Electronic device and method used in wireless communication system

Abstract

The present application relates to an electronic device and method used in a wireless communication system. The method comprises: a UE sends a UE capability message about the UE to a network device in a wireless communication system, wherein the UE capability message may indicate a sensing service type supported by the UE. The method may further comprise: the UE receives a configuration message for the UE from the network device, wherein the configuration message indicates a sensing resource configured for the UE, and the configuration message is determined by the network device on the basis of the UE capability message. Additionally or alternatively, the UE capability message may indicate sensing service types of a plurality of levels. Correspondingly, the configuration message may indicate the sensing resource of each of the plurality of levels configured for the UE.

Description

Electronic devices and methods for use in wireless communication systems Related Applications

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application 202410725022.8, filed on June 5, 2024, entitled “Devices and methods for use in wireless communication systems,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for use in wireless communication systems, and in particular to techniques for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) in wireless communication systems. BACKGROUND

[0003] Wireless communication systems can use a variety of protocols and standards for data transmission between devices. These protocols and standards have evolved over a long period of time, including but not limited to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G communication), 3GPP New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G communication), and IEEE 802.11 standards for wireless local area networks (WLANs) (also commonly referred to as Wi-Fi), among others.

[0004] Integrated sensing and communication (also referred to as communication-sensing integration) refers to a technical concept of fusing communication functions and sensing functions in the same system. The basic principle of this technical concept is that communication technology and sensing technology have commonalities at the bottom level. For example, both can rely on radio spectrum resources, can employ similar hardware components (such as antennas, amplifiers, filters, etc.), and can perform similar information processing processes (such as encoding, decoding, modulation, demodulation, etc.), among others.

[0005] With the development of wireless communication technology (especially the development of new wireless communication technologies such as 5G communication and even sixth generation (6G) communication), integrated sensing and communication has become one of the core research directions and has broad development prospects. As an example and not limitation, integrated sensing and communication can enable the same wireless signal to be used for both information transmission and environmental sensing, thereby more efficiently utilizing spectrum resources while reducing hardware costs.

[0006] In the context of integrated sensing and communication, the transmitting end of the sensing signal can be a network device or a user device. Similarly, the receiving end of the sensing signal can also be a network device or a user device. The sensing target (also referred to as a sensing object) can be an object without connectivity or with connectivity. The sensing receiving end can analyze the shape, position, speed, etc. of the sensing target by receiving radio waves reflected by the sensing target, and can also track the sensing target.

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates multiple example use cases of sensing-integrated. As shown in FIG. 1, the use cases of sensing-integrated can involve single-station sensing, or double / multi-station sensing. In the single-station sensing use case, a single device transmits a sensing signal to a sensing target and receives a reflected sensing signal (also referred to as an echo signal), and then analyzes the signal. For example, single-station sensing is widely used in radar. In the double / multi-station sensing use case, multiple devices cooperatively transmit a sensing signal and receive a reflected sensing signal, and then analyze the signal. In comparison, multi-station sensing can obtain more dimensions and more comprehensive information than single-station sensing.

[0008] Those skilled in the art understand that, at present, the sensing-integrated technology, as an emerging technology, still lacks supporting standards in actual application scenarios. In addition, there is still a large space for improvement in performance indicators (such as the accuracy, flexibility, and time delay of configuring resources of a sensing service) of such a business. Some technical solutions need to be considered to apply the sensing-integrated technology to actual communication scenarios to achieve the enhancement and improvement of these performance indicators. SUMMARY

[0009] The present disclosure proposes devices and methods for a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present disclosure proposes technical solutions for sensing-integrated in a wireless communication system.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system is provided, the electronic device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: transmit, to a network device in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; and receive, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE, and wherein the configuration message is determined by the network device based on the UE capability message.

[0011] Correspondingly, according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a method for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system is provided, the method comprising: transmitting, to a network device in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; and receiving, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE, and wherein the configuration message is determined by the network device based on the UE capability message.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an electronic device for a network device in a wireless communication system, the electronic device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to perform operations of: receiving, from a user equipment (UE) in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; determining a configuration message based on the UE capability message, wherein the configuration message indicates a sensing resource configured to the UE; transmitting, to the UE, the configuration message for the UE; and transmitting a sensing signal.

[0013] Accordingly, according to the second aspect of the disclosure, there is also provided a method for a network device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE) in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; determining a configuration message based on the UE capability message, wherein the configuration message indicates a sensing resource configured to the UE; transmitting, to the UE, the configuration message for the UE; and transmitting a sensing signal.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

[0015] According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a computer program product comprising program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

[0016] The above summary is provided to summarize some example embodiments and to provide an initial understanding of aspects of the subject matter described herein. The above features are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any manner. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] A better understanding of the present disclosure can be obtained when the following detailed description of the embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, like or similar elements are referred to with the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings provided are intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended for descriptive purposes. In the drawings:

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example use case of the sense-and-transmit integration technology in a wireless communication system.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates an example scenario diagram of a wireless communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates an example electronic device for a user equipment according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates an example electronic device for a network equipment according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates a communication flow diagram according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates an example resource configuration according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 7 illustrates an example resource configuration according to further embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for a user equipment in a wireless communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for a network equipment in a wireless communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example structure of a personal computer as an information processing apparatus that can be employed in embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a first example of a schematic configuration of a base station to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied.

[0029] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a second example of a schematic configuration of a base station to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied.

[0030] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a smartphone to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied.

[0031] FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a car navigation device to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied.

[0032] While the embodiments described in the present disclosure can be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following description of representative applications of aspects of devices and methods according to the present disclosure is not meant to be an exhaustive description of all applications of the described embodiments. Many other applications of the described embodiments will be apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the specification. Therefore, the following description is presented for the purpose of illustration and understanding.

[0034] Typically, a wireless communication system comprises at least a network equipment and a user equipment, the network equipment can provide communication services for one or more user equipment.

[0035] In the present disclosure, the term “network equipment” (or “base station”, “control equipment”) has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and at least includes a wireless communication station that facilitates communication for a wireless communication system or radio system. By way of example, a network equipment can be an eNB of a 4G communication standard, a gNB of a 5G communication standard, a remote radio head, a wireless access point, a drone control tower, or the like communication apparatus performing similar functions. It should be appreciated that more broadly, a network equipment can additionally include a core network equipment and / or a remote application server, etc. In the present disclosure, “network equipment”, “base station” and “control equipment” can be used interchangeably, or a “network equipment” can be implemented as a part of a “base station”. Application examples will be described in detail below with the network equipment as an example in conjunction with the drawings.

[0036] In the present disclosure, the term “user equipment (UE)” or “terminal equipment” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and at least includes a terminal device that facilitates communication for a wireless communication system or radio system. By way of example, a user equipment can be a terminal device or an element thereof such as a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet, a vehicle-mounted communication device, a wearable device, a sensor, etc. In the present disclosure, “user equipment” (hereinafter can be simply referred to as “UE”) and “terminal equipment” can be used interchangeably, or a “user equipment” can be implemented as a part of a “terminal equipment”.

