Signal transmission method and apparatus

Abstract

A signal transmission method and apparatus. A first apparatus sends a plurality of signals used for sensing, wherein at least two signals among the plurality of signals correspond to different sequences, the sequences corresponding to the at least two signals belong to N groups among K groups, and each of the K groups comprises at least two sequences, K being an integer greater than or equal to 2, and N being a positive integer. In the embodiments of the present application, sequences can be divided into K groups, and the first apparatus can send signals corresponding to the sequences in one or more of the K groups. By means of grouping sequences, the improvement in terms of sensing performance can be facilitated.

Description

A signal transmission method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410937538.9, filed on July 12, 2024, entitled "A Signal Transmission Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a signal transmission method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] With the development of fifth-generation (5G) networks, the demand for new network capabilities based on sensing is gradually emerging. For example, in scenarios such as smart cities and smart transportation, the need to acquire relative positions and angles between objects, as well as to sense the position, speed, and shape of target objects, is becoming increasingly apparent. To meet these business needs, 5G networks should be further enhanced to possess the ability to assist wireless networks in sensing. In the future, 5G networks can deploy integrated sensing and communication base stations to enhance the base station's ability to perceive the physical world. Furthermore, 5G devices can also possess sensing capabilities to perceive their surrounding environment or objects.

[0005] For example, sensing device 1 sends a sensing signal, which is reflected by the sensing target and reaches sensing device 2. Sensing device 2 can then perform sensing based on this signal, but its current sensing performance is poor. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a signal transmission method and apparatus to improve sensing performance.

[0007] Firstly, a first signal transmission method is provided, which can be applied to a first device. Optionally, the first device is a terminal-side device, also referred to as a terminal device. This terminal device is, for example, a terminal equipment, or other equipment including terminal equipment functions, or a circuit, or a system-on-a-chip (or a chip, such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip) or other functional module, which is capable of implementing the functions of the terminal equipment, and is, for example, disposed in the terminal equipment. The method includes: transmitting a plurality of signals for sensing, wherein at least two of the plurality of signals correspond to different sequences, the sequences corresponding to the at least two signals belong to N groups out of K groups, each of the K groups comprising at least two sequences, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and N is a positive integer.

[0008] In this embodiment, the sequence can be divided into K groups, and the first device can send signals corresponding to the sequence in one or more of the groups. By grouping the sequence, it is beneficial to improve the sensing performance.

[0009] In one optional implementation, the sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the at least two sequences included in each group are complementary. If the two sidelobes are complementary, it indicates that the two sidelobes can cancel each other out, thereby reducing the peak value of the sidelobes and decreasing the influence of the sidelobes on the main correlation peak. This reduces the probability of sensing errors in the second device and helps to improve sensing accuracy.

[0010] In one optional implementation, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals belong to the N groups, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals include all sequences from N-1 groups out of the N groups, and all or part of the sequences from the remaining group out of the N groups. When transmitting multiple signals, the first device can use the N groups sequentially, using all sequences from one of the N groups before using sequences from the next group. Sequences within a group exhibit better sidelobe complementarity in their autocorrelation function; therefore, the first device strives to use sequences from the same group to improve the sidelobe complementarity of the autocorrelation function, thereby enhancing sensing accuracy.

[0011] In one alternative implementation, the K groups are predefined or preconfigured; or, the method further includes receiving first information, the first information indicating the K groups. The K groups may be predefined by a protocol, preconfigured in a first device, or indicated by other devices (e.g., a second device or other devices besides the second device), and there is no limitation thereto.

[0012] In an optional implementation, the first information is further used to indicate the sequence included in each of the K groups; or, the first information is further used to indicate the parameters corresponding to each of the K groups, the parameters being used to generate the sequence included in each group. In addition to knowing the K groups, the first device also needs to know the sequence included in each of the K groups. The first information can directly indicate the sequence included in each group, eliminating the need for the first device to determine the sequence through other means, thus simplifying the implementation of the first device. Alternatively, the first information can also indicate the parameters corresponding to each group, allowing the first device to determine the sequence included in each group based on the parameters, thereby reducing the transmission overhead of the first information.

[0013] In an optional implementation, the method further includes receiving second information, the second information being used to indicate the N groups. In this embodiment, the sequence is divided into K groups, and the first device may use all or some of the K groups during a single transmission. Which groups are used can be indicated by other devices (e.g., the second device), making the transmission process of the first device more flexible.

[0014] In an optional implementation, the second information is further used to indicate the number of the plurality of signals and / or to indicate the coherence time, wherein the coherence time is used to transmit the plurality of signals. The number of signals transmitted by the first device can be indicated by the second information, for example, the second information comes from the second device, so that the transmitting behavior of the first device and the receiving behavior of the second device can be aligned. The first device can transmit multiple signals within the coherence time, which can also be indicated by the second device, so that the second device can uniformly process the signals received from the first device within the coherence time.

[0015] In one alternative implementation, transmitting a plurality of signals for sensing includes transmitting the plurality of signals within a coherent time period.

[0016] In one optional implementation, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals are all different. Because the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals are different, the sidelobe complementarity of the autocorrelation function of the sequences can be improved, thereby enhancing sensing accuracy.

[0017] In one alternative implementation, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals are generated based on Gray's complementary sequences. The sequence corresponding to each of the plurality of signals may be generated based on Gray's complementary sequences, which have a lower PAPR, thereby helping to reduce the PAPR of the plurality of signals.

[0018] In one optional implementation, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals are all CPM sequences. CPM sequences have a lower PAPR, which helps to reduce the PAPR of the plurality of signals. Alternatively, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals can be sequences other than CPM sequences; for example, any sequence with a low PAPR can be used as the sequence corresponding to the plurality of signals.

[0019] Secondly, a second signal transmission method is provided, which can be applied to a second device, such as a network-side device, also referred to as a network device. This network device is, for example, a network equipment, or other equipment including network equipment functions, or a circuit, or a chip system (or chip) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of the network equipment, and is, for example, disposed within the network equipment. The network equipment includes, for example, core network equipment and / or access network equipment. The network equipment may be located on the ground, or, for example, a satellite, or located on a satellite. The method includes: receiving a plurality of signals for sensing, wherein at least two of the plurality of signals correspond to different sequences, the sequences corresponding to the at least two signals belong to N groups out of K groups, each of the K groups comprising at least two sequences, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and N is a positive integer.

[0020] In one alternative implementation, the sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the at least two sequences included in each group are complementary.

[0021] In one optional implementation, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals belong to the N groups, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, wherein the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals include all sequences in the N-1 groups of the N groups, and all or part of the sequences in the remaining group of the N groups.

[0022] In one alternative implementation, the K groups are predefined or preconfigured; or, the method further includes sending first information, the first information being used to indicate the K groups.

[0023] In one alternative implementation, the first information is further used to indicate the sequence included in each of the K groups; or, the first information is further used to indicate the parameters corresponding to each of the K groups, the parameters being used to generate the sequence included in each group.

[0024] In an alternative implementation, the method further includes sending a second message, the second message being used to indicate the N groups.

[0025] In an alternative implementation, the second information is further used to indicate the number of the plurality of signals and / or to indicate the coherence time, wherein the coherence time is used to transmit the plurality of signals.

