Communication method, communication device, communication system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium. The method comprises: sending indication information, wherein the indication information is used for indicating support information of a terminal for a specified positioning mode. The method of the present disclosure can reliably report the support information of the terminal for the specified positioning mode.

Description

Communication method, communication device, communication system, and storage medium TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communication, and particularly relates to a communication method, a communication device, a communication system and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] Artificial intelligence (AI) technology can be introduced into a communication system to improve the quality of communication services. For example, the communication system can provide an AI and / or machine learning (ML) based positioning service. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure provides a communication method, a communication device, a communication system and a storage medium.

[0004] According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, performed by a terminal, comprising:

[0005] sending indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate support information of the terminal for a specified positioning method.

[0006] According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, performed by a network device, comprising:

[0007] receiving indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate support information of the terminal for a specified positioning method.

[0008] According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, for a communication system comprising a network device and a terminal, comprising:

[0009] the terminal sends indication information to the network device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate support information of the terminal for a specified positioning method.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising:

[0011] a transceiver module, configured to send indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate support information of the terminal for a specified positioning method.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising:

[0013] a transceiver module, configured to receive indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate support information of the terminal for a specified positioning method.

[0014] According to a sixth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0015] One or more processors;

[0016] The processor is configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to execute any of the communication methods described in the first aspect to the second aspect.

[0017] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a network device and a terminal, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method described in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method described in the second aspect.

[0018] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a communication method as described in any of the first to second aspects.

[0019] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a communication device, implements the communication methods described in the first and second aspects.

[0020] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the communication methods described in the first and second aspects.

[0021] It is understood that the aforementioned network devices, terminals, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, and computer programs are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of some communication systems provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of the communication method provided in another embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] This disclosure provides embodiments of a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0033] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0034] Send instruction information, which is used to indicate the terminal's support information for the specified positioning method.

[0035] In the above embodiments, the terminal sends indication information to the network device, indicating its support for a specified positioning method. This ensures that the network device and the terminal maintain a consistent understanding of the terminal's support for the specified positioning method, providing a basis for the network device to perform accurate measurement and reporting configurations for the terminal, and creating conditions for improving the accuracy and reliability of positioning results.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of a first positioning method and a second positioning method;

[0037] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal measurement network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0038] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0040] In the above embodiments, the terminal can indicate which one or more of the two positioning methods it supports through the first information field in the indication information, which provides a basis and conditions for further improving the network device to provide accurate measurement and reporting configuration for the terminal.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal supports the second positioning method, and the indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0042] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0043] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal supports a second measurement result type, and the indication information or third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0045] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0046] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0047] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above-described methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following:

[0049] The terminal uses a non-artificial intelligence method to determine the positioning result based on the PRS measurement results, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0050] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0051] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results and coordinates of the positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0052] In the above embodiments, the terminal can report one or more of the following capabilities to the network device: the types of measurement results it supports, the information of the reported sampling points, and whether it supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model. This improves the flexibility of the indication information and provides conditions for further improving the accuracy and reliability of the positioning results.

[0053] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time (Multi-RTT).

[0054] In the above embodiments, the indication information can be implemented using information different from indication DL TDOA, DL AoD, and Multi-RTT, which provides conditions for improving the flexibility of indication information transmission.

[0055] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0056] Receive instruction information, wherein the instruction information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of the first positioning method and the second positioning method;

[0058] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal measurement network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0059] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0062] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0063] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information or third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0065] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0066] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0067] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above-described methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following:

[0069] The terminal uses a non-artificial intelligence method to determine the positioning result based on the PRS measurement results, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0070] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0071] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results and coordinates of the positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time Multi-RTT.

[0073] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method for a communication system, the communication system including network devices and terminals, the method comprising:

[0074] The terminal sends indication information to the network device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

[0075] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal, including:

[0076] The transceiver module is used to send indication information, which indicates the terminal's support for a specified positioning method.

[0077] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of the first positioning method and the second positioning method;

[0078] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal measurement network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0079] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0080] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0081] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0082] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0083] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0084] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information or third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0085] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0086] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0087] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0088] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-described methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following:

[0089] The terminal uses a non-artificial intelligence method to determine the positioning result based on the PRS measurement results, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0090] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0091] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results and coordinates of the positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0092] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time Multi-RTT.

