Positioning method, communication apparatus, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

A positioning method, a communication apparatus, a storage medium, and a program product. The positioning method comprises: sending positioning assistance information to a target assisting node, wherein the positioning assistance information is used for performing assisted positioning on a second node by the target assisting node; receiving a measurement report from the target assisting node, wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target assisting node receiving and measuring a first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is a signal obtained by reflecting, by the second node, a first signal sent by a third node; and on the basis of the measurement report, determining position information of the second node.

Description

Positioning methods, communication devices, storage media and software products

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411457979.5, filed on October 17, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a positioning method, communication device, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, supported by 5G mobile communication technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been successfully applied to vertical industries such as homes, factories, transportation, and logistics management, driving their upgrading and transformation. With the continuous development of digitalization and intelligence, more things are demanding internet connectivity, leading to more application scenarios. Existing IoT technologies based on narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) have encountered bottlenecks in meeting these emerging needs. Against this backdrop, ambient internet of things (A-IoT), with its advantages of low cost, simple deployment, and strong environmental adaptability, is an important research direction for current 5G-advanced (5G-A) and future 6G mobile communication technology.

[0004] The ultimate goal of A-IoT technology is to achieve the Internet of Everything, and the first requirement for realizing the Internet of Everything is the effective perception of the physical world. Summary of the Invention

[0005] On the one hand, a positioning method is provided, applied to the first node. This positioning method includes:

[0006] Send positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node; wherein, the positioning assistance information is used by the target auxiliary node to assist in the positioning of the second node;

[0007] Receive a measurement report from the target auxiliary node; wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node;

[0008] Based on the measurement report, the location information of the second node is determined.

[0009] On the other hand, a localization method is provided, applied to a target auxiliary node. This localization method includes:

[0010] Receive positioning assistance information sent by the first node; wherein, the positioning assistance information is used by the target assistance node to assist in the positioning of the second node;

[0011] A measurement report is sent to the first node; wherein, the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

[0012] On the other hand, a positioning device is provided for use at the first node. The positioning device includes:

[0013] The communication module is used to send positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node; wherein, the positioning assistance information is used by the target auxiliary node to assist in the positioning of the second node;

[0014] The communication module is also used to receive measurement reports from the target auxiliary node; wherein, the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node;

[0015] The processing module is used to determine the location information of the second node based on the measurement report.

[0016] On the other hand, a positioning device is provided for use at a target auxiliary node. The positioning device includes:

[0017] The communication module is used to receive positioning assistance information sent by the first node; wherein, the positioning assistance information is used by the target assistance node to assist in the positioning of the second node;

[0018] The communication module is also used to send a measurement report to the first node; wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

[0019] In another aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes: a memory and a processor; the memory and the processor are coupled; the memory is used to store instructions executable by the processor; when the processor executes the instructions, it implements the positioning method described in any of the preceding aspects.

[0020] In another aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed on a computer (e.g., a communication device or a positioning device), cause the computer to implement the positioning method described in any of the preceding aspects.

[0021] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program instructions that, when executed, implement the positioning method described in any of the preceding aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture in which the radio frequency power source and network node are separated according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a positioning scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3 is an interactive flowchart of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 4 is an interactive flowchart of another positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 5 is an interactive flowchart of another positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 6 is an interactive flowchart of another positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a resource frequency division according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 8 is an interactive flowchart of another positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of resource comb tooth reuse according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another positioning scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another positioning scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another positioning scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 13 is an interactive flowchart of another positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a device reflecting signals by frequency hopping according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a positioning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of another positioning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0040] In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the symbol " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can mean: only A, only B, and A and B. Furthermore, "at least one" means that the number of objects specified is one or more, and "multiple" means that the number of objects specified is two or more. The terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or order of execution, and the terms "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply that they are different.

[0041] It should be noted that in this disclosure, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs in this disclosure. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0042] In recent years, supported by 5G mobile communication networks, IoT technology has been successfully applied to vertical industries such as homes, factories, transportation, and logistics management, driving the upgrading and transformation of these industries. With the continuous development of digitalization and intelligence, more things are demanding internet connectivity, leading to more application scenarios. Existing IoT technologies based on NB-IoT and eMTC have encountered bottlenecks in meeting these emerging needs. Against this backdrop, A-IoT, due to its advantages of low cost, simple deployment, and strong environmental adaptability, is an important research direction for current 5G-A and future 6G mobile communication networks.

[0043] The ultimate goal of A-IoT technology is the Internet of Things (IoT), and achieving this requires effective perception of the physical world. One feasible solution is to attach A-IoT devices to object surfaces, relying on information exchange between A-IoT and the network to determine the location of massive amounts of objects. However, limited by the narrow bandwidth and low complexity of A-IoT itself, developing a high-precision positioning method applicable over long distances remains a major challenge for A-IoT.

[0044] The following section introduces A-IoT related technologies.

[0045] (1) Environmental energy harvesting

[0046] Environmental energy harvesting technology refers to powering electronic devices by converting naturally occurring energy in the environment. Common sources of environmental energy include light, heat, vibration, and radio frequency (RF) signals. Currently, most environmental energy harvesting technologies discussed in A-IoT discussions refer to energy harvesting technologies targeting RF signals.

[0047] (2) Backscatter communication

[0048] Backscatter communication is a low-power communication method that allows A-IoT devices to transmit data by altering the reflection characteristics of received radio frequency signals. Unlike conventional communication, devices in backscatter communication do not actively transmit signals; instead, they carry information by modulating the received radio frequency signals. This modulation can be achieved by changing the frequency, amplitude, and phase of the signal, and the receiving end obtains the information by demodulating the changes in signal characteristics.

[0049] (3) A-IoT Network Architecture

[0050] From the perspective of energy acquisition, the network architecture of A-IoT can include two types: an architecture that integrates radio frequency energy sources and network nodes, and an architecture that separates radio frequency energy sources and network nodes.

[0051] In the integrated RF power source and network node architecture, the RF power source, downlink transmitter, and uplink receiver reside on the same wireless network node. This wireless network node is responsible not only for providing power to ultra-low-power IoT terminal devices but also for communicating with them, sending downlink signals, and receiving uplink signals.

[0052] In this architecture, due to reflection loss, passive or semi-passive devices experience significant signal power loss during reflection, which limits uplink / reverse transmission distance. Furthermore, the typically low-complexity design of passive or semi-passive devices results in lower receiver sensitivity and lower link budgets for their downlink / forward links, further limiting forward / downlink transmission distance.

[0053] To expand coverage and improve energy harvesting efficiency, the radio frequency (RF) power source and network node are deployed separately. The RF power source primarily provides RF power to ultra-low power (ULPower) IoT devices, which can then transmit data / information with the wireless network node.

[0054] During the positioning process, as shown in Figure 1, a schematic diagram of a separate architecture for the radio frequency power source and network nodes is provided. This architecture includes the following types of nodes:

[0055] A-IoT devices can be charged, receive positioning reference signals, and reflect positioning reference signals;

[0056] A charging node (which can be user equipment (UE), base station (BS), TV tower, wireless fidelity (wifi), or a specific charging device) is used to send charging signals to A-IoT devices;

[0057] The positioning reference signal transmitting node (which can be UE or BS) is used to send positioning reference signals to A-IoT devices;

[0058] A positioning reference signal receiving node (which can be a UE or a BS) is used to receive positioning reference signals reflected by A-IoT devices.

[0059] Network nodes (which can be location management functions (LMF), core networks (CN), or other network functions) are used to send configuration information, including transmission configuration, reception configuration, power configuration, reference signal configuration, measurement configuration, and other related configuration information.

[0060] Based on the transmission and reception direction of the positioning reference signal, 5G cellular network positioning technology can be divided into three main categories: downlink, uplink, and combined uplink and downlink positioning technologies. Based on positioning measurement, 5G cellular network positioning technology can also be divided into time-based positioning technology, angle (power)-based positioning technology, and phase-based positioning technology. The following is a brief introduction to several common 5G cellular network positioning technologies.

