Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which can avoid resource waste. In the method, upon acquiring a sensing spectrum, if the sensing spectrum satisfies a quality threshold, a receiver reports the sensing spectrum or a sensing result obtained on the basis of the sensing spectrum; and if the sensing spectrum does not satisfy the quality threshold, the receiver reports indication information to indicate that the sensing spectrum does not satisfy the quality threshold. Because the sensing spectrum or the sensing result obtained on the basis of the sensing spectrum is reported only when the sensing spectrum satisfies the quality threshold, the reported sensing spectrum or sensing result can contribute to sensing performance, so as to avoid reporting, when the sensing spectrum does not satisfy the quality threshold, a sensing spectrum having poor quality and incapable of contributing to the sensing performance, thereby avoiding resource waste. In addition, when the obtained sensing spectrum does not satisfy the quality threshold, compared to still reporting the sensing spectrum when the quality of the sensing spectrum is poor, indicating that the sensing spectrum does not satisfy the quality threshold can reduce resource overheads and avoid resource waste caused by reporting the low-quality sensing spectrum.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411450162.5, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 16, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In a sensing scenario, the transmitting device radiates electromagnetic waves to send sensing signals to the surrounding environment, and the receiving device receives the sensing signals reflected by the surrounding environment (also known as echo signals) and analyzes and compares them with the transmitted sensing signals. This allows the device to perceive relevant information about the surrounding environment, such as whether there are targets to be detected in the environment, the number of targets, and the location of each target.

[0004] Typically, taking a terminal as the receiver of sensing signals as an example, the terminal reports the sensing spectrum or sensing results obtained based on the echo signals to the base station. However, not all sensing spectra or sensing results reported by the terminal contribute to the sensing performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can avoid resource waste.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first communication device, or by a component of the first communication device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first communication device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first communication device. For example, the first communication device can be a terminal or a RAN node. The method includes: acquiring a first sensing spectrum; if the first sensing spectrum meets a quality threshold, sending first sensing information; if the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, sending first indication information. The first sensing information includes the first sensing spectrum or a first sensing result, the first sensing result being determined based on the first sensing spectrum; the first indication information indicates that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold.

[0007] Based on this scheme, after acquiring the sensing spectrum, the first communication device can determine its quality. If the sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold, it can report the sensing spectrum or the sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum; if the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, it can report an indication message to indicate that the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold. Since the sensing spectrum or the sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum is only reported when the sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold, the reported sensing spectrum or sensing result can contribute to the sensing performance. This avoids reporting a poor-quality sensing spectrum that cannot contribute to the sensing performance when the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, thus avoiding resource waste caused by reporting a poor-quality sensing spectrum and saving resource costs. Furthermore, indicating that the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold when the acquired sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, compared to still reporting the sensing spectrum when its quality is poor, can reduce resource costs and avoid resource waste caused by reporting a sensing spectrum that cannot contribute to the sensing performance. Moreover, the ability to provide feedback on the quality of the sensing spectrum not meeting the quality threshold through the indication message allows the transmitter of the sensing signal to adopt a better sensing signal transmission scheme, thereby improving sensing efficiency and performance.

[0008] In one possible design, the method further includes receiving second indication information, which indicates a quality threshold.

[0009] Based on this possible design, the network can configure a quality threshold to the first communication device. Since the network has the ability to acquire prior information about perception, it can flexibly and reasonably configure the quality threshold based on the prior information, thereby improving the flexibility and rationality of the quality threshold. This enables the first communication device to report effective perception spectrum or perception results, thus improving perception performance.

[0010] In one possible design, the quality threshold includes a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold. A perceived spectrum satisfies the quality threshold if the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum is greater than or equal to the SNR threshold; a perceived spectrum does not satisfy the quality threshold if the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum is less than the SNR threshold.

[0011] In one possible design, the quality threshold includes a proportion threshold. A sensing spectrum that satisfies a quality threshold includes: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to a power threshold is greater than or equal to the proportion threshold; a sensing spectrum that does not satisfy a quality threshold includes: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to a power threshold is less than the proportion threshold.

[0012] In one possible design, the quality threshold includes a minimum number threshold for the number of sensed targets and / or a maximum number threshold for the number of sensed targets. A sense spectrum satisfying the quality threshold can be understood as: the number of sensed targets detected based on the sense spectrum is greater than or equal to the minimum number threshold, and / or less than or equal to the maximum number threshold; a sense spectrum not satisfying the quality threshold can be understood as: the number of sensed targets detected based on the sense spectrum is less than the minimum number threshold, or greater than the maximum number threshold.

[0013] In one possible design, obtaining the first sensing spectrum includes: receiving the echo signal of the sensing signal and processing the echo signal to obtain the first sensing spectrum.

[0014] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a second communication device, or by a component of the second communication device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the second communication device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second communication device. For example, the second communication device can be a RAN node or a sensing network element. The method includes: sending second indication information, which indicates that if the sensing spectrum meets a quality threshold, the sensing spectrum or a sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum should be reported, and indicates that if the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, the sensing spectrum should not be reported; and receiving first sensing information or first indication information. The first sensing information includes a first sensing spectrum or a first sensing result, the first sensing result being determined based on the first sensing spectrum; the first indication information indicates that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold. The technical effects of this second aspect are similar to those of the first aspect described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0015] In one possible design, the quality threshold includes a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold. A perceived spectrum satisfies the quality threshold if the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum is greater than or equal to the SNR threshold; a perceived spectrum does not satisfy the quality threshold if the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum is less than the SNR threshold.

[0016] In one possible design, the quality threshold includes a proportion threshold. A sensing spectrum that satisfies a quality threshold includes: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to a power threshold is greater than or equal to the proportion threshold; a sensing spectrum that does not satisfy a quality threshold includes: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to a power threshold is less than the proportion threshold.

[0017] In one possible design, the quality threshold includes a minimum number threshold for the number of sensed targets and / or a maximum number threshold for the number of sensed targets. A sense spectrum satisfying the quality threshold can be understood as: the number of sensed targets detected based on the sense spectrum is greater than or equal to the minimum number threshold, and / or less than or equal to the maximum number threshold; a sense spectrum not satisfying the quality threshold can be understood as: the number of sensed targets detected based on the sense spectrum is less than the minimum number threshold, or greater than the maximum number threshold.

[0018] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending a sensing signal, which is used to determine a first sensing spectrum.

[0019] In one possible design, when receiving the first sensing information, the method further includes: sensing based on the first sensing information.

[0020] In one possible design, upon receiving the first instruction information, the method further includes adjusting the transmission mode of the sensing signal.

[0021] In one possible design, the transmission method of the sensing signal is adjusted, including increasing the transmission power of the sensing signal.

[0022] Based on the two possible designs mentioned above, when the second communication device learns that the sensing spectrum acquired by the first communication device does not meet the quality threshold, it can adjust the transmission mode of the sensing signal in a timely manner, such as increasing the transmission power of the sensing signal, so that the sensing signal still has a large power after being reflected by the sensing target, thereby improving the quality of the sensing spectrum acquired by the first communication device, enabling the acquisition of a higher accuracy sensing result based on the sensing spectrum, and thus improving sensing efficiency and performance.

[0023] In one possible design, the method further includes determining a quality threshold based on the sensing accuracy and / or the historical sensing spectrum corresponding to the sensing area.

[0024] The technical effects of any possible design in the second aspect can be referenced from the technical effects of the corresponding design in the first aspect above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0025] Thirdly, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the methods, wherein the modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0026] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module, respectively used to implement the receiving function and the transmitting function in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0027] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can consist of transceiver circuits, transceivers, transceivers, or communication interfaces.

[0028] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the above aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0029] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the above aspects and any possible designs thereof.

[0030] A sixth aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor; said processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible designs thereof. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or may be independent of the processor.

[0031] In a seventh aspect, a communication device (e.g., a chip or chip system) is provided, the communication device including a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects and any possible designs thereof.

[0032] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0033] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0034] The communication device described in the third to seventh aspects may be the first communication device in the first aspect, or a device included in the first communication device, such as a chip or chip system; or the communication device may be the second communication device in the second aspect, or a device included in the second communication device, such as a chip or chip system.