[0026] In one alternative implementation, receiving a plurality of signals for sensing includes receiving the plurality of signals within a coherent time period.

[0027] In one alternative implementation, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals are all different.

[0028] In one alternative implementation, the sequence corresponding to the plurality of signals is generated based on the Gray complement sequence.

[0029] In one optional implementation, the sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals are all CPM sequences.

[0030] In an alternative implementation, the method further includes performing sensing based on the plurality of signals.

[0031] For the technical effects of the second aspect or various alternative implementation methods, please refer to the introduction of the technical effects of the first aspect or corresponding implementation methods.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. The communication device can be a unit device as described in any of the first to second aspects above. The communication device possesses the functions of the first device described above. For example, the communication device has the functions described in any of the first to second aspects above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations described in any of the first to second aspects above. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The communication device is, for example, a terminal device, or other device including terminal device functions, or a chip system (or chip or circuit) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of a terminal device. This chip system or functional module is, for example, disposed in a terminal device. In one optional implementation, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another optional implementation, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also called a transceiver module). A transceiver unit can perform both sending and receiving functions. When the transceiver unit performs the sending function, it can be called a sending unit (sometimes also called a sending module), and when it performs the receiving function, it can be called a receiving unit (sometimes also called a receiving module). The sending unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional module, which is called the transceiver unit and can perform both sending and receiving functions; or, the sending unit and the receiving unit can be different functional modules, and the transceiver unit is a collective term for these functional modules.

[0033] In one optional implementation, the transceiver unit (or the transmitting unit) is configured to transmit a plurality of signals for sensing, wherein at least two of the plurality of signals correspond to different sequences, and the sequences corresponding to the at least two signals belong to N groups out of K groups, wherein each of the K groups includes at least two sequences, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and N is a positive integer.

[0034] In an alternative embodiment, the communication device further includes a storage unit (sometimes also called a storage module), and the processing unit is configured to couple with the storage unit and execute programs or instructions in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform the functions of the first device described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0035] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be the second device described in any one of the first to fourth aspects above. The communication device possesses the functions of the second device. For example, the communication device may implement the functions described in any one of the first to second aspects above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations described in any one of the first to second aspects above. These modules, units, or means may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The communication device may be, for example, a network device, or other device including network device functions, or a chip system (or chip or circuit) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of a network device. This chip system or functional module may be, for example, disposed within a network device. The network device may include, for example, core network equipment and / or access network equipment. In one optional implementation, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another optional implementation, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also called a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also called a transceiver module). For details on the implementation of the transceiver unit, please refer to the relevant description in the third aspect.

[0036] In one optional implementation, the transceiver unit (or the receiving unit) is configured to receive a plurality of signals for sensing, wherein at least two of the plurality of signals correspond to different sequences, and the sequences corresponding to the at least two signals belong to N groups out of K groups, wherein each of the K groups includes at least two sequences, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and N is a positive integer.

[0037] In an alternative embodiment, the communication device further includes a storage unit (sometimes also called a storage module), and the processing unit is configured to couple with the storage unit and execute programs or instructions in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform the functions of the second device described in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0038] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of a computer program or instructions necessary for implementing the functions involved in the first or fourth aspect described above. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, such that when the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0039] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0040] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0041] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip containing a modem module.

[0042] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of a computer program or instructions necessary for implementing the functions involved in the first or fourth aspect described above. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, such that when the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0044] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0045] The aforementioned communication device may be a network device, a communication module in a network device, or a chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip that contains a modem module.

[0046] A seventh aspect provides a communication system including a second means, wherein the second means is configured to perform the method described in any one of the first to second aspects. For example, the second means may be implemented using the communication means described in the fourth or sixth aspect.

[0047] Optionally, the communication system further includes a first device, wherein the first device is used to perform the method described in any one of the first to second aspects. For example, the first device can be implemented using the communication device described in the third or fifth aspect.

[0048] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method performed by the first or second means in the preceding aspects to be implemented.

[0049] Ninthly, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when the computer program or instructions are run on a computer, causes the methods described in the above aspects to be implemented.

[0050] In a tenth aspect, a chip system is provided, including a processor and an interface, the processor being configured to call and execute instructions from the interface to enable the chip system to implement the methods described above. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of two network architectures applied in the embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a scenario of integrated synesthesia;

[0053] Figures 3B and 3C are schematic diagrams of single-station sensing mode and dual-station sensing mode, respectively.

[0054] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a signal transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] In this application embodiment, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, refers to "singular nouns or plural nouns," that is, "one or more." "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c means: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0059] The ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. Furthermore, the numbering of steps in the various embodiments described in this application is only to distinguish different steps and is not used to limit the order in which the steps are performed.

[0060] The following explanations of some terms or concepts used in the embodiments of this application are provided to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0061] In this embodiment, the terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, which can be a fixed device, a mobile device, a handheld device (e.g., a mobile phone), a wearable device, an in-vehicle device, or a wireless device (e.g., a communication module, a modem, or a chip system, etc.) built into the aforementioned devices. The terminal device is used to connect people, objects, machines, etc., and can be widely used in various scenarios, including but not limited to the following: sensing scenarios, cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) communication, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, and indoor commercial scenarios (such as mobile phone screen mirroring, file sharing, and mobile phone to VR glasses video transmission). When the terminal equipment is applied to V2X, it can also be called a V2X device, such as a smart car, digital car, unmanned car, driverless car, pilotless car, or automobile, self-driving car, or autonomous car, pure electric vehicle (EV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), range-extended electric vehicle (REEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), new energy vehicle, or roadside unit (RSU). The terminal equipment can also be a device used in D2D communication, such as an electricity meter or water meter.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important component of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0063] The various terminal devices described above, if located in a vehicle (e.g., placed inside or installed inside a vehicle), can all be considered in-vehicle terminal devices, also known as on-board units (OBUs). The terminal device of this application can also be an in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the methods of this application through the built-in in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit.

[0064] The terminal equipment may sometimes be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, wireless communication equipment, or user device, etc.

[0065] In this application embodiment, the communication device used to implement the terminal device function can be a terminal device, which can be a terminal device or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal device. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the example of a terminal device being used to implement the terminal device function is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0066] The network devices in this application embodiment include, for example, access network devices (or access network elements) and / or core network devices (or core network elements). The access network devices are devices with wireless transceiver capabilities, used to communicate with the terminal devices. The access network devices include, but are not limited to, base stations (base transceiver stations, BTS, Node B, evolved Node B (eNodeB) / eNB, or the next generation Node B (gNodeB) / gNB), transmission reception points (TRPs), base stations evolved from the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), access nodes in wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, etc. The base stations can be: macro base stations, micro base stations, pico base stations, small cells, relay stations, etc. Multiple base stations can support networks using the same access technology or networks using different access technologies. A base station can contain one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission and reception points. The access network equipment can also be a radio controller, centralized unit (CU), and / or distributed unit (DU) in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. The access network equipment can also be a server, etc. For example, the network equipment in V2X technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). The following description uses a base station as an example to illustrate the access network equipment. A base station can communicate with a terminal device, or it can communicate with a terminal device through a relay station. A terminal device can communicate with multiple base stations in different access technologies. The core network equipment is used to implement functions such as mobility management, data processing, session management, policy and billing. The names of the equipment implementing core network functions may differ in systems using different access technologies; this application does not limit this.Taking the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication technology system as an example, the core network equipment includes, for example, access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), policy control function (PCF), or user plane function (UPF), etc.