[0093] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, comprising:

[0094] The transceiver module is used to receive indication information, which indicates the terminal's support for a specified positioning method.

[0095] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of the first positioning method and the second positioning method;

[0096] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0097] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0098] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0099] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0100] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0101] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0102] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information or third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0103] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0104] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0105] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0106] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the above-described methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following:

[0107] The terminal uses a non-artificial intelligence method to determine the positioning result based on the PRS measurement results, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0108] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0109] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results and coordinates of the positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0110] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time Multi-RTT.

[0111] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories for storing instructions; wherein the processors are configured to invoke the instructions to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in the first aspect, the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0112] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a network device and a terminal; wherein the terminal is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect and optional implementations thereof, and the network device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect and optional implementations thereof.

[0113] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect, an optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0114] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the methods described in the first aspect, optional implementations of the first aspect, the second aspect, and optional implementations of the second aspect.

[0115] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the first aspect, an optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0116] It is understood that the aforementioned network devices, terminals, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, and computer programs are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0117] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, and storage media. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" can be used interchangeably with "information processing method," "information sending method," and "information receiving method," and the terms "communication device" can be used interchangeably with "information processing device," "information sending device," and "information receiving device," and the terms "information processing system," "communication system," "information sending system," and "information receiving system" can be used interchangeably.

[0118] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0119] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0120] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0121] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0122] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0123] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B", "one or more", "a plurality of", "multiple" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0124] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0125] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0126] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0127] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0128] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0129] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0130] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0131] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0132] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0133] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0134] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0135] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0136] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0137] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0138] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0139] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0140] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 may include a terminal 101 and a network device 102; wherein, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0141] In some embodiments, the terminal includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) device, car with communication capabilities, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0142] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), wireless backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system.

[0143] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0144] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0145] In some embodiments, the core network equipment can be a single device, such as a network element, or multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the network element. The network element can be virtual or physical. The core network includes, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0146] In some embodiments, the network element is, for example, a Location Management Function (LMF).

[0147] In some embodiments, a network element is used to "manage and execute activities related to location services. It receives location requests from other network elements, uses positioning technology to obtain the location information of the terminal, and returns the results to the requester," and the name is not limited thereto.

[0148] In some embodiments, the communication system may also include other auxiliary devices, such as a Positioning Reference Unit (PRU).

[0149] In some embodiments, the positioning reference unit may be used to "assist the terminal in positioning. It helps the location management network element (LMF) to more accurately determine the location of the terminal by performing measurements and reporting the results to the location management network element (LMF)", and the name is not limited thereto.

[0150] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0151] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0152] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0153] In communication systems, the widespread application of fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technology has brought tremendous changes to all aspects of people's lives. Specifically, 5G user experience speeds can reach 100 megabits per second (Mbit / s) to 1 gigabit per second (Gbit / s), supporting ultimate service experiences such as mobile virtual reality; 5G peak speeds can reach 10 Gbit / s to 20 Gbit / s, with a traffic density of up to 10 Mbit / s / m², capable of supporting future mobile traffic growth of over a thousandfold; and 5G connection density can reach 1 million connections per square meter (m²). 2 5G can effectively support a massive number of IoT devices; its transmission latency is in the millisecond range, meeting the stringent requirements of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and industrial control; and it supports speeds of up to 500 kilometers per hour (km / h), ensuring a good user experience even in high-speed rail environments. It is conceivable that 5G, as a representative of new infrastructure, will reshape the future information society.

[0154] In some embodiments, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has achieved continuous breakthroughs in multiple fields. The ongoing development of fields such as intelligent voice and computer vision has not only brought a wide variety of applications to smart terminals, but has also found widespread use in education, transportation, home, healthcare, retail, security, and many other sectors, bringing convenience to people's lives while also promoting industrial upgrading across various industries. AI technology is also accelerating its cross-disciplinary integration with other disciplines; its development combines knowledge from different disciplines while also providing new directions and methods for the development of various fields.

[0155] In some embodiments, artificial intelligence technology can be introduced into the wireless air interface, and how artificial intelligence technology can assist in improving the transmission technology of the wireless air interface can be explored.

