Sensing method and related apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a sensing method and a related apparatus, which are conducive to meeting the requirements of an O-RAN supporting integrated communication and sensing for transmitting sensing data to a core network. The method comprises: a first network element sends a first message to a first DU, the first message being used for establishing a sensing service, and the first network element being a sensing function network element or a CU; the first DU acquires sensing data on the basis of the first message; and the first DU sends the sensing data to the sensing function network element via a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element.

Description

Perception method and related apparatus

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202410642931.5, filed on May 22, 2024, and entitled “Perception method and related apparatus”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of perception, and in particular, to a perception method and related apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] Currently, a radio access network (RAN) can be an open radio access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN). In the O-RAN, multiple RAN nodes cooperate to realize wireless access of a terminal, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of a base station. For example, the multiple RAN nodes include a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CU-CP), a CU-user plane (CU-UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc.

[0004] Communication and perception integration is a key technology in the next generation of wireless communication technology, aiming to integrate wireless communication and perception functions in the same system, and use the propagation characteristics of wireless signals to realize target positioning, detection, imaging and identification, and other perception functions.

[0005] For an O-RAN supporting communication and perception integration, how to transmit perception data to a core network is a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a perception method and related apparatus, which is beneficial to meet the needs of an O-RAN supporting communication and perception integration to transmit perception data to a core network.

[0007] In a first aspect, a perception method is provided, which can be executed by a first perception apparatus. The first perception apparatus can be a first DU, or a component (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) configured in the first DU, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the first DU, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard. In the following, the first perception apparatus is taken as the first DU as an example to introduce the perception method of the present application.

[0008] The method comprises: receiving a first message, the first message being used for establishing a sensing service; obtaining sensing data based on the first message; and sending the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and a first network element, the first network element being a sensing function (SF) network element or a CU.

[0009] The first message is used for establishing a sensing service, and establishment of the sensing service can trigger the first DU to perform a sensing task and obtain sensing data.

[0010] In one example, the O-RAN can comprise the first DU and the CU, the CU can comprise a CU-control plane (CP) and a CU-user plane (UP), and the SF network element can comprise an SF-CP and an SF-UP.

[0011] When the SF network element comprises the SF-CP and the SF-UP, the first network element can specifically be the SF-UP. The sending of the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element comprises: sending the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP.

[0012] When the CU comprises the CU-CP and the CU-UP, the first network element can specifically be the CU-UP. The sending of the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element comprises: sending the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP.

[0013] Based on the technical solution of the present application, the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF network element through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element, or the first DU sends the sensing data to the CU through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU, and then the CU sends the sensing data to the SF network element, which is conducive to meeting the requirement of the O-RAN supporting communication and sensing integration to transmit the sensing data to the core network.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before the sending of the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the method further comprises: receiving a second message, the second message being used for establishing the user plane tunnel, the second message comprising address information of the first network element; and establishing the user plane tunnel based on the second message.

[0015] In the present application, the first DU establishes, based on the second message, an uplink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element.

[0016] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a third message, the third message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the third message including address information of the first DU.

[0017] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the address information is a general packet radio service tunneling protocol-user plane (GTP-U) address.

[0018] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before receiving the first message, the method further includes: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports the sensing function and / or a sensing capability of the first DU.

[0019] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before receiving the first message, the method further includes: sending second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of the first DU for sending the sensing signal.

[0020] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, a quality of service (QoS) parameter of the sensing service includes a first latency parameter, the first latency parameter being an upper limit of a latency of a data packet of the sensing service in transmission between the first DU and the first network element, the sensing data being included in the data packet of the sensing service.

[0021] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the data packet of the sensing service includes a QoS flow identifier (QFI) and a corresponding sequence number (QFI sequence number, QFI SN) of the QFI, the QFI being used to indicate a QoS flow carrying the data packet, and the QFI SN being a sequence number of the data packet in at least one data packet of the QoS flow.

[0022] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to the sensing service; or, the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first QoS flow of the sensing service, the first QoS flow being one of at least one QoS flow of the sensing service; or, the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first sensing area of the sensing service, the first sensing area being one of at least one sensing area of the sensing service.

[0023] In a second aspect, a sensing method is provided, which can be executed by a second sensing device. The second sensing device can be an SF network element, a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) configured in the SF network element, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the SF network element, and the present application does not limit the same. The sensing method of the present application is described below by taking the second sensing device as an example of the SF network element.

[0024] The method comprises: sending a fourth message for establishing a sensing service; and receiving sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the first network element being an SF network element or a CU.

[0025] In the present application, the O-RAN comprises a first DU and a CU, the CU can comprise a CU-CP and a CU-UP, and the SF network element can comprise an SF-CP and an SF-UP.

[0026] The SF network element sends the fourth message, which comprises: the SF network element sends the fourth message to the first DU, or the SF network element sends the fourth message to the CU.

[0027] When the SF network element comprises an SF-CP and an SF-UP, the first network element can specifically be the SF-UP. The receiving of the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element comprises: receiving the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP.

[0028] When the CU comprises a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the first network element can specifically be the CU-UP. The receiving of the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element comprises: receiving the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP.

[0029] Based on the technical solution of the present application, the SF network element can receive the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element, or the SF network element can receive the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU. After the CU receives the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU, the CU forwards the sensing data to the SF network element. In this way, the SF network element can receive the sensing data sent by the first DU in the O-RAN.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before the receiving of the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the method further comprises: sending a fifth message for establishing the user plane tunnel, the fifth message comprising address information of the SF network element.

[0031] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving a third message, the third message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the third message including address information of the first DU.

[0032] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the address information is a GTP-U address.

[0033] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before sending the fourth message, the method further includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports a sensing function and / or a sensing capability of the first DU.

[0034] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before sending the fourth message, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of the sensing signal sent by the first DU.

[0035] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the QoS parameter of the sensing service includes a first delay parameter, the first delay parameter being an upper limit of a delay of a data packet of the sensing service in transmission between the first DU and the first network element, the data packet of the sensing service including the sensing data.

[0036] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the data packet of the sensing service includes a QFI and a QFI SN, the QFI being used to indicate a QoS flow carrying the data packet, and the QFI SN being a sequence number of the data packet in at least one data packet carried by the QoS flow.

[0037] In a third aspect, a sensing method is provided, which can be executed by a third sensing device. The third sensing device can be a CU, or a component (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) configured in the CU, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the CU, and the present application does not make any limitation in this regard. In the following, the sensing method of the present application is introduced by taking the third sensing device as an example. In the case where the CU includes a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the sensing method of the third aspect can be executed by the CU-CP.

[0038] The method includes: sending a second message to the first DU, the second message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the second message including address information of the first network element, the first network element being an SF network element or a CU.

[0039] In the present application, the O-RAN includes a first DU and a CU, the CU can include a CU-CP and a CU-UP, and the SF network element can include an SF-CP and an SF-UP.

[0040] When the SF network element comprises the SF-CP and the SF-UP, the first network element can specifically be the SF-UP. The user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element is a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP.

[0041] When the CU comprises the CU-CP and the CU-UP, the first network element can specifically be the CU-UP. The user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element is a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP.

[0042] In the present application, the CU sends the second message to the first DU, so that the first DU can establish the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element based on the second message, and thus the first DU can send the perception data in the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, which is conducive to meeting the requirement of O-RAN supporting communication and perception integration to transmit the perception data to the core network.

[0043] The first DU can send the perception data to the SF network element through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element, or the first DU can send the perception data to the SF network element through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU. The sending of the perception data to the SF network element through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU comprises: after the CU receives the perception data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU, forwarding the perception data to the SF network element.

[0044] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, before sending the second message to the first DU, the method further comprises: receiving a fourth message from the SF network element, the fourth message being used to establish a perception service; and sending a first message to the first DU, the first message being used to establish the perception service.

[0045] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, before sending the second message to the first DU, the method further comprises: obtaining address information of the first network element.

[0046] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first network element is the SF network element, and before obtaining the user plane address information of the first network element, the method further comprises: receiving a fifth message from the SF network element, the fifth message being used to establish the user plane tunnel, and the fifth message comprising the address information of the first network element. The obtaining of the address information of the first network element comprises: obtaining the address information of the first network element from the fifth message.

[0047] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first network element is the CU, and the obtaining of the address information of the first network element comprises: sending a sixth message to the first network element, the sixth message being used to request the address information of the first network element; and receiving the address information of the first network element.

[0048] In the present application, the CU includes a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the first network element is the CU, and the CU includes: the first network element is the CU-UP, the CU-CP sends a sixth message to the CU-UP to request address information of the CU-UP, and then the CU-UP sends the address information of the CU-UP to the CU-CP based on the sixth message.

[0049] With reference to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the address information is a GTP-U address.

[0050] With reference to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, before receiving the fourth message from the SF network element, the method further includes: receiving first indication information from the first DU, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports the sensing function and / or the sensing capability of the first DU; and sending the first indication information.

[0051] With reference to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the fourth message indicates a requested sensing requirement, and the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement.

[0052] With reference to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first message indicates the requested sensing requirement.

[0053] With reference to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, before receiving the fourth message from the SF network element, the method further includes: receiving second indication information from the first DU, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of the first DU for sending the sensing signal; and sending the second indication information to the SF network element.

[0054] The fourth aspect provides a sensing device, including: a module for executing the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the above aspects. Specifically, the device includes a module for executing the method in any possible implementation manner of any one of the above aspects.

[0055] In one design, the device can include a module corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in any one of the above aspects, which can be a hardware circuit, a software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0056] In another design, the device is a communication chip, which can include an input circuit or interface for sending information or data, and an output circuit or interface for receiving information or data.

[0057] In another design, the apparatus is a first DU, a SF network element, or a CU, which can include a transmitter for transmitting information or data, and a receiver for receiving information or data.

[0058] In another design, the apparatus is configured to perform the method in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0059] In a fifth aspect, a perception apparatus is provided, which includes at least one processor configured to invoke and run a computer program from a memory, so that the apparatus performs the method in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0060] Optionally, the apparatus further includes a memory configured to store instructions and data. The memory is coupled to the processor, and the processor implements the method described in the above aspects when executing the instructions stored in the memory.

