Slot format configuration method, sensing device, network side device, and communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a slot format configuration method, a sensing device, a network side device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a computer program product. The method comprises: receiving slot format configuration information sent by a network side device, wherein the slot format configuration information comprises at least one piece of slot pattern information, the slot pattern information comprises a configuration parameter and a configuration rule corresponding to the configuration parameter, and the configuration parameter comprises at least one of the following: the number of sensing slots and the number of sensing symbols; and on the basis of the slot format configuration information, configuring a frame structure pattern corresponding to an uplink radio frame. The present disclosure provides a slot format indication scheme applicable to integrated sensing and communication technology, which can adapt to diverse sensing coverage and accuracy requirements, can save symbol resources, and has good backward compatibility with protocols.

Description

Time slot format configuration method, sensing devices, network-side devices, and communication systems

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411908273.6, filed on December 23, 2024, entitled "Time Slot Format Configuration Method, Sensing Device, Network Side Device and Communication System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a time slot format configuration method, a sensing device, a network-side device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a computer program product. Background Technology

[0004] Integration of Sensing and Communication (ISAC) is a key technology for networks such as 6G. ISAC technology utilizes the same frequency, waveform, and infrastructure to extract target information from scattered echoes while simultaneously transmitting data, significantly improving the spectrum, energy, cost, and efficiency of sensing and communication functions. For ISAC technology, to enable existing communication systems to possess sensing capabilities, the physical layer needs to allocate sensing resources. Therefore, existing communication frame formats need to be redesigned to meet sensing requirements. For example, in addition to existing uplink and downlink communication time slots / symbols, sensing time slots / symbol resources need to be configured to support the use of dedicated sensing signal duplex modes and waveforms within these resources, providing continuous sensing coverage. Currently, existing related communication protocols only support uplink and downlink resource configuration; therefore, a technical solution for time slot format indication is needed to support the new frame structure configuration for ISAC. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a time slot format configuration method, a sensing device, a network-side device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a computer program product.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a time slot format configuration method is provided, applied to a sensing device, comprising: receiving time slot format configuration information sent by a network-side device; wherein the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, the time slot pattern information includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols; and configuring a frame structure pattern corresponding to an uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information.

[0007] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters further include at least one of the following: pattern period, number of downlink time slots, number of downlink symbols, number of uplink time slots, and number of uplink symbols.

[0008] In some embodiments, the configuration rule includes: in the frame structure pattern, the sensing slot and / or sensing symbol is located before the start position of the uplink symbol.

[0009] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters include: the number of sensing symbols and the number of first interval symbols; the configuration rule includes: the number of symbols between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the number of first interval symbols.

[0010] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters further include the number of sensing time slots; the configuration rules include: the end position of the sensing time slot is connected to the start position of the sensing symbol, and the number of symbols between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the first interval symbol number.

[0011] In some embodiments, the configuration rule includes: the end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot.

[0012] In some embodiments, the number of sensing symbols includes: a first number of sensing symbols and a second number of sensing symbols; the configuration rule includes: the end position of the second sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, the inspiration position of the first sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the end position of the first sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the first number of interval symbols.

[0013] In some embodiments, the configuration rule includes: in the frame structure pattern, the sensing slot and / or sensing symbol is located after the termination position of the downlink symbol.

[0014] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters include: the number of sensing symbols and the number of second interval symbols; the configuration rule includes: the number of symbols between the start position of the sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the number of second interval symbols.

[0015] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters further include the number of sensing time slots; the configuration rules include: the end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the start position of the sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the second number of interval symbols.

[0016] In some embodiments, the configuration rule includes: the sensing time slot is located after the end position of the downlink symbol, and the end position of the sensing time slot is connected to the start position of the sensing symbol.

[0017] In some embodiments, the number of sensing symbols includes: a third number of sensing symbols and a fourth number of sensing symbols; the configuration rule includes: the end position of the third sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, the start position of the fourth sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the start position of the third sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the second interval symbol number.

