Positioning method and related apparatus

Abstract

A positioning method and related apparatus. Given x locations, a first communication apparatus is located at an i-th location among the x locations and a second communication apparatus is located at a j-th location among the x locations. The second communication apparatus sends a first signal. Correspondingly, the first communication apparatus receives the first signal sent by the second communication apparatus. Further, the first signal sent by the second communication apparatus at the j-th location is reflected by a first tag, to obtain a second signal. The second signal is then sent to the first communication apparatus at the i-th location. In other words, the first communication apparatus receives the second signal, and the second signal is obtained after the first signal is reflected by the first tag. The first signal and the second signal may be used to determine a location of the first tag. In the present application, the location of the first tag is determined on the basis of the first signal and the second signal. Therefore, in the process of locating the first tag, enriched information is provided and the positioning accuracy is improved.

Description

A positioning method and related device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411047734.5, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on July 31, 2024, entitled “A Positioning Method and Related Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a positioning method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of IoT technology, it has attracted widespread attention in the field of wireless communication. IoT technology, by reducing the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices, enables the deployment of hundreds or even trillions of IoT devices for various applications, providing added value to the entire industry chain to improve productivity and quality of life.

[0004] In the location process of AIoT (Ambient Internet of Things) devices, the reader sends a request signal to AIoT devices within its coverage area. Upon receiving the request signal, the AIoT device sends a response signal back to the reader. By receiving the response signal, the reader can identify that the AIoT device is within its coverage area, meaning it is near the reader.

[0005] However, in the aforementioned inventory scenario, the AIoT device can only be located near a specific Reader. Since a single Reader has a coverage area of ​​up to 50 meters, this means the system can only indicate a circular area with a radius of 50 meters centered on the Reader for the user to locate the AIoT device. Therefore, this positioning method has low accuracy and urgently needs improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a positioning method and related apparatus for improving positioning accuracy.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a positioning method. This method is executed by a first communication device, which may be a network device or a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device may be a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software within the network device or terminal device. In this application, the term "communication device" may refer to the communication device itself, or to the chip, communication module, integrated circuit, processor, logic module, or software within the communication device used to implement the positioning method provided in this application; no specific limitation is made in this application.

[0008] In the positioning method of this application, x positions are known, where x is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The first communication device is located at the i-th position among the x positions, and the second communication device is located at the j-th position among the x positions, where i is a positive integer less than or equal to x, j is an integer less than or equal to x, and i is not equal to j. In this application, the first communication device acts as a reader at the i-th position, while the second communication device acts as a CW node at the j-th position, transmitting a first signal. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first signal transmitted by the second communication device at the i-th position. In other words, the first signal is the signal emitted by the second communication device at the j-th position.

[0009] Furthermore, the first signal emitted by the second communication device at position j is reflected by the first tag to obtain the second signal. The second signal is then transmitted to the first communication device at position i. In other words, the first communication device receives the second signal, which is obtained by reflecting the first signal through the first tag.

[0010] Therefore, after the first signal is emitted from the second communication device at position j, it reaches the first communication device at position i through different transmission paths. Since the second signal arrives at the first communication device after being reflected from the first signal by the first tag, the first communication device receives the first signal first, and then receives the second signal. The first and second signals can be used to determine the position of the first tag.

[0011] In this application, the position of the first tag is determined based on the first signal and the second signal. This provides richer information and improves positioning accuracy during the location of the first tag.

[0012] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first communication device sends first indication information, which indicates that the signal (including the first signal in this application) is reflected only by the first tag. The phrase "the first indication information indicates that the signal is reflected only by the first tag" can be understood as "the first indication information indicates that the signal is reflected only by the first tag within a preset time period," or it can be understood as "the first indication information indicates that the next signal (e.g., the first signal) will be reflected only by the first tag." After each tag (including the first tag) receives the first indication information, if the first signal sent by the second communication device hits these tags, only the first tag will reflect the first signal to obtain the second signal. Other tags besides the first tag will not reflect the first signal, thereby avoiding interference with the second signal reflected by the first tag and improving positioning accuracy.

[0013] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the second signal reflected by the first tag carries the identifier of the first tag. Then, after receiving the second signal, the first communication device can parse the identifier of the first tag from the second signal, thereby determining that the second signal was reflected by the first tag. This prevents signals reflected by other tags from being mistaken by the first communication device as the second signal reflected by the first tag, improving positioning accuracy. Optionally, the identifier of the first tag can be carried at the beginning of the second signal so that the second communication device can more quickly identify that the second signal was reflected by the first tag; or, the identifier of the first tag can also be carried in the middle or end of the reflected signal, thereby reducing the influence of the identifier of the first tag on the amplitude and phase of the second signal and ensuring the signal quality of the second signal.

[0014] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first communication device can determine first information indicating the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag. Specifically, the power of the first signal when it reaches the first tag is the transmission power of the first signal minus path loss, where path loss refers to the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag. Generally, the greater the distance between the second communication device and the first tag, the greater the path loss, meaning the lower the power of the first signal received by the first tag after it is transmitted from the second communication device, and the greater the power reduction of the first signal. Conversely, the shorter the distance between the second communication device and the first tag, the smaller the path loss, meaning the higher the power of the first signal received by the first tag after it is transmitted from the second communication device, and the smaller the power reduction of the first signal. Therefore, the power reduction of the first signal in the first information can be used to indicate the distance between the second communication device and the first tag, and thus to determine the position of the first tag. Through this method, richer information is provided during the positioning of the first tag, improving positioning accuracy.

[0015] Based on the first aspect, in one optional embodiment, the first communication device sends second indication information to the second communication device, the second indication information indicating the transmission power of the first signal. Accordingly, after receiving the second indication information, the second communication device transmits the first signal according to the transmission power indicated by the second indication information.

[0016] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first communication device first determines location information, which is used to indicate x locations in this application. Thus, richer information is provided during the location of the first tag, improving positioning accuracy.

[0017] Based on the first aspect, in an optional embodiment, after the first communication device receives the first signal and the second signal, the first communication device determines a first time difference, which is the time difference between the time when the first communication device receives the first signal and the time when it receives the second signal. In this application, the transmission paths of the first signal and the second signal received by the first communication device are different, and the process of the first tag receiving the first signal and reflecting it to obtain the second signal also takes time. The time difference between the time when the first communication device receives the first signal and the time when it receives the second signal is the first time difference in this application. This first time difference can be used to determine the position of the first tag. Therefore, richer information is provided in the process of locating the first tag, improving the positioning accuracy.

