Assisted positioning method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are an assisted positioning method and apparatus. The method comprises: a terminal device sending capability information to a core network device, wherein the capability information is used for indicating the capability of the terminal device to perform assisted positioning on the basis of an environmental map; and the core network device sending first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information is determined on the basis of the capability information, and the first indication information indicates first data used for assisting positioning. In this way, data for assisted positioning is indicated to a terminal device on the basis of capability information reported by the terminal device, such that the effect of the data assisted positioning is better, thereby facilitating an improvement in positioning accuracy and reliability, which is conducive to improving the robustness of the overall system.

Description

An auxiliary positioning method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411762111.6, filed on November 29, 2024, entitled “An Auxiliary Positioning 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 in particular to an auxiliary positioning method and apparatus in the field of communications. Background Technology

[0003] In positioning technology, traditional positioning methods rely on parameters such as signal strength, time of arrival (ToA), and angle of arrival (AoA). However, in complex environments, they are often affected by multipath effects and non-line-of-sight propagation, which limits positioning accuracy.

[0004] Currently, environmental maps can be used to assist in positioning. These maps include environmental information such as spatial geometry and / or material scattering characteristics. This can effectively improve multipath effects, achieve high-resolution imaging, and dynamically adapt to environmental changes, thereby significantly improving positioning accuracy and reliability.

[0005] However, the aforementioned methods of assisted positioning may limit the effectiveness of environmental information-assisted positioning, resulting in lower positioning accuracy and reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an auxiliary positioning method and apparatus to improve the effect of environmental information-assisted positioning, thereby enhancing positioning accuracy and reliability and improving the robustness of the overall system.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides an assisted positioning method, which can be executed by a first communication device. The first communication device can be a terminal device, or a circuit or chip applicable to the terminal device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), and this application does not limit its scope. The following example uses execution by a terminal device.

[0008] For example, the method includes: sending capability information to a core network device, the capability information being used to indicate the terminal device's ability to locate based on an environmental map; and receiving first indication information from the core network device, the first indication information being determined based on the aforementioned capability information, the first indication information indicating first data for assisted location.

[0009] In the above scheme, the terminal device can report information about its ability to use environmental maps for assisted positioning. This allows the core network device to issue first data for assisted positioning to the terminal device based on this information. The first data is adapted to the terminal device's capabilities, making the core network device's issuance of the first data more targeted. As a result, the first data-assisted positioning effect is better, which helps to improve positioning accuracy and reliability, and enhances the robustness of the overall system.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the ability of the aforementioned terminal device to perform location based on an environment map includes at least one of the following: whether it supports location based on an environment map, whether it stores an environment map, the type of environment map required, the type of data required for location assistance, or computing resources available for location.

[0011] By having terminal devices report whether they support location-aided positioning based on environmental maps and whether they store environmental maps, resource waste can be reduced. For example, if the core network device sends the first data for location assistance regardless of whether the terminal device supports or stores environmental maps, the terminal device may not support location-aided positioning based on environmental maps (i.e., it cannot use the first data for location assistance), or it may already have stored environmental maps (i.e., the terminal device has already stored the first data). In this case, sending the first data would be a waste of resources. Therefore, the core network device determines whether to send the first data for location assistance based on the terminal device's reported support for location-aided positioning based on environmental maps and whether it stores environmental maps, which helps reduce resource waste.

[0012] The terminal device reports the type of environmental map required, the type of data required for assisted positioning, and the computing resources available for positioning. Based on this information, the core network device issues the first data for assisted positioning, making the issued first data more targeted and more in line with the needs of the terminal device, resulting in better assisted positioning. This helps to improve positioning accuracy and reliability, and improves the robustness of the overall system.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the type of the required environment map is indicated by a first index, which is determined based on a first correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of environment maps.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the type of data required for auxiliary positioning is indicated by a second index, which is determined based on a second correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of data for auxiliary positioning.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the type of the required environmental map and the type of the required data for assisted positioning are indicated by a third index, which is determined based on a third correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the above method further includes: performing positioning based on the first indication information; and, in the event of positioning failure, sending second indication information to the core network device, the second indication information being used to indicate positioning failure.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving third indication information from a core network device, the third indication information indicating second data for assisted positioning, the second data being different from the first data described above.

[0018] In other words, in the event of a positioning failure, the core network equipment can send secondary data to the terminal equipment to assist in positioning, so that the terminal equipment can obtain more comprehensive environmental information to assist in positioning and thus improve the success rate and accuracy of positioning.

[0019] Secondly, this application provides another assisted positioning method, the method comprising: receiving capability information from a terminal device, the capability information being used to indicate the terminal device's capability for assisted positioning based on an environmental map; and sending first indication information to the terminal device, the first indication information being determined based on the aforementioned capability information, the first indication information indicating first data for assisted positioning.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the method is performed by a second communication device. This second communication device can be a core network device, or a circuit or chip applicable to a core network device, etc., and this application does not limit its scope.

[0021] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the ability of the aforementioned terminal device to perform location based on an environment map includes at least one of the following: whether it supports location based on an environment map, whether it stores an environment map, the type of environment map required, the type of data required for location assistance, or computing resources available for location.

[0022] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the type of the required environment map is indicated by a first index, which is determined based on a first correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of environment maps.

[0023] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the type of data required for auxiliary positioning is indicated by a second index, which is determined based on a second correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of data for auxiliary positioning.

[0024] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the type of the required environmental map and the type of the required data for assisted positioning are indicated by a third index, which is determined based on a third correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the above method further includes: receiving second indication information from a terminal device, the second indication information being used to indicate positioning failure.

[0026] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some possible implementations of the second aspect, the above method further includes: sending a third indication message to a terminal device, the third indication message indicating second data for assisted positioning, the second data being different from the first data described above.

[0027] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device for executing the methods in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or for executing the methods in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Specifically, the communication device includes a module for executing the methods in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or includes a module for executing the methods in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0028] Fourthly, this application provides another communication device, including a processor coupled to a memory, which can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or to implement the methods in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0029] In one implementation, the communication device is a terminal device or a core network device. When the communication device is a terminal device or a core network device, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0030] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip applicable to terminal equipment or core network equipment. When the communication device is a chip applicable to terminal equipment or core network equipment, the aforementioned communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0031] Fifthly, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive signals through the input circuit and transmit signals through the output circuit, causing the processor to execute the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or to execute the methods of the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0032] In the specific implementation process, the processor can be a chip, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the processing circuit can be a transistor, gate circuit, flip-flop, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation method of the processor and various circuits.

[0033] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to read instructions stored in the memory, receive signals via a receiver, and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or to execute the methods described in the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0034] Optionally, the processor may be one or more, and the memory may be one or more.

[0035] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separated from the processor.

[0036] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or set on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory or the way the memory and processor are set.

[0037] It should be understood that related data interaction processes, such as sending information, can be seen as a process of the processor outputting information, and receiving information can be seen as a process of the processor receiving input information. Specifically, the data output by the processor can be sent to the transmitter, and the input data received by the processor can come from the receiver. The transmitter and receiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0038] The communication device in the sixth aspect above can be a chip. The processor can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc. When implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. The memory can be integrated into the processor or located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when the computer program is run, causes a computer to perform the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the methods of the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0040] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the methods of the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0041] It should be understood that the second to eighth aspects of this application correspond to the technical solutions of the first aspect of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applied in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a flowchart of an existing positioning method;

[0044] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the assisted positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a scenario for assisted positioning provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 is a detailed flowchart of the assisted positioning method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 is another schematic block diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Before describing the technical solutions in this application, the following points should be noted.

