal;

[0109] S620. The terminal device sends a second signal to the network device; wherein the second signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0110] Optionally, the terminal device may include a zero-power device, and the method may be used to address the low positioning accuracy of the zero-power device. The terminal device may also include other types of terminal devices, such as a terminal device with active transmission capability, and the use of the first identification information may help the network improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal device.

[0111] Optionally, the triggering device may include a network device. For example, the triggering device that sends the first signal and the network device that receives the second signal are the same device. The triggering device may also include other devices besides network devices, such as a power supply device for powering the terminal device. In some scenarios, the triggering device may also be an access device for the terminal device.

[0112] In an embodiment of the present application, the first signal is used to carry first identification information. Optionally, the first signal can also be used to power the terminal device and / or trigger uplink transmission of the terminal device. Therefore, the first signal can be a power supply signal or a downlink trigger signal. For example, when the terminal device includes a zero-power device, the first signal can be used to power the zero-power device.

[0113] In this embodiment of the present application, the reception area of ​​the first signal is the area where the first signal can be received, or in other words, the coverage area of ​​the first signal. Since the first identification information is related to the reception area of ​​the first signal, different areas can be distinguished by the first identification information. Specifically, if the reception areas of two first signals are different, the first identification information in the two first signals is different.

[0114] Optionally, the first identification information may include an ID (Identifier) ​​of the receiving area or an ID of other information related to the receiving area. For example, the first identification information may include the ID of information used to adjust the receiving area. Specifically, if the receiving area of ​​the first signal is adjusted by adjusting certain information, the first identification information may include the ID of the information. For another example, different receiving areas correspond to different resource information, that is, the first signal is sent based on different resources for different receiving areas, and the first identification information may include the ID of the resource; wherein the resource information may include time information and / or frequency information, etc.

[0115] In the embodiment of the present application, the second signal is an uplink signal sent by the terminal device to the network device. Optionally, the second signal may include an uplink signal dedicated to positioning, or an uplink signal for feeding back uplink information (such as service information, control information, etc.).

[0116] Since the second signal carries the first identification information, when the network device receives the second signal, it can determine the receiving area of ​​the first signal received by the terminal device (that is, the area where the terminal device is located) based on the first identification information. Therefore, using the first identification information to determine the position of the terminal device can improve the positioning accuracy, that is, improve the accuracy of positioning, and the network device can use the first identification information to distinguish terminal devices in different locations or different areas.

[0117] Optionally, the network device may determine the location of the terminal device based on the first identification information and the measurement of the second signal.

[0118] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary application scenario of the positioning method of an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 7, the communication system includes a network device, a trigger device and a zero-power device. Among them, the zero-power device receives a first signal sent by the trigger device, and the first signal is a power supply signal. The power supply signal contains the above-mentioned first identification information. After the zero-power device obtains energy based on the power supply signal, it detects the downlink trigger signal sent by the network device and sends a second signal to the network device, and the second signal is an uplink reflection signal. The uplink reflection signal also contains the first identification information, so that the network device can improve the accuracy of positioning the terminal device based on the first identification information.

[0119] In some embodiments, the first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following (1) to (4):

[0120] (1) Location information of the triggering device.

[0121] Optionally, the trigger device may be configured to send a first signal containing different first identification information in different areas. Alternatively, the trigger device may be configured to send a first signal containing specific first identification information in a specific area, where the specific first identification information corresponds to the specific area.

[0122] Specifically, the trigger device can be used to send the first signal in multiple areas, and the first identification information in the first signal sent in different areas is different. Alternatively, the trigger device can be deployed in multiple locations (e.g., multiple pre-divided areas), and the first identification information in the first signal sent by each trigger device is different due to the different locations.

[0123] Since the location of the triggering device affects the reception area of ​​the first signal, the first identification information includes the location information of the triggering device, which can be correlated with the reception area of ​​the first signal. Thus, the network device can determine the location of the terminal device based on the first identification information, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0124] Exemplarily, the location information of the triggering device may include a sub-cell number or sub-cell ID within a cell associated with the network device. Optionally, the sub-cell may be a grid area within the cell.

[0125] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an application example of the positioning method of an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the cell 83 associated with the network device 81 is divided into multiple grid areas, including a first grid area 831, a second grid area 832, etc. The grid area can also be called an energy supply unit grid. The trigger device 82 uses an energy supply signal (first signal) to stimulate the zero-power device in the cell according to the grid area. Specifically, when the trigger device 82 sends a first signal in the first grid area 831, the first signal carries the number of the first grid area 831; the zero-power device in the first grid area 831 can receive the first signal; when the zero-power device sends a second signal to the network device 81, it carries the number of the first grid area 831. The network device 81 can determine that the zero-power device is in the first grid area 831 based on the number of the first grid area 831, thereby improving the accuracy of positioning.