[0061] Optionally, the apparatus further includes a transmitter and a receiver, which can be separate or integrated together as a transceiver.

[0062] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0063] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0064] In an eighth aspect, a chip system is provided, which includes at least one processor configured to support the functions involved in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects, such as receiving or processing the data involved in the above methods.

[0065] In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory configured to save program instructions and data, which is located inside or outside the processor.

[0066] Optionally, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or include a chip and other discrete devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0067] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system suitable for embodiments of the present application;

[0068] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of an O-RAN system;

[0069] FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of functional division of network elements and structure of protocol layers of an O-RAN system according to embodiments of the present application;

[0070] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a sensing fusion network according to embodiments of the present application;

[0071] FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of user plane protocol stacks between a base station and an SF network element according to embodiments of the present application;

[0072] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a user plane protocol stack between a terminal and an SF network element according to embodiments of the present application;

[0073] FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a sensing method according to embodiments of the present application;

[0074] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a packet header of a sensing service data packet according to embodiments of the present application;

[0075] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a sensing architecture according to embodiments of the present application;

[0076] FIG. 12 is a schematic flowchart of another sensing method according to embodiments of the present application;

[0077] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a user plane protocol stack between a first DU and an SF-UP according to embodiments of the present application;

[0078] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of another sensing architecture according to embodiments of the present application;

[0079] FIG. 15 is a schematic flowchart of still another sensing method according to embodiments of the present application;

[0080] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of another user plane protocol stack between a first DU and an SF-UP according to embodiments of the present application;

[0081] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of still another sensing architecture according to embodiments of the present application;

[0082] FIG. 18 is a schematic flowchart of yet another sensing method according to embodiments of the present application;

[0083] FIGS. 19 and 20 are schematic block diagrams of sensing apparatuses according to embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The technical solutions in the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0085] Before introducing the awareness method and related apparatus provided by embodiments of the present application, the following points are explained.

[0086] First, in the embodiments shown below, each term and English abbreviation, such as SF, DU, awareness service, etc., are exemplary examples given for convenience of description, and should not constitute any limitation on the present application. The present application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms capable of achieving the same or similar functions in existing or future protocols.

[0087] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the first, second, and various numerical numbers are only for differentiation for convenience of description, and do not limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0088] Third, “at least one” means one or more, and “multiple” means two or more. “And / or” describes the association relationship of associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character “ / ” generally represents an “or” relationship between the associated objects before and after it. “At least one of the following” or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0089] Fourth, “sending” and “receiving” in the present application represent the direction of signal transmission. For example, “sending first indication information to the SF network element” can be understood as that the destination of the first indication information is the SF network element, which can include direct transmission through the air interface, or indirect transmission through the air interface by other units or modules. “Receiving the first indication information from the first DU” can be understood as that the source of the first indication information is the first DU, which can include direct reception from the first DU through the air interface, or indirect reception from the first DU through the air interface from other units or modules. “Sending” can also be understood as the “output” of the chip interface, and “receiving” can also be understood as the “input” of the chip interface.

[0090] In other words, sending and receiving can be between devices, for example, between a terminal and an access network device; or can be within a device, for example, between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within a device through a bus, wire or interface.

[0091] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system applicable to embodiments of the present application. The communication system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 includes a RAN 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 also includes an Internet 300. The RAN 100 can include at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG. 1) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG. 1). The terminals are connected to the RAN nodes wirelessly, and the RAN nodes are connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via wire. The core network device and the RAN node can be independent and different physical devices, or the functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the RAN node can be integrated on the same physical device, or a physical device can integrate part of the functions of the core network device and part of the functions of the RAN node. The terminals and the terminals, and the RAN nodes and the RAN nodes can be connected to each other via wire or wirelessly. FIG. 1 is only a schematic diagram, and the communication system can also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in FIG. 1.

[0092] The RAN 100 can be a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) related cellular system, for example, a 4th generation mobile communication technology (4G) system (also referred to as a long term evolution (LTE) system), a 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G) system (also referred to as a new radio (NR) system), or can also be applied to a next generation mobile communication system or other similar communication system (for example, a 6th generation mobile communication technology (6G) system), and the specific system is not limited.

[0093] The wireless access network 100 can also be an O-RAN, a cloud radio access network (CRAN). The wireless access network 100 can also be a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a satellite communication network, a high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication network, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) communication network, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) communication network, etc. The wireless access network 100 can also be a communication network that combines two or more of the above systems.

[0094] The RAN node can also be referred to as an access network device, and can also be referred to as a RAN device. The RAN node is used to help the terminal to implement wireless access. The plurality of RAN nodes in the communication system 1000 can be nodes of the same type or nodes of different types.

[0095] In a possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, an access point (AP) in a satellite, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a RAN node in a mobile switching center non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system, i.e., can be deployed in a high-altitude platform or a satellite, etc. The RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG. 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG. 1), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. The RAN node can also be a device that plays a base station function in device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, unmanned aerial vehicle communication, and machine communication. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the RAN node in the V2X technology can be a road side unit (RSU).

[0096] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes cooperate to assist a terminal to implement wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of functions of a base station. For example, a RAN node can be a CU, a DU, a CU-CP, a CU-UP, or an RU, etc. The CU and the DU can be separately configured, or can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). It can be understood that the RAN node can be a CU node, or a DU node, or a device including a CU node and a DU node. In addition, the CU can be divided into a RAN node in an access network, or the CU can be divided into a RAN node in a core network, which is not limited herein.

[0097] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), the DU, or the RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an O-RAN system, the CU can also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, the CU-CP, the CU-UP, the DU, and the RU are taken as examples for description in this application. Any one of the CU (or the CU-CP, the CU-UP), the DU, and the RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0098] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiving function, which can send a signal to a RAN node or receive a signal from a RAN node. The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, a terminal equipment, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely applied to various scenarios, such as D2D, V2X communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, automatic driving, remote medical treatment, smart power grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can specifically be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiving function, a wearable device, a vehicle, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, etc. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the terminal.

[0099] The RAN nodes and the terminals can be fixed in location or mobile. The RAN nodes and the terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can be deployed on water; can also be deployed on airplanes, balloons, and artificial satellites. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the RAN nodes and the terminals.

[0100] The roles of the RAN nodes and the terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or the drone 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured to be a mobile RAN node, and for those terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, 120i is a RAN node; but for the RAN node 110a, 120i is a terminal, that is, 110a and 120i communicate through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate through an interface protocol between RAN nodes and RAN nodes, in which case, 120i is also a RAN node relative to 110a. Therefore, the RAN nodes and the terminals can be collectively referred to as communication apparatuses, 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as communication apparatuses with RAN node functions, and 120a-120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as communication apparatuses with terminal functions.

[0101] The RAN nodes and the terminals, the RAN nodes and the RAN nodes, and the terminals and the terminals can communicate through licensed spectrum, can communicate through unlicensed spectrum, and can also communicate through both licensed spectrum and unlicensed spectrum; can communicate through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), can communicate through spectrum above 6 GHz, and can also communicate through both spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0102] In embodiments of the present application, the functions of the RAN nodes can also be performed by modules (such as chips) in the RAN nodes, or by control subsystems containing RAN node functions. The control subsystems containing RAN node functions herein can be control centers in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. The functions of the terminals can also be performed by modules (such as chips or modems) in the terminals, or by devices containing terminal functions.

[0103] The core network device refers to a device in a core network that provides service support for a terminal. Currently, some examples of core network devices are: an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, a session management function (SMF) network element, a user plane function (UPF) network element, and the like, which are not listed one by one here.

[0104] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of an O-RAN system, which can include more or fewer components than those shown in FIG. 2, which is not limited in the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, the O-RAN includes a BBU, and optionally, the O-RAN also includes an RU. The BBU communicates with the CN through a backhaul link, the BBU communicates with the RU through a fronthaul link, and the RU communicates with the terminal through an air interface. The BBU and the RU can be co-located or not co-located.

[0105] The BBU includes at least one CU and at least one DU, and the at least one CU communicates with the at least one DU through at least one midhaul link.

[0106] In the O-RAN system, part of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled in the CU, and the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and controlled by the CU.

[0107] FIG. 3 is a structure diagram of network element function division and protocol layer of an O-RAN system, the O-RAN shown in FIG. 3 includes one CU and two DUs. As an implementation manner, the CU is deployed with a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer in a protocol stack. The DU is deployed with a radio link control (RLC) layer, a media access control (MAC) layer, and a physical (PHY) layer in a protocol stack. The physical layer can further include a high layer of the physical layer (PHY-high) and a low layer of the physical layer (PHY-low). Thus, the CU has processing capabilities of RRC, PDCP, and SDAP, and the DU has processing capabilities of RLC, MAC, and PHY.

[0108] In the case of CU separation (i.e., CU split into CU-UP and CU-CP), as an implementation manner, the network elements in the O-RAN system and the protocol layer functions that can be implemented by the network elements are shown in Table 1.

[0109] Table 1

[0110] FIG. 4 is a structure diagram of the function division of network elements and the protocol layer of another O-RAN system. The O-RAN shown in FIG. 4 includes a CU-CP, a CU-UP, and a DU. The CU-CP is deployed with the control plane part of the RRC layer and the PDCP layer (referred to as PDCP-C), the CU-UP is deployed with the user plane part of the SDAP layer and the PDCP layer (referred to as PDCP-U), and the DU is deployed with the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer. The CU-CP can interact with a network element in the core network for implementing control plane functions. The network element in the core network for implementing control plane functions can be an access and mobility function network element, such as an AMF network element in a 5G system. The CU-UP can interact with a network element in the core network for implementing user plane functions. The network element in the core network for implementing user plane functions is, for example, a UPF network element in a 5G system.

[0111] The above configuration of the CU and the DU is only an example, and the functions of the CU and the DU can be configured as needed. For example, the CU or the DU can be configured to have more functions of the protocol layers, or the CU or the DU can be configured to have partial processing functions of the protocol layers. For example, partial functions of the RLC layer and functions of the protocol layers above the RLC layer are arranged in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and functions of the protocol layers below the RLC layer are arranged in the DU. For another example, the functions of the CU or the DU can be divided according to the service type or other system requirements, for example, according to the delay, and the functions that need to meet the delay requirement are arranged in the DU, and the functions that do not need to meet the delay requirement are arranged in the CU.