[0051] First, in this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. For example, "first instruction information" and "second instruction information" are merely used to distinguish different instruction information and do not limit their order. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" do not necessarily imply that they are different.

[0052] Second, in this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0053] Third, in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of singular or plural items. For example, "at least one of the following": a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0054] Fourth, in this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain instruction is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly instructing the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly instruct the information to be instructed by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only instruct a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement of various information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction, the instruction can be used to instruct the information to be instructed, and for the receiver of the instruction, the instruction can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0055] Fifth, in this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to core network equipment" can be understood as the destination of the information being the core network equipment, which can include direct transmission via the air interface, or indirect transmission via the air interface by other devices, units, or modules. For example, when a terminal device sends information to the core network equipment, it does not limit the information transmission between the terminal device and the core network equipment to other devices. For instance, the terminal device sending information to the core network equipment could be done through a wireless access network device. "Receive information from a terminal device" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal device, which can include receiving information directly from the terminal device via the air interface, or indirect reception from the terminal device via the air interface by other devices, units, or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0056] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between core network devices and terminal devices; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0057] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, before being sent from the source to the destination. Similarly, the destination, upon receiving information from the source, can also perform corresponding processing, such as decoding and demodulation, to interpret the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0058] Sixth, in this application, the descriptions such as "when," "under the circumstances," "if," and "if" all refer to the fact that the device (e.g., core network device or terminal device) will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require the device (e.g., core network device or terminal device) to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0059] Seventh, in this application, the correspondence shown in each table can be configured or predefined. The values ​​of the information in each table are merely examples and can be configured to other values; this application is not limited to these. When configuring the correspondence between information and parameters, it is not necessarily required to configure all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, the correspondences shown in some rows of the tables in this application may not be configured. Furthermore, appropriate modifications and adjustments can be made based on the above tables, such as splitting, merging, etc. The names of the parameters shown in the headings of the above tables can also use other names that the communication device can understand, and the values ​​or representations of the parameters can also be other values ​​or representations that the communication device can understand. In the implementation of the above tables, other data structures can also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables, etc.

[0060] It should be noted that the term "predefined" in this application can be replaced with: definition, predefined, storage, pre-storage, pre-negotiation, pre-configuration, solidification, or pre-firing, etc.

[0061] Eighth, the storage (or saving) involved in this application can be stored in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into an encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others can be integrated into a decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application is not limited to this.

[0062] Ninth, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, or New Radio (NR) systems, or future communication systems, etc. This application does not limit them.

[0063] The communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG1.

[0064] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applied in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 shows a possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) and a core network (CN). Optionally, the communication system may also include the Internet.

[0065] The wireless access network may include at least one wireless access network device (hereinafter referred to as the access network device) and at least one terminal device. Figure 1 illustrates an example with one wireless access network device and two terminal devices. The terminal devices can connect to the wireless access network device wirelessly. The wireless access network device can connect to the core network wirelessly or via a wired connection. The core network device and the wireless access network device can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and wireless access network logical functions. This application does not limit the specific physical device to these possibilities. Terminal devices can connect to each other, and wireless access network devices can connect to each other, via wired or wireless connections.

[0066] Wireless access network (WLAN) devices and terminal devices can communicate via a wireless link. In one possible scenario, the WLAN device can act as a receiver, and the terminal device as a transmitter, sending signals to the WLAN device. However, this should not be construed as limiting this application. For example, in another possible scenario, the WLAN device can act as a transmitter, and the terminal device as a receiver, sending signals to the terminal device. Sidelink (SL) communication can also occur between terminal devices.

[0067] Optionally, the aforementioned radio access network can be a cellular system related to the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), such as an LTE system, a 5G system, or a future communication system. The aforementioned radio access network can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN). The aforementioned radio access network can also be a cloud radio access network (CRAN), etc. This application does not limit this.

[0068] It is understood that Figure 1 only illustrates one possible communication system architecture that can be applied to the embodiments of this application. In other possible scenarios, the above-mentioned communication system may also include a greater number of wireless access network devices and terminals, and the above-mentioned communication system may also include other types of devices, such as relay devices and / or backhaul devices, which will not be listed here. The wireless access network devices, terminal devices, and core network devices mentioned above will be described in detail below.

[0069] I. Wireless access network equipment can be used to help terminals achieve wireless access.

[0070] In one possible scenario, wireless access network equipment can be an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a micro base station, a transmitting point (TP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future communication system, a high-altitude platform or satellite in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system, or a wireless controller in a CRAN, etc.

[0071] In another possible scenario, multiple radio access network (RAN) devices collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with each RAN device performing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN devices can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element; for example, CUs and DUs can be included in a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units; for example, RUs can be included in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). It is understood that RAN devices can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices comprising both CU and DU nodes.

[0072] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0073] II. A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., or a device used to provide voice or data connectivity to users, or an Internet of Things (IoT) device. Currently, terminals can include, for example: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, smart glasses, etc.), in-vehicle equipment (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), satellite terminals, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, smart point-of-sale (POS) machines, customer-premises equipment (CPE), light user equipment (UE), reduced capability user equipment (REDCAP UE), wireless terminals in industrial control, smart home devices (such as refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), smart robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in smart healthcare, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes, and flying equipment (such as smart robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes), etc. Terminals can also be vehicle devices, such as vehicle units, vehicle modules, vehicle chips, onboard units (OBU), or telematics boxes (T-BOX), etc.

[0074] Third, the aforementioned core network equipment can be core network equipment in a 4G system, such as a mobile management entity (MME) or a serving gateway (SGW), or core network equipment in a 5G system, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, a location management function (LMF) network element, a unified data management (UDM) network element, a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) network element, and a location service (LCS) client, or core network equipment with other names, or core network equipment in future communication systems. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0075] The AMF network element can be used to: obtain positioning requests initiated by terminal devices, GMLC network elements, or AMF network elements; transmit positioning-related information with radio access network devices based on the NR positioning protocol A (NRPPa) interface; and forward positioning-related messages exchanged between LMF network elements, radio access network devices, terminal devices, and other entities.

[0076] LMF network elements can receive and process positioning requests or positioning-related data requests from AMF network elements; they can determine the positioning method based on the request; and they can also send data to AMF network elements for auxiliary positioning.

[0077] An LCS client is a logical functional entity. It can be an entity within a public land mobile network (PLMN), such as an operations and maintenance (O&M) tool; or it can be an entity outside the PLMN, such as a third-party location server deployed by a non-operator. An LCS client can initiate a location request carrying parameters such as quality of service (QoS), and can send this location request to an AMF network element through a GMLC network element.

[0078] In this application, the terminal device and the radio access network device can transmit information through the NR-Uu interface; the radio access network device and the AMF network element can transmit information through the N2 interface; the AMF network element can transmit information with the UDM network element through the N8 interface; the AMF network element can transmit information with the GMLC network element through the NL2 interface; the GMLC network element can transmit information with the UDM network element through the NL6 interface; the AMF network element can transmit information with the LMF network element through the NL1 interface; and the GMLC network element can transmit information with the LCS client through the Le interface.