[0126] (2) Beam information sent by the triggering device for transmitting the first signal.

[0127] Optionally, the beam information corresponds to a sub-cell (or area, grid area) within a cell associated with the network device.

[0128] Optionally, the trigger device may send a first signal containing different first identification information to terminal devices in different areas based on a beamforming method or an energy convergence method. In other words, the trigger device sends a first signal to a specific area based on a specific beam, and the first identification information in the first signal is used to indicate the specific beam.

[0129] For example, the beam information of the first signal may include the number of the beam used to transmit the first signal. Different beams have different directions, and thus different receiving areas.

[0130] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another application example of the positioning method of an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, the cell 83 associated with the network device 81 is divided into multiple grid areas, including a first grid area 831, a second grid area 832, etc. The grid area can also be called an energy supply unit grid. The trigger device 82 sends an energy supply signal in a beamforming (energy convergence) manner, and excites the zero-power device according to the grid area convergence energy supply signal. When the trigger device 82 uses the first beam to send a first signal to the first grid area 831, the first signal carries the number of the first beam, and the zero-power device in the first grid area 831 can receive the first signal; when the zero-power device sends a second signal to the network device 81, it carries the number of the first beam. The network device 81 can determine that the zero-power device is in the coverage area of ​​the first beam, that is, in the first grid area 831, based on the number of the first beam, thereby improving the accuracy of positioning.

[0131] Optionally, when beamforming is adopted, the triggering device and the network device may be the same device.

[0132] (3) Time information when the triggering device sends the first signal.

[0133] Specifically, the time at which the first signal is sent is different for different areas. In other words, the time at which the first signal is sent is related to the area in which the first signal is received. For example, the time at which the trigger device sends the first signal in the first grid area is different from the time at which it sends the first signal in the second grid area. Alternatively, the time at which the trigger device sends the first signal to the first grid area using beamforming is different from the time at which the trigger device sends the first signal to the second grid area using beamforming. In this way, different grid areas can be distinguished using a time division method.

[0134] By sequentially activating terminal devices in different physical locations using a time-division approach, terminal devices can also be activated in batches. In scenarios where the network accommodates a large number of terminal devices, such as logistics, warehousing, and environmental monitoring, terminal devices in different grid areas can be activated at different times, thereby preventing a large number of terminal devices from simultaneously using or receiving wireless communication resources and thus avoiding congestion. Network devices can also distinguish terminal devices in different areas based on the first identification information.

[0135] Optionally, the time information for triggering the device to send the first signal includes information of a time slice in which the first signal is located.

[0136] Exemplarily, the time slice may include a time slot or a frame, etc. Correspondingly, the information of the time slice may include a time slot number or a frame number, etc.

[0137] (4) The cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

[0138] Specifically, the network device is associated with multiple cells. The triggering device may be deployed in a grid area within a specific cell, or the triggering device may be configured to transmit a first signal to each grid area within the specific cell using beamforming. The specific cell is the cell to which the triggering device belongs. Accordingly, the cell information to which the triggering device belongs may include an ID of the cell to which the triggering device belongs.

[0139] It can be understood that when a network device is associated with multiple cells, the first identification information is used to indicate the cell information to which it belongs, which can enable the network device to accurately determine the grid area within which the terminal device is located, thereby helping the network device to accurately locate the terminal.

[0140] In the embodiment of the present application, the first identification information may indicate one of the above information (1) to (4), or may indicate multiple pieces of information.

[0141] In one example, the first identification information may be used to indicate one of the location information, beam information, and time information of the triggering device sending the first signal. Optionally, the first identification information may also be used to indicate the cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

[0142] In another example, the first identification information can indicate the location information or beam information of the triggering device. At the same time, the first identification information indicates the time information of the triggering device sending the first signal, so as to further improve the accuracy of terminal positioning by combining the location / beam information of the triggering device with time division.

[0143] It should be noted that, in actual applications, the information content indicated by the first identification information may also be set according to scenario requirements, system conventions or network configurations, and is not limited to the above examples.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first signal and / or the second signal are obtained by performing binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information. Specifically, the terminal device may perform binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information to obtain the second signal. Alternatively, the triggering device may perform binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information to obtain the first signal.

[0145] Exemplarily, the sequence used in the above binary sequence modulation may include a PN sequence, a Gold sequence, an M sequence, a Hadamard sequence or other sequences.