[0112] In some examples, the DU can control at least one RU. The DU is connected to the RU through some interfaces, which can be a front-haul interface.

[0113] In some examples, the CU can have no PDCP layer, i.e., only include the RRC layer. The CU-CP has no PDCP-C. The CU-UP can have no PDCP-U, or there is no CU-UP at all. In some examples, the DU can have no RLC layer, only have the MAC layer and the PHY-high layer. In addition, in some examples, there can be no CU only including the DU.

[0114] In some examples, the PHY-high layer includes parts of PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation and demodulation, and other processing functions. In some examples, the RU is a logical node that hosts the PHY-low layer and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPP transmission reception point (TRP) or a remote radio head (RRH) or other similar functional entity. In some examples, the PHY-low layer includes parts of PHY processing, such as fast Fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast Fourier transformation (IFFT), digital beamforming and filtering, and other processing functions. The RU communicates with one or more terminals over a wireless link.

[0115] The DU and the RU exchange control plane information and user plane information via a lower-layer split C / U / S-Plane (LLS-C / U / S) interface over a fronthaul link. The LLS-C / U / S can include a LLS-C interface and a LLS-U interface that provide a control plane (C-plane) and a user plane (U-plane), respectively. In some examples, the control plane refers to real-time control between the DU and the RU. The DU and the RU have a LLS-M interface of the fronthaul link to exchange management information, and the management plane refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and the RU. The DU and the RU can cooperate to jointly implement the functions of the PHY layer. One DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and the RU can be configured in multiple ways according to design. For example, the DU is configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU is configured to implement intermediate radio frequency functions. For another example, the DU is configured to implement high-layer functions in the PHY layer, and the RU is configured to implement low-layer functions in the PHY layer or to implement the low-layer functions and radio frequency functions. The high-layer functions in the PHY layer can include a part of the functions of the PHY layer that are closer to the MAC layer, and the low-layer functions in the PHY layer can include another part of the functions of the PHY layer that are closer to the intermediate radio frequency side.

[0116] The related technologies and concepts involved in the present application are introduced as follows.

[0117] In the vision of enhancing and expanding 5G scenarios, in addition to continuing to strengthen the three standard scenarios of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type of communication (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), three new scenarios are also expanded, including uplink centric broadband communication (UCBC), real-time broadband communication (RTBC), and harmonized communication and sensing (HCS). Harmonized communication and sensing can also be referred to as integrated communication and sensing, which is referred to as communication and sensing integration hereinafter.

[0118] Communication and sensing integration is a key technology in the next generation of wireless communication systems, aiming to integrate wireless communication and sensing functions in the same system, and use various propagation characteristics of wireless signals to realize positioning, detection, imaging, and identification of targets, and other sensing functions to obtain information about the surrounding physical environment, improve communication performance, and enhance user experience. In an example, a base station performs sensing by transmitting a sensing signal and receiving a return signal to obtain the position, speed, and other information of a target in the environment. The return signal is a signal reflected by the target in the environment from the transmitted sensing signal. The time delay of the return signal relative to the transmitted sensing signal reflects the distance of the target, and the Doppler shift of the return signal relative to the transmitted sensing signal reflects the speed of the target.

[0119] The application scenarios of communication and sensing integration include, but are not limited to, rail networks, emergency networks, vehicle networks, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Communication and sensing integration applies large-scale multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) beam scanning technology to the field of sensing, so that it can provide both communication and sensing in the communication and sensing integration scenario, and can help and support the development of autonomous driving. If extended to indoor scenarios, communication and sensing integration can also provide positioning services.

[0120] The communication and sensing integration scenario can include the following six sensing modes:

[0121] Mode one: base station A self-generation and self-reception: base station A transmits a sensing signal, and after reflection by a target in the environment, base station A receives the reflected signal (i.e., the return signal of the reflected sensing signal).

[0122] Mode two: base station A to base station B: base station A transmits a sensing signal, which is reflected by a target in the environment and then received by base station B.

[0123] Mode three: base station A to terminal A: base station A transmits a sensing signal, which is reflected by a target in the environment and then received by terminal A.

[0124] Mode four: terminal A to base station A: terminal A transmits a sensing signal, which is reflected by a target in the environment and then received by base station A.

[0125] Mode five: terminal A to terminal A: terminal A transmits a sensing signal, which is reflected by a target in the environment and then received by terminal A.

[0126] Mode six: terminal A to terminal B: terminal A transmits a sensing signal, which is reflected by a target in the environment and then received by terminal B.

[0127] The device receiving the reflected signal can implement a sensing function on the target based on the reflected signal, for example, positioning, imaging, speed measurement, and other sensing functions. In this application, the device receiving the reflected signal for sensing measurement can be referred to as a sensing device.

[0128] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a sensing and communication network architecture according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 5, the network architecture can include a terminal part (for example, UE in FIG. 5) and an operator network part, which can include but is not limited to a (radio) access network ((R)AN) and a core network part. The functions of the devices or network elements in each part are briefly described below.

[0129] The core network part can include but is not limited to the following network elements: an AMF network element, an SF network element, a UPF network element, a unified data management (UDM) network element, a network exposure function (NEF) network element, a location management function (LMF) network element, a policy control function (PCF) network element, a network data analytics function (NWDAF) network element, and an application function (AF) network element. Optionally, the network architecture further includes an SMF network element.

[0130] It should be noted that the network element in the present application can also be referred to as an entity or a functional entity, for example, the AMF network element can also be referred to as an AMF entity or an AMF functional entity, and for example, the SMF entity can also be referred to as an SMF network element or an SMF functional entity, and the like.

[0131] The names of the network elements shown in the present application are all exemplary examples given for the convenience of description, and should not constitute any limitation on the present application. The present application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms capable of achieving the same or similar functions in existing or future protocols.

[0132] Among them, the SF network element is a network element in the core network, which is only an example. In some possible network architectures, the SF network element can also be a network element in the access network, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. When the SF network element is a network element in the access network, the name of the SF network element can also be different, for example, it is called a sensing unit (sensing unit, SU), and the SU has the same or similar functions as the SF network element.

[0133] The SF network element can be independently deployed in the core network according to the needs, or deployed together with other network elements (for example, AMF network element or LMF network element) in the core network. The SF network element can implement basic sensing functions, such as sensing authorization, sensing capability interaction, network element selection, sensing control, processing and result output of sensing data, etc. The SF network element interacts with the network elements such as AMF through an interface. The sensing control signaling between the SF network element and the wireless access network or the terminal is transmitted through the AMF network element, and the sensing data obtained by the wireless access network or the terminal can be transmitted to the SF network element through the control plane or the user plane, wherein the sensing data is transmitted to the SF network element through the user plane, including being forwarded to the SF network element through the UPF network element or being directly sent to the SF network element.

[0134] The SF network element can be split into SF-CP and SF-UP. The SF-CP is responsible for interaction with the control plane network element (for example, AMF network element) in the core network, responsible for message transmission of the control plane, and provides address information of the SF-UP to the RAN node or the terminal. The SF-UP is responsible for collecting and analyzing the sensing data generated by the terminal or the RAN node. The SF-UP can generate sensing results according to the collected sensing data, and open the sensing results to the terminal, the application (for example, the AF network element) or the data network (data network, DN).

[0135] The AMF network element can be responsible for access management and mobility management of the terminal, such as terminal location update, terminal registration network, terminal handover.

[0136] The SMF network element can be responsible for session management in the mobile network, such as session establishment, modification, release, etc. of the user.

[0137] The UPF network element can be a functional entity of a user plane, mainly responsible for connecting external networks and processing user messages, such as forwarding and charging.

[0138] The NWDAF network element supports collecting data from other network functions, collecting data from operation, maintenance, and management (OAM) functional entities, and providing analysis information to other network functions.

[0139] In different sensing scenarios and service requirements, the reflected signal received by the sensing device may need to be processed by one or more processing nodes, such as a terminal, a base station, a NWDAF network element, a SF network element, or a sensing server, to obtain sensing data (also referred to as sensing measurement data or sensing results). The sensing data can be measurement data obtained by the sensing device based on processing of the received signal or raw channel information, such as time delay, Doppler information, angle, intensity, and multi-dimensional combinations thereof, and such as the position, speed, intensity, and multi-dimensional combinations thereof of the sampling point. The sensing data can also be data related to service functions and performance obtained by further calculation and analysis processing of the above measurement data, such as whether there is a target, the distance, speed, orientation, acceleration, position, trajectory, action, expression, breathing / heart rate, imaging result, weather, air quality, material and composition of the target, and the like.

[0140] The user plane protocol stack between the base station and the SF network element is described below in conjunction with FIGS. 6 and 7, and the user plane protocol stack between the terminal and the SF network element is described below in conjunction with FIG. 8. In the case of SF network element separation (i.e., the SF network element is split into SF-CP and SF-UP), the base station or terminal can transmit sensing data to the SF-UP.

[0141] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a user plane protocol stack between a base station and a SF network element according to an embodiment of the present application. The sensing data measured by the base station is mainly for a region or a single target, and the sensing data transmitted by the base station to the user plane of the SF network element can be carried in a node-level data channel (e.g., a data channel between the base station and the SF network element), and therefore, the base station and the SF network element can design a new interface and protocol to carry the sensing data. The protocol is a sensing protocol for the user plane, which is referred to as, for example, a NR sensing protocol annex for the user plane (NRSPa-U). The sensing protocol for the user plane can be carried on the Internet Protocol (IP), layer 2 (L2), and layer 1 (L1) as shown in FIG. 6.

[0142] In FIG. 6, the sensing data can be transmitted from the base station to the SF or SF-UP directly. In addition, the base station can also forward the sensing data to the SF or SF-UP through the UPF network element, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0143] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a user plane protocol stack between a base station and a SF network element according to an embodiment of the present application. The base station can reuse the N3 interface, GTP-U protocol and user datagram protocol (UDP) / IP between the base station and the UPF network element to transmit the sensing data to the UPF network element, and the UPF network element forwards the sensing data to the SF network element. Similar to FIG. 6, the base station and the SF network element can design a new interface and protocol to carry the sensing data, which is a sensing protocol for the user plane, for example, the above-mentioned NRSPa-U, which can be carried on GTP-U, UDP / IP, L2 and L1. The base station transmits the sensing data to the UPF network element on the N3 interface, and then the UPF network element transmits the sensing data to the SF or SF-UP through the sensing routing protocol on the NS7 interface.

