Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: sending first information to an access network device, wherein the first information is used for registering, at the access network device, sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal; and sending a sensing signal to the access network device. By implementing the present application, a roadside sensing terminal can assist an access network device in sensing; on the one hand, the coverage area of the access network device acquiring sensing information can be increased, and on the other hand, the access network device can have a sensing computation capability, thereby improving sensing efficiency.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411894295.1, filed on December 20, 2024, with the China National Intellectual Property Administration, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, access network equipment (such as base stations), as a core component of the network, is constantly expanding its functions and application scenarios. In recent years, the technology of using access network equipment for environmental perception has gradually attracted attention. This technology is based on the interaction between access network equipment and its surrounding environment, and achieves perception and monitoring of the surrounding environment by collecting and analyzing the signals received by the access network equipment. However, access network equipment can only effectively perceive and detect strongly reflective targets within the visible area. Due to the obstruction of obstacles, it cannot effectively perceive targets in invisible areas, resulting in a limited coverage area when using access network equipment for perception. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a communication method and apparatus that uses a roadside sensing terminal to assist access network equipment in sensing, thereby improving the coverage of the access network equipment in acquiring sensing information.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application discloses a communication method applied to a roadside sensing terminal. The method includes: sending first information to an access network device, the first information being used to register sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal with the access network device; and sending a sensing signal to the access network device.

[0006] In this communication method, fixed roadside sensing terminals register with the access network equipment. By assisting the access network equipment in sensing, the coverage of sensing information acquired by the access network equipment can be increased, and the access network equipment can also have sensing calculation capabilities. It can then calculate sensing signals (e.g., point cloud results) based on the location of the roadside sensing terminals and report the sensing results (e.g., point cloud information) to the core network equipment, thereby improving sensing efficiency. In addition, using fixed roadside sensing terminals instead of mobile terminals to assist the access network equipment in sensing can improve sensing accuracy.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the first information includes one or more of the following information of the roadside sensing terminal: the location information of the roadside sensing terminal, the sensing capability information of the roadside sensing terminal, and the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the first information may also include the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0009] In one possible implementation, sending a sensing signal to the access network device includes: receiving resource configuration information of the sensing signal sent by the access network device; and sending the sensing signal based on the resource configuration information.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the sensing signal includes a detection reference signal (SRS), and the resource configuration information of the sensing signal includes the resource configuration information of the SRS.

[0011] Secondly, this application discloses another communication method applied to an access network device. The method includes: receiving first information sent by a roadside sensing terminal; registering sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal on the access network device based on the first information; and receiving sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first information includes one or more of the following information of the roadside sensing terminal: the location information of the roadside sensing terminal, the sensing capability information of the roadside sensing terminal, and the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first information may also include the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0014] In one possible implementation, receiving the sensing signal sent by the roadside sensing terminal includes: sending resource configuration information of the sensing signal to the roadside sensing device; and receiving the sensing signal sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the sensing signal includes a detection reference signal (SRS), and the resource configuration information of the sensing signal includes the resource configuration information of the SRS.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the method further includes sending information about the roadside sensing terminal to the core network equipment. This helps the core network determine the sensing capabilities of the access network equipment.

[0017] In one possible implementation, sending the information of the roadside sensing terminal to the core network device includes: receiving a first request from the core network device, the first request being used to request information of the roadside sensing terminal; and sending the information of the roadside sensing terminal to the core network device in response to the first request.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the information of the roadside sensing terminal is the information of the target roadside sensing terminal, and the method further includes: determining the target roadside sensing terminal based on the first information. In this way, the information of the target roadside sensing terminal can be sent to the core network equipment, which can help the core network determine the sensing capabilities of the access network equipment.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the information of the target roadside sensing terminal includes the number of the target roadside sensing terminals and / or the identifier of the target roadside sensing terminal.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: obtaining a sensing result based on the sensing signal; and sending the sensing result to the core network equipment.

[0021] Thirdly, this application discloses a communication device including units, modules, or means for performing the various steps of any of the implementation methods of the first or second aspect described above.

[0022] Fourthly, this application discloses another communication device, which can be a terminal device or a network device. The communication device may include a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory, or via logic circuitry, cause the communication device to perform any of the methods described above or any possible examples.

[0023] In some feasible examples, the communication device also includes one or more of a memory or transceiver for sending and receiving data and / or signaling.

[0024] Fifthly, this application discloses another communication device, including a processor and a memory and a communication interface connected to the processor, the memory being used to store one or more programs and configured to be executed by the processor according to any of the steps described above.

[0025] Sixthly, this application discloses a communication system that includes the communication device described in any of the above aspects.

[0026] In conjunction with the fifth or sixth aspect, in one feasible example, the communication device may include a roadside sensing terminal, access network equipment, and core network equipment, or devices thereof.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, this application discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above.

[0028] Eighthly, this application discloses a computer program product for storing a computer program, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0029] Ninthly, this application discloses a first chip, including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to retrieve and execute instructions stored in the memory, causing a device equipped with the chip to perform the methods described in any of the above aspects.

[0030] In a tenth aspect, this application discloses a second type of chip, comprising: an input interface, an output interface, and a processing circuit, wherein the input interface, the output interface, and the processing circuit are connected via an internal connection path, and the processing circuit is used to execute the method of any of the above aspects.

[0031] Eleventhly, this application discloses a third type of chip, including: an input interface, an output interface, and a processor. Optionally, it also includes a memory. The input interface, output interface, processor, and memory are connected through an internal connection path. The processor is used to execute code in the memory. When the code is executed, the processor is used to execute the method in any of the above aspects.

[0032] In a twelfth aspect, this application discloses a chip system including at least one processor, a memory, and an interface circuit. The memory, transceiver, and at least one processor are interconnected via lines. At least one memory stores a computer program. The computer program is executed by the processor using the methods described in any of the above aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1a shows a possible network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 1b shows another possible network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an access network device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a RAN chip architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a baseband hardware implementation provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solution provided in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0044] The method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, 5G mobile communication systems, or new radio access technology (NR). Among these, 5G mobile communication systems can include non-standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA) networks.

[0045] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to machine-type communication (MTC), long-term evolution-machine (LTE-M) technology, device-to-device (D2D) networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) networks, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, or other networks. Among these, IoT networks may include, for example, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. The communication methods in V2X systems are collectively referred to as vehicle-to-other-device (V2X) systems, where X can represent anything. For example, V2X may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc.