[0035] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, which may be a first communication device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the first communication device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the first communication device; or, the communication device may be a second communication device, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the second communication device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the second communication device.

[0036] It is understandable that when the communication device provided by any of the third to eighth aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0037] A ninth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0038] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the methods described in any of the foregoing aspects and any possible design thereof.

[0039] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, comprising a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is used to implement the method described in the first aspect and any possible design thereof, and the second communication device is used to implement the method described in the second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0040] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through eleven can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one or two, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a scene perception method provided in this application;

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another sensing scenario provided in this application;

[0043] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a sensing scenario where a base station transmits and a terminal receives data, as provided in this application.

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in this application;

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided in this application;

[0046] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the protocol layer architecture of an access network device in an O-RAN system provided in this application;

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a hardware architecture of CU, DU, and RU provided in this application;

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a sensing communication scenario provided in this application;

[0049] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0050] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0051] Figures 11-13 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0053] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0054] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0055] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0056] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0057] It is understood that in this application, "...when" and "if" both refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require a judgment action to be performed during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0058] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0059] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Before introducing the embodiments, some terms involved in this application are explained.

[0060] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of this application is given below.

[0061] 1. Wireless communication:

[0062] In wireless communication systems, communication can be categorized into different types based on the type of transmitter and receiver. For example, sending information from a network device or base station (BS) to a terminal or user equipment (UE) is typically called downlink (DL) communication, while sending information from a terminal to a network device is called uplink (UL) communication.

[0063] In Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), and New Radio (NR) systems, duplexing can be primarily categorized into Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) modes. For wireless communication systems operating in TDD mode, the downlink and uplink carriers share the same frequency. Multiple access methods typically employ Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA).

[0064] 2. Wireless sensing, sensing signals:

[0065] The technical principles of wireless sensing differ somewhat from those of wireless communication. For example, in wireless communication, the transmitting end modulates information onto radio waves and sends it to the receiving end, which then demodulates the signal carried on the radio waves to obtain the information. In a sensing scenario, the transmitting device radiates electromagnetic waves into the surrounding environment to send sensing signals. The receiving device receives the sensing signals reflected from the surrounding environment and analyzes and compares them with the transmitted sensing signals to perceive relevant information about the surrounding environment, such as the presence of the target, the number of targets, and the location of each target. For instance, the reflected sensing signals can also be called echo signals or echoes of sensing signals; these terms are interchangeable and not limited to one another.

[0066] A sensing signal can be understood as a signal used to sense (or detect) a target. The target can also be understood as the sensing target or target object, such as a scatterer or reflector. The sensing signal can be a detection signal, a linear frequency modulated signal, a radar signal, a radar sensing signal, a radar detection signal, an environmental sensing signal, a pulse signal, or a signal in a wireless communication system. The sensing signal can also be a reference signal; for example, its initial amplitude and phase information can be pre-configured to the receiver through a configuration sequence. The sensing signal can also be a data signal; the receiver can calculate the initial amplitude and phase of each data signal using known modulation methods such as data verification. The sensing signal can also have other names, which are not specifically limited in this application.

[0067] Generally, sensing can be categorized into single-site sensing and dual-site sensing modes. In single-site sensing mode, the transmitting and receiving ends of the sensing signal are the same device. In terms of the sensing process, this station must both transmit and receive the reflected signals from the target surface; therefore, single-site sensing mode can also be called a self-transmitting and self-receiving module.

[0068] In dual-station sensing mode, the transmitter and receiver of the sensing signal are two different devices. From the sensing process perspective, station A transmits the sensing signal, and the reflected signal from the target surface is received by station B. Therefore, dual-station sensing mode can also be called self-transmitting and self-receiving or A-transmitting and B-receiving mode.

[0069] 3. Integrated communication and sensing:

[0070] In the evolution of fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication technology towards 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and future communication technologies, integrated communication and sensing technology is considered one of the key technologies for expanding the service capabilities of mobile communication networks. The core idea of ​​this technology is to add sensing capabilities to the mobile communication network, building capabilities such as target detection, imaging, and identification, thereby integrating communication and sensing capabilities into a single network to achieve harmonious coexistence and even mutual benefit.

[0071] For example, in the integrated communication sensing technology, from the perspective of sensing modes, it can include the six sensing scenarios shown in Figure 1. Among them, sensing scenario (1) and sensing scenario (4) are single-site sensing modes, where sensing scenario (1) is self-transmitted and self-received by the base station, and sensing scenario (4) is self-transmitted and self-received by the terminal. Sensing scenarios (2), (3), (5), and (6) are dual-site sensing modes, where sensing scenario (2) is transmitted by base station A and received by base station B, sensing scenario (3) is transmitted by the base station and received by the terminal, sensing scenario (5) is transmitted by the terminal and received by the base station, and sensing scenario (6) is transmitted by terminal A and received by terminal B. Among them, sensing scenarios (3)-(6) can also be called UE-assisted sensing scenarios.

[0072] Furthermore, in the integrated communication and sensing system, the base station has the ability to communicate with the terminal and also has sensing capabilities. For example, as shown in Figure 2(a), the base station can communicate with the terminal and can perform self-transmitting and self-receiving sensing, such as sending sensing signals and receiving echo signals; or, as shown in Figure 2(b), base station A can communicate with the terminal and can perform self-transmitting and self-receiving sensing, such as sending sensing signals and having base station B receive the echo signals.

[0073] In the current integrated communication and sensing scenario, the sensing receiver sends sensing results or sensing spectrum (also known as imaging spectrum) to the base station. The base station then processes the sensing results or sensing spectrum for further processing. For example, sensing results may include, but are not limited to, information such as the velocity, position, and radar cross section (RCS) of the sensing target; the sensing spectrum can reflect the power at various spatial locations within a sensing space. For example, taking a sensing scenario where the base station transmits and the terminal receives, as shown in Figure 3, the base station sends a sensing signal, which is reflected by the sensing target to form an echo signal. The terminal receives this echo signal, obtains the sensing spectrum or sensing results, and then feeds the sensing spectrum or sensing results back to the base station.

[0074] Typically, when a terminal reports a sensing spectrum or sensing result, it does not consider whether the quality of the sensing spectrum obtained based on the echo signal meets the base station's requirements; instead, it reports it directly. However, not all sensing spectra or sensing results reported by the terminal contribute to the sensing process.

[0075] For example, based on the example shown in Figure 3, the terminal typically receives the echo signal from a distant sensing target. However, due to the great distance, the effective signal in the received signal is submerged in noise and interference, making it impossible to image the sensing target. In this case, if the sensing spectrum or sensing result is reported, it will not contribute to the final sensing performance and will also result in a waste of resources.

[0076] Based on this, this application provides a communication method. In this method, after the receiver acquires the sensing spectrum, it can judge the quality of the sensing spectrum. If the sensing spectrum meets a quality threshold, it can report the sensing spectrum or the sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum; if the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, it can report indication information to indicate that the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold. Based on this scheme, the sensing spectrum or the sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum is only reported when the sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold, so that the reported sensing spectrum or sensing result can contribute to the sensing performance. This avoids reporting a poor-quality sensing spectrum that cannot contribute to the sensing performance when the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, thereby avoiding the resource waste caused by reporting a poor-quality sensing spectrum and saving resource costs. In addition, indicating that the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold when the acquired sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, compared to still reporting the sensing spectrum when the sensing spectrum quality is poor, can reduce resource costs and avoid the resource waste caused by reporting a sensing spectrum that cannot contribute to the sensing performance. Furthermore, the ability to provide feedback on the quality of the sensing spectrum, which does not meet the quality threshold, allows the sender of the sensing signal to adopt a better sensing signal transmission scheme, thereby improving sensing efficiency and performance.

[0077] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be used in various communication systems, including 3GPP communication systems such as 4th generation (4G) systems (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems), 5th generation (5G) systems (e.g., New Radio (NR) systems), LTE and 5G hybrid networking systems, sensing systems, integrated communication and sensing systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, machine-type communication (MTC) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, or other future communication systems. The communication system can also be a non-3GPP communication system; there is no limitation on this.

