Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications, and provides a communication method and apparatus, for use in further improving the accuracy of bistatic sensing. The method comprises: a first node receiving a first signal from a second node; acquiring information of a first target path and information of a first reference path on the basis of the first signal, wherein the first target path is a path along which the first signal travels from a second node to the first node via a first target object, and the first reference path is a path along which the first signal travels from the second node to the first node and which has a known path length; and determining the position of the first target object on the basis of the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, position information of the first node, and position information of the second node.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411633856.2, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 14, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the development of future mobile communication technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and automation technologies are reshaping traditional industries and giving rise to intelligent applications such as smart cities and autonomous driving. As a crucial infrastructure supporting these emerging applications of next-generation mobile communication technologies, mobile communication systems are gradually evolving into a unified infrastructure of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). ISAC enables existing base stations to possess sensing capabilities, allowing mobile communication systems to provide sensing services to users. Sensing services can be categorized into active and passive sensing based on whether the target device needs to be connected to the network. Passive sensing refers to sensing services that do not require the target device to be connected to the network. Common passive sensing modes can be divided into two main categories: monostatic sensing and bistatic sensing. Monostatic sensing is self-transmitting and self-receiving sensing, where the transmitting and receiving devices are in the same location; bistatic sensing is self-transmitting and other-receiving sensing, where the transmitting and receiving devices are in different locations, and is more suitable for complex, large-scale environmental sensing.

[0004] However, under the current circumstances, how to improve the accuracy of bibase sensing measurement results is a hot research topic. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to further improve the accuracy of bi-base sensing.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a first node, the method comprising: receiving a first signal from a second node; obtaining information of a first target path and information of a first reference path based on the first signal, wherein the first target path is the path from the second node through a first target object to the first node, and the first reference path is a path from the second node to the first node with a known path length; and determining the position of the first target object based on the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

[0008] Therefore, this method obtains information about the target path and the reference path of the target object through the first signal. Since the path length of the reference path is known, it can be used in conjunction with the target path to eliminate the time delay error between the first node and the second node. Thus, by combining the information of the first target path, the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node, the position of the first target object can be determined more accurately, improving the accuracy of dual-base sensing.

[0009] In one possible design scheme, the information of the first target path includes the time delay information and angle information of the first target path, and the information of the first reference path includes the time delay information of the first reference path. The position of the first target object is determined based on the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node. This includes: determining the path length of the first target path based on the preset path length of the first reference path, the time delay information of the first target path, and the time delay information of the first reference path; and determining the position of the first target object based on the position information of the first node, the position information of the second node, the path length of the first target path, and the angle information of the first target path.

[0010] Optionally, the path length X of the first target path and the path length Z of the first reference path, the time delay information τ1 of the first target path and the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path satisfy: X=Z+c*(τ1-τ2), where c is the speed of light.

[0011] Therefore, the accurate path length of the target path can be obtained by combining the time delay information of the target path and the time delay information of the reference path with the known path length of the reference path to eliminate measurement time delay errors. For example, by subtracting the time delay information τ1 of the first target path from the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path, and since the first and second nodes remain unchanged, any possible error values ​​in the time delay information can be eliminated, thus obtaining the path length of the first target path. Then, by combining the position information of the first node, the position information of the second node, and the angle information of the first target path, the position of the first target object can be determined, resulting in a more accurate position perception result.

[0012] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: receiving first indication information from a second node, the first indication information instructing the first node to perform target object location sensing based on a target path and a reference path. The first indication information may be a new information element in an existing message structure, or it may be a new message structure, to indicate a target object location sensing service based on a target path and a reference path as described in the first aspect, to adapt to different scenarios.

[0013] Optionally, the first indication information includes at least one of the following: the type of the second node, the ID of the second node, or the location of the node, to obtain information about the second node.

[0014] In one possible design, the first reference path is a straight path, which is the direct path of the first signal from the second node to the first node. Here, a straight (los-of-sight, LOS) path refers to the path from the transmitting node to the receiving node without any obstacles. In other words, the path length of the straight path is known; for example, if the positions of the first and second nodes are known, the path length can be determined as the direct distance between the first and second nodes.

[0015] In one possible design, the first reference path is the anchor point path, which is the path taken by the first signal from the second node through the anchor point back to the first node. The anchor point is an object whose location information is known. The anchor point can be an object or device pre-deployed in the measurement scenario, and its location information is known. That is, the path length of the anchor point path is known. For example, if the positions of the first and second nodes are known, the path length of the anchor point path can be determined by combining the positions of the anchor points; it is the sum of the direct distance from the first node to the anchor point and the direct distance from the anchor point to the second node.

[0016] Optionally, the method in the first aspect may further include: receiving information indicating the anchor point from the second node. The information indicating the anchor point may be carried in an existing message structure or in a newly defined message, used to obtain the anchor point's location information based on the information of the anchor point it indicates.

[0017] Optionally, the information indicating the anchor point includes at least one of the following: information about the beam corresponding to the anchor point, the anchor point's identifier, or the anchor point's location. The anchor point's location can be further determined based on the information about the beam corresponding to the anchor point or the anchor point's identifier.

[0018] Optionally, the beam corresponding to the anchor point is the beam emitted by the second node that points to the anchor point.

[0019] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: determining, based on the first signal, whether there exists a path from the second node to the first node with a known path length; and obtaining information about the first target path and the first reference path based on the first signal, including: if the first reference path exists, obtaining information about the first target path and the first reference path based on the first signal.

