Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: a first network device acquiring wave position information and timing advance information of a terminal device; and sending first information to a second network device, the first information being used for determining time window information of a detection reference signal, and the time window information of the detection reference signal being related to the wave position information and the timing advance information of the terminal device. The technical solution provided in the present application can reduce the influence of signal detection on data transceiving.

Description

A communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411481366.5, filed on October 22, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication and positioning integration technology has gradually become a research hotspot in the field of wireless communication technology in recent years. To achieve LEO satellite positioning, the terminal device first needs to send an uplink positioning reference signal to the LEO satellite. The LEO satellite then detects the uplink positioning reference signal to obtain time or angle information related to it, and subsequently calculates the position of the terminal device.

[0004] However, in low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite positioning scenarios, LEO satellites need to detect the uplink positioning reference signal from the moment it is transmitted. But since the distance between LEO satellites and terminal devices can be hundreds to thousands of kilometers, the corresponding propagation delay is several milliseconds to tens of milliseconds. The transmission process of the uplink positioning reference signal has a long delay. Moreover, LEO satellites cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during the uplink positioning reference signal detection period. Therefore, this will affect the performance of data transmission and reception between the terminal device and the LEO satellite.

[0005] Therefore, how to reduce the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and a communication device that can reduce the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be executed by a first network device, by a module applied to the first network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first network device. The method may include: the first network device acquiring waveform information and timing advance information of a terminal device; the first network device sending first information to a second network device, the first information being used to determine time window information for detecting a reference signal, the time window information for detecting the reference signal being related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0008] When the second network device detects the uplink reference signal, because it doesn't know the signal's transmission delay in the air, it needs to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until it receives it. In this case, the time required for the second network device to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long, meaning the time window for detecting the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the second network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during signal detection. Unlike the above method, the first network device can acquire first information used to determine the time window information and send it to the second network device, enabling the second network device to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the first information. Since the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information, the second network device can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window), thereby avoiding unnecessary detection waiting time, reducing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reducing the power consumption of signal detection.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device by sending a first request message to a third network device or the terminal device, wherein the first request message is used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. In this embodiment, the second network device obtains the first information for determining the time window information of the detection reference signal by means of the first network device obtaining the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and then sending the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the second network device via the first information, so that the second network device determines the time window for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a first network device determining time window information for detecting a reference signal by a second network device based on the waveform information and timing advance information of a terminal device, wherein the first information includes the time window information. In this embodiment, the second network device obtains the first information for determining the time window information for detecting the reference signal by: after obtaining the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the first network device determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and sends the time window information to the second network device via the first information, so that the second network device can determine the time window for detecting the reference signal based on the time window information. Since the second network device does not need to derive the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the second network device can directly receive the time window information from the first network device, simplifying the computational complexity of deriving the time window information and thus reducing the power consumption of the second network device in determining the time window.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, which includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometry of the wave position.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a first network device sending a second request message to a third network device, the second request message being used to request configuration information of a reference signal, the configuration information of the reference signal including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and its time-frequency domain position.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: the first network device sending configuration information of a reference signal to the second network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain location.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a first network device receiving measurement results from measurement reference signals from a second network device and a third network device, the measurement results including location information of the second and third network devices carrying the measurement time.

[0016] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be executed by a second network device, by a module (e.g., processor, chip, or chip system) applied to the second network device, or by a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second network device. The method may include: the second network device acquiring first information, the first information being used to determine time window information for detecting a reference signal, the time window information for detecting the reference signal being related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device; and the second network device detecting the reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information for detecting the reference signal.

[0017] When the second network device detects the uplink reference signal, because it does not know the signal's transmission delay in the air, it needs to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until it receives it. In this case, the time required for the second network device to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long, meaning the time window for detecting the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the second network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during the signal detection process. Unlike the above method, in this embodiment, the second network device can obtain first information from the first network device for determining time window information and determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the first information. Since the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information, the second network device can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window), thereby avoiding unnecessary detection waiting time, reducing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reducing the power consumption of signal detection.

[0018] It should be understood that the implementing entity of the second aspect can be a second network device, the specific content of the second aspect corresponds to the content of the first aspect, and the corresponding features of the second aspect and the beneficial effects achieved can be referred to the description of the first aspect. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the second network device acquires the first information, including: the second network device acquires the first information from the first network device or the third network device, the first information including the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device; the second network device detects the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal, including: the second network device determines the time window information according to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device; the second network device detects the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the second network device acquires the first information by: acquiring the first information from the first network device, the first information including time window information determined by the first network device.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, which includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometry of the wave position.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a second network device receiving configuration information from a first network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of a reference signal and a time-frequency domain location.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: the second network device sending a measurement result of a measurement reference signal to the first network device, the measurement result including the location information of the second network device carrying the measurement time.

[0024] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be executed by a third network device, by a module applied to the third network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the third network device. The method may include: the third network device determining time window information for detecting a reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device; and the third network device detecting the reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information.

[0025] When a third network device detects an uplink reference signal, because it doesn't know the signal's transmission delay in the air, it needs to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until it receives it. In this case, the time required for the third network device to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long; that is, the time window for detecting the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the third network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during signal detection. Unlike the above method, in this embodiment, the third network device can determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. Since the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the third network device can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window), thereby avoiding unnecessary detection waiting time, reducing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reducing the power consumption of signal detection.

[0026] It should be understood that the implementing entity of the third aspect can be a third network device, and the specific content of the third aspect corresponds to the content of the first and second aspects. The corresponding features of the third aspect and the beneficial effects achieved can be referred to the descriptions of the first and second aspects. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a third network device receiving first request information from a first network device, the first request information being used to request wave position information and timing advance information from a terminal device.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a third network device sending first information to a second network device, the first information being used to determine time window information for detecting a reference signal, the time window information for detecting the reference signal being related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the first information including the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, which includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometry of the wave position.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a third network device receiving second request information from a first network device, the second request information being used to request configuration information of a reference signal, the configuration information of the reference signal including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and its time-frequency domain position.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a third network device sending configuration information of a reference signal to a terminal device, the configuration information of the reference signal including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and its time-frequency domain location.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a third network device sending a measurement result of a measurement reference signal to a first network device, the measurement result including the location information of the third network device carrying the measurement time.

[0033] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. This method can be executed by a terminal device, by a module applied to the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic node, logic module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device's functions. The method may include: the terminal device receiving a first request message from a first network device, and sending the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information to the first network device. The first request message is used to request the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information.

[0034] When the second network device detects the uplink reference signal, because it does not know the signal's transmission delay in the air, it needs to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until it receives it. In this case, the time required for the second network device to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long, meaning the time window for the second network device to detect the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the second network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during the signal detection process. Unlike the above method, in this embodiment, the terminal device can send its waveform information and timing advance information to the first network device. This allows the first network device to determine the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information. Then, the first network device sends this time window information to the second network device via first information, enabling the second network device to determine the time window for detecting the reference signal based on this time window information. Since the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the second network device can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window), thereby avoiding unnecessary detection waiting time, reducing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reducing the power consumption of signal detection.

[0035] It should be understood that the implementing entity of the fourth aspect can be a terminal device. The specific content of the fourth aspect corresponds to the content of the first, second, and third aspects. The corresponding features of the fourth aspect and the beneficial effects achieved can be referred to the descriptions of the first, second, and third aspects. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, which includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometry of the wave position.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: the terminal device receiving configuration information of a reference signal from a third network device, the configuration information of the reference signal including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and its time-frequency domain location.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: the terminal device sending a reference signal to the second network device and the third network device.

[0039] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for executing the methods described in the first aspect and its possible implementations, the second aspect and its possible implementations, the third aspect and its possible implementations, and the fourth aspect and its possible implementations. The communication device includes modules for executing the methods described in the first aspect and its possible implementations, the second aspect and its possible implementations, the third aspect and its possible implementations, and the fourth aspect and its possible implementations. The modules in the fifth aspect can also be replaced by units or means, etc. The aforementioned modules can be implemented in software, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware.

[0040] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be a terminal device or a device within a terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The device may include a processor, a memory, an input interface, and an output interface. The input interface is used to receive information from other communication devices outside the device, and the output interface is used to output information to other communication devices outside the device. The processor invokes a computer program stored in the memory to execute a method for requesting system messages provided in the fourth aspect or any embodiment of the fourth aspect.

[0041] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided. This device may be a first network device, a second network device, or a third network device, or a component (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) within a first, second, or third network device. The device may include a processor, a memory, an input interface, and an output interface. The input interface is used to receive information from other communication devices outside the device. The output interface is used to output information to other communication devices outside the device. The processor invokes a computer program stored in the memory to execute the communication method provided by the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect, the second aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect, or the third aspect or any embodiment of the third aspect.