[0067] In a CU-DU architecture, or in an open RAN (ORAN) system, access network equipment may include one or more logical network elements such as a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). CUs and DUs may be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs may be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0068] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (O-CU-CP), and RU can also be called an open RU (O-RU). For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples in its embodiments. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0069] The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement. For example, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above (such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and / or the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer); the DU can be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as one or more of the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, or Physical (PHY) layer). As another example, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers above the PDCP layer (such as the RRC and / or SDAP layers), and the DU can be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as one or more of the RLC, MAC, or PHY layers).

[0070] The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency. Functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0071] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0072] In this application embodiment, the communication device used to implement the functions of a network device can be called a network device. This network device can be a network element, a network device, or a device capable of supporting the network device or network element to implement the function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the device used to implement the functions of a network device is described as a network device (for example, the device used to implement the functions of an access network device is an access network device, and the device used to implement the functions of a core network device is a core network device).

[0073] Sensing, in this context, refers to the ability to detect parameters of targets in the physical environment, such as their position and velocity. It can be understood that sensing devices detect targets by emitting electromagnetic waves and analyzing the echo signals reflected from objects. In this sense, sensing can also be called detection.

[0074] A sensing signal is a signal used to sense (or detect) a target (or object). Sensing signals are also called detection signals, linear frequency modulated signals, radar signals, radar sensing signals, radar detection signals, or environmental sensing signals, etc. Sensing signals can be pulse signals or signals from wireless communication systems. For example, a sensing signal can be an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal obtained by modulating a specific sequence on a subcarrier. This specific sequence can be any of the following sequences: Zadoff-Chu sequence (ZC sequence), pseudo-random sequence, or predefined sequence. Pseudo-random sequences include any of the following sequences: longest linear feedback shift register sequence (m-sequence) or Gold sequence. Predefined sequences can be, for example, random data symbols, such as random data symbols modulated by quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

[0075] Communication signals are signals transmitted between communication devices for the purpose of communication. For example, communication signals may include signals transmitted between network devices and terminal devices. Communication signals are, for example, carried on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0076] An echo signal is a signal generated by the reflection, scattering, or diffraction of a sensing signal by a target. Both the echo signal and the sensing signal can reflect target parameters. For example, the time delay of the echo signal relative to the sensing signal can reflect the distance of the target relative to the transmitter, and the Doppler shift of the echo signal relative to the sensing signal can reflect the target's velocity.

[0077] The coherent processing time, also known as the coherence time, can be a period longer than the transmission period of the sensing signal. Within this coherent time, the transmitting end of the sensing signal can transmit the signal multiple times along the same beam direction, and the receiving end can receive the echo signals. All echo signals received within this time period are then coherently accumulated to achieve sensing ranging or speed measurement. This coherent accumulation is typically achieved by performing matched filtering and Fourier transform on all echo signals within this time period.

[0078] Communication-sensing fusion signals, also known as synthetic-sensing fusion signals, synthetic signals, or integrated synthetic-sensing signals, are signals used for both communication and sensing. When used for communication, the fusion signal carries the communication data or reference signal sequence that needs to be transmitted between communication devices. When used for sensing, the fusion signal can be understood as being used to sense (or detect) targets.

[0079] The target can be any tangible object in the environment that can reflect electromagnetic waves, such as mountains, forests, or buildings, and can also include mobile objects such as vehicles, drones, pedestrians, and terminal devices. The target can also be referred to as a sensed target, a detected target, a sensed object, a sensed object, or a sensed device, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit it.

[0080] Peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) is a waveform measurement parameter equal to the ratio of the square of the amplitude (representing peak power) to the square of the root mean square (RMS) (representing average power). PAPR determines the amount of power back-off during signal transmission.

[0081] Continuous phase modulation (CPM) is a modulation method in which the phase of a signal modulated by CPM can change continuously.

[0082] In short, the embodiments of this application can divide the sequence into K groups, and the first device can send signals corresponding to the sequence in one or more of the groups. By grouping the sequence, it is beneficial to improve the sensing performance.

[0083] Referring to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a potential sensing network architecture, Figure 1 is based on a 5G core network (5G core, 5GC). The network architecture shown in Figure 1 can also be an application scenario of an embodiment of this application.

[0084] In the architecture shown in Figure 1, a new sensing function (SF) network element has been added. This SF can be a device or component that provides sensing capabilities to the network, and can also be called a sensing management function (SMF), or other names. This SF can be deployed on the core network side or the RAN side; Figure 1 shows an example of deployment on the core network. In the network architecture shown in Figure 1, the SF can reuse the interface between the location management function (LMF) and other 5GC network elements such as AMF, network exposure function (NEF), unified data management (UDM), network data analytics function (NWDAF), and PCF for sensing interaction. The sensing signaling between the SF and the radio access network (RAN) or UE can be transmitted through the AMF. The sensing measurement data obtained by the RAN or UE can be transmitted to the SF through the control plane, for example, by reusing the long term evolution (LTE) positioning protocol (LPP) or the new radio (NR) positioning protocol annex (NRPPa) protocol, or it can be transmitted through the user plane, forwarded to the SF through the UPF, or directly transmitted to the SF.

[0085] The newly added SF in this network architecture can realize basic sensing functions, such as sensing authorization, sensing control, sensing measurement data processing, or result output. Specifically, interfaces are set up and interaction is established between the SF and 5GC network elements such as AMF, NEF, UDM, NWDAF, PCF, LMF, and UPF, as defined below.

[0086] NS1: A new interface between SF and AMF, which can transmit sensing and control signaling. Additionally, this interface can also transmit sensing measurement data in scenarios where sensing measurement data is uploaded to the control plane.

[0087] NS2: A new interface between SF and NEF. This interface can transmit signaling messages between sensing network elements relayed through NEF and application functions (AF) on the service side, and at the same time open the sensing results to the AF.

[0088] NS3: A new interface between SF and UDM. This interface can be used for authentication or authorization, and to obtain UE-aware subscription information, service AMF information, or other information.

[0089] NS4: A new interface between SF and NWDAF. Through this interface, SF and NWDAF can jointly complete artificial intelligence (AI) processing related to perception services.

[0090] NS5: A new interface between SF and PCF. Through this interface, SF can transmit information such as sensing requirements, quality of service (QoS) requirements, or sensing results of sensing services to PCF. PCF can then make decisions to generate policy control and charging (PCC) policies related to sensing services.

[0091] NS6: A new interface between SF and LMF. Through this interface, SF can obtain location-related information, such as the sensing area, the RAN information of the sensing target, and the location information of the sensed UE.

[0092] NS7: A new interface between SF and UPF. Sensing measurement data can be directly transmitted from (R)AN to SF via UPF, or indirectly forwarded to SF via UPF. In scenarios where (R)AN performs sensing, forwarding via UPF can improve the functionality of UPF to support data transmission at the (R)AN granularity.

[0093] In addition to the newly added interfaces mentioned above, existing interfaces (such as N1, N2, N5, N8, N33, etc.) can also support the transmission of information related to sensing services, such as authentication information, sensing service type, sensing service quality requirements, sensing measurement data, or sensing results, etc.