[0061] (1) Downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL-TDOA): DL-TDOA is a time-based positioning method that uses the time differences between signals transmitted by multiple base stations arriving at the UE to determine its location. Base stations transmit downlink-positioning reference signals (DL-PRS), and the UE measures the differences in arrival times of these signals from multiple base stations. By combining these time differences with the known locations of the base stations, the precise location of the UE is calculated.

[0062] (2) Downlink Angle of Departure (DL-AOD): DL-AOD determines the UE's location by measuring the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the DL-PRS. When the UE receives the DL-PRS transmitted by the base station, it can obtain the DL-PRS RSRP of different beam PRS and report it to the LMF on the network side. The LMF uses this information to determine the angle of the UE relative to each transmission / reception point (TRP) and thus determine the UE's location.

[0063] (3) Uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA): UL-TDOA is similar to DL-TDOA. In this positioning method, the UE sends an uplink-positioning reference signal (UL-PRS) to the base station. The base station measures the signal time difference and sends it to the LMF for position calculation.

[0064] (4) Uplink Angle of Arrival (UL-AOA): UL-AOA uses the base station antenna array to measure the directional angle of the UE's transmitted signal. Unlike DL-AOD, it determines the UE's location by combining the angles of the received signals measured by multiple base stations.

[0065] (5) Multi-round trip time (Multi-RTT): Multi-RTT is a technique for location estimation that utilizes round-trip time (RTT) measurements between the UE and multiple base stations. The UE engages in one or more rounds of responses with each base station to measure the total round-trip time of signal transmission. Based on these time measurements, a multilateral measurement algorithm can be used to determine the UE's location.

[0066] (6) Carrier Phase Positioning: Carrier phase positioning is a high-precision positioning method that utilizes the periodic phase characteristics of a positioning reference signal. By comparing the phase difference between the received signal and the locally generated signal, the distance between the UE and the base station is calculated. The UE's location is determined using triangulation or polygonal measurement methods, combined with the base station's known location information.

[0067] In relevant standards, the indoor communication distance requirement for A-IoT devices is 10-50m. Considering the low power consumption and low complexity of A-IoT devices, it may be difficult to achieve A-IoT devices performing downlink positioning by measurement time (similar to DL-TDOA) or directly backscattering positioning reference signals to the base station for uplink and downlink joint positioning (similar to Multi-RTT). Therefore, it is considered to introduce an assistant node to locate A-IoT devices.

[0068] In view of this, this disclosure provides a positioning method by sending positioning assistance information to a target auxiliary node; wherein the positioning assistance information is used by the target auxiliary node to assist in the positioning of a second node; receiving a measurement report from the target auxiliary node; wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring a first reflected signal reflected by the second node, the first reflected signal being the signal after reflection of a first signal sent by a third node by the second node; and determining the location information of the second node based on the measurement report. In this way, by introducing a suitable target auxiliary node (e.g., a UE) and utilizing the measurement report obtained by the target auxiliary node measuring the first reflected signal of the second node (e.g., an A-IoT device), the positioning of the second node is achieved, improving the flexibility and accuracy of positioning, and solving the problem of difficulty in directly positioning the second node itself or low accuracy of positioning results in some scenarios.

[0069] The positioning method provided in this disclosure can be applied to systems with various communication standards. For example, the positioning method provided in this disclosure is applicable to systems including, but not limited to, New Radio (NR) systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, various versions of LTE-based systems, 5G systems, and Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) systems. Furthermore, the positioning method provided in this disclosure can also be applied to future-oriented communication systems (e.g., 6G communication systems).

[0070] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the communication system may include network-side devices (e.g., including but not limited to base stations) and receiving-side devices (e.g., including but not limited to terminals).

[0071] For example, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a positioning scenario provided by this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the positioning scenario includes a first node 110 (also referred to as a first communication node device, first communication node, first transmission, network node, etc., which can be LMF, CN, or other network functions), a second node 120 (also referred to as a second communication node device, second communication node, second transmission, etc.), a third node 130 (also referred to as a third communication node device, third communication node, third transmission, which can be a UE, BS) and an auxiliary node 140 (also referred to as an auxiliary communication node device, auxiliary communication node, auxiliary transmission, etc., which can be a UE, BS). Different nodes can transmit and receive wireless signals and interact with each other. The number of the first node 110, the second node 120, the third node 130 and the auxiliary node 140 can be one or more, and the number is not limited.

[0072] In a positioning scenario, the first node 110 can communicate with the second node 120, the third node 130, and the auxiliary node 140 via wireless channels. The first node 110 communicates with the third node 130 via a wireless channel. For example, the first node 110 is a core network device (e.g., LMF, or other network function), and the third node 130 is a base station; the core network device and the base station communicate via a wireless channel. The first node 110 communicates with the auxiliary node 140 via a wireless channel. For example, the first node 110 is a core network device, and the auxiliary node 140 is a terminal; the core network device and the terminal communicate via a wireless channel. The first node 110 communicates with the second node 120 via a wireless channel. For example, the first node 110 is a core network device, and the second node 120 is an A-IoT device; the core network device and the A-IoT device communicate via a wireless channel.

[0073] The second node 120 can interact with the third node 130 via signaling. For example, the second node 120 is an IoT device, and the third node 130 is a base station. The base station can interact with the A-IoT device via signaling. The base station can send signals to the IoT device, and the IoT device can receive and reflect the signals.

[0074] The second node 120 can interact with the auxiliary node 140 via signaling. For example, the second node 120 is an IoT device, and the auxiliary node 140 is a terminal. The terminal can interact with the A-IoT device via signaling. The terminal can send signals to the IoT device, and the terminal can also receive signals reflected by the IoT device and perform measurements.

[0075] The third node 130 can communicate with the auxiliary node 140 via a wireless channel. For example, the third node 130 is a base station, and the auxiliary node 140 is a terminal. The base station and the terminal communicate via a wireless channel. The terminal can send signals to the base station, and the terminal can also receive signals sent by the base station and perform measurements.

[0076] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "first" node, "second" node, "third" node, "first" method, "second" method, "first" approach, "second" approach, "third" approach, "first" part, "second" part, and "third" part in this disclosure are used only for descriptive distinction and do not represent a sequential or chronological order.

[0077] It should be noted that Figure 2 is only a schematic diagram of one positioning scenario. The number of devices included in Figure 2 and the names of each device are not limited. In addition to the devices shown in Figure 2, the positioning scenario may also include other devices, such as charging nodes (which may be UE, BS, TV tower, Wi-Fi or specific charging devices), used to send charging signals to the devices.

[0078] In some embodiments, a base station may be a base station in LTE, long term evolution advanced (LTEA) or an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), a base station device in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system, etc. The base station may include various macro base stations, micro base stations, home base stations, wireless remote devices, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), routers, relays, TRPs, WIFI devices, user equipment (UE) and other network-side devices.

[0079] In some embodiments, the terminal can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The terminal can be a passive device, an ambient IoT device, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the application scenarios. The terminal may also be referred to as a user, UE, access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, wireless communication device, UE agent, or UE device, etc., and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this to these terms.

[0080] The application scenarios of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited. The system architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this disclosure are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0081] This disclosure provides a positioning method. As shown in FIG3, the method includes S101-S103.

[0082] S101, the first node sends positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node; correspondingly, the target auxiliary node receives the positioning assistance information.

[0083] The positioning assistance information is used by the target auxiliary node to assist in the positioning of the second node.

[0084] In some embodiments, the target auxiliary node is the auxiliary node that successfully detects the second reflected signal, and the second reflected signal is the signal after the second signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

[0085] In some embodiments, if the number of target third nodes that successfully detect the second reflected signal is less than a preset value, positioning assistance information is sent to the target auxiliary node.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first node receives first indication information from the third node, and / or receives first indication information from the auxiliary node; the first indication information is used to indicate whether the second reflected signal was successfully detected; the first node determines the target third node among the third nodes that successfully detected the second reflected signal, and / or determines the target auxiliary node among the auxiliary nodes that successfully detected the second reflected signal.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0088] An indication of whether the second reflected signal was successfully detected;

[0089] Power-related information of the detected reflected signal;

[0090] Amplitude-related information of the detected reflected signal;

[0091] The timestamp-related information of the detected reflected signal.