[0042] Eighthly, this application provides a communication system comprising at least one first network device, at least one second network device, at least one third network device, and at least one terminal device. When the at least one first network device, at least one second network device, at least one third network device, and at least one terminal device are operating in the system, they are used to execute any of the communication methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, and the fourth aspect.

[0043] Ninthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when the computer program or computer instructions are executed, cause the methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof, the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof to be performed.

[0044] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including executable instructions that, when the computer program product is run on a communication device, causes the methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof, the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof to be executed.

[0045] In one aspect, this application provides a communication device, which includes a processor and may further include a memory, for implementing the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof, the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The device may be a chip system, which may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Attached Figure Description

[0046] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the background art, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application or the background art will be described below.

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a triangular positioning principle provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a time window for detecting reference signals at a ground base station according to an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a time window for detecting reference signals by a low-orbit satellite according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are schematic diagrams of two ground wave sites provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are schematic diagrams of time windows for two low-orbit satellite detection reference signals provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) are schematic diagrams of time windows for two types of low-orbit satellite detection reference signals provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0064] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0065] In this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "more than one" means two or more, "at least two (items)" means two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0066] In this application, "send request" can be understood as one device sending a request to another device, or it can also be understood as one logic module within a device sending a request to another logic module. For example, "terminal device send request" can be understood as a terminal device sending a request to another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logic module 1 in the terminal device sending a request to logic module 2 in the terminal device.

[0067] In this application, "receive request" can be understood as one device receiving a request from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving a request from another logical module. For example, "terminal device receive request" can be understood as a terminal device receiving a request from another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the terminal device receiving a request from logical module 2 in the terminal device.

[0068] In this application, "send a request to... (e.g., a terminal)" can be understood as the destination of the request being the terminal. This can include sending the request directly or indirectly to the terminal. "Receive a request from... (e.g., a terminal)" or "receive a request from... (e.g., a terminal)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal, and can include receiving the request directly or indirectly from the terminal. The request may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand a valid request from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0069] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced first:

[0070] (1) Non-terrestrial network (NTN) is a wireless communication network composed of airborne base stations. Since the 1860s, NTNs, such as satellite communication systems, have been a hot research area. Satellite communication is less affected by geographical conditions and can achieve global coverage, making its development extremely important. Especially when natural disasters severely damage local communication infrastructure and disrupt normal communication, satellite communication can provide strong communication support for effective disaster relief and rescue. Furthermore, in areas where it is difficult to establish terrestrial base stations, including oceans, deserts, and mountains, effective communication can be achieved through satellite communication, thus ensuring full communication coverage.

[0071] Generally speaking, the higher the satellite's orbit, the larger its coverage area, but the longer the communication latency. Currently, satellite mobile communication systems can be divided into four categories according to the satellite's orbit (elliptical orbit, circular orbit) and altitude (high, medium, low):

[0072] 1) Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems: orbital altitude of 500km to 2000km;

[0073] 2) Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite systems: orbital altitude of 2000km to 20000km;

[0074] 3) Highly eccentric orbit (HEO) satellite system: This is an elliptical orbit satellite system with a low perigee and a very high apogee, and its orbital altitude is greater than 20,000 km;

[0075] 4) Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) Satellite System: The orbital altitude is 35,800 km. The relative position of satellites operating in this orbit to the Earth is not affected by the Earth's rotation.

[0076] Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, with their close proximity to the ground, short communication latency, and high data transmission rate, are suitable for mass market adoption and have become a current hot topic in industrial development.

[0077] (2) Various positioning technologies, including downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), downlink angle of departure (DL-AOD), uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA), uplink angle of arrival (UL-AOA), and multiple round-trip time (multi-RTT) algorithms, are applied in the 5G terrestrial cellular network positioning standard. Among these, DL-TDOA, UL-TDOA, and multi-RTT algorithms are time-of-arrival (TOA) based positioning technologies. This requires the receiver to detect the arrival time of the signal sent by the transmitter, convert it into distance information, and finally obtain the location of the target. DL-AOD and UL-AOA are angle-based positioning technologies. The receiver detects the arrival angle of the reference signal sent by the transmitter and then infers the receiver's location based on the angle information between the receiver and multiple transmitters at known locations.

[0078] The aforementioned algorithms, such as UL-TDOA and UL-AOA, belong to uplink positioning technologies. In practical applications, uplink positioning technologies, besides time-based and angle-based technologies, also include carrier phase-based uplink positioning technologies, Doppler frequency offset-based uplink positioning technologies, and so on. All of these technologies require detecting the uplink reference signal to obtain the detection result, which is then used for positioning calculation. The content of the embodiments in this application applies to all uplink positioning technologies.

[0079] (3) Trilateration principle, which estimates the position of the target by calculating the intersection of multiple circles, can be applied to time-based uplink positioning technologies such as UL-TDOA. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a trilateration principle provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, Figure 1 includes 4 satellites and a terminal device. First, it is assumed that the positions of the 4 satellites are known. Here, the coordinates of the i-th satellite are defined as (x... i ,y i ,z i The coordinates of the target to be located, i.e., the terminal device, are (x, y). UE ,y UE ,z UE And taking the first satellite as the reference base station, assuming the distance between the i-th base station and the terminal device is d. i The arrival time of the uplink positioning reference signal detected by the i-th base station is t. iIf the terminal device is located on a circle with the base station as the center and the distance corresponding to the signal transmission duration as the radius, then the following system of equations can be listed according to the definition of a circle:

[0080]

[0081] In the above system of equations, c is the speed of light, and Δt is the error caused by clock drift. As long as the coordinates of each satellite and the distance d from the terminal device to each satellite are known... i or time t i The above equations can then be solved to obtain the coordinates of the terminal device. However, in practical applications, errors in clock speed, detection, and anchor node position can lead to inaccuracies in the terminal device's coordinates. Therefore, more satellites are needed to work together to solve the equations and mitigate the impact of these errors. Furthermore, due to detection errors, the above equations generally do not have a closed-form solution. In engineering practice, classic optimization algorithms such as least squares or particle swarm optimization are used to estimate the optimal solution to the above equations.

[0082] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application is described below:

[0083] Figures 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams of the architecture of two communication systems provided in the embodiments of this application. The following is a brief explanation of some technical terms in the system architecture shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0084] (1) The gateway is responsible for receiving information from the satellite and then forwarding it to the ground base station, or sending the signal from the ground base station to the satellite.

[0085] (2) Next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) is an important component of 5G and future communication networks. NG-RAN is designed to support higher data rates, lower latency, and massive device connectivity to meet the bandwidth, connection density, and quality of service requirements of future communication technologies.

[0086] (3) The new radio access (NR Uu) interface is a key wireless interface between user equipment and base station in 5G network. It supports high bandwidth, low latency and flexible spectrum use, providing a foundation for various modern communication needs.

[0087] (4) The remote radio unit (RRU) is a remote radio unit in modern wireless communication networks, responsible for transmitting and receiving wireless signals and preliminary processing.

[0088] (5) The next generation (NG) interface is the interface between the 5G base station and the 5G core network, responsible for carrying communication between the control plane and the user plane. Through the NG interface, the base station can transmit user data and control information to the 5G core network.

[0089] (6) The N6 interface is the interface between the 5G core network and the external data network, and is responsible for the connection between the core network and external services or the Internet.

[0090] (7) The Satellite Relay Interface (SRI) is the communication channel between the satellite and the ground gateway.

[0091] (8) “NG over SRI” means that in a satellite communication environment, the data and control signaling of the NG interface are transmitted through the satellite backhaul interface, thereby realizing the connection between the base station and the core network.

[0092] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. This system architecture includes, but is not limited to, the following components: terminal equipment, satellite, gateway, base station, 5G core network, and data network. The terminal equipment sends wireless signals to the satellite via the NR Uu interface. The satellite, acting as an RRU, receives and forwards the wireless signals, which can be uplink positioning reference signals. The satellite, connected to the gateway, transmits the signal to the ground-based base station for processing. The base station communicates with the 5G core network via the NG interface, and the 5G core network connects to the data network via the N6 interface, enabling communication with the Internet or other services. This system architecture is a transparent satellite-based NG-RAN architecture, meaning the base station remains on the ground, and the satellite only acts as a signal relay.