[0144] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a user plane protocol stack between a terminal and a SF network element according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal measures the sensing data as a sensing device, and transmits the sensing data to the SF network element if the network side is a sensing demander and needs to use the sensing data. The terminal can establish a connection between the terminal and the SF network element, and carries the sensing data through a protocol data unit (PDU) session of the terminal. Therefore, the terminal and the SF network element can define a new interface and protocol to carry the sensing data, which is a sensing protocol for the user plane, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, which is called NR sensing protocol for the user plane (NRSP-U), which is carried on UDP / IP and access network protocol layer on the terminal side, and is carried on UDP / IP, L2 and L1 on the SF network element side.

[0145] It should be understood that the name of the sensing protocol for the user plane in the embodiments of the present application is only an example, and the present application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms having the same or similar functions in the existing or future protocols.

[0146] The base stations described above in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 can be regarded as RAN nodes in a centralized RAN, however, for O-RAN supporting communication and sensing integration, how to transmit the sensing data to the core network is a problem to be solved urgently.

[0147] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application provides a sensing method, in which the O-RAN includes a first DU and a CU, the first DU can directly send sensing data to the SF network element through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element, or the first DU can first send the sensing data to the CU through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU, and then send the sensing data to the SF network element by the CU. In this way, the demand of the O-RAN supporting communication sensing integration for transmitting sensing data to the core network can be met.

[0148] It should be noted that the network element described in the present application can be a network element in an access network (for example, a CU, a CU-CP or a CU-UP), or a network element in a core network (for example, a UPF network element or an AMF network element). The network element in the access network can be referred to as an access network element, and the network element in the core network can be referred to as a core network element. The SF network element can be a core network element or an access network element. The present application is described by taking the SF network element as an example of a core network element.

[0149] In a possible architecture, the O-RAN includes at least one DU and a CU (the CU can be further split into a CU-CP and a CU-UP).

[0150] In another possible architecture, the O-RAN includes at least one DU and does not include a CU. The first DU is one of the at least one DU of the O-RAN.

[0151] Based on the above two possible architectures, FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a sensing method 900 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method 900 includes S901 to S907, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0152] S901, a first network element sends a first message to a first DU, and the first message is used to establish a sensing service. Correspondingly, the first DU receives the first message.

[0153] In the embodiment of the present application, the sensing service can correspond to a sensing session, and the first DU can perform the sensing service through the establishment of the sensing session. The first message can trigger the first DU to perform a sensing task, that is, to perform a sensing measurement. In other words, the first message can also be used to establish a sensing session, or to establish a sensing task, or to trigger a sensing measurement, or to activate a sensing session, or to activate a sensing measurement, or to initiate a sensing measurement.

[0154] In a possible implementation manner, the first network element is a CU, that is, in this step, the CU sends the first message to the first DU.

[0155] It should be noted that when the SF network element requests to establish the sensing service, the SF network element can not be aware of the DU, in other words, the SF network element does not know which DUs are included in the O-RAN, or does not know whether the access network device adopts a split architecture, and thus cannot request a specific DU to establish the sensing service. Therefore, the SF network element can first send a fourth message to the CU, and the fourth message is used to establish the sensing service, or in other words, the fourth message is used to request the access network device to establish the sensing service. Since the DU has the function of sensing measurement, after receiving the fourth message, the CU can send a first message to the first DU of the access network device to request the first DU to establish the sensing service.

[0156] Similarly to the first message, the fourth message can also be used to establish a sensing session, or to establish a sensing task, or to trigger sensing measurement, or to activate a sensing session, or to activate sensing measurement, or to initiate sensing measurement.

[0157] The fourth message and the first message are two different messages. The first message can be a message forwarded by the CU to the first DU after receiving the fourth message, or the first message is a message regenerated by the CU based on the fourth message after receiving the fourth message.

[0158] In the case that the first network element is the CU and the CU is split into a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the first network element sending the first message to the first DU includes: the CU-CP sending the first message to the first DU.

[0159] In another possible implementation, the first network element is the SF network element, that is, in this step, the SF network element sends the first message to the first DU. In this implementation, the access network device includes the DU but does not include the CU. Under this architecture, the SF network element can be aware of the DU, that is, knows the network topology of the O-RAN and knows which DUs are included in the access network device. Therefore, the SF network element can directly send the first message to the first DU to request the first DU to establish the sensing service.

[0160] In the case that the first network element is the SF network element and the SF network element is split into an SF-CP and an SF-UP, the first network element sending the first message to the first DU includes: the SF-CP sending the first message to the first DU.

[0161] S902, the first DU obtains sensing data based on the first message.

[0162] For example, the first DU sends a sensing signal to the sensing area, and the sensing signal is sent through a combination of any one or more of time domain resources, frequency domain resources, and space domain resources. The first DU receives a reflection signal of a target in the sensing area, and then the first DU can obtain sensing data according to the received reflection signal.

[0163] For example, the first DU acquires the sensing data, including: the first DU receives the sensing data from other DUs or the sensing data from terminals. The other DUs are other DUs than the first DU in at least one DU of the access network device.

[0164] In this way, the sensing data acquired by the first DU can include the sensing data received from other DUs and / or the sensing data obtained by the first DU through sensing measurement.

[0165] The first DU acquires the sensing data, which can also be described as the first DU determines the sensing data, including: the first DU determines the sensing data according to the received reflected signals, or determines the sensing data to be transmitted to the SF network element after receiving the sensing data from other DUs.

[0166] The sensing data in the embodiments of the present application can also be described as sensing results or sensing target information.

[0167] S903, the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF network element through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, and the first network element is the SF network element or a CU. Correspondingly, the SF network element receives the sensing data transmitted through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element.

[0168] When the first network element is the SF network element, the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF network element through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element, that is, the first DU can directly send the sensing data to the SF network element.

[0169] In the case where the SF network element is split into an SF-CP and an SF-UP, the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element is a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP.

[0170] When the first network element is the CU, the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF network element through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU, including: the first DU first sends the sensing data to the CU through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU. After receiving the sensing data, the CU forwards the sensing data to the SF network element, or the CU re-generates the sensing data after receiving the sensing data, and sends the re-generated sensing data to the SF network element.

[0171] In the case where the CU is split into a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU is a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP.

[0172] The first DU sends the perception data when sending the perception data, for example, in a data packet as a transmission unit on a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element. The data packet of the perception service needs to be transmitted on the user plane tunnel based on a QoS parameter, for example, a bandwidth of transmission, a delay of transmission, and a packet loss rate of data. In the embodiments of the present application, the QoS parameter of the perception service includes a first delay parameter, which is an upper limit of a delay of transmission of the data packet of the perception service between the first DU and the first network element. The related QoS parameter can be included in the first message and / or the fourth message.

[0173] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a packet header of a data packet of a perception service according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the packet header of the data packet of the perception service includes QoS flow information, for example, an identifier of a QoS flow and / or a sequence number of the QoS flow. The identifier of the QoS flow is used to indicate the QoS flow carrying the data packet, and the sequence number of the QoS flow is a sequence number of the data packet in at least one data packet carried by the QoS flow, that is, indicating that the data packet is the first data packet in the at least one data packet carried by the QoS flow. The identifier of the QoS flow is, for example, QFI, and the sequence number of the QoS flow is, for example, QFI SN.

[0174] Optionally, the packet header of the data packet further includes one or more of the following fields: a sequence number presence (SNP) or an uplink sending time stamp (UL sending time stamp).

[0175] It should be understood that FIG. 10 is only an example of the packet header of the data packet of the perception service, and should not constitute any limitation on the present application. In other examples, the reserved field of the packet header can be increased in content to indicate information related to the transmission of the perception data.

[0176] In the embodiments described in the above method 900, for the O-RAN supporting communication and perception integration, the first DU can send the perception data to the SF network element through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element, or the first DU can first send the perception data to the CU through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU, and then the CU forwards the perception data to the SF network element, which is conducive to meeting the requirement of the O-RAN supporting communication and perception integration to transmit the perception data to the core network.

[0177] In other embodiments, the method 900 can further include more steps, for example, S904 to S907 described below.

[0178] Optionally, before S903, the method 900 further includes S904: the first network element sends a second message to the first DU, the second message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the first network element being the SF network element or the CU. Correspondingly, the first DU receives the second message from the first network element.

[0179] When the SF network element sends the second message to the first DU, the second message includes address information of the SF network element. In the case that the SF network element includes the SF-CP and the SF-UP, the SF-CP acquires the address information of the SF-UP, and then the SF-CP sends the address information of the SF-UP to the first DU, that is, the address information of the SF network element included in the second message is specifically the address information of the SF-UP.

[0180] When the CU sends the second message to the first DU, the second message includes address information of the SF network element or address information of the CU.

[0181] Before the CU sends the second message to the first DU, the CU needs to acquire the address information of the SF network element or the address information of the CU first.

[0182] For the CU to acquire the address information of the SF network element, optionally, before the CU acquires the address information of the SF network element, the CU receives a fifth message from the SF network element, the fifth message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, and the fifth message including the address information of the SF network element. The CU acquires the address information of the SF network element, including: the CU acquires the address information of the SF network element from the fifth message. Then, the CU sends the second message to the first DU, the second message including the address information of the SF network element. In this case, the fifth message and the second message can be regarded as the same message, and the CU forwards the address information of the SF network element, and the fifth message is used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element.

[0183] For the CU to acquire the address information of the CU, more specifically, the CU-CP acquires the address information of the CU-UP, that is, the address information of the CU included in the second message is the address information of the CU-UP, and the CU sends the second message to the first DU specifically the CU-CP sends the second message to the first DU. Optionally, the CU-CP acquires the address information of the CU-UP, including: the CU-CP sends a sixth message to the CU-UP, the sixth message being used to request the address information of the CU-UP; and the CU-UP sends the address information of the CU-UP to the CU-CP based on the sixth message.