[0092] For example, as shown in Figure 4, taking the first node as CN, the auxiliary node as UE, the second node as A-IoT device, and the third node as BS, the target auxiliary node can be a UE that successfully detects the second reflected signal. The second reflected signal is the signal reflected by the A-IoT device after the second signal sent by the base station is reflected. The second signal can be used to instruct the A-IoT device to perform inventory checks.

[0093] S201, the BS sends a second signal to the A-IoT device. Upon receiving the second signal, the A-IoT device will first begin charging. S202, after charging is complete, the A-IoT device will frequency / phase / amplitude modulate the second signal and reflect the second reflected signal to the BS and UE in the scene.

[0094] The second signal and the second reflected signal may have other names, such as the second signal being called the inventory signal, and the second reflected signal being called the response signal. This disclosure does not limit these names, and they will not be elaborated on further below.

[0095] In S203(a) and S203(b), the BS and UE respectively detect the second reflected signal of the A-IoT. The BS and UE that successfully complete the second reflected signal detection will report a first indication message to the CN indicating successful detection of the second reflected signal. The BS and UE that fail to successfully complete the second reflected signal detection will report a first indication message to the CN indicating unsuccessful detection of the second reflected signal. The first indication message reported by the BS or UE to the CN includes at least one of the following:

[0096] An indication of whether the second reflected signal was successfully detected;

[0097] The power-related information of the detected second reflection signal, including the power-related information of the second reflection signal of different A-IoT reflections;

[0098] Amplitude-related information of the detected second reflection signal, including amplitude-related information of the second reflection signal of different A-IoT reflections;

[0099] The timestamp-related information of the detected second reflected signal, such as system frame number (SFN), slot number, and symbol index.

[0100] S204. If the BS has difficulty detecting the second reflected signal or the number of BSs that have successfully detected the second reflected signal does not meet the positioning requirements (i.e., less than the preset value), the CN will enable the UE that has successfully detected the second reflected signal in the positioning scenario to perform auxiliary positioning and send positioning assistance information to the UE.

[0101] For details regarding other operations in Figure 4, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments or examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0102] In some embodiments, the location assistance information includes at least one of the following:

[0103] Identifier of the target auxiliary node;

[0104] The reflection parameters of the second node, such as the frequency shift offset / time shift offset / phase shift offset / amplitude modulation / on-off keying (OOK) chip during the reflection of the second node;

[0105] The threshold (Threshold) for the target auxiliary node to detect the first reflected signal;

[0106] The target auxiliary node expects to detect the first reflected signal within a preset time window. Since the relative position between the target auxiliary node and the second node is unknown in advance, a preset time window can be configured. If the target auxiliary node fails to detect the reflected signal from the second node within this preset time window, the target auxiliary node needs to inform the first node in the subsequent measurement report that the target auxiliary node may no longer be able to be used to assist in the positioning of the second node.

[0107] Frame boundary information of the first signal;

[0108] Frame boundary information of the third signal sent by the third node to the target auxiliary node;

[0109] Frequency shift compensation for the second node reflecting the first signal; however, due to the frequency shift (SFO) of the second node itself, the frequency shift amount is inaccurate, and the target auxiliary node may need to perform some frequency shift compensation when receiving the reflected signal from the second node;

[0110] Resource identification information for the first signal;

[0111] Resource identification information of the third signal.

[0112] For example, frame boundary information may include at least one of the following: system frame 0 offset (SFN0-Offset), resource slot offset (ResourceSlotOffset), and resource symbol offset (ResourceSymbolOffset). Resource identification information may include at least one of the following: resource ID and resource set ID.

[0113] In some embodiments, before the first node sends positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node, the method further includes: the first node obtaining a capability report of the target auxiliary node, the capability report indicating the target auxiliary node's capabilities related to the positioning of the second node. This facilitates the first node in accurately determining the positioning assistance information by combining the capabilities related to the positioning of the second node, and the first node can also further filter suitable auxiliary nodes among the auxiliary nodes as target auxiliary nodes by combining the capabilities related to the positioning of the second node.

[0114] In some embodiments, the capability report of the target auxiliary node is obtained before or after the first node determines the target auxiliary node.

[0115] In some embodiments, a capability report includes at least one of the following:

[0116] The maximum number of second nodes that the target auxiliary node can support for access;

[0117] The range of connection distances that the target auxiliary node can support to the second node;

[0118] The methods that the target auxiliary node can support for detecting the reflected signal from the second node;

[0119] The number of sub-bands that the target auxiliary node can support when the second node uses frequency division multiple access;

[0120] The number of time units that the target auxiliary node can support when the second node uses time division multiple access;

[0121] The number of chips that the target auxiliary node can support when the second node uses code division multiple access;

[0122] Does the target auxiliary node have mobility?

[0123] Does the target auxiliary node support assisted positioning of the second node?

[0124] The methods that the target auxiliary node can support for locating the second auxiliary node.

[0125] The time unit can be an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a slot, or other granularity system time unit. The chip can be Miller code, Manchester code, OOK code, or other encoding suitable for A-IoT devices. Methods for assisting the second node's positioning include: assisting in measuring the arrival time of the signal, assisting in measuring the reference power of the signal, assisting in measuring the phase of the signal, and whether motion is supported. The signal must include at least a first reflected signal.

[0126] For example, taking the first node as CN, the target auxiliary node as UE, the second node as A-IoT device, and the third node as BS as shown in Figure 5, S301-S303(a), S303(b), and S306 can be referred to the descriptions in S201-S203(a), S203(b), and S204 of Figure 4, which will not be repeated here. Before S306, the following steps are also included: S304, after receiving the first indication information reported by the UE, the CN can send a capability request information related to A-IoT positioning to the UE that reported the successful detection of the second reflection signal (only sent to the UE that successfully detected the second reflection signal). S305, after receiving the capability request information, the UE reports its capability report to the CN, which must include at least one of the following:

[0127] The maximum number of A-IoT devices that the UE can support for connection access;

[0128] The range of connection distances that the UE can support with A-IoT devices;

[0129] The methods that the UE can support for detecting reflected signals from A-IoT devices, such as detection methods (absolute detection, square detection);

[0130] The number of sub-bands that a UE can support when using frequency division multiple access (FDMA) in an A-IoT device;

[0131] The number of time units that a UE can support when using time division multiple access (TDMA) in an A-IoT device;

[0132] The number of chips that a UE can support when using code division multiple access (CDMA) in an A-IoT device;

[0133] Does the UE have mobility?

[0134] As another example, as shown in Figure 6, in S401-S402 or S402, the UE can also report a capability report before the BS sends the second signal to the A-IoT device (i.e., before S403). In addition to the relevant content from the capability report in the previous example, the capabilities reported in the capability report can also include whether the UE supports assisted positioning of the A-IoT device and the methods the UE supports for assisted positioning of the A-IoT device.

[0135] After receiving the capability report from the UE, the CN uses an on-demand approach to suggest that the BS send a second signal to the A-IoT device. Then, by combining the first indication information received from the UE and the capability report reported by the UE, the CN can identify UEs that meet the requirements (e.g., have the capability to assist in A-IoT device positioning and whose auxiliary measurement signal arrival time / reference power / phase accuracy meet the requirements), and send positioning assistance information to them.

[0136] It should be noted that the UE can report a capability report after receiving the capability request information from the CN, such as S304-S305 in Figure 5 or S401-S402 in Figure 6. Alternatively, the UE can also report a capability report proactively, for example, S304 is not included in Figure 5, or S401 is not included in Figure 6.