[0146] Exemplarily, the modulation method used in the above binary sequence modulation may include amplitude modulation, frequency modulation or phase modulation.

[0147] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an example of binary sequence modulation in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, a signal / information sequence, such as 101010, is determined based on the information to be indicated (e.g., the location of the triggering device and the ID of the cell to which it belongs). This signal / information sequence is then loaded onto an unmodulated carrier (a carrier not modulated with the signal / information sequence), resulting in a signal-modulated waveform.

[0148] In some embodiments, the terminal device sends the second signal to the network device, including: the terminal device sends the second signal to the network device when the received first signal meets the first condition.

[0149] That is, the terminal device sends the second signal to the network device only when the first signal meets certain conditions. In the case where the terminal device includes a zero-power device and the first signal is used to power the zero-power device, this embodiment can ensure the correct transmission of the second signal.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first condition includes:

[0151] Based on the accumulated energy of the first signal reaching a first threshold; and / or,

[0152] The intensity of the first signal is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0153] Optionally, the first threshold value may be configured or preconfigured by the network device. For example, the first threshold value may be 0.1 J (Joule), 0.01 J, 0.001 J, or 0.0001 J.

[0154] Optionally, the second threshold may be a power threshold, that is, the first condition is satisfied when the power strength of the first signal is greater than or equal to the second threshold. For example, the second threshold may be -20dBm (decibel milliwatt), -40dBm, -60dBm, or -80dBm.

[0155] According to the above embodiment, when the accumulated energy based on the first signal reaches a first threshold and / or the strength of the first signal is greater than or equal to a second threshold, the terminal device transmits the second signal. This ensures that sufficient energy is available to transmit the second signal, thereby increasing the energy of the second signal. When the network device determines the location of the terminal device by performing energy detection on the second signal and combining it with the first identification information, this embodiment can improve the accuracy of energy detection, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0156] In some embodiments, the terminal device does not send the second signal when it does not receive the first signal that meets the first condition. Optionally, the terminal device may continue to receive the first signal until the accumulated energy reaches the first threshold and / or receives the first signal with an intensity greater than or equal to the second threshold.

[0157] Optionally, when the terminal device does not receive the first signal that meets the first condition, it can maintain the energy-saving receiving state and continue to detect the first signal.

[0158] Optionally, the terminal device may periodically receive the first signal and send the second signal. Specifically, the terminal device completes uplink feedback to the network device within one cycle, that is, accesses the network device once within one cycle. If the first signal that meets the first condition is not received within one cycle, the terminal device stops sending the second signal within that cycle (that is, stops uplink signal feedback).

[0159] In some embodiments, when the received first signal meets the first condition, the terminal device sends a second signal to the network device, including: when the received first signal meets the first condition, the terminal device detects the third signal sent by the network device and sends the second signal based on the third signal.

[0160] Exemplarily, the third signal sent by the network device may be a downlink trigger signal, used to trigger the terminal device to send the second signal, such as triggering the terminal device to report information.

[0161] Optionally, the terminal device may determine the information to be carried by the second signal based on the triggering of the third signal or the indication of the third signal, and then send the second signal.

[0162] Optionally, the terminal device can reflect based on the third signal to send a second signal. That is, the second signal is reflected and sent based on the third signal. Here, reflected transmission refers to transmission using backscattering technology. Figure 11 is an interactive flow chart of another application example of the positioning method of an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, the zero-power device first receives a power supply signal (first signal) from a trigger device, which carries first identification information; the zero-power device reads the first identification information. Afterwards, the zero-power device detects the downlink trigger signal (third signal), decodes the downlink trigger signal, and sends an uplink feedback signal (second signal) based on the reflection of the downlink trigger signal. In the network device / trigger device side shown in Figure 11, the network device and the trigger device can be the same device or different devices.

[0163] Optionally, the terminal device may detect the third signal and send the second signal in a specified time slot after the received first signal satisfies the first condition, thereby allowing terminal devices in different areas to perform network registration / access in an orderly manner. The specified time slot may be a time slot determined based on a preset time interval.

[0164] Optionally, the second signal can be transmitted as a reflection based on the first signal. For example, if the triggering device and the network device are the same device, after receiving the first signal, the terminal device can transmit the second signal based on the first signal without detecting the third signal. Optionally, the second signal can be transmitted in a specified time slot after the first signal. In this example, the first signal can also be used for power supply and downlink triggering, that is, the power supply signal and the downlink trigger signal can be the same signal.

