Wireless positioning method and apparatus

Abstract

A wireless positioning method and apparatus. The method comprises: receiving a first signal from a reflecting end (S510); on the basis of a position of the reflecting end and a first phase of the first signal, determining an angle of departure of the first signal when leaving the reflecting end (S520); and, on the basis of the angle of departure, determining position information of a terminal (S530). The technical solution can mitigate the problems of high signaling overhead and long positioning time during determination of position information of a terminal.

Description

Wireless positioning methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411861495.7, filed on December 13, 2024, entitled "Wireless Positioning Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] When a terminal initially accesses the network, it needs to obtain a timing lead to achieve uplink synchronization between the terminal and the network. The timing lead can be considered as the time in advance by which the terminal sends uplink signals.

[0004] The terminal can determine its timing advance based on its own location information and satellite location information. Therefore, the terminal's location information is very important. One way to determine the terminal's location information is as follows: the terminal receives multiple reference signals from network devices and determines its location information based on the time of arrival (TOA) of each of these reference signals.

[0005] However, the above methods for determining the location information of the terminal have problems such as high signaling overhead and long positioning time. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a wireless positioning method and apparatus to reduce the problems of high signaling overhead and long positioning time when determining the location information of a terminal.

[0007] Firstly, this application provides a wireless positioning method applied to a communication system including a reflective link and a direct link. This method can be executed by a terminal, or by a component configured in the terminal (such as a chip, chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions; this application does not limit the specific implementation. In this application, a terminal is used as an example for description.

[0008] The communication method includes: receiving a first signal from a reflecting end; determining the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end based on the position of the reflecting end and the first phase of the first signal; and determining the position information of the terminal based on the departure angle.

[0009] The location information of the aforementioned reflector can be provided to the terminal by the network device through signaling, such as radio resource control signaling.

[0010] In this application, the network device sends a first reference signal to the terminal for terminal positioning. This first reference signal is reflected by a reflector. In this application, the signal reflected by the reflector after the first reference signal passes through the reflector is called the first signal. For example, the first reference signal can be a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a communication signal with a pilot sequence.

[0011] The aforementioned reflective end is, for example, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS).

[0012] In this application, the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end can be controlled by controlling the phase of the first signal. That is, the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end is related to the phase of the first signal.

[0013] In this wireless positioning method, by introducing a reflector, the terminal can determine the departure angle of the first signal as it leaves the reflector based on the first phase of the first signal reflected from it, and then locate the terminal based on this departure angle. Through this technical solution, the terminal can obtain measurements in both the angle and time domains based on the first reference signal sent by the network device. On the one hand, this reduces the number of reference signals required for terminal positioning, thus reducing the resource overhead of the network device. On the other hand, it reduces the positioning time of the terminal, thereby reducing the latency of the terminal accessing the network and improving the user experience.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: the first phase being the phase when the signal strength of the first signal is the first signal strength, wherein the first signal strength is greater than a first strength threshold.

[0015] Optionally, the first phase is the phase when the signal strength of the first signal is at its maximum. This application does not limit the metrics used to measure signal strength. For example, signal strength can be the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) of the first signal received by the terminal.

[0016] When the signal strength is greater than the first strength threshold, the first signal reflected by the reflecting end can be better aligned with the terminal, thereby improving the accuracy of the departure angle when the terminal determines that the first signal leaves the reflecting end.

[0017] In one implementation, the method further includes: receiving phase change information from a network device, the phase change information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of a first signal; wherein the first phase is determined based on the phase change information.

[0018] In this implementation, the network device indicates phase change information to the terminal. In this way, the terminal can determine the first phase of the first signal at the first signal strength based on the time and phase change information of the first signal at the first signal strength, and then determine the departure angle based on the first phase.

[0019] In another implementation, the method further includes: sending a first time to the reflecting end, the first time being the time when the signal strength of the first signal is the first signal strength; and receiving a first phase from the reflecting end.

[0020] In this implementation, the terminal indicates the time of the first signal strength to the reflecting end, and the reflecting end feeds back the first phase of the first signal at the time of the first signal strength to the terminal based on the time sent by the terminal, so that the terminal can determine the first phase and then determine the departure angle based on the first phase.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first phase is determined based on first channel information and second channel information, wherein the first channel information is the channel information between the network device and the reflecting end, and the second channel information is the channel information between the reflecting end and the terminal; the method further includes: receiving the first channel information from the reflecting end.

[0022] In this implementation, the terminal can estimate the second channel information between the terminal and the reflecting end based on the received first signal. The first channel information between the network device and the reflecting end is indicated to the terminal by the reflecting end. Thus, the terminal can determine the first phase using a preset algorithm based on the first and second channel information, and then determine the departure angle based on the first phase. For example, the terminal determines the first phase based on the principle of maximizing the reflection path channel gain.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first phase is determined based on the T signal intensities obtained from the first signal in T samplings and the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times corresponding to the T samplings; the method further includes: sending T sampling times to the reflecting end; and receiving the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times from the reflecting end.

[0024] In this implementation, the terminal indicates the T sampling times corresponding to the T samplings to the reflecting end; correspondingly, the reflecting end indicates the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times to the terminal. In this way, the terminal can determine the first phase based on the T signal strengths obtained from the T samplings and the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times, and then determine the departure angle based on the first phase. For example, the terminal determines the first phase using a preset algorithm based on the T signal strengths obtained from the T samplings and the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times, such as using the OMP algorithm and particle swarm optimization algorithm, to determine the phase corresponding to the maximum signal strength of the first signal as the first phase.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first phase is determined based on the T signal intensities obtained from T samplings of the first signal and the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times corresponding to the T samplings; wherein the phase corresponding to each sampling time is determined based on phase change information, the phase change information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal; the method further includes: receiving phase change information from a network device.

[0026] In this implementation, the terminal obtains the phase corresponding to each sampling time based on the phase change information.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining a first arrival time of the first signal to the terminal; and determining the location information of the terminal based on the departure angle, including: determining the location information of the terminal based on the departure angle and the first arrival time.