[0078] The communication systems described above are merely illustrative examples, and are not limited to those described herein. The communication systems provided in this application do not impose any limitations on the solutions described herein. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0079] Figure 4 illustrates a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in Figure 4, the communication system 40 includes a radio access network (RAN) 400. Optionally, it may also include a core network (CN) 500 and / or the Internet (not shown in Figure 4). The RAN 400 includes at least one RAN node (410a and 410b in Figure 4, collectively referred to as 410) and at least one terminal (420a-420j in Figure 4, collectively referred to as 420). The core network 500 includes at least one core network device.

[0080] Optionally, RAN 400 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 4). Terminal 420 connects to RAN node 410 wirelessly (e.g., via air interface communication). RAN node 410 connects to core network 500 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 500 and RAN node 410 in RAN 400 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and wireless access network logical functions.

[0081] In one possible implementation, RAN 400 can be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, an NTN system (e.g., an NTN supporting pass-through mode and / or regenerative mode, or an NTN supporting eye-viewing mode (earth fixed cell) and / or non-eye-viewing mode (earth moving cell), or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 400 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 400 can also be a communication system integrating two or more of the above systems.

[0082] In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 410 and terminal 420 are relative. For example, in Figure 4, network element 420i can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 420j accessing RAN 400 through network element 420i, network element 420i is a base station; but for base station 410a, network element 420i is a terminal. RAN node 410 and terminal 420 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, in Figure 4, network elements 410a and 410b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 420a-420j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0083] In one possible implementation, RAN node 410 is a network-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. RAN nodes, sometimes also referred to as RAN entities or access nodes, constitute part of the communication system and are used to assist terminals in achieving wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 410 in the communication system 40 can be of the same type or different types.

[0084] In one possible implementation scenario, RAN node 410 can be an access network device, such as a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station evolved by 3GPP, a base station in a future mobile communication system, an access node in a WiFi system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, etc.

[0085] For example, a RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 4, 410a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 4, 410b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, a RAN node can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0086] In another possible implementation scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the functions of the access network equipment. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CU), distributed units (DU), CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), radio units (RU), or sensing units (SU), etc.

[0087] For example, the CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as in the baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0088] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0089] As exemplified, Figure 5 illustrates a possible, non-limiting O-RAN system. In this system, the CU, DU, and RU cooperate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access. The CU, DU, and RU can be included in the access network equipment, and the CU and DU can be included in the BBU of the access network equipment.

[0090] Referring to Figure 5, access network devices communicate with core network devices via backhaul links and with terminals via air interfaces. Specifically, the CU communicates with core network devices via backhaul links, and the RU communicates with at least one terminal via air interfaces. The DU communicates with at least one RU via fronthaul links, and the CU communicates with at least one DU via midhaul links. BBUs and RUs may or may not be co-located.

[0091] As one possible implementation, the CU and DU respectively implement some of the protocol layer functions of the access network device. For example, some protocol layer functions are implemented in the CU, and the remaining or all protocol layer functions are implemented in the DU. The CU can control one or more DUs.

[0092] For example, a CU can deploy the RRC layer, SDAP layer, and PDCP layer; or, in other words, a CU can be understood as a logical node carrying the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP layers of access network equipment. Therefore, the CU has the processing capabilities of the RRC, PDCP, and SDAP layers. Of course, the CU can also implement or carry other control functions. Similarly, a DU can deploy the RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer; or, in other words, a DU can be understood as a logical node carrying the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers. Therefore, the DU has the processing capabilities of the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers. Of course, the DU can also implement or carry other functions.

[0093] Optionally, the CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which may be interfaces such as the N2 interface. Furthermore, the CU can also implement some core network functions. The CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and higher layers) connects to the DU (e.g., the RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which may be interfaces such as the F1 interface. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). For example, F1 supports control plane functions through F1-C and user plane functions through F1-U.

[0094] In one example, the CU may include CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP can be understood as a logical node carrying the RRC layer and the PDCP control plane (PDCP control plane part of PDCP, PDCP-C), used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can communicate with the DU via F1-C. CU-UP can be understood as a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP user plane (PDCP user plane part of PDCP, PDCP-U), used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can communicate with the DU via F1-U.

[0095] CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the AMF network elements in a 5G system. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements can be, for example, UPF network elements.

[0096] The functional division of CU and DU described above is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation on CU and DU. Furthermore, the functions of CU and DU can be configured as needed. For example, CU or DU can be configured as a node with more protocol layer functions, or as a node with partial protocol layer processing functions. For instance, some functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. As another example, the functions of CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency, placing functions that need to meet low latency requirements in the DU and functions that do not need to meet such latency requirements in the CU.

[0097] For example, in some examples, the CU may not carry the PDCP layer, i.e., it may only carry the RRC layer. CU-CP may not carry PDCP-C, CU-UP may not carry PDCP-U, or CU-UP may not exist at all. In other examples, the DU may not carry the RLC layer. Furthermore, there may be no CU and only the DU. Alternatively, in some examples, both the PDPC layer and the RLC layer may be carried in the CU, or both may be carried in the DU.

[0098] As one possible implementation, the DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. For example, the DU can deploy the RLC layer, MAC layer, and higher physical layer (Higher PHY). The RU can deploy the lower physical layer (Lower PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing functions. The DU can control at least one RU, and the DU and RU can communicate via a fronthaul interface. The DU and RU can be co-located or not.

[0099] The higher physical layer is closer to the MAC layer, and its functions may include at least one of the following: forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, modulation / demodulation, etc. The lower physical layer is closer to the mid-RF side, and its functions may include at least one of the following: fast Fourier transform (FFT), inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering, etc.

[0100] Referring to Figure 6, the DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via the lower-layer split control user synchronization (LLS-CUS) interface through the fronthaul link. The LLS-CUS interface may include an LLS-C interface (providing the control plane C-Plane) and an LLS-U interface (providing the user plane U-Plane). Furthermore, the DU and RU exchange management information via the LLS-M interface through the fronthaul link, which provides the management plane (M-Plane). For example, the control plane C-Plane refers to real-time control between the DU and RU; the management plane M-Plane refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU. The DU and RU communicate via the LLC-CUS interface in the O-RAN CUS plane and via the LLS-M interface in the O-RAN M plane.

[0101] The functional division of DU and RU described above is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation on DU and RU. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and RU can be configured to implement radio frequency functions, etc.

[0102] As one possible implementation, the CU can be used to perform layer 2 (L2) and layer 3 (L3) functions. Furthermore, the CU can also have some core network functions. The DU can be used to perform layer 1 (L1) and some L2 functions, and the RU can be used to perform L1 computing and radio frequency (RF) digital functions. The midhaul and backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the CU and DU, and between the CU and the core network. The fronthaul and backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the RU and DU, and between the CU and DU. An integrated DU can include the aforementioned DU and RU functions.

[0103] In terms of hardware, CU and DU can include a chassis platform, motherboard, peripheral devices, and cooling equipment. The motherboard contains processing units, memory, internal input / output (I / O) interfaces, and external connection ports. Its hardware accelerator is designed with interfaces, and hardware functional components include: storage for software, hardware, and system debugging interfaces, and a single-board management controller.

[0104] For example, as shown in Figure 7, a DU is typically implemented using a multi-core processor and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the DU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the multi-core processor, while computationally intensive L1 and L2 functions can be offloaded to a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) / graphics processing unit (GPU)-based hardware accelerator; or all L1 functions can be offloaded to an FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerator, while other protocol stack content is implemented in software running on the processor; or the entire protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the processor. The hardware accelerator supports interconnection with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, the accelerator has a multi-channel peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface pointing to the central processing unit (CPU) and external connections via GbE.

[0105] An RU may include an O-RAN processing unit (OPU), a digital processing unit (DPU), and an RF processing unit.

[0106] The OPU is used to receive Enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) frames from the O-RAN fronthaul and perform fronthaul interface, L1 layer (coding, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding), synchronization, beamforming, and resource unit mapping. The OPU can be implemented as a CPU, FPGA, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0107] The DPU is used to perform synchronization, uplink (UL) digital downconversion (DDC), downlink (DL) digital upconversion (DUC), channel failure ratio (CFR), and digital pre-distortion (DPD) processing. It improves power amplifier efficiency by reducing the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) / adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of the RF front-end. The DPU can be implemented as an FPGA or ASIC.