[0037] In the present disclosure, the term "network device side" / "base station side" has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and indicates the side that transmits data in the downlink of a communication system, or the side that receives data in the uplink of a communication system. Similarly, the term "user device side" / "terminal device side" has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and indicates the side that receives data in the downlink of a communication system, or the side that transmits data in the uplink of a communication system, respectively.

[0038] It should be noted that the following description of embodiments of the present disclosure is primarily based on a communication system comprising a network device and a user device, but these descriptions can be extended accordingly to the case of a communication system comprising any other type of network device side and user device side. For example, the operations of the network device side can correspond to the operations of a base station, while the operations of the user device side can correspond to the operations of a terminal device, respectively.

[0039] Fig. 2 shows an example scenario diagram of a wireless communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that Fig. 2 only shows one of numerous types and possible arrangements of a wireless communication system; the features of the present disclosure can be implemented in any of various systems as desired.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2, the wireless communication system 200 comprises one or more user devices 201 (e.g., 201-1 and 201-2) and one or more network devices 202. The network devices 202 and the user devices 201 can be configured to communicate over a wireless transmission medium. The network devices 202 can be further configured to communicate with a positioning management function entity (not shown) in a core network. In a sensing-integrated scenario, the wireless communication system 200 further comprises one or more sensing targets 203. The sensing targets 203 can reflect sensing signals transmitted by the network devices 202, and the reflected sensing signals can be received by one or more user devices 201. By analyzing the received sensing signals, the user devices 201 can feed back the results of the analysis to the network devices 202. It should be understood that the user devices can receive the sensing signals with sensing resources pre-configured for them by the network devices. It should also be understood that not every user device will receive the sensing signals.

[0041] By way of example and not limitation, the application scope of the sense-integrated system can include target detection, positioning and tracking, target imaging and environment reconstruction, and gesture and posture recognition, etc. It should be understood that different types of sensing services have different requirements for the type of sensing signal, the transmission frequency of the sensing signal, and the transmission power of the sensing signal, etc. Since the network device can not be aware of the location of the sensing target, the network device cannot predict which user devices will receive the sensing signal. In a conventional sense-integrated system, the network device usually configures the same sensing resources for all user devices in the wireless communication system for the reception of the sensing signal by these user devices. Since different user devices can support different types of sensing services, the sensing resources configured for some user devices can not be suitable for these user devices. In addition, in the case of a change in the type of sensing service, the network device usually needs to reconfigure the sensing resources for all user devices.

[0042] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensing signal can be a new signal specially designed for the sensing service, or an existing reference signal for communication. As an example, the existing reference signal for communication can include one or more of a positioning reference signal (PRS), a synchronization reference signal (SRS), and a channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS). In a conventional sense-integrated system, the user device can not be able to distinguish whether the role of the reference signal is for communication or for sensing, and thus cannot determine what parameters should be fed back to the network device. By way of example, a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) can be utilized as the sensing signal. In this case, the user device can not be able to distinguish whether the received DL-PRS is a positioning signal for the user device issued by the network device or a sensing signal reflected by the sensing target via the network device. The prerequisite for positioning the sensing target is that the network device has already positioned the user device, so that the position of the user device and the analysis result of the sensing signal fed back by the user device can be combined to calculate the position of the sensing target.

[0043] To solve the above problems encountered by the sense-integrated system in practical scenarios, embodiments of the present disclosure propose novel technical solutions for sense-integrated. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the user device can report to the network device the type of sensing service supported by itself, so that the network device can make appropriate resource configuration for the user device. In addition, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensing properties of the sensing signal can be indicated in the resource configuration process, thereby improving the sensing efficiency and reducing the latency.

[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary electronic device 300 for a user equipment 201 (also referred to as “UE” in the present disclosure) in the system 200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device 300 shown in FIG. 3 can include various units to implement embodiments according to the present disclosure. In this example, the electronic device 300 includes a communication unit 302 and a processing unit 304. In an implementation, the electronic device 300 is implemented as the user equipment 201 itself or a part thereof, or as a device for controlling or otherwise related to the user equipment 201 or a part of the device. Various operations described below in connection with the user equipment can be implemented by the units 302, 304 or other possible units of the electronic device 300.

[0045] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the communication unit 302 of the electronic device 300 can be configured to transmit, to a network device in a wireless communication system, a UE capability message about the user equipment (UE). The processing unit 304 can be configured to cause the UE to indicate, in the UE capability message, a type of sensing service supported by the UE. Thereafter, the communication unit 302 can receive, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE, where the configuration message can indicate sensing resources configured to the UE. The configuration message can be determined by the network device based on the UE capability message.

[0046] It should be understood that, additionally or alternatively, the processing unit 304 can cause the UE capability message to indicate a plurality of levels of the type of sensing service. Correspondingly, the configuration message can indicate sensing resources configured to the user equipment in respect of each of the plurality of levels.

[0047] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary electronic device for a network device 202 (also referred to as “gNB” in the present disclosure) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device 400 shown in FIG. 4 can include various units to implement embodiments according to the present disclosure. In this example, the electronic device 400 includes a communication unit 402 and a processing unit 404. In an implementation, the electronic device 400 is implemented as the network device 202 itself or a part thereof, or as a device related to the network device 202 or a part of the device. Various operations described below in connection with the network device can be implemented by the units 402, 404 or other possible units of the electronic device 400.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication unit 402 can be configured to receive, from a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, a UE capability message about the UE. The UE capability message can indicate a type of sensing service supported by the UE. The processing unit 404 can be configured to determine, based on the UE capability message, a configuration message, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE. Then, the communication unit 402 can transmit, to the UE, the configuration message for the UE, and in turn the communication unit 402 can transmit a sensing signal.

[0049] It should be understood that, additionally or alternatively, the UE capability message can indicate a plurality of levels of the type of sensing service. Accordingly, the processing unit 404 can cause the configuration message to indicate sensing resources configured to the user equipment about each of the plurality of levels.

[0050] In some embodiments, the electronic devices 300 or 400 can be implemented in a chip level, or also can be implemented in a device level by including other external components (e.g., radio link, antenna, etc.). For example, each electronic device can work as a communication device as a whole.

[0051] It should be noted that each unit described above is only a logical module according to the specific function implemented by it, and is not used to limit the specific implementation manner, for example, it can be implemented in software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware. In the implementation manner of hardware, the hardware can be programmed or configured to perform the function. In the implementation manner of software or a combination of software and hardware, the software can be used to configure the hardware and / or processor. In actual implementation, each unit described above can be implemented as an independent physical entity, or also can be implemented by a single entity (e.g., a processor (CPU or DSP, etc.), an integrated circuit, etc.). Among them, the processing circuit can refer to various implementations of digital circuit system, analog circuit system or mixed signal (combination of analog and digital) circuit system performing functions in a computing system. The processing circuit can include, for example, circuits such as integrated circuits (IC), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), parts or circuits of separate processor cores, entire processor cores, separate processors, programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and / or systems including multiple processors. Interaction process of sensing integration

[0052] As described previously, in the conventional sensing integration system, the network device configures the same sensing resources for all user equipments in the wireless communication system. However, in actual application scenarios, different user equipments can support different types of sensing services, and therefore the sensing resources uniformly configured by the network device for the user equipments can not be suitable for the user equipments, resulting in waste of resources and signaling.