[0028] In this implementation, the terminal determines its position information based on the arrival time of the first signal and the departure angle of the first signal when it is reflected by the reflecting end.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a first reference signal from a network device; determining a second arrival time of the first reference signal from the network device to the terminal; and determining the location information of the terminal based on the departure angle and the first arrival time, including: determining the location information of the terminal based on the departure angle, the first arrival time, and the second arrival time.

[0030] The second arrival time of the first reference signal from the network device to the terminal is also the second arrival time of the first reference signal on the direct path to the terminal.

[0031] In this implementation, the terminal determines its position information based on the arrival time of the first signal, the arrival time of the first reference signal on the direct path, and the departure angle of the first signal when the reflecting end reflects the first signal.

[0032] Secondly, this application provides a wireless positioning method, which can be executed by a network device, or by a component (such as a chip, chip system, etc.) configured in the network device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device; this application does not limit this. In this application, a network device is used as an example for description.

[0033] The method includes: sending phase change information, which is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of a first signal; and sending a first reference signal, which is used for the positioning of the terminal.

[0034] Understandably, the first signal here is the signal reflected by the reflecting end when the first reference signal passes through the reflecting end.

[0035] Thirdly, this application provides a wireless positioning method, which can be executed by a reflective end, or by a component (such as a chip, chip system, etc.) configured in the reflective end, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the reflective end; this application does not limit this. In this application, a reflective end is used as an example for description.

[0036] For example, the reflector is RIS.

[0037] The wireless positioning method includes: receiving a first reference signal from a network device; receiving phase change information from the network device, wherein the phase change information is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal reflected by the reflector; wherein the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflector is used to determine the location information of the terminal.

[0038] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: sending first channel information, wherein the first channel information is channel information between the network device and the reflecting end.

[0039] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a first time from the terminal; and feeding back a first phase to the terminal, wherein the first phase is the phase of the first signal at the first time.

[0040] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving T sampling times from the terminal; and indicating to the terminal the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times.

[0041] Fourthly, this application provides an apparatus including modules or units for implementing the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. It should be understood that each module or unit may implement its respective function by executing a computer program.

[0042] Fifthly, this application provides an apparatus including modules or units for implementing the method in the implementation of the second aspect. It should be understood that each module or unit can implement its corresponding function by executing a computer program.

[0043] Sixthly, this application provides an apparatus including modules or units for implementing the methods of the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof. It should be understood that each module or unit can implement its corresponding function by executing a computer program.

[0044] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication system including the apparatus described in the fifth and sixth aspects.

[0045] Eighthly, an apparatus is provided, comprising a processor and a storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause a method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented, or cause a method as described in the second aspect to be implemented, or cause a method as described in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0046] A ninth aspect provides an apparatus comprising a processing circuit for processing data and / or information such that a method as in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof is implemented, or a method as in the second aspect is implemented, or a method as in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof is implemented.

[0047] The processing circuit may include one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry in one or more processors used for control or processing functions.

[0048] Optionally, the apparatus may further include a memory for storing a program or instructions, and the processor for running the program or instructions to implement the method as in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to implement the method as in the second aspect, or to implement the method as in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0049] Optionally, the device may also include the transceiver circuit, or an input / output interface.

[0050] In a tenth aspect, a chip is provided, including processing circuitry for running a program or instructions to implement a method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to implement a method as described in the second aspect, or to implement a method as described in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0051] Optionally, the chip may further include a memory for storing programs or instructions.

[0052] Optionally, the chip may also include transceiver circuitry, or input / output interfaces.

[0053] Eleventhly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method as in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented, or cause the method as in the implementation of the second aspect to be implemented, or cause the method as in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect to be implemented.

[0054] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising computer program code or instructions that, when executed, cause a method as in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented, or cause a method as in the implementation of the second aspect to be implemented, or cause a method as in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of several scenarios in which the technical solution of this application can be applied;

[0056] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the signals used by the terminal for positioning based on SSB and PRACH.

[0057] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the signal used by the terminal when positioning based on SSB;

[0058] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of signal reflection provided by a reflective end according to an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a wireless positioning method provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of two scenarios corresponding to a wireless positioning method provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0063] First, a brief introduction to the terminology used in the embodiments of this application will be provided. It should be understood that this section is for ease of understanding only and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0064] I. Positioning Technology

[0065] In daily life, more than 80% of information is related to spatial location, making the need to quickly and accurately obtain terminal location information and provide location services increasingly urgent.

[0066] In terrestrial networks, 5G positioning can be based on radio access technology (RAT). This involves measuring parameters of the wireless signal, such as transmission time, signal strength, angle of arrival (AOA), and angle of departure (ADO). Then, specific positioning technologies are used to determine the terminal's location, such as enhanced cell identity (ECID) positioning, uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) positioning, downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) positioning, signal strength-based positioning, uplink angle of arrival (UL-AOA), downlink angle of arrival (DL-AOA), and multi-round trip time (Multi-RTT) positioning technologies.

[0067] II. UL-TDOA Positioning Technology

[0068] The location of a terminal is primarily determined by the time difference between the arrival times of signals at different base stations. When a terminal sends an uplink signal, multiple base stations simultaneously receive it. Because the distances from the terminal to different base stations vary, the arrival times of the signals at each base station will also differ. By accurately measuring these time differences and combining them with the known locations of the base stations, the terminal's location can be calculated.

[0069] III. DL-TDOA Positioning Technology

[0070] This technology primarily determines a terminal's location by measuring the time difference of arrival (TDOA) of downlink signals from multiple different base stations. Multiple base stations simultaneously send downlink positioning signals to the terminal. Because the distances from each base station to the terminal differ, the arrival times of the signals also differ. By measuring these time differences and combining them with the known location information of the base stations, the terminal's location can be calculated.