[0137] For details regarding other operations shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments or examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0138] It is understandable that interference may occur at the target auxiliary node because it needs to receive both the first signal sent by the third node and the first reflected signal reflected by the second node. One solution is to use frequency division (FD) between the first signal and the first reflected signal. As shown in Figure 7, the first signal is transmitted with the first reflected signal 1, the first reflected signal 2, and the third signal via FD. However, considering that there may be a large number of second nodes in the scenario, for example, the spatial density of second nodes may reach a preset threshold (e.g., 150 / 100m2), FD would lead to a significant waste of spectrum resources. Furthermore, the spectrum shifting capability of second nodes is limited (possibly only 5MHz at most), which also means that the number of second nodes that can be accommodated by FD for interference suppression is very limited. Therefore, the following section uses comb multiplexing to reduce interference between the first signal and the first reflected signal.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first node sends positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node, including:

[0140] The first node receives time-frequency domain comb-related information configured by the third node; the time-frequency domain comb-related information includes time-frequency domain resource configuration for indicating the first signal and time-frequency domain resource configuration for the first reflected signal.

[0141] The first node sends positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node, which also includes information related to the comb teeth.

[0142] In some embodiments, the comb tooth related information includes at least one of the following: the comb tooth size of the first signal, the resource slot offset of the first signal, the resource symbol offset of the first signal, the comb tooth size of the first reflected signal, the resource slot offset of the first reflected signal, and the resource symbol offset of the first reflected signal.

[0143] For example, as shown in Figure 8, taking the first node as CN, the target auxiliary node as UE, the second node as A-IoT device, and the third node as BS, S501-S503(a) and S503(b) can be referred to the descriptions in S201-S203(a) and S203(b) of Figure 4, which will not be repeated here. S506(a) The BS sends a first signal to the A-IoT device. S507 The A-IoT device receives the first signal and reflects the first reflected signal. S506(b) The BS sends a third signal to the UE, and the UE receives the third signal. At the same time, the UE can also receive the first signal. The first signal, the first reflected signal, and the third signal can be reference signals. In Figure 8, the first signal is denoted as DL-APRS, the first reflected signal is denoted as RL-APRS, and the third signal is denoted as DL-PRS. Since the UE needs to receive both the DL-APRS sent by the BS and the RL-APRS reflected by the A-IoT device, the two may interfere with each other at the UE.

[0144] At this point, the BS needs to inform the CN of the configured comb information via auxiliary information (i.e., step S504), and the CN then informs the UE via positioning auxiliary information (i.e., S505; for other details of S505, please refer to S204 in Figure 4, which will not be elaborated here). The comb information must include at least one of the following:

[0145] Comb size of DL-APRS transmitted by BS, resource slot offset of DL-APRS transmitted by BS, resource symbol offset of DL-APRS transmitted by BS, comb size of RL-APRS reflected by A-IoT device, resource slot offset of RL-APRS reflected by A-IoT device, resource symbol offset of RL-APRS reflected by A-IoT device.

[0146] For details regarding other operations in Figure 8, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments or examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0147] For example, Figure 9 provides a schematic diagram of resource comb multiplexing. The RL-APRS#1, RL-APRS#2, and RL-APRS#3 reflected by the BS sending DL-APRS and A-IoT devices 1, 2, and 3 respectively have a Comb 4 structure and are distinguished by Comb multiplexing.

[0148] In some embodiments, the location assistance information further includes at least one of the following:

[0149] Information related to the cycle in which target auxiliary nodes report measurement reports;

[0150] Triggering conditions for target auxiliary nodes to report measurement reports.

[0151] Periodic information may include at least one of the following: the frame number reported in the measurement report, the time slot number reported in the measurement report, and the symbol index reported in the measurement report. The triggering conditions for the measurement report may include at least one of the following: the target auxiliary node is located in the area of ​​the second node, the target auxiliary node is located at the edge of the serving cell, or the target auxiliary node has moved significantly compared to its last reported location.

[0152] S102, the target auxiliary node sends a measurement report to the first node; correspondingly, the first node receives the measurement report from the target auxiliary node.

[0153] S103. The first node determines the location information of the second node based on the measurement report.

[0154] The measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node. The first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

[0155] In some embodiments, the measurement report may also include measurement results obtained by measuring the third signal sent by the third node to the target auxiliary node.

[0156] For example, taking the first node as CN, the target auxiliary node as UE, the second node as A-IoT device, and the third node as BS, the BS sends a third signal to the UE in the positioning scenario and a first signal to the A-IoT device in the positioning scenario. The A-IoT device receives the first signal, modulates it using simple frequency / amplitude / phase modulation to obtain a first reflected signal, and then reflects it back to the UE. The UE receives and measures the first reflected signal to obtain a measurement report, and sends the measurement report to the CN. The measurement report may also include the measurement results obtained by measuring the third signal sent by the BS to the UE.

[0157] In some embodiments, the measurement report includes at least one of the following:

[0158] The identification information of the second node;

[0159] Identification information of the target auxiliary node;

[0160] The second indication information is used to indicate whether the target auxiliary node has successfully detected the first reflection signal within a preset time window;

[0161] Time measurement information;

[0162] Angle measurement information;

[0163] Phase measurement information;

[0164] Frequency hopping configuration information.

[0165] In some embodiments, the time measurement information includes at least one of the following:

[0166] Time difference;

[0167] The time stamp of the target auxiliary node receiving the first signal;

[0168] The timestamp of the target auxiliary node receiving the third signal;

[0169] The target auxiliary node measures the timestamp of the time difference.

[0170] The time difference is the difference between the subframe boundary where the target auxiliary node receives the first signal and the subframe boundary where the target auxiliary node receives the first reflected signal. It should be noted that the subframe of the first signal is the subframe that is closest in time to the subframe where the first reflected signal is received.

[0171] In some embodiments, the angle measurement information includes at least one of the following:

[0172] The target auxiliary node receives the resource identification information from the first signal;

[0173] The beam identification information used by the target auxiliary node to receive the first reflected signal;

[0174] The reference power of the first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node;

[0175] Information related to the reference power of the first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node;

[0176] The target auxiliary node receives signals with line-of-sight (LOS) or non-line-of-sight (LOS) indications.

[0177] In some embodiments, the relevant information for the reference power includes at least one of the following:

[0178] Reference beam identification information;

[0179] The reference power of the received reference signal corresponding to the reference beam;

[0180] Identification information for non-reference beams;

[0181] The difference between the reference power of the received reference signal corresponding to the non-reference beam and the reference power of the received reference signal corresponding to the reference beam.

[0182] The reference power for receiving the reference signal is also the reference power for the target auxiliary node to receive the first reflected signal.

[0183] In some embodiments, the relevant information for the reference power includes at least one of the following:

[0184] The reference power of the first signal received by the target auxiliary node;

[0185] The difference between the reference power of the first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node and the reference power of the first signal received by the target auxiliary node.

[0186] In some embodiments, the phase measurement information includes at least one of the following:

[0187] The phase of at least one first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node;

[0188] Line-of-sight or non-line-of-sight indication of the reflection link between the second node and the target auxiliary node;

[0189] The frequency value of at least one first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node;

[0190] The phase difference of at least one first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node;

[0191] The distance information between the second node and the target auxiliary node is a coarse estimate, which includes the distance value between the target auxiliary node and the second node and the corresponding uncertainty / measurement quality / measurement error.

[0192] The following examples illustrate the contents of measurement reports in different positioning scenarios.

[0193] For example, continuing to refer to Figure 4, after the CN sends positioning assistance information to the UE, the first signal sent by the BS to the A-IoT device is denoted as DL-APRS, and the corresponding first reflected signal of the A-IoT device in response to the first signal is denoted as RL-APRS. The third signal sent by the BS to the A-IoT device can be denoted as DL-PRS. When the UE obtains a measurement report based on the measurement of signal arrival time, the CN receiving the measurement report from the UE may include at least one of the following:

[0194] Identification information of A-IoT devices;

[0195] UE identification information;

[0196] The second indication information is used to indicate whether the UE has successfully detected RL-APRS within a preset time window;

[0197] Time difference;

[0198] The UE receives the DL-APRS timestamp;

[0199] The UE receives the timestamp of the DL-PRS;

[0200] The UE measures the timestamp of the time difference;

[0201] The time difference is the difference between the subframe boundary at which the UE receives DL-APRS and the subframe boundary at which the UE receives RL-APRS.