[0156] In some real-time examples, communication systems can provide AI services in more dimensions. These mainly include the following three aspects:

[0157] AI-enabled connectivity means using AI to improve communication performance, such as using AI for beam management;

[0158] Computing power services, that is, the network side can provide computing power to the terminal side, such as helping the terminal to perform model training, model inference, etc.

[0159] Ultimate AI service means enhancing the network transmission pipeline to improve the experience of AI application services.

[0160] In AI and / or Machine Learning (ML)-based localization, there are various implementation methods, including direct localization and indirect localization. Direct localization based on AI and / or ML has two approaches: one is where the model is deployed on the terminal side, and the terminal infers the localization result based on the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS); the other is where the model is deployed on the Location Management Function (LMF) side, and the terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the LMF, which then obtains the final localization coordinates based on the terminal's parameters.

[0161] In some embodiments, direct localization based on AI and / or ML includes the following methods:

[0162] Method 1: The AI ​​model is deployed on the terminal side. The terminal side measures the PRS sent by the network device, and the model directly outputs the positioning coordinates based on the measurement results of the PRS.

[0163] Method 2: The AI ​​model is deployed on the LMF side. The terminal measures the PRS sent by the base station. The terminal sends the PRS measurement information to the LMF. The LMF performs model inference based on the PRS measurement information sent by the terminal to obtain the positioning coordinates.

[0164] Method 3: The AI ​​model is deployed on the LMF side. The terminal sends a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) to the base station. The base station measures the SRS and sends the measurement results to the LMF. The LMF performs model inference based on the SRS measurement information sent by the base station to obtain the positioning coordinates.

[0165] In some embodiments, AI / ML-based indirect localization includes the following methods:

[0166] Method 1: The AI ​​model is deployed on the terminal side. The terminal side measures the PRS sent by the base station. Based on the measurement results of the PRS, the model outputs intermediate parameters of the positioning process, such as line of sight (LOS) path and / or non-line of sight (NLOS) path indication, time of arrival (ToA) information, etc. The terminal sends the positioning intermediate parameters based on AI and / or ML to the LMF. The LMF obtains the final positioning coordinates based on the positioning intermediate parameters.

[0167] Method 2: The model is deployed on the base station side. The terminal sends SRS to the base station. The base station measures the SRS and outputs intermediate parameters of the positioning process based on the measurement results of the SRS, such as LOS and / or NLOS indication, time of arrival information, etc. The base station sends the positioning intermediate parameters to LMF. LMF obtains the final positioning coordinates based on the positioning intermediate parameters.

[0168] In some embodiments, AI and / or ML-based positioning methods require the terminal to have corresponding processing capabilities. For the positioning methods described above, it is necessary to determine how the terminal reports its support capability for a certain positioning method.

[0169] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a communication method for a communication system 100; the method includes:

[0170] Step S2101: The terminal determines the support information for the specified positioning method.

[0171] In some embodiments, the positioning method is specified as a direct positioning method based on AI and / or ML.

[0172] In some embodiments, the specified positioning method includes a first positioning method and a second positioning method.

[0173] In some embodiments, the first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal measurement network device, and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0174] In some embodiments, the aforementioned positioning information may include one or more of the following: positioning results (e.g., positioning coordinates), validity information of the positioning results (e.g., confidence level of the positioning results), and attitude information of the positioning target, etc., and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0175] In some embodiments, under the first positioning method, the positioning model is deployed on the terminal side. The positioning model may be trained on the terminal side; or it may be trained on the network device side and then deployed on the terminal side; or the positioning model may be trained on the server side and then deployed on the terminal side. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0176] In some embodiments, the second positioning method is for the terminal to measure the PRS sent by the network device and send the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, and the network device to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS using a positioning model.

[0177] In some embodiments, under the second positioning method, the positioning model is deployed on the LMF side. The positioning model may be trained on the network side; or it may be trained on the server side and then deployed on the LMF side, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0178] In some embodiments, the localization model may be an AI- and / or ML-based localization model.

[0179] In some embodiments, the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method includes whether the specified positioning method is supported, which or several specified positioning methods are supported, and what aspects of the specified positioning method are supported, such as the types of measurement results supported.