[0071] IV. Ephemeral Information

[0072] Ephemeris information is information about a satellite's motion patterns, including orbital parameters, angular velocity, and speed. Communication equipment uses this information to calculate the satellite's position in its orbit at any given moment. Ephemeris information can be represented as a simple correspondence, such as the satellite's position information for each moment / time period. It can also be represented as a satellite coverage map, such as satellite coverage availability information. A satellite coverage map divides the Earth's surface into multiple grid points and shows which grid points are covered and uncovered by the satellite at each moment. For example, a satellite's orbital period around the Earth is one hour, with an accuracy of minutes. Each minute, the satellite has a corresponding satellite coverage map. Some grid points on the map are lit, and some are dark. The lit grid points represent the grid points that the satellite will cover at that corresponding moment in each orbital period.

[0073] It should be noted that the ephemeris information involved in this application includes, but is not limited to, traditional ephemeris information, satellite map information, and gateway station deployment information. Traditional ephemeris information includes, but is not limited to, orbital parameters, or parameters such as the satellite's azimuth calculated based on orbital parameters. It is understood that traditional ephemeris information can be used to calculate, predict, depict, or track the satellite's flight time, position, velocity, and other states. For example, traditional ephemeris information can be 17 bytes of information to represent position (78 bits) and velocity (54 bits), or traditional ephemeris information can be 18 bytes of information to represent orbital parameters (e.g., semi-major axis, range, eccentricity, perigee distance, etc.). Satellite map information can be the area covered by the satellite on a map at each moment. This application does not limit the specific form, content, and name of the ephemeris information; reference can be made to the definitions of ephemeris information in existing protocols. For example, in this application, ephemeris information can also be referred to as satellite coverage availability information.

[0074] V. Synchronization Signal Block (SSB)

[0075] SSB can also be called synchronization signal and PBCH block. SSB is composed of three parts: primary synchronization signals (PSS), secondary synchronization signals (SSS), and physical broadcasting channel block (PBCH).

[0076] The system architecture to which the embodiments of this application can be applied is described below. It should be noted that the system architecture described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0077] With the development of information technology, modern communication systems are placing more urgent demands on efficiency, mobility, and diversity. Currently, in some important application scenarios, such as space communication, aviation communication, maritime communication, and military communication, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), represented by non-terrestrial equipment such as satellites, drones, and high-altitude platforms, play an irreplaceable role. Satellite and other non-terrestrial communications have unique characteristics compared to terrestrial communications. For example, by introducing satellite communication into 5G mobile communication systems: 1) it can provide communication services to areas such as oceans and forests that are not covered by terrestrial communication networks; 2) it can enhance the reliability of 5G communication, such as ensuring that users on airplanes, trains, and other transportation have access to higher-quality communication services; 3) it can provide more data transmission resources for 5G communication, improving network speed. Therefore, simultaneously supporting communication with terrestrial and satellite base stations is an inevitable trend in future 5G communication, offering significant benefits in terms of wide coverage, reliability, multiple connections, and high throughput. For ease of explanation, the following will use satellites as an example of non-terrestrial equipment.

[0078] Referring to Figure 1, a schematic diagram of several system architectures that can be applied to this application is shown.

[0079] The architecture shown in Figure 1(a) is also known as a transparent satellite RAN architecture. In this architecture, the satellite's primary role is radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification; that is, the satellite mainly acts as an L1 relay, regenerating physical layer signals and does not have other higher-level protocol layers. Therefore, the satellite replicates the NR Uu radio interface signal from the feed link (the link between the NTN gateway and the satellite) to the service link (the link between the satellite and the terminal), and vice versa. The satellite radio interface (SRI) on the feed link transmits the NR Uu interface signal; that is, the satellite does not terminate the NR Uu interface signal but replicates it. The NTN gateway supports all the necessary functions for forwarding the NR-Uu interface signal. Different transmitting satellites can connect to the same terrestrial gNB.

[0080] The architecture shown in Figure 1(b) is also known as a regenerative satellite architecture. In this architecture, the satellite acts as a base station, regenerating signals received from the ground. Specifically, NRUu radio interface signals are transmitted on the service link between the terminal and the satellite, and SRI signals are transmitted on the feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. The SRI interface is a transmission link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. NG interface signals are transmitted to the NTN gateway via the SRI interface, and then forwarded by the NTN gateway to the ground core network equipment. The process of transmitting NG interface signals from the ground core network equipment to the satellite base station is similar and will not be described further here.

[0081] The architecture shown in Figure 1(c) is also known as the NG-RAN architecture with a regenerative satellite based on gNB-DU. In this architecture, the CU and DU of the base station are separated. The satellite, as the DU of the base station, is on-board. The satellite regenerates signals received from the ground, i.e., it transmits NR Uu radio interface signals on the service link between the terminal and the satellite, and transmits SRI signals on the feed link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. The satellite radio interface is the transmission link, capable of transmitting the 3GPP standard logical interface F1 signals. F1 protocol signals are transmitted on the satellite radio interface. The satellite can provide inter-satellite links (ISL). The NTN gateway is a transport network layer node and supports all necessary transport protocols. DUs on different satellites can connect to the same ground CU.

[0082] The interfaces in Figure 1 are described below:

[0083] Air interface: refers to the wireless link between the terminal and the base station.

[0084] NG interface: This refers to the interface between the base station and the core network, which mainly exchanges signaling such as NAS of the core network and user service data.

[0085] The technical solution provided in this application involves two execution entities: a terminal and a network device. The descriptions of the terminal and the network device are as follows:

[0086] Terminal: can be a device that provides voice / data, such as a handheld device or vehicle-mounted device with wireless connectivity. Currently, examples of terminals include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future public land mobile communication networks. Terminal devices in a network (PLMN), etc., are not limited to this in the embodiments of this application.

[0087] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0088] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the terminal's functions can be a terminal itself, or a device capable of supporting the terminal in implementing those functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In this embodiment, the chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components. This embodiment only uses a terminal as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the terminal's functions and does not limit the solution of this embodiment.