[0018] Based on the first aspect, in one optional embodiment, the first communication device includes a physical layer and a higher layer. The physical layer of the first communication device receives a first signal and a second signal, and determines a first time difference. Then, the physical layer of the first communication device reports the first time difference to the higher layer of the first communication device, so that the higher layer of the first communication device can determine the location of the first tag based on the first time difference. Optionally, the higher layer of the first communication device is a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio resource control (RRC) layer, or an application layer.

[0019] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the first communication device sends third indication information to the third communication device, the third indication information being used to indicate a first time difference. In this way, the first communication device does not need to determine the location of the first tag, but the third communication device determines the location of the first tag based on the first time difference indicated by the third indication information, thus reducing the computing power overhead of the first communication device.

[0020] Based on the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the process of the first tag receiving the first signal and reflecting it to obtain the second signal takes time. In fact, the first time difference includes not only the time difference caused by the first signal traveling through two paths, but also the time difference between the time the first tag receives the first signal and the time it reflects the first signal. Therefore, the first communication device can determine a second time difference, which is the time difference between the time the first tag receives the first signal and the time it reflects the first signal. This second time difference can also be used to determine the position of the first tag. Thus, in the process of locating the first tag, the second time difference provides richer information and improves the positioning accuracy.

[0021] Based on the first aspect, in an optional implementation, after the first communication device determines the location of the first tag, the first communication device sends four indication messages to the fourth communication device, the fourth indication messages indicating the location of the first tag. The fourth indication messages include one or more of the following:

[0022] The offset between the position of the fourth communication device and the position of the first tag;

[0023] The distance between the fourth communication device and the first tag;

[0024] The coordinate difference between the fourth communication device and the first tag;

[0025] The position information of the first label.

[0026] Optionally, the fourth communication device is a user-held terminal device. After receiving the fourth instruction information through the terminal device, the user can search for the first tag according to the location of the first tag indicated by the fourth instruction information.

[0027] Optionally, the fourth communication device and the second communication device may be the same device.

[0028] Optionally, the fourth communication device and the second communication device may be the same device.

[0029] Optionally, the fourth communication device is located at one of the x locations known in this application.

[0030] Secondly, this application provides a communication device, which is a first communication device, wherein x positions are known, wherein the first communication device is located at the i-th position among the x positions, the second communication device is located at the j-th position among the x positions, x is an integer greater than or equal to 2, i is an integer less than or equal to x, j is an integer less than or equal to x, and i is not equal to j.

[0031] The communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is used to receive a first signal, wherein the first signal is transmitted by the second communication device at a j-th position; the transceiver unit is also used to receive a second signal, which is obtained by reflecting the first signal after passing through a first tag, and the first signal and the second signal are used to determine the position of the first tag.

[0032] In the third aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in various possible implementations of the first aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0033] Based on the second aspect, in an optional implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit first indication information, which is used to indicate that the signal is reflected only by the first tag.

[0034] Based on the second aspect, in one alternative implementation, the second signal carries the identifier of the first tag.

[0035] Based on the second aspect, in an optional implementation, a processing unit is configured to determine first information, the first information indicating the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag, and the first information is used to determine the location of the first tag.

[0036] Based on the second aspect, in an optional implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit second indication information, which is used to indicate the transmission power of the first signal.

[0037] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, the processing unit is used to determine location information, which is used to indicate x locations.

[0038] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, the processing unit is configured to determine a first time difference, which is the time difference between the time when the first communication device receives the first signal and the time when it receives the second signal, and the first time difference is used to determine the position of the first tag.

[0039] Based on the second aspect, in an optional implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to send third indication information to the third communication device, the third indication information being used to indicate the first time difference.

[0040] Based on the second aspect, in one optional implementation, the processing unit is configured to determine a second time difference, which is the time difference between the time when the first tag receives the first signal and the time when the first signal is reflected, and the second time difference is used to determine the position of the first tag.

[0041] Based on the second aspect, in an optional implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to send fourth indication information to the fourth communication device, the fourth indication information being used to indicate the location of the first tag.

[0042] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to enable the communication device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of the first aspect. Optionally, the communication device may include the memory.

[0043] A fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method described in any of the possible implementations of the first aspect described above.

[0044] The fifth aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes the first communication device, the second communication device, and the first tag described above.

[0045] A sixth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of the first aspect above.

[0046] The seventh aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0047] The eighth aspect of this application provides a chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the method described in any possible implementation of the first aspect above.

[0048] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0049] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects two through eight can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspect one above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a possible application scenario for AIoT devices;

[0051] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another possible application scenario for AIoT devices;

[0052] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a possible positioning scheme for AIoT devices;

[0053] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting system in this application;

[0054] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a search and find scenario;

[0055] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another possible, non-limiting system in this application;

[0056] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another item-finding scenario;

[0057] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the positioning method in this application;

[0058] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of one possible implementation of x positions in this application;

[0059] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another possible implementation of x positions in this application;

[0060] Figures 11 to 14 are schematic diagrams showing the location of the first label in this application;

[0061] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a structure of the first label provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 17 is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device provided in this application;

[0064] Figure 18 is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0065] The present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used in the embodiments section is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with technological advancements and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0066] First, some of the nouns or terms used in this application will be explained, and these nouns or terms are also part of the content of the invention.

[0067] (1) The terms “system” and “network” in this application are used interchangeably. “Multiple” refers to two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. 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. “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 and C” includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. Unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” mentioned in this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0068] (2) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the process by which a network device or server sends configuration information or parameter values ​​to a terminal device via messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0069] It should be understood that these values ​​and parameters can change or be updated.

[0070] (3) In this application, “instruction” may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, and may also include explicit instruction and implicit instruction. When a certain instruction information is used to instruct A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly instructs A, or indirectly instructs A.