[0020] Therefore, before acquiring the target path and the reference path, we can first determine whether the reference path exists. If the reference path exists, we can then acquire the information of the target path and the reference path based on the signal, thus avoiding performing sensing measurements when the reference path does not exist, which would consume unnecessary resources.

[0021] Optionally, the method in the first aspect may further include: determining the existence of a first reference path based on reference path indication information contained in the first signal. The reference path indication information is used to indicate that one of the paths that the signal can measure is a measurement path, thereby determining the reference path.

[0022] Optionally, the reference path indication information indicates that the reference path is a direct path or an anchor point path. Specifically, the reference path indication information can indicate whether the determined reference path is a direct path or an anchor point path, so as to calculate the position of the target object based on the corresponding information.

[0023] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: sending a first message to a second node, the first message indicating whether the location perception of the first target object was successful, so that the second node can obtain response information from the perception service.

[0024] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: sending a second message to a second node, the second message including the position of the first target object, so that the second node obtains the position result.

[0025] In one possible design, the method described in the first aspect may further include: determining a synchronization error amount based on the path length of a preset first reference path and the delay information of the first reference path, wherein the synchronization error amount indicates the clock synchronization error between the first node and the second node.

[0026] Optionally, the synchronization error Δ satisfies the following relationship with the path length Z of the first reference path and the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path: Δ=Z / c-τ2, where c is the speed of light.

[0027] Therefore, given a reference path, the clock synchronization error between the first and second nodes can be determined based on the path length and delay information of the reference path, thus obtaining accurate delay information about the target path. This accurate delay information can then be used to calculate the position of the target object.

[0028] Optionally, the method in the first aspect may further include: receiving a third message from the second node, the third message being used to request position awareness of the second target object; receiving a second signal from the second node, the second signal including information about the second target path; and determining the position of the second target object based on the synchronization error, the information about the second target path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node. Thus, when the first and second nodes are still performing repetitive position awareness operations, the position of the target object can be calculated based on the synchronization error obtained during previous measurements, eliminating the need to obtain a reference path again, thereby reducing measurement overhead.

[0029] Optionally, the position of the second target object is determined based on the synchronization error, the information of the second target path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node. This includes determining the position of the second target object within the effective time of the synchronization error, based on the synchronization error, the information of the two target paths, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node, thus ensuring the accuracy of the sensing measurement results within the effective time.

[0030] Secondly, a communication method is provided, applied to a second node, the method comprising: receiving a third message from a first node, the third message including information of a first target path and information of a first reference path, the first target path being the path from the second node through the first target object to the first node, and the first reference path being a path from the second node to the first node with a known path length; and determining the position of the first target object based on the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

[0031] It is understandable that the technical effects of the method described in the second aspect can also refer to the relevant introduction of the method described in the first aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, the communication device including a module for performing the method described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0033] In one possible design, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the third aspect and other communication devices.

[0034] In one possible design, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store instructions relating to the methods of any of the first to second aspects.

[0035] In the embodiments of this application, the communication device described in the third aspect may be a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the network device, or a device containing the network device.

[0036] It is understood that the technical effects of the device described in the third aspect can also be referred to the relevant descriptions of the methods in any of the first to second aspects above, and will not be repeated here.

[0037] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to execute instructions stored in the memory such that the communication device performs the method described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0038] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fourth aspect and other communication devices.

[0039] In the embodiments of this application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may be a network device described in any one of the first to second aspects, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the network device, or a device containing the network device.

[0040] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in any one of the first or second aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0041] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0042] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used by the communication device described in the third aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may be a network device described in any one of the first to second aspects, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the network device, or a device containing the network device.

[0044] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in any one of the first or second aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0045] A sixth aspect provides a chip comprising: a controller and an interface circuit, wherein the controller is configured to interact with other devices via the interface circuit to perform the method as described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0046] A seventh aspect provides a communication system. The communication system includes a first manager for performing the method described in the first aspect, and a second manager for performing the method described in the second aspect.

[0047] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium including storage of a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be performed.

[0048] A ninth aspect provides a computer program product comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be performed. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of dual-base sensing;

[0050] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the mathematical model of basic perception;

[0051] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the principle of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Wi-Fi systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems.

[0061] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the embodiments of this application propose the following technical solutions.

[0062] The technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] 1. Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC): A technology that integrates wireless communication and wireless sensing functions into the same network or system, acquiring environmental sensing information while achieving communication. Specifically, the signals emitted in an ISAC system can both transmit data and be used to sense information about the surrounding environment. These signals are transmitted by the transmitter, reflected by the target, and captured by the receiver. Through signal processing, sensing information such as the target's distance and speed is obtained.

[0064] 2. Bistatic sensing:

[0065] In dual-base sensing technology, the transmitting node and the receiving node are located in different positions. For example, the transmitting node can be a base station or a terminal, and the receiving node can also be a base station or a terminal. Based on the type of transmitting and receiving nodes, dual-base sensing can be mainly divided into the following four categories as shown in Figure 1: Figure 1(a) is base station-to-base station dual-base sensing, Figure 1(b) is base station-to-terminal dual-base sensing, Figure 1(c) is terminal-to-base station dual-base sensing, and Figure 1(d) is terminal-to-terminal dual-base sensing. For example, the target in Figure 1 is a person, but it can also be any other object or device, without limitation.

[0066] For any of the two-base sensing modes in Figure 1, the existing two-base sensing reconstruction algorithms can be abstracted into the mathematical model shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2(a), A and B are the positions of the receiving and transmitting nodes, P is the position of the sensing target to be solved, and the dashed line Y refers to the Y-axis in the world coordinate system.