[0094] Figure 1 illustrates an example where the SF (Sensitive Detection) is a standalone device. Alternatively, the SF and LMF (Local Management Detector) can be co-located, meaning the network element handling sensing services and the network element handling location services can be the same. Alternatively, the SF can be co-located with other core network elements, such as the AMF (Auxiliary Location Detector). The LMF is the core network element in the 5GC that provides control plane positioning. It can calculate and feedback location information in the 5G network, providing functions such as positioning process management, UE capability acquisition, auxiliary data provision, and UE location estimation. Optionally, if the SF and LMF are co-located, the LMF and the gateway mobile location center (GMLC) can be functionally enhanced to support basic sensing functions. The GMLC can be the first network element within the operator's network to process sensing requests, performing privacy checks or authorization functions, routing sensing requests to the AMF, or performing LMF selection, etc.

[0095] For example, if the SF and LMF are co-located, an additional interface can be added between the LMF and GMLC to transmit information related to awareness services, such as adding an NL9 interface. Additionally, interfaces related to the LMF and GMLC (such as one or more of the following: NL1 interface between AMF and LMF, NL2 interface between AMF and GMLC, NL5 interface between NEF and GMLC, or NL6 interface between UDM and GMLC) can also support the transmission of information related to awareness services, as detailed below.

[0096] N33: The interface between AF and NEF, through which information such as the type of sensing business, business requirements, and sensing results can be transmitted.

[0097] NL5: The interface between NEF and GMLC, through which information such as the type of sensing business, business requirements, and sensing results can be transmitted.

[0098] NL6: The interface between GMLC and UDM, through which privacy inspection data can be transferred.

[0099] NL2: The interface between NEF and AMF, through which information such as the perceived business type, business requirements, and perceived results can be transmitted.

[0100] NL1: The interface between AMF and LMF, through which information such as perceived business type, business requirements, and perceived results can be transmitted.

[0101] NL9: A new interface between GMLC and LMF, through which information such as the type of sensing business, business requirements, and sensing results can be transmitted.

[0102] Referring again to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of another potential sensing network architecture based on 5GC, the network architecture shown in Figure 2 can also be another application scenario of the embodiments of this application.

[0103] In the network architecture shown in Figure 2, the SF (Sensitive Detection) is relatively independent of the existing core network elements. The SF requires little or no interaction with the core network elements. For scenarios where sensing needs exist only in a specific area, or where sensing is the only requirement, this network architecture can provide sensing services without requiring 5GC control or only requiring some network elements to participate in control. Furthermore, localized deployment of the SF ensures that sensing measurement data or results do not leave the campus, thus meeting enterprises' needs for the security and privacy of sensing measurement data or results, and reducing sensing latency. This network architecture is relatively simple, flexible, efficient, has few transmission nodes, and is easy to deploy. Optionally, this network architecture can support UE-related sensing needs, and implementation schemes for functions such as authorization, mobility management, and billing can be considered as needed.

[0104] In this network architecture, the SF can directly establish a connection with the RAN node. Control plane sensing signaling and user plane sensing measurement data can be transmitted via the newly defined interface NS1. When the UE participates in sensing, control plane signaling can be forwarded to the SF via the AMF, and sensing measurement data can be transmitted via NS1. Furthermore, there can also be an interface between the SF and 5GC network elements (such as AMF, NEF, or NWDAF) to control the AF to provide sensing service requirements to the SF through core network functions. The interface between the SF and 5GC network elements is described below.

[0105] NS1: A new interface between the SF and (R)AN, which can transmit sensing control signaling or sensing measurement data. In one implementation, the SF can also be deployed on the RAN side; for example, the SF can be co-located with access network equipment (e.g., a base station), or the SF can be a standalone device within the access network.

[0106] NS2: A new interface that may be added between SF and AMF. This interface can receive awareness service requirements from UE, or transmit signaling between SF and other network elements in the core network, such as transmitting interaction messages between SF and UDM.

[0107] NS3: A potential new interface between SF and NEF. This interface can transmit signaling between SF and the service-side AF via NEF, and can also expose the sensing results to the AF. The interaction between SF and AF may not go through NEF. In actual deployment, NS2 and NS3 may be chosen as one of the two options. That is, the AF can send sensing service requests indirectly to SF or directly to SF (without NEF) via NS2 (NEF); or, the AF can send sensing service requests to SF via N33 (NEF) and NS2 (AMF).

[0108] NS4: A potential new interface between SF and NWDAF, through which SF and NWDAF can jointly perform intelligent analysis and prediction to generate perception results.

[0109] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as LTE systems, or to 5G systems, such as NR systems, or to next-generation mobile communication systems or other similar communication systems, such as sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication systems, or to existing satellite mobile communication systems. No specific limitations are imposed. For example, Figures 1 and 2 are based on 5GC. In addition, SF can also be deployed in other networks, such as 6G networks, or other future communication networks.

[0110] Please refer to Figure 3A, which is a schematic diagram of an integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) scenario. Figure 3A includes a network device and multiple UEs. For example, UE1 and the network device adopt a dual-site sensing mode, where UE1 is the transmitter of the sensing signal (or, fusion sensing signal), and the network device is the receiver of the echo signal of the sensing signal (or, fusion sensing signal). UE3 and the network device also adopt a dual-site sensing mode, where the network device is the transmitter of the sensing signal (or, fusion sensing signal), and UE3 is the receiver of the echo signal of the sensing signal (or, fusion sensing signal). The network device and UE2 are communicating and can transmit communication signals. Figure 3A also includes a single-site sensing mode, where the network device's sensing of scatterer 3 and scatterer 5 is performed in a single-site sensing mode. In addition, in Figure 3A, the network device can send communication signals to UE4, and the network device can also send sensing signals or fusion signals. UE4 can receive communication signals. If the network device sends a fusion signal, then UE4 can also receive the fusion signal. The network device adopts a single-site sensing mode, and the network device can also receive the echo signal reflected by the scatterer 4 from the sensing signal or fusion signal.

[0111] Figure 3A uses UE3 as a vehicle and scatterer 3 as a human body as an example. There are no restrictions on the types of other UEs and scatterers. Figure 3A uses one network device as an example; in reality, there may be many more network devices.

[0112] Furthermore, for sensing, depending on the sender and receiver of the sensing signal, the sensing mode can be divided into two types: single-station sensing and dual-station sensing. Single-station sensing, also known as self-transmitting and self-receiving mode, refers to the same device transmitting the sensing signal and receiving the echo signal reflected, scattered, or diffracted by the target, as shown in Figure 3B, where both the transmitting and receiving devices are device 1. Dual-station sensing, also known as A-transmitting and B-receiving mode or self-transmitting and other-receiving mode, refers to different devices transmitting the sensing signal and receiving the echo signal reflected, scattered, or diffracted by the target, as shown in Figure 3C, where the transmitting device is device 2 and the receiving device is device 3. Figures 3B and 3C both use a vehicle as an example of a target (or scatterer). For example, in Figure 3B, device 1 is a base station. In single-station sensing mode, the base station transmits the sensing signal, and the base station receives the echo signal generated by the reflection, scattering, or diffraction of this sensing signal by scatterers in the environment (such as the vehicle in Figure 3B) for environmental sensing. For example, in Figure 3C, device 2 is a base station and device 3 is a UE. In dual-site sensing mode, the base station transmits a sensing signal, and the UE receives the echo signal generated by the reflection, scattering, or diffraction of this sensing signal by a scatterer in the environment (such as a vehicle in Figure 3C) to perform environmental sensing. The time delay of the echo signal relative to the transmitted sensing signal reflects the distance between the base station and the scatterer; the Doppler shift of the echo signal relative to the transmitted sensing signal reflects the velocity of the scatterer.