[0180] Step S2102: Send instruction information.

[0181] The indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support for a specified positioning method.

[0182] In some embodiments, the terminal sends instruction information.

[0183] In some embodiments, the terminal sends instruction information to the network device.

[0184] In some embodiments, the network device can be any network element on the network side responsible for managing and performing location service-related activities. It can receive location requests from other network elements, use positioning technology to obtain the location information of the terminal, and return the result to the requester.

[0185] In some embodiments, the network device may be a Location Management Function (LMF) network element.

[0186] In some embodiments, the indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0187] In some embodiments, the terminal may only support the first positioning method, or only the second positioning method, or both the first and second positioning methods.

[0188] In some embodiments, the indication information can be implemented using positioning mode signaling.

[0189] In some embodiments, the positioning modes signaling may include two bits. One bit can be used to indicate whether a first positioning method based on AI and / or ML is supported, which is a positioning model deployed on the terminal side, also known as a terminal-based (ue-based) positioning mode. When the terminal supports the first positioning method based on AI and / or ML, the bit corresponding to ue-based can be set to 1. The other bit can be used to indicate whether a second positioning method based on AI and / or ML is supported, which is a positioning model deployed on the LMF side, also known as a terminal-assisted (ue-assisted) positioning mode. When the terminal supports the second positioning method based on AI and / or ML, the bit corresponding to ue-assisted can be set to 1. In other words, the first information field may include the bit corresponding to ue-based and the bit corresponding to ue-assisted.

[0190] In some embodiments, if the terminal supports the first positioning method and the second positioning method described above, then the bits corresponding to ue-based and ue-assisted in the positioning Modes signaling can be set to 1 respectively.

[0191] In some embodiments, if the terminal supports a second positioning method, the indication information may further include a second information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type.

[0192] In some embodiments, the first measurement result type can be a path-based measurement type. That is, the terminal can determine the transmission path of the measurement signal by measuring the PRS signal, and then infer the location of the signal transmitter or receiver based on the transmission path of the measurement signal.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first measurement result type may include intermediate parameters such as Time of Arrival (TOA), Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), Angle of Arrival (AOA), etc.

[0194] In some embodiments, if the terminal supports a second positioning method, the indication information may also include a third information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a second measurement result type.

[0195] In some embodiments, the second measurement result type may be a sample-based measurement type. That is, the terminal can sample the received PRS signal, and then measure and analyze the sampled samples to infer the location of the signal transmitter or receiver.

[0196] In some embodiments, the intermediate parameters associated with the second measurement result type may include the amplitude, phase, frequency, etc. of the measurement signal.

[0197] In the above embodiments, since the terminal needs to send the measurement results to the LMF in the second positioning method, and then the LMF uses the positioning model to determine the positioning coordinates corresponding to the measurement results, the terminal can also report the measurement result types it supports to the LMF when supporting the second positioning method. This ensures that the LMF's understanding of the terminal's capabilities is consistent with that of the terminal side, and provides conditions for the LMF to accurately process the measurement results reported by the terminal.

[0198] In some embodiments, if the terminal only supports the second positioning method, the indication information may not include the first information field, but only the second information field and / or the third information field. After receiving the second information field and / or the third information field in the indication information, the network device can determine that the terminal supports the second positioning method. That is, the second information field and / or the third information field implicitly indicate that the terminal supports the second positioning method.

[0199] In some embodiments, if the terminal supports both a first positioning method and a second positioning method, then only the bit indicating whether the first positioning method is supported may be included in the first information field, and then the second information field and / or the third information field may be used to implicitly indicate that it also supports the second positioning method. This saves communication resources occupied by the indication information.

[0200] In some embodiments, the indication information may not include the second information field, and the terminal may be directly assumed to support path-based measurement types. The terminal's ability to support sample-based measurement types may be determined based on its capabilities, and this may be indicated through the third information field.

[0201] In some embodiments, if the terminal supports a second measurement result type, then the indication information or third information field may also include an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate the number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal supports reporting.

[0202] In some embodiments, the indication field can be another information field in the indication information that is different from the third information field.

[0203] In some embodiments, the indicator field may also be a subset of bits in the third information field.