[0165] As described above, the terminal device can receive the first signal and send the second signal within one cycle to complete the uplink feedback. For example, the terminal device can receive the first signal within one cycle and complete a network access / registration based on the activation of the first signal, that is, complete a downlink detection and uplink feedback. After the terminal device completes the network access / registration, the terminal device will no longer perform downlink detection and uplink feedback in the current cycle until the next cycle. If each terminal device in the cell associated with the network device performs network access / registration in accordance with the periodic access method, transmission conflicts of a large number of terminal devices can be avoided, which is conducive to the orderly access of a large number of terminal devices.

[0166] Optionally, the terminal device may determine an associated period through a timer, receive the first signal and send the second signal within the period.

[0167] Optionally, the terminal device may also determine a period by detecting a period boundary signal. The period boundary signal may be sent by the network device or by a trigger device.

[0168] Specifically, in some embodiments, the positioning method further includes: the terminal device receives a periodic boundary signal; wherein the periodic boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

[0169] Exemplarily, a cycle boundary signal can be used to indicate the start and / or end of a cycle. Based on this, the terminal device can determine a cycle based on the cycle boundary signal to determine the current link in the cycle at different time points, thereby determining whether to process the first signal. For example, the cycle boundary signal is used to indicate the start of a cycle. After receiving the cycle boundary signal, the terminal device starts to detect the first signal. When the first signal meets the conditions, the terminal device detects the third signal and sends the second signal based on the reflection of the third signal. Thereafter, the terminal device stops processing the first signal, that is, does not receive the first signal, and does not perform downlink trigger signal detection and uplink feedback until the terminal device receives the cycle boundary signal again, enters the next cycle, and then processes the first signal. In addition, if the terminal device fails to detect the first signal that meets the conditions within a cycle, the terminal device stops the downlink trigger signal detection and uplink feedback of the cycle.

[0170] In some embodiments, the period boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

[0171] Optionally, the timing information may include a cycle size. For example, a cycle boundary signal indicates the start of a cycle and includes the cycle size. The terminal device can determine the end of a cycle based on the cycle start and cycle size. This end time may also be the start of the next cycle, eliminating the need to receive cycle boundary signals multiple times to determine each cycle.

[0172] Corresponding to the above method, the present application also provides a positioning method performed by a trigger device and a network device.

[0173] FIG12 is a schematic flow chart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0174] S1210. The trigger device sends a first signal to the terminal device; wherein the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to a receiving area of ​​the first signal; the first identification information is used to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0175] According to the above embodiment, the trigger device sends a first signal carrying first identification information related to the receiving area of ​​the first signal, so that the terminal device can obtain the first identification information. The terminal device can determine the location of the terminal device by transmitting the first identification information.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the location of the terminal device. Specifically, the terminal device sends a second signal to the network device, which includes the first identification information. The network device and the triggering device can be the same device or different devices.

[0177] In some embodiments, the triggering device is configured to send a first signal containing different first identification information in different areas.

[0178] In some embodiments, triggering the device to send a first signal to the terminal device includes:

[0179] The trigger device sends a first signal containing different first identification information to terminal devices in different areas based on beamforming.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0181] The location information of the triggering device;

[0182] triggering beam information sent by the device for transmitting the first signal;

[0183] Time information of triggering the device to send the first signal;

[0184] The cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

[0185] In some embodiments, the time information includes information of a time slice in which the first signal is located.

[0186] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes a zero-power consumption device, and the first signal is further used to power the zero-power consumption device.

[0187] In some embodiments, the positioning method further includes: triggering the device to send a periodic boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein the periodic boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

[0188] In some embodiments, the period boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first signal is obtained by performing binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send a second signal to the network device, and the second signal includes first identification information; the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0191] In some embodiments, the trigger device communicates with the network device via a dedicated link.

[0192] As previously explained, the network device and the triggering device can be the same device or different devices. If the network device and the triggering device are different devices, the triggering device and the network device communicate via a dedicated link, allowing the network device to obtain the correspondence between the triggering device's location information / beam information / time information and the reception area of ​​the first signal. If the network device and the triggering device are the same device, the device can also receive a second signal and determine the location of the terminal device based on the first identification information in the second signal.

[0193] For specific examples of the triggering device execution method in the embodiments of the present application, please refer to the relevant description of the triggering device in the above-mentioned terminal device execution method. In the case where the triggering device and the network device are the same device, for specific examples of the triggering device execution method, please refer to the relevant description of the network device in the above-mentioned terminal device execution method. For the sake of brevity, these details will not be repeated here.