[0071] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon, for example, by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-predefined) arrangement of various information to indicate specific information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0072] (4) Terminal equipment, also known as terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), fixed wireless access (FWA), or customer premises equipment (CPE), etc., is a device that includes wireless communication functions (providing voice / data connectivity to users). Examples include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, in-vehicle devices, and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving (e.g., drones, vehicles), wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. For example, wireless terminals in self-driving can be drones, helicopters, or airplanes. For example, wireless terminals in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) can be in-vehicle equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, or ships. Wireless terminals in industrial control can be cameras, robots, or robotic arms. Wireless terminals in smart homes can be televisions, air conditioners, robot vacuums, speakers, or set-top boxes. Terminal devices typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions, and they also contain program instructions for performing those functions.

[0073] (5) A network device is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. A network device may also be called an access network (RAN) entity, access node, network node, access network equipment, or communication device, etc.

[0074] Specifically, the network equipment can be access network equipment for cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, fourth-generation (4G), 5G, or 6G mobile communication systems. The network equipment can also be access network equipment in open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) or cloud radio access network (CRAN). Alternatively, the network equipment can be access network equipment in a communication system formed by the integration of two or more of the above communication systems.

[0075] Network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WIFI) systems, macro base station, micro base station, wireless relay node, donor node, radio controller in CRAN scenarios, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and receiving point (TRP). Network equipment can also be access network equipment in 5G mobile communication systems. For example, a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a new radio (NR) system, a transmission and reception point (TRP), a TP, or one or more antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G mobile communication system. Alternatively, network equipment can also be network nodes constituting a gNB or transmission point. Examples include a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). CUs and DUs can be separate or included in the same network element. For example, a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units. For example, in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). Alternatively, network equipment can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, network devices can be roadside units (RSUs).

[0076] It should be noted that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP) or an open CU-CP, centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP) or an open CU-UP, and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). This application does not impose any specific limitations. Any of the units CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0077] It should be noted that network devices can be devices or apparatuses with chips, or devices or apparatuses with integrated circuits, or chips, chip systems, modules, or control units in the devices or apparatuses shown above; this application does not impose any specific limitations. It should also be noted that in this application, the term "network device" can refer to the network device itself, or to chips, functional modules, or integrated circuits within the network device that implement the methods provided in this application; this application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0078] Next, we will introduce the possible, non-limiting scenarios involved in this application.

[0079] With the development of IoT technology, it has attracted widespread attention in the field of wireless communication. IoT technology, by reducing the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices, allows for the deployment of hundreds or even trillions of IoT devices for various applications, providing added value to the entire industry chain to improve productivity and quality of life.

[0080] Powering hundreds or even trillions of IoT devices through manual battery replacements or charging is impractical. This would result in exorbitant maintenance costs, serious environmental problems, and even security risks in certain use cases, such as wireless sensors in the power and oil industries.

[0081] Most existing wireless communication devices are battery-powered, requiring manual replacement or charging. Automation and digitalization in various industrial settings have opened up many new markets, necessitating new IoT technologies to support battery-free devices without energy storage or IoT devices with energy storage that do not require manual replacement or charging. Such devices must be remarkably small in size to effectively adapt to diverse use cases.

[0082] In practical applications, devices without energy storage capacity, or with limited energy storage that do not require manual replacement or charging, are limited in size and complexity, and the output power of energy harvesters typically ranges from 1 microwatt (μW) to several hundred microwatts (μW). At this power consumption, existing cellular devices may not be able to harvest energy and operate well.

[0083] The following section introduces two main types of AIoT devices and their application scenarios.

[0084] Type 1: Type 1 tags have an output power consumption of approximately 1μW, an energy storage device, and no downlink or uplink signal amplification capability. They can only be used to reflect (i.e., backscatter) signals on an externally provided carrier wave (CW). For ease of distinction, this type 1 tag can also be referred to as Device 1.

[0085] Type 2: Type 2 tags have a peak power of no more than a few hundred μW, possess energy storage capabilities, and can process downlink and / or uplink signals. The tag can generate signals internally or reflect signals via an external carrier. For ease of distinction, Type 2 tags used for signal reflection can be designated Device 2a, and Type 2 tags used for internal signal generation can be designated Device 2b.

[0086] Please refer to Figure 1, which illustrates a possible application scenario for AIoT devices. As shown in Figure 1, the base station communicates directly with the AIoT device. The communication methods between the base station and the AIoT device include the following two: One method, as shown in scenario a of Figure 1, involves the auxiliary UE acting as a carrier node (CW node). The auxiliary UE transmits the carrier signal, which is then reflected by the Type 1 or Type 2 AIoT device (i.e., the tag) for uplink transmission. The other method, as shown in scenario b of Figure 1, involves uplink and downlink signal transmission between the base station and Device 2b (Type 2).

[0087] Please refer to Figure 2, which illustrates another possible application scenario for AIoT devices. As shown in Figure 2, an intermediate node is also deployed in this scenario. This intermediate node is used to forward signals between the base station and the AIoT device. The intermediate node is mobile, and when communicating with the AIoT device, it can perform communication both from the intermediate node to the AIoT device and from the AIoT device to the intermediate node. For Type 1 or Device 2a AIoT devices, the intermediate node can send a carrier wave for the AIoT device to reflect back; alternatively, another carrier node can be introduced in the scenario to send a carrier wave to the AIoT device and reflect it back to the intermediate node.

[0088] In this application, to unify the descriptions of Scenario 1 and Scenario 2, both the base station in Scenario 1 and the intermediate node in Scenario 2 can be referred to as Reader, while the AIoT device or tag can be referred to as Device. Sending signals from Reader to Device can be called R2D, and sending signals from Device to Reader can be called D2R. R2D and D2R are merely names for a communication method. For example, in Scenario 1 as shown in Figure 1, R2D is communication from the base station to the AIoT device, while D2R is communication from the AIoT device to the base station; similarly, in Scenario 2 as shown in Figure 2, R2D is communication from the auxiliary UE to the AIoT device, while D2R is communication from the AIoT device to the auxiliary UE.