[0113] The embodiments of this application can be applied to the scenarios shown in Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3A, Figure 3B, or Figure 3C, or can be used in other scenarios, such as any scenario involving sensing services.

[0114] The signal transmission method provided in this application can be applied to fourth-generation (4G) communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) communication systems, and also to fifth-generation (5G) communication systems, such as 5G new radio (NR) communication systems, or to various communication systems evolving after 5G, such as future communication systems. The method provided in this application can also be applied to Bluetooth systems, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, long-range radio (LoRa) systems, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems. The method provided in this application can also be applied to satellite communication systems, wherein the satellite communication system can be integrated with the aforementioned communication systems. The method provided in this application can be used in scenarios requiring only sensing, or in scenarios integrating communication and sensing (e.g., the scenario shown in Figure 3A). For example, some or all of the multiple signals in this application embodiment can be used only for sensing (e.g., sensing signals), or can be used for both sensing and communication (e.g., sensing fusion signals).

[0115] The method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In various embodiments of this application, the signal used to implement the sensing function or sensing service is referred to as the sensing signal. The sensing signal is transmitted through reflection, scattering, or diffraction, and the sensing device (e.g., the second device) can determine the relevant characteristics of the sensing target based on the received sensing signal. For example, it can estimate the time delay, Doppler, or angular spectrum information based on the received sensing signal to determine the distance, angle, or velocity of the sensing target. Additionally, the sensing device can also send measurement results, such as point cloud information, distance, angle, or velocity information of the sensing target, to the sensing network element. In the accompanying drawings corresponding to the various embodiments of this application, steps indicated by dashed lines are optional steps. In various embodiments of this application, the first device and the second device can be the same device or different devices. The various embodiments described herein can be applied to the network architecture shown in Figures 1, 2, 3A, 3B, or 3C. For example, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the UE shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the (R)AN shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2; or, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the (R)AN shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the UE shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2; or, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the (R)AN shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may also be the (R)AN; or, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the UE shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may also be the UE. For example, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be UE1, UE3, or UE4 shown in FIG. 3A, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the network device shown in FIG. 3A; or, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be the network device shown in FIG. 3A, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may also be the network device shown in FIG. 3A; or, the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may be UE1, UE3, or UE4 shown in FIG. 3A, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may also be the same UE as the first device. For example, the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may also be device 1 shown in FIG. 3B. For example, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be device 1 shown in FIG. 3B, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may also be device 1 shown in FIG. 3B. For example, the first device described in the various embodiments of this document may be device 2 shown in FIG. 3C, and the second device described in the various embodiments of this document may be device 3 shown in FIG. 3C.

[0116] This application provides a signal transmission method. Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flowchart of the method.

[0117] S401, The first device sends multiple signals for sensing. Correspondingly, the second device receives the multiple signals. The number of the multiple signals may be greater than or equal to 2.

[0118] These multiple signals may be used for sensing rather than communication, or they may be used for both sensing and communication. These multiple signals may be sent to a second device, but they may be reflected, scattered, or diffracted by a sensing target in the environment. Therefore, the signal received by the second device may be the result of reflection and / or scattering and / or diffraction of these multiple signals by the sensing target in the environment. It can be understood that the first device sends multiple signals, and the signal received by the second device is still the same multiple signals, but because these multiple signals have undergone reflection and / or scattering and / or diffraction by the sensing target, the channel corresponding to the multiple signals sent by the first device and the transmission path corresponding to the multiple signals received by the second device may be different.

[0119] Each of the multiple signals can correspond to a sequence, and these multiple signals can correspond to multiple sequences. The correspondence between one signal and one sequence can be understood as the signal being generated from that sequence. For example, one of the multiple signals can be a time-domain sequence obtained by processing the sequence corresponding to that signal using DFT, inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT), or similar methods. Optionally, the PAPR of these multiple sequences can be low; for example, the PAPR of all multiple sequences can be below a first threshold, thereby extending the battery life of the first device and reducing its radio frequency cost.

[0120] As an alternative implementation, each of the plurality of sequences can be generated based on golay complementary sequences (GCS), and each of the plurality of sequences can be obtained by phase modulation based on GCS. GCS helps to reduce PAPR, therefore, using GCS to generate the plurality of sequences can effectively reduce the PAPR of the plurality of signals.

[0121] Optionally, each of the plurality of sequences can be a CPM sequence, and this will be used as an example in the following description. The following example illustrates one method of generating CPM sequences, where the CPM sequence can be any one of the plurality of sequences.

[0122] 1. The first device generates a golay complementary pair (GCP), where GCP can also be understood as a golay complementary sequence pair.

[0123] The GCP may include a first sequence and a second sequence, for example, referred to as sequence C and sequence D, respectively. Optionally, both sequence C and sequence D are GCS. Sequence C, for example, satisfies the following relation: C(x1,x2,…x v )=f(x1,x2,…x v )+c (Formula 1)

[0124] Sequence D satisfies, for example, the following relation:

[0125] Where x1, x2, ... x v Let v represent the elements in the sequence, v represent the length of the first sequence and also the length of the second sequence, and the length of the CPM sequence to be generated is also v. c and c′ are both integers less than q, where q represents the modulation order. π represents the permutation transpose array {1,2,…,v}, π(1) represents the first value in the permutation transpose array, x k This represents the base sequence.

[0126] f(x1,x2,…x v For example, the following relationship is satisfied:

[0127] c k q is an integer less than q. π(k) represents the k-th value in the transpose array π.

[0128] 2. The first device performs differential processing on sequence C and sequence D respectively.

[0129] The differencing sequence C satisfies, for example, the following relationship: C i =(2*C i -1)(2*C i-1 -1),C -1 =1 (Formula 4)

[0130] C i Let C represent the sequence after difference.

[0131] The differencing sequence D satisfies, for example, the following relation: D i =(2*D i -1)(2*D i-1 -1),D -1 =1 (Formula 5)

[0132] Di Let D represent the sequence after difference.

[0133] 3. The first device obtains a continuous signal based on the differential sequence C and the differential sequence D, and this continuous signal is represented by, for example, s.

[0134] Optionally, the first device can concatenate the differentially derived sequences C and D, and then perform phase modulation on the concatenated sequence to obtain signal s. For example, the first device can input the concatenated sequence into a CPM modulator, which can perform phase modulation and output signal s. This signal s, for example, satisfies the following relationship:

[0135] Where t represents time, β represents the M-dimensional modulation symbol, and h represents the digital modulation index. Where floor(x) represents flooring down x. T represents the symbol period, J represents the length of β, and L represents the impulse length. The signal s in Equation 6 is, for example, obtained through recursive CPM modulation (or phase modulation).