[0079] This application involves locating a terminal device (i.e., determining the coordinates and other location information of the terminal device), which requires the collaboration of multiple devices. The detailed positioning process will be given below with reference to Figure 2.

[0080] Figure 2 is a flowchart of an existing positioning method 200. As shown in Figure 2, the method 200 includes the following steps:

[0081] S201, AMF network element obtains location service request.

[0082] The location service request, also known as a location request, location service request, or other names, can be understood as a message used to initiate the location process.

[0083] Alternatively, S201 can be implemented in the following three ways.

[0084] Method 1: S201a, the terminal device sends a location service request to the AMF network element through the radio access network device; correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the location service request from the terminal device. That is, the location process can be initiated by the terminal device.

[0085] For example, the terminal device can send a location service request to the radio access network device through the NR-Uu interface, and the radio access network device receives the location service request from the terminal device; the radio access network device can send a location service request to the AMF network element through the N2 interface, and the AMF network element receives the location service request from the radio access network device.

[0086] Method 2: In S201b, the GMLC network element sends a location service request to the AMF network element; correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the location service request from the GMLC network element. That is, the location process can be initiated by the GMLC network element, and the GMLC network element can, for example, execute S201b based on a location service request initiated by the LCS client.

[0087] For example, the LCS client sends a location service request to the GMLC network element through the Le interface, and the GMLC network element receives the location service request from the LCS client; the GMLC network element sends a location service request to the AMF network element through the NL2 interface, and the AMF network element receives the location service request from the GMLC network element.

[0088] Method 3: S201c and AMF network elements determine the location service request. That is, the location process can be initiated by the AMF network element.

[0089] S202, the AMF network element sends a location service request to the LMF network element; correspondingly, the LMF network element receives the location service request from the AMF network element.

[0090] For example, the AMF network element sends a location service request to the LMF network element through the NL1 interface, and correspondingly, the LMF network element receives the location service request from the AMF network element through the NL1 interface.

[0091] S203 describes the process by which terminal equipment, wireless access network equipment, LMF network elements, and AMF network elements perform capability transfer.

[0092] The capability transmission process can be understood as a process that enables each device in the terminal device, wireless access network device, LMF network element, and AMF network element to determine the capabilities of other devices. This capability can be a positioning-related capability, so as to determine the appropriate positioning method for positioning and help optimize positioning performance.

[0093] For example, the LMF network element can obtain information indicating supported positioning technologies and positioning accuracy from the AMF network element or the radio access network device. For instance, the AMF network element can obtain information about the positioning capabilities of the terminal device or the radio access network device (such as supported positioning technologies and positioning accuracy, which are not limited in this application) and send this information to the LMF network element. The radio access network device, for example, can obtain information about the positioning capabilities of the terminal device from the terminal device.

[0094] The aforementioned positioning technologies may include, for example, enhanced cell identity (E-CID), downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA), uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA), downlink angle of departure (DL-AOD), uplink angle of arrival (UL-AOA), or multi-round trip time (Multi-RTT). It should be understood that the above positioning technologies are merely examples, and other positioning technologies may also be used; this application does not limit the application to these technologies.

[0095] The auxiliary equipment, basic equipment, and supported protocols used in the above positioning technologies will be listed below in conjunction with Table 1.

[0096] Table 1

[0097] As shown in Table 1, in E-CID positioning technology, the LMF network element, as the basic device, can receive and process positioning requests or positioning-related data requests from other network elements, determine the positioning method based on the request, and measure the positioning results. The terminal device, as an auxiliary device, can provide auxiliary information, such as measuring signal strength, to assist the LMF network element in determining the terminal device's location. Wireless access network devices can also serve as auxiliary devices, providing auxiliary information such as signal TOA. Other basic and auxiliary devices in positioning technologies are detailed in Table 1 and will not be described further here.

[0098] In addition, as shown in Table 1, all of the above positioning technologies can support the Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) protocol.

[0099] S204 and LMF network elements determine the positioning method based on the positioning technology supported by terminal equipment and wireless access network equipment.

[0100] In this context, determining the positioning method can also be understood as selecting a positioning method.

[0101] S205, the process of terminal equipment, wireless access network equipment, LMF network element and AMF network element performing positioning auxiliary data transmission and positioning information transmission.

[0102] Positioning assistance data can be understood as various information and data required during the positioning process, which can be used to assist the positioning terminal device. The LMF network element can sequentially send positioning assistance data to the terminal device through the NL1 interface, N2 interface, and NR-Uu interface, and the LMF network element and the terminal device can exchange positioning information based on the LTE positioning protocol (LPP). The positioning information can be any positioning-related information; no specific limitations are imposed here.

[0103] For example, an LMF network element can query location-related measurement results, such as signal arrival time, from a terminal device or a wireless access network device, and can calculate the location result, i.e., the location information of the terminal device, based on the location-related measurement results. These location-related measurement results can also be understood as a type of location assistance data.

[0104] S206. The LMF network element sends a location service response to the AMF network element. The location service response may carry information indicating the location result. Correspondingly, the AMF network element receives the location service response from the LMF network element.

[0105] For example, the LMF network element sends a location service response to the AMF network element through the NL1 interface.

[0106] S207, AMF network element transmission positioning service response.

[0107] It should be understood that, similar to S201, S207 can also be implemented in the following three ways.

[0108] Method 4: Corresponding to Method 1 above, S207 can be implemented through S207a: The AMF network element sends a location service response to the terminal device through the radio access network device; correspondingly, the terminal device receives the location service response from the AMF network element. That is, in Method 1, the location process is initiated by the terminal device, and the AMF network element indicates the location result to the terminal device through the location service response.

[0109] Method 5: Corresponding to Method 2 above, S207 can be implemented through S207b: the AMF network element sends a location service response to the GMLC network element; correspondingly, the GMLC network element receives the location service response from the AMF network element. That is, in Method 2, the location process is initiated by the GMLC network element, and the AMF network element indicates the location result to the GMLC network element through the location service response. Furthermore, when the GMLC network element executes S201b based on the location service request from the LCS client, the GMLC network element can also send the location service response to the LCS client.

[0110] Method 6: Corresponding to Method 3 above, S207 can be implemented through S207c: The AMF network element determines the positioning result based on the positioning service response. That is, in Method 3, the positioning process is initiated by the AMF network element, and the AMF network element can determine the positioning result based on the positioning service response, and this process ends.

[0111] Optionally, the positioning method shown in Figure 2 can be, for example, a scenario where an LMF network element positions a terminal device.

[0112] Traditional positioning methods rely on parameters such as signal strength, ToA, and AoA, but in complex environments they are often affected by multipath effects and non-line-of-sight propagation, which limits positioning accuracy.

[0113] Currently, by using environmental maps (which include environmental information such as spatial geometry and / or material scattering characteristics) to assist in positioning, multipath effects can be effectively improved, high-resolution imaging can be achieved, and dynamic adaptation to environmental changes can be made, thereby significantly improving positioning accuracy and reliability.

[0114] Spatial geometric information refers to one or more of the information used to describe the shape, position, size, or relative relationships of objects in the environment (such as buildings, vegetation, etc.). By understanding spatial geometric information, the propagation path of wireless signals in the environment can be simulated more accurately, including direct paths, reflected paths, and diffracted paths. This helps determine the signal reception at different locations, thereby improving the accuracy of positioning algorithms.