[0093] Figure 3 illustrates another communication system architecture provided in this application embodiment. This system architecture includes, but is not limited to, the following components: terminal equipment, satellite, gateway, base station, 5G core network, and data network. The terminal equipment transmits wireless signals to the satellite, which integrates base station functionality, via the NR Uu interface. The satellite transmits the wireless signals to the ground gateway via SRI, and these wireless signals can be uplink positioning reference signals. The ground gateway connects to the 5G core network via the NG interface, and the 5G core network connects to the external data network via the N6 interface. This system architecture is a regenerative satellite-based NG-RAN architecture, meaning the base station functionality is directly integrated onto the satellite.

[0094] The system architecture shown in Figures 2 and 3 can be applied to various communication systems, including but not limited to: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, LTE Advanced (LTE-A) systems, NR systems, and other fifth-generation (5G) communication systems. It can also be applied to Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) systems, communication systems that support the integration of multiple wireless technologies, or future evolutionary communication systems.

[0095] The following sections will provide a detailed explanation of the terminal equipment, satellites, 5G core network, and base stations involved in the system architecture shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0096] A terminal device can be a terminal device itself or a module (e.g., a chip) used in a terminal device. A terminal device is an entity on the user side used to receive or transmit signals, such as user equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. Terminal devices can also include mobile phones, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (AR) terminal devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. The embodiments of this application do not limit the types of devices used, including wireless terminals in the home, wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc.), terminal devices in 5G networks, and terminal devices in PLMNs that evolve after 5G. Terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted, or on water (such as ships), or in the air (such as airplanes, balloons, and satellites).

[0097] As an example and not a limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important part of the development of information technology, and its main technical feature is connecting objects to networks through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and machine-to-machine interconnection. In this embodiment, IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and power saving for terminals through technologies such as narrowband (NB). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal device may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas station sensors, whose main functions include collecting data (in some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from network devices, and transmitting uplink data to network devices by sending electromagnetic waves.

[0098] Satellites, also known as airborne objects, are a type of network device. In the transparent transmission network architecture shown in Figure 2, a satellite can be a relay node that forwards signals from a ground base station to ground terminal equipment; in the regenerative network architecture shown in Figure 3, a satellite can be a base station that communicates with ground terminal equipment. In the embodiments of this application, the satellite can be any one of low-Earth orbit communication satellites, such as broadband internet satellites, mobile communication satellites, IoT communication satellites, dedicated communication satellites, satellite relay communication satellites, broadcast and multicast satellites, etc.

[0099] A 5G core network is a network device whose main functions include: access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), and user plane management function (UPF). In addition, the 5G core network also includes a location management function (LMF) network element, which handles location requests, coordinates detection by base stations or other network nodes, and calculates the location information of user equipment, supporting location-related services such as navigation, emergency services, and IoT applications. A 5G core network can be any of the following: standalone (SA) core network, non-standalone (NSA) core network, private 5G core network, cloud-native core network, edge computing core network, or hybrid cloud core network.

[0100] A base station is a network device with wireless transceiver capabilities used to communicate with terminal devices. It can also be a device that connects terminal devices to a wireless network. A base station can be called a node in a radio access network (RAN) or a RAN node (or device). Base stations can be evolved Node Bs (eNBs or eNodeBs) in LTE, next-generation Node Bs (gNBs) in 5G networks, base stations in future public land mobile networks (PLMNs), broadband network gateways (BNGs), aggregation switches, or non-3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access devices, etc. Base stations can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, equipment that implements base station functions in communication systems evolved after 5G, access points (APs), transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs) in WiFi systems, mobile switching centers, and equipment that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. They can also include centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs) in cloud radio access networks (C-RAN) systems, and network equipment in NTN communication systems, which can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites.

[0101] This application does not limit the form of terminal devices and network equipment such as satellites, 5G core networks, and base stations. The device used to implement the functions of a terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing that function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. Similarly, the device used to implement the functions of a network device can be a network device; it can also be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete components.

[0102] The system architecture shown in Figures 2 and 3 does not limit the number of terminal devices and network equipment such as satellites, 5G core networks, and base stations. For example, it can include more terminal devices and network equipment such as satellites, 5G core networks, and base stations. For the sake of simplicity, they are not described one by one in the figures.

[0103] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the specific technical problems to be solved by this application are further analyzed and proposed.

[0104] Currently, to support satellite communication and positioning functions, terminal devices need to establish connections with both medium / high orbit satellites and low orbit satellites simultaneously, posing significant challenges to the complexity and power consumption of these devices. Low orbit satellite communication and positioning integration, which adds low orbit satellite positioning functionality to low orbit satellite communication capabilities, offers the following advantages compared to traditional satellite positioning technologies based on medium or high orbit satellites:

[0105] (1) Low-orbit satellites can be used for both communication and positioning. Terminal devices do not need to additionally capture and follow medium / high-orbit satellites, thus reducing the power consumption of terminal devices.

[0106] (2) It enables terminal devices that do not have global navigation satellite system (GNSS) functionality or have weak GNSS functionality to achieve satellite positioning functionality.

[0107] (3) Low-orbit satellites fly at high speeds, are closer to the ground, have a wider coverage area, and the geometric spatial distribution between satellites is more favorable for positioning. Therefore, this technology has better positioning performance.

[0108] (4) By superimposing positioning features on non-terrestrial network communication, commercial value-added can be achieved.

[0109] Therefore, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication and positioning integration technology has gradually become a research hotspot in the field of wireless communication technology in recent years. Typically, to achieve LEO satellite positioning, the terminal device first needs to send an uplink positioning reference signal to the LEO satellite. Then, the LEO satellite detects the uplink positioning reference signal to obtain time or angle information related to it, and subsequently calculates the position of the terminal device.

[0110] As can be seen from the above, in the case of low-Earth orbit satellite (or non-terrestrial network) positioning, the low-Earth orbit satellite is usually responsible for detecting the uplink positioning reference signal, while in the case of terrestrial network positioning, the ground base station is usually responsible for detecting the reference signal. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the time window for a ground base station to detect the reference signal according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed box in Figure 4 represents the time window when the base station detects the reference signal. Similarly, the dashed boxes in Figures 5, 9(a), 9(b), and 10 represent the time windows for low-Earth orbit satellite to detect the reference signal, which will not be described again hereafter. As shown in Figure 4, when the ground base station detects the uplink positioning reference signal, because the ground base station only knows that the terminal device sends the reference signal in the first time slot, but does not know the transmission delay of the reference signal, it can only start detecting the reference signal from the first time slot until the corresponding reference signal is detected. Furthermore, in the case of terrestrial network positioning, the distance between the terminal device and the base station is usually within a few kilometers, so the transmission delay of the reference signal in the air is within tens of microseconds (1 microsecond corresponds to a transmission distance of 300 meters). Since a time slot is usually 1 millisecond, the base station can detect the desired reference signal in the same time slot when the reference signal is sent (assuming that the terminal device and the base station are time-synchronized).

[0111] However, in the case of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite (or non-terrestrial network) positioning, the distance between the LEO satellite and the terminal device can be hundreds to thousands of kilometers. The propagation delay corresponding to this distance is several milliseconds to tens of milliseconds. Therefore, the transmission delay of the uplink positioning reference signal spans multiple time slots. Please refer to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a time window for detecting reference signals by LEO satellites according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the distances between the terminal device and the first to fourth satellites are d1, d2, d3, and d4, respectively. t1, t2, t3, and t4 can represent the time required for the reference signal to be transmitted at the distances corresponding to d1, d2, d3, and d4, respectively, or they can represent the time required for the signal to be transmitted from the terminal device to the first to fourth satellites. Each satellite needs several milliseconds to tens of milliseconds to detect the uplink positioning reference signal sent by the terminal device. Signal detection must begin at the start of the uplink positioning reference signal transmission time slot. That is, the first to fourth satellites can perform signal detection from the initial time slots t1 to t4, respectively. For example, the first satellite detects the reference signal from the terminal device for t1, the second satellite for t2, the third satellite for t3, and the fourth satellite for t4. Thus, t1 to t4 can be understood as the time window for the first to fourth satellites to detect the reference signal. Furthermore, low-Earth orbit satellites cannot perform other functions such as data transmission and reception during uplink positioning reference signal detection. This not only leads to significant power consumption but also affects data transmission and reception performance. Therefore, minimizing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0112] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of this application is: how to reduce the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception.

[0113] Based on the above, this application proposes a communication method, which will be described below through various embodiments. It should be understood that these methods can be used in combination. The technical solution provided by this application is not limited to the process described below. Furthermore, the scenario descriptions in the embodiments of this application are merely illustrative and do not limit the solutions of this application to the described scenarios; they are also applicable to scenarios with similar problems.