[0053] To this end, the present disclosure proposes that a user equipment reports a UE capability message indicating the sensing service types supported by the user equipment, so that the network equipment allocates appropriate sensing resources for the user equipment. FIG. 5 shows a communication flow diagram for sensing integration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] At 502, the network equipment can send a UE capability request message to the user equipment, which requests the user equipment to report its UE capability information. In response to receiving the UE capability request message, the user equipment can send its UE capability message to the network equipment at 504, which includes the UE capability information. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the UE capability information includes the sensing capability of the UE. More specifically, the UE capability message can indicate the sensing service types that the user equipment can support. For example, the sensing service types include but are not limited to target detection, positioning and tracking, target imaging and environment reconstruction, and / or gesture and posture recognition, etc.

[0055] Since different sensing service types have different requirements for the wavelength of the sensing signal, the frequency of the sensing signal, and the power of the sensing signal, etc. Therefore, at 506, the network equipment can send a configuration message to the user equipment based on the sensing service types supported by the user equipment indicated in the UE capability message received at 504, so as to configure the corresponding sensing resources for the user equipment. As a limitation but not as an example, the sensing resources can include one or more of the period of receiving the sensing signal, the frequency of receiving the sensing signal, and the power of the sensing signal. For example, in the case where the sensing service types supported by the user equipment include positioning, the network equipment can configure a lower frequency sensing resource for it (because the frequency required by the positioning service is lower than that required by services such as imaging), indicating that the user equipment receives the sensing signal at this frequency. It should be understood that according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for user equipment supporting different sensing service types, the network equipment can configure different sensing resources for them.

[0056] After the network equipment configures the sensing resources for the user equipment, the user equipment can receive the sensing signal from the network equipment using the configured sensing resources at 510. Alternatively or optionally, in order to further reduce the energy consumption of the user equipment, the user equipment can wait for the network equipment to activate the resource configuration allocated at 506 at 508, and after receiving the activation message, the user equipment can receive the sensing signal from the network equipment using the activated sensing resources at 510.

[0057] At 512, the user equipment can measure and analyze the received sensing signal, and feed back the results of the analysis to the network equipment at 514. For example, the feedback includes but is not limited to the strength feedback of the received signal, the incident angle feedback of the signal, and the Doppler information feedback of the signal, etc.

[0058] It should be noted that the communication interaction diagram in FIG. 5 merely provides an example and is not intended to be limiting. More or fewer steps can be included in the diagram, and the steps can also be performed in an order different from the order of steps depicted in the diagram.

[0059] According to some examples of the present disclosure, the steps in 502 can be omitted. Instead, the user equipment can periodically report its UE capability message to the network equipment autonomously, or the user equipment can report its UE capability message to the network equipment when the type of sensing service it supports changes.

[0060] As mentioned previously, in a conventional integrated communication and sensing system, the user equipment can not be able to distinguish whether the function of a signal it receives is for communication or for sensing. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an existing reference signal for communication can be indicated to be used as a sensing signal in a configuration message (e.g., at 506). As an example but not limitation, in the case where a positioning reference signal (PRS) is used as a sensing signal, an indication that the PRS is used as a sensing signal can be included in the configuration message. FIG. 6 illustrates the relevant indication field in the configuration message in this case.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6, a field in the configuration message indicates that a downlink positioning reference signal (DL-PRS) is used as a sensing signal, and the sensing resources such as the periodicity and bandwidth of receiving the sensing signal are indicated in the field. After receiving the configuration message, the user equipment can explicitly recognize that the PRS received thereafter is a signal for sensing function (e.g., for positioning and tracking of a sensing target), and thus analyze and feedback the corresponding sensing parameters.

[0062] It should be understood that for other types of reference signals for communication (such as synchronization reference signals, channel state information reference signals, etc.) used as sensing signals, the reference signal can be indicated in the configuration message in a similar manner as the example in FIG. 6 that the reference signal is to be used as a sensing signal, so that the user equipment measures and analyzes the corresponding sensing signal, and feeds back the results of the analysis to the network equipment. It should also be understood that FIG. 6 merely illustrates one example of sensing resource configuration, and in practice the specific content in the sensing resource configuration can be determined according to the type of sensing service or the type of sensing signal, etc.

[0063] By way of example, and not limitation, the configuration message of the sensing resource can be transmitted through Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. When the network device switches the sensing task (e.g., switches the sensing target), it can be necessary to initiate RRC signaling reconfiguration for all user devices with corresponding sensing capabilities, which can cause a large amount of resource consumption and cause a large energy consumption of the user devices. In addition, in the case where the sensing service type changes, the network device can need to reconfigure the sensing resource for all user devices within the service range, which can cause a large amount of latency (e.g., the latency can reach tens of seconds or even hundreds of seconds).

[0064] To address the above problems, according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, an additional technical solution is provided for dividing the sensing service type and resource configuration into multiple levels. The additional or optional technical solution will be described in detail below. Multi-level sensing service type and resource configuration

[0065] Referring back to 504 of FIG. 5, the user device can send a UE capability message indicating the sensing service type supported by the user device to the network device. Additionally or alternatively, according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensing service type can be divided into multiple levels, and each user device can indicate one or more levels of the sensing service type it supports in the UE capability message. By way of example, and not limitation, the sensing service type can be classified according to the latency requirement, reliability requirement, etc. of the sensing service. For example, the sensing service type can be divided into three levels: a first level, a second level, and a third level. The first level can represent a lower level of sensing service, such as target detection and positioning tracking; the second level can represent a medium level of sensing service, such as target imaging and environment reconstruction; and the third level can represent a higher level of sensing service, such as gesture and posture recognition. It should be understood that the basis for classification of the sensing service, the number of classifications, and the specific classification criteria can vary from implementation to implementation.

[0066] It should be understood that the multiple levels of the sensing service type can be numbered, such as numbered 1, 2, … n, where n is the total number of classifications. In order to reduce the overhead of signaling, the user device can indicate the number of the level of the sensing service type it supports in the UE capability message.

[0067] Referring back to 506 of FIG. 5, the network device can determine the sensing resource configured to the user device based on the UE capability message received from the user device. Additionally or alternatively, according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, since the user device can support multiple levels of the sensing service type, accordingly, the configuration message sent by the network device to the user device can indicate the sensing resource configured to the user device with respect to each of the multiple levels.

[0068] FIG. 7 illustrates an example resource configuration according to further embodiments of the present disclosure. Similar to FIG. 6, FIG. 7 illustrates an example of resource configuration in the case where a positioning reference signal (PRS) is used as the sensing signal. Compared to FIG. 6, the second row in FIG. 7 adds a field Sensing-Level INTEGER (1..n). According to further embodiments of the present disclosure, a network device can provide multiple levels of sensing resources for multiple levels of sensing service types, including, for example, multiple levels of periodicity, frequency, and power for receiving the sensing signal, etc. Thus, in the case where a user device can support multiple levels of sensing service types, the network device can configure the user device with sensing resources for each of the multiple levels. As an example but not limitation, assuming the user device supports a first level and a third level of sensing service types, the network device can configure the user device with sensing resources applicable to the first level of sensing service types and sensing resources applicable to the third level of sensing service types, respectively. In other words, the configuration message sent by the network device to the user device can include two code segments similar to FIG. 7, where one segment indicates sensing resources for the first level of sensing service types (which can include, for example, periodicity, frequency, and power for receiving the sensing signal, etc.), and the other segment indicates sensing resources for the third level of sensing service types (which can include, for example, periodicity, frequency, and power for receiving the sensing signal, etc.).