[0018] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters further include: sensing time slot index information and sensing symbol configuration information; the configuration rules include: determining the time slot of the sensing symbol according to the sensing time slot index information, and determining the position information corresponding to the time slot of the sensing symbol according to the sensing symbol configuration information in the frame structure pattern.

[0019] In some embodiments, the sensing time slot index information includes: a first set of index numbers; the sensing symbol configuration information is associated with the first set of index numbers.

[0020] In some embodiments, the sensing time slot index information includes: a second set of index numbers; the sensing symbol configuration information includes: a set of sensing symbol configurations; wherein, the index information in the second set of index numbers corresponds one-to-one with the configuration information in the set of sensing symbol configurations.

[0021] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters further include: a sensing pattern period; the configuration rule includes: periodically copying one or more frame structure patterns corresponding to the uplink wireless frame based on the sensing pattern period; wherein the sensing symbol is configured in the frame structure pattern.

[0022] In some embodiments, the number of frame structure patterns is two; the periods of the two synesthetic patterns corresponding to the two patterns are the same or different.

[0023] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a time slot format configuration method is provided, applied to a network-side device, comprising: sending time slot format configuration information to a sensing device, so that the sensing device configures a frame structure pattern corresponding to an uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information; wherein, the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, the time slot pattern information includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols.

[0024] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a sensing device is provided, comprising: an information receiving module configured to receive time slot format configuration information sent by a network-side device; wherein the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, the time slot pattern information includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols; and a pattern configuration module configured to configure a frame structure pattern corresponding to an uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information.

[0025] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a sensing device is provided, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method applied to the sensing device as described above based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0026] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a network-side device is provided, comprising: an information transmission module configured to transmit time slot format configuration information to a sensing device, so that the sensing device configures a frame structure pattern corresponding to an uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information; wherein the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, the time slot pattern information including configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols.

[0027] According to a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a network-side device is provided, comprising: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method applied to the network-side device as described above based on instructions stored in the memory.

[0028] According to a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising: a sensing device as described above, and a network-side device as described above.

[0029] According to an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer instructions which are executed by a processor using the method described above.

[0030] According to a ninth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product storing computer instructions, the instructions being executed by a processor using the method described above. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. The above and other objects and advantages of this disclosure will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding technical features or components will be represented by the same or corresponding reference numerals.

[0032] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating some embodiments of the time slot format configuration method according to the present disclosure;

[0033] Figures 2A to 11C are schematic diagrams of frame structure patterns in some embodiments of the slot format configuration method according to the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating some other embodiments of the time slot format configuration method according to the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of modules of some embodiments of the sensing device according to the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 14 is a block diagram of some other embodiments of the sensing device according to the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of modules according to some embodiments of the network-side device of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of modules of some other embodiments of the network-side device according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and brevity, not all features of the embodiments are described in the specification. However, it should be understood that many implementation-specific settings must be made in carrying out the embodiments to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as complying with constraints related to the device and business, and these constraints may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, it should be understood that while development work can be very complex and time-consuming, such development work is merely a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from the present disclosure.

[0040] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0041] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the embodiments of this disclosure are only used to distinguish different steps, devices, or modules, and do not represent any specific technical meaning, nor do they indicate a necessary logical order between them.

[0042] It should also be understood that in the embodiments disclosed herein, "a plurality of" may refer to two or more, and "at least one" may refer to one, two or more.

[0043] It should also be understood that any component, data or structure mentioned in the embodiments of this disclosure can generally be understood as one or more unless expressly defined or given to the contrary in the context.

[0044] Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this disclosure 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. Additionally, the character " / " in this disclosure generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0045] It should also be understood that the description of the various embodiments in this disclosure emphasizes the differences between the various embodiments, and the similarities or similarities can be referred to each other. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail.

[0046] At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual scale.

[0047] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use.

[0048] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0049] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0050] Furthermore, to avoid obscuring this disclosure with unnecessary detail, only processing steps and / or apparatus structures closely related to at least the solutions according to this disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details less relevant to this disclosure are omitted. It should also be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the drawings indicate similar items, and therefore once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be discussed again in subsequent drawings.