[0108] The RF processing unit includes a transceiver module, up / down converters, power amplifiers (PA), low-noise amplifiers (LNA), and Tx / Rx filters. Analog-to-digital conversions (such as digital-to-analog converters (DACs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), RF sampling, and frequency conversion) can be performed within the transceiver module. Note that physical and logical partitions within the RF processing unit do not require specific boundaries.

[0109] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an O-RAN central unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an O-RAN central unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an O-RAN central unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU).

[0110] In another possible implementation scenario, the RAN node can also be a non-real time ran intelligent controller (Non-RT RIC or NRT RIC) and / or a near-real time ran intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC or nRT RIC).

[0111] Non-RT RIC is used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of the RAN, enabling artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) for model training and updates, and guiding applications / functions within the Near-RT RIC based on policies. Near-RT RIC is used to implement near real-time intelligent management of the RAN, achieving near real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface. The E2 interface can be understood as an open interface between two nodes (or endpoints).

[0112] All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network equipment, or a device with some access network equipment functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the access network equipment.

[0113] In one possible implementation, terminal 420 is a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can be a fixed device, mobile device, handheld device (e.g., mobile phone), wearable device, in-vehicle device, or a wireless device (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip system, etc.) built into the aforementioned devices. The terminal is used to connect people, objects, and machines, and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D communication, V2X communication, MTC communication, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, etc. For example, a terminal can be a handheld terminal in cellular communication, a communication device in D2D, an IoT device in MTC, a camera in intelligent transportation and smart cities, or a communication device on a drone; or, a terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. A terminal may sometimes be referred to as a UE, user terminal, user device, user unit, user station, terminal, access terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, mobile device, or wireless communication device, etc.

[0114] In one possible implementation, RAN node 410 has both wireless communication and sensing capabilities. Terminal 420 has wireless communication capabilities; furthermore, some terminals may also have sensing capabilities. For example, as shown in FIG8, the RAN node can communicate wirelessly and sense with terminals 1 and 3, and communicate with terminal 2. In addition, the RAN node can also perform self-transmitting and self-receiving sensing to perceive its surrounding environment.

[0115] In one possible implementation, the core network equipment can refer to the equipment in the core network 500 that provides service support to the terminal. In this embodiment, the core network equipment in the core network 500 includes sensing function (SF) network elements. The SF network elements are primarily responsible for sensing services and are used to implement sensing functions. Sensing functions include, for example, sensing control functions and / or sensing computing functions. Furthermore, the SF network elements can also support sensing billing functions when the terminal and / or RAN node perform sensing.

[0116] In one possible scenario, the functionality of the SF network element can be implemented by the network data analytics function (NWDAF) network element, or the SF network element and the NWDAF network element can be co-located. Alternatively, the SF network element can be deployed integrated with the core network or deployed independently.

[0117] It should be noted that the system described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. 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 in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0118] The communication method provided in this application will be described below with reference to the communication system shown in Figure 4, taking the interaction between the RAN node and the terminal as an example. It should be noted that in the following embodiments of this application, the message names, parameter names, or information names between the RAN node and the terminal are just examples, and other names may be used in other embodiments. The method provided in this application does not specifically limit these names.

[0119] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the RAN node or terminal may execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0120] It is understood that this application uses RAN nodes and terminals as examples to illustrate the execution of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the RAN node in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the RAN node, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the RAN node's functions; similarly, the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the terminal, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal's functions.

[0121] The sensing method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below. As shown in FIG9, the sensing method may include the following steps:

[0122] S901, The first communication device acquires the first sensing spectrum.

[0123] In one possible implementation, the first communication device is a device with sensing capabilities, acting as a receiver of the echo signal of the sensing signal. For example, the first communication device can be a terminal or a RAN node. When the receiver of the echo signal is a terminal, the sender of the sensing signal can be a RAN node, the terminal itself, or another terminal; when the receiver of the echo signal is a RAN node, the sender of the sensing signal can be a terminal, the RAN node itself, or another RAN node.

[0124] In one possible implementation, the sensing spectrum can be obtained by processing the echo signal. The sensing spectrum can reflect or indicate the power at various locations within a sensing space. Exemplarily, the sensing space can be a two-dimensional space or a three-dimensional space, without limitation.

[0125] For example, the sensing space can be divided into multiple grids, each grid corresponding to a location point. For instance, the location point corresponding to a grid could be the center point of the grid or a vertex of the grid. In this case, the location point corresponding to the grid can be represented by location coordinates. Each location point within the sensing space can be understood as the location point corresponding to each grid within the sensing space; that is, the sensing spectrum can reflect or indicate the power at each location point corresponding to each grid within a certain sensing space, or reflect the power at each grid within the sensing space.

[0126] For example, the grid shape can be a regular hexagon, or other shapes such as a regular pentagon, circle, ellipse, etc. Alternatively, the grid shape can also be irregular, without limitation. Different grids can be the same size or different sizes, without limitation.

[0127] For example, the grid within the perception space can be indexed (e.g., numbered). In this case, the location point corresponding to the grid can also be represented by the grid number.

[0128] For example, if the location point is represented by location coordinates and the sensing space is divided into N grids, i.e. there are N location points, the sensing spectrum can include or indicate: (location coordinate 1, power 1), (location coordinate 2, power 2), ..., (location coordinate N, power N).

[0129] As one possible implementation, there may be a sensing target at some locations within the sensing space, while there may be no sensing target at other locations. For example, the sensing space may include a geographical area, which may contain buildings, vehicles, ground, etc. In this case, the sensing targets can be considered to include buildings and vehicles.

[0130] In this scenario, the power at the location of the sensing target in the sensing spectrum is relatively large compared to the power at locations where no sensing target exists. The power at locations where no sensing target exists can be understood as clutter or interference power. For example, the locations corresponding to power levels in the sensing spectrum that are higher than or equal to a power threshold can be considered as the locations of the sensing targets. This power threshold can be defined by a protocol or configured by the RAN node or sensing network element; there are no restrictions.

[0131] As one possible implementation, the sensing spectrum can be obtained by processing the echo signal. This can be understood as: processing the echo signal to obtain a range spectrum and / or an angle spectrum, and then obtaining the aforementioned sensing spectrum based on the range spectrum and / or angle spectrum. For example, the range spectrum can also be understood as the range spectrum of the sensing spectrum, and the angle spectrum can also be understood as the angle spectrum of the sensing spectrum.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the sensing spectrum in the embodiments of this application may also be called the imaging spectrum, and the two can be used interchangeably. Alternatively, the sensing spectrum may have other names, which are not specifically limited in this application.

[0133] In one possible implementation, the first sensing spectrum can reflect or indicate the power at various locations within the first sensing space. The first sensing space may be determined by a second communication device. The second communication device will be described in subsequent embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0134] S902, The first communication device determines whether the first sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold.

[0135] For example, in this embodiment of the application, the quality threshold can also be replaced by a first threshold. The first threshold may include at least one threshold characterizing a sensing spectrum parameter, such as at least one of the following: a spectral signal-to-noise ratio threshold, a scaling threshold, a minimum number threshold for sensing targets, and a maximum number threshold for sensing targets.

[0136] Alternatively, whether the sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold can also be understood as whether the sensing spectrum meets the first condition. The first condition can be determined by at least one threshold characterizing the parameters of the sensing spectrum. For example, the first condition includes at least one of the following: the signal-to-noise ratio on the sensing spectrum is greater than or equal to the signal-to-noise ratio threshold; the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is greater than or equal to the proportion threshold; the number of sensing targets detected based on the sensing spectrum is greater than or equal to the minimum number threshold of sensing targets; or the number of sensing targets detected based on the sensing spectrum is less than or equal to the maximum number threshold.

[0137] In one possible implementation, the quality threshold includes a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold. In this scenario, a perceived spectrum meeting the quality threshold can be understood as: the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum is greater than or equal to the SNR threshold; a perceived spectrum not meeting the quality threshold can be understood as: the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum is less than the SNR threshold.