[0069] Since the network device can configure multiple levels of sensing resources for a user device when it first configures the sensing resources for the user device, the network device does not need to reconfigure the sensing resources for the user device in case of a change in the sensing task or a change in the sensing service type. Instead, the network device can select the required configuration resources to activate according to the actual situation. Referring back to 508 of FIG. 5, after the network device configures the sensing resources for the user device, it can send an activation message to activate the corresponding resource configuration. Additionally or alternatively, according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the network device can activate the sensing resources of the currently required one or more levels from the multiple levels to the user device, so that the user device receives the sensing signals from the network device using the activated one or more levels of sensing resources. As an example but not limitation, assume that the user previously performs a second level of sensing service (e.g., target imaging), and thus uses the corresponding second level of sensing resources to receive the sensing signals. Now the network device switches the sensing service type to the first level (e.g., target positioning tracking), and thus can send an activation message to the user device indicating that the first level of sensing resources needs to be activated currently. The user device can activate the first level of sensing resources by checking the number of sensing levels in the activation message, so as to receive the sensing signals (e.g., positioning reference signals) on the frequency and period corresponding to the sensing resources. It should be understood that if the network device switches the sensing service type back to the second level thereafter, it can send an activation message to the user device indicating that the second level of sensing resources needs to be activated. It should also be understood that according to the present disclosure, the user device can support multiple levels of sensing services simultaneously, and thus the network device can also activate multiple levels of sensing resources (e.g., multiple groups of sensing resources) simultaneously, so that the user device uses the activated sensing resources to receive the corresponding sensing signals respectively.

[0070] It should be understood that the activation message can be transmitted through Downlink Control Information (DCI) signaling. As an example but not limitation, the DCI 2-X signaling can be used to inform the user equipment of the activated sensing resource. The DCI 2-X signaling can be scrambled by a Sensing-Radio Network Temporary Identity (SE-RNTI). In the DCI signaling, a number of bits can be used to indicate the level of sensing service that needs to be activated, where the number of bits can be a default fixed number or determined according to the total number of levels. After receiving the DCI signaling carrying the activation message, the user equipment can detect from the DCI signaling the level of sensing service type that the network device wants to activate, thereby activating the sensing resource of the corresponding level. Thereafter, the user equipment receives the sensing signal reflected by the sensing target on the activated level of sensing resource, thereby measuring and analyzing the sensing signal, and further sending feedback on the analysis result. It should be understood that the level of resource that needs to be activated can be indicated in the DCI signaling in a manner indicating the sensing priority. Correspondingly, the user equipment can detect from the DCI signaling which level of the current sensing priority is, thereby using the sensing resource of the level for subsequent sensing service.

[0071] It should also be understood that the network device can send the activation message to a single user equipment or to a group of user equipments. Technical effects

[0072] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a technical solution for integrated sensing and communication in a wireless communication system is proposed. The user equipment can report to the network device the sensing service type supported by the user equipment, so that the network device can configure the corresponding sensing resource for the user equipment. In addition, the reference signal used for communication can be indicated in the configuration message as the sensing signal, so that the user equipment performs the corresponding sensing operation. The present disclosure can configure appropriate sensing resources for different user equipments, thereby reducing unnecessary configuration energy consumption and delay, and improving the accuracy and flexibility of the sensing service.

[0073] Additionally or optionally, according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensing service type is divided into multiple levels, so that the user equipment reports to the network device the multiple levels of sensing service type supported by the user equipment, so that the network device can configure the sensing resource for each level of the multiple levels to the user equipment. Accordingly, the network device can indicate to the user equipment the level of sensing resource that needs to be activated according to the current required sensing service type. The present disclosure can reduce the signaling overhead and energy consumption at the network device and the user equipment, reduce the delay of resource configuration, and further improve the accuracy and flexibility of the sensing service. An exemplary method

[0074] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of an example method 800 for a user equipment (or more specifically, the electronic device 300) in a wireless communication system, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The user equipment is also referred to as UE herein. As shown in FIG. 8, the method 800 can include the user equipment sending, to a network device in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the user equipment (UE). The UE capability message can indicate a type of sensing service supported by the UE (block S802). At block S804, the user equipment can receive, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE. The configuration message can indicate sensing resources configured to the UE, and the configuration message can be determined by the network device based on the UE capability message. Detailed example operations of the method can be referred to the above description of operations of the user equipment 201 (or more specifically, the electronic device 300), which are not repeated here.

[0075] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an example method 900 for a network device (or more specifically, the electronic device 400) in a wireless communication system, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, the method 900 can include the network device receiving, from a user equipment (UE) in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, where the UE capability message can indicate a type of sensing service supported by the UE (block S902). At block S904, the network device can determine, based on the UE capability message, a configuration message, where the configuration message can indicate sensing resources configured to the UE. At block S906, the network device can send, to the UE, the configuration message for the UE. Thereafter, the network device can transmit a sensing signal (block S908). Detailed example operations of the method can be referred to the above description of operations of the network device 202 (or more specifically, the electronic device 300), which are not repeated here.