[0204] In some embodiments, after receiving a measurement signal, the terminal can first sample the received measurement signal to obtain sampling points, then sort the sampling points according to their power, and report the top N sampling points with the highest power to the network, where N is a positive integer.

[0205] In some embodiments, the indicator field may be used to indicate the value of N.

[0206] In some embodiments, the terminal supports a second measurement result type, and the aforementioned indication field can also be used for the terminal to support reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0207] In some embodiments, the set of sampling points can be information from multiple sampling points obtained by the terminal based on power, such as the time-domain location of the sampling point, measurement results, etc.

[0208] In the above embodiments, when the terminal supports the second measurement result type, it can also report to the network the number of sampling points with the strongest power that it supports reporting, and / or the set of sampling point information, thereby providing conditions and basis for the network device to accurately configure and process the content reported by the terminal, and providing conditions for further improving the accuracy and reliability of positioning.

[0209] In some embodiments, the terminal may also implicitly indicate its support for the second measurement result type through the indication field, instead of separately indicating its support for the second measurement result type in the second information field and / or the third information field, thereby further reducing the amount of content carried by the indication information and saving the communication resources required to transmit the indication information.

[0210] In some embodiments, the indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0211] In some embodiments, monitoring the performance of the positioning model may include monitoring the reliability and accuracy of the positioning model's output.

[0212] In some embodiments, the terminal may monitor the performance of the positioning model by: determining the positioning result using a non-artificial intelligence method based on the PRS measurement result, and monitoring the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result.

[0213] In some embodiments, the terminal can process each received PRS signal to estimate the signal's time of arrival (TOA) and angle of arrival (Angle of Arrival). Then, based on the TOA and Angle of Arrival of the PRS signals from different network devices, the terminal's positioning result (e.g., positioning coordinates) can be obtained. The positioning result determined using non-AI methods is then compared with the positioning result output by the positioning model to determine the performance of the positioning model.

[0214] It should be noted that the above explanation of the process of determining the location result using non-artificial intelligence methods is only illustrative and should not be taken as a limitation on the process of determining the location result using non-artificial intelligence methods.

[0215] In some embodiments, if the positioning result determined using non-artificial intelligence methods has a high degree of matching with the positioning result output by the positioning model, it can be determined that the positioning model has high accuracy and reliability; conversely, if the positioning result determined using non-artificial intelligence methods has a low degree of matching with the positioning result output by the positioning model, it can be determined that the positioning model has poor performance.

[0216] In some embodiments, the terminal may monitor the performance of the positioning model by sending the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitoring the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0217] In other words, after determining the PRS measurement results, the terminal inputs the measurement results into the positioning model to obtain positioning information, and at the same time sends the PRS measurement results to the network device (such as LMF). The LMF can then determine the positioning result based on the PRS measurement results, and then send the determined positioning result back to the terminal. The terminal then compares the positioning result returned by the network device with the positioning result in the positioning information output by the positioning model to determine the performance of the positioning model.

[0218] In some embodiments, the LMF may use a positioning model deployed on it to process the PRS measurement results to determine the positioning result; or, the LMF may use other processing methods to process the PRS measurement results to obtain the positioning result, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0219] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device, which then determines the positioning result. Based on the positioning result determined by the network device, the performance of the positioning model is monitored. This fully utilizes the computing power of the network device, reduces the processing burden on the terminal, and saves power consumption while monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0220] In some embodiments, the terminal may monitor the performance of the positioning model by monitoring the performance of the positioning model based on the measurement results of the positioning reference unit (PRU) and the coordinates of the PRU.

[0221] In some embodiments, the PRU can assist the terminal in positioning. It performs measurements and reports the results to the LMF, while also sending its own coordinates to the LMF. The LMF then sends the PRU's measurement results and coordinates to the terminal, which, based on the PRU's measurements, uses a positioning model to predict the PRU's coordinates. The terminal can then compare the PRU's predicted coordinates with the actual PRU coordinates to determine the accuracy and reliability of the positioning model.

[0222] In some embodiments, the terminal can update the positioning model in a timely manner when it determines that the reliability or accuracy of the positioning model does not meet the requirements, thereby ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the positioning results determined based on the positioning model and providing conditions for improving the quality of communication services based on the positioning results.