[0114] The terminal device in this embodiment (as described below) can be the terminal device shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3. The functions performed by the terminal device in this embodiment can also be performed by a device within the terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The first network device in this embodiment can be the 5G core network shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, or a network element within the 5G core network shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, such as an LMF network element. The functions performed by the first network device in this embodiment can also be performed by a device within the first network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The second network device in this embodiment can be the satellite shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, used for direct communication or positioning with the terminal device; it can also be called a service satellite. The functions performed by the second network device in this embodiment can also be performed by a device within the second network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The third network device in this embodiment can be the satellite shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, and can be a neighboring network device of the second network device, for example, used to assist the second network device in locating the terminal device; it can also be called a neighboring satellite. In this embodiment, the function performed by the third network device can also be performed by a device within the third network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). In this embodiment, there can be multiple third network devices. This embodiment is described uniformly here and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0115] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6:

[0116] Step S601: The first network device acquires the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0117] The wave position information of the terminal device can be the identification information of the wave position point of the terminal device. The identification information can be the wave position point number, or the radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position point, geometry, etc. Figure 7(a) is a schematic diagram of a ground wave position point. As shown in Figure 7(a), the Earth's surface can be divided into multiple fixed regions according to certain rules. Each region is called a wave position point. Each wave position point has a unique number, and the radius, coordinates, and geometry of each wave position point are also fixed and known. Then, the satellite can estimate the possible time range of receiving the reference signal based on the identification information of the ground wave position point where the terminal device is located. For example, in Figure 7(a), the terminal device is located at wave position point number 3. Optionally, the wave position point where the terminal device is located is not necessarily a single wave position point, but can be multiple wave position points. The satellite can merge multiple wave position points and estimate the possible time range of receiving the reference signal based on this. This application does not specifically limit the wave position information of the terminal device. It is understood that other wave position information of the terminal device that conforms to the actual application can also be selected, which will not be described in detail hereafter.

[0118] The reference signal mentioned above can be sent from a ground-based terminal device to a second and / or third network device in the air. It is an uplink reference signal. The uplink reference signal can be used for positioning, channel estimation, power control, resource scheduling, synchronization, link quality monitoring, antenna calibration and beamforming, and interference management, etc. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the use of the reference signal.

[0119] The timing advance information of a terminal device can be either the time offset required for the terminal device to send the uplink reference signal ahead of time, or the time offset required for the terminal device to send the uplink reference signal behind time. This ensures that the uplink reference signals sent by different terminal devices arrive at the base station / satellite in time, preventing interference. The timing advance information of the terminal device corresponding to the second or third network device can be several to tens of milliseconds. The time at which the terminal device sends the reference signal to the second or third network device needs to be advanced accordingly based on its timing advance information (e.g., the distance between the terminal device and the second or third network device). One possible implementation is that the second and third network devices are at the same distance from the terminal device. In this case, the terminal device can send the uplink reference signal to both the second and third network devices simultaneously. For example, if the timing advance information of the terminal device corresponding to the third network device is 10 milliseconds, it means that the terminal device will also send the uplink reference signal to the second network device 10 milliseconds in advance.

[0120] The first network device can obtain the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device in any of the following possible ways:

[0121] In one possible implementation, the first network device can obtain the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from the third network device. For example, the first network device can send a first request message to the third network device to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. After receiving the first request message, the third network device sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the first network device.

[0122] In a second possible implementation, the first network device can obtain the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. For example, the first network device can send a first request message to the terminal device to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. After receiving the first request message, the terminal device sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the first network device.

[0123] Step S602: The second network device obtains the first information.

[0124] The first information can be implemented in any of the following ways:

[0125] In one possible implementation, the first information may include the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0126] In a second possible implementation, the first information may include the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal.

[0127] The second network device can obtain the first information in either step S602a or step S602b as described below. Specifically, if the second network device obtains the first information using the method corresponding to step S602a, then it is not necessary to execute the method corresponding to step S602b. Similarly, if the second network device obtains the first information using the method corresponding to step S602b, then it is not necessary to execute the method corresponding to step S602a.

[0128] Step S602a: The first network device sends the first information to the second network device.

[0129] In this step, the possible implementations of the first information can correspond to the first and second possible implementations of the first information in S602. Specifically, in the first possible implementation, the first information may include the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. Specifically, after the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, it sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the second network device through the first information, so that the second network device can determine the time window for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. Alternatively, in the second possible implementation, the first information may include the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal. Specifically, after the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, it determines the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and sends this time window information to the second network device through the first information, so that the second network device can determine the time window for detecting the reference signal based on this time window information.

[0130] Alternatively, step S602a can be replaced by step S602b:

[0131] Step S602b: The second network device obtains the first information from the third network device.

[0132] In this step, the first information may include the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0133] The second network device can obtain the first information from the third network device. For example, the second network device can request the first information from the third network device, and after receiving the request, the third network device sends the first information to the second network device.

[0134] If an inter-satellite link exists between the second and third network devices, the second network device can request the first information from the third network device, and the third network device can also send the first information to the second network device. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the method of information transmission between the second and third network devices; it is understood that other methods of information transmission that conform to actual applications can also be chosen, which will not be elaborated further hereafter.

[0135] Step S603: The second network device and the third network device determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal.

[0136] The time window information can be represented by the start time and initial time of the time window. For example, if the time window is from 00:00:00 to 00:00:09 (in hours: minutes: seconds), then the start time and initial time of the time window can be 00:00:00 and 00:00:09, respectively.

[0137] The time window information can also be represented by the center of the time window and the left and right offsets of the time window. For example, if the time window is from 00:00:00 to 00:00:09 (in hours: minutes: seconds), then the center of the time window can be 00:00:05, and the left and right offsets of the time window can be 4 seconds each.

[0138] The time window information can also be represented as the start time of the time window plus a time offset. For example, if the time window is from 00:00:00 to 00:00:09 (in hours: minutes: seconds), then the start time of the time window can be 00:00:00, and the time offset of the time window can be 9 seconds.

[0139] The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the representation of time window information. It is understood that other representations of time window information that are suitable for actual applications can also be selected, which will not be elaborated further hereafter.

[0140] The second network device determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal (detection can also be called blind detection, and the two can be used interchangeably, which will not be elaborated further). Specifically, the second network device can determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the first information, and it can be any of the following possible implementation methods:

[0141] In one possible implementation, after the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, it sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the second network device through the first information. After receiving the first information from the first network device, the second network device determines the time window for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0142] In the second possible implementation, after the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, it determines the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and sends the time window information to the second network device through the first information. After receiving the first information from the first network device, the second network device determines the time window for detecting the reference signal based on the time window information.

[0143] The third network device determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal. Specifically, the third network device knows the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device (since the third network device is the serving satellite of the terminal device, the third network device naturally knows the waveform information of the terminal device, and the third network device can also obtain the timing advance information of the terminal device, for example, the terminal device actively reports the timing advance information to the third network device, or the third network device requests the timing advance information from the terminal device), and determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0144] The second and third network devices can determine the time window information of the detection reference signal based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device in the same way.

[0145] For example, when the second network device determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device, as shown in Figure 7(a), the distance between the center of wave position 3 where the terminal device is located and the second network device is D1, and the radius of this wave position is R1 (in practice, the shape of the wave position can be hexagonal, square, circular, etc.; in this embodiment, it is assumed that the shape of the wave position is circular). Then, according to the principle that the sum of any two sides of a triangle is greater than the third side and the difference between any two sides is less than the third side, the distance d1 between any terminal device and the second network device at this wave position satisfies the following relationship: d1>D1-R1 <D1+R1

[0146] Therefore, as shown in Figure 8(a), the time window for the second network device to detect the reference signal is [(D1-R1) / c, (D1+R1) / c].

[0147] For example, when the third network device determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device, as shown in Figure 7(b), the distance between the center of wave position 3 where the terminal device is located and the third network device is D2, and the radius of this wave position is R2 (in practice, the shape of the wave position can be hexagonal, square, circular, etc.; in this embodiment, it is assumed that the shape of the wave position is circular). Then, according to the principle that the sum of any two sides of a triangle is greater than the third side and the difference between any two sides is less than the third side, the distance d2 between any terminal device and the third network device at this wave position satisfies the following relationship: d2 > D2 - R2 <D2+R2

[0148] Therefore, as shown in Figure 8(b), the time window for the second network device to detect the reference signal is [(D2-R2) / c, (D2+R2) / c], where c represents the speed of light.