[0076] The solutions of the present disclosure can be implemented in the following example manners. (1) An electronic device for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the electronic device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: transmit, to a network device in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a type of sensing service supported by the UE; and receive, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE, wherein the configuration message indicates a sensing resource configured to the UE, and wherein the configuration message is determined by the network device based on the UE capability message. (2) The user equipment of (1), wherein the UE capability message indicates a plurality of levels of the type of sensing service. (3) The user equipment of (2), wherein the configuration message indicates the sensing resource configured to the UE for each level of the plurality of levels. (4) The user equipment of (2), wherein the plurality of levels of the type of sensing service comprises a first level, a second level, and a third level of the type of sensing service, which respectively represent target detection and localization tracking, target imaging and environment reconstruction, and gesture and posture recognition. (5) The user equipment of (3), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: after receiving the configuration message, receive, from the network device, an activation message indicating to activate the sensing resource of one or more levels of the plurality of levels; and receive, from the network device, a sensing signal using the activated one or more levels of the sensing resource. (6) The user equipment of (1), wherein the sensing resource comprises one or more of: a periodicity of receiving the sensing signal, a frequency of receiving the sensing signal, and a power of the sensing signal. (7) The user equipment of (1), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: receive, from the network device, the sensing signal using the sensing resource. (8) The user equipment of (5) or (7), wherein the sensing signal comprises a reference signal for communication, and wherein the reference signal for communication is indicated in the configuration message to be used as the sensing signal. (9) The user equipment of (8), wherein the reference signal for communication comprises at least one of: a positioning reference signal, a synchronization reference signal, or a channel state information reference signal.(10) The user equipment of (5) or (7), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: analyze the received sensing signal; and send a result of the analysis to the network device. (11) An electronic device for a network device in a wireless communication system, the electronic device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: receive, from a user equipment (UE) in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; determine a configuration message based on the UE capability message, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE; send the configuration message to the UE; and send a sensing signal. (12) The network device of (11), wherein the UE capability message indicates a plurality of levels of sensing service types. (13) The network device of (12), wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE regarding each level of the plurality of levels. (14) The network device of (12), wherein the plurality of levels of sensing service types includes a first level, a second level, and a third level of sensing service types representing target detection and localization tracking, target imaging and environment reconstruction, and gesture and posture recognition, respectively. (15) The network device of (13), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: after sending the configuration message, send, to the UE, a reception activation message indicating to activate sensing resources of one or more levels of the plurality of levels. (16) The network device of (11), wherein the sensing resources include one or more of: a periodicity of receiving the sensing signal, a frequency of receiving the sensing signal, and a power of the sensing signal. (17) The network device of (11), wherein the sensing signal includes a reference signal for communication, and the configuration message indicates to use the reference signal for communication as the sensing signal. (18) The network device of (17), wherein the reference signal for communication includes at least one of: a positioning reference signal, a synchronization reference signal, or a channel state information reference signal. (19) The network device of (11), wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to: receive, from the UE, a result of the analysis of the sensing signal by the UE.(20) A method for a user equipment, UE, in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting, to a network device in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; and receiving, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE, and wherein the configuration message is determined by the network device based on the UE capability message. (21) A method for a network device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a user equipment, UE, in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; determining a configuration message based on the UE capability message, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE; transmitting, to the UE, the configuration message for the UE; and transmitting a sensing signal. (22) A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method of (20) or (21). (23) A computer program product comprising program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of (20) or (21).

[0077] It should be noted that the above-mentioned application examples are merely exemplary. The embodiments of the disclosure can also be implemented in any other suitable manner in the above-mentioned application examples, and the advantageous effects obtained by the embodiments of the disclosure can still be achieved. Moreover, the embodiments of the disclosure are also applicable to other similar application examples, and the advantageous effects obtained by the embodiments of the disclosure can still be achieved.

[0078] It should be understood that the machine-executable instructions in the machine-readable storage medium or program product according to the embodiments of the disclosure can be configured to perform operations corresponding to the above-mentioned device and method embodiments. The embodiments of the machine-readable storage medium or program product are clear to those skilled in the art when referring to the above-mentioned device and method embodiments, and therefore will not be described again. The machine-readable storage medium and program product for carrying or including the above-mentioned machine-executable instructions also fall within the scope of the disclosure. Such storage media can include, but are not limited to, floppy disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, memory cards, memory sticks, and the like.

[0079] In addition, it should be understood that the series of processes and apparatuses described above can also be realized by software and / or firmware. In the case of realization by software and / or firmware, a program constituting the software is installed from a storage medium or a network to a computer having a dedicated hardware structure, such as the general-purpose personal computer 1200 shown in FIG. 10, which is capable of executing various functions when various programs are installed. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example structure of a personal computer as an information processing apparatus that can be employed in embodiments of the present disclosure. In one example, the personal computer can correspond to the exemplary terminal apparatus described above according to the present disclosure.

[0080] In FIG. 10, a central processing unit (CPU) 1201 performs various processes according to a program stored in a read only memory (ROM) 1202 or a program loaded from a storage section 1208 to a random access memory (RAM) 1203. In the RAM 1203, data required when the CPU 1201 performs various processes and the like is also stored as necessary.

[0081] The CPU 1201, the ROM 1202, and the RAM 1203 are connected to each other via a bus 1204. An input / output interface 1205 is also connected to the bus 1204.

[0082] The following components are connected to the input / output interface 1205: an input section 1206 including a keyboard, a mouse, and the like; an output section 1207 including a display such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the like, and a speaker and the like; a storage section 1208 including a hard disk and the like; and a communication section 1209 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, and the like. The communication section 1209 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet.

[0083] A drive 1210 is also connected to the input / output interface 1205 as necessary. A removable medium 1211 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, and the like is mounted on the drive 1210 as necessary, so that a computer program read therefrom is installed in the storage section 1208 as necessary.

[0084] In the case of realization of the series of processes described above by software, a program constituting the software is installed from a network such as the Internet or a storage medium such as the removable medium 1211.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the storage media is not limited to the removable media 1211 shown in FIG. 10 in which the program is stored and distributed separately from the apparatus to provide the program to users. Examples of the removable media 1211 include magnetic disks (including floppy disks (registered trademark)), magneto-optical disks (including mini disks (MD) (registered trademark)), and semiconductor memories. Alternatively, the storage media can be the hard disk included in the storage section 1208, ROM 1202, or the like in which the program is stored and distributed to users together with the apparatus including them.

[0086] The technology of the present disclosure is applicable to a variety of products.

[0087] For example, the electronic device 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as or included in various network devices / base stations, and the method as shown in FIG. 9 can also be implemented by various network devices / base stations. For example, the electronic device 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as or included in various user devices / terminal devices, and the method as shown in FIG. 8 can also be implemented by various user devices / terminal devices.

[0088] For example, the network device / base station mentioned in the present disclosure can be implemented as any type of base station, such as an evolved Node B (gNB). The gNB can include one or more transmission and reception points (TRPs). The user device can be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs. For example, the user device can be able to receive transmissions from multiple gNBs (and / or multiple TRPs provided by the same gNB). For example, the gNBs can include macro gNBs and small gNBs. The small gNBs can be gNBs for small cells having smaller coverage than macro cells, such as pico gNBs, micro gNBs, and home (femto) gNBs. Alternatively, the base station can be implemented as any other type of base station, such as a NodeB and a Base Transceiver Station (BTS). The base station can include a main body (also referred to as a base station device) configured to control wireless communication, and one or more Remote Radio Heads (RRHs) disposed at a different place from the main body. In addition, each of the various types of terminals to be described below can operate as a base station by temporarily or semi-persistently performing a base station function.

[0089] For example, the user equipment mentioned in the present disclosure, which is also referred to as terminal equipment or UE in some examples, can be implemented as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, a portable game terminal, a portable / cryptographic dongle type mobile router, and a digital camera device, or a vehicle-mounted terminal such as a car navigation device. The user equipment can also be implemented as a terminal that performs machine-to-machine (M2M) communication (also referred to as a machine type communication (MTC) terminal). Furthermore, the user equipment can be a wireless communication module (such as an integrated circuit module including a single wafer) mounted on each of the above-described terminals. In some cases, the user equipment can communicate using multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, the user equipment can be configured to communicate using two or more of GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, WiMAX, LTE, LTE-A, WLAN, NR, Bluetooth, and the like. In some cases, the user equipment can also be configured to communicate using only one wireless communication technology.