[0184] In another possible case, in combination with the above description of the fifth message, the fifth message includes address information of the SF network element, after receiving the fifth message, the CU-CP forwards the fifth message to the CU-UP, and triggers the CU-CP to send a sixth message to the CU-UP to request the address information of the CU-UP, in this case, the fifth message is used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP. After receiving the fifth message, the CU-UP establishes a user plane tunnel between the CU-UP and the SF network element based on the fifth message. After receiving the sixth message, the CU-UP sends the address information of the CU-UP to the CU-CP.

[0185] The address information described above is, for example, a GTP-U address or an IP address, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0186] It should be noted that the second message is used to establish an uplink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, that is, the data transmission direction on the user plane tunnel is from the first DU to the first network element.

[0187] The user plane tunnel in the embodiments of the present application will be described below.

[0188] The user plane tunnel is used to transmit user data, and the perception data in the embodiments of the present application is user data.

[0189] When establishing the user plane tunnel, the first DU can establish the user plane tunnel in the granularity of the perception service, that is, the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element is the user plane tunnel corresponding to the perception service. If the SF network element requests to establish at least one perception service, the first network element can provide at least one address information of the first network element to the first DU, and the at least one perception service corresponds to the at least one address information one by one. In this way, the first DU can establish at least one user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element based on the at least one address information of the first network element, and the at least one user plane tunnel corresponds to the at least one address information one by one. The target address of the perception data transmitted on the at least one user plane tunnel is different, but is the address information of the first network element. The address information of the first network element can also be referred to as user plane channel address information, or address information belonging to the first network element, or uplink address information.

[0190] The first DU can also establish the user plane tunnel in granularity of a QoS flow when establishing the user plane tunnel, that is, the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first QoS flow of the sensing service, and the first QoS flow is one of at least one QoS flow of the sensing service. If the SF network element requests to establish the sensing service and the sensing service contains at least one QoS flow, the first network element can provide at least one address information of the first network element to the first DU, and the at least one address information corresponds to the at least one QoS flow in one-to-one correspondence. In this way, the first DU can establish at least one user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element based on the at least one address information, and the at least one user plane tunnel corresponds to the at least one address information in one-to-one correspondence, that is, corresponds to the at least one QoS flow in one-to-one correspondence. The target addresses of the sensing data transmitted on the at least one user plane tunnel are different, but are all address information of the first network element.

[0191] The first DU can also establish the user plane tunnel in granularity of a sensing area when establishing the user plane tunnel, that is, the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first sensing area of the sensing service, and the first sensing area is one of at least one sensing area of the sensing service. If the SF network element requests to establish the sensing service and the sensing service is associated with at least one sensing area, the first network element can provide at least one address information of the first network element to the first DU, and the at least one address information corresponds to the at least one sensing area in one-to-one correspondence. In this way, the first DU can establish at least one user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element based on the at least one address information, and the at least one user plane tunnel corresponds to the at least one address information in one-to-one correspondence, that is, corresponds to the at least one sensing area in one-to-one correspondence. The target addresses of the sensing data transmitted on the at least one user plane tunnel are different, but are all address information of the first network element.

[0192] Optionally, the method 900 further includes S905: the first DU sends a third message to the first network element, the third message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, and the third message including address information of the first DU, and the first network element being an SF network element or a CU. Correspondingly, the first network element receives the third message.

[0193] The address information of the first DU is, for example, a GTP-U address of the first DU or an IP address of the first DU.

[0194] Here, the third message is used to establish a downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element.

[0195] In a possible implementation, the first DU sends a third message to the SF network element, and the SF network element can establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element based on the address information of the first DU. The SF network element can send auxiliary information to the first DU on the user plane tunnel, and the auxiliary information is used for the first DU to obtain sensing data. For example, the auxiliary information is sensing data measured by other sensing devices for the same sensing area, so that the first DU can generate sensing data of a larger range according to the sensing data measured by itself and the sensing data measured by other sensing devices for the same sensing area, and thus a more accurate sensing result can be obtained. For another example, the auxiliary information is information used for determining the same target, such as point cloud of the target or point cloud of the same type of target measured by other sensing devices.

[0196] Optionally, the SF network element can also indicate the type of the auxiliary information to the first DU, for example, a type of sensing data or a type of point cloud.

[0197] In another possible implementation, the first DU sends a third message to the CU, and the CU can establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU based on the address information of the first DU. In the case where the CU includes a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the first DU sends the third message to the CU-CP, the CU-CP forwards the third message to the CU-UP, and the CU-UP establishes a user plane tunnel between the CU-UP and the first DU based on the address information of the first DU.

[0198] It should be noted that the present embodiment does not limit the execution sequence of S904 and S905.

[0199] In a possible implementation, S905 is executed before S904, that is, after the first DU sends the third message to the first network element, the first network element sends the second message to the first DU based on the third message.

[0200] For example, the first DU sends the third message to the SF network element. The SF network element sends the second message to the first DU in response to the third message, or the SF network element sends a fifth message to the CU in response to the third message, and the CU sends the second message to the first DU after receiving the fifth message.

[0201] For another example, the first DU sends the third message to the CU, and the CU forwards the third message to the SF. The SF network element sends the second message to the first DU in response to the third message, or the SF network element sends a fifth message to the CU in response to the third message, and the CU sends the second message to the first DU after receiving the fifth message.

[0202] In another possible implementation, S905 is performed after S904, that is, the first network element can actively send the second message to the first DU, and the first DU can send the third message to the first network element at a certain time point (for example, at a certain time point before sending the sensing data) after receiving the second message, and then the first network element establishes the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element based on the address information of the first DU.

[0203] It should be understood that the first message and the second message can be the same message, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0204] Optionally, before S901, the method 900 further includes S906: the first DU sends first indication information to the SF network element, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the first DU supports the sensing function and / or the sensing capability of the first DU. Correspondingly, the SF network element receives the first indication information.

[0205] The sensing capability of the first DU includes one or more of the following:

[0206] (1) a sensing mode supported by the first DU, for example, self-transmission and self-reception of the first DU; or transmission of the first DU and reception of other DUs or base stations; or transmission of other DUs or base stations and reception of the first DU; or transmission of terminals and reception of the first DU; or transmission of the first DU and reception of terminals;

[0207] (2) the capability of "transmission" and "reception" in each of the above sensing modes;

[0208] (3) resource configuration capability in the sensing mode of self-transmission and self-reception of terminals (in coverage) and the sensing mode of transmission of terminal A and reception of terminal B (in coverage);

[0209] (4) sensing accuracy in each sensing mode, for example, sensing distance, distance resolution, sensing speed, speed resolution, sensing angle, angle resolution, sensing time delay, etc.

[0210] In a possible implementation, the first DU sends the first indication information to the SF network element, including: the first DU sends the first indication information to the CU, and then the CU sends the first indication information to the SF network element. It should be understood that in the case of forwarding the first indication information through the CU, as described above, since the SF network element cannot sense the DU, when the CU sends the first indication information to the SF network element, the CU actually indicates that the access network device supports the sensing function and / or the sensing capability of the access network device at the granularity of the access network device, without being accurate to the DU granularity, but the access network device supports the sensing function and / or the sensing capability of the access network device is actually the sensing function supported by the first DU and / or the sensing capability of the first DU.

[0211] The CU receiving the first indication information of the first DU is only an example. In a case where the access network device includes at least one DU, each of the at least one DU can indicate to the SF network element whether the DU supports the sensing capability and / or the sensing capability.

[0212] For example, the at least one DU includes a first DU and a second DU, the first DU supports the sensing function, and the second DU does not support the sensing function. In this case, the CU indicates to the SF network element that the access network device supports the sensing function. That is, as long as at least one DU of the access network device supports the sensing function, the access network device is considered to support the sensing function.

[0213] For another example, the first DU has a sensing capability 1, and the second DU has a sensing capability 2. In this case, the CU can indicate to the SF network element that the access network device supports the sensing capability 1 and the sensing capability 2.

[0214] It should be noted that, if the second DU does not support the sensing function, the second DU can not have the sensing capability. Alternatively, the second DU can not support the sensing function for a period of time, for example, temporarily turn off the sensing function to save power consumption, but the second DU has the sensing capability. After the second DU turns on the sensing function, that is, the second DU supports the sensing function, the second DU can use the sensing capability to perform the sensing measurement.

[0215] In another possible implementation, the access network device does not include the CU, and the first DU directly sends the first indication information to the SF network element.

[0216] Optionally, the first message indicates a requested sensing requirement, and the sensing capability of the first DU satisfies the requested sensing requirement of the SF network element. When selecting the requested sensing requirement, the SF network element can select a sensing requirement that can be satisfied by the sensing capability of the access network device (including the first DU). The sensing requirement can also be referred to as a service requirement.

[0217] The requested sensing requirement can be used to describe a requirement for requested sensing data. For example, the requested sensing requirement includes a sensing requirement related to sensing measurement and / or a sensing requirement related to transmission of sensing data. The sensing requirement related to sensing measurement can include one or more of the following: a sensing area, a sensing position accuracy, a sensing speed, a speed resolution, a sensing distance, a distance resolution, a sensing angle, an angle resolution, a sensing time delay, and the like. The sensing requirement related to transmission of sensing data can include one or more of the following: a transmission time delay, a packet loss rate, a transmission rate. For example, the sensing requirement related to transmission of sensing data is a requirement corresponding to a QoS flow, that is, a QoS flow used to carry the sensing data needs to satisfy the requirement corresponding to the requested QoS flow.

[0218] Several examples in which the sensing capability of the first DU satisfies the requested sensing requirement are as follows:

[0219] For example, the sensing area of the first DU is area 1, the requested sensing area is area 1, the sensing area of the first DU is the same as the requested sensing area, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement. For another example, the sensing area of the first DU is area 1, the requested sensing area is area 2, and area 2 is a sub-area of area 1, that is, area 1 includes area 2, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement.

[0220] For example, the distance resolution of the first DU is 1 mm, the requested distance resolution is 1 mm, the distance resolution of the first DU is the same as the requested distance resolution, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement. For another example, the distance resolution of the first DU is 1 mm, and the requested distance resolution is 1 m, since the accuracy of 1 mm is higher than that of 1 m, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement.