[0046] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication systems. This application does not limit the application in this regard.

[0047] To facilitate understanding, the network architecture applicable to the methods provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in more detail first with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figures 1a and 1b show two possible architectures, the difference being the location of the sensing function (SF) network element dedicated to sensing services.

[0049] As shown in Figure 1a, the SF network element (also abbreviated as SF) or the Location Management Function (LMF) network element can be co-located, meaning that perception and positioning are handled by the same network element. The LMF network element (also abbreviated as LMF) is a core network element in the 5G core network (5GC) that provides control plane positioning. It completes the calculation and feedback of location information in the 5G network, and provides functions such as positioning process management, terminal capability acquisition, auxiliary data provision, and terminal location estimation. For example, it can provide the following functions: 1. Supporting the location calculation of the terminal (user equipment, UE); 2. Obtaining downlink location measurement or location estimation from the UE; 3. Obtaining uplink location measurement from the NG RAN. In this architecture, the SF can reuse the interfaces between the LMF and 5GC network elements such as the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF), and Policy Control Function (PCF) for sensing interaction. The sensing control signaling between the LMF (including the SF) and the Radio Access Network (RAN) or UE is transmitted through the AMF. The sensing measurement data acquired by the RAN / UE can be transmitted to the LMF (including the SF) via the control plane, using the reused LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) or NR Positioning Protocol Annex (NRPPa) protocols, or it can be transmitted via the user plane, using the User Plane Function (UPF) for forwarding or direct transmission to the LMF (including the SF).

[0050] In the architecture shown in Figure 1a, the SF network element can be deployed independently or co-located with 5GC network elements (such as AMF or LMF) according to sensing requirements. This network element can implement basic sensing functions, such as sensing authorization, sensing control, sensing measurement data processing, and result output. If the sensing function is co-located with the LMF, the LMF and Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) network elements need to be functionally enhanced to support the basic sensing functions. The GMLC is the first network element in the operator's network to process sensing requests, performing privacy checks or authorization functions, routing sensing requests to the AMF, and performing LMF selection, etc.

[0051] The sensing network element sets up interfaces and interacts with 5GC network elements such as AMF, NEF, UDM, NWDAF, PCF, LMF, and UPF. The specific definitions are as follows:

[0052] • NS1: A new NS1 interface is added between the sensing network element and the AMF. This interface can transmit sensing control signaling; for scenarios where sensing measurement data is uploaded from the control plane, this interface can also transmit sensing measurement data.

[0053] • NS2: A new NS2 interface is added between the sensing network element and NEF. This interface can transmit signaling messages between the sensing network element relayed through NEF and the service side AF (Application Function), and at the same time open the sensing results to the AF.

[0054] • NS3: A new NS3 interface is added between the sensing network element and the UDM. Through this interface, authentication or authorization can be achieved, and UE sensing subscription information, service AMF information or other information can be obtained.

[0055] • NS4: A new NS4 interface is added between the sensing network element and the NWDAF. Through this interface, the sensing network element and the NWDAF can jointly complete AI (Artificial Intelligence) processing related to sensing services.

[0056] • NS5: A new NS5 interface is added between the sensing network element and the PCF. Through this interface, the sensing network element can transmit information such as the sensing requirements, QoS requirements or sensing results of the sensing service to the PCF. The PCF then makes a decision to generate PCC policies related to the sensing service.

[0057] • NS6: A new NS6 interface is added between the sensing network element and the LMF. Through this interface, the sensing network element can obtain location-related information, such as the sensing area, the RAN information of the sensing target, and the location information of the sensed UE.

[0058] • NS7: The sensing network element and user plane function have added the NS7 interface. Sensing measurement data can be directly transmitted from (R)AN to the sensing network element via the user plane function, or it can be indirectly forwarded to the sensing network element via UPF. If the sensing is performed by (R)AN and forwarded via UPF, the UPF needs to be modified to support data transmission at the (R)AN granularity.

[0059] In addition to the newly added interfaces mentioned above, existing interfaces (such as N1, N2, N5, N8, N33, etc.) must support the transmission of information related to sensing services, such as authentication information, sensing service type, sensing service quality requirements, sensing measurement data, and sensing results.

[0060] If the sensing function is shared with the LMF, a new interface needs to be added between the LMF and GMLC to transmit sensing service-related information. Interfaces related to the LMF and GMLC (such as the NL1 interface between AMF and LMF, the NL2 interface between AMF and GMLC, the NL5 interface between NEF and GMLC, and the NL6 interface between UDM and GMLC) also need to support the transmission of sensing service-related information. A new NL9 interface needs to be added between the LMF and GMLC. Specific details are as follows:

[0061] • N33: This is the interface between AF and NEF. Through this interface, information such as the type of sensing business, business requirements, and sensing results can be transmitted.

[0062] •NL5: This is the interface between NEF and GMLC. Through this interface, information such as the type of sensing service, service requirements, and sensing results can be transmitted.

[0063] •NL6: This is the interface between GMLC and UDM, through which privacy inspection data can be transmitted;

[0064] •NL2: This is the interface between NEF and AMF, through which information such as the perceived service type, service requirements, and perceived results can be transmitted.

[0065] •NL1: This is the interface between AMF and LMF, through which the sensing service type, service requirements, sensing results, etc. can be transmitted;

[0066] • New interface NL9: This is the interface between GMLC and LMF, through which sensing service types, service requirements, sensing results, etc. can be transmitted.

[0067] As shown in Figure 1b, in this architecture, the SF (Sensitive Array) is relatively independent of the existing 5GC (5-channel Controller). The SF does not need to interact with the 5GC or only performs minimal interaction. For scenarios where there is only a need for sensing within a specific area, or scenarios where there is only a need for sensing, this architecture can provide sensing services without the need for 5GC control or with only some network elements participating in control. Furthermore, by deploying the SF locally, sensing measurement data or results can remain within the campus, thus meeting the requirements for protecting the security and privacy of sensing measurement data or results, and also reducing sensing latency.