[0090] Examples according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14. Examples regarding base stations

[0091] It should be understood that the term base station in the present disclosure has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and at least includes a wireless communication station used as part of a wireless communication system or radio system to facilitate communication. Examples of a base station can be, for example, but are not limited to, one or both of a base transceiver station (BTS) and a base station controller (BSC) in a GSM system, one or both of a radio network controller (RNC) and a Node B in a WCDMA system, an eNB in an LTE and LTE-Advanced system, or a corresponding network node in future communication systems (such as a gNB that can occur in a 5G communication system, an eLTE eNB, and the like). Part of the functionality of the base station of the present disclosure can also be implemented as an entity that has a control function for communication in a D2D, M2M, and V2V communication scenario, or as an entity that has a spectrum coordination function in a cognitive radio communication scenario. First example

[0092] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a first example of a schematic configuration of a base station (gNB is exemplified herein) to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The gNB 1300 includes a plurality of antennas 1310 and a base station apparatus 1320. The base station apparatus 1320 and each of the antennas 1310 can be connected to each other via an RF cable. In one implementation, the gNB 1300 (or the base station apparatus 1320) here can correspond to the network device 202 (or more specifically, the electronic device 400) described above.

[0093] Each of the antennas 1310 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (such as a plurality of antenna elements included in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna), and is used for the base station apparatus 1320 to transmit and receive a wireless signal. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the gNB 1300 can include a plurality of antennas 1310. For example, the plurality of antennas 1310 can be compatible with a plurality of frequency bands used by the gNB 1300.

[0094] The base station apparatus 1320 includes a controller 1321, a memory 1322, a network interface 1323, and a wireless communication interface 1325.

[0095] The controller 1321 can be, for example, a CPU or a DSP, and operates various functions of a higher layer of the base station apparatus 1320. For example, the controller 1321 generates data packets from data in a signal processed by the wireless communication interface 1325, and transfers the generated packets via the network interface 1323. The controller 1321 can bundle data from a plurality of baseband processors to generate a bundled packet, and transfer the generated bundled packet. The controller 1321 can have a logical function of performing control such as radio resource control, radio bearer control, mobility management, admission control, and scheduling. The control can be performed in conjunction with a nearby gNB or a core network node. The memory 1322 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores programs executed by the controller 1321 and various types of control data such as a terminal list, transmission power data, and scheduling data.

[0096] The network interface 1323 is a communication interface used to connect the base station apparatus 1320 to the core network 1324. The controller 1321 can communicate with a core network node or another gNB via the network interface 1323. In this case, the gNB 1300 and the core network node or other gNBs can be connected to each other by logical interfaces such as S1 and X2 interfaces. The network interface 1323 can also be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface for a wireless backhaul line. If the network interface 1323 is a wireless communication interface, the network interface 1323 can use a higher frequency band for wireless communication than a frequency band used by the wireless communication interface 1325.

[0097] The wireless communication interface 1325 supports any cellular communication scheme such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced, and provides wireless connections to terminals located in the cell of the gNB 1300 via the antennas 1310. The wireless communication interface 1325 can generally include, for example, a baseband (BB) processor 1326 and an RF circuit 1327. The BB processor 1326 can perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and perform various types of signal processing of layers (e.g., L1, medium access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP)). The BB processor 1326 can have a part or all of the logical functions described above instead of the controller 1321. The BB processor 1326 can be a memory that stores a communication control program, or a module that includes a processor and related circuitry configured to execute the program. Updating the program can cause the function of the BB processor 1326 to change. The module can be a card or a blade that is inserted into a slot of the base station apparatus 1320. Alternatively, the module can also be a chip mounted on a card or a blade. Meanwhile, the RF circuit 1327 can include, for example, a mixer, a filter, and an amplifier, and transmit and receive wireless signals via the antennas 1310. Although FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which one RF circuit 1327 is connected to one antenna 1310, the present disclosure is not limited to this illustration, but one RF circuit 1327 can be connected to multiple antennas 1310 at the same time.

[0098] As illustrated in FIG. 11, the wireless communication interface 1325 can include multiple BB processors 1326. For example, the multiple BB processors 1326 can be compatible with multiple frequency bands used by the gNB 1300. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the wireless communication interface 1325 can include multiple RF circuits 1327. For example, the multiple RF circuits 1327 can be compatible with multiple antenna elements. Although FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which the wireless communication interface 1325 includes multiple BB processors 1326 and multiple RF circuits 1327, the wireless communication interface 1325 can also include a single BB processor 1326 or a single RF circuit 1327. Second Example

[0099] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a second example of a schematic configuration of a base station (gNB is exemplified herein) to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The gNB 1430 includes multiple antennas 1440, a base station apparatus 1450, and RRHs 1460. The RRHs 1460 and each of the antennas 1440 can be connected to each other via an RF cable. The base station apparatus 1450 and the RRHs 1460 can be connected to each other via a high-speed line such as a fiber cable. In one implementation, the gNB 1430 (or the base station apparatus 1450) here can correspond to the network device 202 (or more specifically, the electronic device 400) described above.

[0100] Each of the antennas 1440 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (such as a plurality of antenna elements included in a MIMO antenna) and is used for the RRH 1460 to transmit and receive wireless signals. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the gNB 1430 can include a plurality of antennas 1440. For example, the plurality of antennas 1440 can be compatible with a plurality of frequency bands used by the gNB 1430.

[0101] The base station device 1450 includes a controller 1451, a memory 1452, a network interface 1453, a wireless communication interface 1455, and a connection interface 1457. The controller 1451, the memory 1452, and the network interface 1453 are the same as the controller 1321, the memory 1322, and the network interface 1323 described with reference to FIG. 11.

[0102] The wireless communication interface 1455 supports any cellular communication scheme (such as LTE and LTE-Advanced) and provides wireless communication to terminals located in a sector corresponding to the RRH 1460 via the RRH 1460 and the antennas 1440. The wireless communication interface 1455 can generally include, for example, a BB processor 1456. The BB processor 1456 is the same as the BB processor 1326 described with reference to FIG. 11 except that the BB processor 1456 is connected to the RF circuit 1464 of the RRH 1460 via the connection interface 1457. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the wireless communication interface 1455 can include a plurality of BB processors 1456. For example, the plurality of BB processors 1456 can be compatible with a plurality of frequency bands used by the gNB 1430. Although FIG. 12 illustrates an example in which the wireless communication interface 1455 includes a plurality of BB processors 1456, the wireless communication interface 1455 can also include a single BB processor 1456.

[0103] The connection interface 1457 is an interface for connecting the base station device 1450 (the wireless communication interface 1455) to the RRH 1460. The connection interface 1457 can also be a communication module for communication in the high-speed line described above.

[0104] The RRH 1460 includes a connection interface 1461 and a wireless communication interface 1463.

[0105] The connection interface 1461 is an interface for connecting the RRH 1460 (the wireless communication interface 1463) to the base station device 1450. The connection interface 1461 can also be a communication module for communication in the high-speed line described above.

[0106] The wireless communication interface 1463 transmits and receives a wireless signal via the antenna 1440. The wireless communication interface 1463 can include, for example, an RF circuit 1464. The RF circuit 1464 can include, for example, a mixer, a filter, and an amplifier, and transmits and receives a wireless signal via the antenna 1440. Although FIG. 12 illustrates an example in which one RF circuit 1464 is connected to one antenna 1440, the present disclosure is not limited to the illustration, but one RF circuit 1464 can be connected to a plurality of antennas 1440 at the same time.