[0202] Due to the narrowband nature of A-IoT devices, positioning methods based on signal arrival time measurements may struggle to achieve high accuracy. Therefore, positioning methods using angle (power) measurements can be employed.

[0203] For example, as shown in Figure 10, the positioning scenario also includes a BS and multiple UEs capable of receiving the second reflected signal from the A-IoT device (i.e., the UEs in the example above that can receive the A-IoT device's reflected response). Due to differences in distance and angle from the A-IoT device, the power received by different UEs (e.g., UE#i and UE#j) from the RL-APRS will vary. In this case, the measurement report received by the CN from the UE may include at least one of the following:

[0204] Identification information of A-IoT devices;

[0205] UE identification information;

[0206] The second indication information is used to indicate whether the UE has successfully detected RL-APRS within a preset time window;

[0207] The UE receives resource identification information (e.g., Resource ID or Resource set ID) from DL-APRS;

[0208] The UE receives the beam identification information (Receiving Beam ID) used by RL-APRS;

[0209] The UE receives the reference power of RL-APRS (denoted as RL-RSRP);

[0210] The line-of-sight (LOS) or non-line-of-sight (NLOS) indication of the UE received signal.

[0211] The UE generates a timestamp for RL-APRS.

[0212] There are three ways for the UE to report the received RL-RSRP to the CN.

[0213] Method 1: Each UE directly reports the received RL-RSRP value.

[0214] Method 2: The UE selects a Beam issued by the BS as a reference Beam, and the UE reports the absolute value of the RL-RSRP corresponding to the reference Beam and the difference between the RL-RSRP corresponding to the other Beams and the RL-RSRP corresponding to the reference Beam.

[0215] As shown in Figure 11, the BS will issue DL-APRS for two beams, which belong to different time-frequency resources. The UE will then receive the A-IoT reflected signals (RL-APRS) from these two beams and select one of them, for example, Beam #1, as the Reference Beam. At this point, the UE will report the absolute value of the RL-RSRP corresponding to Beam #1 and the difference between the RL-RSRP corresponding to Beam #2 and the RL-RSRP corresponding to Beam #1 in its measurement report. If the UE adopts the difference reporting method, the RL-RSRP information in the measurement report reported by the UE will include at least one of the following:

[0216] Reference beam identification information (Reference Beam ID) (e.g., Beam#1);

[0217] The reference power of the RL-APRS corresponding to the reference beam (RL-RSRP corresponding to Beam#1, i.e., RL-RSR, of Beam#1);

[0218] Identification information for non-reference beams (None Reference Beam ID) (e.g., Beam #2);

[0219] The difference between the reference power of the RL-APRS corresponding to the non-reference beam (e.g., the RL-RSRP of Beam#2) and the reference power of the RL-APRS corresponding to the reference beam.

[0220] Method 3, similar to the second reporting method, involves the UE reporting the difference between the RL-RSRP and the RSRP received from the base station's DL-APRS. Specifically, the base station first transmits DL-APRS according to a certain beam, such as Beam#1. UE#i and UE#j, due to different distances and angles from the base station, will measure and generate DL-RSRP#i and DL-RSRP#j after receiving the DL-APRS transmitted by the base station. Subsequently, the UE will also receive RL-APRS and measure and generate RL-RSRP#i and RL-RSRP#j. The difference is that when reporting RL-RSRP#i and RL-RSRP#j, the UE reports the difference between RL-RSRP#i and DL-RSRP#i, and the difference between RL-RSRP#j and DL-RSRP#j. Therefore, the RL-RSRP information in the measurement report reported by the UE includes at least one of the following:

[0221] The RSRP received by the UE from the DL-APRS sent by the base station;

[0222] The UE receives the difference between the RSRP corresponding to the A-IoT reflected signal RL-APRS and the RSRP corresponding to the DL-APRS.

[0223] The method the UE chooses to report RL-RSRP depends on the CN configuration. Specifically, the CN needs to indicate the method (Method 1, Method 2, or Method 3) for the UE to report RSRP in the positioning assistance information. Additionally, if Method 2 is selected, the CN also needs to indicate the identifier of the selected reference beam in the positioning assistance information.

[0224] For example, in addition to arrival time and reflected signal power, the phase of the reflected signal from the A-IoT device can also be measured to determine the location of the A-IoT device. The positioning process can then continue as shown in Figure 4. The measurement report submitted by the UE includes the phase measurement information received and measured from the RL-APRS, and the submitted measurement report may contain at least one of the following:

[0225] Identification information of A-IoT devices;

[0226] UE identification information;

[0227] The second indication information is used to indicate whether the UE has successfully detected RL-APRS within a preset time window;

[0228] The RL-APRS phase received by the UE (denoted as RL-RSCP);

[0229] The UE generates a timestamp for the RL-APRS phase.

[0230] The LOS / NLOS indicator for the A-IoT device to UE reflection link is set to "1" when there is a LOS path between the RL-APRS and the receiving UE, and set to "0" when there is no LOS path between the RL-APRS and the receiving UE.

[0231] After receiving the phase information reported by the UE, the CN calculates the location of the A-IoT device by combining the phase measurement information reported by multiple UEs.

[0232] In some embodiments, an A-IoT device can be configured with one or more frequency shift values ​​(such as two frequency shift values, f1 and f2). When the current A-IoT device reflects the positioning reference signal, the frequency value of the signal can be shifted to f1 and f2. When the UE reports phase measurement information, the phase measurement information may include at least one of the following:

[0233] The phase of at least one RL-APRS received;

[0234] At least one frequency value of RL-APRS received;

[0235] At least one RL-APRS phase difference received.

[0236] For example, the positioning process when a UE measures the phase of RL-APRS is as follows: An A-IoT device can perform two frequency shifts, f1 and f2, on the positioning reference signal. When reporting, the UE can report the frequency and the corresponding phase {f1, phase#1; f2, phase#2} or the phase difference {f1, f2, Δphase}, thereby calculating the distance between the UE and the A-IoT device. As another example, an A-IoT device can perform a frequency shift f1 on the positioning reference signal. When reporting, the UE can report the frequency and the corresponding phase {f1, phase#1}. A group of UEs can determine the trajectory of the A-IoT device, and through measurements by multiple UEs, the location of the A-IoT device can be determined.

[0237] In carrier phase positioning, there is an integer ambiguity issue with the phase. If the distance between two UEs is less than the wavelength of the reflected signal, then the number of integer wavelengths of the signal received by the two UEs can be considered equal, and the distance difference between the A-IoT device and the two UEs can be calculated using the phase. Alternatively, the number of integer wavelengths between the UE and the A-IoT device can be calculated by combining the measurement results from the above embodiments.

[0238] If the UE knows the frequency shift configuration of different A-IoT devices (i.e., the CN sends the A-IoT device identifier and one or more corresponding frequency shift values ​​to the UE), the UE shall report at least one of the following in the measurement report:

[0239] IoT device identification and corresponding phase measurement information;

[0240] The A-IoT device identifier and corresponding distance information, which may include the distance value and the corresponding uncertainty / measurement quality / measurement error, are provided. The distance value is the distance between the A-IoT device and the current UE.

[0241] In the example above, it is assumed that the multiple UEs involved in assisting A-IoT device localization are stationary UEs. Unlike using base stations as readers to locate A-IoT devices, UEs have a certain degree of mobility. Therefore, it is possible to consider using a moving UE to assist in the localization of A-IoT devices.

[0242] As shown in Figure 12, the positioning scenario includes a BS (A-IoT enabled), a UE (A-IoT enabled), and an A-IoT device that needs to be located. The UE can move around the vicinity of the A-IoT device.