[0221] For example, the angle resolution of the first DU is 1 degree, the requested angle resolution is 1 degree, the angle resolution of the first DU is the same as the requested angle resolution, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement. For another example, the angle resolution of the first DU is 1 degree, and the requested angle resolution is 2 degrees, since the angle resolution of 1 degree is higher than that of 2 degrees, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement.

[0222] For example, the sensing time delay (which can be understood as the maximum duration required for sensing) of the first DU is 0.2 ms, the sensing time delay of the requested sensing requirement is 0.2 ms, the sensing time delay of the first DU is the same as the requested sensing time delay, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement. For another example, the sensing time delay of the first DU is 0.2 ms, and the sensing time delay of the requested sensing requirement is 0.5 ms, since the sensing time delay of 0.2 ms is shorter than that of 0.5 ms, and thus it can be considered that the sensing capability of the first DU meets the requested sensing requirement.

[0223] Optionally, before S901, the method 900 further includes S907: the first DU sends second indication information to the SF network element, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle or a beam direction of the first DU for sending the sensing signal. The transmission angle is, for example, an angle range or a specific angle value. Correspondingly, the SF network element receives the second indication information.

[0224] In a possible implementation, the first DU sending the second indication information includes: the first DU sending the second indication information to the CU. Then, the CU sends the second indication information to the SF network element.

[0225] Similar to the description above for sending the first indication information, when sending the second indication information to the SF network element, the CU actually indicates the transmission angle of the sensing signal sent by the access network device in the granularity of the access network device, and is not accurate to the DU granularity, but the transmission angle of the sensing signal sent by the access network device is actually the transmission angle of the sensing signal sent by the first DU. Based on the transmission angle of the sensing signal sent by the first DU, the SF network element can more reasonably select the sensing demand when requesting to establish the sensing service, for example, when selecting the requested sensing demand, the SF network element can select the sensing area covered by the transmission angle of the sensing signal sent by the first DU as the requested sensing demand, which helps to realize the sensing service.

[0226] The CU receiving the second indication information of the first DU is only an example, and in the case that the access network device includes at least one DU, each DU in the at least one DU can indicate to the SF network element whether it supports the sensing function and / or indicates its sensing capability.

[0227] For example, the at least one DU of the access network device includes a first DU and a second DU, wherein the transmission angle of the sensing signal of the first DU is angle 1, and the transmission angle of the sensing signal of the second DU is angle 2, then the CU can send angle 1 and angle 2 as the transmission angle of the sensing signal of the access network device to the SF network element. After that, when selecting the sensing demand, if the SF network element knows that the sensing signal transmitted from angle 1 can cover area 1, and the sensing signal transmitted from angle 2 can cover area 2, then the SF can indicate to the CU that the requested sensing demand is area 1 and / or area 2, or the SF network element can directly indicate to the first DU that the requested sensing demand is area 1, and indicate to the second DU that the requested sensing demand is area 2.

[0228] In order to more clearly describe the sensing method of the embodiments of the present application, first, the sensing method when the first network element is the SF network element will be introduced in combination with FIG. 11 to FIG. 13.

[0229] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a sensing architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. 11, the O-RAN includes a DU and a CU. Optionally, the number of DUs in the O-RAN is at least one, and the at least one DU includes a first DU. Optionally, the CU can be further split into a CU-CP and a CU-UP.

[0230] The network element in the core network includes an SF network element, which can be further split into an SF-CP and an SF-UP. Optionally, the network element in the core network further includes one or more of the following: an AMF network element, an SMF network element, or a UPF network element. In addition, the core network can include more or fewer network elements than those shown in FIG. 11, which is not limited by the present application.

[0231] The dashed arrow in FIG. 11 represents the transmission direction of control signaling, and the solid arrow represents the transmission direction of sensing data. The DU interacts with the CU based on the F1 interface, the CU can transmit control signaling with the AMF network element based on the N2 interface, and the DU can transmit sensing data with the SF network element (or SF-UP) or the UPF network element based on a new interface (for example, referred to as the Fy interface). It should be understood that the name of the interface between the DU and the SF network element (or SF-UP) or the UPF network element in the embodiments of the present application is only an example, and the present application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms capable of achieving the same or similar functions in existing or future protocols.

[0232] In a possible implementation, the DU first transmits the sensing data to the UPF network element, and then the UPF network element transmits the sensing data with the SF-UP based on the N9 interface.

[0233] In another possible implementation, the DU can directly transmit the sensing data to the SF network element or the SF-UP.

[0234] Based on the sensing architecture shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12 is a schematic flowchart of another sensing method 1200 provided by the embodiments of the present application, the method 1200 includes S1201 to S1211, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0235] S1201, the first DU transmits first indication information to the CU, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the first DU supports the sensing function and / or the sensing capability of the first DU. Correspondingly, the CU receives the first indication information.

[0236] S1202, the CU transmits the first indication information to the SF-CP. Correspondingly, the SF-CP receives the first indication information.

[0237] S1203, the first DU transmits second indication information to the CU, and the second indication information is used to indicate the transmission angle of the sensing signal transmitted by the first DU. Correspondingly, the CU receives the second indication information.

[0238] S1204, the CU transmits the second indication information to the SF-CP, and the second indication information is used to indicate the transmission angle of the sensing signal transmitted by the first DU. Correspondingly, the SF-CP receives the second indication information.

[0239] S1205, the SF-CP transmits a fourth message to the CU, and the fourth message is used to establish a sensing service. Correspondingly, the CU receives the fourth message.

[0240] Since in S1201 and S1202, the first DU has indicated that the first DU supports the sensing function and the sensing capability of the first DU through the first indication information, optionally, the SF-CP can select the sensing requirement that the sensing capability of the first DU can meet based on the first indication information, and indicate the requested sensing requirement through the fourth message.

[0241] When selecting the requested sensing requirement, the SF-CP can select the requested sensing requirement within the range of the sensing capability of the first DU obtained.

[0242] For example, the sensing capability of the access network device includes a sensing area 1 and a sensing area 2, then when selecting the requested sensing requirement, the SF-CP can take the sensing area 1 and / or the sensing area 2 as the requested sensing requirement, or the SF-CP can take a sub-area included in the sensing area 1 and / or a sub-area included in the sensing area 2 as the requested sensing requirement.

[0243] S1206, the CU sends a first message to the first DU, the first message is used to request to establish a sensing service. Correspondingly, the first DU receives the first message.

[0244] Optionally, before this step, the method 1200 further includes: the CU selects the first DU to establish the sensing service from at least one DU according to the requested sensing requirement carried in the fourth message, the sensing capability of the selected first DU can meet the requested sensing requirement.

[0245] S1207, the first DU obtains sensing data based on the first message.

[0246] The introduction of this step can refer to the description of S902 in the foregoing, and details are not described herein.

[0247] S1208, the SF-CP sends a fifth message to the CU, the fifth message is used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF network element, and the fifth message includes address information of the SF-UP. Correspondingly, the CU receives the fifth message.

[0248] S1209, the CU sends a second message to the first DU, the second message is used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, and the second message includes address information of the SF-UP. Correspondingly, the first DU receives the second message.

[0249] The address information of the SF-UP is, for example, a GTP-U address or an IP address of the SF-UP.

[0250] S1210, the first DU establishes a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP based on the second message.

[0251] S1211, the first DU sends the awareness data to the SF-UP through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP. Correspondingly, the SF-UP receives the awareness data.

[0252] The steps described in the method 1200 can be implemented in whole to enable the first DU to send the awareness data to the SF-UP, or implemented in part to enable the first DU to send the awareness data to the SF-UP, that is, the method 1200 includes optional steps, for example, S1201 to S1204 are optional steps, and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitation in this regard.

[0253] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a user plane protocol stack between the first DU and the SF-UP according to an embodiment of the present application. The interface between the first DU and the SF-UP shown in FIG. 13 is the Fy interface, and the awareness protocol of the user plane is, for example, the NR SPa-U mentioned above, which is carried on the GTP-U, UDP / IP. The first DU can send the awareness data to the SF-UP on the Fy interface.

[0254] Optionally, the method 1200 further includes that the first DU sends a third message to the SF-CP, the third message being used to establish the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, and the third message including the address information of the first DU. The third message is used to establish a downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP. After receiving the third message, the SF-CP can forward the third message to the SF-UP, so that the SF-UP establishes the downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP based on the address information of the first DU.

[0255] The signaling interaction (for example, the first indication information, the second indication information, the first message, the second message) between the first DU and the CU, and the signaling interaction (for example, the first indication information, the second indication information, the fourth message, the fifth message) between the CU and the SF-CP in the embodiments of the present application have been described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0256] If the CU is split into a CU-CP and a CU-UP, the steps performed by the CU in each step in the embodiments of the present application can be replaced by the CU-CP.

[0257] The first DU in the embodiment of the application establishes a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, which can also be replaced by the first DU establishing a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the UPF network element. The first DU sends the sensing data to the UPF network element through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the UPF network element first, and then the UPF network element sends the sensing data to the SF-UP. Of course, before this, the first DU needs to obtain the address information of the UPF network element first, and then establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the UPF network element. The user plane tunnel is an uplink user plane tunnel, that is, the data transmission direction is from the first DU to the UPF network element.

[0258] In the embodiment of the application, the first DU establishes a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP. In this way, the first DU can directly send the sensing data to the SF-UP on the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, which is conducive to meeting the demand of the O-RAN supporting communication and sensing integration to transmit the sensing data to the core network.

[0259] The sensing method when the first network element is a CU-UP will be introduced below in combination with FIGS. 14-16.

[0260] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of another sensing architecture provided by the embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 14, the O-RAN includes a DU, a CU-CP, and a CU-UP. Optionally, the number of DUs in the access network device is at least one, and the at least one DU includes a first DU. The network elements in the core network are similar to those in FIG. 11, and will not be described herein again.

[0261] Based on the sensing architecture shown in FIG. 14, FIG. 15 is a schematic flowchart of still another sensing method 1500 provided by the embodiment of the application. The method 1500 includes S1501-S1511, wherein S1510-S1507 are similar to S1201-S1207 described above, and the steps performed by the CU are replaced by the CU-CP to perform, which will not be described herein again. The introduction of S1508-S1511 is as follows.