[0068] In this architecture, the SF directly connects to the RAN node, and both sensing control plane signaling messages and sensing measurement data are transmitted via the newly defined interface NS1. When the UE participates in sensing, control plane signaling messages are forwarded to the SF through the AMF, and sensing measurement data is transmitted via NS1. In addition, the SF may also have interfaces with the 5GC network elements AMF, NEF, or NWDAF to ensure that the AF must provide sensing service requirements to the SF through core network functions. The following explains each of the newly added interfaces.

[0069] NS1: An NS1 interface is added between the sensing network element and the (R)AN. This interface transmits sensing control signaling or sensing measurement data. In one deployment implementation, the sensing function can also be deployed at the base station.

[0070] NS2: A new NS2 interface may be added between the sensing network element and the AMF. This interface receives sensing service requests from the UE or transmits signaling messages between the sensing network element and other core network elements, such as interaction messages with the UDM.

[0071] NS3: A new NS3 interface may be added between the sensing network element and NEF. This interface transmits signaling messages that the sensing network element interacts with the service-side AF through NEF, and at the same time exposes the sensing results to the AF. The interaction between the sensing function and the AF may not go through NEF. In actual deployment, NS2 and NS3 will be selected. That is, the AF sends sensing service requests to the SF indirectly or directly to the SF (without NEF) through NS2 (NEF); or, the AF sends sensing service requests to the SF through N33 (NEF) and NS2 (AMF).

[0072] NS4: A new NS4 interface may be added between the sensing network element and the NWDAF. Through this interface, the sensing network element and the NWDAF will jointly perform intelligent analysis and prediction to generate sensing results.

[0073] It should be understood that the two possible architectures shown in Figures 1a and 1b are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. The methods provided in this application are not limited to use in the two architectures shown in Figures 1a and 1b.

[0074] The other network elements involved in Figures 1a and 1b are briefly explained below.

[0075] A terminal can also be called user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device.

[0076] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. A terminal can communicate with one or more core network (CN) devices (or core equipment) via access network equipment (or access devices) in a wireless access network. Terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and they can also be deployed in the air (e.g., on airplanes, balloons, and satellites).

[0077] A terminal can also be a terminal in an Internet of Things (IoT) system, also known as an IoT node. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks via communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network that enables human-machine interaction and machine-to-machine interaction. Connections can be made through broadband or narrowband (NB) technologies. IoT technology, for example, can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low power consumption at the terminal through narrowband technology.

[0078] Terminals can include various handheld devices, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication capabilities. UEs can also be roadside sensing terminals, mobile stations (MS), subscriber units, cellular phones, smartphones, wireless data cards, personal digital assistant (PDA) computers, tablet computers, wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, tags, etc.

[0079] 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.

[0080] The terminal in this application can be a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, a software function running on general-purpose hardware, or a virtualized device, such as a device implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0081] The operator network may include one or more of the following network elements: authentication server function (AUSF) network elements, network explosure function (NEF) network elements, policy control function (PCF) network elements, unified data management (UDM) network elements, network repository function (NRF) network elements, application function (AF) network elements, access and mobility management function (AMF) network elements, session management function (SMF) network elements, user plane function (UPF) network elements, network slice selection function (NSSF) network elements, and access network (AN) (such as radio access network (RAN) network elements). The portion of the operator network excluding the RAN network elements can be referred to as the core network portion. For ease of explanation, the term "network element" will be omitted in the following text. For example, AF network element is abbreviated as AF, UDM network element as UDM, SF network element as SF, and so on.

[0082] RAN is a network composed of multiple RAN nodes, which implements radio physical layer functions, resource scheduling and radio resource management, radio access control, and mobility management functions. 5G-RAN can connect to the user plane function (UPF) through the user plane interface N3 to transmit data from terminal equipment; 5G-RAN establishes a control plane signaling connection with the access and mobility management function (AMF) through the control plane interface N2 to implement functions such as radio access bearer control.

[0083] RAN nodes provide wireless communication services, enabling terminals to access the wireless network. RAN nodes can also be called RAN devices or access network devices, etc.

[0084] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a 6th-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node, or a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario.

[0085] eNB: An eNB is a device deployed in a radio access network that meets 4G standards to provide wireless communication functions for the UE. eNBs can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells), relay stations, access points, wearable devices, and vehicle-mounted devices. An eNB can also be a Transmission and Reception Point (TRP).

[0086] gNB: A device deployed in a radio access network that meets 5G standards to provide wireless communication functions for the UE. gNB can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells), relay stations, access points, wearable devices, and vehicle-mounted equipment. gNB can also be a Transmission and Reception Point (TRP) or a Transmission Measurement Function (TMF). gNB can include a Central Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU) integrated on the gNB.

[0087] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0088] 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 open access network (open RAN, O-RAN, or ORAN) system, CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called an O-DU, CU-CP can also be called an O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called an O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called an O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0089] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the RAN node function can be the RAN node itself; or it can be a device capable of supporting the RAN node in implementing this function, such as a chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or hardware circuit plus software module. This device can be installed in the RAN node or used in conjunction with the RAN node. In this embodiment, the RAN node is used as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the RAN node function, and this does not constitute a limitation on the solution of this embodiment.

[0090] The RAN node in this application can be a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, a software function running on general-purpose hardware, or a virtualized device, such as through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0091] In another implementation, the RAN node can also be a specific component of the various types of devices mentioned above, such as a dedicated module, computing card, or processing unit, or a specific device attached to the RAN node, such as an external computing module or a pluggable processing unit.

[0092] SF is mainly responsible for processing related to sensing operations, such as determining sensing results or business data based on the acquired sensing data, such as whether someone has intruded, or calculating the distance, direction, and position of surrounding reflective objects within the sensing area.

[0093] The AMF is primarily responsible for terminal authentication, terminal mobility management (MM), network slice selection, and SMF selection; it serves as the anchor point for N1 and N2 signaling connections and provides routing for N1 / N2 session management (SM) messages to the SMF; and it maintains and manages the terminal's state information.

[0094] SMF is primarily responsible for all control plane functions of terminal session management, including UPF selection, Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, session quality of service (QoS) management, and obtaining PCC (policy and charging control) policies (from PCF).

[0095] UPF serves as the anchor point for protocol data unit (PDU) session connections, and is responsible for filtering terminal data packets, data transmission / forwarding, rate control, and generating billing information.