[0149] Compared to the time window for detecting the reference signal in Figure 5, the time windows for detecting the reference signal in Figures 8(a) and 8(b) take into account the waveform information of the terminal device. The time windows for detecting the reference signal in Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are significantly more accurate. Outside of this time window, the second network device can continue to perform other tasks such as data transmission and reception. Therefore, the methods corresponding to Figures 8(a) and 8(b) reduce the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception. Furthermore, for example, if the time windows corresponding to Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are shorter than the time windows in Figure 5, the power consumption of signal detection can be reduced; if the time windows corresponding to Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are longer than the time windows in Figure 5, the possibility of missed signal detection can be reduced, and the accuracy of signal detection can be improved.

[0150] However, because timing advance information may exist, such as when a third network device acts as a service network device for a terminal device, the terminal device needs to advance the time it sends the reference signal based on the timing advance information between the terminal device and the third network device. The second network device, however, is unaware of this timing advance information, which may lead to missed detection of the reference signal, resulting in lower accuracy. Therefore, the second network device can further determine the time window for detecting the reference signal based on the timing advance information between the terminal device and the third network device, as shown in Figure 9(a). The time window for the second network device to detect the reference signal is [(D1-R1) / c-TA, (D1+R1) / c-TA], where TA represents the timing advance information. Similarly, as shown in Figure 9(b), the time window for the third network device to detect the reference signal is [(D2-R2) / c-TA, (D2+R2) / c-TA], where TA represents the timing advance information.

[0151] Compared to the time windows for detecting the reference signal in Figures 5, 8(a), and 8(b), the time windows for detecting the reference signal in Figures 9(a) and 9(b) not only consider the waveform information of the terminal device but also address the inaccuracy of the time window for detecting the reference signal due to timing advance information. The time windows for detecting the reference signal corresponding to Figures 9(a) and 9(b) allow the second and third network devices to detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range, thereby reducing the power consumption of signal detection. This also saves the second and third network devices more time or power, enabling them to better perform functions such as data transmission and reception. Furthermore, it reduces the possibility of the second and third network devices missing the reference signal, improving the accuracy of the reference signal detection. For example, if the uplink reference signal is used for positioning, it avoids the problem of deteriorated positioning accuracy caused by the second network device missing the reference signal.

[0152] Step S604: The terminal device sends a reference signal to the second network device and the third network device.

[0153] The terminal device can send reference signals to the second network device and the third network device. For example, the terminal device can send reference signals according to the configuration information of the reference signal configured by the third network device (such as the transmission period of the reference signal). Furthermore, the terminal device can also send reference signals according to the timing advance information. For example, the terminal device can send reference signals to the second network device and the third network device according to the timing advance information between the terminal device and the third network device.

[0154] It is understood that the embodiments of this application do not restrict the order in which the terminal device sends reference signals to the second network device and the third network device. For example, the terminal device may send reference signals to the second network device and the third network device at the same time, or it may send reference signals to the third network device first and then send reference signals to the second network device; the terminal device may also send reference signals to the second network device first and then send reference signals to the third network device.

[0155] Step S605: The second network device and the third network device detect the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal.

[0156] After the second and third network devices determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal, they can detect the reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information for detecting the reference signal.

[0157] When the second and third network devices detect the uplink reference signal, because they do not know the signal's transmission delay in the air, they need to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until they receive it. In this case, the time required for the second and third network devices to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long, meaning their time window for detecting the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the second network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during the signal detection process. Unlike the above method, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the first network device can obtain first information for determining the time window information and send it to the second network device, so that the second network device can determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the first information. The third network device knows the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and therefore can also determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. Because the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the second and third network devices can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window). This avoids unnecessary detection waiting time, reduces the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reduces the power consumption of signal detection. Furthermore, it reduces the possibility of missed reference signal detection and improves the accuracy of reference signal detection. For example, if the uplink reference signal is used for positioning, it can avoid the problem of positioning accuracy degradation caused by missed reference signal detection by the second and third network devices.

[0158] For the method embodiment shown in Figure 6, some specific implementation methods and beneficial effects can be referred to the description of Figures 10, 11 and 12 below. That is to say, the embodiments shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12 are specific implementations of the embodiment shown in Figure 6. To avoid redundancy, they will not be described again in the embodiment of Figure 6. The method embodiment in Figure 10 can correspond to the first possible implementation of the first network device acquiring the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device in step S601, the first possible implementation of the first information in step S602a, and the first possible implementation of the second network device determining the time window information of the detection reference signal in step S603. The method embodiment in Figure 11 can correspond to the second possible implementation of the first network device acquiring the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device in step S601, the first possible implementation of the first information in step S602a, and the first possible implementation of the second network device determining the time window information of the detection reference signal in step S603. The method embodiment in Figure 12 can correspond to the first possible implementation of the first network device acquiring the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device in step S601, the second possible implementation of the first information in step S602a, and the second possible implementation of the second network device determining the time window information of the detection reference signal in step S603.

[0159] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the third network device knows the wavelet information and timing advance information of the terminal device, as shown in Figure 10:

[0160] Step S1001: The first network device obtains the configuration information of the reference signal, the waveform information of the terminal device, and the timing advance information from the third network device.

[0161] The configuration information of the reference signal can be the transmission period of the reference signal or the time-frequency domain position of the reference signal. This application does not specifically limit the configuration information of the reference signal; it is understood that other configuration information suitable for the actual application can also be selected, which will not be elaborated further hereafter.

[0162] A first network device sends a first request message and a second request message to a third network device. The first request message is used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and the second request message is used to request the configuration information of the reference signal. The third network device receives the first request message and the second request message from the first network device. The third network device is the serving network device of the terminal device. The third network device knows the configuration information of the reference signal, the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and sends the configuration information of the reference signal, the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the first network device.

[0163] Optionally, the third network device may simultaneously send the configuration information of the reference signal, the waveform information of the terminal device, and the timing advance information to the first network device, or it may send the configuration information of the reference signal first and then send the waveform information of the terminal device and the timing advance information, or it may send the waveform information of the terminal device and the timing advance information first and then send the configuration information of the reference signal. Similarly, the first network device may simultaneously send the first request information and the second request information to the third network device, or it may send the first request information first and then send the second request information, or it may send the second request information first and then send the first request information.

[0164] Optionally, the configuration information of the reference signal, the wave position information of the terminal device, and the timing advance information can be included in the same signaling / information and sent, or they can be included in different signaling / information and sent. Similarly, the first request information and the second request information can be included in the same signaling / information and sent, or they can be included in different signaling / information and sent.

[0165] Step S1002: The third network device sends the configuration information of the reference signal to the terminal device.

[0166] The third network device may send configuration information of the reference signal to the terminal device in the following ways: unicast communication, broadcast communication, multicast communication, point-to-point communication, polling communication, etc. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the method by which the third network device sends configuration information of the reference signal to the terminal device. It is understood that other methods of sending information that conform to actual applications can also be selected, and will not be elaborated further thereafter.

[0167] Step S1003: The first network device sends configuration information of the reference signal to the second network device.

[0168] The first network device obtains the configuration information of the reference signal from the third network device and can send the configuration information of the reference signal to the second network device. The configuration information of the reference signal can be found in the specific description in S1001 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0169] Step S1004: The first network device sends first information to the second network device. The first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0170] The description of step S1004 can refer to the first possible implementation of the first information in step S602a above.

[0171] Optionally, the method corresponding to step S1003 can be executed first, followed by the method corresponding to step S1004; or the method corresponding to step S1004 can be executed first, followed by the method corresponding to step S1003.

[0172] Alternatively, step S1004 above can be replaced by step S1005:

[0173] Step S1005: The second network device obtains first information from the third network device. The first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0174] The description of step S1005 can be found in step S602b above, and will not be repeated here.

[0175] Step S1006: The second network device and the third network device determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal.

[0176] The description of step S1006 can be found in step S603 above.

[0177] Furthermore, regarding the first possible implementation of the second network device determining the time window information of the detection reference signal in step S603, in step S1001, after the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from the third network device, it sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the second network device through the first information. Since the third network device is the serving network device of the terminal device, it knows the waveform information of the terminal device. Regarding the timing advance information of the terminal device, the terminal device may actively report the timing advance information of the terminal device to the third network device when communicating with it, or it may not report the timing advance information of the terminal device to the third network device. Therefore, optionally, the first network device can also obtain the timing advance information from the terminal device to avoid the situation in step S1001 where the third network device does not know the timing advance information of the terminal device, which would prevent the first network device from obtaining the timing advance information of the terminal device and thus affect the second network device obtaining the timing advance information of the terminal device from the first network device in step S1004. Therefore, optionally, if the terminal device does not report the timing advance information of the terminal device to the third network device, the third network device needs to request the timing advance information of the terminal device from the terminal device before executing step S1001.