[0194] FIG13 is a schematic flow chart of a positioning method according to another embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0195] S1310. The network device receives a second signal from the terminal device; wherein the second signal includes first identification information obtained by the terminal device based on the first signal received by the terminal device, and the first identification information is related to a reception area of ​​the first signal;

[0196] S1320. The network device determines the location of the terminal device based on the first identification information.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: location information of the triggering device that sends the first signal; beam information sent by the triggering device for transmitting the first signal; time information of the triggering device sending the first signal; and cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

[0198] In some embodiments, the time information includes information of a time slice in which the first signal is located.

[0199] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes a zero-power consumption device, and the first signal is a power supply signal of the zero-power consumption device.

[0200] In some embodiments, the positioning method further includes: the network device sends a third signal to the terminal device; wherein the third signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send the second signal.

[0201] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by reflection based on the third signal.

[0202] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by reflection based on the first signal.

[0203] In some embodiments, the positioning method further includes: the network device sends a periodic boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein the periodic boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

[0204] In some embodiments, the period boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first signal and / or the second signal is obtained by performing binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

[0206] In some embodiments, the first signal is sent by a trigger device, and the trigger device communicates with the network device via a dedicated link.

[0207] For specific examples of the network device execution method of the embodiments of the present application, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the network device in the terminal device execution method and the trigger device execution method. In the case where the trigger device and the network device are the same device, for specific examples of the network device execution method, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the trigger device in the terminal device execution method and the trigger device execution method. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0208] FIG14 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 1400 may include:

[0209] The first communication unit 1410 is used to receive a first signal sent by a triggering device and send a second signal to a network device; wherein the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to a receiving area of ​​the first signal; the second signal includes the first identification information, and the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: location information of the triggering device; beam information sent by the triggering device for transmitting the first signal; time information of the triggering device sending the first signal; and cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

[0211] In some embodiments, the time information includes information of a time slice in which the first signal is located.

[0212] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes a zero-power consumption device, and the first signal is further used to power the zero-power consumption device.

[0213] In some embodiments, the first communication unit 1410 is configured to:

[0214] When the received first signal meets the first condition, a second signal is sent to the network device.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first condition includes: energy accumulated based on the first signal reaches a first threshold; and / or the intensity of the first signal is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first communication unit 1410 is configured to detect a third signal sent by the network device when the received first signal satisfies the first condition, and send a second signal based on the third signal.

[0217] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by reflection based on the third signal.

[0218] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by reflection based on the first signal.

[0219] In some embodiments, the first communication unit 1410 is further used to receive a period boundary signal; wherein the period boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

[0220] In some embodiments, the period boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

[0221] In some embodiments, the first signal and / or the second signal is obtained by performing binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

[0222] The terminal device 1400 of the embodiment of the present application can implement the corresponding functions of the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processes, functions, implementation methods and beneficial effects corresponding to the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the terminal device 1400 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described by the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the terminal device 1400 of the embodiment of the application can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.).

[0223] FIG15 is a schematic block diagram of a trigger device 1500 according to an embodiment of the present application. The trigger device 1500 may include:

[0224] The second communication unit 1510 is used to send a first signal to the terminal device; wherein the first signal is used to indicate first identification information, and the first identification information is related to the receiving area of ​​the first signal; the first identification information is used to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0225] In some embodiments, the triggering device is configured to send a first signal containing different first identification information in different areas.

[0226] In some embodiments, the second communication unit 1510 is used to send a first signal containing different first identification information to terminal devices in different areas based on beamforming.

[0227] In some embodiments, the first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: location information of the triggering device; beam information sent by the triggering device for transmitting the first signal; time information of the triggering device sending the first signal; and cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

[0228] In some embodiments, the time information includes information of a time slice in which the first signal is located.

[0229] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes a zero-power consumption device, and the first signal is further used to power the zero-power consumption device.

[0230] In some embodiments, the second communication unit 1510 is further used to send a period boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein the period boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

[0231] In some embodiments, the period boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first signal is obtained by performing binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

[0233] In some embodiments, the first signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send a second signal to the network device, and the second signal includes first identification information; the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

[0234] In some embodiments, the trigger device communicates with the network device via a dedicated link.

[0235] The trigger device 1500 of the embodiment of the present application can implement the corresponding functions of the trigger device in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processes, functions, implementation methods and beneficial effects corresponding to the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the trigger device 1500 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiment, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the trigger device 1500 of the embodiment of the application can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.).

[0236] FIG16 is a schematic block diagram of a network device 1600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The network device 1600 may include:

[0237] The third communication unit 1610 is configured to receive a second signal from a terminal device, wherein the second signal includes first identification information obtained by the terminal device based on the first signal received by the terminal device, and the first identification information is related to a reception area of ​​the first signal;

[0238] The first processing unit 1620 is configured to determine a location of the terminal device based on the first identification information.