[0096] The unified data repository (UDR) is primarily used to store user data, including subscription data invoked by UDM, policy information invoked by PCF, structured data used for capability exposure, and application data invoked by NEF.

[0097] UDM is mainly used to manage user data, such as the management of subscription information, including obtaining subscription information from UDR and providing it to other network elements (such as AMF); generating 3GPP authentication credentials for terminals; and registering and maintaining the network elements currently serving the terminal (for example, the AMF represented by AMF ID1 is the current serving AMF of the terminal).

[0098] The NEF is used to connect other internal network elements of the core network with the application function (AF) network elements corresponding to the external application server (AS) of the core network, so as to provide network open capabilities to the AF, or provide information provided by the AF to the core network elements.

[0099] The AUSF authentication server function is used to perform security authentication on terminals when they access the network.

[0100] PCF primarily controls Quality of Service (QoS) policies and charging policies. It provides configuration policy information to terminals and management policy information to network control plane elements (such as AMF and SMF) for managing terminals.

[0101] The Application Provider (AF) primarily conveys the application's requests to the network and can be considered an application server or its proxy. The AF can interact with core network elements to provide services; for example, it can interact with the Process Control Function (PCF) for service policy control, interact with the Network Provider Function (NEF) to obtain network capability information or provide application information to the network, and provide data network access point information to the PCF to generate routing information for corresponding data services.

[0102] The above description of the various network elements in the core network and the interfaces between them is merely illustrative and should not constitute any limitation on this application. Furthermore, the network elements shown in the diagram can be understood as network elements in the core network used to implement different functions, such as network slices that can be combined as needed. These core network elements can be independent devices or integrated into the same device to implement different functions; this application does not limit the specific form of the aforementioned network elements.

[0103] It is understood that the network elements used in future communication systems may be any of the aforementioned network elements, or network elements with the same or similar functions under other names; this application does not limit this.

[0104] In this embodiment, the device used to implement the various functions of the core network can be a core network element corresponding to each function; it can also be a device capable of supporting the core network element to implement its respective function, such as a chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or hardware circuit plus software module. This device can be installed in a core network element or used in conjunction with a core network element. In this embodiment, only the device used to implement core network functions is described as a core network element, and this does not constitute a limitation on the solution of this embodiment.

[0105] The core network elements in this application can be hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, software functions running on general-purpose hardware, or virtualized devices. For example, they can be implemented using general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0106] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0107] As shown in Figure 2, the access network equipment (RAN, such as eNB, gNB, or next-generation access network equipment) communicates with the core network (CN) through the backhaul link and with the user equipment (UE) through the air interface.

[0108] Specifically, the baseband unit (BBU) in the access network equipment communicates with the core network via a backhaul link, and the radio unit (RU) in the access network equipment communicates with at least one UE via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located.

[0109] The BBU includes at least one Control Unit (CU) and at least one Distributed Unit (DU), which can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0110] The DU and RU have an interface. Depending on the functions of the DU and RU, and / or the different splitting methods, the interface between the DU and RU can be a common public radio interface (CPRI) or an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI). It should be noted that Figure 2 is an example of an O-RAN system, and the O-RAN system may include other components besides those shown in Figure 2. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0111] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an access network device provided in an embodiment of this application. The access network device may include one or more functional modules for signal processing. As shown in Figure 3, taking physical layer functions as an example, the access network device may include one or more of the following functions: coding, rate matching, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding, resource element (RE) mapping, digital beamforming (BF), inverse fast Fourier transformation (IFFT) / adding cyclic prefix (CP), decoding, rate matching de-matching, descrambling, demodulation, inverse discrete Fourier transformation (IDFT), channel equalization (or channel estimation), RE de-mapping, digital BF, fast Fourier transform (FFT) / CP removal, digital to analog (DA) conversion, analog BF, analog to digital (AD) conversion, or analog BF.

[0112] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of a RAN chip architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 shows a common RAN chip architecture, divided into CU, DU, and RU. The CU is a platform that performs upper-layer L2 and L3 functions. The Midhaul and Backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the CU and DU, as well as between the CU and the core network. The DU performs L1 and some L2 functions, and the RU performs L1 calculation and RF digital part functions; the Fronthaul and Backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the RU and DU, as well as between the CU and DU. An integrated DU includes the above-mentioned DU and RU functions.

[0113] The CU / DU hardware includes a chassis platform, motherboard, peripherals, and cooling system. The motherboard contains processing units, memory, internal I / O interfaces, and external connection ports. Its hardware accelerator is designed with interfaces, and hardware functional components include: storage for software, hardware, and system debugging interfaces, and a single-board management controller.

[0114] DU systems are typically implemented using multi-core processors and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the DU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the multi-core processor, while computationally intensive L1 and L2 functions can be offloaded to FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerators; alternatively, all L1 functions can be offloaded to FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerators, while other protocol stack components are implemented in software running on the processor; or the entire protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the processor. Hardware accelerators support interconnection with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, accelerators have multi-channel PCIe interfaces pointing to the CPU and external connections via GbE.

[0115] The RU comprises three parts: the O-RAN Processing Unit (OPU), which receives eCPRI frames from the O-RAN fronthaul and performs fronthaul interface, lowest-level L1 (coding, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding), synchronization, beamforming, and resource unit mapping. The OPU can be implemented as a CPU, FPGA, or ASIC. The DPU (Digital Processing Unit of the O-RU) performs synchronization, DDC (digital downconversion in UL), DUC (digital upconversion in DL), CFR, and DPD, improving power amplifier efficiency by reducing PAPR / ACLR at the RF front-end; the DPU can be implemented as an FPGA or ASIC. The O-RU's RF processing unit includes a transceiver module, up / down converters, power amplifiers (PA), low-noise amplifiers (LNA), and Tx / Rx filters. All conversions between the analog and digital domains (DAC and ADC) (e.g., RF sampling, frequency conversion using RF, IF, and LO mixing during up-conversion and down-conversion) are performed within the transceiver module. Note that physical and logical partitions within the RF processing unit do not require specific boundaries.

[0116] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of a baseband hardware implementation provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the baseband can be implemented using a processing system including one or more processors. Processors include microprocessors (e.g., x86, ARM), microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), GPUs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to various functions. That is, the processor used in the baseband can be used to implement the processes described below and any one or more of those processes.