[0115] Material scattering characteristics refer to information describing the scattering properties of an object's material (such as reflection mode and reflection loss). Different materials have different absorption and reflection effects on wireless signals. For example, metallic materials typically reflect signals strongly, while concrete walls may both reflect and absorb signals. Understanding the scattering characteristics of materials helps reduce positioning errors caused by material differences.

[0116] Table 2 shows one possible example of what an environment map includes.

[0117] Table 2

[0118] As shown in Table 2, the environmental map includes reflector identification, spatial geometric information, and material scattering characteristic information. The spatial geometric information includes, for example, the center, size, and normal vector of the reflector; the size can be characterized by the edge points of the reflector. The material scattering characteristic information may include, for example, the reflection mode of the reflector at different frequency bands, the average reflection loss (or reflection loss range), and the synchronization signal block (SSB) index.

[0119] It should be understood that spatial geometric information and material scattering characteristics information may include more or less content. Table 2 is only an example and should not constitute any limitation on this application.

[0120] As shown in Table 2, the center of the reflecting surface is (5,6,7), the edge points are (8,9,10), (1,2,3), and (4,7,8), and the normal vector of the reflecting surface is (1,0,0). The coefficients of the equation representing the reflecting surface are 1,0,0. Reflection mode 1 is a specular reflection with a corresponding reflection loss of -30 dB. Reflection mode 2 is a specular reflection with a corresponding reflection loss of -25 dB. Reflection mode m is diffuse reflection with a corresponding reflection loss of -10 dB.

[0121] While using environmental maps for localization can effectively mitigate multipath effects, achieve high-resolution imaging, and dynamically adapt to environmental changes, thus significantly improving positioning accuracy and reliability, these methods may limit the effectiveness of environmental information-assisted localization, potentially leading to lower positioning accuracy and reliability.

[0122] For example, the LMF network element is unaware of the terminal device's ability to use environmental maps for assisted positioning. Therefore, the LMF network element does not know what kind of auxiliary information the terminal device needs. In this case, the auxiliary information sent by the LMF network element is likely to have a poor effect on the terminal device's positioning. For instance, the terminal device may have stored an environmental map, but the LMF network element is unaware of this. Sending the environmental map to the terminal device could waste resources. Another example is that the terminal device needs spatial geometric information, but the LMF network element is unaware of this and sends material scattering characteristic information instead. This is not effective in assisting the terminal device's positioning. These are just a few examples. In summary, existing assisted positioning methods may limit the effectiveness of environmental information-assisted positioning, resulting in lower positioning accuracy and reliability.

[0123] In view of this, this application provides an assisted positioning method in which the terminal device can report information about its ability to use an environmental map for assisted positioning. This allows the core network device to issue appropriate assisted positioning information to the terminal device based on the information. In this way, the assisted information issued by the core network device is more targeted and better meets the needs of the terminal device. As a result, the assisted positioning effect is better, which helps to improve positioning accuracy and reliability and enhances the robustness of the overall system.

[0124] The assisted positioning method of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 3. The embodiments shown in this application illustrate the method provided by this application from the perspective of communication device interaction. The specific form and number of each communication device shown are merely examples and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation of the method provided by this application. Below, the assisted positioning method of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail using a terminal device (an example of a first communication device) and a core network device (an example of a second communication device) as the implementing entities. The method described below can be applied, for example, to the system shown in Figure 1. The terminal device can be, for example, the terminal device in the system shown in Figure 1, and the core network device can be, for example, the core network device in the system shown in Figure 1.

[0125] It should be understood that the interactive information between the terminal device and the core network device can be forwarded through the radio access network device. For example, when the terminal device sends information to the core network device, it can be that the terminal device sends information to the radio access network device, and the radio access network device forwards the information to the core network device; when the core network device sends information to the terminal device, it can be that the core network device sends the information to the radio access network device, and the radio access network device forwards the information to the terminal device.

[0126] It should also be understood that the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or a chip, chip system or processor that supports the terminal device in implementing the assisted positioning method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device; the core network device can be the core network device itself, or a chip, chip system or processor that supports the core network device in implementing the assisted positioning method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the core network device, and this application does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0127] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the assisted positioning method 300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 300 includes the following steps:

[0128] Step 310: The terminal device sends capability information to the core network device. This capability information indicates the terminal device's ability to locate itself using an environmental map. Correspondingly, the core network device receives the aforementioned capability information.

[0129] An environmental map is a map used to describe and represent spatial information about a specific environment (or area or object). An environmental map may include information about buildings, roads, terrain, obstacles, or other objects. As an example, and not a limitation, an environmental map may include spatial geometric information and / or material scattering characteristics information of a specific environment (or area or object). For an explanation of spatial geometric information and material scattering characteristics information, please refer to the description above; it will not be repeated here.

[0130] For example, an LMF network element (an example of a core network device) obtains capability information from a radio access network device or an AMF network element. This capability information indicates the terminal device's ability to locate itself using an environment map. As an example, the radio access network device can obtain this capability information from the terminal device and send it to the AMF network element, which then sends it to the LMF network element. For instance, the terminal device sequentially sends the capability information to the LMF network element via the NR-Uu interface, N2 interface, and NL1 interface. This capability information indicates the terminal device's ability to locate itself using an environment map.

[0131] The interaction between core network equipment and terminal equipment regarding the aforementioned capability information can occur, for example, during the capability transmission process, as shown in step 203 of Figure 2. In other words, in addition to reporting supported positioning technologies and protocols, terminal equipment can also report capabilities based on environment map-assisted positioning.

[0132] Step 320: The core network device sends a first indication message to the terminal device. This first indication message is determined based on the aforementioned capability information and indicates first data used for assisted positioning. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication message from the core network device.

[0133] The aforementioned first instruction information is determined based on the capability information reported by the terminal device. In other words, the core network device can determine the first data to be sent to the terminal device for auxiliary positioning based on the capability information reported by the terminal device.

[0134] The aforementioned first data used for assisted positioning can be understood as the data required during the positioning process, which can be used to assist the positioning terminal device. This first data for assisted positioning may, for example, be spatial geometric information and / or material scattering characteristics information of a specific environment in an environmental map.

[0135] For example, the AMF network element obtains the aforementioned first indication information from the LMF network element (an example of a core network device) and sends the first indication information to the radio access network device, which then sends the first indication information to the terminal device. As an example, the LMF network element can send the first indication information to the terminal device sequentially through the NL1 interface, N2 interface, and NR-Uu interface, respectively.

[0136] In method 300 shown in Figure 3, the terminal device can report information about its ability to use an environmental map for assisted positioning. This allows the core network device to send appropriate first data for assisted positioning to the terminal device based on this information. In this way, the first data sent by the core network device is more targeted and better matches the capabilities of the terminal device. As a result, the data-assisted positioning effect is better, which helps to improve positioning accuracy and reliability, and improves the robustness of the overall system.

[0137] In one possible implementation, the ability of the aforementioned terminal device to perform location based on an environment map includes at least one of the following: whether it supports location based on an environment map, whether it stores an environment map, the type of environment map required, the type of data required for location assistance, or computing resources available for location.