[0067] In one possible scenario, the reconstruction of basic senses can be expressed as a mathematical problem of finding the intersection of an ellipse and a ray in a two-dimensional case, where nodes A and B are the two foci of the ellipse, and point P lies on the ellipse. Specifically, the formula is as follows:

[0068] In formula (1), c is the speed of light, delay is the time difference between transmission and reception (i.e., the measurement delay of the signal), and AoA and AoD are the angle of arrival and the angle of departure, respectively. According to formula (1), by substituting the known quantities that can be obtained from the measurement (including the coordinates of points A and B, the delay value, and the angle of arrival or the angle of departure), the spatial position of the unknown quantity P can be solved. For example, it is a two-dimensional plane coordinate (x, y).

[0069] In one possible scenario, the reconstruction of bibasic sensing can be expressed as a mathematical problem of finding the intersection of an ellipsoid and a ray in a three-dimensional context, where nodes A and B are the two foci of the ellipsoid, and point P lies on the ellipsoid. Specifically, the formula is as follows:

[0070] In formula (2), c is the speed of light, delay is the time difference between transmission and reception, Q is the projection of point P onto the XY plane, AoA and AoD are the azimuth angles of the arrival and departure directions, respectively, and EoA or EoD is the pitch angle of the arrival and departure directions. According to formula (2), by substituting the known quantities that can be obtained from the measurement (including the coordinates of points A and B, the delay value, the azimuth angle of the arrival or departure direction, and the pitch angle of the arrival or departure direction), the spatial position of the unknown quantity P can be solved. For example, it is a three-dimensional plane coordinate (x, y, z).

[0071] However, the inventors discovered that since the transceivers of the bi-base sensing are located on different nodes, their measurement results will inevitably be affected by clock synchronization errors. When there is a clock synchronization error Δ between node A and node B, there will be an error between the actual delay value and the measured delay value, which will cause the position calculated by formula (1) using the measured delay value to be inaccurate. For example, the actual delay value delay1 and the measured delay value delay should satisfy: delay1=delay+Δ. However, the position of the target P to be solved calculated by formula (1) using the measured delay will be inaccurate, as shown in Figure 2(b), which may measure the position of P′ with an incorrect offset.

[0072] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes the following technical solutions. The technical solutions in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0073] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0074] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0075] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing "information" for indicating A, it can include whether the information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the information carries A.

[0076] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0077] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be repeated here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0078] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, a MAC control element (CE); physical (PHY) layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0079] "Sending information" can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "a network device sending information" can be understood as a network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal or other network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device sending information to logical module 2 in the network device.

[0080] "Receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "network device receiving information" can be understood as a network device receiving information from another device (such as a terminal or other network device), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device receiving information from logical module 2 in the network device.

[0081] The phrase "sending information to... (e.g., a node)" or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being a node. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a node. Similarly, the phrase "receiving information from... (e.g., a node)," "receiving information from... (e.g., a node)," or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a node)," or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as the source of the information being a node. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a node. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0082] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the first, second, and various numerical designations are merely distinctions for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, to distinguish different indication information.

[0083] Third, "pre-defined," "pre-configured," or "pre-specified" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" can refer to saving in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0084] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as 3GPP’s LTE protocols (such as technical specification (TS) 36, i.e., the TS36 series of technical specifications), NR protocols (such as the TS38 series of technical specifications), and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0085] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0086] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, a communication system will be used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0087] As shown in Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the communication system architecture, the communication system may include at least one core network element, access network equipment (such as RAN), and terminal (such as UE). This communication system is capable of sensing transmission between multiple sensing nodes, including the transmission of calculated and extracted target object information. Network elements, base stations, or terminals can all serve as transmitting nodes in sensing services; similarly, network elements, base stations, or terminals can also serve as receiving nodes in sensing services.

[0088] The aforementioned network elements can be sensing management function (SeMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, or roadside unit (RSU) network elements, etc. Among them, SeMF is responsible for sensing functions and the centralized storage, management, distribution, and computation of sensing data such as target object information. "Sensing management function" is an exemplary designation; other names are possible in future communication systems, and no specific limitations are imposed.

[0089] The aforementioned access network equipment can be a device that provides access for terminals. In this application, in addition to communication functions, the access network equipment is also responsible for sensing functions, namely, the centralized storage, management, distribution, and calculation of sensing data such as target object information. For example, the access network equipment may include: access network equipment of a future mobile communication system, such as a base station; or in a future mobile communication system, the network equipment may have other naming methods, all of which are covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application, and this application does not impose any limitations on them.

[0090] The aforementioned terminal can be a terminal with transceiver capabilities, or a chip or chip system that can be installed in the terminal. The terminal is mainly responsible for collecting sensing data, and can also perform some calculations on the target object. This terminal can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station (MS), mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The terminals in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, roadside units (RSUs) with terminal functions, etc. The terminal of this application may also be an on-board module, on-board unit, on-board component, on-board chip or on-board unit that is built into a vehicle as one or more components or units.

[0091] In this communication system, the receiving node receives signals from the transmitting node and obtains information about the target path and reference path based on the signals. The target path is the path the signal takes from the transmitting node through the target object to the receiving node, and the reference path is the known length of the path from the transmitting node to the receiving node. Therefore, based on the information about the target path, the reference path, the location information of the transmitting node, and the location information of the receiving node, the position of the target object is determined. Compared to existing bistatic sensing technology, this system eliminates the time delay error between the transmitting and receiving nodes, improving the accuracy of the target object's position perception.