[0051] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating some embodiments of the time slot format configuration method according to the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the time slot format configuration method is applied to a sensing device and includes steps S101-S102.

[0052] Step S101: Receive time slot format configuration information sent by the network-side device; wherein, the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, and the time slot pattern information includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters. The configuration parameters may include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots, the number of sensing symbols, etc.

[0053] Step S102: Based on the time slot format configuration information, configure the frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink radio frame.

[0054] Sensing devices can be various devices such as smartphones, cars, and drones, while network-side devices can be various devices such as base stations. Network-side devices can send time slot format configuration information using various messages or signaling. Sensing devices receive this time slot format configuration information from network-side devices to configure the frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink radio frame. When sending uplink information to network-side devices, the sensing device generates and sends an uplink radio frame based on the frame structure pattern.

[0055] The time slot format configuration method disclosed herein proposes a time slot format indication scheme suitable for integrated communication and sensing technology. It can support cellular systems to transmit and receive sensing signals in addition to uplink and downlink communication, and can provide continuous high-precision sensing coverage. It can configure uplink and downlink communication time slots, symbols, and sensing time slots, symbols, etc. By supporting flexible periodic configuration of multiple patterns, it makes the time slot format configuration highly flexible. It can be modified based on existing protocols, with good protocol continuity and low added signaling overhead.

[0056] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters may further include at least one of the following: pattern period, number of downlink time slots, number of downlink symbols, number of uplink time slots, and number of uplink symbols. For example, the sensing device receives time slot format configuration information sent by the network-side device. The time slot format configuration information includes one or more time slot pattern information, and each time slot pattern information includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters.

[0057] The configuration parameters include at least one of the following: number of sensing time slots, number of sensing symbols, pattern period, number of downlink time slots, number of downlink symbols, number of uplink time slots, number of uplink symbols, sensing time slot index, and synesthesia pattern period; the configuration rules include a variety of rules for configuring frame structure patterns based on time slot format configuration information.

[0058] The pattern period is the period of a pattern that only contains uplink and downlink symbols or time slot configurations; the number of downlink time slots can be the number of consecutive downlink time slots at the beginning of the pattern; the number of downlink symbols can be the number of consecutive downlink symbols starting from the beginning of the time slot following the last downlink time slot; the number of uplink time slots is the number of consecutive uplink time slots at the end of the pattern; the number of uplink symbols is the number of consecutive uplink symbols at the end of the time slot preceding all uplink time slots, wherein the values ​​of the number of downlink time slots, the number of downlink symbols, the number of uplink time slots, the number of uplink symbols, the number of sensing time slots, and the number of sensing symbols can be 0.

[0059] In some embodiments, the configuration rules include: in the frame structure pattern, the sensing slots and / or sensing symbols are located before the start position of the uplink symbols, etc. The sensing slots and / or sensing symbols can be configured backward from the start position of the uplink symbols. The following are some specific methods for pattern configuration based on configuration parameters and configuration rules.

[0060] Method 1-1: Configuration parameters may include the number of sensing symbols and the number of first interval symbols, etc.; configuration rules include: the number of symbols between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the number of first interval symbols.

[0061] For example, only sensing symbols are configured in the frame structure pattern, without sensing time slots. In the frame structure pattern, consecutive sensing symbols are configured according to the number of sensing symbols. The first interval symbol is G1, and G1 can be multiple symbols. The number of symbols between the end position of a sensing symbol and the start position of an uplink symbol is the number of G1 symbols; that is, there is a G1-symbol interval between the end position of a sensing symbol and all uplink symbols.

[0062] The number of G1 symbols can be 0 or not 0. As shown in Figure 2A, when the number of G1 symbols is 0, there is no gap symbol between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol in the frame structure pattern. As shown in Figure 2B, when the number of G1 symbols is not 0, there is a gap of G1 symbols between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol in the frame structure pattern. The number of G1 symbols can be configured, for example, 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0063] Method 1-2: The configuration parameters also include the number of sensing time slots, etc.; the configuration rules include: the end position of the sensing time slot is connected to the start position of the sensing symbol, and the number of symbols between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the number of first interval symbols.