[0223] In some embodiments, the terminal may employ one or more of the above-mentioned performance monitoring methods to monitor the performance of the positioning model, thereby ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the performance monitoring of the positioning model.

[0224] In some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: Down Link (DL) Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), DL Angle of Departure (AoD), and Multi-Path Trip (TimeMulti-RTT).

[0225] In other words, terminals can use newly defined information to report their support for specified positioning methods to network devices, such as which specified positioning methods they support and the types of positioning results they can achieve. This improves the flexibility of reporting instruction information.

[0226] In some embodiments, the network device receives instruction information.

[0227] In step S2103, the network device determines the terminal's support information for the specified positioning method based on the instruction information.

[0228] In some embodiments, the network device may be an LMF.

[0229] In some embodiments, the network device can configure the terminal based on the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method. For example, it can configure the terminal to report measurement results. For instance, the LMF can configure the type of measurement results to be reported, such as reporting TDOA and AOA, the number of sampling points to be reported, and sampling point information, etc. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0230] In summary, in the above embodiments, the terminal can report its support information for a specified positioning method to the network device, thereby ensuring that the network device and the terminal have a consistent understanding of the terminal's capabilities, and providing the conditions and basis for the network device to perform accurate measurement and reporting configuration for the terminal.

[0231] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2103. For example, step S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2101+S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S2102+S2103 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0232] In this implementation or embodiment, unless there is contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other implementations or other embodiments.

[0233] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a terminal, the method comprising:

[0234] Step S3101: Send indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for the specified positioning method.

[0235] In some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of a first positioning method and a second positioning method;

[0236] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0237] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0238] In some embodiments, the above indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0239] In some embodiments, the terminal supports the second positioning method, and the indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0240] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0241] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0242] In some embodiments, the terminal supports a second measurement result type, and the indication information or third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0243] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0244] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0245] In some embodiments, the above indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0246] In some embodiments, the above-described methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following:

[0247] The terminal uses a non-artificial intelligence method to determine the positioning result based on the PRS measurement results, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0248] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0249] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results and coordinates of the positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0250] In some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time (Multi-RTT).

[0251] For a detailed description of step S3101 and various possible embodiments, please refer to the above description of the embodiments.

[0252] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a network device, the method comprising:

[0253] Step S4101: Receive indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for the specified positioning method.

[0254] In some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of a first positioning method and a second positioning method;

[0255] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0256] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0257] In some embodiments, the above indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0258] In some embodiments, the terminal supports the second positioning method, and the indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0259] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0260] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0261] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information or the third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0262] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0263] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0264] In some embodiments, the above indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0265] In some embodiments, the above-described methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following:

[0266] The terminal determines the positioning result using a non-artificial intelligence method based on the PRS measurement result, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0267] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0268] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results of the positioning reference unit (PRU) and the coordinates of the PRU.

[0269] In some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time (Multi-RTT).

[0270] For a detailed description of step S4101 and various possible embodiments, please refer to the above embodiments.

[0271] Figure 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the present disclosure relates to a communication method for a communication system, which includes a network device and a terminal. The method includes at least one of the following:

[0272] Step S5101: The terminal sends indication information to the network device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for the specified positioning method.

[0273] In some embodiments, the above methods may include various optional embodiments of the methods described in the embodiments of the communication system side, terminal side, network device side, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0274] The following is an exemplary description of the above method.

[0275] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal may send indication information to the network device, the indication information being used to indicate the terminal side's support information for AI and / or ML-based positioning methods.

[0276] In some embodiments, the indication information is used to indicate that the terminal supports one or both of the following two positioning methods:

[0277] The first positioning method based on AI / ML: The AI ​​model is deployed on the terminal side, the terminal side measures the PRS sent by the base station, and the model directly outputs the positioning coordinate information based on the measurement results of the PRS.

[0278] The second positioning method based on AI / ML: The AI ​​model is deployed on the LMF side, the terminal measures the PRS sent by the base station, the terminal sends the PRS measurement information to the LMF, and the LMF performs model inference based on the PRS measurement information sent by the terminal to obtain the positioning coordinates.