[0262] S1508. The CU-CP sends a sixth message to the CU-UP. The sixth message is used to request the address information of the CU-UP. Correspondingly, the CU-UP receives the sixth message.

[0263] The address information of the CU-UP is, for example, the GTP-U address or the IP address of the CU-UP.

[0264] S1509. The CU-UP sends the address information of the CU-UP to the CU-CP. Correspondingly, the CU-CP receives the address information of the CU-UP.

[0265] S1510, the CU-CP sends a second message to the first DU, the second message is used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP, and the second message includes address information of the CU-UP. Correspondingly, the first DU receives the second message.

[0266] S1511, the first DU establishes the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP based on the second message.

[0267] S1512, the first DU sends the sensing data to the CU-UP through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP. Correspondingly, the CU-UP receives the sensing data.

[0268] S1513, the CU-UP sends the sensing data to the SF-UP. Correspondingly, the SF-UP receives the sensing data.

[0269] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a user plane protocol stack between the first DU and the SF-UP according to an embodiment of the present application. The interface between the first DU and the CU-UP shown in FIG. 16 is the F1 interface, the interface between the CU-UP and the SF-UP is the Ny interface, and the sensing protocol of the user plane is, for example, the NR Spa-U mentioned above, which is carried on the GTP-U, UDP / IP. The first DU can send the sensing data to the CU-UP based on the F1 interface, and then the CU-UP sends the sensing data to the SF-UP based on the Ny interface.

[0270] Optionally, the method 1500 further includes that the first DU sends a third message to the CU-CP, the third message is used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP, and the third message includes address information of the first DU. The third message is used to establish a downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP. After receiving the third message, the CU-CP can establish the downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP based on the address information of the first DU. Alternatively, the third message is used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, and after receiving the third message, the CU-CP forwards the third message to the SF-CP, and the SF-CP forwards the third message to the SF-UP so that the SF-UP establishes a downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP based on the address information of the first DU.

[0271] The steps described in the above method 1500 can be implemented to realize that the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF-UP, or some steps are implemented to realize that the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF-UP, that is, the above method 1500 includes optional steps, for example, S1501 to S1504 are optional steps, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0272] The signaling interaction (e.g., the first indication information, the second indication information, the first message, the second message) between the first DU and the CU-CP, the signaling interaction (e.g., the sixth message) between the CU-CP and the CU-UP, and the signaling interaction (e.g., the first indication information, the second indication information) between the SF-CP and the CU-CP in the embodiments of the present application have been described above, and will not be described here again.

[0273] In the embodiments of the present application, the first DU establishes a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP, so that the first DU can first send the sensing data to the CU-UP through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the CU-UP, and then the CU-UP sends the sensing data to the SF-UP, which is conducive to meeting the demand of the O-RAN supporting communication and sensing integration to transmit the sensing data to the core network.

[0274] In a possible sensing architecture, the DU can be directly connected to the core network element without passing through the CU for transfer, for example, the sensing architecture shown in FIG. 17. The O-RAN includes the DU and does not include the CU, the number of the DUs is at least one, and the at least one DU includes the first DU. The network elements in the core network are similar to those in FIG. 11, and will not be described here again.

[0275] Based on the sensing architecture shown in FIG. 17, FIG. 18 is a schematic flowchart of another sensing method 1800 provided by the embodiments of the present application, the method 1800 includes S1801 to S1807, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0276] S1801, the first DU sends the first indication information to the SF-CP, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the first DU supports the sensing function and / or the sensing capability of the first DU. Correspondingly, the SF-CP receives the first indication information.

[0277] S1802, the first DU sends the second indication information to the SF-CP, and the second indication information is used to indicate the transmission angle of the sensing signal sent by the first DU. Correspondingly, the SF-CP receives the second indication information.

[0278] S1803, the SF-CP sends the first message to the first DU, and the first message is used to request to establish the sensing service. Correspondingly, the first DU receives the first message.

[0279] S1804, the first DU obtains the sensing data based on the first message.

[0280] S1805, the SF-CP sends the second message to the first DU, and the second message is used to establish the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, and the second message includes the address information of the SF-UP. Correspondingly, the first DU receives the second message.

[0281] S1806, the first DU establishes, based on the second message, a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP.

[0282] S1807, the first DU sends, to the SF-UP, the sensing data through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP. Correspondingly, the SF-UP receives the sensing data.

[0283] Optionally, the method 1800 further includes that the first DU sends, to the SF-CP, a third message, the third message being used for establishing the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, and the third message including address information of the first DU. The third message is used for establishing a downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP. After receiving the third message, the SF-CP can forward the third message to the SF-UP, so that the SF-UP establishes the downlink user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP based on the address information of the first DU.

[0284] The steps described in the above method 1800 can be all implemented to realize that the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF-UP, or by implementing part of the steps to realize that the first DU sends the sensing data to the SF-UP, that is, the above method 1800 includes optional steps, for example, S1801 and S1802 are optional steps, and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitation in this regard.

[0285] The signaling interaction (for example, the first indication information, the second indication information, the first message, and the second message) between the first DU and the SF-CP in the embodiments of the present application has been described above, and will not be described here again.

[0286] In the embodiments of the present application, the first DU establishes the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, so that the first DU can send the sensing data to the SF-UP through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the SF-UP, which is beneficial to meet the demand of the O-RAN supporting communication sensing integration to transmit the sensing data to the core network.

[0287] It should be understood that the size of the serial number of the above processes does not mean the execution sequence, and the execution sequence of the processes should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0288] The sensing method according to the embodiments of the present application is described in detail above in combination with FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15, and FIG. 18. The sensing device according to the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in combination with FIG. 19 and FIG. 20.

[0289] FIG. 19 is a schematic block diagram of a sensing device 1900 provided by the embodiments of the present application, and the device 1900 includes a transceiver module 1910 and a processing module 1920.

[0290] The processing module 1920 is configured to perform data processing. The transceiver module 1910 can implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver module 1910 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication module.

[0291] Optionally, the apparatus 1900 can further include a storage module, which can be configured to store data, and / or store a computer program or instructions, and the processing module 1920 can read the computer program / instructions and / or data in the storage module, so that the apparatus 1900 implements the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0292] The apparatus 1900 can be configured to perform the actions performed by the first DU, the SF network element or the CU in the above-mentioned method embodiments. Alternatively, the apparatus 1900 is a component (for example, a chip) configured in the first DU, the SF network element or the CU. The processing module 1920 is configured to perform processing-related operations of the first DU, the SF network element or the CU in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The transceiver module 1910 is configured to perform receiving and transmitting-related operations of the first DU, the SF network element or the CU in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0293] Optionally, the transceiver module 1910 can include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is configured to perform the sending operations in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The receiving module is configured to perform the receiving operations in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0294] It should be noted that the apparatus 1900 can include the sending module and not include the receiving module. Alternatively, the apparatus 1900 can include the receiving module and not include the sending module. Whether the sending module and the receiving module are included in the apparatus 1900 can depend on whether the above-mentioned scheme includes sending actions and receiving actions.

[0295] Optionally, the apparatus 1900 is configured to perform the actions performed by the first DU, the SF network element or the CU in the above-mentioned embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. For details, refer to the related description in the above-mentioned embodiments shown in FIGS. 9, 12, 15 and 18, which will not be described here again.

[0296] In one embodiment, the transceiver module 1910 is configured to receive a first message, the first message being used to establish a perception service. The processing module 1920 is configured to obtain perception data based on the first message. The transceiver module 1910 is further configured to send the perception data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and a first network element, the first network element being an SF network element or a CU.

[0297] Optionally, the transceiver module 1910 is configured to receive a second message, the second message being used to establish the user plane tunnel, and the second message including address information of the first network element. The processing module 1920 is configured to establish the user plane tunnel based on the second message.

[0298] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to send a third message, the third message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, and the third message comprising address information of the first DU.

[0299] Optionally, the address information is a GTP-U address.

[0300] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to send first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports a sensing function and / or a sensing capability of the first DU.

[0301] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to send second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of the first DU for sending a sensing signal.

[0302] Optionally, the QoS parameter of the sensing service comprises a first delay parameter, the first delay parameter being an upper limit of a delay of a data packet of the sensing service in transmission between the first DU and the first network element, and the data packet of the sensing service comprising the sensing data.

[0303] Optionally, the data packet of the sensing service comprises a QFI and a QFI SN, the QFI being used to indicate a QoS flow carrying the data packet, and the QFI SN being a sequence number of the data packet in at least one data packet of the QoS flow.

[0304] Optionally, the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to the sensing service; or, the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first QoS flow of the sensing service, the first QoS flow being one of at least one QoS flow of the sensing service; or, the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first sensing area of the sensing service, the first sensing area being one of at least one sensing area of the sensing service.

[0305] In this embodiment, those skilled in the art can understand that the apparatus 1900 can be specifically the first DU in the above-mentioned embodiments of FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15 and FIG. 18, or the functions of the first DU in the above-mentioned embodiments of FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15 and FIG. 18 can be integrated in the apparatus 1900. The above-mentioned functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software comprises one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions. The apparatus 1900 can be used to execute each process and / or step corresponding to the first DU in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0306] In another embodiment, the transceiver 1910 is configured to send a fourth message, the fourth message being used to establish a sensing service; and receive sensing data through a user plane tunnel between the first DU and a first network element, the first network element being an SF network element or a CU.

[0307] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to send a fifth message, the fifth message being used to establish the user plane tunnel, the fifth message comprising address information of the SF network element.

[0308] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to receive a third message, the third message being used to establish the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the third message comprising address information of the first DU.

[0309] Optionally, the address information is a GTP-U address.

[0310] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to receive first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports the sensing function and / or the sensing capability of the first DU.

[0311] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to receive second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of the sensing signal transmitted by the first DU.

[0312] Optionally, the QoS parameter of the sensing service comprises a first delay parameter, the first delay parameter being an upper limit of a delay of a data packet of the sensing service transmitted between the first DU and the first network element, the sensing data being included in the data packet of the sensing service.

[0313] Optionally, the data packet of the sensing service comprises a QFI and a QFI SN, the QFI being used to indicate a QoS flow carrying the data packet, and the QFI SN being a sequence number of the data packet in at least one data packet carried by the QoS flow.