[0092] The communication method and apparatus of this application embodiments will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that this application uses a first node and a second node as examples to illustrate the execution of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution of the interaction. The interaction flow between devices in the above-described communication system will be specifically described below through method embodiments. The communication method provided in this application embodiments can be applied to the above-described communication system and specifically applied to various scenarios involved in the above-described communication system, which will be described in detail below.

[0093] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication method is applicable to the aforementioned communication system, applied to the first node, and mainly involves the interaction between the first node and the second node.

[0094] As shown in Figure 4, the specific process of this method is as follows:

[0095] S401, the first node receives the first signal from the second node.

[0096] The second node can be a bistatic sensing transmitting node used to transmit the first signal; the first node can be a bistatic sensing receiving node used to receive the first signal and obtain signal measurement results. For example, both the first and second nodes can be any type of access network device, terminal, or network element. The first and second nodes can be different types of network elements or devices, or they can be the same type of network element or device, without limitation.

[0097] The first signal can be a sensing and measurement signal, which can refer to a signal emitted along at least one specific direction for sensing information about a target object. "Sensing and measurement signal" is one possible naming convention; in future communication systems, the first signal can also be named using any other possible name, without any specific limitation.

[0098] In some possible implementations, the second node can transmit the first signal using a beam as a carrier, based on beam scanning. For example, the beam scanning method can be full-angle or partial-sector beam scanning, such as synchronization signal block (SSB) beam scanning, to obtain information on at least one path in each beam position direction. If the time delay error between the first and second nodes is known, the second node can also transmit the first signal only in the direction of the target object to obtain information on the target path, thereby reducing measurement overhead.

[0099] S402, the first node obtains information about the first target path and the first reference path based on the first signal.

[0100] The first target path is the path from the second node through the first target object to the first node. The first target object can be any object to be perceived in the scene, such as a person, animal, vehicle, building, etc., without any restrictions.

[0101] The first reference path is a path whose length is known from the second node to the first node for the first signal.

[0102] For example, the first reference path can be a line of sight (LOS) path, which is a straight path for the first signal from the second node to the first node. Alternatively, the first reference path can also be an anchor path, which is the path for the first signal from the second node through the anchor point to the first node.

[0103] In this context, an anchor point is an object in the perceived scene whose location information is known. An anchor point can also be replaced with reference objects, relay objects, relay entities, etc., without limitation. Optionally, the anchor point's location information can be pre-configured in the first node, or pre-configured in any network element of the communication system (such as the second node) and sent to the first node in the form of information, or obtained based on information indicating the anchor point, such as the information of the beam corresponding to the anchor point or the anchor point's identifier. The beam corresponding to the anchor point is the beam emitted by the second node pointing towards the anchor point. For example, the first node can receive information indicating the anchor point from the second node. Specifically, the information indicating the anchor point is used to indicate the anchor point's location. This information can be any one of the following: the information of the beam corresponding to the anchor point, the anchor point's identifier, or the anchor point's position. The information of the beam corresponding to the anchor point can be the beam ID of the anchor, and the anchor point's identifier can be the anchor ID. The method of obtaining the anchor point's location information in this application is merely an example and is not specifically limited.

[0104] Optionally, the path length of the first reference path can be pre-configured in the first node, or pre-configured in the second node and sent by the second node to the first node in the form of information, or obtained according to the information of the first reference path. The method of obtaining the path length of the first reference path in this application is only an example and is not limited in specific ways.

[0105] Information about the first target path and the first reference path can be extracted from the signal measurement results obtained based on the first signal.

[0106] In some possible implementations, the information of the first target path includes at least one of the following: time delay information of the first target path (e.g., the time taken for the first signal to travel from the second node to the first node along the first target path), or angle information of the first target path (e.g., angle of arrival AoA and / or angle of departure AoD). Optionally, the angle of the first target path can be represented by the beam corresponding to the first target path, such as the beam index, or the beam identifier (ID), or the beam direction, etc., wherein the beam corresponding to the first target path is the beam emitted by the second node that points to the first target object. The information of the first reference path includes the time delay information of the first reference path (i.e., the time taken for the first signal to travel from the second node to the first node along the first reference path).

[0107] Optionally, the information of the first target path may further include the position information of the first node and / or the position information of the second node. Optionally, the information of the first reference path may further include the position information of the first node and / or the position information of the second node, and optionally, the information of the first reference path may further include the path length of the first reference path. For example, when the first reference path is a direct path, the path length of the first reference path can be directly obtained from the positions of the first node and the second node. For example, if the coordinates of the first node in the world coordinate system are A and the coordinates of the second node in the world coordinate system are B, then the path length of the first reference path is |AB|. As another example, when the first reference path is an anchor point path, the path length of the first reference path can be directly obtained from the positions of the first node, the second node, and the anchor point. For example, if the coordinates of the first node in the world coordinate system are A, the coordinates of the second node in the world coordinate system are B, and the coordinates of the anchor point in the world coordinate system are C, then the path length of the first reference path is |AC|+|BC|.

[0108] It is understood that the terms "first" and "second" used in the embodiments of this application are only used for distinction and are not intended to limit. For example, the principle of the first target path is also applicable to any other target path, and the principle of the first reference path is also applicable to any other reference path, which will not be repeated here.

[0109] S403, the first node determines the position of the first target object based on the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

[0110] In some possible implementations, the location information of the first node and / or the location information of the second node can be obtained by the first node from itself, from any network element of the communication system (such as the second node), or from the first signal. For example, the location information of the first node and / or the location information of the second node can be pre-configured information stored in the first node, or it can be pre-configured information stored in the second node sent to the first node through the second node, or it can be included in the information of the first target path or the information of the first reference path in step S402, without limitation.