[0089] In AIoT device positioning schemes, if a Reader (e.g., a base station or intermediate node) receives a reflected signal or the received reflected signal strength is higher than a certain level, it indicates that the AIoT device is near the base station or intermediate node. Please refer to Figure 3, which illustrates a possible AIoT device positioning scheme. As shown in Figure 3, the base station or UE (intermediate node), acting as the reader, sends a select signal at regular intervals according to inventory requirements, instructing AIoT devices within its coverage area to initiate inventory. The reader then sends one or more query signals, requesting response signals from one or more AIoT devices within its coverage area. These response signals carry the identification information of the AIoT devices. Once the base station / UE successfully receives the response signal, it sends an acknowledgment message to the AIoT device, which then reports the relevant data information to the base station / UE. After receiving the identification or data information, the base station / UE can compare it in its database to identify which items are in stock and which items have not been inventoried. Sending multiple query signals is to avoid conflicts between different UEs using time-division multiplexing. For example, sending four query signals allows each AIoT device to randomly select a different query signal, enabling different AIoT devices to access the base station or intermediate node at different times, thus avoiding mutual conflicts.

[0090] However, in the aforementioned inventory scenario, the AIoT device can only be located near a specific Reader. Since a single Reader has a coverage area of ​​up to 50 meters, this means the system can only indicate a circular area with a radius of 50 meters centered on the Reader for the user to locate the AIoT device. Therefore, this positioning method has low accuracy and urgently needs improvement.

[0091] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a positioning method and related apparatus for improving positioning accuracy. The communication method and related apparatus provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, future communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems, industrial internet communication systems, or satellite communication systems, etc. The wireless communication systems involved in this application also include, but are not limited to, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems.

[0092] For example, please refer to Figure 4, which is a possible, non-limiting system diagram of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the network device communicates directly with the AIoT device. The CW node can have a direct link with the base station, and the signal sent by the CW node is reflected by a Type 1 or Type 2 AIoT device before being transmitted to the network device. Furthermore, the network device can also receive the signal sent by the CW node through the direct path shown in Figure 4.

[0093] Optionally, the communication system illustrated in Figure 4 can be applied to the object-finding scenario shown in Figure 5. The AIoT device is attached to an object, and the user uses a handheld terminal device (as a CW node) to locate the AIoT device, while the network device acts as a reader in this scenario. Using the positioning method described in this application, the reader receives signals sent by the CW node and signals reflected by the AIoT device, thus enabling the reader to determine the location of the AIoT device.

[0094] For example, please refer to Figure 6, which is another possible, non-limiting system diagram in this application. As shown in Figure 6, an intermediate node is also deployed in the scenario, which is used to forward signals between the network device and the AIoT device. In this scenario, there may be a carrier node (CW node), which is used to send signals to the AIoT device, so that the AIoT device can reflect the signal back to the intermediate node. Optionally, both the carrier node (CW node) and the intermediate node can communicate with the base station, and the intermediate node can also receive the signal sent by the CW node through the direct path shown in Figure 6.

[0095] Optionally, the communication system illustrated in Figure 6 can be applied to the item-finding scenario shown in Figure 7. The AIoT device is attached to an item, and the user holds one terminal device (as a CW node) to locate the AIoT device. Simultaneously, the user activates another terminal device (as a reader). Using the positioning method described in this application, the reader receives signals sent by the CW node and signals reflected by the AIoT device, thus enabling the reader to determine the location of the AIoT device.

[0096] Next, the positioning method provided in this application will be introduced.

[0097] In this application, "AIoT device" can be replaced with other terms, such as tag, AIoT tag, AIoT device, or AIoT label. For ease of description, unless otherwise specified, "tag" will be used throughout this application. It should be understood that the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to other different expressions or types of "tags".

[0098] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of the positioning method in this application. It should be understood that this application uses a communication device (including but not limited to the first, second, third, or fourth communication device mentioned below) and a tag as examples to illustrate the method, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the communication device in Figure 8 can be a network device or terminal device as described above, or it can be a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software in a network device or terminal device. In this application, the term "communication device" can refer to either the communication device itself or the chips, communication modules, integrated circuits, processors, logic modules, or software within the communication device used to implement the positioning method provided in this application; no specific limitation is made in this application. For example, the label in Figure 8 could also be a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, SoC chip containing a modem core, SIP chip, communication module, chip system, processor, logic module, or software within the label. In this application, the term "communication device" can refer to either the communication device itself or the chips, communication modules, integrated circuits, processors, logic modules, or software within the communication device used to implement the positioning method provided in this application; no specific limitation is made in this application.

[0099] First, in the positioning method of this application, x locations are known, where x is an integer greater than or equal to 2. For example, knowing x locations can be understood as knowing the two-dimensional coordinates, three-dimensional coordinates, and / or Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of x locations. In this application, the first communication device is located at the i-th location among the x locations, and the second communication device is located at the j-th location among the x locations, where i is a positive integer less than or equal to x, j is a positive integer less than or equal to x, and i is not equal to j.

[0100] Based on the aforementioned known x locations, the positioning method of this application includes, but is not limited to, steps 101 to 102.

[0101] 101. The first communication device receives the first signal.

[0102] In steps 101 and 102, the first communication device acts as a reader at position i, while the second communication device acts as a CW node at position j, transmitting a first signal. Correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first signal transmitted by the second communication device at position i. In other words, the first signal is the signal transmitted by the second communication device at position j.

[0103] In one possible implementation, before step 101, the first communication device (reader) can first measure the channel conditions of the communication link between the first communication device and the second communication device (CW node) to ensure the signal quality of the first signal received by the first communication device in step 101. Specifically, the first communication device broadcasts a fifth indication message, which indicates that all tags (including the first tag) should not reflect the signal sent by the second communication device, or that the second communication device will act as the CW node and send the signal. Optionally, the fifth indication message may carry a preset identifier, which indicates that the tag should not reflect the signal sent by the second communication device, or that the preset identifier indicates that the tag should not reflect the signal in subsequent transmissions. For example, the preset identifier may belong to an identifier group, and no tag can use an identifier within this identifier group as its own identifier; or, the preset identifier may be the identifier of the second communication device; or, the preset identifier may be the identifier of the CW node. Optionally, the signal sent by the second communication device carries the preset identifier. When a tag receives a signal carrying the preset identifier sent by the second communication device, since no tag matches the preset identifier or carries a signal with the preset identifier, all tags do not reflect the signal carrying the preset identifier sent by the second communication device. This prevents the signals reflected by the tags (including the first tag) from interfering with the channel measurement results of the communication link between the first and second communication devices.