[0178] Regarding the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device used by the third network device to determine the time window information of the detection reference signal, since the third network device is the serving network device of the terminal device, it already knows the waveform information of the terminal device. As for the timing advance information of the terminal device, the terminal device may proactively report its timing advance information to the third network device during communication, or it may not. Therefore, optionally, the first network device can also obtain the timing advance information from the terminal device to avoid the situation in step S1006 where the third network device is unaware of the terminal device's timing advance information, preventing it from determining the time window information of the detection reference signal based on the timing advance information. Therefore, optionally, if the terminal device does not report its timing advance information to the third network device, the third network device needs to request the timing advance information from the terminal device before executing step S1006.

[0179] Step S1007: The terminal device sends a reference signal to the second network device and the third network device.

[0180] The description of step S1007 can be found in step S604 above.

[0181] Step S1008: The second network device and the third network device detect the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal.

[0182] The description of step S1008 can be found in step S605 above.

[0183] Step S1009: The second network device and the third network device send the measurement results of the measurement reference signal to the first network device.

[0184] After the second and third network devices detect the reference signal, they measure the reference signal to obtain the measurement result. The measurement result can be the location information of the second and third network devices at the time the reference signal was measured (which can be used as known quantities in the terminal device's location information equations to solve for the terminal device's location information), or it can be the arrival time, angle of arrival, received power, carrier phase, etc., of the reference signal. This application does not specifically limit the measurement result; it is understood that other measurement results suitable for practical applications can also be selected, which will not be elaborated further. Based on the above information, the first network device can derive the terminal device's location information and achieve the positioning function.

[0185] The first network device may be deployed on the ground or in the air. The second network device can send information to the first network device through a relay device. For example, the second network device can send information to the first network device through a ground gateway, or it can send information to the first network device through a ground base station and a ground gateway. This application does not specifically limit the method by which the second network device sends information to the first network device. It is understood that other methods of sending information that conform to actual applications can also be selected, which will not be described in detail hereafter.

[0186] When the second network device detects the uplink reference signal, because it does not know the signal's transmission delay in the air, it needs to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until it receives it. In this case, the time required for the second network device to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long, meaning the time window for the second network device to detect the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the second network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during the signal detection process. Unlike the above method, in the embodiment shown in Figure 10, the first network device can obtain the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information from the third network device and then send the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information to the second network device through the first information, so that the second network device can determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the first information; or the second network device can directly obtain the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information from the third network device (assuming there is an inter-satellite link between the second and third network devices), so that the second network device can determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information. Because the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the second network device can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window), thereby avoiding unnecessary detection waiting time, reducing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reducing the power consumption of signal detection. Furthermore, it can reduce the possibility of missed reference signal detection and improve the accuracy of reference signal detection. For example, if the uplink reference signal is used for positioning, it can avoid the problem of positioning accuracy degradation caused by the second network device missing the reference signal.

[0187] Please refer to Figure 11, which is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the terminal device and the third network device are aware of the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information, as shown in Figure 11:

[0188] Step S1101: The first network device obtains the configuration information of the reference signal from the third network device.

[0189] The description of step S1101 can be found in the section on the configuration information of the first network device obtaining the reference signal from the third network device in step S1001 above.

[0190] Step S1102: The third network device sends the configuration information of the reference signal to the terminal device.

[0191] The description of step S1102 can be found in step S1002 above.

[0192] Step S1103: The first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from the terminal device.

[0193] The first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from the terminal device. Specifically, the terminal device is aware of the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The first network device sends a first request message to the terminal device. The first request message is used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The terminal device receives the first request message from the first network device and sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the first network device.

[0194] The first network device can send a first request message to the terminal device through a relay device. For example, the first network device can send the first request message to the terminal device through a base station, or it can send the first request message to the terminal device through both a base station and a ground gateway. Similarly, the terminal device can also send its waveform information and timing advance information to the first network device through a relay device. This application does not specifically limit the method by which the first network device sends information to the terminal device or the method by which the terminal device sends information to the first network device. It is understood that other methods of sending information that conform to actual applications can also be selected, and will not be elaborated further hereafter.

[0195] Step S1104: The first network device sends configuration information of the reference signal to the second network device.

[0196] The description of step S1104 can be found in step S1003 above.

[0197] Step S1105: The first network device sends first information to the second network device. The first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0198] The description of step S1105 can be referred to the first possible implementation of the first information in step S602a above.

[0199] Optionally, the method corresponding to step S1104 can be executed first, followed by the method corresponding to step S1105; or the method corresponding to step S1105 can be executed first, followed by the method corresponding to step S1104.

[0200] Alternatively, step S1105 can be replaced by step S1106:

[0201] Step S1106: The second network device obtains first information from the third network device. The first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0202] The description of step S1106 can be found in step S602b above, and will not be repeated here.

[0203] Step S1107: The second network device and the third network device determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal.

[0204] The description of step S1107 can be found in step S603 above.

[0205] Step S1108: The terminal device sends a reference signal to the second network device and the third network device.

[0206] The description of step S1108 can be found in step S604 above.

[0207] Step S1109: The second network device and the third network device detect the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal.

[0208] The description of step S1109 can be found in step S605 above.

[0209] Step S1110: The second network device and the third network device send the measurement results of the measurement reference signal to the first network device.

[0210] The description of step S1110 can be found in step S1009 above.

[0211] When the second network device detects the uplink reference signal, because it does not know the signal's transmission delay in the air, it needs to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until it receives it. In this case, the time required for the second network device to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long, meaning the time window for the second network device to detect the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the second network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during the signal detection process. Unlike the above method, in the embodiment shown in Figure 11, the first network device can obtain the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information from the terminal device and then send the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information to the second network device through the first information, so that the second network device can determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the first information; or the second network device can directly obtain the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information from the third network device (assuming there is an inter-satellite link between the second and third network devices), so that the second network device can determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the terminal device's waveform information and timing advance information. Because the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the second network device can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window), thereby avoiding unnecessary detection waiting time, reducing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reducing the power consumption of signal detection. Furthermore, it can reduce the possibility of missed reference signal detection and improve the accuracy of reference signal detection. For example, if the uplink reference signal is used for positioning, it can avoid the problem of positioning accuracy degradation caused by the second network device missing the reference signal.

[0212] The difference between Figures 10 and 11 lies in the following: For steps S1004 and S1105, the first network device needs to obtain the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, which are included in the first information, before sending them to the second network device. The difference between Figures 10 and 11 is that the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from different sources. In Figure 10, the first network device can obtain them from the third network device through step S1001, while in Figure 11, the first network device can obtain them from the terminal device through step S1103. This allows for multiple acquisition methods, making the solution more flexible and adaptable.

[0213] Please refer to Figure 12, which is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the third network device knows the wavelet information and timing advance information of the terminal device, as shown in Figure 12:

[0214] Step S1201: The first network device obtains the configuration information of the reference signal, the waveform information of the terminal device, and the timing advance information from the third network device.

[0215] The description of step S1201 can be found in step S1001 above.

[0216] Step S1202: The third network device sends the configuration information of the reference signal to the terminal device.

[0217] The description of step S1202 can be found in step S1002 above.

[0218] Step S1203: The first network device determines the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal.

[0219] The first network device determines the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. Furthermore, the first network device can determine multiple sets of time window information. The second network device can detect the reference signal within the effective duration corresponding to a certain time window information, and outside the effective duration corresponding to that time window information, it can use other time window information to detect the reference signal.

[0220] Step S1204: The first network device sends configuration information of the reference signal to the second network device.

[0221] The description of step S1204 can be found in step S1003 above.

[0222] Step S1205: The first network device sends first information to the second network device, the first information including the time window information of the second network device detecting the reference signal.

[0223] The description of step S1205 can refer to the second possible implementation of the first information in step S602a above.

[0224] Optionally, the method corresponding to step S1204 can be executed first, followed by the method corresponding to step S1205; or the method corresponding to step S1205 can be executed first, followed by the method corresponding to step S1204.

[0225] Alternatively, step S1205 can be replaced by step S1206:

[0226] Step S1206: The second network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from the third network device.

[0227] The description of step S1206 can be found in step S602b above, and will not be repeated here.

[0228] Step S1207: The second network device and the third network device determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal.

[0229] The description of step S1207 can be found in step S603 above.

[0230] Step S1208: The terminal device sends a reference signal to the second network device and the third network device.

[0231] The description of step S1208 can be found in step S604 above.

[0232] Step S1209: The second network device and the third network device detect the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal.