[0138] As one possible implementation, the on-spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the sensing spectrum can be understood as the ratio of the average power of the sensing spectrum that is greater than or equal to a power threshold (hereinafter referred to as the first type of power) to the average power of the sensing spectrum that is less than the power threshold (hereinafter referred to as the second type of power). Since the on-spectral SNR is the ratio of the average first type of power to the average second type of power in the sensing spectrum, the magnitude of this ratio can reflect the sensing quality / performance. For example, a higher on-spectral SNR indicates less interference from clutter, resulting in higher sensing quality / performance; conversely, a lower on-spectral SNR indicates greater interference from clutter, resulting in lower sensing quality / performance, such as the inability to detect sensing targets within the sensing space. Therefore, the on-spectral SNR can be used as a quality threshold and understood as a representation of quality.

[0139] For example, if there are 5 powers in the sensing spectrum, with power 1, power 4, and power 5 greater than the power threshold, and power 2 and power 3 less than the power threshold, then the spectral signal-to-noise ratio of the sensing spectrum can be: average value 1 / average value 2. Here, average value 1 is the average of power 1, power 4, and power 5, and average value 2 is the average of power 2 and power 3.

[0140] In another possible implementation, the quality threshold includes a proportion threshold. In this scenario, a sensing spectrum that meets the quality threshold can be understood as: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is greater than or equal to the proportion threshold; a sensing spectrum that does not meet the quality threshold can be understood as: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is less than the proportion threshold.

[0141] As one possible implementation, the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is above or equal to the power threshold can be understood as the ratio of the number of powers above or equal to the power threshold in the sensing spectrum to the total number of powers in the sensing spectrum. A higher proportion of power above or equal to the power threshold in the sensing spectrum indicates less clutter, and therefore less interference from clutter with sensing; conversely, a lower proportion indicates more clutter, and therefore greater interference with sensing, leading to lower sensing quality / performance, such as the inability to detect sensing targets within the sensing space. Therefore, this proportion threshold can also be considered a quality threshold, understood as a representation of quality.

[0142] For example, if there are 5 powers in the sensing spectrum, with power 1, power 4, and power 5 being greater than the power threshold, and power 2 and power 3 being less than the power threshold, then the proportion of powers in the sensing spectrum that are higher than or equal to the power threshold is 3 / 5.

[0143] In another possible implementation, the quality threshold may include a minimum number threshold and / or a maximum number threshold for the sensed targets. In this scenario, a sensed spectrum satisfying the quality threshold can be understood as: the number of sensed targets detected based on the sensed spectrum is greater than or equal to the minimum number threshold, and / or less than or equal to the maximum number threshold; a sensed spectrum not satisfying the quality threshold can be understood as: the number of sensed targets detected based on the sensed spectrum is less than the minimum number threshold, or greater than the maximum number threshold.

[0144] For example, the number of detected sensing targets can directly reflect the sensing quality / performance. When the number of detected sensing targets is small, there may be undetected sensing targets; when the number of detected sensing targets is large, there may be cases where non-sensing targets (such as the ground) are detected as sensing targets, or one sensing target is detected as multiple sensing targets, thus leading to a decrease in sensing quality / performance. Therefore, the minimum / maximum threshold of the number of sensing targets can also be used as a quality threshold and understood as a representation of quality.

[0145] For example, the number of sensing targets obtained based on the sensing spectrum detection can be the number of powers in the sensing spectrum that are higher than or equal to a power threshold. Of course, other methods can also be used to detect the number of sensing targets based on the sensing spectrum, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0146] In one possible implementation, if the first sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold, step S903a is executed; if the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, steps S903b or S903c are executed (not shown in FIG9).

[0147] S903a, the first communication device sends first sensing information to the second communication device. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first sensing information from the first communication device.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the second communication device is a RAN node or a sensing network element (such as an SF network element). For example, if the first communication device is a terminal, the second communication device is a RAN node; or if the first communication device is a RAN node, the second communication device is a sensing network element.

[0149] In one possible implementation, the second communication device may or may not be the sender of the sensing signal. For example, if the second communication device is a RAN node and the first communication device is a terminal, the second communication device can be the sender of the sensing signal, and the first communication device can be the receiver of the echo signal. If the second communication device is a sensing network element and the first communication device is a RAN node, the second communication device may not be the sender of the sensing signal. In this case, the sender of the sensing signal may be a terminal, the RAN node itself, or another RAN node, etc., without limitation.

[0150] In one possible implementation, the first sensing information includes a first sensing spectrum or a first sensing result. The first sensing result is determined based on the first sensing spectrum.

[0151] For example, the first sensing result may include, but is not limited to: the speed, position, RCS of the sensed target, the number of sensed targets detected, etc.

[0152] As one possible implementation, the velocity of the sensed target can be calculated by measuring the Doppler frequency shift of the sensed signal. In this case, it can be assumed that the first sense result is not necessarily based on the first sense spectrum.

[0153] As one possible implementation, the position of the sensed target can be calculated based on one or more of the following: the distance spectrum of the first sense spectrum, the angle spectrum of the first sense spectrum, the position of the transmitter of the sensed signal, the position of the first communication device, the antenna panel arrangement of the transmitter of the sensed signal, and the angle of the antenna panel. The specific calculation method is implemented by the first communication device, and this application does not impose specific limitations on it.

[0154] As one possible implementation, the RCS of the sensed target can be obtained based on the spectral signal-to-noise ratio on the first sensing spectrum. The number of detected sensed targets can be obtained by thresholding the first sensing spectrum; for example, the number of powers in the first sensing spectrum that are higher than or equal to a power threshold can be understood as the number of sensed targets determined.

[0155] As one possible implementation, where the first communication device is a terminal and the second communication device is a RAN node, the terminal can send the first sensing information via uplink control information (UCI), meaning the first sensing information can be carried in the UCI. The UCI can be carried in the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0156] As another possible implementation, if the first communication device is a RAN node and the second communication device is a sensing network element, such as an SF network element, the RAN node can send the first sensing information to the SF network element through the interface between the RAN node and the SF network element; or, the RAN node can send the first sensing information to the SF network element through control, such as the RAN node sending the first sensing information through the AMF network element; or, the RAN node can send the first sensing information to the SF network element through the user, such as the RAN node sending the first sensing information through the UPF network element.

[0157] Based on this scheme, after acquiring the sensing spectrum, the first communication device can judge the quality of the sensing spectrum. Only when the sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold will it report the sensing spectrum or the sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum to the second communication device. This ensures that the reported sensing spectrum or sensing result can contribute to the sensing performance, avoiding the reporting of a poor-quality sensing spectrum that cannot contribute to the sensing performance when the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold. This avoids the waste of resources caused by reporting a poor-quality sensing spectrum and saves resource costs.

[0158] S903b: The first communication device sends a first instruction message to the second communication device. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first instruction message from the first communication device. The implementation of the second communication device can be referred to the relevant description in step S903a above, and will not be repeated here.

[0159] The first indication information indicates that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, or indicates that the spectral signal-to-noise ratio of the first sensing spectrum is less than the signal-to-noise ratio threshold, or indicates that the proportion of power in the first sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is less than the proportion threshold, or indicates that the first sensing spectrum cannot meet the imaging requirements.

[0160] As one possible implementation, the first indication information can be implemented using 1 bit. For example, this 1 bit can be understood as a flag; when the first communication device sends this flag, it indicates that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold. Alternatively, this 1 bit can be an indicator; when the value of this 1 bit is set to a preset value (such as 0 or 1), it indicates that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold; when the value of this 1 bit is set to other values ​​(such as 1 or 0), it may not indicate any information.

[0161] As one possible implementation, if the first communication device is a terminal and the second communication device is a RAN node, the terminal can send the first instruction information through UCI, which can be carried in PUCCH or PUSCH.

[0162] As another possible implementation, the first communication device is a RAN node and the second communication device is a sensing network element, such as an SF network element. In this case, the RAN node can send the first instruction information to the SF network element through the interface between it and the SF network element, or through the control plane, or through the user plane. For details on the method of sending the first sensing information in step S903a above, please refer to the relevant description. It will not be repeated here.

[0163] As one possible implementation, in step S903b, the first communication device may also discard the first sensing spectrum.