[0064] For example, in the frame structure pattern, the sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured. The sensing symbols can be configured first. As shown in Figure 3, in the frame structure pattern, consecutive sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured according to the number of sensing symbols and the number of sensing time slots; the first interval symbol is G1, and G1 can be multiple symbols.

[0065] The end position of the sensing symbol is separated from the start position of the uplink symbol by a G1 symbol interval. The number of G1 symbols can be configured, for example, 1, 2, 3, etc. There is no interval between the sensing symbol and the sensing time slot, and the end position of the sensing time slot is adjacent to the start position of the sensing symbol.

[0066] Methods 1-3: Configuration rules include: the end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, etc. For example, in the frame structure pattern, the sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured first. As shown in Figure 4, in the frame structure pattern, consecutive sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured according to the number of sensing symbols and the number of sensing time slots. There is no gap between the sensing symbols and sensing time slots, and the end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot.

[0067] Methods 1-4: The number of sensing symbols includes: the number of first sensing symbols and the number of second sensing symbols, etc.; the configuration rules include: the end position of the second sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, the inspiration position of the first sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the end position of the first sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the number of first interval symbols.

[0068] For example, in a frame structure pattern, configuring the first sensing symbol, sensing time slot, and second sensing symbol can be done by configuring the first sensing symbol first, then the sensing time slot, and finally the second sensing symbol. As shown in Figure 5, in the frame structure pattern, consecutive first sensing symbols, sensing time slots, and second sensing symbols are configured according to the number of first sensing symbols, the number of sensing time slots, and the number of second sensing symbols.

[0069] The first interval symbol is G1. The end position of the second sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, and the start position of the first sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot. There is no interval between the first sensing symbol and the sensing time slot, or between the sensing time slot and the second sensing symbol. The interval between the end position of the first sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is G1. The number of G1 symbols can be configured, for example, 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0070] In some embodiments, the configuration rules include: in the frame structure pattern, the sensing slots and / or sensing symbols are located after the end position of the downlink symbols, etc. The sensing slots and / or sensing symbols can be configured from the downlink symbols forward in the frame structure pattern. The following are some specific methods for pattern configuration based on configuration parameters and configuration rules.

[0071] Method 2-1: Configuration parameters include: number of sensing symbols, number of second interval symbols, etc.; configuration rules include: the number of symbols between the start position of the sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the number of second interval symbols.

[0072] For example, in the frame structure pattern, only sensing symbols are configured, without sensing time slots. As shown in Figure 6, the second interval symbol is G2, and G2 can be various symbols. In the frame structure pattern, consecutive sensing symbols are configured according to the number of sensing symbols. The number of symbols between the start position of a sensing symbol and the end position of a downlink symbol is the number of G2 symbols, which can be 0 or not 0.

[0073] Method 2-2: The configuration parameters also include the number of sensing time slots, etc.; the configuration rules include: the end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the start position of the sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the second interval symbol number.

[0074] For example, in the frame structure pattern, the sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured. The sensing symbols can be configured first. As shown in Figure 7, in the frame structure pattern, consecutive sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured according to the number of sensing symbols and the number of sensing time slots; the second interval symbol is G2, and G2 can be multiple symbols.

[0075] The end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the start position of the sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the number of G2 symbols. There is no gap between the sensing symbol and the sensing time slot. The number of G2 symbols can be configured, for example, 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0076] Method 2-3: Configuration rules include: the sensing time slot is located after the end position of the downlink symbol, and the end position of the sensing time slot is adjacent to the start position of the sensing symbol, etc. For example, in the frame structure pattern, sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured first. As shown in Figure 8, in the frame structure pattern, consecutive sensing symbols and sensing time slots are configured according to the number of sensing symbols and the number of sensing time slots. The sensing time slot is located after the end position of the downlink symbol, and the end position of the sensing time slot is adjacent to the start position of the sensing symbol, with no gap between the sensing symbols and sensing time slots.