[0243] As shown in Figure 13, in steps S601-S604, the BS first sends a second signal to the A-IoT device within the positioning area and receives the first indication information fed back by the BS and UE after receiving and measuring the second reflected signal. The CN sends positioning assistance information to the UE. Subsequently, the BS will send DL-PRS and DL-APRS multiple times at different times, such as TimeStamp 0, TimeStamp 1, and TimeStamp 2. Simultaneously, the UE will also receive DL-APRS reflected by the A-IoT device multiple times at different times. The UE generates a corresponding TimeStamp each time it generates a measurement report. Similar to the example above, each measurement report generated by the UE can include arrival time measurement information, power measurement information, or phase measurement information of the reflected signal received by the A-IoT device. After receiving the measurement reports from the UE at multiple times, the CN can calculate the location of the A-IoT device using the same positioning algorithm as described above.

[0244] The method of multiple receptions or transmissions can be configured to be periodic or event-triggered. In this case, the CN also needs to include the following when sending positioning assistance information to the UE:

[0245] The UE reports periodic information related to the measurement report, such as the reported frame number, time slot number, and symbol index;

[0246] Triggering conditions (specific events) for UE to report measurement reports, such as the UE being in an area where A-IoT devices need to be stored, the UE being at the edge of the serving cell, or the UE having moved significantly from its last reported location;

[0247] Meanwhile, when the UE moves out of the serving cell corresponding to the A-IoT device or moves to a location far away from the A-IoT device, the UE needs to re-report an indication of whether the A-IoT reflected signal can be detected.

[0248] In addition to identifying the assisted UE by sending a second signal and receiving feedback, the CN can also directly configure / instruct moving UEs to assist A-IoT in positioning. For example, after obtaining the UE's identification and mobility, the CN can directly instruct eligible UEs to assist A-IoT in positioning.

[0249] For details regarding other operations in Figure 13, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments or examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0250] In some embodiments, the first node receives location trigger information sent by the auxiliary node and / or the third node, and the location trigger information includes at least one of the following: trigger type, trigger event, trigger time, and location range.

[0251] In some embodiments, sending positioning assistance information related to the second node to the target auxiliary node includes: sending positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node when the positioning trigger information is satisfied.

[0252] For example, A-IoT positioning can be triggered by different nodes, such as by the UE / BS / network, or by a third-party application. If the A-IoT positioning process is triggered by the UE / BS, for example, due to inventory requirements, the UE / BS can report positioning trigger information to the network. This positioning trigger information may include at least one of the following:

[0253] Trigger type: periodic / aperiodic / semi-persistent;

[0254] Trigger the event;

[0255] Trigger time; where, for periodic positioning, the trigger time may include the period, offset, etc., and the period and / or offset may include a time slot, symbol index, etc. For non-periodic positioning, the trigger time may include a timestamp or a 1-bit indicator. The timestamp may include at least one of the following: SFN, time slot, symbol index, etc.

[0256] The location range may include one or more coordinate ranges, or one or more cell IDs.

[0257] When the above positioning trigger information is met (if any), the network may send relevant positioning reference signal configuration / measurement information to the positioning reference signal sending / receiving node, and / or send relevant configuration of the charging signal to the charging node, and / or send positioning assistance information to the target disk auxiliary node.

[0258] In some embodiments, capability information sent by an auxiliary node and / or a third node is received, and the capability information includes at least one of the following:

[0259] The third instruction information is used to indicate whether there is a capacity to charge;

[0260] Supported charging duration;

[0261] Supported charging range or distance;

[0262] Supported charging power;

[0263] The time required to fully charge the preset capacity.

[0264] In some embodiments, the configuration information for sending charging signals includes at least one of the following:

[0265] The period and offset of the charging signal;

[0266] The duration of the charging signal;

[0267] Start and / or end times of the charging signal;

[0268] The number of symbols occupied by the charging signal;

[0269] The power of the charging signal transmission can be the average energy per resource element (EPRE) of the resource element used for signal transmission, and the unit can be dBm;

[0270] Quasi-co-location (QCL) information for charging signals;

[0271] Spatial relationship of charging signals;

[0272] The beam direction of the charging signal;

[0273] The absolute radio channel number (ARFCN) of the charging signal;

[0274] The number of physical resource blocks or bandwidth occupied by the charging signal can be measured in physical resource blocks (PRBs) or in MHz.

[0275] For example, in terms of charging, the device charging the A-IoT device can be a UE, BS, TV tower, Wi-Fi, or a specific charging device. If the UE / BS can act as a charging device, the UE can report capability information to the CN / BS, and the BS can report its capability information to the CN. Upon receiving a third indication in the capability information indicating the ability to charge, the CN can send configuration information for the charging signal to the UE / BS, and the BS can send configuration information for the charging signal to the UE. The aforementioned charging signal can be configured based on the UE / BS capability information. After charging for a period of time, the A-IoT device can reflect a first reflected signal to complete the subsequent positioning process.

[0276] In some embodiments, a first request message sent by an auxiliary node and / or a third node is received, the first request message including at least one of the following:

[0277] The fourth indication information is used to indicate whether there is a charging requirement. It can be a 1-bit indication, such as 1 indicating a charging requirement and 0 indicating no charging requirement.

[0278] Charging area;

[0279] Energy recharge;

[0280] Charging power;

[0281] Charging time;

[0282] Recommended charging signal configuration (configuration details are the same as the charging signal configuration).

[0283] For example, during A-IoT positioning, if the UE / BS detects that the signal power reflected by a device decreases (or falls below a certain threshold, which can be configured by the network to the UE / BS, or by the BS to the UE), or suddenly cannot detect a device, it means that the corresponding A-IoT device may have run out of power. At this time, the UE / BS can report a first request message (also known as a charging request) to the network, or the UE can report a first request message to the BS.

[0284] Similarly, during A-IoT positioning, one or more UEs / BSs will report relevant measurement results of the reflected signal of a device to the network. The measurement results may include RSRP. If the RSRP / power value of the positioning reference signal reflected by the same A-IoT device is small or decreases, the network can consider that the current device is not sufficiently charged and needs to activate a charging node to charge the A-IoT device. The charging signal can be a positioning reference signal (PRS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), a continuous reference signal (RS), a continuous wave (CW) signal, or a monotonic orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (SOM) signal.

[0285] Through the above enhancements, the triggering and charging process for A-IoT device positioning can be completed, ensuring that A-IoT devices can be charged in time when their energy is insufficient, thus completing the positioning process.

[0286] In some embodiments, the first node sends frequency hopping configuration information.

[0287] In some embodiments, the frequency hopping configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0288] The identification information of the second node;

[0289] The number of frequency hopping cycles corresponding to the second node;

[0290] The frequency hopping order corresponding to the second node;

[0291] The upper limit of the frequency hopping frequency corresponding to the second node;

[0292] The lower limit of the frequency hopping frequency corresponding to the second node;

[0293] The bandwidth of the frequency hopping corresponding to the second node;

[0294] Cross-resources between frequency hopping corresponding to the second node.

[0295] For example, in the traditional positioning process, the TRP / UE receives and measures the reception time of the positioning reference signal (i.e., the first reflected signal mentioned above). However, the accuracy of the time measurement is limited by bandwidth. The bandwidth supported by A-IoT devices is limited, which greatly reduces the accuracy of the time measurement. Therefore, it is possible to consider having the A-IoT device reflect the positioning reference signal (i.e., the first reflected signal mentioned above) using frequency hopping. The UE / BS receives the frequency-hopped reflected positioning reference signal (i.e., the first reflected signal mentioned above) and can combine them to increase the equivalent bandwidth of the measurement, thereby improving the measurement accuracy. To achieve frequency hopping reflection of A-IoT devices, the network can send frequency hopping configuration information to the A-IoT device and / or the UE / BS, wherein the frequency hopping configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0296] Identification information of A-IoT devices;

[0297] The number of frequency hopping options corresponding to A-IoT devices;

[0298] The frequency hopping order corresponding to A-IoT devices can be indicated by the frequency hopping index or by the frequency.

[0299] The upper limit of the frequency hopping frequency for A-IoT devices;

[0300] The lower limit of the frequency hopping frequency corresponding to A-IoT devices;

[0301] The bandwidth of frequency hopping corresponding to A-IoT devices can be represented by the number of PRBs or by Hz.