[0164] Based on this scheme, if the obtained sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, the system indicates to the second communication device that the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold. Compared to reporting the sensing spectrum even when the quality is poor, this reduces resource consumption and avoids the waste of resources caused by reporting sensing spectra that do not contribute to sensing performance. Furthermore, when the second communication device is the transmitter of the sensing signal, the system can provide feedback on the quality of the sensing spectrum to the second communication device through the first indication information. This allows the second communication device to adopt a better sensing signal transmission scheme, thereby improving sensing efficiency and performance.

[0165] S903c, the first communication device sends second sensing information to the second communication device. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the second sensing information from the first communication device.

[0166] As a first possible implementation, the second sensing information includes a first sensing spectrum and quality information of the first sensing spectrum. For example, the quality information of the first sensing spectrum may include at least one of the following: the spectral signal-to-noise ratio of the first sensing spectrum, the proportion of power in the first sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to a power threshold, or the number of sensing targets detected based on the first sensing spectrum.

[0167] As a second possible implementation, the second sensing information includes a first sensing spectrum and a confidence level of the first sensing spectrum. For example, the confidence level of the first sensing spectrum is determined based on a quality threshold. For instance, the confidence level could be the ratio of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first sensing spectrum to a SNR threshold, or the ratio of the proportion of power in the first sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to a power threshold to a proportion threshold, or the ratio of the number of sensing targets detected based on the first sensing spectrum to the aforementioned minimum or maximum number threshold.

[0168] As a third possible implementation, the second sensing information includes the first sensing result and the quality information of the first sensing result. The first sensing result can be referred to the relevant explanation in step S903a above, and will not be repeated here. The quality information of the first sensing result may be the same as the quality information of the first sensing spectrum, or it may be determined based on the quality information of the first sensing spectrum; there is no limitation.

[0169] As a fourth possible implementation, the second perceptual information includes the first perceptual result and the confidence level of the first perceptual result. The first perceptual result can be referred to the relevant explanation in step S903a above, and will not be repeated here. The confidence level of the first perceptual result can be the same as the confidence level of the first perceptual spectrum, or it can be determined based on the confidence level of the first perceptual spectrum; there is no limitation on this.

[0170] Understandably, the first and second communication devices have the same understanding of the quality information and confidence level of the sensing spectrum / sensing result; that is, the second communication device can correctly understand the quality information and confidence level reported by the first communication device. The relationship between the confidence level and the quality threshold can be configured by the second communication device or predefined by the protocol, without restriction.

[0171] As one possible implementation, the first communication device can perform step S903c if the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, but the difference between the quality of the first sensing spectrum and the quality threshold is small, such as less than a specific threshold. For example, taking the quality threshold as the proportion threshold, the proportion threshold as 70%, and the specific threshold as 2%, then if the proportion of power in the first sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is 69.5%, the first communication device can report the second sensing information.

[0172] As one possible implementation, if the first communication device is a terminal and the second communication device is a RAN node, the terminal can send second sensing information through UCI, which can be carried in PUCCH or PUSCH.

[0173] As another possible implementation, the first communication device is a RAN node and the second communication device is a sensing network element, such as an SF network element. In this case, the RAN node can send the second sensing information to the SF network element through the interface between the RAN node and the SF network element, or through the control plane, or through the user plane. Please refer to the relevant description of the method of sending the first sensing information in step S903a above, which will not be repeated here.

[0174] Based on this scheme, if the obtained sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold but is not significantly different from it, the first communication device can report the sensing spectrum and its quality or confidence level, or report the sensing result and its quality or confidence level. This allows the second communication device to know the specific quality of the sensing spectrum / sensing result and thus determine whether to use it. In some scenarios, this sensing spectrum / sensing result may contribute to the sensing performance, thus avoiding the loss of sensing performance caused by not reporting such sensing spectra / sensing results.

[0175] In one possible implementation, if the perceived spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, the first communication device may not perform the aforementioned steps S903b and S903c. That is, if the perceived spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, the first communication device may not report any information regarding the perceived spectrum. In this scenario, the second communication device can start a timer. If it does not receive any information regarding the perceived spectrum from the first communication device before the timer expires, it can be assumed that the perceived spectrum obtained by the first communication device does not meet the quality threshold, thus eliminating the need to wait for the first communication device to report the perceived spectrum.

[0176] In one possible implementation, where the first communication device is a terminal and the second communication device is a RAN node, as shown in FIG10, before step S901, the method may further include: the second communication device sending a sensing signal, which is used to determine a first sensing spectrum. In this scenario, the above step S901 may include: the first communication device receiving the echo signal of the sensing signal and processing it according to the echo signal to obtain the first sensing spectrum.

[0177] As one possible implementation, the second communication device transmits sensing signals on the sensing resources. Before transmitting the sensing signals, the second communication device may send configuration information to the first communication device, which is used to configure the sensing resources for the first communication device. Accordingly, the first communication device receives the configuration information and receives echo signals on the configured sensing resources. For example, the configuration information may be carried in an RRC message.

[0178] For example, the configuration information may include time-domain information such as the resource identifier (ID) of the sensing resource, the starting position of the sensing resource in the time domain, the number of time units it occupies, and the time-domain period; frequency-domain information such as the starting position of the sensing resource in the frequency domain, the number of frequency units it occupies, and the frequency hopping method; and sequence information. The sequence information indicates the sequence used to generate the sensing signal, which may be, for example, a ZC sequence, a Gold sequence, or an m-sequence, or other sequences, and this application does not specifically limit it.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the first communication device processes the echo signal to obtain a first sensing spectrum, which may include: the first communication device performing channel estimation on the signal received at each antenna port used to receive the echo signal to obtain the channel coefficients H corresponding to each transceiver antenna. The channel coefficients H are then calculated in the time-frequency spatial domain using a discrete fourier transformation (DFT), an inverse discrete fourier transform (IDFT), or a super-resolution algorithm to obtain a range spectrum and / or an angle spectrum, and the first sensing spectrum is obtained based on the range spectrum and / or angle spectrum. Of course, the first communication device may also use other methods to obtain the first sensing spectrum, and this application does not specifically limit this method.

[0180] In one possible implementation, the quality threshold may be defined by a protocol or configured by the second communication device to the first communication device. In this scenario, as shown in FIG10, before step S902, the method further includes: the second communication device sending second indication information to the first communication device, and correspondingly, the first communication device receiving the second indication information.

[0181] The second indication information indicates the quality threshold. Alternatively, it can be understood as follows: the second indication information indicates that if the perceived spectrum meets the quality threshold, the perceived spectrum or the perceived result obtained based on the perceived spectrum should be reported, and if the perceived spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, the perceived spectrum should not be reported or feedback should be provided that the perceived spectrum does not meet the quality threshold.

[0182] As one possible implementation, the second indication information may include a quality threshold. Alternatively, the protocol may define or the second communication device may pre-configure multiple quality thresholds, each corresponding to an index, and the second indication information may include the index of a certain quality threshold among the multiple quality thresholds, that is, the quality threshold is indicated by the index.

[0183] As one possible implementation, when the first communication device is a terminal and the second communication device is a RAN node, the second communication device can carry the second indication information through RRC messages (such as RRC reconfiguration messages) or downlink control information (DCI).

[0184] As one possible implementation, the second indication information can be carried in the same message as the configuration information of the aforementioned sensing resources, such as in the same RRC message; or the two can be carried in different messages, such as in different RRC messages, or the configuration information can be carried in an RRC message and the second indication information can be carried in a DCI, without limitation.

[0185] For example, when the second indication information and configuration information are carried in different messages, the second indication information may also include information associated with the configuration information (such as the identifier of the sensing resource in the configuration information) to indicate that the quality threshold indicated by the second indication information is applicable to the sensing process associated with the configuration information.

[0186] In one possible implementation, when the quality threshold is configured by the second communication device, the second communication device can determine the quality threshold based on prior information. Prior information includes, but is not limited to, sensing accuracy, historical sensing spectrum corresponding to the sensing space, detection rate, false alarm rate, etc., where the sensing space is the same as the sensing space corresponding to the first sensing spectrum, i.e., the first sensing space.

[0187] As one possible implementation, perception accuracy is used to describe the error between the perceived result and the ideal, true result. Taking distance perception as an example, if the distance between the perceived target and the sensing device is obtained as 6m, while the actual distance between the perceived target and the sensing device is 5m, then the perception error is 1m, also known as an accuracy of 1m.