[0117] A processing system can be implemented using a bus architecture, typically represented by a bus. A bus can include any number of interconnect buses and bridges, depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system. The bus communicatively couples various circuits together, including one or more processors (typically represented by processors) (e.g., processor#1 to processor#N), memory, and computer-readable media (typically represented by computer-readable media) (e.g., computer-readable medium#1 to computer-readable medium#N). The bus can also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and will therefore not be described further. The bus interface provides the interface between the bus and transceivers, and between the bus and the interface.

[0118] A transceiver provides a communication interface or means for communicating with various other devices via a wireless transmission medium. The transceiver may be coupled to an antenna array, and the transceiver and antenna array may be used together for communication with a corresponding network type. At least one interface (e.g., a network interface and / or a user interface) provides a communication interface or means for communication via an internal bus or via an external transmission medium.

[0119] The processor is responsible for managing the bus and general processing, including executing software stored on a computer-readable medium. When the processor executes the software, the software causes the processing system to perform the various functions described below for any particular device.

[0120] The functions that can be implemented by the processor, memory, and computer-readable medium may include: encoding, decoding, rate matching, rate dematching, scrambling, descrambling, modulation, demodulation, layer mapping, FFT, IFFT, IDFT, precoding, RE mapping, channel equalization, RE mapping, digital BF, adding CP, removing CP, etc.

[0121] With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, access network equipment (such as base stations), as a core component of the network, is constantly expanding its functions and application scenarios. In recent years, the technology of using access network equipment for environmental sensing has gradually attracted attention. This technology is based on the interaction between access network equipment and its surrounding environment. By collecting and analyzing the signals received by the access network equipment, it achieves the sensing and monitoring of the surrounding environment. For example, a base station can send sensing signals and receive the echo signals of the sensing signals, completing the sensing based on the sensing signals and their echo signals.

[0122] However, access network devices can only effectively sense and detect strongly reflective targets within the visible area. Due to obstruction by obstacles, they cannot effectively sense targets in invisible areas, resulting in limited coverage when using access network devices for sensing. For example, when an access network device is obstructed by obstacles, the sensing area is divided into a line-of-sight (LOS) area and a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) area. The LOS area is the region that the sensing signal sent by the access network device can reach, while the NLOS area is the region that the sensing signal sent by the access network device cannot reach. For targets within the NLOS area, the access network device cannot effectively sense them, thus resulting in limited coverage when using access network devices for sensing.

[0123] Based on this, this application provides a communication method that uses roadside sensing devices to assist access network devices in sensing, thereby improving the coverage of sensing information acquired by access network devices.

[0124] Before introducing the communication method provided in this application, let's first describe the application scenarios of this communication method. Please refer to Figure 6, which is an application scenario diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the roadside sensing terminal can send sensing signals to vehicles, and then the access network device (e.g., a base station) can receive the sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminal (i.e., the echo signals of the sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminal), thereby enabling the access network device to perform sensing with the assistance of the roadside sensing terminal. The roadside sensing terminal can also directly send sensing signals to the access network device, thereby enabling the access network device to perform sensing with the assistance of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0125] Please refer to Figure 7, which is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, and may include the following steps S601 to S608.

[0126] Step S601: The roadside sensing terminal sends the first information to the access network equipment.

[0127] Correspondingly, the access network equipment receives the first information sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

[0128] The first piece of information is used to register the sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal in the access network equipment.

[0129] In this embodiment of the application, the roadside sensing terminal may include a fixed roadside sensing terminal, that is, a roadside sensing terminal with a fixed location. The roadside sensing terminal is used to assist the access network equipment in sensing, including ground sensing, which may be real-scene three-dimensional digital twin, ground moving target detection, etc.

[0130] The roadside sensing terminal supports receiving sensing signals from the access network device for configuration and sends sensing signals to the access network device. The access network device receives the sensing signals from the roadside sensing terminal, thereby realizing at least one of distance, angle, and speed measurement of the sensing target, determining the measurement result (at least one of distance, angle, and speed) and reporting it to the sensing network element. For example, the roadside sensing terminal located at a traffic intersection (it can also be deployed on a street lamp pole, building, etc., this application embodiment does not limit this, but the position of the roadside sensing terminal is fixed) sends sensing signals. The sensing signals are propagated to the access network device through reflection / scattering / diffraction of the sensing target (such as a vehicle in motion). After receiving the sensing signals, the access network device can determine the measurement results such as distance, angle, and speed of the sensing target and report them to the sensing network element SF / SU.

[0131] The roadside sensing terminal supports receiving sensing signals from access network equipment, enabling it to measure at least one of the following: distance, angle, and speed of the sensing target, determine the measurement result (at least one of the following: distance, angle, and speed), and report it to the access network equipment.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the first information may include one or more of the following information of the roadside sensing terminal: the location information of the roadside sensing terminal, the sensing capability information of the roadside sensing terminal, and the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0133] The location information of the roadside sensing terminal can be based on absolute geographic location information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) or relative location information from the network. For example, if the roadside sensing terminal is within the coverage area of ​​an access network, and the coverage area of ​​the access network can be divided into multiple cells, the roadside sensing terminal can send the identifier of the cell where it is located to the access network equipment.

[0134] The sensing capability information of a roadside sensing terminal can be used to indicate its sensing capabilities. This can be determined, for example, by the types of sensors included in the roadside sensing terminal (or, in other words, the types of data the roadside sensing terminal can sense), and / or by the accuracy of its sensing. Taking the determination of a roadside sensing terminal's sensing capability information through the types of sensors it includes as an example, if the roadside sensing terminal includes different types of data such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, speed sensors, and light sensors, it indicates that the roadside sensing terminal has the ability to sense temperature, humidity, speed, and light, etc.

[0135] The identifier of a roadside sensing terminal can be used to identify that the roadside sensing terminal is a fixed-location roadside sensing terminal (i.e., a fixed roadside sensing terminal). After receiving the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal, the access network equipment can determine that the terminal represented by the identifier is a roadside sensing terminal.

[0136] In one possible implementation, the first information may further include the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal. This clock stability refers to the degree of stability of the frequency or phase of the clock signal over a period of time; this application does not limit the time period for measuring clock stability. The access network equipment can determine the speed measurement capability of the roadside sensing terminal and determine the speed measurement scheme based on the clock stability data transmitted by the roadside sensing terminal.