[0138] The aforementioned support for environment map-assisted positioning is used to indicate whether the terminal device has the function of environment map-assisted positioning. For example, whether the terminal device supports environment map-assisted positioning can be indicated by one bit. When the value of this bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device supports environment map-assisted positioning; when the value of this bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device does not support environment map-assisted positioning. Alternatively, when the value of this bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device supports environment map-assisted positioning; when the value of this bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device does not support environment map-assisted positioning. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0139] By having terminal devices report whether they support location-based services (RTS) using environmental maps, resource waste can be reduced. For example, if a terminal device does not support RTS, but the core network device still sends a first indication message (information about the environmental map) to it, this results in resource waste. If the core network device knew whether the terminal device supported RTS, it could determine whether to send the first indication message based on the terminal device's capabilities. For instance, if the terminal device supports RTS, the core network device sends the first indication message; if it does not, it does not, thus reducing resource waste.

[0140] Whether or not an environmental map is stored can indicate whether the terminal device saves environmental information, such as spatial geometric information and / or material scattering characteristics information. For example, whether or not the terminal device stores an environmental map can be indicated by one bit. When the value of this bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device stores an environmental map; when the value of this bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device does not store an environmental map. Alternatively, when the value of this bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device stores an environmental map; when the value of this bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device does not store an environmental map. This application does not limit this specific case.

[0141] By having terminal devices report whether they have stored an environmental map, resource waste can be reduced. For example, if a terminal device stores an environmental map, but the core network device still sends a first instruction message (information about the environmental map) to it, this actually wastes resources. If the core network device knew whether the terminal device had stored an environmental map, it could determine whether to send the first instruction message based on the terminal device's capabilities. For instance, if the terminal device does not store an environmental map, the core network device sends the first instruction message; if the terminal device does store an environmental map, the core network device can choose not to send the first instruction message, thus reducing resource waste.

[0142] The required types of environmental maps include, but are not limited to, 2D or 3D environmental maps. That is, environmental information can be represented by 2D data or 3D data.

[0143] By having terminal devices report the type of environmental map they require, the effectiveness of environmental map-assisted positioning can be optimized. For example, core network devices can issue initial instruction information based on the type of environmental map required by the terminal device, making the information more targeted and improving the effectiveness of the assisted positioning.

[0144] The types of data required for auxiliary positioning include, but are not limited to, any of the following: spatial geometry information, material scattering characteristics information, or all information (all information means that both spatial geometry information and material scattering characteristics information are required).

[0145] The spatial geometric information includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: center, size, or normal vector. Taking a reflecting surface as an example, the spatial geometric information may include at least one of the following: the center of the reflecting surface, the size of the reflecting surface (e.g., which can be characterized by the edge points of the reflecting surface), or the normal vector of the reflecting surface. It is understood that the above-mentioned spatial geometric information can also be the spatial geometric information of the reflecting body, similar to that of the reflecting surface, and will not be described in detail here.

[0146] Material scattering characteristics information includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: reflection mode, reflection loss, SSB index, virtual base station (VBS) location, or variance of VBS location.

[0147] By specifying the type of data required for assisted positioning by the terminal device, the effectiveness of environmental map-based assisted positioning can be optimized. For example, suppose the terminal device needs spatial geometric information, but the core network device is unaware of this and sends material scattering characteristic information instead. This is not effective for assisted positioning. If the core network device knows the type of data required by the terminal device, it can send a first indication based on that type. For instance, if the terminal device needs spatial geometric information, the core network device sends spatial geometric information; if it needs material scattering characteristic information, the core network device sends material scattering characteristic information; if the terminal device needs all information, the core network device sends all information. This optimizes the effectiveness of the first indication for assisted positioning, thereby improving positioning accuracy and reliability, and enhancing the overall system robustness.

[0148] The aforementioned computing resources available for location include, but are not limited to, the type and / or size of computing resources. The type of computing resource can indicate the type of hardware used to perform computing tasks, such as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU), and memory. This memory can include, but is not limited to, at least one of random access memory (RAM) or ROM. The size of the computing resources can be measured by one or more of the following: millions of instructions per second (MIPS), dhrystone million instructions executed per second (DMIPS), operations per second (OPS), and floating-point operations per second (Floating-point operations per second).

[0149] The size of the aforementioned computing resources can be represented by specific numerical values, such as the number of instructions executed per second, the number of instructions executed per second by "dhrystone", the number of operations per second, or the floating-point operations per second. The size of these computing resources can also be represented by their levels, which this application does not limit. For example, levels 0 to 10 can represent the levels of computing resources, and terminal devices can report the levels of computing resources available for positioning (such as level 0, level 1, or level 2, etc.).

[0150] Reporting available computing resources for location services by terminal devices can improve the effectiveness of assisted location services. For example, the core network device can determine the first indication information to be issued based on the level of available computing resources for location services reported by the terminal device. As an example, and not a limitation, if the level of available computing resources for location services reported by the terminal device is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the core network device can issue data with a confidence level greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0151] For example, after determining the type of data to be sent for assisted positioning, the core network equipment selects data with a confidence level greater than or equal to a second threshold to send to the terminal equipment. For instance, if the core network equipment determines to send VBS locations, and the level of computing power resources available for positioning reported by the terminal equipment is greater than or equal to a first threshold, then the core network equipment can send VBS locations whose variance is greater than or equal to the second threshold. In this way, even when the terminal equipment has limited computing power resources, more efficient and accurate positioning can be provided. Furthermore, the sent auxiliary data is more aligned with the capabilities of the terminal equipment; otherwise, if the terminal equipment has limited computing power resources available for positioning, sending too much data could lead to poor positioning performance due to resource constraints.

[0152] In this application, the confidence level of spatial geometric information can be characterized by the accuracy of the reflecting surface, the confidence level of the VBS position can be characterized by the variance of the VBS position, and the confidence level of reflection loss can be characterized by the variance of the reflection loss corresponding to the reflection points constituting the reflecting surface.

[0153] In one example, a terminal device reports capability information to the core network device. This capability information indicates that the terminal device supports location-assisted positioning based on an environmental map, does not store an environmental map, requires a 3D environmental map, requires VBS location and its variance as the type of data for location assistance, and has a computing power resource level of 8 available for positioning. Based on this capability information, the core network device can determine the positioning technology and send first data for location assistance to the terminal device. This first data may include, for example, the 3D VBS location and its variance. Assuming the threshold for available computing power resource level is 5, it can be seen that the computing power resource level reported by the terminal device is greater than the corresponding threshold. Therefore, the VBS location sent by the core network device can be a VBS location with a variance greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0154] In another example, the terminal device reports capability information to the core network device. This capability information indicates that the terminal device supports location-assisted positioning based on an environmental map, does not store an environmental map, requires a 3D environmental map, and requires data for location assistance of the center, size, and normal vector of a reflective surface. The available computing resources for location assistance are at level 3. Based on this capability information, the core network device can determine the positioning technology and send first data for location assistance to the terminal device. This first data may include, for example, the center (3D), size (3D), and normal vector of the reflective surface. Examples of capability information will not be listed here.

[0155] It should be noted that while the above description explicitly indicates whether a terminal device supports location-assisted positioning based on an environment map and whether it stores an environment map, the terminal device can also implicitly indicate whether it supports location-assisted positioning based on an environment map and whether it stores an environment map. For example, if the capability information reported by the terminal device indicates the type of environment map required, the type of data required for location assistance, or the computing resources available for location, it means that the terminal device supports location-assisted positioning based on an environment map and has not stored an environment map; if the capability information reported by the terminal device does not indicate the type of environment map required, the type of data required for location assistance, or the computing resources available for location, it means that the terminal device has stored an environment map.