[0111] As can be seen from the above description, since the path length of the first reference path is known, and for any signal transmission path, its path length and the actual delay satisfy: l = c * τ, where l is the path length, c is the speed of light, and τ is the actual delay. In other words, the actual delay can be calculated based on the path length of the first reference path. Since the difference between the actual delay and the measured delay can reflect the clock synchronization error between the first node and the second node, the accurate position of the first target object can be calculated based on the clock synchronization error and the information of the target path, combined with the above formula (1) or formula (2).

[0112] In some possible implementations, the method for determining the position of the first target object may be:

[0113] Based on the path length of the first reference path, the time delay information of the first target path, and the time delay information of the first reference path, the path length of the first target path is obtained. Then, based on the position information of the first node, the position information of the second node, the path length of the first target path, and the angle information of the first target path, the position of the first target object is determined.

[0114] Optionally, the path length X of the first target path and the path length Z of the first reference path, the time delay information τ1 of the first target path and the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path satisfy: X=Z+c*(τ1-τ2) (3)

[0115] Where c is the speed of light. According to the above explanation, the actual delay of the first target path is delay1 = τ1 + Δ, and the actual delay of the first reference path is delay2 = τ2 + Δ, where Δ is the clock synchronization error. Therefore, by subtracting the measurement delay information of the first target path from the measurement delay information of the first reference path, the influence of the clock synchronization error Δ can be eliminated, resulting in: delay1 - delay2 = τ1 - τ2 (4)

[0116] Furthermore, by substituting Z = c * delay2 into formula (3), the actual time delay delay1 of the first target path can be obtained.

[0117] Therefore, in a two-dimensional scene, combining formula (1), we can obtain:

[0118] Solving formula (5) yields a more accurate position of the first target object.

[0119] Alternatively, in a three-dimensional scene, by combining formula (2), we can obtain:

[0120] Solving formula (6) yields a more accurate position of the first target object.

[0121] The following explanations cover the cases where the first reference diameter is the direct diameter and the first reference diameter is the anchor point diameter:

[0122] Case 1: The first reference path is the direct path.

[0123] As shown in Figure 5, point A is the second node, point B is the first node, point P is the first target object, the dashed line between points A and B is the first reference path, the solid line between points A, P, and B is the first target path, |AB| is the known path length of the first reference path, |PA|+|PB| is the unknown path length of the first target path, τ1 is the time delay information of the first target path, and τ2 is the time delay information of the first reference path. Based on the above explanation, we can conclude that:

[0124] Alternatively, we can obtain:

[0125] Solving formula (7) or formula (8) yields a more accurate position of the first target object in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional scene when the first reference path is a direct path.

[0126] Case 2: The first reference diameter is the anchor point diameter.

[0127] As shown in Figure 6, point A is the second node, point B is the first node, point C is the anchor point with a known position, point P is the first target object, the dashed line between points A, C, and B is the first reference path, the solid line between points A, P, and B is the first target path, |AC|+|BC| is the known path length of the first reference path, |PA|+|PB| is the unknown path length of the first target path, τ1 is the time delay information of the first target path, and τ2 is the time delay information of the first reference path. Based on the above explanation, we can conclude that:

[0128] Alternatively, we can obtain:

[0129] Solving formula (9) or formula (10) yields a more accurate position of the first target object in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional scene when the first reference path is the anchor point path.

[0130] In conjunction with the above S401-S403, after the first node receives the first signal from the second node in S401, the method may further include:

[0131] Step S1: Based on the first signal, determine whether there exists a path from the second node to the first node with a known path length.

[0132] As can be seen from the above description, the path with a known length from the second node to the first node is the reference path, and step S1 is to determine whether the reference path exists based on the first signal.

[0133] In some possible implementations, the existence of a reference path can be determined based on the inclusion of reference path indication information in the first signal. The reference path indication information is used to indicate whether the path through which the first signal is transmitted is a reference path. Optionally, the reference path indication information can also indicate whether the reference path is a direct path or an anchor path. The reference path indication information can be obtained after the first node receives the first signal and measures it. For example, 3GPP TS 38.305 explicitly stipulates that the measurement of the signal should explicitly indicate whether the path is a direct path; similarly, it can be stipulated that the measurement of the signal should explicitly indicate whether the path is an anchor path. As for how to determine whether the path is a direct path or an anchor path, relevant algorithms in the prior art can be referenced, which are not within the scope of this application.

[0134] Reference path indication information is one possible naming method. In future communication systems, other arbitrary names can also be used to name the information indicating the reference path, such as direct path indication information or anchor point path indication information, without any restrictions.

[0135] In some possible implementations, the presence of a reference path can also be indicated based on information such as the type and frequency band of the first signal.

[0136] In some possible implementations, when a first reference path exists, the first node acquires information about the first target path and the first reference path based on the first signal, and determines the position of the first target object based on the information about the first target path, the information about the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node; when no first reference path exists, the first node determines that the position measurement of the first target object has failed, and can then choose to end the position measurement of the first target object or re-execute the position measurement process of the first target object.

[0137] Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, the specific process of this method can also be:

[0138] S701: The first node receives the first signal from the second node.

[0139] S702: The first node determines whether a first reference path exists based on the first signal.

[0140] If yes, execute S703; otherwise, execute S704.

[0141] S703: The first node obtains information about the first target path and the first reference path based on the first signal, and determines the position of the first target object based on the information about the first target path, the information about the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

[0142] S704: End the position measurement of the first target object or re-execute the position measurement of the first target object.