[0279] In some embodiments, the indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate support for two positioning methods. Specifically, this includes support for a first positioning method based on AI and / or ML, support for a second positioning method based on AI and / or ML, or support for both methods.

[0280] In some embodiments, positioning mode signaling can be used for indication. One bit in this signaling can be used to indicate whether a first positioning mode based on AI and / or ML (ue-based) is supported; when the first positioning mode based on AI and / or ML is supported, the bit corresponding to ue-based is set to 1. Another bit is used to indicate whether a second positioning mode based on AI and / or ML (ue-assisted) is supported; when the second positioning mode based on AI / ML is supported, the bit corresponding to ue-based is set to 1.

[0281] In some embodiments, in response to the terminal supporting a second positioning method based on AI and / or ML, the first information further includes a second information field and / or a third information field, wherein the second information field is used to indicate the terminal's support for a first measurement result type (path-based measurement type), and the third information field is used to indicate the terminal's support for a second measurement result type (sample-based measurement type).

[0282] In some embodiments, the indication information includes only the third information field, namely, the default terminal must support path-based measurement types, and whether sample-based measurement types are supported is determined based on the terminal's capabilities.

[0283] In some embodiments, in response to the terminal supporting a second measurement result type, the indication information or the third information field further includes an indication field, which is used to support the number of sampling points or the set of sampling points with the strongest power that can be reported by the terminal.

[0284] In some embodiments, the first information field further includes a fourth information field, which indicates the terminal's ability to monitor performance. The fourth information field indicates whether the terminal supports one or more of the following two performance monitoring methods:

[0285] The terminal side calculates the positioning result using a non-AI positioning method based on the PRS measurement result, and then monitors the AI ​​inference performance based on the positioning result.

[0286] The terminal sends the PRS-based measurement results to the LMF. The LMF calculates the positioning results based on the PRS measurement results and sends the positioning results back to the terminal. The terminal then monitors the AI ​​inference performance based on the positioning results.

[0287] The LMF sends the measurement results of the first PRU and the coordinates of the PRU to the terminal. The terminal performs performance monitoring based on the AI ​​inference results of the PRU measurement and the PRU coordinates sent by the LMF.

[0288] In some embodiments, the indication information is different from the information field used to indicate whether the terminal supports DL-TDOA, DL-AoD, or Multi-RTT.

[0289] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0290] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0291] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0292] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Terminal 6100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6A, terminal 6100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6101, a processing module 6102, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module is used to send indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

[0293] In some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of a first positioning method and a second positioning method;

[0294] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0295] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0296] In some embodiments, the above indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0297] In some embodiments, the terminal supports the second positioning method, and the indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0298] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0299] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0300] In some embodiments, the terminal supports a second measurement result type, and the indication information or third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0301] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0302] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0303] In some embodiments, the above indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0304] In some embodiments, the above-described methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following:

[0305] The terminal uses a non-artificial intelligence method to determine the positioning result based on the PRS measurement results, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0306] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0307] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results and coordinates of the positioning reference unit (PRU).

[0308] In some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time (Multi-RTT).

[0309] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step 2102, step 3101, step 4101, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0310] Optionally, the above processing module is used to execute the processing steps performed by terminal 101 in any of the above methods, such as step 2101.

[0311] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The network device 6200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6B, the network device 6200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6201, a processing module 6202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module is used to receive indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

[0312] In some embodiments, the specified positioning method mentioned above includes one or both of a first positioning method and a second positioning method;

[0313] The first positioning method is to measure the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal network device and use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0314] The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

[0315] In some embodiments, the above indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a first positioning method and / or a second positioning method.

[0316] In some embodiments, the terminal supports the second positioning method, and the indication information further includes one or more of the following:

[0317] The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type;

[0318] The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

[0319] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information or the third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0320] The number of sampling points with the strongest power that the terminal can report;

[0321] The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the strongest power.

[0322] In some embodiments, the above indication information further includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

[0323] In some embodiments, the methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model described above include one or more of the following:

[0324] The terminal determines the positioning result using a non-artificial intelligence method based on the PRS measurement result, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result;

[0325] The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device.

[0326] The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results of the positioning reference unit (PRU) and the coordinates of the PRU.