[0156] In addition, when the terminal device indicates that it does not support location-assisted positioning based on environmental maps, the terminal device may not report whether to store an environmental map, the type of environmental map required, the type of data required for location assistance, and the computing resources available for location.

[0157] In one possible implementation, the type of the required environmental map reported by the aforementioned terminal device is based on a first index, which is determined based on a first correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of environmental maps.

[0158] For example, the first correspondence is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices and various types of environment maps. The terminal device indicates the type of environment map required by indicating one of the aforementioned multiple indices. One possible design is that the first correspondence is represented by a table, and an example of a first correspondence is given below. It should be understood that the first correspondence can also be represented by other data structures, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables.

[0159] Table 3

[0160] As shown in Table 3, the first correspondence includes multiple indices and various types of environment maps. These multiple indices and various types of environment maps correspond one-to-one. For example, index 0 corresponds to a 2D environment map, and index 1 corresponds to a 3D environment map. It should be understood that the correspondence between multiple indices and various types of environment maps shown in Table 3 is merely an example and should not constitute any limitation on this application. For example, the environment map type corresponding to index 0 can be 3D, and the environment map type corresponding to index 1 can be 2D.

[0161] For example, as shown in Table 3, assuming that the type of environmental map required by the terminal device is 3D, the terminal device can indicate index 1 to the core network device. Based on the correspondence shown in Table 3, the core network device can determine that the type of environmental map required by the terminal device is 3D. Then, when the core network device sends out environmental information for auxiliary positioning, it can use 3D coordinate representation.

[0162] Optionally, the terminal device can use one bit to indicate the type of environment map required by the terminal device. For example, a value of 0 for this bit indicates that the environment map type is 2D, and a value of 1 for this bit indicates that the environment map type is 3D; or, a value of 0 for this bit indicates that the environment map type is 3D, and a value of 1 for this bit indicates that the environment map type is 2D. In another possible implementation, the first correspondence can directly indicate the correspondence between the bit value and the type of environment map, as shown in Table 4.

[0163] Table 4

[0164] In one possible implementation, the type of data required for assisted positioning reported by the aforementioned terminal device is based on a second index, which is determined based on a second correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

[0165] For example, the second correspondence is used to indicate multiple types of correspondences between multiple indices and data used for auxiliary location. One possible design is that the second correspondence is represented by a table, and an example of a second correspondence is given below. It should be understood that the second correspondence can also be represented by other data structures, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables.

[0166] Table 5

[0167] As shown in Table 5, the second correspondence includes multiple indices and multiple types of data used for assisted positioning. These multiple indices and multiple types of data used for assisted positioning correspond one-to-one. For example, the data type used for assisted positioning corresponding to index 0 is center, size, and normal vector; the data type used for assisted positioning corresponding to index 1 is reflection mode, reflection loss, and SSB index; the data type used for assisted positioning corresponding to index 2 is VBS location and VBS location variance; and the data type used for assisted positioning corresponding to index 1 is all information.

[0168] It should be understood that the correspondence between the multiple indices and the various types of data used for assisted positioning shown in Table 5 is merely an example and should not constitute any limitation on this application. For example, the type of data used for assisted positioning corresponding to index 2 may only include VBS locations, which will not be listed here.

[0169] For example, as shown in Table 5, assuming that the type of data required by the terminal device for assisted positioning is VBS location and VBS location variance, the terminal device can indicate index 2 to the core network device. Based on the correspondence shown in Table 5, the core network device can determine that the type of data required by the terminal device for assisted positioning is VBS location and VBS location variance. Then, the core network device can send the VBS location and VBS location variance to the terminal device, for example, the location of VBS1 and the variance of VBS1, and the location of VBS2 and the variance of VBS2.

[0170] Optionally, the terminal device can use two bits to represent the type of environmental map required by the terminal device. For example, a value of 00 indicates that the type of data used for assisted positioning is center, size, and normal vector; a value of 01 indicates that the type of data used for assisted positioning is reflection mode, reflection loss, and SSB index; a value of 10 indicates that the type of data used for assisted positioning is VBS location and VBS location variance; and a value of 11 indicates that the type of data used for assisted positioning is all information. In another possible implementation, the second correspondence can directly indicate the correspondence between the bit values ​​and the types of data used for assisted positioning, as shown in Table 6.

[0171] Table 6

[0172] In one possible implementation, the type of required environmental map and the type of required data for assisted positioning reported by the aforementioned terminal device are based on a third index, which is determined based on a third correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

[0173] For example, third correspondences are used to indicate correspondences between multiple indices, multiple types of environment maps, and multiple types of data used for location assistance. One possible design is that the third correspondence is represented by a table, and an example of a third correspondence is given below. It should be understood that third correspondences can also be represented by other data structures, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables, or hash tables.

[0174] Table 7

[0175] As shown in Table 7, the third correspondence includes multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data used for assisted positioning. For example, the environmental map type corresponding to index 0 is 2D, and the data type used for assisted positioning is center, size, and normal vector. The environmental map type corresponding to index 1 is 2D, and the data type used for assisted positioning is reflection mode, reflection loss, and SSB index. The environmental map type corresponding to index 2 is 2D, and the data type used for assisted positioning is VBS location and VBS location variance. The environmental map type corresponding to index 1 is 2D, and the data type used for assisted positioning is all information. These will not be listed one by one here.

[0176] It should be understood that the correspondence between the multiple indices, the various types of environmental maps, and the various types of data used for assisted positioning shown in Table 7 is merely an example and should not constitute any limitation on this application. For example, the environmental map type corresponding to index 2 is 2D, and the type of data used for assisted positioning may only include VBS location, which will not be listed here.

[0177] For example, as shown in Table 7, assuming the terminal device requires VBS location and VBS location variance for auxiliary positioning, and the required environmental map is 3D, the terminal device can indicate index 6 to the core network device. Based on the correspondence shown in Table 7, the core network device can determine that the terminal device requires VBS location and VBS location variance for auxiliary positioning, and the required environmental map is 3D. Then, the core network device can send the VBS location (based on 3D coordinate representation) and VBS location variance to the terminal device, for example, the location of VBS1 and the variance of VBS1, and the location of VBS2 and the variance of VBS2.

[0178] Optionally, the terminal device can use 3 bits to represent the type of environmental map required by the terminal device. For example, a value of 000 indicates that the environmental map type is 2D, and the data type used for auxiliary positioning is center, size, and normal vector; a value of 001 indicates that the environmental map type is 2D, and the data type used for auxiliary positioning is reflection mode, reflection loss, and SSB index; a value of 010 indicates that the environmental map type is 2D, and the data type used for auxiliary positioning is VBS location and VBS location variance; a value of 011 indicates that the environmental map type is 2D, and the data type used for auxiliary positioning is all information. These are not listed here in detail, but are shown in Table 8. In another possible implementation, the third correspondence can directly indicate the correspondence between the bit values, the environmental map type, and the data type used for auxiliary positioning, as shown in Table 8.

[0179] Table 8

[0180] It should be noted that the correspondences shown in Tables 3 to 8 may be predefined, preconfigured, or configured, and this application does not impose any restrictions on them.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the method 300 shown in Figure 3 further includes: positioning based on the aforementioned first indication information.