[0143] The specific implementation methods of S701-S704 can be referred to the description of S401-S403 and step S1 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] In conjunction with the methods S401-S403 or S701-S704 described above, before the first node receives the first signal from the second node, the method may further include:

[0145] Step S2: The first node receives the first instruction information from the second node.

[0146] The first instruction information instructs the first node to perform target object position sensing based on the target path and the reference path. In other words, the first instruction information can instruct the first node to perform the multipath time difference (MPTD) dual-base sensing method described in S401-S403 or S701-S704.

[0147] The first indication information can be carried in an existing message structure or in a newly defined message. For example, the newly defined first indication information is the MPTD Dual-Base Sensing Request (MPTD_Measurement_Request) message. This message is used to instruct the first node to perform target object position sensing based on the target path and reference path. It can be understood that the MPTD Dual-Base Sensing Request message is only one possible name and is not restricted.

[0148] Optionally, the first indication information may include at least one of the following: the type of the second node, the ID of the second node, or the location of the node. The type of the second node may be any one of a base station, a terminal, or a network element. The ID of the second node may be any one of the identifiers of the base station, the terminal, or the network element. For example, the identifier of the base station may be the equipment vendor ID of the base station; the identifier of the terminal may be any one of the terminal's permanent equipment identifier, type approval code, or user permanent identifier; and the identifier of the network element may be the equipment vendor ID of the network element.

[0149] Optionally, the MPTD bi-base perception request message may carry at least one of the following information: the type of the second node, the ID of the second node, or the location of the node.

[0150] In conjunction with the methods described in S401-S403 or S701-S704 above, the method may further include:

[0151] Step S3: Send the first message to the second node.

[0152] The first message indicates whether the position perception of the first target object was successful. The first message can reuse an existing message structure or be a newly defined message. For example, the first message can be defined as the MPTD (MPTD Measurement Response) message, which is used to indicate whether the first node's position perception of the target object was successful. The MPTD (MPTD Measurement Response) message is just one possible name and is not restricted.

[0153] Optionally, the first message can indicate whether the location sensing of the first target object was successful through message naming, message format, or information carried in the message. For example, the first message can include an indicator flag, exemplarily named MPTD Availability Indicator Flag (MPTD_Availability), which can indicate the success or failure of location sensing through a binary value. For example, the indicator flag occupies 1 bit, indicating that the location sensing was successful when the indicator flag is 1, and indicating that the location sensing failed when the indicator flag is 0.

[0154] Optionally, the indicator flag can also indicate the types of reference paths available in the location sensing scenario. For example, the indicator flag occupies 2 bits. When the indicator flag is 0, it indicates that the current location sensing failed; when the indicator flag is not zero, it indicates that the current location sensing succeeded. Furthermore, when the indicator flag is 1, it indicates that the available reference path in the current location sensing scenario is a direct path; when the indicator flag is 2, it indicates that the available reference path in the current location sensing scenario is an anchor path; and when the indicator flag is 3, it indicates that the available reference paths in the current location sensing scenario include both direct paths and anchor paths. Therefore, after performing MPTD location sensing in a new scenario, the second node, as the sending node, can save the available reference paths in that scenario to directly determine the reference paths in future possible location sensing processes, reducing the overhead required for sensing.

[0155] In one possible implementation, step S3 can be executed after the existence of the reference path is determined. The first message also includes information about the first target path, the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node, to instruct the second node to determine the position of the first target object based on the first message. That is, since the first message can indicate whether the position perception of the first target object is successful, if the position perception is successful (i.e., the existence of the reference path is confirmed), the second node can also perform the calculation process to reduce the computational overhead of the first node.

[0156] Optionally, after determining the position of the first target object, the method may further include:

[0157] Step S4: Send a second message to the second node. The second message includes the location of the first target object.

[0158] The second message can reuse an existing message structure or be a newly defined message. For example, the newly defined second message could be an MPTD (MPTD Measurement_Report) message, which is used to report the position perception results of the first target object to the second node. It is understood that the MPTD message is only one possible name and is not restricted.

[0159] In conjunction with the methods S401-S403 or S701-S704 described above, after determining the position of the first target object, the method may further include:

[0160] Step S5: The first node receives the third message from the second node.

[0161] The third message is used to request the location awareness of the second target object. The third message can reuse an existing message structure or use a newly defined message structure, without restriction. The second target object can be any object to be perceived in the scene, such as a person, animal, vehicle, building, etc. In particular, the second target object can be the same as or different from the first target object, without restriction.

[0162] In some possible implementations, the third message instructs the first node to perform position awareness based on the synchronization error amount and target path information. For example, the third message may include second indication information, which indicates the value of the synchronization error amount, Δ, where the synchronization error amount indicates the clock synchronization error between the first node and the second node. One possible name for the second indication information could be synchronization error amount indicator (SyncError_Indicator), without limitation.

[0163] According to the relevant explanations of formulas (3) to (6) in S403, the synchronization error Δ can be obtained during the MPTD position sensing process of the first target object. Since the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path is known and the path length Z of the first reference path is known, the value of the synchronization error Δ can be calculated according to the actual time delay of the first reference path delay2=τ2+Δ=Z / c. The path length Z and the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path satisfy: Δ=Z / c-τ2 (11)

[0164] Where c is the speed of light.

[0165] After receiving the third message, the first node can receive a second signal from the second node. The second signal includes information about the second target path. The information about the second target path may include the time delay information of the second target path and the angle information of the second target path (i.e., the angle of arrival AoA or the angle of departure AoD). Optionally, the second signal can be a signal emitted along the direction of the second target object to obtain information about the second target path where the second target object is located. For example, the second node emits the second signal in a specific direction using a beam as a carrier. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in S401 and S402 regarding obtaining information about the first target path based on the first signal, which will not be repeated here.