[0327] In some embodiments, the above indication information differs from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time (Multi-RTT).

[0328] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step 2102, step 3101, step 4101, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0329] Optionally, the above processing module is used to execute the processing steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods, such as step 2103.

[0330] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 7100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment or the aforementioned network device), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0331] As shown in Figure 7A, the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The processor 7101 is used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 7100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0332] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7102 may also be located outside the communication device 7100.

[0333] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7103. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7103, the communication steps such as sending and receiving in the above method are performed by the transceivers 7103, and other steps are performed by the processor 7101.

[0334] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, sensing signal receiving end, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0335] Optionally, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more interface circuits 7104, which are connected to the memory 7102. The interface circuits 7104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 7102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 7102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 7104 can read instructions stored in the memory 7102 and send the instructions to the processor 7101.

[0336] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited by FIG. 7a. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a sensing signal receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0337] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, the schematic diagram of the chip 7200 shown in Figure 7B can be referenced, but is not limited thereto.

[0338] Chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201, which are used to invoke instructions to cause chip 7200 to perform any of the above methods.

[0339] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202 connected to memory 7203. Interface circuits 7202 can be used to receive signals from memory 7203 or other devices, and can also be used to send signals to memory 7203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 7202 can read instructions stored in memory 7203 and send those instructions to processor 7201. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver can be used interchangeably.

[0340] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7203 may be located outside of chip 7200.

[0341] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 7100, cause the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0342] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 7100, causes the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0343] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0344] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device 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., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0345] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0346] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0347] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure 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 disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Sending instruction information, wherein the instruction information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The specified positioning method includes one or both of the first positioning method and the second positioning method; The first positioning method is to use the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal measurement network device and to use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS. The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first positioning method and / or the second positioning method.

4. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The terminal supports the second positioning method, and the indication information further includes one or more of the following: The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type; The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The terminal supports the second measurement result type, and the indication information or the third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following: The terminal supports reporting the number of sampling points with the strongest power. The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the highest power.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The indication information also includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following: The terminal determines the positioning result using a non-artificial intelligence method based on the PRS measurement result, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result; The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device. The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results of the positioning reference unit (PRU) and the coordinates of the PRU.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The indication information is different from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time (Multi-RTT).

9. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive instruction information, wherein the instruction information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The specified positioning method includes one or both of the first positioning method and the second positioning method; The first positioning method is to use the positioning reference signal (PRS) sent by the terminal measurement network device and to use the positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS. The second positioning method involves the terminal measuring the Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) sent by the network device and sending the measurement result of the PRS to the network device, which then uses a positioning model to determine the positioning information corresponding to the measurement result of the PRS.

11. The method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The indication information includes a first information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first positioning method and / or the second positioning method.

12. The method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The terminal supports the second positioning method, and the indication information further includes one or more of the following: The second information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the first measurement result type; The third information field is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second measurement result type.

13. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The indication information or the third information field includes an indication field, wherein the indication field is used to indicate one or more of the following: The terminal supports reporting the number of sampling points with the strongest power. The terminal supports reporting the set of sampling points with the highest power.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9-13, characterized in that, The indication information also includes a fourth information field, which is used to indicate whether the terminal supports monitoring the performance of the positioning model.

15. The method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The methods for monitoring the performance of the localization model include one or more of the following: The terminal determines the positioning result using a non-artificial intelligence method based on the PRS measurement result, and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning result; The terminal sends the PRS measurement results to the network device and monitors the performance of the positioning model based on the positioning results returned by the network device. The performance of the positioning model is monitored based on the measurement results of the positioning reference unit (PRU) and the coordinates of the PRU.

16. The method according to any one of claims 9-15, characterized in that, The indication information is different from the information used to indicate whether the terminal supports the following: downlink DL arrival time difference TDOA, DL departure angle AoD, and multipath travel time (Multi-RTT).

17. A terminal, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to send indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

18. A network device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to receive indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the terminal's support information for a specified positioning method.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, 9 to 16.

20. A communication system, characterized in that, The method includes a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 8, and the network device is configured to implement the method of any one of claims 9 to 16.

21. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, 9 to 16.

22. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by the communication device, it implements the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 and 9 to 16.

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