[0104] Optionally, the first communication device can instruct the second communication device to transmit the first signal at a specific time. For example, the first communication device instructs the second communication device to transmit the first signal at time t_start, while the first communication device receives the carrier wave at time t_end. In this application, the distance between the first and second communication devices, i.e., C*(t_end–t_start), can be determined by the time difference between the transmission and reception times of the first signal (i.e., t_end–t_start), where C is the transmission speed of the first signal (i.e., the speed of light).

[0105] Since the i-th position of the first communication device and the j-th position of the second communication device both originate from the x-th positions known in this application, the i-th and j-th positions are also known positions. Optionally, in this application, the distance between the first and second communication devices can be determined based on the coordinates of the i-th and j-th positions. For example, suppose the coordinates of the second communication device are x1, y1, z1, and the coordinates of the first communication device are x... R ,y R ,z R Then the planar distance between the first communication device and the second communication device can be expressed as: The three-dimensional distance between the first communication device and the second communication device can be expressed as...

[0106] In one possible implementation, prior to step 101 of this application, the first communication device first determines location information, which is used to indicate x locations in this application. This provides richer information and improves positioning accuracy during the location of the first tag. For example, the location information can be obtained by collecting information from x locations, such as through manual mapping, radar scanning, augmented reality (AR) recognition, or artificial intelligence (AI) recognition; or, the location information can be determined from a known spatial topology. This spatial topology can be manually input by the user or obtained from a server or other publicly available channels (e.g., real estate application software). Then, based on this spatial topology, the known x locations can be determined.

[0107] For example, please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of a possible implementation of x locations in this application. In the scenario illustrated in Figure 9, a warehouse has a length of 120 meters (m), a width of 50 meters, and a height of 3 meters. As shown in Figure 9, the coordinates of the lower left corner of the warehouse can be set to (0, 0), then the coordinates of the upper left corner are (0, 50), the coordinates of the upper right corner are (120, 50), and the coordinates of the lower right corner are (120, 0), thus obtaining the coordinates of the four corners of the warehouse. Then, the coordinates of the midpoints of the four sides of the warehouse are (0, 25), (60, 50), (60, 0), and (120, 25), respectively, and the coordinates of the center of the warehouse are (60, 25). Thus, through the above method, the coordinates of 9 locations in the warehouse (i.e., x coordinates, where x = 9) are obtained. In steps 101 to 102 of this application, the first communication device and the second communication device can be deployed in two of the 9 known locations.

[0108] For example, please refer to Figure 10, which is a schematic diagram of another possible implementation of x locations in this application. In the scenario illustrated in Figure 10, a room is 6 meters long and 4 meters wide. Referring to the method shown in Figure 9, the 9 coordinates shown in Figure 10 can be obtained.

[0109] 102. The first communication device receives the second signal.

[0110] Furthermore, the first signal emitted by the second communication device at position j is reflected by the first tag to obtain the second signal. The second signal is then transmitted to the first communication device at position i. In other words, the first communication device receives the second signal, which is obtained by reflecting the first signal through the first tag.

[0111] Therefore, after the first signal is emitted from the second communication device at position j, it reaches the first communication device at position i through different transmission paths. Since the second signal arrives at the first communication device after being reflected from the first signal by the first tag, the first communication device receives the first signal first, and then receives the second signal. The first and second signals can be used to determine the position of the first tag.

[0112] Optionally, the second communication device may transmit the first signal via broadcast or multicast. Thus, the first signal can be transmitted to various devices within the signal coverage area of ​​the second communication device (e.g., the first communication device and the first tag in this application).

[0113] In this application, the position of the first tag is determined based on the first signal and the second signal. This provides richer information and improves positioning accuracy during the location of the first tag.

[0114] In one possible implementation, the second signal reflected by the first tag carries the identifier of the first tag. Upon receiving the second signal, the first communication device can parse the identifier of the first tag from it, thus determining that the second signal was reflected by the first tag. This prevents signals reflected by other tags from being mistaken by the first communication device as the second signal reflected by the first tag, improving positioning accuracy. Optionally, the identifier of the first tag can be placed at the beginning of the second signal so that the second communication device can more quickly identify that the second signal was reflected by the first tag; or, the identifier of the first tag can be placed in the middle or end of the reflected signal, thereby reducing the influence of the identifier of the first tag on the amplitude and phase of the second signal and ensuring the signal quality of the second signal.

[0115] In practical applications, the power of the first signal reaching the first tag after being emitted from the second communication device should meet a threshold value for the first tag's receiving power. This threshold value indicates the minimum receiving power required to activate (also known as wake up) the first tag. Specifically, if the power of the first signal reaching the first tag is greater than or equal to this threshold value, the first signal activates (wakes up) the first tag, and the first tag reflects the first signal to obtain the second signal. If the power of the first signal reaching the first tag is less than this threshold value, the first signal cannot activate (wake up) the first tag, and the first tag cannot reflect the first signal, thus the first communication device cannot receive the second signal. For example, this threshold value might be -20 dBm, -25 dBm, -30 dBm, or -35 dBm. In practical applications, the threshold value for the first tag's receiving power is determined by the device performance and hardware specifications of the first tag.

[0116] In one possible implementation, the first communication device can determine first information indicating the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag. Specifically, the power of the first signal reaching the first tag is the transmitted power of the first signal minus path loss, where path loss refers to the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag. For example, if the transmitted power of the first signal is 20 dBm and the power received by the first tag is -25 dBm, the path loss is the difference between the two, i.e., 45 dB. Generally, the greater the distance between the second communication device and the first tag, the greater the path loss; that is, the lower the power of the first signal received by the first tag after it is transmitted from the second communication device, and the greater the power reduction of the first signal. Conversely, the shorter the distance between the second communication device and the first tag, the smaller the path loss; that is, the higher the power of the first signal received by the first tag after it is transmitted from the second communication device, and the smaller the power reduction of the first signal. Therefore, the power reduction of the first signal in the first information can be used to indicate the distance between the second communication device and the first tag, and thus to determine the position of the first tag. In this way, richer information is provided during the location of the first tag, improving positioning accuracy.

[0117] For example, this application provides an implementation method for a first communication device to determine first information. Specifically, the first communication device sends second indication information to a second communication device, the second indication information indicating the transmission power of the first signal. Correspondingly, after receiving the second indication information, the second communication device sends the first signal according to the transmission power indicated by the second indication information. If the first tag can be awakened by the first signal, the first communication device gradually instructs the second communication device to reduce the transmission power of the first signal through the second indication information until the first tag is no longer activated (i.e., the first communication device cannot receive the second signal), or the power of the first signal when it reaches the first tag is equal to the aforementioned threshold value. At this time, the difference between the transmission power of the second communication device when sending the first signal and the aforementioned threshold value is the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag (i.e., the path loss mentioned above), so that the first communication device can determine the range of the tag based on the path loss value.