[0136] Alternatively, the signal s may satisfy the following relationship:

[0137] Where M represents the modulation order. The meanings of the other parameters in Equation 7 can be found in the preceding sections. The signal s in Equation 7 is, for example, obtained through non-recursive CPM modulation (or phase modulation). Furthermore, if signal s satisfies Equation 7, then β... -1 =β J-1 ,…,β -L =β J-L This means that the signal s satisfies the tail-biting property. The tail-biting property refers to the fact that the elements at the beginning and end of a signal s are the same or similar. The tail-biting property reflects the cyclicity of the sequence, which helps maintain the phase of the signal s, reducing phase jumps and thus lowering the PAPR (Phase-Adjustable Response Rate).

[0138] Alternatively, the first device (or CPM modulator) may employ other phase modulation methods, in which case the signal s may satisfy other relationships, without any restrictions.

[0139] 4. The first device samples the signal s to obtain a discrete CPM sequence.

[0140] This discrete CPM sequence is denoted by, for example, y. Optionally, y can satisfy the following relationship:

[0141] Where, β iLet represent the i-th M-dimensional modulation symbol of the input. h represents the digital modulation index. L represents the impulse length, which also indicates the relationship between the current output and the number of previous input symbol values. q(t) is a globally smooth function, gradually increasing in the range 0 ≤ t ≤ LT, remaining constant in the range t ≥ LT, and zero in the range t < 0. N represents the sampling rate, and J represents the length of β. T represents the symbol period, which can be 1.

[0142] Alternatively, steps 3 and 4 above can be omitted, or phase modulation and sampling can be skipped. Instead, the first device can concatenate the differential sequence C and the differential sequence D obtained in step 2. The discrete CPM sequence can be directly obtained from the concatenated sequence, for example, represented as y. n For example, y n The following relationship must be satisfied:

[0143] 5. The first device processes discrete CPM sequences (e.g., sequence y or sequence y'). n Perform a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) to obtain the frequency domain sequence.

[0144] For example, the first device can first multiply the CPM sequence with the mask sequence, and then perform a DFT on the resulting sequence. The DFT-derived sequence is the frequency domain sequence. For example, the mask sequence could be [1,-1,1,-1,…,1,-1]. Alternatively, the first device can first perform a DFT on the CPM sequence, and then perform a cyclic shift on the DFT-derived sequence. The cyclic shift-derived sequence is the frequency domain sequence. The number of bits used in the cyclic shift is, for example, half the length of the DFT-derived sequence.

[0145] Through the above process, the first device generates a CPM sequence. Taking the example of multiple sequences corresponding to multiple signals being CPM sequences, this CPM sequence can be a discrete CPM sequence as described above (e.g., sequence y or sequence y'). n Alternatively, it could be a frequency domain sequence as described above. The first device can generate the plurality of CPM sequences in the manner described above.

[0146] In this plurality of signals, at least two signals may correspond to different CPM sequences. Optionally, all N CPM sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals may be different. For CPM sequences, the sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of different CPM sequences may be complementary. If at least two signals correspond to different CPM sequences, then the sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the CPM sequences corresponding to the at least two signals may be complementary. For the receiving end of the plurality of signals (e.g., the second device), when receiving signal A (signal A may be any of the plurality of signals), the CPM sequence corresponding to signal A may be autocorrelated with the CPM sequence stored in the second device (or may be considered as determining the autocorrelation function of signal A), thereby sensing the corresponding sensing target based on the main correlation peak of signal A, and performing imaging processing on the sensing target (imaging processing includes, for example, determining the position of the sensing target). For example, the second device may determine the position of the sensing target based on the position of the main correlation peak of signal A. If the sidelobes of the autocorrelation function of signal A are high, it may result in other prominent correlation peaks besides the main correlation peak, which may be close to the main correlation peak. These other correlation peaks are called sidelobes. If the peak value of the sidelobes is high, the second device may mistakenly identify the sidelobes as the main correlation peak of signal A, leading to a sensing error in the second device. Therefore, in this embodiment, the sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the CPM sequences corresponding to at least two of the signals can be complementary. This complementarity can include multiple sidelobes of the autocorrelation function of the CPM sequence corresponding to one signal (e.g., any signal) being complementary, and / or the sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the two CPM sequences corresponding to any two signals being complementary. If two sidelobes are complementary, it means that these two sidelobes can cancel each other out, thereby reducing the peak value of the sidelobes, reducing the influence of the sidelobes on the main correlation peak, and thus reducing the probability of sensing errors in the second device, which is beneficial to improving sensing accuracy.

[0147] As an optional implementation, this application embodiment can group CPM sequences, where each group (or sequence group, hereinafter referred to as such) can include at least two CPM sequences. Each sequence group can correspond to a group number to distinguish different sequence groups. Optionally, the CPM sequence generation process can be related to the group number; for example, CPM sequences within a sequence group can be generated based on the group number of that sequence group. For instance, β in formulas 6, 7, 8, or 9 described above can be related to the group number, or other parameters in any one or more formulas 1 to 9 described above can be related to the group number. The sidelobes of the autocorrelation function corresponding to any two CPM sequences within each sequence group can be complementary. Optionally, before grouping, the sidelobes of the autocorrelation function corresponding to any two CPM sequences can also be complementary; or it can be understood that the sidelobes of the autocorrelation function corresponding to any two CPM sequences, whether within the same sequence group or different sequence groups, can be complementary. This application embodiment groups CPM sequences to group CPM sequences with better complementary performance into one group. For example, the sidelobe complementarity of the autocorrelation function corresponding to any two CPM sequences within the same sequence group can be better than that of any two CPM sequences within different sequence groups. Specifically, if the sidelobe complementarity of the autocorrelation function corresponding to two CPM sequences is better, it indicates that the two sidelobes can better cancel each other out, resulting in a lower sidelobe peak and a smaller impact on the main correlation peak.

[0148] For example, one grouping method can be found in Table 1.

[0149] Table 1

[0150] In Table 1, the values ​​in the "CPM Sequence" column (e.g., sequence 0, sequence 1, etc.) can be used to indicate the corresponding CPM sequence, which can be understood as the index, number, or identifier (ID) of the CPM sequence; the "group number" column on the right indicates the group number of the sequence groups divided in this embodiment. In Table 1, sequences 0, 6, and 7 belong to sequence group 0; sequences 1, 8, and 9 belong to sequence group 1; sequences 5, 12, and 14 belong to sequence group 2; sequences 2, 10, and 11 belong to sequence group 3; and sequences 3, 4, and 13 belong to sequence group 4. Optionally, after grouping, each CPM sequence within each sequence group can be further numbered. For example, for sequence group 0, sequence 0 can be numbered 0, sequence 6 can be numbered 1, and sequence 7 can be numbered 2. The same applies to other sequence groups.

[0151] Optionally, the packet information can be predefined through a protocol. For example, the first device can obtain predefined first information, which can indicate K sequence groups, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Alternatively, the packet information can also be pre-configured in the first device, which can determine the pre-configured K sequence groups. For example, the first device can obtain pre-configured first information, which can indicate K sequence groups. Alternatively, another device can perform packet processing and then configure the packet information to the first device. For example, the other device can send the first information, which the first device receives, and the first information can indicate or configure K sequence groups. This other device could be, for example, a second device, or other network devices, UEs, or servers besides the second device.