[0233] The description of step S1209 can be found in step S605 above.

[0234] Step S1210: The second network device and the third network device send the measurement results of the measurement reference signal to the first network device.

[0235] The description of step S1210 can be found in step S1009 above.

[0236] When the second network device detects the uplink reference signal, because it does not know the signal's transmission delay in the air, it needs to start detecting the signal from the moment the terminal device sends the signal until it receives it. In this case, the time required for the second network device to wait for the signal to arrive is relatively long, meaning the time window for the second network device to detect the uplink reference signal is long. The longer the time window, the greater the power consumption for signal detection. Furthermore, the second network device cannot perform functions such as data transmission and reception during the signal detection process. Unlike the above method, in the embodiment shown in Figure 12, the first network device can obtain the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from the third network device, and determine the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. This time window information is then sent to the second network device via the first information, enabling the second network device to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the first information. Since the time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, the second network device can detect the uplink reference signal within a more accurate time range (time window), thereby avoiding unnecessary detection waiting time, reducing the impact of signal detection on data transmission and reception, and further reducing the power consumption of signal detection. Furthermore, it can reduce the possibility of missing reference signals and improve the accuracy of reference signal detection. For example, if the uplink reference signal is used for positioning, it can avoid the problem of deterioration in positioning accuracy caused by the second network device missing the reference signal.

[0237] The difference between Figures 10 and 12 is as follows: In step S1004, the first network device sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the second network device, and then the second network device determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. However, in step S1205, after the first network device obtains the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device from the third network device in step S1201, it determines the time window information for detecting the reference signal of the second network device itself, and then sends the time window information for detecting the reference signal of the second network device to the second network device. Therefore, the second network device does not need to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal based on the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, and can directly receive the time window information from the first network device. The above method simplifies the computational complexity of the second network device in determining the time window information and also reduces the power consumption required for the second network device to determine the time window.

[0238] The apparatus involved in the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0239] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the network device and terminal device include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, 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 scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0240] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the first network device, the second network device, the third network device, and the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0241] As shown in Figure 13, the communication device 1300 includes a transceiver unit 1301 and a processing unit 1302. The communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the first network device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 10, 11, and 12. Wherein:

[0242] The transceiver unit 1301 is used to acquire the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device;

[0243] The transceiver unit 1301 is also used to send first information to the second network device. The first information is used to determine the time window information of the detection reference signal. The time window information of the detection reference signal is related to the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0244] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 acquires the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, specifically for: sending a first request message to the third network device or the terminal device, wherein the first request message is used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0245] In one possible implementation, the first information includes the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0246] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1302 is configured to determine the time window information for the second network device to detect the reference signal based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device, wherein the first information includes the time window information.

[0247] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the wave position center, and wave position geometry.

[0248] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to send a second request message to a third network device, the second request message being used to request configuration information of the reference signal, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period and time-frequency domain position of the reference signal.

[0249] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to send configuration information of the reference signal to the second network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

[0250] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to receive measurement results from the second network device and the third network device for measuring the reference signal, the measurement results including location information of the second network device and the third network device carrying the measurement time.

[0251] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 1301 and the processing unit 1302, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 10, 11 and 12.

[0252] The communication device 1300 is also used to implement the functions of the second network device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 10, 11, and 12. Wherein:

[0253] The transceiver unit 1301 is used to acquire first information, which is used to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal. The time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0254] The transceiver unit 1301 is also used to detect a reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information of the detected reference signal.

[0255] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 acquires first information, specifically for: acquiring the first information from a first network device or a third network device, wherein the first information includes the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device;

[0256] The transceiver unit 1301 detects the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal, specifically used for: determining the time window information according to the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device; and detecting the reference signal from the terminal device according to the time window information of the detection reference signal.

[0257] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 acquires first information, specifically for: acquiring the first information from the first network device, wherein the first information includes the time window information, and the time window information is determined by the first network device.

[0258] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the wave position center, and wave position geometry.

[0259] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to receive configuration information from the first network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

[0260] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to send a measurement result of measuring the reference signal to the first network device, the measurement result including the location information of the second network device carrying the measurement time.

[0261] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 1301 and the processing unit 1302, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 10, 11 and 12.

[0262] The communication device 1300 is also used to implement the functions of the third network device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 10, 11, and 12 above. Wherein:

[0263] Transceiver unit 1301 is used to detect reference signals from the terminal device according to the time window information;

[0264] The processing unit 1302 is used to determine the time window information of the detection reference signal based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0265] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to receive a first request information from a first network device, the first request information being used to request the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0266] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to send first information to the second network device. The first information is used to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal. The time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0267] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the wave position center, and wave position geometry.

[0268] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to receive a second request information from the first network device, the second request information being used to request configuration information of the reference signal, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period and time-frequency domain position of the reference signal.

[0269] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to send configuration information of the reference signal to the terminal device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

[0270] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to send a measurement result of measuring the reference signal to the first network device, the measurement result including the location information of the third network device carrying the measurement time.

[0271] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 1301 and the processing unit 1302, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 10, 11 and 12.

[0272] The communication device 1300 is also used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 11 above. Wherein:

[0273] The transceiver unit 1301 is used to receive a first request information from a first network device and send the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the first network device. The first request information is used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

[0274] In one possible implementation, the wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the wave position center, and wave position geometry.

[0275] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to receive configuration information from a third network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of a reference signal and a time-frequency domain location.

[0276] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1301 is also used to send reference signals to the second network device and the third network device.

[0277] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 1301 and the processing unit 1302, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 11.

[0278] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 140 is used to implement the functions of the network element of this application. For example, the network element can be an access network device, a terminal device, a DU, or a CU. The device 140 can be the network element, or a device that can be installed in the network element, or a device that can be used in conjunction with the network element; there are no limitations. For example, the device can be a chip or a chip system. As shown in Figure 14, the device 140 includes an interface 141 and a processor 142. Optionally, the processor 142 is used to execute a program 144. The processor 142 can store the program 144, or obtain the program 144 from other devices or other equipment (e.g., from memory 143 or downloaded from a third-party website). Optionally, the device 140 includes a memory 143. The memory 143 is used to store a program 145. The program 145 can be pre-stored or loaded later. Optionally, the memory 143 can also be used to store necessary data. These components work together to provide the various functions described in this application.

[0279] Processor 142 may include one or more processors as a combination of computing devices. Processor 142 may include one or more of the following: microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), digital signal processing device (DSPD), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic device (PLD), gated logic, transistor logic, discrete hardware circuitry, processing circuitry, or other suitable hardware, firmware, and / or combinations of hardware and software configured to perform the various functions described in this application. Processor 142 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, processor 142 may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). A baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data. A CPU may be used to execute software programs and process data within those software programs.

[0280] Interface 141 may include any suitable hardware or software for enabling communication with one or more computer devices (such as the network elements of this application). For example, in some embodiments, interface 141 may include wires for coupling wired connections or terminals and / or pins for coupling wireless connections with wireless transceivers. In some embodiments, interface 141 may include a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, and / or antenna. The interface may be configured to enable communication between computer devices (such as the network elements of this application) using any available protocol (such as 3GPP standard protocols).

[0281] In this application, "program" refers to software in a broad sense. The software can be program code, a program, a subroutine, an instruction set, code, a code segment, a software module, an application program, a software application, etc. The program can run on a processor and / or computer to perform the various functions and / or processes described in this application.

[0282] Memory 143 may store necessary data required by processor 142 when executing software. Memory 143 may be implemented using any suitable storage technology. For example, memory 143 may be any available storage medium accessible to the processor and / or computer. Non-limiting examples of storage media include: random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), removable media, optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media, magnetic storage devices, flash memory, registers, state memory, remote mounting memory, local or remote memory components, or any other medium that can carry or store software, data, or information and is accessible to the processor / computer.

[0283] The memory 143 and processor 142 can be configured separately or integrated together. The processor 142 can read information from the memory 143, store, and / or write information to the memory. The memory 143 can be integrated into the processor 142. The processor 142 and memory 143 can be housed in an integrated circuit (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit, ASIC). This integrated circuit can be housed in the network element of this disclosure or other network nodes.

[0284] Optionally, the apparatus 140 in the embodiments of this application can be used to perform the methods described in the embodiments of this application.

[0285] Please refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of explanation, Figure 15 only shows the main components of the terminal device. As shown in Figure 15, the terminal device 1500 includes a processor, a memory, a control circuit, an antenna, and input / output devices. The processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire terminal, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used for the conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and the processing of radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency 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.