[0137] In one possible implementation, the authentication and authorization of the roadside sensing terminal can be completed before step S601.

[0138] The authentication and authorization process for a roadside sensing terminal can include: the roadside sensing terminal sending an access request to the access network device to request network access; this request may include information such as the roadside sensing terminal's identity. Upon receiving the request, the access network device forwards the relevant information of the roadside sensing terminal to the core network, specifically to the AMF (Authentication, Authorization, and Function) within the core network. Then, the AMF initiates an authentication request to the AUSF (Authorization and Authorization Service Provider), requesting authentication of the roadside sensing terminal. Upon receiving the authentication request, the AUSF obtains the roadside sensing terminal's subscription data from the UDM (User Device Manager), generates an authentication vector (containing a random number, authentication key, etc.) based on this data, and returns the authentication vector to the AMF, which then forwards it to the access network device. Upon receiving the authentication vector, the access network device sends an authentication request message to the roadside sensing terminal, containing information such as the random number from the authentication vector. Upon receiving the authentication request, the roadside sensing terminal uses its locally stored authentication key and the received random number to calculate an authentication response according to a specific algorithm and sends the authentication response to the access network device. After receiving the authentication response from the roadside sensing terminal, the access network device verifies the authentication response based on the expected result in the authentication vector. If the verification passes, it indicates that the roadside sensing terminal is legitimate, authentication is successful, and the roadside sensing terminal is allowed to access the network; otherwise, authentication fails, and the access network device rejects the access request from the roadside sensing terminal.

[0139] Step S602: The access network device registers the sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal on the access network device based on the first information.

[0140] After receiving the first information, the access network can register the sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal with the access network equipment. Specifically, the access network equipment can determine the identity of the roadside sensing terminal based on its identifier. For example, it can determine that the roadside sensing terminal is a fixed roadside sensing terminal. The access network equipment can determine the sensing capabilities of the roadside sensing terminal based on its sensing capability information. Based on the location of the roadside sensing terminal, the access network equipment can determine the relative position (e.g., the distance between the relative positions) between the roadside sensing terminal and the access network equipment. Based on the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal, the access network equipment can determine the speed measurement capability of the roadside sensing terminal and determine the speed measurement scheme. In summary, the access network equipment can determine the strength of the roadside sensing terminal's sensing capability when assisting the access network equipment in sensing based on the first information sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

[0141] On the one hand, fixed roadside sensing terminals, by registering with the access network equipment, can improve the coverage of sensing information acquired by the access network equipment and enable the access network equipment to have sensing and calculation capabilities. In this way, the access network equipment can calculate sensing signals (e.g., point cloud results) based on the location of the roadside sensing terminals and report the sensing results (e.g., point cloud information) to the core network equipment, thereby improving sensing efficiency. On the other hand, using fixed roadside sensing terminals instead of mobile terminals to assist the access network equipment in sensing can improve sensing accuracy.

[0142] Optionally, in step S603, the core network device sends a first request to the access network device.

[0143] Accordingly, the access network device receives a first request sent by the core network device. This first request is used to request information from the roadside sensing terminal.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the core network device sending the first request to the access network device can specifically be that the SF sends the first request to the AMF, and after receiving the first request, the AMF sends the first request to the access network device.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the core network device may send a first request to the DU in the access network device, and the DU may send the first request to the RU through the eCPRI interface.

[0146] The core network equipment sends a first request to the access network equipment to request information from the roadside sensing terminal, which can be used by the core network equipment to determine whether the access network equipment has the ability to sense in a specific scenario.

[0147] Optionally, in step S604, the access network device sends information about the roadside sensing terminal to the core network device.

[0148] Correspondingly, the core network equipment receives information from the roadside sensing terminals sent by the access network equipment.

[0149] In one possible implementation, the access network device sends the roadside sensing terminal information to the core network device. Specifically, the access network device sends the roadside sensing terminal information to the AMF, and after receiving the roadside sensing terminal information, the AMF sends the roadside sensing terminal information to the SF.

[0150] In one possible implementation, the CU in the access network device can send information about the roadside sensing terminal to the core network device so that the core network can determine the sensing capability of the access network device.

[0151] In one possible implementation, after receiving the first request, the access network device may send information about the roadside sensing terminal to the core network device in response to the first request.

[0152] In other words, if the access network device does not receive the first request from the core network device, it will not proactively send the information of the roadside sensing terminal to the core network device.

[0153] In another possible implementation, the access network device can send the information from the roadside sensing terminal to the core network device after receiving the first information.

[0154] In other words, the access network equipment will proactively send the information from the roadside sensing terminal to the core network equipment, without needing to execute step S603.

[0155] In one possible implementation, the information of the roadside sensing terminals sent by the access network device to the core network device is the information of all roadside sensing terminals.

[0156] In other words, for all roadside sensing terminals that send the first information to the access network equipment, the access network equipment will send the information of the roadside sensing terminal to the core network equipment.

[0157] The information of the roadside sensing terminals may include the number of roadside sensing terminals and / or the identifiers of the roadside sensing terminals.

[0158] In another possible implementation, the information of the roadside sensing terminal sent by the access network device to the core network device is the information of the target roadside sensing terminal.

[0159] The target roadside sensing terminal can be a roadside sensing terminal with sensing capabilities in a specific scenario, or a roadside sensing terminal that meets the sensing requirements of access network equipment and / or core network equipment. The information of the target roadside sensing terminal may include the number of target roadside sensing terminals and / or the identifiers of the target roadside sensing terminals.

[0160] In other words, the access network device may not send the information of all roadside sensing terminals that have sent the first information to the access network device to the core network device. Instead, it may select one or more target roadside sensing terminals from all roadside sensing terminals that have sent the first information to the access network device and send the information of the target roadside sensing terminals to the core network device.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the access network device can determine the target roadside sensing terminal based on the first information.