[0107] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the wireless communication interface 1463 can include a plurality of RF circuits 1464. For example, the plurality of RF circuits 1464 can support a plurality of antenna elements. Although FIG. 12 illustrates an example in which the wireless communication interface 1463 includes a plurality of RF circuits 1464, the wireless communication interface 1463 can include a single RF circuit 1464.

[0108] In the gNB 1300 illustrated in FIG. 11 and the gNB 1430 illustrated in FIG. 12, the communication unit 402 of FIG. 4 can be implemented by the wireless communication interface 1325 and the wireless communication interface 1455 and / or the wireless communication interface 1463; and the processing unit 404 can be implemented by the controller 1321 and the controller 1451.

[0109] First Example

[0110] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a smartphone 1500 to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The smartphone 1500 includes a processor 1501, a memory 1502, a storage 1503, an external connection interface 1504, a camera 1506, a sensor 1507, a microphone 1508, an input device 1509, a display device 1510, a speaker 1511, a wireless communication interface 1512, one or more antenna switches 1515, one or more antennas 1516, a bus 1517, a battery 1518, and an auxiliary controller 1519. In one implementation, the smartphone 1500 (or the processor 1501) here can correspond to the user equipment 201 (or more specifically, the electronic device 300) described above.

[0111] The processor 1501 can be, for example, a CPU or a system on chip (SoC), and control functions of an application layer and another layer of the smartphone 1500. The memory 1502 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores a data and a program executed by the processor 1501. The storage 1503 can include a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory and a hard disk. The external connection interface 1504 is an interface for connecting an external device such as a memory card and a universal serial bus (USB) device to the smartphone 1500.

[0112] The camera 1506 includes an image sensor such as a charge coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and generates a captured image. The sensor 1507 can include a set of sensors such as a measurement sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and an acceleration sensor. The microphone 1508 converts a sound input to the smartphone 1500 into an audio signal. The input device 1509 includes, for example, a touch sensor configured to detect a touch on a screen of the display device 1510, a keypad, a keyboard, a button, or a switch, and receives an operation or information input from a user. The display device 1510 includes a screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, and displays an output image of the smartphone 1500. The speaker 1511 converts an audio signal output from the smartphone 1500 into a sound.

[0113] The wireless communication interface 1512 supports any cellular communication scheme such as LTE and LTE-Advanced, and performs wireless communication. The wireless communication interface 1512 can include, for example, a BB processor 1513 and an RF circuit 1514, in general. The BB processor 1513 can perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and perform various types of signal processing for wireless communication. Meanwhile, the RF circuit 1514 can include, for example, a mixer, a filter, and an amplifier, and transmit and receive a wireless signal via an antenna 1516. The wireless communication interface 1512 can be one chip module in which the BB processor 1513 and the RF circuit 1514 are integrated. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the wireless communication interface 1512 can include a plurality of BB processors 1513 and a plurality of RF circuits 1514. Although FIG. 13 illustrates an example in which the wireless communication interface 1512 includes a plurality of BB processors 1513 and a plurality of RF circuits 1514, the wireless communication interface 1512 can include a single BB processor 1513 or a single RF circuit 1514.

[0114] In addition, the wireless communication interface 1512 can support another type of wireless communication scheme in addition to the cellular communication scheme, such as a short-range wireless communication scheme, a near field communication scheme, and a wireless local area network (LAN) scheme. In this case, the wireless communication interface 1512 can include a BB processor 1513 and an RF circuit 1514 for each wireless communication scheme.

[0115] Each of the antenna switches 1515 switches a connection destination of the antenna 1516 between a plurality of circuits included in the wireless communication interface 1512, for example, circuits for different wireless communication schemes.

[0116] Each of the antennas 1516 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (such as a plurality of antenna elements included in a MIMO antenna), and is used for the wireless communication interface 1512 to transmit and receive wireless signals. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the smartphone 1500 can include a plurality of antennas 1516. While FIG. 13 illustrates an example in which the smartphone 1500 includes a plurality of antennas 1516, the smartphone 1500 can also include a single antenna 1516.

[0117] Furthermore, the smartphone 1500 can include an antenna 1516 for each wireless communication scheme. In this case, the antenna switch 1515 can be omitted from the configuration of the smartphone 1500.

[0118] The bus 1517 connects the processor 1501, the memory 1502, the storage 1503, the external connection interface 1504, the camera 1506, the sensor 1507, the microphone 1508, the input device 1509, the display device 1510, the speaker 1511, the wireless communication interface 1512, and the auxiliary controller 1519 to one another. The battery 1518 supplies power to the respective blocks of the smartphone 1500 illustrated in FIG. 13 via a feed line, which is partially illustrated as a broken line in the figure. The auxiliary controller 1519 operates the minimum necessary functions of the smartphone 1500, for example, in a sleep mode.

[0119] In the smartphone 1500 illustrated in FIG. 13, the communication unit 302 of FIG. 3 can be implemented by the wireless communication interface 1512; and the processing unit 304 can be implemented by the processor 1501 or the auxiliary controller 1519. Second Example

[0120] FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a car navigation device 1620 to which the technology according to the present disclosure can be applied. The car navigation device 1620 includes a processor 1621, a memory 1622, a global positioning system (GPS) module 1624, a sensor 1625, a data interface 1626, a content player 1627, a storage medium interface 1628, an input device 1629, a display device 1630, a speaker 1631, a wireless communication interface 1633, one or more antenna switches 1636, one or more antennas 1637, and a battery 1638. In one implementation, the car navigation device 1620 (or the processor 1621) here can correspond to the user equipment 201 (or more specifically, the electronic device 300) described above.

[0121] The processor 1621 can be, for example, a CPU or a SoC, and controls a navigation function and another function of the car navigation device 1620. The memory 1622 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores data and programs executed by the processor 1621.

[0122] The GPS module 1624 measures a position (such as latitude, longitude and altitude) of the car navigation device 1620 using GPS signals received from GPS satellites. The sensor 1625 can include a set of sensors such as a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor and an air pressure sensor. The data interface 1626 is connected to, for example, an in-vehicle network 1641 via a terminal not shown, and acquires data generated by the vehicle such as vehicle speed data.

[0123] The content player 1627 reproduces content stored in a storage medium such as a CD and a DVD, which is inserted into the storage medium interface 1628. The input device 1629 includes, for example, a touch sensor configured to detect a touch on a screen of the display device 1630, a button or a switch, and receives an operation or information input from a user. The display device 1630 includes a screen such as an LCD or an OLED display, and displays an image of a navigation function or reproduced content. The speaker 1631 outputs a sound of a navigation function or reproduced content.