[0077] Method 2-4: The number of sensing symbols includes the number of third sensing symbols and the number of fourth sensing symbols, etc.; the configuration rules include: the end position of the third sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, the start position of the fourth sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the start position of the third sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the number of second interval symbols.

[0078] For example, in a frame structure pattern, the third sensing symbol, sensing time slot, and fourth sensing symbol can be configured by configuring the third sensing symbol first, then the sensing time slot, and finally the fourth sensing symbol. As shown in Figure 9, in the frame structure pattern, consecutive third sensing symbols, sensing time slots, and fourth sensing symbols are configured according to the number of third sensing symbols, sensing time slots, and fourth sensing symbols.

[0079] The second interval symbol is G2. The end position of the third sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, and the start position of the fourth sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot. There is no interval between the third sensing symbol and the sensing time slot, or between the sensing time slot and the fourth sensing symbol. The interval between the start position of the third sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is G2 symbols. The number of G2 symbols can be configured, for example, 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0080] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters further include sensing time slot index information, sensing symbol configuration information, etc.; the configuration rules include: determining the time slot of the sensing symbol according to the sensing time slot index information, and determining the position information corresponding to the time slot of the sensing symbol according to the sensing symbol configuration information in the frame structure pattern.

[0081] For example, in a frame structure pattern, sensing symbols are configured according to slot index numbers. In a frame structure pattern, slots are numbered sequentially starting from 0. The slot index containing the sensing symbol is determined by one or more sensing slot index information. Then, the symbol position of the sensing symbol within the slot is determined by the sensing symbol configuration information of the slot. The sensing symbol configuration cannot rewrite symbols configured as uplink or downlink within the pattern.

[0082] As shown in Figure 10A, within each pattern cycle, the time slot index number starts from 0. When the received set of sensing time slot index numbers (sensing time slot index information) is {k1, k2}, the corresponding time slot is determined to be a sensing time slot containing sensing resources. If the received set of sensing time slot index numbers contains a time slot number that conflicts with a configured uplink or downlink time slot, that time slot number is invalid. For example, if the network-side device configures {0, k1, k2} as a sensing time slot, since time slot 0 is already configured as a downlink time slot, this time slot cannot be configured as a sensing time slot.

[0083] Within a configured sensing time slot, the specific location and number of sensing symbols can be determined through the sensing symbol configuration information of that time slot. For example, for a sensing time slot with time slot number k1, the receiving network-side device sends sensing symbol configuration information indicating the sensing symbols within that time slot. This information might include sensing symbol indices, and the index numbers within the time slot still start from 0. When the set of sensing symbol indices is {0, 1, 2}, the first three symbols within the time slot are determined to be sensing symbols, as shown in Figure 10B.

[0084] In the frame structure pattern, the sensing symbols can be configured according to the time slot index number within the pattern. The following are some specific methods for pattern configuration based on configuration parameters and configuration rules.

[0085] Method 3-1: The sensing time slot index information includes: a first set of index numbers, etc.; the sensing symbol configuration information is associated with the first set of index numbers. For example, one or more sensing time slot index numbers are configured, and all sensing time slots share a set of sensing symbol configurations. The sensing time slot index information includes a set of index numbers (the first set of index numbers), and the sensing symbol configuration takes effect simultaneously on the time slots corresponding to the index set, that is, the configuration information is associated with the set of index numbers.

[0086] The simultaneous effect of the sensing symbol configuration on the time slots corresponding to the index set means that the number and position of sensing symbols are the same across all time slots configured as sensing time slots. In other words, the symbol index set applies to all sensing time slots, not just a single sensing time slot. As shown in Figure 10B, the sensing symbol index set {0, 1, 2} applies to both time slots k1 and k2.

[0087] Method 3-2: The sensing time slot index information includes: a second set of index numbers, etc.; the sensing symbol configuration information includes: a set of sensing symbol configurations; the index information in the second set of index numbers corresponds one-to-one with the configuration information in the set of sensing symbol configurations.