[0182] For example, a terminal device can perform positioning based on first data for assisted positioning issued by the core network device. It is understood that other devices, such as radio access network devices, can also perform positioning based on the aforementioned first data for assisted positioning. Taking terminal device positioning as an example, the terminal device can use a multipath separation algorithm to separate multipath information such as AOD, AOA, or time of flight (TOF) of the reflection path, and combine this with the first data for assisted positioning to perform positioning. For instance, the first data for assisted positioning includes the VBS location; the terminal device can combine the VBS location with the separated AOD, AOA, or TOF of the reflection path to perform positioning.

[0183] The aforementioned multipath separation algorithms include, but are not limited to, maximum likelihood estimation, multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithms, or estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) algorithms.

[0184] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a scenario for assisted positioning provided in an embodiment of this application. In Figure 4, VBS-based assisted positioning is used as an example, but this should not constitute any limitation on the embodiment of this application. The first data used for assisted positioning can also be other data, such as the center, size, and normal vector of the reflecting surface, etc., and this application does not limit it.

[0185] As shown in Figure 4, the core network equipment can send the VBS location to the terminal equipment. The locations of VBS1, VBS2, and VBS3 are shown in the figure. The signal reflected by reflector 1 can be regarded as originating from VBS1, and the path of the signal reflected by reflector 1 can be recorded as reflection path 1. The signal reflected by reflector 2 can be regarded as originating from VBS2, and the path of the signal reflected by reflector 2 can be recorded as reflection path 2. The signal reflected by reflector 3 can be regarded as originating from VBS3, and the path of the signal reflected by reflector 3 can be recorded as reflection path 3. The terminal equipment can separate reflection path 1, reflection path 2, and the AOD, AOA, or TOF of reflection path 2, and combine them with the locations of VBS1, VBS2, and VBS3 to determine the location of the terminal equipment.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the method 300 shown in Figure 3 further includes: in the event of a positioning failure, the terminal device sends a second indication message to the core network device, the second indication message indicating a positioning failure. Correspondingly, the core network device receives the second indication message from the terminal device.

[0187] In the event of a location failure, the terminal device can send a second indication message to the core network device to indicate the location failure. For example, the terminal device indicates the location failure to the radio access network device, which then informs the AMF network element of the location failure, and the AMF network element further informs the LMF network element (an example of a core network device) of the location failure. Correspondingly, the LMF network element receives the aforementioned second indication message.

[0188] In one possible implementation, the method 300 shown in Figure 3 further includes: the core network device sending third indication information to the terminal device, the third indication information indicating second data for assisted positioning, the second data being different from the first data described above. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third indication information from the core network device.

[0189] In other words, if positioning fails, the core network equipment can send additional data to the terminal equipment to assist in positioning, so that the terminal equipment can obtain more comprehensive environmental information to assist in positioning, thereby improving the success rate and accuracy of positioning.

[0190] For example, assuming the first data only includes the center, size, and normal vector, the core network device can supplement the positioning by sending second data, such as reflection mode, reflection loss, and SSB index, in the event of positioning failure. This can provide a more comprehensive description of environmental features, thereby helping the terminal device to complete the positioning task more accurately and improving the success rate and accuracy of positioning.

[0191] Figure 5 is a detailed flowchart illustrating the assisted positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 combines the positioning process shown in Figure 2 with the assisted positioning method provided in this application.

[0192] S501, AMF network element obtains location service request.

[0193] For a detailed explanation of S501, please refer to S201, which will not be repeated here.

[0194] S502, the AMF network element sends a location service request to the LMF network element; correspondingly, the LMF network element receives the location service request from the AMF network element.

[0195] For a detailed explanation of S502, please refer to S202, which will not be repeated here.

[0196] S503, terminal equipment, wireless access network equipment, LMF network elements, and AMF network elements perform the capability transfer process.

[0197] During the capability transmission process, the terminal device can report capability information for indicating location based on the environment map. Correspondingly, the LMF network element can obtain capability information for indicating the terminal device's location based on the environment map during the capability transmission process.

[0198] For example, the LMF network element obtains capability information from the radio access network device or the AMF network element. This capability information is used to indicate the terminal device's ability to locate based on an environmental map. For instance, the radio access network device may obtain the aforementioned capability information from the terminal device and send it to the AMF network element, which then sends the capability information to the LMF network element.

[0199] For example, as shown in Figure 5, the capability information reported by the terminal device indicates that the terminal device supports location-assisted positioning based on an environment map, does not store an environment map, requires a 3D environment map (taking the correspondence shown in Table 8 as an example), requires data for location assistance of the type of center, size, and normal vector (taking the correspondence shown in Table 8 as an example), or has computing power resources available for location at level 3.

[0200] For a more detailed explanation of S503, please refer to S203, which will not be repeated here.

[0201] S504, LMF network element location determination method.

[0202] For example, the LMF network element can determine the positioning method based on the positioning technology supported by devices such as terminal devices and wireless access network devices, and the capability information reported by the terminal devices. For instance, if the type of data required for auxiliary positioning reported by the terminal device is VBS location and the variance of VBS location, then the LMF network element can determine the positioning method as a positioning method based on AOD, AOA, or TOF positioning technology (assuming the terminal device supports the positioning technology).

[0203] S505, terminal equipment, wireless access network equipment, LMF network elements, and AMF network elements execute the process of location-assisted data transmission and location information transmission.

[0204] Core network equipment can send first data for assisted positioning to terminal equipment based on the capability information reported by the terminal equipment. For example, as shown in Figure 5, this first data includes center, size, and normal vector.

[0205] S506, Terminal equipment performs measurement and positioning.

[0206] For example, the terminal device can locate itself based on the aforementioned first data.

[0207] One possibility is that the location is successful. Another possibility is that the location fails. In the case of location failure, you can continue to execute S507 to S509.

[0208] S507. The terminal device sends a fall-back signaling message to the core network device, indicating that the location failed. Correspondingly, the core network device receives the fall-back signaling message from the terminal device.

[0209] S508, the core network equipment sends second data for auxiliary positioning to the terminal equipment.

[0210] After receiving the aforementioned rollback signaling, the core network equipment can redetermine a more suitable positioning method and send more comprehensive data for auxiliary positioning to the terminal equipment.

[0211] S509, terminal equipment performs measurement and positioning.

[0212] For example, the terminal device can locate itself based on the aforementioned second data.

[0213] As shown in Figure 5, the core network equipment sends material scattering characteristic information, such as reflection mode, reflection loss, and BBS index, to the terminal equipment. It is understood that the core network equipment can also send more data for auxiliary positioning and corresponding positioning technologies to the terminal equipment; this application does not limit this.

[0214] It should be noted that the order of the methods listed above does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0215] The assisted positioning method of the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. The communication device of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below. The communication device includes modules or units for executing each part of the above embodiments. The modules or units can be software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The following only provides a brief illustrative example of the communication device; for details of the implementation, please refer to the description of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated below.

[0216] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the communication device 600 includes a processing module 610 and a transceiver module 620.

[0217] In one possible implementation, the communication device 600 is used to implement the steps corresponding to the terminal device (an example of the first communication device) in the method 300 described above.

[0218] The processing module 610 is used to determine capability information, and the transceiver module 620 is used to send capability information to the core network equipment. The capability information is used to indicate the terminal equipment's ability to locate based on an environmental map. The transceiver module 620 is also used to receive first indication information from the core network equipment. The first indication information is determined based on the aforementioned capability information and indicates first data used for assisted positioning.