[0089] Network device: This can be a device used to communicate with terminal devices. It can also be called an access network device or a wireless access network device, such as a base station. In the embodiments of this application, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to the wireless network. A base station can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station, auxiliary station, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or similar entities, or combinations thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, equipment performing base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, network-side equipment in 6G networks, and equipment performing base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or equipment forms used in the network equipment.In some deployments, the network devices mentioned in the embodiments of this application may be devices including CU, DU, or CU and DU, or devices with control plane CU nodes (central unit-control plane (CU-CP)) and user plane CU nodes (central unit-user plane (CU-UP)) and DU nodes. For example, the network devices may include gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP, and gNB-DU.

[0090] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be CUs, DUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, or RUs. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0091] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0092] In this embodiment, the apparatus for implementing the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. This apparatus can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In this embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the functions of a network device is provided only and does not constitute a limitation on the solutions described in this embodiment.

[0093] Terminals and / or network devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the terminals and network devices are located. Furthermore, terminal devices and network devices can be hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, or software functions running on general-purpose hardware, such as virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or entities that include dedicated or general-purpose hardware devices and software functions. This application does not limit the specific form of terminal devices and network devices.

[0094] When a terminal initially accesses the network, it needs to perform a cell search and selection process, as well as a random access process. Without these two processes, the terminal cannot join the network and therefore cannot communicate. During the initial network access process, the terminal needs to obtain a time lead, which can be considered as the time in advance by which the terminal sends uplink signals.

[0095] One method for a terminal to determine timing advance is as follows: the terminal determines the timing advance based on its own location information and the satellite's location information. The satellite's location information can be obtained through ephemeris data. It can be seen that the terminal's location information is a crucial factor affecting the accuracy of the timing advance, and thus a key factor affecting access performance.

[0096] Below, we will introduce two methods for obtaining the location information of the terminal.

[0097] I. Obtaining the terminal's location information by positioning the terminal using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0098] GNSS is a system that uses satellite technology to provide positioning, navigation, and timing services to users worldwide. It can provide users with all-weather three-dimensional coordinates, velocity, and time information from any location on the Earth's surface or in near-Earth space. A GNSS constellation consists of three parts: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segment. The space segment, composed of satellites or spacecraft, provides various information needed for positioning, including ephemeris (satellite orbital parameters, etc.) and transmitted ranging signals. The control segment refers to ground monitoring stations and the main control center, whose primary function is to calculate the satellite ephemeris and satellite clock modification parameters based on monitored GNSS observation data and feed them back to the satellites. It also controls the satellites and issues commands. The user segment refers to GNSS receivers, which receive satellite signals and perform calculations to obtain their own position and time information.

[0099] The basic principle of GNSS positioning is based on ranging, that is, the terminal determines the distance between the satellite and the terminal, and then determines the terminal's own position information based on the distance.

[0100] One way to determine the distance between a terminal and a satellite is as follows: the terminal receives the signal transmitted by the satellite and simultaneously records the current time of the terminal. The satellite transmission time is known, so the time it takes for the signal to travel through space can be obtained. Considering the speed of light, the distance between the satellite and the terminal can be measured. Because there is an error, the measured distance is not the true distance, so it is called pseudorange.

[0101] Another way to determine the distance between a satellite and a terminal is through carrier phase ranging. Carrier phase ranging does not measure the distance based on the signal's spatial propagation time, but rather utilizes the phase periodicity of electromagnetic waves. Since GNSS signals are electromagnetic waves with periodic phases, the actual phase should be X integer cycles plus one non-integer phase. The non-integer part can be accurately obtained through methods such as phase-locked loops, while the integer part X is uncertain and needs to be determined using auxiliary information.

[0102] After determining the aforementioned distance, the terminal can determine its location information by combining the satellite position and using methods such as least squares method or extended Kalman filter.

[0103] II. Obtaining Terminal Location Information Based on SSB (Service Segmentation Bus)

[0104] When a terminal is powered on, the first signal it receives is the SSB, which includes the PSS, SSS, and PBCH from the cell. Therefore, during the initial access phase of the terminal, the SSB can be used to locate the terminal and obtain its location information.

[0105] Below, we introduce two methods for terminal positioning via SSB:

[0106] Implementation method a): Terminal positioning is achieved based on RTT.

[0107] Referring to Figure 2, as the satellite moves to different locations, the terminal measures the time difference (i.e., time interval) between the time of arrival (TOA) of the SSB and the transmission time of the physical random access channel (PRACH). The satellite measures the time difference between the transmission time of the SSB and the TOA of the PRACH. In other words, a set of RTTs is measured. Satellites at different locations can be considered equivalent to multiple base stations. By determining multiple sets of RTTs and combining them with the satellite positions at different times obtained from ephemeris information, the terminal's location information can be determined.

[0108] Implementation method b): Positioning of the terminal based on DL-TDOA.

[0109] Considering the rapid movement of satellites, as shown in Figure 3, satellites transmit different Service Streams (SSBs) at different locations. The terminal can calculate the time difference of arrival (TOA) of the SSBs transmitted by the satellite at different satellite locations at the terminal side, and then use the DL-TDOA algorithm for positioning to obtain the terminal's location information. For example, taking Figure 3 as an example, the terminal can obtain the TOA 1 by measuring the TOA of SSB1 and SSB2, and the TOA 2 by measuring the TOA of SSB3 and SSB2, and then perform positioning based on the DL-TDOA algorithm.

[0110] However, analysis revealed two main drawbacks to the first implementation method: obtaining terminal location information based on GNSS positioning. Firstly, GNSS positioning involves measuring and calculating signals from multiple high-orbit satellites; if carrier phase ranging is used, continuous signal tracking is required, resulting in high overhead; the long time from the initial request to the final acquisition of its own location by the terminal leads to outdated and inaccurate positioning, further affecting the accuracy of the TA calculated for PRACH transmission and impacting initial access performance. Secondly, considering service scenarios where the NTN network does not rely on GNSS positioning and provides services based on its own satellite capabilities, it is necessary to consider relying solely on NTN network capabilities to achieve terminal positioning and provide terminal location information.