[0239] In some embodiments, the first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: location information of the triggering device that sends the first signal; beam information sent by the triggering device for transmitting the first signal; time information of the triggering device sending the first signal; and cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

[0240] In some embodiments, the time information includes information of a time slice in which the first signal is located.

[0241] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes a zero-power consumption device, and the first signal is a power supply signal of the zero-power consumption device.

[0242] In some embodiments, the third communication unit 1610 is further used to send a third signal to the terminal device; wherein the third signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send the second signal.

[0243] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by reflection based on the third signal.

[0244] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by reflection based on the first signal.

[0245] In some embodiments, the third communication unit 1610 is further used to send a period boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein the period boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

[0246] In some embodiments, the period boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

[0247] In some embodiments, the first signal and / or the second signal is obtained by performing binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

[0248] In some embodiments, the first signal is sent by a trigger device, and the trigger device communicates with the network device via a dedicated link.

[0249] The network device 1600 of the embodiment of the present application can implement the corresponding functions of the network device in the aforementioned method embodiment. The corresponding processes, functions, implementation methods and beneficial effects of each module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.) in the network device 1600 can be found in the corresponding description in the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (sub-module, unit or component, etc.) in the network device 1600 of the embodiment of the application can be implemented by different modules (sub-module, unit or component, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.).

[0250] Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1700 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1700 includes a processor 1710, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to enable the communication device 1700 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0251] In one embodiment, the communication device 1700 may further include a memory 1720. The processor 1710 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1720 to enable the communication device 1700 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0252] The memory 1720 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1710 , or may be integrated into the processor 1710 .

[0253] In one embodiment, the communication device 1700 may further include a transceiver 1730 , and the processor 1710 may control the transceiver 1730 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, the transceiver 1730 may send information or data to other devices, or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0254] The transceiver 1730 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1730 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0255] In one embodiment, the communication device 1700 may be a network device of an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1700 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0256] In one embodiment, the communication device 1700 may be a terminal device of an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1700 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the terminal device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0257] In one embodiment, the communication device 1700 may be a trigger device of an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1700 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the trigger device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0258] 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 1800 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip 1800 includes a processor 1810, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to implement the method according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0259] In one embodiment, the chip 1800 may further include a memory 1820. The processor 1810 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1820 to implement the method executed by the terminal device or the network device in the embodiment of the present application.

[0260] The memory 1820 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1810 , or may be integrated into the processor 1810 .

[0261] In one embodiment, the chip 1800 may further include an input interface 1830. The processor 1810 may control the input interface 1830 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may obtain information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0262] In one embodiment, the chip 1800 may further include an output interface 1840. The processor 1810 may control the output interface 1840 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0263] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the network device in the embodiments of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in each method of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0264] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the terminal device in the embodiments of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the terminal device in each method of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0265] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the trigger device in the embodiment of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the trigger device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0266] The chips used in the network device, the terminal device, and the trigger device may be the same chip or different chips.

[0267] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can also be called a system-level chip, a system chip, a chip system or a system-on-chip chip, etc.

[0268] The processor mentioned above may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor mentioned above may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0269] The memory mentioned above may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. The non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM).

[0270] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memories are exemplary but not restrictive. For example, the memories in the embodiments of the present application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM RAM (DR RAM), etc. In other words, the memories in the embodiments of the present application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0271] FIG19 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 1900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication system 1900 includes a terminal device 1400 , a trigger device 1500 , and a network device 1600 .

[0272] The terminal device 1400 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the terminal device in the above method, the trigger device 1500 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the trigger device in the above method, and the network device 1600 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the network device in the above method. For the sake of brevity, they are not described here in detail.

[0273] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function in accordance with the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0274] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0275] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0276] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A positioning method, comprising: The terminal device receives a first signal sent by a triggering device, where the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to the reception area of the first signal; The terminal device sends a second signal to a network device; where the second signal includes the first identification information, and the first identification information is used by the network device to determine the position of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The location information of the triggering device; The beam information used by the triggering device to transmit the first signal; The time information when the triggering device sends the first signal; The cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The time information includes the information of the time slot where the first signal is located.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein The terminal device includes a zero-power device, and the first signal is also used to supply power to the zero-power device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The terminal device sending a second signal to a network device includes: The terminal device sends a second signal to the network device when the received first signal meets a first condition.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The first condition includes: The energy accumulated based on the first signal reaches a first threshold; and / or, The intensity of the first signal is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein The terminal device sending a second signal to the network device when the received first signal meets a first condition includes: When the received first signal meets the first condition, the terminal device detects a third signal sent by the network device and sends a second signal based on the third signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The second signal is sent by reflection based on the third signal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 8, wherein, The second signal is sent by reflection based on the first signal.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The method further includes: The terminal device receives a periodic boundary signal; where the periodic boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The periodic boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The first signal and / or the second signal is obtained by binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