[0219] Optionally, the ability of the aforementioned terminal device to perform location based on an environment map includes at least one of the following: whether it supports location based on an environment map, whether it stores an environment map, the type of environment map required, the type of data required for location assistance, or the computing resources available for location.

[0220] Optionally, the type of the environmental map required above is indicated by a first index, which is determined based on a first correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of environmental maps.

[0221] Optionally, the type of data required for auxiliary positioning is indicated by a second index, which is determined based on a second correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of data for auxiliary positioning.

[0222] Optionally, the type of environmental map and the type of data required for assisted positioning are indicated by a third index, which is determined based on a third correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

[0223] Optionally, the processing module 610 is further configured to perform positioning based on the first indication information; in the event of positioning failure, the transceiver module 620 is further configured to send a second indication information to the core network device, the second indication information being used to indicate positioning failure.

[0224] Optionally, the transceiver module 620 is also configured to receive third indication information from the core network device, the third indication information indicating second data for auxiliary positioning, the second data being different from the first data mentioned above.

[0225] In another possible implementation, the communication device 600 is used to implement the steps corresponding to the core network device (an example of the second communication device) in the method 300 described above.

[0226] The transceiver module 620 is used to receive capability information from the terminal device, which indicates the terminal device's ability to perform location assistance based on an environmental map; the processing module 610 is used to determine first indication information based on the aforementioned capability information; the transceiver module 620 is also used to send the first indication information to the terminal device, which indicates first data used for location assistance.

[0227] Optionally, the ability of the aforementioned terminal device to perform location based on an environment map includes at least one of the following: whether it supports location based on an environment map, whether it stores an environment map, the type of environment map required, the type of data required for location assistance, or the computing resources available for location.

[0228] Optionally, the type of the environmental map required above is indicated by a first index, which is determined based on a first correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of environmental maps.

[0229] Optionally, the type of data required for auxiliary positioning is indicated by a second index, which is determined based on a second correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of data for auxiliary positioning.

[0230] Optionally, the type of environmental map and the type of data required for assisted positioning are indicated by a third index, which is determined based on a third correspondence, which is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

[0231] Optionally, the transceiver module 620 is also configured to receive a second indication information from the terminal device, the second indication information being used to indicate a positioning failure.

[0232] Optionally, the transceiver module 620 is further configured to send a third indication information to the terminal device, the third indication information indicating second data for auxiliary positioning, the second data being different from the first data mentioned above.

[0233] It should be understood that the communication device 600 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here can refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors, etc.) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuits, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that the communication device 600 can specifically be the terminal device or core network device in the above embodiments. The communication device 600 can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device or core network device in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0234] The aforementioned communication device 600 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the terminal device or core network device in the above method; the above functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. In embodiments of this application, the communication device 600 in FIG6 can also be a chip, such as a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

[0235] It should be understood that the module division in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0236] Figure 7 is another schematic block diagram of the communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0237] The communication device 700 can be a chip system, or it can be an apparatus configured with a chip system to implement the methods described in the above-described method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0238] As shown in FIG7, the communication device 700 may include a processor 710, which can be used to execute computer programs or instructions in the memory to implement the steps performed by the terminal device or core network device in the embodiment shown in FIG3 or FIG5.

[0239] The communication device 700 also includes a communication interface 720. The communication interface 720 can be used to communicate with other devices via a transmission medium, thereby enabling the communication device 700 to communicate with other devices. The communication interface 720 can be, for example, a transceiver, interface, pin, bus, circuit, or a device capable of transmitting and receiving functions. The processor 710 can use the communication interface 720 to input and output data and to implement the steps executed by the core network device or terminal device in the embodiments shown in FIG3 or FIG5.

[0240] In one possible implementation, the communication device 700 further includes at least one memory 730 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 730 is coupled to the processor 710. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 710 may operate in conjunction with the memory 730. The processor 710 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 730. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.

[0241] It should be understood that the coupling in the embodiments of this application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information interaction between devices, units, or modules. The processor 710 may operate in conjunction with the memory 730. The specific connection medium between the processor 710, communication interface 720, and memory 730 is not limited in the embodiments of this application. Optionally, the processor 710, communication interface 720, and memory 730 are connected via a bus 740. The bus 740 is represented by a thick line in Figure 7. The connection methods between other components are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting. The bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 7, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0242] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program (also known as code or instructions) that, when run, can implement the steps executed by the terminal device or core network device in the embodiments shown in FIG3 or FIG5.

[0243] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, it can implement the steps performed by the terminal device or core network device in the embodiments shown in FIG3 or FIG5.

[0244] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuitry in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microprocessor unit (MPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence processor (AI processor) or a neural processing unit (NPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or a combination of one or more discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can reside in a mature storage medium in the field, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0245] 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, 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 a cache, random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0246] The terms "unit," "module," etc., used in this specification can be used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. In the embodiments of this application, "unit" and "module" have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably.

[0247] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps 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. In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, 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 shown or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0248] 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.

[0249] 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.

[0250] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (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 integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs, DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state drives, SSDs), etc.

[0251] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the technology, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0252] 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. An auxiliary positioning method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the method includes: Send capability information to the core network equipment, wherein the capability information is used to indicate the terminal equipment's ability to locate based on an environmental map; Receive first indication information from the core network device, the first indication information being determined based on the capability information, and the first indication information indicating first data for assisting positioning.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal device's ability to locate based on an environmental map includes at least one of the following: Whether it supports location-assisted positioning based on environment maps, whether to store environment maps, the type of environment maps required, the type of data required for location assistance, or the computing resources available for location.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The type of the required environmental map is indicated by a first index, which is determined based on a first correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and various types of environmental maps.

4. The method as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The type of data required for assisted positioning is indicated by a second index, which is determined based on a second correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

5. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The required type of environmental map and the required type of data for assisted positioning are indicated by a third index, which is determined based on a third correspondence. This third correspondence is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the first indication information, the location is determined; In the event of a location failure, a second indication message is sent to the core network device, the second indication message being used to indicate that the location failure has occurred.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third indication information from the core network device, the third indication information indicating second data for auxiliary positioning, the second data being different from the first data.

8. An auxiliary positioning method, characterized in that, Applied to core network equipment, the method includes: Receive capability information from a terminal device, the capability information being used to indicate the terminal device's ability to locate based on an environmental map; Send a first indication message to the terminal device. The first indication message is determined based on the capability information and indicates first data for assisting positioning.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The terminal device's ability to locate based on an environmental map includes at least one of the following: Whether it supports location-assisted positioning based on environment maps, whether to store environment maps, the type of environment maps required, the type of data required for location assistance, or the computing resources available for location.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The type of the required environmental map is indicated by a first index, which is determined based on a first correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and various types of environmental maps.

11. The method as described in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The type of data required for assisted positioning is indicated by a second index, which is determined based on a second correspondence, which indicates the correspondence between multiple indices and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

12. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The required type of environmental map and the required type of data for assisted positioning are indicated by a third index, which is determined based on a third correspondence. This third correspondence is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple indices, multiple types of environmental maps, and multiple types of data for assisted positioning.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a second indication message from the terminal device, the second indication message being used to indicate a location failure.

14. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third indication message is sent to the terminal device, the third indication message indicating second data for auxiliary positioning, the second data being different from the first data.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for invoking a computer program in memory to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or implements the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes instructions that, when executed, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or implement the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

Images