[0111] For the second implementation method, when determining the terminal's location information based on DL-TDOA, the network side needs to send at least three positioning signals (e.g., SSB) to the terminal. On the one hand, there is a problem of high overhead for the network side to send positioning signals; on the other hand, there is a problem of low positioning efficiency due to the long time required to determine the terminal's location information, which affects the latency of the terminal accessing the network side and thus affects the user experience.

[0112] In view of this, this application provides a wireless positioning method and apparatus, which introduces a reflector to assist in the positioning of the terminal, in order to reduce the problems of high signaling overhead and low positioning efficiency when positioning the terminal.

[0113] The reflective end mentioned in this application will now be described.

[0114] Specifically, the reflecting end can adjust the phase, amplitude, frequency, and even polarization of the incident signal under the action of the controller.

[0115] In phase adjustment, the reflecting end can adjust the phase of the incident signal under the control of a controller, thereby controlling the phase of the signal reflected by the reflecting end after the incident signal has passed through it. Alternatively, it can be understood that the reflecting end can adjust the phase of the transmitted signal (i.e., the incident signal from the reflecting end) under the control of a controller, thereby controlling the phase of the signal reflected by the reflecting end after the incident signal has passed through it. Thus, when the transmitted signal reaches the surface of the reflecting end, the phase of the reflected signal changes after reflection. By adjusting the phase of the incident signal, the reflecting end can create a specific angular distribution of the reflected signal in space. In other words, the reflecting end can precisely control the angle of the reflected signal towards the receiving end by adjusting the phase of the incident signal.

[0116] For example, the reflector can be a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS).

[0117] Referring to Figure 4, the RIS, also known as an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS), comprises a reconfigurable surface composed of an array of passive reflecting units. Each passive reflecting unit can adjust the phase, amplitude, frequency, and even polarization of the incident signal of the RIS under the control of a controller. For example, by changing the resistance value of the passive reflecting unit, the signal amplitude of the reflected signal of the RIS can be made to be in the range [0, 1].

[0118] Specifically, for phase adjustment, each passive reflector can adjust the phase of the transmitted signal (i.e., the incident signal for the RIS) under the control of the controller. When the transmitted signal reaches the surface of the passive reflector, its phase changes after reflection. In one implementation, the phase shift can take a finite number of discrete values, such as 1 bit corresponding to 2 phases, i.e., 0 and π. Through phase adjustment of the passive reflector, the reflected signal can form a specific angular distribution in space. That is, each passive reflector in the RIS can adjust the phase of the transmitted signal (i.e., the incident signal for the RIS) under the control of the controller, thereby precisely controlling the angle of the reflected signal from the RIS to the receiver. In implementation, the controller can calculate the required angle of the reflected signal based on the receiver's location information and communication requirements, and then precisely control the direction of the reflected signal towards the receiver by adjusting the phase. This angle control capability is similar to a dynamically adjustable smart reflector, which can accurately focus the signal to the receiver, improving the signal reception strength and quality.

[0119] RIS does not use an active transmitter and can adjust the phase of the reflected signal, generating no additional power consumption and significantly improving energy and spectral efficiency in various network scenarios. Through passive reflective element arrays, intelligent reflective surfaces can provide various special functions, such as anomalous reflection, perfect absorption, and beam adjustment, enabling RIS to be widely used in different application scenarios.

[0120] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless positioning method provided in an embodiment of this application. It should be noted that the network device involved in this method can be replaced by components configured in the network device (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device; the terminal involved in this method can be replaced by components configured in the terminal (such as chips, chip systems, processors, etc.), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0121] As shown in Figure 5, the method includes S510 to S530.

[0122] S510, the terminal receives the first signal from the reflecting end.

[0123] In this application, the network device sends a first reference signal to the terminal, which can be used for the terminal's positioning. This application does not limit the specific form of the first reference signal. For example, the first reference signal can be an SSB (Secondary Signal Signal), or it can be a communication signal with a pilot sequence during the data transmission phase.

[0124] Network devices can be, for example, satellites.

[0125] In this application, after the network device sends a first reference signal, the first reference signal can be reflected by a reflecting end. As described above regarding the reflecting end in this application, when a signal passes through the reflecting end, the reflecting end can adjust / process the incident signal, thereby controlling the reflected signal. It is understandable that when the first reference signal passes through the reflecting end, the first reference signal can be considered as the incident signal of the reflecting end. In this application, the signal reflected by the reflecting end after processing the incident signal (i.e., the first reference signal) is called the first signal. This first signal is reflected to the terminal, and correspondingly, the terminal can receive the first signal. In the following text, the first signal is sometimes also referred to as the reflected signal of the reflecting end.

[0126] Furthermore, it is understood that the first reference signal sent by the network device can reach the terminal via different paths. In this application, the first reference signal on the line-of-sight (LOS) path between the network device and the terminal is also referred to as the direct signal. The LOS path is also called the direct link.

[0127] In one scenario, as shown in Figure 6(a), after the network device sends the first reference signal, the signal strength of the direct signal between the network device and the terminal is less than a threshold of 1. In other words, after the network device sends the first reference signal to the terminal, the terminal receives not only the first signal reflected by the aforementioned reflector, but also a relatively weak direct signal or even no direct signal. For example, in scenarios where there are severe obstacles obstructing the connection between the network device and the terminal, the terminal receives a direct signal with a signal strength less than the first threshold or even no direct signal.

[0128] In another scenario, as shown in Figure 6(b), after the network device sends the first reference signal to the terminal, the signal strength of the direct signal between the network device and the terminal is greater than the threshold 2. In other words, after the network device sends the first reference signal to the terminal, the terminal receives not only the first signal reflected by the aforementioned reflector, but also a direct signal with a relatively strong signal. For example, in an open area where there are no obstacles or the obstacles are not severe between the network device and the terminal, the terminal receives not only the aforementioned first signal, but also a direct signal with a signal strength greater than the threshold 2.