[0118] Optionally, the embodiment shown in FIG8 further includes step 100a. Step 100a may be performed before step 101.

[0119] 100a. The first communication device sends a first instruction message.

[0120] The first communication device sends a first indication message, which indicates that the signal (including the first signal in this application) is reflected only by the first tag. The phrase "the first indication message indicates that the signal is reflected only by the first tag" can be understood as "the first indication message indicates that the signal is reflected only by the first tag within a preset time period," or "the first indication message indicates that the next signal (e.g., the first signal) will be reflected only by the first tag." When each tag (including the first tag) receives the first indication message, if the first signal sent by the second communication device hits these tags, only the first tag will reflect the first signal to obtain the second signal. Other tags besides the first tag will not reflect the first signal, thereby avoiding interference with the second signal reflected by the first tag and improving positioning accuracy.

[0121] Optionally, the preset duration includes n time units, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1. For example, the time unit can be an hour, minute, second, millisecond, microsecond, nanosecond, frame, subframe, slot, symbol, sampling time (Ts), or basic time unit (Tc), etc.

[0122] Optionally, the first indication information carries the identifier of the first tag. The first communication device broadcasts the first indication information within its signal range. When each tag (including the first tag) receives the first indication information, it determines, based on the identifier of the first tag carried in the first indication information, that the signal is reflected only by the first tag.

[0123] Optionally, in this application, the aforementioned first instruction information may also be sent by the second communication device, without needing to be sent by the first communication device.

[0124] In one possible implementation, the embodiment shown in FIG8 further includes step 103. Step 103 may be performed after step 102.

[0125] 103. The first communication device determines the first time difference.

[0126] Step 102 mentions that the first signal and the second signal can be used to determine the location of the first tag. Specifically, after receiving the first signal and the second signal, the first communication device determines a first time difference, which is the time difference between the time when the first communication device receives the first signal and the time when it receives the second signal. In this application, the transmission paths of the first signal and the second signal received by the first communication device are different, and the process of the first tag receiving the first signal and reflecting it to obtain the second signal also takes time. The time difference between the time when the first communication device receives the first signal and the time when it receives the second signal is the first time difference in this application. This first time difference can be used to determine the location of the first tag. Therefore, richer information is provided in the process of locating the first tag, improving the positioning accuracy.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the first communication device includes a physical layer and higher layers. The physical layer of the first communication device receives a first signal and a second signal, and determines a first time difference. Then, the physical layer reports the first time difference to the higher layers of the first communication device, so that the higher layers can determine the location of the first tag based on the first time difference. Optionally, the higher layers of the first communication device may be a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio resource control (RRC) layer, or an application layer.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the first communication device sends third indication information to the third communication device, the third indication information indicating a first time difference. In this way, the first communication device does not need to determine the location of the first tag, but the third communication device determines the location of the first tag based on the first time difference indicated by the third indication information, thus reducing the computing power overhead of the first communication device.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the process of the first tag receiving the first signal and reflecting it to obtain the second signal takes time. In fact, the first time difference includes not only the time difference caused by the first signal traveling through two paths, but also the time difference between the time the first tag receives the first signal and the time it reflects the first signal. In this application, the first communication device can determine a second time difference, which is the time difference between the time the first tag receives the first signal and the time it reflects the first signal. This second time difference can also be used to determine the location of the first tag. Thus, in the process of locating the first tag, the second time difference provides richer information and improves the positioning accuracy. Optionally, the second time difference is determined by the device performance and hardware specifications of the first tag. The second time difference can be a known parameter, or it can be calculated based on the first and second signals (see the description below for specific calculation methods).

[0130] Next, taking the determination of the location of the first tag by the first communication device as an example, the application of the first time difference and the second time difference in the positioning method of this application will be introduced.

[0131] Suppose that the first communication device (as a reader) receives a first signal from the second communication device (as a CW node) at time t1, and the second signal, obtained after the first signal is reflected by the first tag, arrives at the first communication device at time t2. Then, the first time difference in this application is expressed as Δt = t2 - t1. This first time difference includes not only the time difference caused by the first signal traveling through two paths, but also the time difference between the time the first tag receives the first signal and the time the first signal is reflected (i.e., the second time difference t). proc For ease of description, the path between the second communication device, the first tag, and the first communication device will be referred to as the reflection path d. back The path between the second communication device and the first communication device is called the direct path. The calculation method for the direct path is explained in step 101 above, and will not be repeated here. Step 101 states that the coordinates of the second communication device are assumed to be x1, y1, z1, and the coordinates of the first communication device are x... R ,y R ,z R Then the planar distance between the first communication device and the second communication device can be expressed as: Then the reflection path d back The length of the tag can be understood as the distance between the first tag and the first communication device plus the distance between the first tag and the second communication device. Therefore, in a two-dimensional plane, we can obtain the following expression (1):

[0132] Among them, (x tag y tag ) represents the two-dimensional coordinates of the first label, and C can be understood as the speed of light.

[0133] Since the right side of expression (1) is fixed, while the left side only contains the coordinates (x, y) of the first label. tag y tag )unknown. This is the formula for the distance from the first tag to the first communication device. This is the distance formula from the first tag to the second communication device. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11, according to this expression (1), the two-dimensional coordinates of the first tag are any point in an ellipse with the positions of the first and second communication devices (i.e., the i-th and j-th positions in step 101) as the foci.

[0134] Similarly, the three-dimensional distance between the first communication device and the second communication device can be expressed as: Therefore, the above expression (1) can be transformed into the following expression (2) in three-dimensional space:

[0135] The three-dimensional coordinates of the first label are any point in an ellipse with the foci of the positions of the first and second communication devices (i.e., the i-th and j-th positions in step 101).

[0136] Furthermore, in order to obtain a more precise location of the first label, this application provides several implementation examples based on steps 101 to 103. These will be described below.