[0188] For example, the sensing accuracy can be determined by the sensing service or the sensing scenario. For instance, the sensing accuracy may be higher in an indoor sensing scenario and lower in another. When the second communication device is a RAN node, the sensing accuracy can be determined by the RAN node or indicated by the sensing network element to the RAN node; there is no limitation on this.

[0189] For example, determining the quality threshold based on the perception accuracy can include: setting a higher quality threshold when the perception accuracy is high; and setting a lower quality threshold when the perception accuracy is low. For example, taking the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold as the quality threshold, if the perception accuracy is 0.5, the SNR threshold can be set to 40 dB; if the perception accuracy only needs to reach 2, the SNR threshold can be set to 10 dB.

[0190] As one possible implementation, the historical sensing spectrum corresponding to the sensing space can be determined by the RAN nodes. For example, before step S901, the RAN nodes can sense the sensing targets in the sensing space in a spontaneous and self-receiving manner, thereby obtaining the historical sensing spectrum.

[0191] For example, determining the quality threshold based on the historical sensing spectrum corresponding to the sensing space may include: the quality threshold being higher than or equal to the quality of the historical sensing spectrum. For example, when the quality threshold is a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold, the SNR threshold is higher than or equal to the spectral SNR of the historical sensing spectrum. When the quality threshold is a minimum number threshold and / or a maximum number threshold for the sensed targets, the minimum number threshold is greater than or equal to 95% of the number of sensed targets obtained based on the historical sensing spectrum, and the maximum number threshold is less than or equal to 120% of the number of sensed targets obtained based on the historical sensing spectrum. As a possible implementation, the false alarm rate can be understood as the probability of detecting a sensed target when it does not exist. The detection rate can be understood as the probability of detecting a sensed target. When the quality threshold is a minimum number threshold and / or a maximum number threshold for the sensed targets, the quality threshold can be determined based on the false alarm rate and / or the detection rate.

[0192] In one possible implementation, after step S903a, i.e., after the second communication device receives the first sensing information, it can perform sensing based on the first sensing information. For example, if the first sensing information includes a first sensing result, sensing fusion is performed based on the first sensing result to reconstruct the first sensing space; if the first sensing information includes a first sensing spectrum, the first sensing result can be determined first based on the first sensing spectrum before reconstructing the first sensing space.

[0193] In one possible implementation, after step S903b or S903c, i.e., after the second communication device receives the first indication information or the second sensing information, it can adjust the transmission mode of the sensing signal, such as increasing the transmission power of the sensing signal or adjusting the direction of the beam so that the transmission beam of the sensing signal is directed toward the target sensing space (such as the first sensing space mentioned above). For example, after step S903b or S903c, the second communication device can send the sensing signal again, with the transmission power of the sensing signal being greater than that of the sensing signal sent before step S901. The first communication device can receive the echo signal of the sensing signal sent with the higher transmission power, and re-acquire the sensing spectrum based on the echo signal. After judging the quality of the sensing spectrum, it reports the relevant information to the second communication device. Refer to the relevant description in the method shown in Figure 9 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0194] Based on this possible implementation, when the second communication device learns that the sensing spectrum acquired by the first communication device does not meet the quality threshold, it can adjust the transmission mode of the sensing signal in a timely manner, such as increasing the transmission power of the sensing signal, so that the sensing signal can still have a large power after being reflected by the sensing target, thereby improving the quality of the sensing spectrum acquired by the first communication device, so that a higher accuracy sensing result can be obtained based on the sensing spectrum, thereby improving sensing efficiency and performance.

[0195] In one possible implementation, after step S903c, i.e., after the second communication device receives the second sensing information, it may or may not perform sensing based on the second sensing information. If sensing is not performed based on the second sensing information, the transmission method of the sensing signal can be adjusted, as described above, and will not be repeated here. Furthermore, if the second sensing information is not used, it can be discarded.

[0196] In one possible implementation, for the above method embodiments, in a traditional network architecture, the RAN node can be an access network device, such as a base station. In a CU-DU architecture or ORAN system, the function of interaction between the RAN node and the terminal can be implemented by the DU or O-DU. The information sent by the RAN node to the terminal can be generated by the DU or O-DU, or it can be generated by the CU or O-CU and sent to the DU or O-DU.

[0197] For example, the aforementioned second indication information may be generated by the CU or O-CU and sent to the DU or O-DU, which in turn sends it to the terminal. The information reported by the terminal (such as the first sensing information, the first indication information, or the second sensing information) may be sent by the terminal to the DU for processing; or it may be sent by the terminal to the DU, which then sends it to the CU or SU for processing; or it may be sent directly by the terminal to the SU for processing.

[0198] Furthermore, the interaction between the RAN node and the core network can be implemented by the CU, O-CU, or SU. For example, when the sensing network element is an SF network element, the DU, SU, or CU can send measurement information corresponding to N terminals to the SF network element.

[0199] The processing functions of a RAN node can be implemented by a CU or an O-CU, or by a DU or an O-DU, or by a combination of CU and DU (or O-CU and O-DU), without restriction.

[0200] It is understood that the above embodiments in this application use the first communication device and the second communication device as examples of the execution subjects in the interactive illustration, but this application does not limit the execution subjects in the interactive illustration. For example, the method executed by the first communication device in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the first communication device, or by a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first communication device; similarly, the method executed by the second communication device can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the second communication device, or by a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second communication device.

[0201] The method provided in this application has been described above. In addition, this application also provides a communication device for implementing the functions described in the above method embodiments.

[0202] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application 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 application.

[0203] This application embodiment can divide the communication 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 processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0204] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device 110. The communication device 110 includes a processing module 1101 and a transceiver module 1102. The communication device 110 can be used to implement the functions of a first communication device or a second communication device.

[0205] In some embodiments, the communication device 110 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG11) for storing program instructions and data.

[0206] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1102, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 1102 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0207] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1102 may include a receiving module and a sending module, respectively configured to perform receiving and sending steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1101 may be configured to perform processing steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein.

[0208] When the communication device 110 is used to perform the functions of the first communication device:

[0209] Processing module 1101 is used to acquire a first sensing spectrum; if the first sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold, transceiver module 1102 is used to send first sensing information, the first sensing information including the first sensing spectrum or the first sensing result, the first sensing result being determined based on the first sensing spectrum; if the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, transceiver module 1102 is used to send first indication information, the first indication information indicating that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold.

[0210] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is also used to receive second indication information, which indicates a quality threshold.

[0211] Optionally, the processing module 1101 is used to acquire the first sensing spectrum, including: the processing module 1101 is used to receive the echo signal of the sensing signal through the transceiver module 1102; the processing module 1101 is also used to process the echo signal to obtain the first sensing spectrum.

[0212] When the communication device 110 is used to implement the function of the second communication device:

[0213] The transceiver module 1102 is used to send second indication information, which indicates that if the sensing spectrum meets a quality threshold, the sensing spectrum or a sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum should be reported, and indicates that if the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, the sensing spectrum should not be reported. The transceiver module 1102 is also used to receive first sensing information or first indication information. The first sensing information includes a first sensing spectrum or a first sensing result, the first sensing result being determined based on the first sensing spectrum; the first indication information indicates that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold.

[0214] Optionally, the transceiver module 1102 is also used to transmit a sensing signal, which is used to determine the first sensing spectrum.

[0215] Optionally, when receiving the first sensing information, the processing module 1101 is also used to perform sensing based on the first sensing information.

[0216] Optionally, upon receiving the first indication information, the processing module 1101 is also used to adjust the transmission mode of the sensing signal.

[0217] Optionally, the processing module 1101 is used to adjust the transmission mode of the sensing signal, including: the processing module 1101 is used to increase the transmission power of the sensing signal.

[0218] Optionally, the processing module 1101 is also used to determine a quality threshold based on the sensing accuracy and / or the historical sensing spectrum corresponding to the sensing area.

[0219] When the communication device 110 is used to perform the functions of the first communication device or the second communication device:

[0220] Optionally, the quality threshold includes a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold. A perceived spectrum meeting the quality threshold includes: the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum being greater than or equal to the SNR threshold; a perceived spectrum not meeting the quality threshold includes: the spectral SNR of the perceived spectrum being less than the SNR threshold.