[0129] In one implementation, threshold 1 and threshold 2 can be indicated to the terminal by the network device.

[0130] S520, the terminal determines the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end based on the position of the reflecting end and the first phase of the first signal.

[0131] In this application, after receiving the first signal, the terminal will determine the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end based on the received first signal.

[0132] In one implementation, the terminal determines the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end based on the received first signal, including: the terminal determining a first phase of the first signal; and determining the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end based on the first phase. For example, the terminal transforms the angle between the incident signal at the reflecting end and the reflected signal (i.e., the first signal) at the reflecting end into a standard coordinate system based on the earth-centered, earth-fixed (ECEF) coordinate system to obtain the departure angle. Understandably, the angle between the incident signal at the reflecting end and the reflected signal (i.e., the first signal) at the reflecting end is equal to the incident angle of the first reference signal sent by the network device when it is incident on the reflecting end plus the reflection angle when the reflecting end reflects the first signal, wherein the reflection angle can be obtained based on the first phase.

[0133] For the first phase, the first implementation method includes: the terminal determines the phase when the signal strength of the first signal is the first signal strength as the first phase, wherein the first signal strength is greater than the first strength threshold.

[0134] Optionally, the first phase is the phase in which the signal strength of the first signal is at its maximum when the terminal receives the first signal. This application does not limit the metrics used to measure signal strength. For example, signal strength can be the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) of the first signal received by the terminal.

[0135] Understandably, when the signal strength of the first signal is greater than the first strength threshold, it means that the first signal reflected by the reflecting end can be well aligned with the terminal. Therefore, taking the phase of the first signal at the first signal strength as the first phase can improve the accuracy of the departure angle determined by the terminal when the first signal leaves the reflecting end.

[0136] One method for a terminal to determine the first phase of a first signal at a first signal strength includes: a network device sending phase change information to a reflecting end and a terminal respectively, the phase change information indicating the mapping / correspondence between the phase and time of the first signal; correspondingly, after receiving the phase change information, the reflecting end obtains the reflected first signal based on the phase change information and reflects the first signal; and for the terminal, after receiving the phase change information, it can determine the phase of the first signal at the first signal strength, i.e., the first phase, based on the time and phase change information of the first signal at the first signal strength. For example, the terminal determines the first phase of the first signal at the first signal strength based on the time and phase change information of the first signal when the signal strength is at its maximum.

[0137] In one implementation of phase change information, the phase change information includes multiple times and the phase corresponding to each time. That is, the phase change information includes multiple discrete times and the phase value of the first signal reflected by the reflecting end at each of the multiple discrete times.

[0138] In another implementation of phase change information, the phase change information includes a formula satisfied by the phase θ and time t. That is, the terminal can determine the phase value of the first signal reflected at a certain time using this formula.

[0139] For example, the formula that phase θ and time t satisfy is as follows:

[0140] θ represents the phase of the first signal reflected by the reflecting end at time t.

[0141] 'a' is a coefficient, which can be understood as the rate at which the phase changes with time, that is, the amount of phase change per unit time.

[0142] This is a preset value, a fixed value that does not change with time throughout the process. It can be understood as serving as a starting offset or reference; that is, when t equals 0, the value of θ is...

[0143] Another method for a terminal to determine the first phase of a first signal at a first signal strength includes: sending a first time to the reflecting end, the first time being the time when the signal strength of the first signal is the first signal strength; after receiving the first time, the reflecting end indicates the first phase to the terminal.

[0144] For the first phase, the second implementation method includes: the terminal determines the first channel information and the second channel information, the first channel information being the channel information between the network device and the reflecting end, and the second channel information being the channel information between the reflecting end and the terminal; and determines the first phase based on the first channel information and the second channel information.

[0145] For ease of description, the channel between the network device and the reflecting end is referred to as the first signal, and the channel between the reflecting end and the terminal is referred to as the second signal. That is to say, the first channel information can be considered as the channel information of the first channel between the network device and the reflecting end, and the second channel information can be considered as the channel information of the second channel between the reflecting end and the terminal.

[0146] One way for the terminal to determine the first channel information is as follows: after the reflecting end estimates the first channel information, the reflecting end indicates the first channel information to the terminal.

[0147] In one implementation, when the terminal determines the first phase based on the first channel information and the second channel information, the phase at which the channel strength of the entire reflection channel is maximized, as determined based on the first channel information and the second channel information, is taken as the first phase.

[0148] For example, the network device is denoted as s, the reflecting end as r, the terminal as u, and the first channel information between the network device and the reflecting end as H. s→r The second channel information between the reflecting end and the terminal is denoted as h. r→u Then the channel information of the entire reflection channel is:

[0149] This represents the phase matrix.

[0150] Therefore, during implementation, the terminal can calculate: The phase at which the channel strength of the entire reflection channel is maximized is determined, i.e., the first phase. This can also be understood as the terminal determining the first phase based on the principle of maximizing the gain of the reflection channel.

[0151] For the first phase, the third implementation method includes: the terminal samples the first signal T times and sends each of the T sampling times corresponding to the T sampling times to the reflecting end; the reflecting end feeds back the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times to the terminal; the terminal determines the first phase based on the T signal strengths obtained from the T samplings and the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times fed back by the reflecting end.

[0152] In this implementation, the set of T signal strengths obtained from T samplings is also called the received signal set, and the set of phases corresponding to each sampling time in the T samplings fed back by the reflecting end is also called the reflected phase set.

[0153] For example, in the third implementation, the terminal uses the received signal set and the received signal set to estimate the phase when the channel strength is maximum (i.e., the first phase, also known as the optimal phase) by fitting a polynomial. This application does not limit the specific algorithm used when fitting the polynomial. For example, the terminal uses the received signal set and the received signal set to obtain the optimal phase using the OMP algorithm and the particle swarm algorithm, and then determines the departure angle based on the optimal phase.