[0137] Example 1: First, execute steps 101 to 103 to obtain the first time difference. Then, change the location of the first communication device and / or the second communication device in steps 101 to 103 to another location among x locations, and then execute steps 101 to 102 again. Thus, execute steps 101 to 103 multiple times to more accurately determine the location of the first tag.

[0138] Optionally, as shown in Figure 12, the first communication device can be a terminal device, that is, the terminal device acts as a reader. The user holds the terminal device (reader) and moves it to various locations.

[0139] Optionally, the second communication device can be a terminal device, that is, the terminal device acts as a CW node. The user holds the terminal device (CW node) and moves it to various locations.

[0140] Next, taking the second communication device as the terminal device and the user's handheld terminal device (CW node) moving to various locations as an example, the above implementation example one will be introduced by way of example.

[0141] First, after the first communication device and the second communication device execute steps 101 to 103 at the i-th and j-th positions respectively, the user moves the second communication device (terminal device) to another position among the x positions, and continues to use the second communication device as the CW node. Steps 101 to 103 are then executed again. Assume the new position of the second communication device is (x2, y2) or (x2, y2, z2). Then, in the two-dimensional plane, the following expression (3) can be obtained:

[0142] In three-dimensional space, the following expression (4) can be obtained:

[0143] Taking a two-dimensional plane scene as an example, combining the above expressions (1) and (3), we can obtain 2 to 4 intersection points between the two ellipses as shown in Figure 13. These 2 to 4 intersection points represent the possible positions of the first label, or in other words, the position of the first label is one of these 2 to 4 intersection points. Furthermore, based on the above expressions (1) and (3), the second time difference t can be determined. proc That is, the time difference between the time when the first tag receives the first signal and the time when the first signal is reflected.

[0144] Optionally, the second communication device is then moved to another of the x positions, and this second communication device is used as the CW node. Steps 101 to 103 are executed again. Assume the new position of the second communication device is (x3, y3) or (x3, y3, z3). Then, in the two-dimensional plane, the following expression (5) can be obtained:

[0145] In three-dimensional space, the following expression (6) can be obtained:

[0146] Taking a two-dimensional plane scene as an example, by combining the above expressions (1), (3) and (5), we can obtain one intersection point between the three ellipses as shown in Figure 14. This intersection point is the position of the first label.

[0147] In the three-dimensional scene, by combining the above expressions (2), (4), and (6), one or more intersection points between the three elliptical surfaces in the three-dimensional scene can be obtained. Each intersection point represents a possible position of the first label. Next, the second communication device is moved to a new position among x positions, and new expressions are obtained according to the above expressions (2), (4), and (6). Based on the intersection points of the elliptical surfaces corresponding to these expressions, the position of the first label is further determined.

[0148] It should be understood that the above expressions (1) to (6) are merely illustrative descriptions and do not constitute a limitation of this application. In practical applications, more known positions can be introduced to obtain more expressions, thereby more accurately determining the position of the first label.

[0149] Example 2: Deploy a reader and multiple communication devices (including a second communication device and other communication devices) as CW nodes in the scenario. The reader and each CW node respectively execute steps 101 to 103 as described above. Then the reader can receive the first signal sent by each CW node and the second signal obtained after the first signal is reflected by the first tag. Thus, after receiving these first and second signals, the reader determines the position of the first tag based on some or all of the expressions (1) to (6) above.

[0150] In summary, the first communication device can determine the location of the first tag based on one or more of the following: a first time difference, a second time difference, location information, or first information. This provides richer information and improves positioning accuracy during the location of the first tag.

[0151] It should be understood that expressions (1) to (6) above are all internal implementation behaviors of the reader (first communication device). Optionally, a sixth instruction message can be sent to the application layer of the second communication device (CW node). The sixth instruction message is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0152] The coordinates of x positions;

[0153] The current location of the second communication device;

[0154] It can be used to locate the next position of the second communication device.

[0155] Assuming the user is holding the second communication device, after the application layer of the second communication device obtains the sixth instruction information, the user can use the sixth instruction information to understand which locations are known, where the coordinates of these known locations are, the current location, and where to move next.

[0156] In one possible implementation, after the first communication device determines the location of the first tag, it sends a fourth indication message to the fourth communication device. This fourth indication message indicates the location of the first tag. The fourth indication message includes one or more of the following:

[0157] The offset between the position of the fourth communication device and the position of the first tag;

[0158] The distance between the fourth communication device and the first tag;

[0159] The coordinate difference between the fourth communication device and the first tag, for example, is (10, 5), which instructs the fourth communication device to move 10 meters along the length direction and 5 meters along the width direction in order to locate the first tag;

[0160] The position information of the first label.

[0161] Optionally, the fourth communication device is a user-held terminal device. After receiving the fourth instruction information through the terminal device, the user can search for the first tag according to the location of the first tag indicated by the fourth instruction information.

[0162] Optionally, the fourth communication device and the second communication device may be the same device.

[0163] Optionally, the fourth communication device and the first communication device are the same device.

[0164] Optionally, the fourth communication device is located at one of the x locations known in this application.

[0165] Optionally, the fourth communication device and the second communication device are the same device, and the fourth communication device is a user-held terminal device. The user moves while holding the second communication device (i.e., the fourth communication device), which acts as a CW node (e.g., the scenario illustrated in Figure 14). After determining the location of the first tag, the first communication device sends fourth instruction information to the second communication device. For example, the second communication device can display the fourth instruction information to the user, or verbally announce the fourth instruction information to facilitate the user's search for the first tag.

[0166] Optionally, the fourth communication device and the first communication device are the same device, and the fourth communication device is a user-held terminal device. The user moves while holding the first communication device (i.e., the fourth communication device), and the first communication device acts as a reader (e.g., in the scenario illustrated in Figure 12), serving as the terminal device. For example, after determining the location of the first tag, the first communication device can display the fourth instruction information to the user, or verbally announce the fourth instruction information to facilitate the user's search for the first tag.

[0167] Accordingly, this application also provides related apparatus for implementing the above-described scheme. Please refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of a first tag provided in an embodiment of this application. This first tag can realize the function of the first tag in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. As shown in Figure 15, the first tag generally adopts a single-antenna structure, or a dual-antenna structure, wherein the dual antennas are divided into a receiving antenna and a transmitting antenna. The first tag receives signals or carrier waves (e.g., the first signal in this application) through the antenna, and then transmits the reflected signal (e.g., the second signal in this application) through the antenna.