[0221] Optionally, the quality threshold includes a proportion threshold. A sensing spectrum that meets the quality threshold includes: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is greater than or equal to the proportion threshold; a sensing spectrum that does not meet the quality threshold includes: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is less than the proportion threshold.

[0222] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0223] In this application, the communication device 110 can be presented in an integrated manner by dividing it into various functional modules. Here, "module" can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0224] In some embodiments, when the communication device 110 in FIG11 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1102 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1101 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0225] Since the communication device 110 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects it can achieve can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0226] As a possible product form, the first or second communication device described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application.

[0227] As another possible product form, the first or second communication device described in this application embodiment can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to FIG12, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1200 includes a processor 1201 and a transceiver 1202. The communication device 1200 can be a first communication device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1200 can be a second communication device, or a chip or module therein. FIG12 only shows the main components of the communication device 1200. In addition to the processor 1201 and transceiver 1202, the communication device may further include a memory 1203 and input / output devices (not shown in FIG12).

[0228] Optionally, the processor 1201 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs, thereby implementing the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments. The memory 1203 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1202 may include a radio frequency (RF) circuit and an antenna. The RF circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0229] Optionally, the processor 1201, transceiver 1202, and memory 1203 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0230] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1201 can read the software program in the memory 1203, execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1201 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1201. The processor 1201 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0231] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0232] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described communication device 110 can take the form of the communication device 1200 shown in FIG12 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0233] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 1101 in Figure 11 can be implemented by the processor 1201 in the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 calling the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1203. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1102 in Figure 11 can be implemented by the transceiver 1202 in the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0234] As another possible product form, the first or second communication device in this application may adopt the composition structure shown in FIG13, or include the components shown in FIG13. FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 1300 provided in this application. The communication device 1300 may be the first communication device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the first communication device; or, it may be the second communication device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the second communication device.

[0235] As shown in Figure 13, the communication device 1300 includes at least one processor 1301 and at least one communication interface (Figure 13 is merely an example illustrating the inclusion of a communication interface 1304 and a processor 1301). Optionally, the communication device 1300 may also include a communication bus 1302 and a memory 1303.

[0236] Processor 1301 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a PLD, or any combination thereof. Processor 1301 can also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0237] Communication bus 1302 is used to connect different components in communication device 1300, enabling communication between them. Communication bus 1302 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 13, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0238] Communication interface 1304 is used for communicating with other devices or communication networks. Exemplarily, communication interface 1304 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of communication. Optionally, the communication interface 1304 can also be an input / output interface located within processor 1301, used to implement signal input and signal output for the processor.

[0239] The memory 1303 may be a device with storage function, used to store instructions and / or data. The instructions may be computer programs.

[0240] For example, the memory 1303 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it may also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; it may also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0241] It should be noted that the memory 1303 can exist independently of the processor 1301, or it can be integrated with the processor 1301. The memory 1303 can be located inside or outside the communication device 1300, without limitation. The processor 1301 can be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1303 to implement the methods provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0242] Optionally, the processor 1301 and / or memory 1303 may include an artificial intelligence (AI) module, which is used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​module can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a radio network intelligent controller (RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module can be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0243] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1300 may also include an output device 1305 and an input device 1306. The output device 1305 communicates with the processor 1301 and can display information in various ways. For example, the output device 1305 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. The input device 1306 communicates with the processor 1301 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, the input device 1306 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchscreen device, or sensing device, etc.

[0244] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication device 110 shown in FIG11 can take the form of the communication device 1300 shown in FIG13 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0245] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 1101 in Figure 11 can be implemented by the processor 1301 in the communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1303. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1102 in Figure 11 can be implemented by the communication interface 1304 in the communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13.

[0246] It should be noted that the structure shown in Figure 13 does not constitute a specific limitation on the first or second communication device. For example, in other embodiments of this application, the first or second communication device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0247] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0248] As one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. This memory stores necessary computer programs and data. The computer program may include instructions, which a processor can invoke to instruct the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory may not be present in the communication device.

[0249] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, used to receive computer execution instructions (which are stored in memory and may be read directly from memory or may be transmitted through other devices) and transmit them to the processor.

[0250] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0251] It is understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0252] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0253] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0254] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0255] It is understood that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described in this application can also be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0256] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0257] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0258] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive (SSD)). In this embodiment, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0259] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0260] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely illustrative descriptions of the application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from its scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method includes: Obtain the first perceptual spectrum; If the first sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold, first sensing information is sent. The first sensing information includes the first sensing spectrum or the first sensing result, and the first sensing result is determined based on the first sensing spectrum. If the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, a first indication message is sent, indicating that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information indicating the quality threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The quality threshold includes the signal-to-noise ratio threshold; The sensing spectrum satisfies the quality threshold, including: the spectral signal-to-noise ratio of the sensing spectrum is greater than or equal to the signal-to-noise ratio threshold; The sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, including: the spectral signal-to-noise ratio of the sensing spectrum is less than the signal-to-noise ratio threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The quality threshold includes a proportional threshold; The sensing spectrum satisfies the quality threshold, including: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is greater than or equal to the proportion threshold; The sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, including: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is less than the proportion threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The quality thresholds include a minimum number threshold and / or a maximum number threshold for the perceived targets; The perception spectrum satisfies the quality threshold, including: the number of perceived targets detected based on the perception spectrum is greater than or equal to the minimum number threshold, and / or less than or equal to the maximum number threshold; The perception spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, including: the number of perceived targets detected based on the perception spectrum is less than the minimum number threshold, or greater than the maximum number threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The acquisition of the first sensing spectrum includes: Receive the echo signal of the sensed signal; The first sensing spectrum is obtained by processing the echo signal.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first communication device, which is a terminal or a radio access network (RAN) node.

8. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method includes: Send a second indication message, which indicates that if the sensing spectrum meets the quality threshold, the sensing spectrum or the sensing result obtained based on the sensing spectrum should be reported, and indicates that if the sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, the sensing spectrum should not be reported. Receive first sensing information or first indication information; wherein, the first sensing information includes a first sensing spectrum or a first sensing result, the first sensing result being determined based on the first sensing spectrum; the first indication information indicates that the first sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The quality threshold includes the signal-to-noise ratio threshold; The sensing spectrum satisfies the quality threshold, including: the spectral signal-to-noise ratio of the sensing spectrum is greater than or equal to the signal-to-noise ratio threshold; The sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, including: the spectral signal-to-noise ratio of the sensing spectrum is less than the signal-to-noise ratio threshold.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein, The quality threshold includes a proportional threshold; The sensing spectrum satisfies the quality threshold, including: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is greater than or equal to the proportion threshold; The sensing spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, including: the proportion of power in the sensing spectrum that is higher than or equal to the power threshold is less than the proportion threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein, The quality thresholds include a minimum number threshold and / or a maximum number threshold for the perceived targets; The perception spectrum satisfies the quality threshold, including: the number of perceived targets detected based on the perception spectrum is greater than or equal to the minimum number threshold, and / or less than or equal to the maximum number threshold; The perception spectrum does not meet the quality threshold, including: the number of perceived targets detected based on the perception spectrum is less than the minimum number threshold, or greater than the maximum number threshold.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: sending a sensing signal, the sensing signal being used to determine the first sensing spectrum.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8-12, characterized in that, When receiving the first sensing information, the method further includes: performing sensing based on the first sensing information.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8-12, characterized in that, In the case of receiving the first instruction information, the method further includes: adjusting the transmission mode of the sensing signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The adjustment of the transmission mode of the sensing signal includes: increasing the transmission power of the sensing signal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 8-15, characterized in that, The method further includes: determining the quality threshold based on the sensing accuracy and / or the historical sensing spectrum corresponding to the sensing area.

17. The method according to any one of claims 8-16, characterized in that, The method is applied to a second communication device, which is a radio access network (RAN) node or a sensing network element.

18. A communications device, characterized by The communication device includes a processor; the processor is configured to run a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 8-17.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-7 to be performed, or cause the method described in any one of claims 8-17 to be performed.

20. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions; when some or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, they cause the method of any one of claims 1-7 to be performed, or cause the method of any one of claims 8-17 to be performed.

Images