[0302] The cross-resources between frequency hopping corresponding to A-IoT devices can be represented by the number of PRBs / resource elements (REs);

[0303] During measurement reporting, the UE / BS reports a measurement report obtained from the measurement of the first reflected signal, wherein the measurement report includes at least one of the following:

[0304] A-IoT device identification information and corresponding time measurement information;

[0305] Frequency hopping information and time measurement information corresponding to A-IoT devices.

[0306] For example, referring to Figure 14, different devices can be distinguished by different frequency hopping sequences. The frequency hopping sequence of device A-IoT#1 is f1, f2, f3, f4, and the frequency hopping sequence of device A-IoT#2 is f2, f1, f3, f4.

[0307] Based on this, by introducing a suitable target auxiliary node and using the measurement report obtained by measuring the first reflected signal of the second node through the target auxiliary node, the positioning of the second node can be achieved, which improves the flexibility and accuracy of positioning and solves the problem that it is difficult to directly locate the second node itself or the positioning result is inaccurate in some scenarios.

[0308] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure from a methodological perspective. The following also illustrates a positioning device for executing the positioning methods in any of the above embodiments and their possible implementations. It is understood that, in order to implement the positioning method, the positioning device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function; those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments of this disclosure, this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware 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 disclosure.

[0309] This disclosure embodiment can divide the positioning device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or software. It should be noted that the module division in this disclosure embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0310] Figure 15 illustrates a positioning device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, applied to a first node. The positioning device 700 includes a communication module 701 and a processing module 702.

[0311] The communication module 701 is used to send positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node; wherein, the positioning assistance information is used by the target auxiliary node to assist in the positioning of the second node;

[0312] The communication module 701 is also used to receive a measurement report from the target auxiliary node; wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node;

[0313] Processing module 702 is used to determine the location information of the second node based on the measurement report.

[0314] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is used to send positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node when the number of target third nodes that successfully detect the second reflected signal is less than a preset value.

[0315] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is configured to receive first indication information from a third node and / or receive first indication information from an auxiliary node; the first indication information is used to indicate whether the second reflected signal has been successfully detected.

[0316] Processing module 702 is used to determine the target third node in the third node that successfully detected the second reflection signal, and / or to determine the target auxiliary node in the auxiliary node that successfully detected the second reflection signal.

[0317] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is used to obtain a capability report of the target auxiliary node, the capability report being used to indicate the capabilities of the target auxiliary node related to the positioning of the second node.

[0318] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is used for:

[0319] Receive time-frequency domain comb information configured by the third node; the time-frequency domain comb information includes time-frequency domain resource configuration for indicating the first signal and time-frequency domain resource configuration for the first reflected signal.

[0320] The positioning assistance information is sent to the target auxiliary node, and the positioning assistance information also includes information related to the comb teeth.

[0321] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is used to receive positioning trigger information sent by an auxiliary node and / or a third node. The positioning trigger information includes at least one of the following: trigger type, trigger event, trigger time, and positioning range.

[0322] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is used to send positioning assistance information to the target assistance node when the positioning trigger information is satisfied.

[0323] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is configured to receive capability information sent by an auxiliary node and / or a third node, the capability information including at least one of the following:

[0324] The third instruction information is used to indicate whether there is a capacity to charge.

[0325] Supported charging duration;

[0326] Supported charging range or distance;

[0327] Supported charging power;

[0328] The time required to fully charge the preset capacity.

[0329] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is configured to send configuration information for a charging signal, the configuration information including at least one of the following:

[0330] The period and offset of the charging signal;

[0331] The duration of the charging signal;

[0332] Start and / or end times of the charging signal;

[0333] The number of symbols occupied by the charging signal;

[0334] The power of the charging signal transmission;

[0335] Quasi-co-address information of the charging signal;

[0336] Spatial relationship of charging signals;

[0337] The beam direction of the charging signal;

[0338] The absolute radio channel number of the charging signal;

[0339] The number of physical resource blocks or bandwidth occupied by the charging signal.

[0340] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is configured to receive first request information sent by an auxiliary node and / or a third node, the first request information including at least one of the following:

[0341] The fourth indication information is used to indicate whether there is a charging requirement;

[0342] Charging area;

[0343] Energy recharge;

[0344] Charging power;

[0345] Charging time;

[0346] Recommended charging signal configuration.

[0347] In some embodiments, the communication module 701 is used to send frequency hopping configuration information.

[0348] For a more detailed description of the communication module 701 and the processing module 702, as well as a more detailed description of their respective technical features and beneficial effects, please refer to the corresponding method embodiment section above, which will not be repeated here.

[0349] Figure 16 illustrates another positioning device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, applied to a target auxiliary node. The positioning device 800 includes a communication module 801 and a processing module 802.

[0350] The communication module 801 is used to receive positioning assistance information sent by the first node; the positioning assistance information is used by the target assistance node to assist in the positioning of the second node.

[0351] Processing module 802 is used to determine the measurement report;

[0352] The communication module 801 is also used to send a measurement report to the first node; wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

[0353] In some embodiments, the communication module 801 is configured to send first indication information to the first node; the first indication information is used to indicate whether the second reflected signal has been successfully detected.

[0354] In some embodiments, the communication module 801 is configured to send a capability report of the target auxiliary node, the capability report indicating the target auxiliary node's capabilities related to the positioning of the second node.

[0355] For a more detailed description of the communication module 801 and the processing module 802, as well as a more detailed description of their respective technical features and beneficial effects, please refer to the corresponding method embodiment section above, which will not be repeated here.

[0356] It should be noted that the modules in Figures 15 and 16 can also be called units; for example, a communication module can be called a communication unit. Furthermore, in the embodiments shown in Figures 15 and 16, the names of the modules may not be those shown in the figures; for example, a communication module can also be called a transmitting module or a receiving module.

[0357] If the various units or modules in Figures 15 and 16 are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, in essence, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solutions, 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.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this disclosure. Storage media for storing computer software products include 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.

[0358] In the case of implementing the functions of the integrated modules described above in hardware, this disclosure also provides a possible structure for a communication device used to execute the positioning method provided in this disclosure. As shown in FIG17, the communication device 900 includes: a memory 901, a communication interface 903, a processor 902, and a bus 904.

[0359] The memory 901 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions; it may be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing dynamic information and instructions; it may also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device; or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0360] Processor 902 may implement or perform various exemplary methods described in conjunction with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 902 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. Processor 2202 may be implemented as logic blocks, modules, and circuits of the various exemplary methods described in conjunction with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 902 may also be a combination implementing computational functions, such as a combination including one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP (digital signal processor) and a microprocessor, etc.

[0361] The communication interface 903 is used to connect to other devices via a communication network. This communication network can be Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0362] In some embodiments, the memory 901 may exist independently of the processor 902. The memory 901 may be connected to the processor 902 via a bus 904 and may be used to store instructions or program code. When the processor 902 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in the memory 901, it can implement the positioning method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0363] In some implementations, the memory 901 may also be integrated with the processor 902.

[0364] Bus 904 can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Bus 904 can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one thick line is used to represent bus 904 in Figure 17, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0365] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) storing computer program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the positioning method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0366] In one exemplary embodiment, the computer may be the aforementioned positioning device, and this disclosure does not limit the specific form of the computer.