[0314] In this embodiment, those skilled in the art can understand that the apparatus 1900 can be specifically the SF network element (or SF-CP) in the above-mentioned embodiments of FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15 and FIG. 18, or the functions of the SF network element (or SF-CP) in the above-mentioned embodiments of FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15 and FIG. 18 can be integrated in the apparatus 1900. The above-mentioned functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software comprises one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions. The apparatus 1900 can be used to execute each process and / or step corresponding to the SF network element (or SF-CP) in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0315] In another embodiment, the transceiver 1910 is configured to send a second message to the first DU, the second message being used to establish the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first network element, the second message comprising address information of the first network element, the first network element being the SF network element or the CU.

[0316] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to receive a fourth message from the SF network element, the fourth message being used to establish a sensing service; and send a first message to the first DU, the first message being used to establish the sensing service.

[0317] Optionally, the processing module 1920 is configured to obtain address information of the first network element.

[0318] Optionally, the first network element is an SF network element, and the transceiver 1910 is configured to receive a fifth message from the SF network element, the fifth message being used to establish the user plane tunnel, the fifth message comprising the address information of the first network element. The processing module 1920 is configured to obtain the address information of the first network element from the fifth message.

[0319] Optionally, the first network element is a CU, and the transceiver 1910 is configured to send a sixth message to the first network element, the sixth message being used to request the address information of the first network element; and receive the address information of the first network element.

[0320] Optionally, the address information is a GTP-U address.

[0321] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to receive first indication information from the first DU, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports a sensing function and / or a sensing capability of the first DU; and send the first indication information to an SF network element.

[0322] Optionally, the fourth message indicates a requested sensing requirement, and the sensing capability of the first DU satisfies the requested sensing requirement.

[0323] Optionally, the first message indicates the requested sensing requirement.

[0324] Optionally, the transceiver 1910 is configured to receive second indication information from the first DU, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of a sensing signal transmitted by the first DU; and send the second indication information to an SF network element.

[0325] In this embodiment, those skilled in the art can understand that the apparatus 1900 can be specifically a CU (or a CU-CP) in the embodiments of FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15 and FIG. 18, or the functions of the CU (or the CU-CP) in the embodiments of FIG. 9, FIG. 12, FIG. 15 and FIG. 18 can be integrated in the apparatus 1900. The above functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software comprises one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. The apparatus 1900 can be used to execute various processes and / or steps corresponding to the CU (or the CU-CP) in the above method embodiments.

[0326] It should be understood that the apparatus 1900 here embodies in the form of functional modules. The term "module" here can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (for example, a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor and the like) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combination logic circuit, and / or other suitable components that support the described functions.

[0327] In embodiments of the present application, the apparatus 1900 can also be a chip or a chip system, for example, a system on chip (SoC). Correspondingly, the transceiver module can be a transceiver circuit of the chip, which is not limited here.

[0328] FIG. 20 is a schematic block diagram of another sensing apparatus 2000 provided by embodiments of the present application. The sensing apparatus 2000 includes a processor 2010. Optionally, the sensing apparatus 2000 further includes a transceiver 2020 and a memory 2030. Wherein, the processor 2010, the transceiver 2020 and the memory 2030 communicate with each other through internal connection paths, the memory 2030 is used to store instructions, and the processor 2010 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 2030 to control the transceiver 2020 to send and / or receive signals.

[0329] The number of the processor 2010 can be one or more.

[0330] The processor 2010 and the memory 2030 can be separately arranged or integrated together.

[0331] Optionally, the sensing apparatus 2000 further includes a power supply circuit 2040, which can be used to supply power to the sensing apparatus 2000.

[0332] It should be understood that the apparatus 2000 can be specifically the first DU, the SF network element or the CU in the above-described embodiments, or the functions of the first DU, the SF network element (or SF-CP) or the CU (or CU-CP) in the above-described embodiments can be integrated in the apparatus 2000, and the apparatus 2000 can be used to execute the respective steps and / or processes corresponding to the first DU, the SF network element (or SF-CP) or the CU (or CU-CP) in the above-described method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory 2030 can include read-only memory and random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A part of the memory can also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory can also store device type information. The processor 2010 can be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor executes the instructions, the processor 2010 can execute the respective steps and / or processes corresponding to the first DU, the SF network element (or SF-CP) or the CU (or CU-CP) in the above-described method embodiments.

[0333] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the above-described method to be performed by the above-described sensing device.

[0334] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, which comprises a computer program or instructions, which, when executed, causes the above-described method to be performed by the above-described sensing device.

[0335] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor.

[0336] In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in the processor or instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware processor execution completion, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the art such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory to complete the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0337] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the modules and algorithm steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized in electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0338] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of the description, the specific working processes of the above-described system, device and module can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0339] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the modules is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, another division mode can be used. For example, a plurality of modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the shown or discussed modules can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0340] The modules described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as modules can or can not be physical modules, i.e. they can be located in one place or distributed on a plurality of network modules. Part or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0341] In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically alone, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module.

[0342] If the functions are implemented in the form of software function modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present application or the parts that essentially contribute to the prior art or the parts of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0343] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A perception method, comprising: The method comprises: receiving a first message, the first message being used for establishing a sensing service; obtaining sensing data based on the first message; sending the sensing data through a user plane tunnel between a first distributed unit (DU) and a first network element (NE), the first NE being a sensing function NE or a centralized unit (CU).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before the sensing data is sent through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first NE, the method further comprises: receiving a second message, the second message being used for establishing the user plane tunnel, the second message comprising address information of the first NE; establishing the user plane tunnel based on the second message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The method further comprises: sending a third message, the third message being used for establishing the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first NE, the third message comprising address information of the first DU.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The address information is a user plane general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-U) address.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Before the first message is received, the method further comprises: sending first indication information, the first indication information being used for indicating that the first DU supports a sensing function and / or a sensing capability of the first DU.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Before the first message is received, the method further comprises: sending second indication information, the second indication information being used for indicating a transmission angle of a sensing signal sent by the first DU.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, A quality of service (QoS) parameter of the sensing service comprises a first time delay parameter, the first time delay parameter being an upper limit of a time delay for a data packet of the sensing service to be transmitted between the first DU and the first NE, the data packet of the sensing service comprising the sensing data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The data packet of the sensing service comprises a QoS flow identifier and a corresponding sequence number, the QoS flow identifier being used for indicating a QoS flow carrying the data packet, and the sequence number being a sequence number of the data packet in at least one data packet of the QoS flow.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to the sensing service; or the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first QoS flow of the sensing service, the first QoS flow being one of at least one QoS flow of the sensing service; or the user plane tunnel is a user plane tunnel corresponding to a first sensing area of the sensing service, the first sensing area being one of at least one sensing area of the sensing service. The method comprises:

10. A perception method comprising: sending a fourth message, the fourth message being used for establishing a sensing service; receiving sensing data through a user plane tunnel between a first distributed unit (DU) and a first network element (NE), the first NE being a sensing function NE or a centralized unit (CU). Before the sensing data is received through the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first NE, the method further comprises:

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, sending a fifth message, the fifth message being used for establishing the user plane tunnel, the fifth message comprising address information of the sensing function NE. The method further comprises:

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, receiving a third message, the third message being used for establishing the user plane tunnel between the first DU and the first NE, the third message comprising address information of the first DU. ​ 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The address information is a user plane general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-U) address.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that, Before sending the fourth message, the method further includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports a sensing function and / or a sensing capability of the first DU.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that, Before sending the fourth message, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of a sensing signal transmitted by the first DU.

16. A perception method comprising: comprising: sending a second message to a first distributed unit (DU), the second message being used to establish a user plane tunnel between the first DU and a first network element, the second message comprising address information of the first network element, the first network element being a sensing function network element or a centralized unit (CU).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, Before the sending of the second message to the first DU, the method further includes: receiving a fourth message from the sensing function network element, the fourth message being used to establish a sensing service; sending a first message to the first DU, the first message being used to establish the sensing service.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The fourth message indicates a requested sensing requirement, and a sensing capability of the first DU satisfies the requested sensing requirement.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The first message indicates the requested sensing requirement.

20. The method of any one of claims 17-19, wherein, Before the receiving of the fourth message from the sensing function network element, the method further includes: receiving first indication information from the first DU, the first indication information being used to indicate that the first DU supports a sensing function and / or a sensing capability of the first DU; sending the first indication information to the sensing function network element.

21. The method of any one of claims 17-20, wherein, Before the receiving of the fourth message from the sensing function network element, the method further includes: receiving second indication information from the first DU, the second indication information being used to indicate a transmission angle of a sensing signal transmitted by the first DU; sending the second indication information to the sensing function network element.

22. The method of any one of claims 16-21, wherein, Before the sending of the second message to the first DU, the method further includes: obtaining address information of the first network element.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, The first network element is the sensing function network element. Before the obtaining of the user plane address information of the first network element, the method further includes: receiving a fifth message from the sensing function network element, the fifth message being used to establish the user plane tunnel, the fifth message comprising the address information of the first network element; The obtaining of the address information of the first network element comprises: obtaining the address information of the first network element from the fifth message.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein, The first network element is the CU. The obtaining of the address information of the first network element comprises: sending a sixth message to the first network element, the sixth message being used to request the address information of the first network element; receiving the address information of the first network element.

25. The method of any one of claims 16-24, wherein, The address information is a user plane general packet radio service tunneling protocol (GTP-U) address.

26. A sensing device, comprising: comprise a module for implementing the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or a module for implementing the method of any one of claims 10 to 15, or a module for implementing the method of any one of claims 16 to 25.

27. A sensing device, comprising: A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory medium used to program a computer or other processor when being executed comprises a set of instructions to cause a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be performed, or a method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15 to be performed, or a method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 25 to be performed.

28. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program tangibly embodied in a non-transitory medium used to program a computer or other processor when being executed comprises a set of instructions to cause a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be performed, or a method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15 to be performed, or a method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 25 to be performed.

29. A computer program product, characterised in that, Comprising: A computer program tangibly embodied in a non-transitory medium used to program a computer or other processor when being executed comprises a set of instructions to cause a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 to be performed, or a method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15 to be performed, or a method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 25 to be performed.

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