[0154] For the first phase, the fourth implementation method includes: the network device sending phase change information to the terminal; the terminal sampling the first signal T times, and determining the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times based on the phase change information; the terminal determining the first phase based on the T signal strengths obtained from the T samplings and the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T samplings.

[0155] The implementation method for determining the first phase based on the T signal strengths obtained from T samples and the phase corresponding to each sampling time of the T samples can be referred to the description in implementation method 3) above, and will not be repeated here. In addition, the relevant description of the phase change information can be referred to the description in implementation method 1) above, and will not be repeated here.

[0156] In this application, after the terminal determines the first phase, it can obtain the departure angle when the first signal leaves the reflecting end when the phase of the first signal is the first phase.

[0157] S530: The terminal determines its position information based on the departure angle.

[0158] In one implementation, if the signal strength of the direct signal between the network device and the terminal is less than a threshold of 1, that is, if the terminal receives a weak direct signal or even no direct signal, the terminal determines its location information based on the departure angle. This includes: the terminal determining the first arrival time (TOA) of the first signal reaching the terminal; and the terminal determining its location information based on the first TOA and the departure angle. For example, the terminal obtains its location information based on the first TOA, the departure angle, combined with ephemeris information, and reflector location information.

[0159] The process of determining the first arrival time of the first signal to the terminal includes: the terminal performing a correlation estimation based on the sequence of the received first signal and a known first reference signal (also known as a known sequence) to determine the first TOA.

[0160] In another implementation, if the signal strength of the direct signal between the network device and the terminal is greater than a threshold of 2, that is, the terminal also receives a direct signal with a relatively strong signal, the terminal determines its location information based on the departure angle. This includes: the terminal determining the first arrival time of the first signal reaching the terminal; the terminal determining the second arrival time of the direct signal reaching the terminal; and the terminal determining its location information based on the first arrival time (first TOA), the second arrival time (second TOA), and the departure angle. In other words, the terminal obtains its location information based on the first TOA, the second TOA, the departure angle, ephemeris information, and reflector location information.

[0161] For example, let the direct signal be denoted as y l,d The first signal is denoted as y. l,r , then: y l,d =H s→u s l ; y l,r =H s→r Θh r→u s l ;

[0162] Where s represents the network device, u represents the terminal, and r represents the network device's reflection end.

[0163] s l This represents the first reference signal emitted from the network device. It is a vector or signal sequence that represents the information content that the network device wants to transmit.

[0164] H s→u The channel matrix represents the channel between network devices and terminals; the channel between network devices and terminals is also called the direct channel. s→u The element value depends on various factors such as the distance between the network device and the terminal, the propagation environment, and antenna characteristics; it reflects the channel characteristics of the direct signal during propagation. (The last part, "s", appears to be a typo and can be omitted.) lThrough H s→u Transformed into the direct signal y received by the terminal l,d Understandable, y l,d It is s l The result after passing through the direct-view channel.

[0165] H s→r The channel matrix represents the channel between the network device and the reflecting end, Θ represents the phase matrix of the reflecting end, and h represents the phase matrix of the reflecting end. r→u The channel matrix represents the signal between the reflecting end and the terminal.

[0166] In this alternative implementation, one way for the terminal to determine the first signal and the direct signal is: the terminal distinguishes the direct signal y based on the signal strength. l,d Or the first signal y l,r Specifically:

[0167] When randomly initializing the phase Θ, The terminal selects the signal with the highest gain as the direct signal y. l,d The signal with the smaller gain is the first signal y. l,r .

[0168] When Θ is continuously adjusted at the reflecting end, the terminal determines the change in signal strength / gain as the first signal y. l,r Signals whose strength / gain is unaffected are defined as direct signals y. l,d .

[0169] As can be seen, the communication method provided in this application introduces a reflector, enabling the terminal to measure the departure angle when the first signal reflected from the reflector leaves the reflector. This allows the terminal to locate itself based on the TOA (Time of Arrival) and the departure angle, thus achieving fusion positioning based on TOA and DOA (Directory of Alignment). Through this technical solution, the terminal can obtain measurements in both the angle and time domains based on a reference signal sent by the network device. This reduces the number of reference signals required for terminal positioning, thus reducing the resource overhead of the network device. Furthermore, it reduces the terminal's positioning time, thereby lowering the latency of the terminal accessing the network and improving the user experience.

[0170] The positioning method of the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. The apparatus provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0171] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the device provided in an embodiment of this application. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the device 700 includes: a transceiver module 701 and a processing module 702.

[0172] In an embodiment of the first device, device 700 is applied to a terminal.

[0173] Specifically, the transceiver module 701 is used to receive a first signal from the reflecting end; the processing module 702 is used to determine the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end based on the position of the reflecting end and the first phase of the first signal; the processing module 702 is also used to determine the position information of the terminal based on the departure angle.

[0174] Optionally, the first phase is the phase when the signal strength of the first signal is greater than the first strength threshold.

[0175] Optionally, the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: receive phase change information from the network device, the phase change information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal; wherein the first phase is determined based on the phase change information.

[0176] Optionally, the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: send a first time to the reflecting end, wherein the first time is the time when the signal strength of the first signal is equal to the first signal strength; the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: receive a first phase from the reflecting end.

[0177] Optionally, the first phase is determined based on first channel information and second channel information, wherein the first channel information is the channel information between the network device and the reflecting end, and the second channel information is the channel information between the reflecting end and the terminal; optionally, the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: receive the first channel information from the reflecting end.

[0178] Optionally, the first phase is determined based on the T signal intensities obtained by sampling the first signal in T samples and the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times corresponding to the T samples; the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: send T sampling times to the reflecting end; the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: receive the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times from the reflecting end.

[0179] Optionally, the first phase is determined based on the T signal intensities obtained by sampling the first signal in T samples and the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times corresponding to the T samples; wherein, the phase corresponding to each sampling time is determined based on phase change information, and the phase change information is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal; the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: receive phase change information from the network device.