[0162] This application does not limit the method for determining the target roadside sensing terminals; selection can be based on the sensing capabilities of the roadside sensing terminals obtained from the first information. For example, roadside sensing terminals A, B, and C send the first information to the access network device, meaning that roadside sensing terminals A, B, and C have registered with the access network device, allowing the access network device to obtain the sensing information of each of the roadside sensing terminals A, B, and C respectively. In one example, if the access network device determines that the sensing capability of roadside sensing terminal A is weaker than that of roadside sensing terminals B and C, then the access network device determines that the target roadside sensing terminals include roadside sensing terminals B and C. The information of the target roadside sensing terminals sent to the core network device includes the identifiers of roadside sensing terminals B and C and the number of target roadside sensing terminals being two. In another example, if the threshold for the ability of roadside sensing terminals A and B to assist the access network device in sensing is lower than a preset sensing capability threshold, and the threshold for the ability of roadside sensing terminal C to assist the access network device in sensing is higher than the preset sensing capability threshold, then the access network device determines that the target roadside sensing terminal includes roadside sensing terminal C, and the information of the target roadside sensing terminal sent to the core network device includes the identifier of roadside sensing terminal C and the number of target roadside sensing terminals being 1. In yet another example, if roadside sensing terminal B does not have sensing function in a specific scenario, and roadside sensing terminals A and C have sensing function in a specific scenario, then the access network device determines that the target roadside sensing terminal includes roadside sensing terminals A and C, and the information of the target roadside sensing terminal sent to the core network device includes the identifiers of roadside sensing terminals A and C and the number of target roadside sensing terminals being 2. The above methods for the access network device to determine the target roadside sensing terminal are some examples and should not constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0163] In this embodiment of the application, by sending information from the roadside sensing terminal or the target roadside sensing terminal to the core network equipment, the core network can determine the sensing capability of the access network equipment.

[0164] Optionally, in step S605, the access network device sends resource configuration information of the sensing signal to the roadside sensing terminal.

[0165] Correspondingly, the roadside sensing terminal receives resource configuration information of the sensing signals sent by the access network equipment. This resource configuration information can be used to configure the resources of the sensing signals, so that the roadside sensing terminal can subsequently send sensing signals to the access network equipment using the configured resources.

[0166] In one possible implementation, the resource configuration information of the sensing signal may include the resource configuration information of the sounding reference signal (SRS).

[0167] Step S606: The roadside sensing terminal sends a sensing signal to the access network equipment.

[0168] Correspondingly, the access network equipment receives sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminals.

[0169] Specifically, the roadside sensing terminal can send sensing signals to the access network device through the sensing signal resources configured by the access network device for the roadside sensing terminal in step S605.

[0170] In one possible implementation, the sensing signal may include SRS.

[0171] If the resource configuration information of the sensing signal can include the resource configuration information of SRS, and the sensing signal includes SRS, the roadside sensing terminal can send SRS to the access network device through the SRS resources configured by the access network device for the roadside sensing terminal in step S605.

[0172] Optionally, in step S607, the access network device obtains the sensing result based on the sensing signal.

[0173] After receiving the sensing signal, the access network can first perform preliminary processing on the sensing signal, such as noise reduction to reduce interference and enhance the signal, and then find key features from the sensing signal, and then obtain the sensing result based on the key features.

[0174] Optionally, in step S608, the access network device sends the sensing results to the core network device.

[0175] Correspondingly, the core network equipment receives the sensing results sent by the access network equipment.

[0176] In one possible implementation, the access network device sends the sensing result to the core network device. Specifically, the access network device sends the sensing result to the AMF, and after receiving the sensing result, the AMF sends the sensing result to the SF.

[0177] The methods of the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above, and the apparatus of the embodiments of this application is provided below.

[0178] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device may include a transceiver unit 701 and a processing unit 702. The transceiver unit 701 may be a device with signal input (receiving) or output (transmitting) capabilities, used for signal transmission with other network devices or other components within the device.

[0179] The processing unit 702 can be a device with processing capabilities, and may include one or more processors. The processor can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. The processor can be 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 the device (e.g., a host node, relay node, or chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0180] The communication device may include roadside sensing terminals, access network equipment, and core network equipment, or devices thereof.

[0181] When the communication device is a roadside sensing terminal, it includes:

[0182] The transceiver unit 701 is used to send first information to the access network device, the first information being used to register the sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal in the access network device;

[0183] The transceiver unit 701 is also used to send sensing signals to the access network device.

[0184] In one possible implementation, the first information includes one or more of the following information of the roadside sensing terminal: the location information of the roadside sensing terminal, the sensing capability information of the roadside sensing terminal, and the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the first information also includes the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 701 is also used to receive resource configuration information of the sensing signals sent by the access network device;

[0187] The transceiver unit 701 is also used to send sensing signals based on resource configuration information.

[0188] In one possible implementation, the sensing signal includes a detection reference signal (SRS), and the resource configuration information of the sensing signal includes the resource configuration information of the SRS.

[0189] The implementation of the above-mentioned transceiver unit 701 and processing unit 702 can be referred to the relevant description of the method embodiment shown in FIG7, which will not be repeated here.

[0190] When the communication device is an access network device, it includes:

[0191] Transceiver unit 701 is used to receive first information sent by roadside sensing terminal;

[0192] Processing unit 702 is used to register the sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal in the access network device based on the first information;

[0193] The transceiver unit 701 is also used to receive sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

[0194] In one possible implementation, the first information includes one or more of the following information of the roadside sensing terminal: the location information of the roadside sensing terminal, the sensing capability information of the roadside sensing terminal, and the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0195] In one possible implementation, the first information also includes the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal.

[0196] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 701 is also used to send resource configuration information of the sensing signal to the roadside sensing device;

[0197] The transceiver unit 701 is also used to receive sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

[0198] In one possible implementation, the sensing signal includes a detection reference signal (SRS), and the resource configuration information of the sensing signal includes the resource configuration information of the SRS.

[0199] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 701 is also used to send information from the roadside sensing terminal to the core network equipment.

[0200] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 701 is also configured to receive a first request from the core network device, the first request being used to request information from the roadside sensing terminal.

[0201] The transceiver unit 701 is also used to send information about the roadside sensing terminal to the core network equipment in response to the first request.

[0202] In one possible implementation, the information of the roadside sensing terminal is the information of the target roadside sensing terminal, and the processing unit 702 is further used to determine the target roadside sensing terminal based on the first information.

[0203] In one possible implementation, the information of the target roadside sensing terminal includes the number of target roadside sensing terminals and / or the identifier of the target roadside sensing terminal.