[0088] For example, one or more sensing time slot index numbers are configured, and sensing symbols are configured individually for each sensing time slot. The sensing time slot index configuration information includes a set of index numbers (a second set of index numbers), and the sensing symbol configuration information includes a set of sensing symbol configurations. The indexes in the set of index numbers correspond one-to-one with the configurations in the set of sensing symbol configurations. Each sensing symbol configuration in the set of sensing symbol configurations takes effect on the time slot corresponding to an index in the set of index numbers.

[0089] The fact that each sensing symbol configuration in the sensing symbol configuration set is effective for a time slot corresponding to an index in the index number set means that the number and location of sensing symbols are not necessarily the same across all time slots configured as sensing time slots. In other words, the symbol index set is specific to a particular sensing time slot, not all sensing time slots. For example, the sensing symbol index set {0, 1, 2} is effective for time slot k1, while the number and location of sensing symbols in time slot k2 are indicated by another symbol index set. The number of sensing time slots is the same as the configuration information of the sensing symbols. Compared to method 3-1, method 3-2 has the advantage of more flexible configuration but a disadvantage of higher signaling overhead.

[0090] In some embodiments, two frame structure patterns can be configured, including a first pattern and a second pattern. In the first pattern, one or more time slot format configuration methods in the above embodiments can be used to configure the first number of sensing symbols, or the first number of sensing symbols and the first number of sensing time slots. In the second pattern, one or more time slot format configuration methods in the above embodiments can be used to configure the second number of sensing symbols, or the second number of sensing symbols and the second number of sensing time slots.

[0091] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters further include a sensing pattern period; the configuration rules include: periodically copying one or more frame structure patterns corresponding to the uplink wireless frame based on the sensing pattern period; wherein, the frame structure pattern is configured with sensing symbols. The number of frame structure patterns can be multiple, for example, two; and the periods of the two frame structure patterns can be the same or different from the periods of the two sensing patterns corresponding to the two patterns.

[0092] For example, the synesthetic pattern period is the period of a pattern that includes sensing symbols. As shown in Figure 11A, a pattern (frame structure pattern) can be configured using the methods described above, such as Method 1-1, Method 1-2, Method 1-3, and Method 1-4. If the pattern includes sensing symbols, the pattern repeats according to the pattern period; the synesthetic pattern repeats according to the synesthetic pattern period. The pattern can be a pattern that only includes uplink / downlink symbols or time slot configurations.

[0093] As shown in Figure 11B, two patterns can be configured using methods 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and 1-4 described above. Each pattern is configured with a perceptual symbol, and the period of the first synesthetic pattern is the same as the period of the second synesthetic pattern. As shown in Figure 11C, two patterns can be configured using methods 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and 1-4 described above. Each pattern is configured with a perceptual symbol, and the period of the first synesthetic pattern is different from the period of the second synesthetic pattern.

[0094] The synesthetic pattern 1 and synesthetic pattern 2 in Figures 11A-11C contain not only communication resources but also sensing resources. They can be frame structure patterns corresponding to uplink radio frames configured using the time slot format configuration method of this disclosure. The patterns in Figures 11A and 11C only contain communication resources. Synesthetic pattern 1 and synesthetic pattern 2 refer to patterns with different configurations of two synesthetic resources. For example, synesthetic pattern 1 may be configured with a sensing resource of 1 time slot, while synesthetic pattern 2 may be configured with a sensing resource of 2 time slots. Synesthetic pattern 1 and synesthetic pattern 2 correspond to two different sensing resource configurations.

[0095] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating some other embodiments of the time slot format configuration method according to the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 12, the time slot format configuration method is applied to a network-side device, including step S1201.

[0096] Step S1201: Send time slot format configuration information to the sensing device so that the sensing device can configure the frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information; wherein, the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, and the time slot pattern information includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters.