[0166] Therefore, based on the above explanation, the calculation method for the first node to obtain the position of the second target object in the two-dimensional scene based on the synchronization error Δ, the information of the second target path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node can be expressed as follows:

[0167] Alternatively, the method for calculating the position of the second target object in a 3D scene can be as follows:

[0168] Where P is the second target object to be solved, A is the first node, B is the second node, and delay is the time delay information of the second target path.

[0169] Optionally, the third message may also include third indication information, which indicates the validity period of the synchronization error. One possible name for the third indication information could be "SyncError Valid Time Indicator," without limitation. Thus, within the validity period of the synchronization error, the first node acquires the position of the second target object. For example, if the time interval between the moment the first node receives the first message indicating the response result to the position perception of the first target object and the moment the first node receives the third message indicating the execution of position perception for the second target object is less than the validity period of the synchronization error, then it is considered that within the validity period of the synchronization error, based on the synchronization error, the information of the second target object, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node...

[0170] Optionally, the third message instructs the first node to still perform position sensing based on the target path and reference path for the second target object. For example, the third message may carry the first instruction information from step S2 to perform the MPTD dual-base sensing method described in S401-S403 or S701-S704 above. Specific implementation details can be found in the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0171] The overall flow of the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described above with reference to Figures 4-7. The flow of the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application in a specific scenario is described below with reference to Figures 8-9.

[0172] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication method is applicable to the above-mentioned communication system and mainly involves the interaction between a first node and a second node. For example, the first node can receive a first signal from the second node and obtain information about a first target path and a first reference path based on the first signal. Based on the information about the first target path, the information about the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node, the position of the first target object is determined.

[0173] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the communication method flow is as follows:

[0174] S801, the second node sends an MPTD dual-base perception request message to the first node.

[0175] The MPTD dual-base sensing request message is used to instruct the first node to perform target object position sensing based on the target path and reference path. For details, please refer to the relevant explanation of step S2 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0176] S802, the second node sends a sensing measurement signal to the first node.

[0177] Sensing and measurement signals can be transmitted using beams as carriers, based on beam scanning. For details, please refer to the relevant description in S401 above; further details will not be provided here.

[0178] S803, the first node acquires measurement information and determines whether the reference path exists.

[0179] The measurement information includes information on the first target path and information on the first reference path. Optionally, the measurement information may also include the position information of the first node and the position information of the second node. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions of S402 and step S1, which will not be repeated here.

[0180] S804, the first node sends an MPTD dual-base perception response message to the second node.

[0181] The MPTD bi-base sensing response message is used to indicate whether the position sensing of the target object was successful. For details, please refer to the relevant explanation of step S3 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0182] S805, the first node performs MPTD calculation to obtain the location awareness result.

[0183] S806, the second node performs MPTD calculation to obtain the location awareness result.

[0184] It is understood that steps S805 and S806 are optional, and either one can be executed. For details, please refer to the relevant explanations of step S403 and S3 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0185] S807, the first node sends an MPTD dual-base perception report message to the second node.

[0186] The MPTD bi-base perception report message includes the perceived location of the target object. For details, please refer to the relevant explanation in step S4 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0187] It is understandable that S807 is an optional step.

[0188] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication method is applicable to the above-mentioned communication system and mainly involves the interaction between a first node and a second node. For example, the first node can receive a first signal from the second node and obtain information about a first target path and a first reference path based on the first signal. Based on the information about the first target path, the information about the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node, the position of the first target object is determined.

[0189] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the communication method flow is as follows:

[0190] S901, the second node sends an MPTD dual-base perception request message to the first node.

[0191] S902, the second node sends a sensing measurement signal to the first node.

[0192] S903, the first node acquires measurement information and determines whether the reference path exists.

[0193] S904, the first node sends an MPTD dual-base perception response message to the second node.

[0194] Optionally, the MPTD bi-base sensing response message includes a synchronization error. The explanations for steps S901-S904 can be found in the explanations for steps S801-S804 and S5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0195] S905, the second node sends an activation command to the first node.

[0196] The activation command is used to instruct the first node to perform position sensing based on the synchronization error and target path information.

[0197] S906, the second node sends a sensing and measurement signal in a specific direction to the first node.

[0198] S907, the first node performs MPTD calculation to obtain the location awareness result.

[0199] For details regarding steps S905-S907, please refer to the explanation of step S5 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0200] S908, the first node sends an MPTD dual-base perception report message to the second node.

[0201] The MPTD bi-base perception report message includes the perceived location of the target object. For details, please refer to the relevant explanation in step S4 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0202] It is understandable that S908 is an optional step.

[0203] It is understood that steps S905-S908 can be repeated until the timestamps of steps S904 and S905 are greater than or equal to the effective time of the synchronization error in step S905. For details, please refer to the relevant explanation of step S5 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0204] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 4-9. The communication apparatus used to perform the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 10-11.

[0205] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 includes a transceiver module 1001 and a processing module 1002. For ease of explanation, Figure 10 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0206] The communication device 1000 can be applied to the communication methods shown in Figures 4-9 to achieve the corresponding functions. For example, the transceiver module 1001 can be used to implement the transceiver function in the communication methods shown in Figures 4-9, and the processing module 1002 can be used to implement other functions in the communication methods shown in Figures 4-9 besides the transceiver function.

[0207] Optionally, the transceiver module 1001 may include a transmitting module (not shown in FIG10) and a receiving module (not shown in FIG10). The transmitting module is used to implement the transmitting function of the communication device 1000, and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device 1000.