[0286] When the terminal is powered on, the processor can read the software program from the storage unit, parse and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 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 to obtain the RF signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna. This RF signal is further converted into a baseband signal and output to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal back into data and processes the data.

[0287] For ease of explanation, Figure 15 shows only one memory and processor. In a real terminal, multiple processors and memories may exist. Memory may also be referred to as storage medium or storage device, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0288] As an optional implementation, the processor may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is mainly used to control the entire terminal, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The processor in Figure 15 integrates the functions of a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and a terminal may include multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the terminal can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in the storage unit as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0289] In one example, the antenna and control circuit with transceiver functions can be considered as the transceiver unit 1501 of the terminal device 1500, and the processor with processing functions can be considered as the processing unit 1502 of the terminal device 1500. As shown in Figure 15, the terminal device 1500 includes the transceiver unit 1501 and the processing unit 1502. The transceiver unit can also be called a transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit 1501 used to implement the receiving function can be considered as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit 1501 used to implement the transmitting function can be considered as the transmitting unit, that is, the transceiver unit 1501 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. For example, the receiving unit can also be called a receiver, receiver circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc. Optionally, the above-mentioned receiving unit and transmitting unit can be integrated into one unit, or they can be multiple independent units. The above-mentioned receiving unit and transmitting unit can be in one geographical location or distributed in multiple geographical locations.

[0290] In one embodiment, the transceiver unit 1501 is used to perform the operations performed by the transceiver unit 1301 in the above embodiment. The terminal device 1500 can also be used to perform various methods executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments, which will not be elaborated further.

[0291] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon. When executed by a processor, the program can implement the processes related to the first network device, the second network device, the third network device, and the terminal device in the communication method provided in the above method embodiments.

[0292] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer or processor, causes the computer or processor to perform one or more steps of any of the above-described communication methods. If the constituent modules of the aforementioned devices are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

[0293] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface. The communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one processor is used to run computer programs or instructions to perform some or all of the steps described in any of the corresponding method embodiments above. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0294] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first network device, a second network device, a third network device, and a terminal device. For a detailed description, please refer to the method shown above.

[0295] It should be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code having an instruction or data structure form and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application may also be circuitry or any other means capable of implementing storage functions for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0296] It should also be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0297] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) is integrated into the processor.

[0298] It should be noted that the memories described herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0299] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes 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.

[0300] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments provided herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0301] Those skilled in the art will clearly 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.

[0302] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0303] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0304] 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.

[0305] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the technology, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0306] The steps in the method of this application embodiment can be adjusted, combined, or deleted according to actual needs.

[0307] The modules / units in the device of this application embodiment can be merged, divided, and deleted according to actual needs.

[0308] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method applied to a first network device, characterized in that, The method includes: Acquire the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device; Send first information to the second network device. The first information is used to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal. The time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device includes: Send a first request message to the third network device or the terminal device, the first request message being used to request the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information includes the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second network device's detection reference signal time window information is determined based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device, wherein the first information includes the time window information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second request message to a third network device. The second request message is used to request the configuration information of the reference signal. The configuration information includes at least one of the transmission period and time-frequency domain position of the reference signal.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The configuration information of the reference signal is sent to the second network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The measurement results of the reference signal are received from the second network device and the third network device, and the measurement results include the location information of the second network device and the third network device carrying the measurement time.

9. A communication method applied to a second network device, characterized in that, The method includes: First information is obtained, which is used to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal. The time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The reference signal from the terminal device is detected based on the time window information of the detected reference signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The acquisition of the first information includes: The first information is obtained from a first network device or a third network device, and the first information includes the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The step of detecting the reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information of the detected reference signal includes: The time window information is determined based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device; The reference signal from the terminal device is detected based on the time window information of the detected reference signal.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The acquisition of the first information includes: The first information is obtained from the first network device, and the first information includes the time window information, which is determined by the first network device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives configuration information from a first network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain location.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The measurement result of measuring the reference signal is sent to the first network device, and the measurement result includes the location information of the second network device carrying the measurement time.

15. A communication method applied to a third network device, characterized in that, The method includes: The time window information for detecting the reference signal is determined based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal equipment. The reference signal from the terminal device is detected based on the time window information.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a first request from a first network device, the first request being used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send first information to the second network device. The first information is used to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal. The time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a second request from a first network device. The second request is used to request configuration information for the reference signal. The configuration information includes at least one of the transmission period and time-frequency domain position of the reference signal.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: The configuration information for sending the reference signal to the terminal device includes at least one of the transmission period and time-frequency domain position of the reference signal.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: The measurement result of measuring the reference signal is sent to the first network device, and the measurement result includes the location information of the third network device carrying the measurement time.

22. A communication method applied to a terminal device, characterized in that, The method includes: The system receives a first request message from a first network device and sends the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the first network device. The first request message is used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive configuration information from a third network device, the configuration information including at least one of the following: the transmission period of a reference signal and the time-frequency domain location.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver unit is used to acquire the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The transceiver unit is also used to send first information to the second network device. The first information is used to determine the time window information of the detection reference signal. The time window information of the detection reference signal is related to the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, characterized in that, The transceiver unit acquires the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device, specifically for: Send a first request message to the third network device or the terminal device, the first request message being used to request the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, The first information includes the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, The device further includes: The processing unit is configured to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal of the second network device based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device, wherein the first information includes the time window information.

29. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25-28, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25-29, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send a second request message to a third network device. The second request message is used to request configuration information of the reference signal. The configuration information includes at least one of the transmission period and time-frequency domain position of the reference signal.

31. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25-30, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send configuration information of the reference signal to the second network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

32. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25-30, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also configured to receive measurement results from the second network device and the third network device for measuring the reference signal, the measurement results including the location information of the second network device and the third network device carrying the measurement time.

33. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver unit is used to acquire first information, which is used to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal. The time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The transceiver unit and the processing unit are used to detect the reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information of the detection reference signal.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, characterized in that, The transceiver unit acquires the first information, specifically for: The first information is obtained from a first network device or a third network device, and the first information includes the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The transceiver unit and the processing unit detect the reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information of the detection reference signal, specifically for: The processing unit determines the time window information based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device; The transceiver unit detects the reference signal from the terminal device based on the time window information of the detection reference signal.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, characterized in that, The transceiver unit acquires the first information, specifically for: The first information is obtained from the first network device, and the first information includes the time window information, which is determined by the first network device.

36. The apparatus according to any one of claims 33-35, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

37. The apparatus according to any one of claims 33-36, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to receive configuration information from the first network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

38. The apparatus according to any one of claims 33-37, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used to send the measurement result of measuring the reference signal to the first network device, the measurement result including the location information of the second network device carrying the measurement time.

39. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The processing unit is used to determine the time window information of the detection reference signal based on the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device; The transceiver unit is used to detect reference signals from the terminal device based on the time window information.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also configured to receive a first request information from the first network device, the first request information being used to request the wave position information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send first information to the second network device. The first information is used to determine the time window information for detecting the reference signal. The time window information for detecting the reference signal is related to the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device. The first information includes the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

42. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39-41, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

43. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39-42, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second request information from the first network device, the second request information being used to request configuration information of the reference signal, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period and time-frequency domain position of the reference signal.

44. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39-43, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send configuration information of the reference signal to the terminal device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

45. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39-44, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to send the measurement result of measuring the reference signal to the first network device, the measurement result including the location information of the third network device carrying the measurement time.

46. ​​A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver unit is used to receive a first request message from a first network device and send the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device to the first network device. The first request message is used to request the waveform information and timing advance information of the terminal device.

47. The apparatus according to claim 46, characterized in that, The wave position information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the wave position of the terminal device, and the identification information includes at least one of the following: wave position number, wave position radius, coordinates of the center of the wave position, and the geometric shape of the wave position.

48. The apparatus according to claim 46 or 47, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is also used to receive configuration information from a third network device, the configuration information including at least one of the transmission period of the reference signal and the time-frequency domain position.

49. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor, a memory, an input interface, and an output interface. The input interface is used to receive information from other communication devices besides the communication device, and the output interface is used to output information to other communication devices besides the communication device. When a stored computer program stored in the memory is invoked by the processor, the method described in any one of claims 1-24 is implemented.

50. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-24 to be implemented.

51. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-24 to be implemented.

52. A chip system, characterized in that, The method includes at least one processor, a memory, and an interface circuit, wherein the memory, the interface circuit, and the at least one processor are interconnected by a line, and the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-24 to be implemented.

53. A communication system, characterized in that, The device includes a first network device, a second network device, a third network device, and a terminal device. The first network device is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-8, the second network device is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 9-14, the third network device is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 15-21, and the terminal device is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 22-24.

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