[0180] Optionally, the processing module 702 is further configured to: determine the first arrival time of the first signal to the terminal; and determine the location information of the terminal based on the departure angle and the first arrival time.

[0181] Optionally, the transceiver module 701 is further configured to: receive a first reference signal from the network device; the processing module 702 is further configured to: determine a second arrival time of the first reference signal from the network device to the terminal; the processing module 702 is further configured to: determine the location information of the terminal based on the departure angle, the first arrival time, and the second arrival time.

[0182] In the second embodiment, the device 700 is applied to a network device.

[0183] Specifically, the transceiver module 701 is used to: send phase change information, which is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal; the transceiver module 701 is also used to: send a first reference signal, which is used for the positioning of the terminal.

[0184] In the third embodiment, the device 700 is applied to a reflective end that can reflect signals.

[0185] Specifically, the transceiver module 701 is used to: receive phase change information from the network device, the phase change information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal reflected by the reflecting end; wherein, the departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end is used to determine the location information of the terminal.

[0186] Optionally, the transceiver module 701 is used to: send first channel information, which is channel information between the network device and the reflecting end.

[0187] Optionally, the transceiver module 701 is used to: receive the first time from the terminal; the transceiver module 701 is also used to: feed back the first phase to the terminal, the first phase being the phase of the first signal at the first time.

[0188] Optionally, the transceiver module 701 is used to: receive T sampling times from the terminal; the transceiver module 701 is also used to: indicate to the terminal the phase corresponding to each sampling time in the T sampling times.

[0189] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of another wireless positioning device provided in an embodiment of this application. The device shown in Figure 8 can be used to perform the method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0190] As shown in Figure 8, the device 800 of this embodiment includes a memory 801 and a processor 802. In one implementation, the device 800 further includes a communication interface 803 and a bus 804. The memory 801, processor 802, and communication interface 803 are interconnected via the bus 804.

[0191] The memory 801 can be a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, or a random access memory (RAM). The memory 801 can store programs, and when the program stored in the memory 801 is executed by the processor 802, the processor 802 performs the various steps of the method shown in Figure 5.

[0192] The processor 802 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits, used to execute relevant programs to implement the method shown in FIG5 of the embodiment of this application.

[0193] The processor 802 can also be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the method in Figure 5 of this embodiment can be accomplished through integrated logic circuits in the processor 802 or through software instructions.

[0194] The processor 802 described above can also be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or a conventional processor, etc.

[0195] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware decoding processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory 801. The processor 802 reads the information in memory 801 and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the functions required by the units included in the device of this application. For example, it can execute the various steps / functions of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

[0196] The communication interface 803 can use, but is not limited to, transceivers to enable communication between the device 800 and other devices or communication networks.

[0197] Bus 804 may include a pathway for transmitting information between various components of device 800 (e.g., memory 801, processor 802, communication interface 803).

[0198] It should be understood that the device 800 shown in the embodiments of this application can be an electronic device, or it can be a chip configured in an electronic device. The device 800 can be deployed in a terminal device, or it can be deployed in a network device.

[0199] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be a usable medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center containing one or more sets of usable media. The usable medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0200] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0201] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0202] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not limit the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0203] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0204] 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.

[0205] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0206] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0207] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0208] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A wireless positioning method, characterized in that, Applied to a communication system including reflective links and direct links, the method includes: Receive the first signal from the reflecting end; Based on the position of the reflecting end and the first phase of the first signal, determine the departure angle when the first signal leaves the reflecting end; The terminal's position information is determined based on the departure angle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first phase is the phase when the signal strength of the first signal is equal to the first signal strength, where the first signal strength is greater than the first strength threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive phase change information from a network device, the phase change information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal; The first phase is determined based on the phase change information.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: A first time is sent to the reflecting end, where the first time is the time when the signal strength of the first signal is equal to the first signal strength. Receive the first phase from the reflecting end.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first phase is determined based on first channel information and second channel information, wherein the first channel information is the channel information between the network device and the reflecting end, and the second channel information is the channel information between the reflecting end and the terminal; The method further includes: Receive the first channel information from the reflecting end.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first phase is determined based on the T signal intensities obtained from the first signal in T samplings and the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times in the T samplings. The method further includes: The T sampling times are sent to the reflecting end; Receive the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times from the reflecting end.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first phase is determined based on the T signal intensities obtained from the first signal in T samplings and the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times in the T samplings. The phase corresponding to each sampling time is determined based on phase change information, which is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal. The method further includes: Receive phase change information from the network device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine the first arrival time of the first signal to the terminal; Determining the terminal's position information based on the departure angle includes: The location information of the terminal is determined based on the departure angle and the first arrival time.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a first reference signal from the network device; Determine the second arrival time of the first reference signal from the network device to the terminal; Determining the location information of the terminal based on the departure angle and the first arrival time includes: The location information of the terminal is determined based on the departure angle, the first arrival time, and the second arrival time.

10. A wireless positioning method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the method includes: Transmit phase change information, which is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal; A first reference signal is sent, which is used for the positioning of the terminal.

11. A wireless positioning method, characterized in that, The method, which applies to a chip in or at a reflective end, includes: Receive phase change information from the network device, the phase change information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between the phase and time of the first signal reflected by the reflecting end; The departure angle of the first signal when it leaves the reflecting end is used to determine the location information of the terminal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send first channel information, which is the channel information between the network device and the reflector.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the first information from the terminal; The terminal is fed back a first phase, which is the phase of the first signal at the first time.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive T sampling times from the terminal; Indicate the phase corresponding to each of the T sampling times to the terminal.

15. A wireless positioning device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

16. A wireless positioning device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in claim 10.

17. A reflecting device for reflecting signals, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 14.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes the wireless positioning device of claim 16 and the reflective device for reflecting signals of claim 17.

19. A wireless positioning device, characterized in that, include: processor, The processor is configured to cause the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or the method as described in claim 10, or the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 14, by executing a computer program and / or by logic circuitry.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

21. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer program code that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

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