[0124] The wireless communication interface 1633 supports any cellular communication scheme such as LTE and LTE-Advanced, and performs wireless communication. The wireless communication interface 1633 can include, for example, a BB processor 1634 and an RF circuit 1635, in general. The BB processor 1634 can perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and perform various types of signal processing for wireless communication. Meanwhile, the RF circuit 1635 can include, for example, a mixer, a filter and an amplifier, and transmit and receive a wireless signal via an antenna 1637. The wireless communication interface 1633 can also be one chip module in which the BB processor 1634 and the RF circuit 1635 are integrated thereon. As shown in FIG. 14, the wireless communication interface 1633 can include a plurality of BB processors 1634 and a plurality of RF circuits 1635. Although FIG. 14 shows an example in which the wireless communication interface 1633 includes a plurality of BB processors 1634 and a plurality of RF circuits 1635, the wireless communication interface 1633 can also include a single BB processor 1634 or a single RF circuit 1635.

[0125] In addition, the wireless communication interface 1633 can support another type of wireless communication scheme such as a short-range wireless communication scheme, a near field communication scheme and a wireless LAN scheme, in addition to the cellular communication scheme. In this case, the wireless communication interface 1633 can include a BB processor 1634 and an RF circuit 1635 for each wireless communication scheme.

[0126] Each of the antenna switches 1636 switches a connection destination of the antenna 1637 between a plurality of circuits included in the wireless communication interface 1633, such as circuits for different wireless communication schemes.

[0127] Each of the antennas 1637 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (such as a plurality of antenna elements included in a MIMO antenna), and is used for the wireless communication interface 1633 to transmit and receive wireless signals. As shown in FIG. 14, the car navigation device 1620 can include a plurality of antennas 1637. Although FIG. 14 shows an example in which the car navigation device 1620 includes a plurality of antennas 1637, the car navigation device 1620 can also include a single antenna 1637.

[0128] Further, the car navigation device 1620 can include an antenna 1637 for each wireless communication scheme. In this case, the antenna switch 1636 can be omitted from the configuration of the car navigation device 1620.

[0129] The battery 1638 supplies power to the respective blocks of the car navigation device 1620 shown in FIG. 14 via feeders, which are partially shown as broken lines in the figure. The battery 1638 accumulates power supplied from the vehicle.

[0130] In the car navigation device 1620 shown in FIG. 14, the communication unit 302 of FIG. 3, for example, can be implemented by the wireless communication interface 1633; the processing unit 304 can be implemented by the processor 1621.

[0131] The technology of the present disclosure can also be implemented as an in-vehicle system (or vehicle) 1640 including one or more blocks of the car navigation device 1620, the in-vehicle network 1641, and the vehicle module 1642. The vehicle module 1642 generates vehicle data such as vehicle speed, engine speed, and failure information, and outputs the generated data to the in-vehicle network 1641.

[0132] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present disclosure is of course not limited to the above examples. Various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims, and it should be understood that such changes and modifications naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0133] For example, a plurality of functions included in one unit in the above embodiments can be implemented by separate apparatuses. Alternatively, a plurality of functions implemented by a plurality of units in the above embodiments can be respectively implemented by separate apparatuses. In addition, one of the above functions can be implemented by a plurality of units. Needless to say, such a configuration is included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0134] In this specification, the steps described in the flowcharts described in the flowcharts include not only processes performed in time series in the order described, but also processes performed in parallel or individually rather than necessarily in time series. Furthermore, even in the steps that are processed in time series, needless to say, the order can be changed as appropriate.

[0135] While the disclosure and the best mode thereof have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the terms "comprising", "including", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises a... " does not, without further restriction, preclude the existence of additional elements of the same type in the process, method, article, or apparatus.

Claims

1. An electronic device for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the electronic device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: transmit, to a network device in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a type of sensing service supported by the UE; and receive, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE, wherein the configuration message indicates a sensing resource configured to the UE, and wherein the configuration message is determined by the network device based on the UE capability message. 2.The UE of claim 1, wherein the UE capability message indicates a plurality of levels of the type of sensing service. 3.The UE of claim 2, wherein the configuration message indicates the sensing resource configured to the UE regarding each of the plurality of levels. 4.The UE of claim 2, wherein the plurality of levels of the type of sensing service includes a first level, a second level, and a third level of the type of sensing service, which respectively represent target detection and localization tracking, target imaging and environment reconstruction, and gesture and posture recognition. 5.The UE of claim 3, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: after receiving the configuration message, receive, from the network device, an activation message indicating to activate the sensing resource of one or more levels of the plurality of levels; and receive, from the network device, a sensing signal using the activated one or more levels of the sensing resource. 6.The UE of claim 1, wherein the sensing resource includes one or more of a periodicity of receiving the sensing signal, a frequency of receiving the sensing signal, and a power of the sensing signal. 7.The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: receive, from the network device, the sensing signal using the sensing resource. 8.The UE of claim 5 or 7, wherein the sensing signal includes a reference signal for communication, and wherein the reference signal for communication is indicated in the configuration message to be used as the sensing signal. 9.The UE of claim 8, wherein the reference signal for communication includes at least one of a positioning reference signal, a synchronization reference signal, or a channel state information reference signal. 10.The UE of claim 5 or 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the UE to: analyze the received sensing signal; and transmit, to the network device, a result of the analysis. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 11.An electronic device for a network device in a wireless communication system, the electronic device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to perform the following operations: receive, from a user equipment (UE) in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; determine a configuration message based on the UE capability message, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE; transmit, to the UE, the configuration message for the UE; and transmit a sensing signal. 12.The network device of claim 11, wherein the UE capability message indicates a plurality of levels of sensing service types. 13.The network device of claim 12, wherein the configuration message indicates sensing resources configured to the UE regarding each level of the plurality of levels. 14.The network device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of levels of sensing service types include a first level, a second level, and a third level of sensing service types representing target detection and localization tracking, target imaging and environment reconstruction, and gesture and posture recognition, respectively. 15.The network device of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to perform the following operation: after transmitting the configuration message, transmit, to the UE, a reception activation message indicating to activate sensing resources of one or more levels of the plurality of levels. 16.The network device of claim 11, wherein the sensing resources include one or more of a periodicity of receiving the sensing signal, a frequency of receiving the sensing signal, and a power of the sensing signal. 17.The network device of claim 11, wherein the sensing signal includes a reference signal for communication, and the configuration message indicates to use the reference signal for communication as the sensing signal. 18.The network device of claim 17, wherein the reference signal for communication includes at least one of a positioning reference signal, a synchronization reference signal, or a channel state information reference signal. 19.The network device of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the network device to perform the following operation: receive, from the UE, a result of an analysis of the sensing signal by the UE. 20.A method for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting, to a network device in the wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; and transmitting, to the network device, a result of an analysis of a sensing signal by the UE. ​ receiving, from the network device, a configuration message for the UE, wherein the configuration message indicates a sensing resource configured to the UE, and wherein the configuration message is determined by the network device based on the UE capability message.

21. A method for a network device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, a UE capability message regarding the UE, wherein the UE capability message indicates a sensing service type supported by the UE; determining a configuration message based on the UE capability message, wherein the configuration message indicates a sensing resource configured to the UE; transmitting, to the UE, the configuration message for the UE; and transmitting a sensing signal.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method of claim 20 or 21.

23. A computer program product comprising program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 20 or 21.

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