[0208] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 10) that stores programs or instructions. When the processing module 1002 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1000 can perform the functions in the methods shown in FIG. 4-FIG. 10.

[0209] It is understood that the communication device 1000 may be a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be set in the network device, or a device that includes the network device. This application does not limit this.

[0210] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1000 can be referenced from the technical effects of the communication method described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0211] Figure 11 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the communication device can be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in the terminal. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1100 may include a processor 1101. Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a memory 1102 and / or a transceiver 1103. The processor 1101 is coupled to the memory 1102 and the transceiver 1103, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0212] The following is a detailed description of each component of the communication device 1100 with reference to Figure 11:

[0213] The processor 1101 is the control center of the communication device 1100. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1101 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0214] Optionally, the processor 1101 can execute various functions of the communication device 1100 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 1102 and calling data stored in the memory 1102, such as executing the communication methods shown in Figures 4-9 above.

[0215] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, processor 1101 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG11.

[0216] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1100 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 1101 and 1104 shown in FIG. 11. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0217] The memory 1102 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 901 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0218] Optionally, the memory 1102 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1102 may be integrated with the processor 1101 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG. 11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0219] Transceiver 1103 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1100 is a terminal, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 1100 is a network device, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a terminal or with another network device.

[0220] Optionally, transceiver 1103 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 11). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0221] Optionally, the transceiver 1103 can be integrated with the processor 1101 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0222] It is understood that the structure of the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. Actual communication devices may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0223] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1100 can be referred to the technical effects of the method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0224] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or it can be 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. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0225] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be 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. The 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 random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous linked DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0226] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0227] 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.

[0228] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed 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.

[0229] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0230] 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.

[0231] 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.

[0232] 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.

[0233] 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 prior art, 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, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0234] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0235] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0236] 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.

[0237] In this application, descriptions such as "when," "under the circumstances," "if," and "if" all refer to the device taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require the device to perform a judgment action during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0238] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed 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.

[0239] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] 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.

[0241] 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.

[0242] 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.

[0243] 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 prior art, 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.

[0244] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to the first node, the method includes: Receive the first signal from the second node; Information about the first target path and information about the first reference path are obtained based on the first signal. The first target path is the path from the second node through the first target object to the first node, and the first reference path is the path from the second node to the first node with a known length. The position of the first target object is determined based on the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The information of the first target path includes time delay information and angle information of the first target path, and the information of the first reference path includes time delay information of the first reference path. Determining the position of the first target object based on the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node includes: The path length of the first target path is determined based on the preset path length of the first reference path, the time delay information of the first target path, and the time delay information of the first reference path. The position of the first target object is determined based on the position information of the first node, the position information of the second node, the path length of the first target path, and the angle information of the first target path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The path length X of the first target path, the path length Z of the first reference path, the time delay information τ1 of the first target path, and the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path satisfy the following: X = Z + c*(τ1 - τ2), where c is the speed of light.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first instruction information is received from the second node, which instructs the first node to perform target object position perception based on the target path and the reference path.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first indication information includes at least one of the following: the type of the second node, the ID of the second node, or the location of the second node.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first reference path is a direct path, which is the straight path of the first signal from the second node to the first node.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first reference path is the anchor point path, which is the path taken by the first signal from the second node through the anchor point back to the first node. The anchor point is an object whose location information is known.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further includes: Receive information from the second node indicating the anchor point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The information indicating the anchor point includes any one of the following: the information of the beam corresponding to the anchor point, the identifier of the anchor point, or the location of the anchor point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The beam corresponding to the anchor point is the beam emitted by the second node that points to the anchor point.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the first signal, determine whether there exists a path with a known length from the second node to the first node; The step of obtaining information about the first target path and the first reference path based on the first signal includes: In the presence of the first reference path, information about the first target path and information about the first reference path are obtained based on the first signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The step of determining whether there exists a path with a known length from the second node to the first node based on the first signal includes: Based on the reference path indication information contained in the first signal, it is determined that a first reference path exists.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The reference path indication information indicates that the reference path is a direct path, or indicates that the reference path is an anchor point path.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes sending a first message to the second node, the first message indicating whether the position perception of the first target object was successful.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes sending a second message to the second node, the second message including the location of the first target object.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the preset path length of the first reference path and the time delay information of the first reference path, the synchronization error is determined, and the synchronization error indicates the clock synchronization error between the first node and the second node.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The synchronization error Δ satisfies the following conditions: the path length Z of the first reference path and the time delay information τ2 of the first reference path. Δ=Z / c-τ2, where c is the speed of light.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a third message from the second node, the third message being used to request position awareness of the second target object; Receive a second signal from the second node, the second signal including information about the second target path; The position of the second target object is determined based on the synchronization error, the information of the second target path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, Determining the position of the second target object based on the synchronization error, the information of the second target path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node includes: Within the effective time of the synchronization error, the position of the second target object is determined based on the synchronization error, the information of the second target path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

20. A method of communication, comprising: Applied to the second node, the method includes: Receive a third message from the first node, the third message including information about a first target path and information about a first reference path, the first target path being the path from the second node through the first target object to the first node, and the first reference path being the path from the second node to the first node with a known length. The position of the first target object is determined based on the information of the first target path, the information of the first reference path, the position information of the first node, and the position information of the second node.

21. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-20.

22. A communications device, characterized by The communication device includes a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-20.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-20 to be performed.

24. A computer program product, characterised in that, comprising computer program or instructions which, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1-20 to be performed.

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