13. A positioning method, comprising: A triggering device sends a first signal to a terminal device; where the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to the reception area of the first signal; the first identification information is used to determine the position of the terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The triggering device is used to send first signals containing different first identification information in different areas.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The triggering device sending a first signal to a terminal device includes: The triggering device sends first signals containing different first identification information to terminal devices in different areas based on beamforming.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 - 15, wherein, The first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The location information of the triggering device; The beam information used by the triggering device to transmit the first signal; The time information when the triggering device sends the first signal; The cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein The time information includes the information of the time slot where the first signal is located.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13-17, wherein The terminal device includes a zero-power device, and the first signal is further used to supply power to the zero-power device.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13-18, wherein, The method further includes: The triggering device sends a periodic boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein, the periodic boundary signal is used for the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The periodic boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used for the terminal device to determine the period of processing the first signal.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 - 20, wherein, The first signal is obtained by binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13 - 21, wherein The first signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send a second signal to the network device, and the second signal includes the first identification information; the first identification information is used for the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein The triggering device communicates with the network device through a dedicated link.

24. A positioning method, including: The network device receives a second signal from the terminal device; wherein, the second signal includes the first identification information obtained by the terminal device based on the first signal received by it, and the first identification information is related to the reception area of the first signal. The network device determines the location of the terminal device based on the first identification information.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The location information of the triggering device that sends the first signal; The beam information used by the triggering device to transmit the first signal; The time information when the triggering device sends the first signal; The cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein, The time information includes the information of the time slice where the first signal is located.

27. The method according to any one of claims 24-26, wherein, The terminal device includes a zero-power device, and the first signal is the power supply signal for the zero-power device.

28. The method according to any one of claims 24 - 27, wherein, The method further includes: The network device sends a third signal to the terminal device; wherein, the third signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send the second signal.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein The second signal is sent by reflection based on the third signal.

30. The method according to any one of claims 24-28, wherein The second signal is sent by reflection based on the first signal.

31. The method according to any one of claims 24 - 30, wherein, The method further includes: The network device sends a periodic boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein, the periodic boundary signal is used for the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The periodic boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used for the terminal device to determine the period of processing the first signal.

33. The method according to any one of claims 24 - 32, wherein, The first signal and / or the second signal is obtained by binary sequence modulation based on the first identification information.

34. The method according to any one of claims 24-33, wherein, The first signal is sent by a triggering device, and the triggering device communicates with the network device through a dedicated link.

35. A terminal device, including: A first communication unit, configured to receive a first signal sent by a triggering device and send a second signal to a network device; wherein, the first signal includes first identification information, and the first identification information is related to the reception area of the first signal; the second signal includes the first identification information, and the first identification information is used for the network device to determine the location of the terminal device.

36. The terminal device according to claim 35, wherein, The first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The location information of the triggering device; The beam information for transmitting the first signal sent by the triggering device; The time information of the triggering device for sending the first signal; The cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

37. The terminal device according to claim 36, wherein, The time information includes the information of the time slot where the first signal is located.

38. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35-37, wherein, The terminal device includes a zero-power device, and the first signal is also used to supply power to the zero-power device.

39. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35-38, wherein, The first communication unit is configured to: When the received first signal meets the first condition, send a second signal to the network device.

40. The terminal device according to claim 39, wherein, The first condition includes: The energy accumulated based on the first signal reaches a first threshold; and / or, The intensity of the first signal is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

41. The terminal device according to claim 39 or 40, wherein, The first communication unit is configured to: When the received first signal meets the first condition, detect a third signal sent by the network device and send a second signal based on the third signal.

42. The terminal device according to claim 41, wherein, The second signal is sent by reflection based on the third signal.

43. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35-41, wherein, The second signal is sent by reflection based on the first signal.

44. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35 - 43, wherein, The first communication unit is further configured to: Receive a periodic boundary signal; wherein, the periodic boundary signal is used for the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

45. The terminal device according to claim 44, wherein, The periodic boundary signal contains timing information, and the timing information is used for the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

46. The terminal device according to any one of claims 35-45, wherein, The first signal and / or the second signal is modulated into a binary sequence based on the first identification information.

47. A triggering device, comprising: A second communication unit, configured to send a first signal to a terminal device; wherein, the first signal is used to indicate a first identification information, the first identification information is related to the reception area of the first signal; the first identification information is used to determine the position of the terminal device.