[0097] The time slot format configuration method in the above embodiments proposes a time slot format indication scheme suitable for integrated communication and sensing technology to support the expansion of sensing capabilities of wireless communication systems. By modifying the communication patterns in existing wireless frames and configuring continuous sensing resources after the original downlink communication symbols and before the uplink symbols, it can support flexible and adjustable sensing resource allocation and adapt to diverse sensing coverage and accuracy requirements. By reusing the sensing conversion interval with the existing uplink and downlink conversion intervals, symbol resources can be saved. By supporting the configuration of multiple sensing patterns and allowing different periods, it can adapt to sensing systems with various sensing signals, such as sensing resource allocation where pulse wave and continuous wave signals coexist. It requires minimal modification to existing standards, has good protocol backward compatibility, and is highly feasible.

[0098] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG13, this disclosure provides a sensing device 1300, including an information receiving module 1301 and a pattern configuration module 1302. The information receiving module 1301 receives time slot format configuration information sent by a network-side device; wherein, the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern, and the time slot pattern includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters. The pattern configuration module 1302 configures a frame structure pattern corresponding to an uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information.

[0099] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG14, the sensing device may include a memory 1401, a processor 1402, a communication interface 1403, and a bus 1404. The memory 1401 is used to store instructions, and the processor 1402 is coupled to the memory 1401. The processor 1402 is configured to execute the above-described time slot format configuration method applied to the sensing device based on the instructions stored in the memory 1401.

[0100] The memory 1401 can be a high-speed RAM, non-volatile memory, or a memory array. The memory 1401 may also be divided into blocks, and these blocks can be combined into virtual volumes according to certain rules. The processor 1402 can be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the time slot format configuration method for sensing devices disclosed herein.

[0101] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG15, this disclosure provides a network-side device 1500, including: an information sending module 1501; the information sending module 1501 sends time slot format configuration information to a sensing device, so that the sensing device configures a frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information; wherein, the time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, and the time slot pattern information includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters.

[0102] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG16, the network-side device may include a memory 1601, a processor 1602, a communication interface 1603, and a bus 1604. The memory 1601 is used to store instructions, and the processor 1602 is coupled to the memory 1601. The processor 1602 is configured to execute the above-described time slot format configuration method applied to the network-side device based on the instructions stored in the memory 1601.

[0103] The memory 1601 can be a high-speed RAM, non-volatile memory, or a memory array. The memory 1601 may also be divided into blocks, and these blocks can be combined into virtual volumes according to certain rules. The processor 1602 can be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the time slot format configuration method for network-side devices disclosed herein.

[0104] In some embodiments, this disclosure provides a communication system, including sensing devices, network-side devices, etc., as described in any of the above embodiments. The communication system can be a 5G system, a 6G system, or a similar system.

[0105] In some embodiments, this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the methods as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0106] Computer-readable storage media may take the form of any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may, for example, include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples (not an exhaustive list) of readable storage media may include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0107] Embodiments of this disclosure may also be computer program products, including computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the methods according to various embodiments of this disclosure described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above.

[0108] The time slot format configuration method, sensing device, network-side device, communication system, storage medium, and computer program product in the above embodiments propose a time slot format indication scheme suitable for integrated communication and sensing technology. This scheme supports the expansion of the sensing capabilities of wireless communication systems, can adapt to diverse sensing coverage and accuracy requirements, can save symbol resources, can adapt to various sensing signal communication systems, has good protocol backward compatibility, improves the quality of sensing services, and enhances the user experience.

[0109] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0110] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For system embodiments, since they largely correspond to method embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0111] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0112] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, devices, and methods of this disclosure, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.