[0152] The first information indicates (or configures) K sequence groups. One indication method includes the first information indicating the group number of the K sequence groups. Alternatively, the first information may also indicate the CPM sequence included in each of the K sequence groups. Taking Table 1 as an example, Table 1 may also include specific sequences 0 to 14 (for example, Table 1 may also add a column). Then, the first device, having obtained the first information, can not only determine the K sequence groups but also the specific CPM sequence included in each sequence group. This method eliminates the need for the first device to obtain the specific CPM sequence through other means, simplifying the implementation of the first device.

[0153] Alternatively, the first information may also indicate parameters corresponding to each of the K sequence groups, wherein the parameters corresponding to a sequence group can be used to generate the CPM sequences included in that sequence group. Taking Table 1 as an example, Table 1 may also include parameters corresponding to each of sequence groups 0 to 4. The parameters corresponding to a sequence group may include one or more of h, J, or L, where h represents the digital modulation index, J represents the length of β, and L represents the impulse length. Additionally, β represents an M-dimensional modulation symbol. The first device, having obtained the first information, can determine the parameters corresponding to each of the K sequence groups, thereby determining the specific CPM sequences included in each sequence group. If a sequence group includes multiple CPM sequences, the parameters corresponding to these multiple CPM sequences may be the same or different. If the parameters corresponding to the multiple CPM sequences are the same, then the first information can indicate a set of parameters for the sequence group, which can be used to generate all CPM sequences in the sequence group; or, if the parameters corresponding to the multiple CPM sequences are different (e.g., different parameter types and / or different parameter values), then the first information can indicate the corresponding parameters for each CPM sequence in the sequence group, and these parameters can all be regarded as the parameters corresponding to the sequence group.

[0154] The first device determines K sequence groups. Which CPM sequence(s) from which the first device uses when transmitting signals can be indicated by other devices. These other devices could be, for example, a second device, or other network devices, UEs, or servers besides the second device. For example, these other devices can send second information indicating N sequence groups among the K sequence groups. Upon receiving the second information, the first device can transmit signals corresponding to the N sequence groups among the K sequence groups. For example, among the multiple CPM sequences corresponding to the multiple signals, at least two CPM sequences are different, and these at least two CPM sequences can belong to the N sequence groups. Optionally, the multiple CPM sequences corresponding to the multiple signals can belong to the N sequence groups. Here, N is a positive integer, K can be a positive integer greater than or equal to N, and K sequence groups can include N sequence groups. It can be understood that the number of sequence groups configured for the first device can be greater than or equal to the number of sequence groups scheduled by other devices for the first device. Furthermore, the number of sequence groups indicated by the second information can also be greater than or equal to the number of sequence groups actually used by the first device. That is, although other devices indicate N sequence groups, the first device can use the CPM sequences in all of the N sequence groups, or it can use the CPM sequences in some of the N sequence groups.

[0155] Optionally, the second information may also indicate the number of multiple signals and / or the coherence time. The first device may transmit the multiple signals within the coherence time. The total number of CPM sequences included in the N sequence groups may be greater than or equal to the number of multiple signals. If N is 1, the first device may transmit multiple CPM sequences within the sequence group within the coherence time; these multiple CPM sequences may be some or all of the CPM sequences within the sequence group. If N is greater than 1, the first device may transmit multiple CPM sequences within the N sequence groups within the coherence time; these multiple CPM sequences may be some or all of the CPM sequences within the N sequence groups. When transmitting multiple signals, the first device may use the N sequence groups sequentially, using all CPM sequences from one sequence group before using the CPM sequences from the next sequence group in the N sequence groups. Optionally, the multiple CPM sequences transmitted by the first device (i.e., multiple CPM sequences corresponding to multiple signals) may include all CPM sequences in N-1 sequence groups out of N sequence groups, and all or part of the CPM sequences in the remaining sequence group out of N sequence groups.

[0156] For example, the second information indicates three sequence groups: sequence group 1 includes three CPM sequences, sequence group 2 includes three CPM sequences, and sequence group 3 includes two CPM sequences. The second information also indicates the number of signals, for example, five. For instance, if the first device first uses the three CPM sequences from sequence group 1 and then uses the two CPM sequences from sequence group 2, the first device has already obtained five CPM sequences, satisfying the signal quantity of five indicated by the second information. Therefore, the first device does not need to use sequence group 3. In this case, N indicated by the second information is 3, while the number of sequence groups corresponding to the multiple signals transmitted by the first device is 2. Furthermore, the first device used all the CPM sequences from sequence group 1 out of the N sequence groups, and all the CPM sequences from sequence group 2 out of the N sequence groups.

[0157] For example, the second information indicates three sequence groups: sequence group 1 includes three CPM sequences, sequence group 2 includes three CPM sequences, and sequence group 3 includes two CPM sequences. The second information also indicates the number of signals, for example, 7. If the first device first uses the three CPM sequences from sequence group 1, then the three CPM sequences from sequence group 2, and then the one CPM sequence from sequence group 3, the first device has obtained seven CPM sequences, satisfying the signal quantity of 7 indicated by the second information. Therefore, the first device does not need to use the other CPM sequences from sequence group 3. In this case, N indicated by the second information is 3, and the number of sequence groups corresponding to the multiple signals sent by the first device is also 3. Furthermore, the first device used all the CPM sequences from sequence group 1 out of the N sequence groups, all the CPM sequences from sequence group 2 out of the N sequence groups, and a portion of the CPM sequences from sequence group 3 out of the N sequence groups.

[0158] At least two of the signals in a plurality of signals correspond to CPM sequences that can belong to N sequence groups (or, the plurality of CPM sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals can belong to N sequence groups), which is equivalent to some or all of the signals in a plurality of signals having CPM sequences that can belong to the same sequence group. The sidelobe complementarity of the autocorrelation function corresponding to any two CPM sequences within the same sequence group is good, which can help improve sensing accuracy. Even if the plurality of CPM sequences corresponding to the plurality of signals include CPM sequences belonging to different sequence groups, as introduced earlier, the sidelobes of the autocorrelation function corresponding to CPM sequences within different sequence groups can still be complementary, thus also improving sensing accuracy.

[0159] Optionally, the method may also include S402, in which the second device performs sensing based on the plurality of signals.

[0160] For example, the second device can receive the multiple signals within the coherent time (actually, the received signals can be the echo signals of the multiple signals), and coherently accumulate all the echo signals received within the coherent time to achieve ranging or speed measurement of the sensed target.

[0161] In this embodiment, the PAPR of the sequences corresponding to the multiple signals can be lower than a first threshold, which can be understood as a lower PAPR of the multiple signals, which is beneficial to extending the battery life of the signal transmitter. Furthermore, the sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the sequences corresponding to at least two of the multiple signals are complementary, reducing the mutual influence between the at least two signals. This allows the second device to correctly identify the main correlation peaks corresponding to the multiple signals when receiving them, thereby improving sensing accuracy. Moreover, this embodiment can also group the CPM sequences, so that the first device sends signals corresponding to CPM sequences belonging to the same sequence group as much as possible. The sidelobe complementarity of the autocorrelation functions of CPM sequences within the same sequence group is better, thereby further improving sensing accuracy.