[0204] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 702 is also used to obtain a sensing result based on the sensing signal;

[0205] The transceiver unit 701 is also used to send the sensing results to the core network equipment.

[0206] The implementation of the above-mentioned transceiver unit 701 and processing unit 702 can be referred to the relevant description of the method embodiment shown in FIG7, which will not be repeated here.

[0207] When the communication device is a core network device, it includes:

[0208] The transceiver unit 701 is used to send a first request to the access network device. The first request is used to request information from the roadside sensing terminal.

[0209] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 701 is also used to receive information from the roadside sensing terminal sent by the access network device.

[0210] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 701 is also used to receive sensing results sent by the access network device.

[0211] The implementation of the above-mentioned transceiver unit 701 and processing unit 702 can be referred to the relevant description of the method embodiment shown in FIG7, which will not be repeated here.

[0212] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device may be a roadside sensing terminal, an access network device, or a core network device, or a device thereof, used to implement the method described in the method embodiments.

[0213] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device may include a processor 111 and a storage medium 112. The processor 111 may also be called a processing unit, which can implement certain control functions. The storage medium 112 may also be called a storage unit or a memory. Instructions 114 are stored on the storage medium 112. The instructions 114 can be executed on the processor 111, causing the communication device to perform the method described in Figure 7 of this embodiment.

[0214] Optionally, the processor 111 may include instructions 113 that can be executed on the processor 111 to cause the communication device to perform the method described in FIG7 of the embodiments of this application.

[0215] The communication device described in the above embodiments may be a roadside sensing terminal, access network equipment, and core network equipment, or a device thereof. However, the scope of the device described in this application is not limited to this; the communication device may be a standalone device or part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be:

[0216] (1) An independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0217] (2) A collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the collection of ICs may include a storage component for storing data and / or instructions;

[0218] (3) ASIC, such as modems;

[0219] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0220] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the relevant processes in the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0221] This application also provides a computer program product for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer (or processor), causes the computer to execute one or more steps of any of the aforementioned communication methods. If the constituent modules of the aforementioned devices are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0222] This application provides a chip, including a processor, for calling and executing instructions stored in a memory, causing a communication device on which the chip is installed to perform any of the methods described above.

[0223] This application embodiment also provides another chip, including: an input interface, an output interface, and a processing circuit. The input interface, the output interface, and the processing circuit are connected via internal connection paths. The processing circuit is used to execute any of the methods described above. Optionally, the chip also includes a memory. The input interface, the output interface, the processor, and the memory are connected via internal connection paths. The processor is used to execute code in the memory. When the code is executed, the processor is used to execute any of the methods described above.

[0224] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface. The communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one processor is used to run computer programs or instructions to perform any of the methods described above. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0225] This application also provides a communication system, which includes an access network device, a sensing network element, a proxy network element, a sensing server, an application function network element, and a session management network element, or a device thereof, and the specific description can be referred to any of the above methods.

[0226] It should be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be RAM, which is used as an external cache. Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code having an instruction or data structure form and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing a storage function for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0227] It should also be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, etc.

[0228] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) is integrated into the processor.

[0229] It should be noted that the memories described herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0230] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments provided herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0231] 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.

[0232] 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, depending on actual needs.

[0233] 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.

[0234] The steps in the methods of this application can be adjusted, combined, or deleted according to actual needs. Each step in each embodiment can be partially performed (for example, the terminal device may not perform the steps performed by the terminal device in the above embodiments). The execution order of different steps can be changed. The embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments, different embodiments can be combined with each other, and different steps of different embodiments herein can be combined.

[0235] The modules / units in the device of this application embodiment can be merged, divided, and deleted according to actual needs.

[0236] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0237] In this application, it may refer to a communication protocol or specification, such as the 3GPP communication protocol.

[0238] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0239] In the embodiments of this application, "including" can refer to a relationship of inclusion or an equality relationship. For example, A includes B, which could mean that A includes B and may also include other content, or that A and B are the same content.

[0240] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of singular or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0241] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, applied to roadside sensing terminals, includes: Send first information to the access network device, the first information being used to register the sensing information of the roadside sensing terminal with the access network device; Send a sensing signal to the access network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following information of the roadside sensing terminal: the location information of the roadside sensing terminal, the sensing capability information of the roadside sensing terminal, and the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first information also includes the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Sending the sensing signal to the access network device includes: Resource configuration information for receiving sensing signals sent by the access network device; Sensing signals are sent based on the resource configuration information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sensing signal includes a detection reference signal (SRS), and the resource configuration information of the sensing signal includes the resource configuration information of the SRS.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to access network equipment, the method includes: Receive the first information sent by the roadside sensing terminal; Based on the first information, the roadside sensing terminal registers its sensing information with the access network device. Receive the sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following information of the roadside sensing terminal: the location information of the roadside sensing terminal, the sensing capability information of the roadside sensing terminal, and the identifier of the roadside sensing terminal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first information also includes the clock stability of the roadside sensing terminal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, Receiving the sensing signal sent by the roadside sensing terminal includes: Resource configuration information that sends sensing signals to the roadside sensing device; Receive the sensing signals sent by the roadside sensing terminal.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The sensing signal includes a detection reference signal (SRS), and the resource configuration information of the sensing signal includes the resource configuration information of the SRS.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6-10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The information of the roadside sensing terminal is sent to the core network equipment.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Sending the information of the roadside sensing terminal to the core network equipment includes: Receive a first request from the core network device, the first request being used to request information from the roadside sensing terminal; In response to the first request, the information of the roadside sensing terminal is sent to the core network equipment.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The information from the roadside sensing terminal is the information from the target roadside sensing terminal, and the method further includes: The target roadside sensing terminal is determined based on the first information.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The information of the target roadside sensing terminal includes the number of the target roadside sensing terminals and / or the identifier of the target roadside sensing terminal.

15. The method according to any one of claims 6-14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The sensing result is obtained based on the sensing signal; The sensing results are sent to the core network equipment.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 to be performed.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 15 to be implemented.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes instructions that, when executed, cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 15 to be implemented.

20. A chip or chip system, characterized in that, Includes a processor for retrieving and executing instructions stored in a memory, causing a communication device with a chip mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15.

21. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first device and a second device, the first device being used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the second device being used to perform the method according to any one of claims 6 to 15.

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