[0367] In some examples, the aforementioned computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical disks (e.g., compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). The various computer-readable storage media described in this disclosure may represent one or more devices for storing information and / or other machine-readable storage media. The term "machine-readable storage media" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0368] This disclosure provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the positioning method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0369] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A positioning method applied to a first node, wherein, The method includes: Send positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node, wherein the positioning assistance information is used by the target auxiliary node to assist in the positioning of the second node; Receive a measurement report from the target auxiliary node, wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring a first reflected signal reflected by the second node, the first reflected signal being the signal of a first signal sent by the third node after being reflected by the second node; and Based on the measurement report, the location information of the second node is determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The target auxiliary node is the auxiliary node that successfully detected the second reflected signal, and the second reflected signal is the signal after the second signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Sending positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node includes: If the number of target third nodes that successfully detect the second reflected signal is less than a preset value, the positioning assistance information is sent to the target auxiliary node.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: Receive first indication information from the third node, and / or receive first indication information from the auxiliary node; The first indication information is used to indicate whether the second reflected signal was successfully detected; The target third node that successfully detected the second reflected signal is identified among the third nodes, and / or the target auxiliary node that successfully detected the second reflected signal is identified among the auxiliary nodes.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The first indication information includes at least one of the following: An indication of whether the second reflection information was successfully detected; The power-related information of the detected second reflected signal; The amplitude-related information of the detected second reflected signal; The timestamp-related information of the second reflected signal was detected.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The positioning assistance information includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the target auxiliary node; The reflection parameters of the second node; The threshold for the target auxiliary node to detect the first reflected signal; The target auxiliary node expects to detect the first reflected signal within a preset time window; The frame boundary information of the first signal; Frame boundary information of the third signal sent by the third node to the target auxiliary node; Frequency shift compensation of the first signal reflected by the second node; The resource identification information of the first signal; The resource identification information of the third signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The measurement report includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the second node; The identification information of the target auxiliary node; The second indication information is used to indicate whether the target auxiliary node has successfully detected the first reflected signal within the preset time window; Time measurement information; Angle measurement information; Phase measurement information; Frequency hopping configuration information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The time measurement information includes at least one of the following: Time difference; The timestamp of the target auxiliary node receiving the first signal; The timestamp of the target auxiliary node receiving the third signal; The target auxiliary node measures the timestamp of the time difference. The time difference is the difference between the subframe boundary where the target auxiliary node receives the first signal and the subframe boundary where the target auxiliary node receives the first reflected signal.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The angle measurement information includes at least one of the following: The target auxiliary node receives the resource identification information from the first signal; The target auxiliary node receives the beam identification information used by the first reflected signal; The target auxiliary node receives the reference power of the first reflected signal; The target auxiliary node receives information related to the reference power of the first reflected signal; The target auxiliary node receives a line-of-sight indication or a non-line-of-sight indication of the signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The relevant information for the reference power includes at least one of the following: Reference beam identification information; The reference power of the received reference signal corresponding to the reference beam; Identification information for non-reference beams; The difference between the reference power of the received reference signal corresponding to the non-reference beam and the reference power of the received reference signal corresponding to the reference beam.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The relevant information for the reference power includes at least one of the following: The target auxiliary node receives the reference power of the first signal; The difference between the reference power of the first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node and the reference power of the first signal received by the target auxiliary node.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The phase measurement information includes at least one of the following: The phase of at least one of the first reflected signals received by the target auxiliary node; The line-of-sight or non-line-of-sight indication of the reflection link between the second node and the target auxiliary node; The frequency value of at least one of the first reflected signals received by the target auxiliary node; At least one phase difference of the first reflected signal received by the target auxiliary node; The distance information between the second node and the target auxiliary node.

13. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Before sending positioning assistance information to the target assistance node, the method further includes: Obtain the capability report of the target auxiliary node, which is used to indicate the capabilities of the target auxiliary node related to the positioning of the second node.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The capability report for obtaining the target auxiliary node is executed before or after the target auxiliary node is determined.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The capability report shall include at least one of the following: The maximum number of second nodes that the target auxiliary node can support for access; The range of connection distances that the target auxiliary node can support to the second node; The target auxiliary node can support the detection of the reflected signal from the second node in the following ways; The number of sub-bands that the target auxiliary node can support when the second node uses frequency division multiple access; The number of time units that the target auxiliary node can support when the second node uses time division multiple access; The number of chips that the target auxiliary node can support when the second node uses code division multiple access; Does the target auxiliary node have mobility? Does the target auxiliary node support assisted positioning of the second node? The methods that the target auxiliary node can support for assisted second node positioning.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein, Sending positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node includes: Receive time-frequency domain comb information configured by the third node; the time-frequency domain comb information includes time-frequency domain resource configuration for indicating the first signal and the time-frequency domain resource configuration of the first reflected signal; The positioning assistance information is sent to the target auxiliary node, and the positioning assistance information also includes information related to the comb teeth.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The information related to the comb teeth includes at least one of the following: The comb tooth size of the first signal, the resource time slot offset of the first signal, the resource symbol offset of the first signal, the comb tooth size of the first reflected signal, the resource time slot offset of the first reflected signal, and the resource symbol offset of the first reflected signal.

18. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The positioning assistance information also includes at least one of the following: The target auxiliary node reports the periodic information related to the measurement report; The triggering conditions for the target auxiliary node to report the measurement report.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive positioning trigger information sent by auxiliary nodes and / or third nodes, wherein the positioning trigger information includes at least one of the following: trigger type, trigger event, trigger time, and positioning range.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, Sending the second node-related positioning assistance information to the target auxiliary node includes: If the location trigger information is satisfied, the location assistance information is sent to the target assistance node.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive capability information sent by auxiliary nodes and / or third nodes, wherein the capability information includes at least one of the following: The third indication information is used to indicate whether there is a charging capability; Supported charging duration; Supported charging range or distance; Supported charging power; The time required to fully charge the preset capacity.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: Configuration information for sending charging signals, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of the following: The period and offset of the charging signal; The duration of the charging signal; The start and / or end time of the charging signal; The number of symbols occupied by the charging signal; The power of the charging signal transmission; The quasi-co-address information of the charging signal; The spatial relationship of the charging signals; The beam direction of the charging signal; The absolute radio channel number of the charging signal; The number of physical resource blocks or bandwidth occupied by the charging signal.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive a first request message sent by an auxiliary node and / or a third node, wherein the first request message includes at least one of the following: The fourth indication information is used to indicate whether there is a charging requirement; Charging area; Energy recharge; Charging power; Charging time; Recommended charging signal configuration.

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Send frequency hopping configuration information.

25. The method according to claim 7 or 24, wherein, The frequency hopping configuration information includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the second node; The number of frequency hopping cycles corresponding to the second node; The frequency hopping order corresponding to the second node; The upper limit of the frequency hopping frequency corresponding to the second node; The lower limit of the frequency hopping frequency corresponding to the second node; The bandwidth of the frequency hopping corresponding to the second node; The cross-resources between frequency hopping corresponding to the second node.

26. A localization method applied to a target auxiliary node, wherein, The method includes: Receive positioning assistance information sent by the first node; wherein the positioning assistance information is used by the target assistance node to assist in the positioning of the second node; A measurement report is sent to the first node; wherein the measurement report is obtained by the target auxiliary node receiving and measuring the first reflected signal reflected by the second node, and the first reflected signal is the signal after the first signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The target auxiliary node is the auxiliary node that successfully detected the second reflected signal, and the second reflected signal is the signal after the second signal sent by the third node is reflected by the second node.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising: Send the first instruction information to the first node; The first indication information is used to indicate whether the second reflected signal was successfully detected.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein, The positioning assistance information includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the target auxiliary node; The reflection parameters of the second node; The threshold for the target auxiliary node to detect the reflected signal from the second node; The target auxiliary node expects to detect the first reflected signal within a preset time window; The frame boundary information of the first signal; The third node sends the frame boundary information of the third signal to the target auxiliary node; Frequency shift compensation of the first signal reflected by the second node; The resource identification number information of the first signal; The resource identification number information of the third signal.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The measurement report includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the second node; The identification information of the target auxiliary node; The second indication information is used to indicate whether the target auxiliary node has successfully detected the first reflected signal within the preset time window; Time measurement information; Angle measurement information; Phase measurement information; Frequency hopping configuration information.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising: Send a capability report of the target auxiliary node, the capability report being used to indicate the target auxiliary node's capabilities related to the positioning of the second node.

32. A communication device, comprising: A memory and a processor; wherein the memory and the processor are coupled; the memory is used to store instructions executable by the processor; and when the processor executes the instructions, it implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

33. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 31.

34. A computer program product, wherein, The computer program product includes computer program instructions that, when executed, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 31.

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