[0162] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 500 can be the first device or its circuit system as shown in the embodiment of Figure 4, used to implement the method corresponding to the first device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the communication device 500 can be the second device or its circuit system as shown in the embodiment of Figure 4, used to implement the method corresponding to the second device in the above method embodiments. For example, one type of circuit system is a chip system.

[0163] The communication device 500 includes at least one processor 501. The processor 501 can be used for internal processing within the device to implement certain control processing functions. Optionally, the processor 501 includes instructions. Optionally, the processor 501 can store data. Optionally, different processors can be independent devices, located in different physical locations, or located on different integrated circuits. Optionally, different processors can be integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated on one or more integrated circuits.

[0164] Optionally, the communication device 500 includes one or more memories 503 for storing instructions. Optionally, the memories 503 may also store data. The processor and the memories may be separate or integrated together.

[0165] Optionally, the communication device 500 includes a communication line 502 and at least one communication interface 504. Since the memory 503, communication line 502, and communication interface 504 are all optional, they are all represented by dashed lines in Figure 5.

[0166] Optionally, the communication device 500 may further include a transceiver and / or an antenna. The transceiver can be used to send information to or receive information from other devices. The transceiver may be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver circuit, input / output interface, etc., and is used to realize the transmission and reception functions of the communication device 500 via the antenna. Optionally, the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver. For example, the transmitter can be used to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal from a baseband signal, and the receiver can be used to convert the RF signal back into a baseband signal.

[0167] Processor 501 may include a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of programs according to the present application.

[0168] Communication line 502 may include a path for transmitting information between the aforementioned components.

[0169] Communication interface 504 uses any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), wired access network, etc.

[0170] Memory 503 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. Memory 503 may exist independently and be connected to processor 501 via communication line 502. Alternatively, memory 503 may be integrated with processor 501.

[0171] The memory 503 stores computer execution instructions for implementing the scheme of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 501. The processor 501 executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 503, thereby implementing the steps performed by the first or second device in the embodiment shown in FIG4.

[0172] Optionally, the computer execution instructions in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as application code, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0173] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 501 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG5.

[0174] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 500 may include multiple processors, such as processor 501 and processor 505 in FIG. 5. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0175] When the device shown in Figure 5 is a chip, such as the chip of the first device or the chip of the second device (or, the first device is a chip or the second device is a chip), the chip includes a processor 501 (and may also include a processor 505), a communication line 502, and a communication interface 504. Optionally, it may include a memory 503. Specifically, the communication interface 504 may be an input interface, pins, or circuits, etc. The memory 503 may be a register, cache, etc. The processor 501 and processor 505 may be a general-purpose CPU, microprocessor, ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of a program that controls the signal transmission method of any of the above embodiments.

[0176] This application embodiment can divide the device into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, when dividing each functional module according to its own function, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a device. The device 600 can be the first device or the second device involved in the above method embodiments, or a chip in the first device or the second device, or the first device is a chip or the second device is a chip. The device 600 includes a processing unit 602 and a transceiver unit 601.

[0177] It should be understood that the device 600 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first device or the second device in the signal transmission method of the embodiments of this application. The relevant features can be referred to the embodiment shown in Figure 4 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0178] Optionally, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 601 and processing unit 602 in Figure 6 can be implemented by the processor 501 in Figure 5 calling computer execution instructions stored in memory 503. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing unit 602 in Figure 6 can be implemented by the processor 501 in Figure 5 calling computer execution instructions stored in memory 503, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 601 in Figure 6 can be implemented by the communication interface 504 in Figure 5.

[0179] Optionally, when the device 600 is a chip or circuit, the function / implementation process of the transceiver unit 601 can also be implemented through pins or circuits. Optionally, the transceiver unit 601 may include a transmitting unit and / or a receiving unit, whereby the transmitting unit implements the transmitting function and the receiving unit implements the receiving function; or, the transceiver unit 601 may be an integral module capable of implementing both transmitting and / or receiving functions. Optionally, the transceiver unit 601 can be implemented using a transceiver.

[0180] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, implement the methods performed by the first or second device in the aforementioned method embodiments. Thus, the functions described in the above embodiments can be implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to it, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0181] This application also provides a computer program product comprising: computer program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method executed by the first or second device in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0182] This application also provides a processing apparatus, including a processor and an interface; the processor is used to execute the method executed by the first or second apparatus involved in any of the above method embodiments.

[0183] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0184] The various illustrative logic units and circuits described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented or operate the described functions using a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor; alternatively, it can be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented using a combination of computing devices, such as a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other similar configuration.

[0185] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in the embodiments of this application can be directly embedded in hardware, software units executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software units can be stored in RAM, flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium in the art. Exemplarily, the storage medium can be connected to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium can also be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium can be disposed in an ASIC, which can be disposed in the terminal device. Optionally, the processor and storage medium can also be disposed in different components of the terminal device.

[0186] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0187] The contents of the various embodiments of this application can be referenced to each other. Unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0188] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the first device and / or the second device may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples. In the embodiments of this application, other operations or variations of various operations may also be performed. Furthermore, the steps may be performed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessary to perform all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

Claims

A signal transmission method, characterized in that, The method includes: Multiple signals for sensing are transmitted, wherein at least two of the signals correspond to different sequences, and the sequences corresponding to the at least two signals belong to N groups out of K groups, wherein each of the K groups includes at least two sequences, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and N is a positive integer. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the at least two sequences included in each group are complementary. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals belong to the N groups, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals include all sequences in N-1 of the N groups, and all or part of the sequences in the remaining group of the N groups. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The K groups are predefined or preconfigured; or, The method further includes: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate the K groups. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate the sequence included in each of the K groups; or, The first information is also used to indicate the parameters corresponding to each of the K groups, the parameters being used to generate the sequence included in each group. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information, which is used to indicate the N groups. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second information is also used to indicate the number of the plurality of signals, and / or to indicate the coherence time, wherein the coherence time is used to transmit the plurality of signals. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Send multiple signals for sensing, including: The plurality of signals are transmitted within the coherent time. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals are all different. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals are generated based on the Gray complement sequence. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals are all continuous phase modulation (CPM) sequences. A signal transmission method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive multiple signals for sensing, wherein at least two of the signals correspond to different sequences, and the sequences corresponding to the at least two signals belong to N groups out of K groups, wherein each of the K groups includes at least two sequences, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and N is a positive integer. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The sidelobes of the autocorrelation functions of the at least two sequences included in each group are complementary. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals belong to the N groups, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals include all sequences in N-1 of the N groups, and all or part of the sequences in the remaining group of the N groups. The method according to claim 13 or 14 is characterized in that, The K groups are predefined or preconfigured; or, The method further includes sending first information, the first information being used to indicate the K groups. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate the sequence included in each of the K groups; or, The first information is also used to indicate the parameters corresponding to each of the K groups, the parameters being used to generate the sequence included in each group. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message, which is used to indicate the N groups. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second information is also used to indicate the number of the plurality of signals, and / or to indicate the coherence time, wherein the coherence time is used to transmit the plurality of signals. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that, Receive multiple signals for sensing, including: The plurality of signals are received within the coherent time. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals are all different. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 20, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals are generated based on the Gray complement sequence. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 21, characterized in that, The sequences corresponding to the multiple signals are all CPM sequences. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sensing is performed based on the multiple signals. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 23. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor, which is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 23 to be performed. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 23.

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