[0113] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be carried out within the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0114] The above description has been given for illustrative and descriptive purposes. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although several exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are illustrative only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments can be combined, modified, or replaced without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A time slot format configuration method, applied to a sensing device, comprising: Receive time slot format configuration information sent by network-side devices; The time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, which includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols; Based on the time slot format configuration information, configure the frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink radio frame.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The configuration parameters also include at least one of the following: pattern period, number of downlink time slots, number of downlink symbols, number of uplink time slots, and number of uplink symbols.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein, The configuration rule includes: in the frame structure pattern, the sensing slot and / or sensing symbol is located before the start position of the uplink symbol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The configuration parameters include: the number of sensing symbols and the number of first interval symbols; The configuration rule includes: the number of symbols between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the first interval symbol number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The configuration parameters also include the number of sensing time slots; The configuration rules include: the end position of the sensing time slot is connected to the start position of the sensing symbol, and the number of symbols between the end position of the sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the number of the first interval symbols.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The configuration rule includes: the end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The number of perception symbols includes: the number of first perception symbols and the number of second perception symbols; The configuration rules include: the end position of the second sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, the inspiration position of the first sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the end position of the first sensing symbol and the start position of the uplink symbol is the number of the first interval symbols.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein, The configuration rule includes: in the frame structure pattern, the sensing slot and / or sensing symbol is located after the termination position of the downlink symbol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The configuration parameters include: the number of sensing symbols and the number of second interval symbols; The configuration rule includes: the number of symbols between the starting position of the sensing symbol and the ending position of the downlink symbol is the second interval symbol number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The configuration parameters also include the number of sensing time slots; The configuration rules include: the end position of the sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the start position of the sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the second interval symbol number.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, The configuration rules include: the sensing time slot is located after the end position of the downlink symbol, and the end position of the sensing time slot is connected to the start position of the sensing symbol.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, The number of sensory symbols includes: the number of third sensory symbols and the number of fourth sensory symbols; The configuration rules include: the end position of the third sensing symbol is connected to the start position of the sensing time slot, the start position of the fourth sensing symbol is connected to the end position of the sensing time slot, and the number of symbols between the start position of the third sensing symbol and the end position of the downlink symbol is the second interval symbol number.

13. The method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein, The configuration parameters also include: sensing time slot index information and sensing symbol configuration information; The configuration rules include: determining the time slot of the sensing symbol according to the sensing time slot index information, and determining the position information corresponding to the time slot of the sensing symbol in the frame structure pattern according to the sensing symbol configuration information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The sensing time slot index information includes: a first set of index numbers; the sensing symbol configuration information is associated with the first set of index numbers.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, The sensing time slot index information includes: a second set of index numbers; the sensing symbol configuration information includes: a set of sensing symbol configurations; wherein, the index information in the second set of index numbers corresponds one-to-one with the configuration information in the set of sensing symbol configurations.

16. The method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein, The configuration parameters also include: synesthesia pattern period; The configuration rules include: periodically copying one or more frame structure patterns corresponding to the uplink wireless frame based on the sensing pattern period; wherein the sensing symbols are configured in the frame structure pattern.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The number of frame structure patterns is two; the periods of the two synesthetic patterns corresponding to the two patterns are the same or different.

18. A time slot format configuration method, applied to a network-side device, comprising: Send time slot format configuration information to the sensing device so that the sensing device can configure a frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information; The time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, which includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols.

19. A sensing device, comprising: The information receiving module is configured to receive time slot format configuration information sent by network-side devices; The time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, which includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols; The pattern configuration module is configured to configure the frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink radio frame based on the time slot format configuration information.

20. A sensing device, comprising: Memory; And a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17 based on instructions stored in the memory.

21. A network-side device, comprising: The information transmission module is configured to send time slot format configuration information to the sensing device, so that the sensing device can configure a frame structure pattern corresponding to the uplink wireless frame based on the time slot format configuration information; The time slot format configuration information includes at least one time slot pattern information, which includes configuration parameters and configuration rules corresponding to the configuration parameters; the configuration parameters include at least one of the following: the number of sensing time slots and the number of sensing symbols.

22. A network-side device, comprising: Memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform the method of claim 18 based on instructions stored in the memory.

23. A communication system, comprising: The sensing device as described in claim 19 or 20, and the network-side device as described in claim 21 or 22.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that are executed by a processor according to any one of claims 1 to 17, or according to claim 18.

25. A computer program product storing computer instructions that are executed by a processor using the method of any one of claims 1 to 17, or the method of claim 18.

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