[0168] Please refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device 200 provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device 200 can implement the functions of the first communication device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In this application embodiment, the communication device 200 can be the first communication device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the first communication device, such as a chip, baseband chip, modem chip, SoC chip containing a modem core, system-in-package (SIP) chip, communication module, chip system, processor, etc.

[0169] As shown in Figure 16, the first communication device 200 includes a transceiver unit 201 and a processing unit 202. Optionally, the transceiver unit 201 may include a sending unit and a receiving unit, which are used to perform sending and receiving, respectively.

[0170] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 200 is used to execute the method performed by the first communication device in the embodiment corresponding to FIG8, x positions are known, wherein the first communication device is located at the i-th position among the x positions, the second communication device is located at the j-th position among the x positions, x is an integer greater than or equal to 2, i is a positive integer less than or equal to x, j is a positive integer less than or equal to x, and i is not equal to j. The communication device 200 includes a transceiver unit 201 and a processing unit 202;

[0171] The communication device includes a transceiver unit 201 and a processing unit 202. The transceiver unit 201 is used to receive a first signal, wherein the first signal is transmitted by the second communication device at a j-th position; the transceiver unit 201 is also used to receive a second signal, which is obtained by reflecting the first signal through a first tag, and the first signal and the second signal are used to determine the position of the first tag.

[0172] In one possible design, the processing unit 202 is used to determine first information, which indicates the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag, and the first information is used to determine the location of the first tag.

[0173] It should be noted that the information interaction and execution process between the modules / units in the communication device 200 are based on the same concept as the method embodiment corresponding to Figure 8 in this application. For details, please refer to the description in the method embodiment shown above in this application, which will not be repeated here.

[0174] Please refer to Figure 17, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 300 provided in this application. The communication device 300 includes a logic circuit 301 and an input / output interface 302. The communication device 300 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0175] In Figure 16, the transceiver unit 201 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 302 in Figure 17. The input / output interface 302 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0176] In one possible implementation, when the device 300 is used to execute the method performed by the first communication device in FIG8 and related embodiments, the input / output interface 302 is used to receive a first signal and / or a second signal; the logic circuit 301 is used to determine the first information.

[0177] The logic circuit 301 and the input / output interface 302 can also perform other steps performed by the first or second communication device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 202 shown in FIG16 can be the logic circuit 301 in FIG17.

[0179] Optionally, the logic circuit 301 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0180] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0181] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0182] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic controllers (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0183] Please refer to Figure 18, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0184] It is understood that the communication device 400 includes, for example, modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, which are appropriately configured together to execute the technical solutions provided in this application. The communication device 400 may be the terminal device or network device described above, or a component (e.g., a chip) within these devices, used to implement the methods described in the following method embodiments. The communication device 400 includes one or more processors 401. The processor 401 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (e.g., a RAN node, terminal, or chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0185] Optionally, in one design, processor 401 may include program 403 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which may be executed on processor 401 to cause communication device 400 to perform the methods described in the embodiments below. In yet another possible design, communication device 400 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG18).

[0186] Optionally, the communication device 400 may include one or more memories 402 storing a program 404 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 401 to cause the communication device 400 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0187] Optionally, the processor 401 and / or memory 402 may include AI modules 407 and 408, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​modules can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio intelligence control (RIC) module. For instance, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0188] Optionally, the processor 401 and / or memory 402 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0189] Optionally, the communication device 400 may further include a transceiver 405 and / or an antenna 406. The processor 401, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device (e.g., a RAN node or terminal). The transceiver 405, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to realize the transmission and reception functions of the communication device through the antenna 406.

[0190] In Figure 16, the processing unit 202 can be a processor 401. The transceiver unit 201 shown in Figure 16 can be a communication interface, which can be the transceiver 405 in Figure 18. The transceiver 405 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the transceiver 405 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0191] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor performs the method described in the possible implementations of the first or second communication device in the foregoing embodiments.

[0192] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, executes the method described above for the possible implementation of the first or second communication device.

[0193] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device, a second communication device, and a first tag in any of the above embodiments.

[0194] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling computer programs or computer instructions stored in the memory to cause the processor to execute the method provided in the embodiment shown in FIG8 above.

[0195] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in any of the embodiments shown in FIG8, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the sending operation in any of the embodiments shown in FIG8.

[0196] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0197] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory that stores computer programs or computer instructions.

[0198] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of a program for controlling the methods provided in any of the embodiments shown above and in Figure 8. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0199] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0200] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0201] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0202] 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.

[0203] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0204] It should be understood that the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings of the device embodiments provided in this application, the connection relationships between modules indicate that they have communication connections, which can be specifically implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines.

[0205] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0206] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to it, or all or 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, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0207] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0208] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A positioning method, characterized in that, Given x locations, where a first communication device is located at the i-th location among the x locations, a second communication device is located at the j-th location among the x locations, x is an integer greater than or equal to 2, i is a positive integer less than or equal to x, j is a positive integer less than or equal to x, and i is not equal to j, the method includes: The first communication device receives a first signal, wherein the first signal is emitted by the second communication device at the j-th position; The first communication device receives a second signal, which is obtained by reflecting the first signal through the first tag. The first signal and the second signal are used to determine the position of the first tag.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first indication message, which indicates that the signal is reflected only by the first tag.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second signal carries the identifier of the first tag.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: First information is determined, which indicates the power reduction of the first signal after it is transmitted from the second communication device to the first tag. The first information is used to determine the location of the first tag.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second indication message, which is used to indicate the transmission power of the first signal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine location information, which is used to indicate the x locations.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first communication device determines a first time difference, which is the time difference between the time when the first communication device receives the first signal and the time when it receives the second signal. The first time difference is used to determine the location of the first tag.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first communication device includes a physical layer and higher layers, and the method further includes: The physical layer reports the first time difference to the higher layer.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first communication device sends a third indication message to the third communication device, the third indication message being used to indicate the first time difference.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first communication device determines a second time difference, which is the time difference between the time when the first tag receives the first signal and the time when the first signal is reflected. The second time difference is used to determine the position of the first tag.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first communication device sends a fourth indication message to the fourth communication device, the fourth indication message being used to indicate the location of the first tag.

12. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor coupled to a memory; the at least one processor is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

14. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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