48. The trigger device according to claim 47, wherein, The triggering device is configured to send first signals containing different first identification information in different areas.

49. The trigger device according to claim 47, wherein, The second communication unit is configured to: Send first signals containing different first identification information to terminal devices in different areas based on beamforming.

50. The triggering device according to any one of claims 47 - 49, wherein, The first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The location information of the triggering device; The beam information for transmitting the first signal sent by the triggering device; The time information of the triggering device for sending the first signal; The cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

51. The triggering device according to claim 50, wherein, The time information includes the information of the time slot where the first signal is located.

52. The triggering device according to any one of claims 47 - 51, wherein, The terminal device includes a zero-power device, and the first signal is also used to supply power to the zero-power device.

53. The triggering device according to any one of claims 47 - 52, wherein, The second communication unit is further configured to: Send a periodic boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein, the periodic boundary signal is used for the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

54. The triggering device according to claim 53, wherein, The periodic boundary signal contains timing information, and the timing information is used for the terminal device to determine the period for processing the first signal.

55. The triggering device according to any one of claims 47 - 54, wherein, The first signal is modulated into a binary sequence based on the first identification information.

56. The triggering device according to any one of claims 47-55, wherein, The first signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send a second signal to the network device, and the second signal contains the first identification information; the first identification information is used for the network device to determine the position of the terminal device.

57. The triggering device according to claim 56, wherein, The triggering device communicates with the network device via a dedicated link.

58. A network device, comprising: A third communication unit, configured to receive a second signal from a terminal device; wherein, the second signal includes first identification information obtained by the terminal device based on a first signal received by the terminal device, and the first identification information is related to a reception area of the first signal; A first processing unit, configured to determine a location of the terminal device based on the first identification information.

59. The network device according to claim 58, wherein, The first identification information is used to indicate at least one of the following: Location information of a triggering device that sends the first signal; Beam information used by the triggering device to transmit the first signal; Time information of the triggering device sending the first signal; Cell information to which the triggering device belongs.

60. The network device according to claim 59, wherein, The time information includes information about a time slice in which the first signal is located.

61. The network device according to any one of claims 58-60, wherein, The terminal device includes a zero-power device, and the first signal is an energy supply signal for the zero-power device.

62. The network device according to any one of claims 58-61, wherein, The third communication unit is further configured to: Send a third signal to the terminal device; wherein, the third signal is used to trigger the terminal device to send the second signal.

63. The network device according to claim 62, wherein, The second signal is sent by reflection based on the third signal.

64. The network device according to any one of claims 58-62, wherein, The second signal is sent by reflection based on the first signal.

65. The network device according to any one of claims 58-64, wherein, The third communication unit is further configured to: Send a periodic boundary signal to the terminal device; wherein, the periodic boundary signal is used by the terminal device to determine whether to process the first signal.

66. The network device according to claim 65, wherein, The periodic boundary signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used by the terminal device to determine a period for processing the first signal.

67. The network device according to any one of claims 58-66, wherein, The first signal and / or the second signal is modulated by a binary sequence based on the first identification information.

68. The network device according to any one of claims 58-67, wherein, The first signal is sent by a triggering device, and the triggering device communicates with the network device via a dedicated link.

69. A terminal device, comprising: A transceiver, a processor, and a memory, where the memory is configured to store a computer program, the transceiver is configured to communicate with other devices, and the processor is configured to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the terminal device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

70. A triggering device, comprising: A transceiver, a processor, and a memory, where the memory is configured to store a computer program, the transceiver is configured to communicate with other devices, and the processor is configured to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the triggering device executes the method according to any one of claims 13 to 23.

71. A network device, comprising: A transceiver, a processor, and a memory, where the memory is configured to store a computer program, the transceiver is configured to communicate with other devices, and the processor is configured to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the network device executes the method according to any one of claims 24 to 34.

72. A chip, comprising: A processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device installed with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

73. A chip, comprising: A processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device installed with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 13 to 23.

74. A chip, comprising: A processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, such that a device installed with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 24 to 34.

75. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which when run on a device causes the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

76. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which when run on a device causes the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 13 to 23.

77. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which when run on a device causes the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 24 to 34.

78. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions that cause a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

79. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions that cause a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 13 to 23.

80. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions that cause a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 24 to 34.

81. A computer program that causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

82. A computer program that causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 13 to 23.

83. A computer program that causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 24 to 34.

84. A communication system comprising: A terminal device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; A triggering device for executing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 23; A network device for executing the method according to any one of claims 24 to 34.

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